THE RUINS OF

NINTH WATCH

AN ADVENTURE FOR CHARACTERS OF 10TH LEVEL

BY
THE TALMANAH PROJECT
 Acknowledgements and Credits

I want to start by thanking my patrons, whose support makes projects like

these possible. I appreciate each and every one of you.
Calvin Samuels
Matthew Samuels
Wes Wong

Cover Illustration by AllBlueBubbles

Instagram: @allbluebubbles
Buymeacoffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/allbluebubbles

Maps by Miks.Maps
(using selected assets by GnomeFactory)
Instagram: @miks.maps
Patreon: www.patreon.com/miksmaps

Both AllBlueBubbles and Miks.Maps were incredible to work with, and I

highly encourage you to check out the rest of their work.

This document was created in Scribus, an open-source desktop

publishing program designed for typesetting and layouts to create
professional quality publications.
Image edits and adjustments for this document and all my other projects
are done using GNU Image Manipulation Program (GIMP), an open-
source graphics editor used for image editing and manipulation, free form
drawing, and transcoding between between different image file formats.
My sincere thanks to the developers and distributors for enabling creators
like me to do things like this.

Special thanks also go to Krager, whose shadow packs were used on every
map in this document, and Jared Ondricek (u/flamableconcrete on
reddit) who created all of the parchment texture backgrounds and page
overlays.

There have also been numerous people that have lent assistance along the
way and I want to thank Raznag for recommending Scribus, as well as all
of the folks over at the TopoTurtle Guild for their support and
encouragement. It's a great community to be part of.
Everyone over on the Discord of Many Things has also been incredibly
helpful in balancing all of the homebrew creations, and helping to get the
wording of things just right.

And finally, a sincere thank you to you for downloading and playing this
adventure. I hope you enjoy running it as much as I enjoyed making it.
CONTENTS
Introduction 4 Guardian Spirits 59
Using this Document 4 Guardian Spirit 59
Adventure Background 4 Guardian Statue 59
Adventure Synopsis 6 Ice Elementals 60
Snowbound Vale 6 Blizzard Elemental 61
Frost Elemental 61
Running the Adventure 7 Onnür, Thane of Ninth Watch 62
Starting the Adventure 7 Scarhide the Heartless 64
Preparing For Play 7 Troll Claw 65
Using Monster and Item 8 The Winter Sisters 66
References Aria Ice-Veins 67
Adapting the Adventure for 8 Granny Rattle-Breath 69
Your Game Sally Stitchfingers 70

Ninth Watch Ruins 9 Appendix B: Magic Items 71

General Features 9 Forge Hammer 71
Random Encounters 9 Gambler's Coin 71
Character Advancement 10 Spindle of Webs 71
The Surface Ruins 11 Stumpmaker 72
Caves Level 15 Troll-Blood Tincture 72
Assembly Level 20
Running the Oni 28 Legal Notice and OGL 73
Forge Level 30 Redistribution Notice 73
Temple Level 37 Open Gaming License (OGL) 73
Consecration 40
The Cavern 44
The Ritual 46
The Cauldron 46
Stopping the Ritual 47
The Hag Coven 48
Consequences 50

Appendix A: Monsters and 51

NPCs
Monsters and NPCs by Challenge 51
Rating
Chilling Shade 51
Frost Maw 52
Frostweb Spiders 52
Frostweb Broodmother 53
Frostweb Hatchling Swarm 54
Giant Frostweb Spider 54
Frozen Skeletons 55
Frozen Skeleton Archer 55
Frozen Skeleton Captain 56
Frozen Skeleton Warrior 56
Gelid Mass 57
Grinjaw 58
 INTRODUCTION
In the snow-capped peaks of the This main body of the document is
Vingemantle Mountains, an ancient followed by two appendices that detail the
dwarven watchtower lies in ruins. The site new monsters, NPCs, and magic items
of a bitter battle between dwarves, the that feature in this adventure, and a final
tower and its inhabitants were laid low by section that includes the open gaming
a great cataclysm that shook the very license and legal information pertinent to
foundations of the mountain itself. Now, the publication of this adventure and its
dark things dwell within its shattered use.
halls and their plans will spell doom for
the inhabitants of the towns nestled in the This adventure may be slightly different
mountain's shadow, unless someone from others that you have used in the
ventures into those foreboding ruins and past. Rather than focusing on a storyline,
ends the foul machinations unfolding the goal is to present a self-contained
within. location that is not tied to a specific villain
or plot, so that you can easily insert it into
USING THIS DOCUMENT your own game with a minimum of effort
on your part. As such, the story, such as
The Ruins of Ninth Watch is is a self- it is, is focused on the the history of the
contained adventure that takes place in a location of Ninth Watch and its
single location, the titular ruins inhabitants rather than any far-reaching
themselves. The adventure is intended for goals they may have.
a party of 4 characters of 10th-level, but It may be helpful to think of this as a
there is some flexibility there (see the location or a scenario rather than an
Preparing For Play section on pages 4-5 "adventure" in the traditional sense. This
for more on that) and the adventure itself document itself is to be used alongside the
is focused on combat and the exploration fifth edition system reference document,
of the ruins. While the occasional social which will detail how to create characters
encounter does feature, this is not an and play the game itself. You only need
adventure designed around mystery or the basic rules and this document to play
social interaction and is intended more as through the adventure, although it will
a dungeon crawl that you can easily pick work just as easily with the core
up and run. rulebooks, which also offer more options
for character creation and abilities for
This introductory section provides some your players to use.
advice on how to run the adventure itself,
and includes background information for ADVENTURE BACKGROUND
the location and villains, as well as a
sample hook to introduce the adventure to In the distant past, the dwarves of
your players. Talmanah lived beneath these mountains
The second part of this document and they established a number of
describes the ruins of the tower itself and outposts and watchtowers on the surface
it's general features with maps of each of to keep aware of events that transpired on
the six areas that the characters can the world above. Ninth Watch was one
explore, including descriptions of each such outpost, and for many years it stood
section within them and details regarding as a keen eye and a source of early
where various monsters, NPCs (non-player warning for the strongholds in the deeps.
characters), and loot can be found. It
culminates with detailing the potential However, some centuries ago, the tower
consequences or rewards should the was attacked. Not from the surface, where
characters succeed or fail. its defenses were focused and prepared to

4
repel assailants, but from the caverns at of this far-flung outpost, and the people of
its foundations. Duergar assaulted the Snowbound Vale were occupied with their
tower at its base deep beneath the earth own rebuilding efforts in the wake of the
and a bloody battle raged, with dwarf cataclysm.
fighting and killing dwarf in what was
simply the most recent chaptr in the story Ninth Watch stood vacant for many years,
of their ongoing ancestral grudge. without occupant or castellan save for the
occasional pack of wild beasts, until a new
The exact events of the battle are lost to arrival came upon its ruins and it claimed
history, but at some point, one group the broken tower for themselves.
attempted to harness the power of This newcomer was frost giant by the
elemental earth to crush their enemies. name of Onnür who claimed the title of
Whether they were foolhardy, Thane and established his tyranny over
overambitious, or their attempt was the towns below, demanding tribute from
hampered by the enemy, something went them, and threatening them with fresh
awry, and the magical power unleashed destruction at his hands and the jaws of
that day cracked the mountain at its very his wolves should they refuse.
core. The people of Snowbound Vale have
lived under his yolk for several years now,
The townsfolk of the Snowbound Vale still and have grown accustomed to it.
talk about the day the mountain roared, a However, their latest tribute was prepared
rolling wall of thunderous noise that raced and left at the base of the mountain, but
down the slopes, pursued by a vast has not been collected. Several weeks
avalanche of snow, boulders, and have now passed, and the locals have
uprooted trees. The towns managed to begun to hope that perhaps the giant is
rebuild after the devastation, battered dead, but they are all too scared to
survivors returning to dig their broken venture up the mountain and check, lest
homes out from beneath mounds of ice it turn out to be some cruel trick by
and rubble, but for the dwarves of Ninth Onnür himself.
Watch, there would be no such chance.
An entire section of the mountain had Unbeknownst to the inhabitants of
shifted, sending spars of rock straight Snowbound Vale, this absence is due to
through walls and displacing the tower the arrival of a coven of bheur hags who
itself within the stone out of which it was have taken control of Ninth Watch. These
carved. The tunnels that connected the hags, The Winter Sisters, have killed
tower to the greater caverns and the rest Onnür with the assistance of his pack of
of the dwarven nations had collapsed, and winter wolves and raised the frost giant as
falling rubble and debris had culled a an undead servant of the coven, along
great many of the survivors. Those who with most of the fallen dwarves they found
still drew breath were grievously injured in the tower.
and lacked the strength to attempt to dig They have set their sets on Snowbound
their way out of the ruins. A small group Vale and are preparing a ritual in the
gathered in the temple and committed darkest caverns of the ruins to summon a
their souls to their gods. Most did not last powerful necrotic tempest that will sweep
through the night. through the vale below, claiming every
living soul to empower the hags' vile magic
And so the tower was forgotten. The fall of and enable them to usher in an endless
the great dwarven empire to infighting and winter of weariness and despair, until
invasion soon after meant that no one there is no shred of hope, joy, or warmth
ever came to investigate what had become left among the living.

5
 ADVENTURE SYNOPSIS settlements. If the settlement is one of the
larger towns, it might be the mayor or a
Your players will arrive at the ruins of wealthy merchant, whereas smaller
Ninth Watch and fight their way down settlements might see the characters
through the various levels, battling the visited by a local priest or respected
hag sisters and having the chance to kill foreman from a logging crew. Whoever the
them individually before they flee deeper individual is, they will be well respected by
into the ruins. the community, and will act as a
They will encounter different creatures spokesperson for Snowbound Vale as a
and environmental hazards on each level whole.
as they make their way to the deepest If you are adding this adventure as the
cavern where they must stop the surviving next leg of an existing game, feel free to
hags from completing a dark ritual and replace this spokesperson with an existing
unleashing a storm of death magic that NPC that the players would be inclined to
would have catastophic consequences for assist and that could feasibly be in
the people of the Snowbound Vale. Snowbound Vale who would care about
the locals' plight.
SNOWBOUND VALE
This person will ask the characters to help
Snowbound Vale is a sheltered valley at the people of Snowbound Vale with a
the base of the Vingemantle Mountains' problem, offering a reward of gold for their
slopes. The handful of towns and assistance. You might decide to have the
scattered villages within the vale subsist reward take a different form, such as
off of the lumber trade, or follow the herds information, or the arranging of a meeting
of elk and mountain deer in the region. with a certain organization or individual
Several thousand people live in the vale, the characters are trying to reach,
spread throughout more than a dozen whatever is most applicable to your game.
scattered settlements of various sizes.
Most are villages, composed of log The spokesperson will explain that there
cabins and houses, but a handful of small is a frost giant known as Onnür who lives
towns dot the trade road that runs up in the mountains, who demands
through the bottom of the valley itself. tribute from the towns of Snowbound
These larger towns are full of steep-roofed, Vale, threatening to destroy them or set
timber houses and shops, with many inns his pack of monstrous wolves upon the
and hostels to accommodate traders and townsfolk if he does not receive new
their goods. Traders in furs, timber, treasures each winter.
wooder furniture, and scrimshaw are a It is now nearly a full month into the
common sight, and the people go about winter, and he has yet to come down the
clad in thick woolen clothing and furs, the mountain to collect the tribute. The
browns and greys broken up by colorful townsfolk are worried this is some cruel
scarves and knitted hats. trick on Onnür's part and that when they
The environs are harsh, but the take their tribute back, he will arrive and
interiors are cozy, with most buildings demand double for their tardiness. Some
boasting a comfortable hearth and many hope that the giant may have died, but
rugs and wall hangings to keep the heat dare not venture into the mountains
in, and the taverns all serve a signature themselves to discover the truth. They
hot, mulled wine. want the characters to go and find out
what has delayed Onnür. If the giant still
If you are using Snowbound Vale to lives, and the characters are able to slay
introduce the adventure, the characters him, the promised reward will be greatly
will be approached by a prominent citizen increased for releasing the people of
shortly after arriving in one of the Snowbound Vale from his tyranny.

6
RUNNING THE ADVENTURE
STARTING THE ADVENTURE players have no magic items, a large
number of magic items, or magic items of
If your party are 10th level, you can have great power they may also find encounters
them come across the ruins of the tower more or less challenging than intended,
while exploring any suitably mountainous and you may choose to adjust the loot
region, or else be directed there by the they can find accordingly.
inhabitants of Snowbound Vale who are
looking for competent adventurers or Many of the encounters in the ruins are
heroes to investigate what has become of not intended to be fatal, but rather drain
the frost giant who terrorizes their towns. the resources of the party as they make
If players are not quite high enough their way to the set piece combats against
level for the adventure, you can have them the hags and other powerful creatures in
hear about the ruins, but incoroporate a the ruins. Stronger parties may be able to
journey to the destination itself during make their way through more encounters
which they might have encounters that before they need to rest, but should still
bring them up to an appropriate power find the location as a whole to be a
level to face the challenges within the challenge.
tower itself. If your players are resting regularly
however, the ruins may not feel very
PREPARING FOR PLAY threatening, and so you are advised to
discourage excessive rests (if your players
Before you begin your game it is are taking a short rest every time they
recommended that you familiarize yourself clear out a new room, they're probably
with the monsters that feature in this being excessive). The Random Encounter
adventure, and have a sense of the Tables on pages 9-10 provide some
general layout of each level and the excellent ways to interrupt unecessary
threats your party may encounter. breaks and prompt your players to press
Reading through the adventure ahead of on by showing that taking a rest does not
time is recommended to ensure you have remove all risks. That being said, the
the information you need to create the characters will need to rest at various
most enjoyable experience for you and points throughout this adventure, so be
your players. sure to provide the occasional opportunity
to do so when they are running low on
This adventure is intended for a party of resources.
four 10th-level characters and anticipates As always, you can adjust these factors
that they have a moderate number of based on the experience level of your
magic items among them. If you have players and the level of deadliness you
more players than that, or if they are and your players enjoy, but the default
slightly higher or lower level, the level of danger is unlikely to result in the
adventure is still usable, but you may death of a player's character outside of the
need to adjust the hit points and damage set piece battles. Feel free to decide that
of some enemies to avoid wiping out lower its time for a random encounter if you
level parties, or perhaps raise them to think that your players aren't being
provide a suitable challenge to higher level challenged enough, or give the characters
players. an uninterrupted rest if it is clearly
You can also adjust the number of needed regardless of what the roll says. As
enemies in a given encounter to balance always, it is about what will make for the
for larger parties, although it is advised to most enjoyable game, whether that be
restrict this to set piece battles and only realism and deadly chance, or an epic
adjust the number of minions. If your storyline and curated moments.

7
 A final consideration is that this USING MONSTER AND ITEM
adventure features many enemies focused REFERENCES
around a similar theme, which results in a
large number of creatures that deal cold Throughout the adventure, each
damage or have some innate resistance to encounter presents the names of any
it. If your players have created characters monsters or NPCs involved in bold. This is
that are particularly resistant to cold to help it stand out in the description for
damage they may find that these enemies that area and serves as a visual cue to
pose far less of a challenge, while look up that monster's stat block. If the
characters that rely on abilities that deal creature comes from Appendix A there will
cold damage as their primary offensive be a note in parentheses telling you to
tools (such a sorcerer with Ray of Frost look there, otherwise you can find the stat
and Cone of Cold as their primary damage block in the 5th Edition SRD, Basic Rules
dealing spells) may feel somewhat useless. or the core rulebooks. The same will be
It may be worth talking to your players true for any magic items, except that they
ahead of time and informing them of the will appear in Appendix B.
theme of the adventure if you want to
avoid situations such as these. ADAPTING THE ADVENTURE TO YOUR
GAME
Note: As this adventure is designed for
characters of 10th level, it is not The history and locations presented in
recommended for first time players or this adventure are from the setting of
dugeon masters as many of the creatures Talmanah. While a deliberate effort has
and encounters involve a degree of been made to keep this adventure as
complexity that may be overwhelming if open-ended as possible, you may find
you are still learning how the game works. certain aspects incompatible with your
The adventure will therefore assume a own game or setting. Perhaps there are no
that you have a basic understanding of dwarves in your world, maybe the entire
how the game works with regards to setting is one gigantic desert, or undead
factors such as movement, light, all retain their memories and personalities
conditions, and similar mechanics. instead of being mindless puppets.
Whatever the case may be, you are
RECOMMENDED STARTING ITEMS encouraged to edit any aspects of this
adventure that do not fit with your own
If your players are making brand-new game in order to create the most enjoyable
characters to play this adventure, you experience for you and your players.
may want to allow them to start with some Replace the undead skeletons with
magic items they have found on their animated ice constructs that the hags
adventures up to this point, which they have conjured, turn the dwarven
would certainly have had in order to have watchtower into an ancient human
reached level 10. Allowing each player to bunker complex that was constructed to
start with a potion of healing and their outlast a magical nuclear fallout and was
choice of one rare magic item, or two invaded by drow who slaughtered the
uncommon magic items should work well. inhabitants, go wild with it! This
adventure is made to help you run a fun
READ-ALOUD TEXT game, so please do not let it create new
problems for you because you feel like you
When you see text written in a textbox have to stick to doing exactly what it says.
of this style, read it out loud to your
players when they enter the relevant
area, or meet whatever conditions are
required to trigger the events described.

8
NINTH WATCH RUINS
GENERAL FEATURES RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
This ruined tower has the following As your players explore the ruins they will
features. Any exceptions are noted in the encounter certain hazards and creatures
areas to which they apply. in set locations, but there is the possibility
Ceilings. Ceilings are 12 feet high. of coming across unexpected dangers, and
Doors. A normal door is 6 feet tall, 4 the more time they spend in the tower, the
feet wide, and is made of solid stone. more likely such encounters become.
Doors are designed to swing easily on an Check for such an encounter at the end
upright pivot in place of a hinge, and open of each hour that your players spend
into rooms from corridors. Locked doors among the ruins. Roll a d20; if the result
can be broken down with a DC 20 is an 18 or higher, a random encounter
Strength (Athletics) check. occurs. Roll a d6 and consult the
Stairwells. The rooms containing the appropriate table below depending on
stairs that connect different levels of the where the characters are to determine
tower are 36 feet from their floor to the what they encounter.
floor of the level above, and 48 feet from
floor to ceiling. The stairs spiral along the SURFACE RUINS & MOUNTAIN SLOPES
outer wall, descending twelve feet down
along a single wall before ending in a 10 1 2d4 Griffons
foot square landing and turning to 2–3 2 Mammoths
proceed along the next section of wall. 4 1 Wyvern
Walls and Floors. The walls, floors, and 5 1 Remorhaz (Erupts from the
ceilings in the tower are made from ground beneath their feet unless
dressed stone, much of which is cracked they are within the walls in which
and damaged. Interior walls are three feet case it emerges outside the walls)
thick and carved from solid stone. 6 1d4+2 Winter Wolves
Light. The interior of the tower is not lit
by any natural light. Any torch sconces or CAVES LEVEL
lamps are unlit. Areas that the hags
inhabit are lit by candles or faint magical 1 1d3+2 Frost Maws (see
lights (see the description of each hag's Appendix A)
individual lair to see exactly what light 2 – 3 1d8+2 Giant Frostweb Spiders
sources are present), but the rest of the (see Appendix A)
tower is in complete darkness. 4 2d6 Frostweb Hatchling Swarms
Webs. Frostweb Spiders have made (see Appendix A)
their webs on several levels of the tower. A 5 – 6 1d4 Giant Frostweb Spiders and
10-foot cube of this webbing has an AC of d6+2 Frostweb Hatchling
10; 5 hit points; vulnerability to fire Swarms (see Appendix A for both)
damage; and immunity to bludgeoning,
cold, poison, and psychic damage. When a ASSEMBLY LEVEL
creature moves into a web-filled space for
the first time on its turn, or starts its turn 1 – 2 2d4 Troll Claws (see Appendix A)
there, it becomes restrained. A creature 3 1d8 Giant Frostweb Spiders (see
that is restrained in this way can use an Appendix A)
action to make a DC 12 Strength check, 4 1d4+1 Frostweb Hatchling
breaking free of the webbing on a success. Swarms (see Appendix A)
Becoming tangled in a web, breaking free 5 – 6 1d6 Giant Frostweb Spiders and
from it, or destroying it are all considered 1d4 Frostweb Hatchling Swarms
to be actions that disturb the webs. (see Appendix A for both)

9
 FORGE LEVEL CHARACTER ADVANCEMENT
There is a good chance that your players
1 – 2 4d4 Ice Mephits will level up while they are exploring the
3 1 Blizzard Elemental (see ruins of Ninth Watch. If you are tracking
Appendix A) experience points you can grant levels as
4 1d2 Frost Elementals (see they would be awarded normally, but if
Appendix A) you want to use milestone levelling, here
5 1d6+3 Chilling Shades (see are some accomplishments that you can
Appendix A) use to track their progress through Ninth
6 1 Invisible Stalker Watch.
When the characters accumulate 8
TEMPLE LEVEL points, they become eligible for their first
level up (from level 10 to level 11), and if
1 – 2 1d6+3 Frozen Skeleton Warriors they achieve 15 points they earn their
(see Appendix A) second level up.
3 1d4+4 Frozen Skeleton Warriors Unless otherwise specified, points can
and 1 Frozen Skeleton Captain only be awarded once for any given
(see Appendix A for both) accomplishment.
4 1d4+3 Specters (re-roll if the Points are awarded for the following:
Wraith in area 5J has been killed)
5 – 6 1d6+4 Frozen Skeleton Warriors - Meeting one of the winter sisters (1
and 1d2 Frozen Skeleton point, can be awarded once for each hag)
Captains (see Appendix A for both) - Killing one of the winter sisters (1 point,
can be awarded once per hag)
- Descending to a lower level of the ruins
(1 point, can be awarded up to 4 times)
- Defeating or killing Grinjaw (1 point)
- Defeating or killing the Frostweb
Broodmother (1 point)
- Defeating or killing the Scarhide the
Heartless (1 point)
- Killing the Oni (1 point)
- Defeating or killing the Guardian Spirit
(1 point)
- Getting the Guardian Spirit to purify the
Temple Level (2 points)
- Reactivating the Shield Guardan in area
5L using its control amulet (1 point)
- Killing Onnür, Thane of Ninth Watch (2
points)
- Stopping the winter sisters' ritual (3
points if the hags are all killed, 1 point if
any survive and escape)

10
 THE SURFACE RUINS

1A

1C
1G

1B 1D

1A 1F
1E

1A

ASCENDING THE SLOPES

The ruins of Ninth Watch are high above hazard by far is the pack of winter wolves
the tree line, and reaching them requires that used to make up Onnür's kennel. Led
a hike of several hours from the base of by the grizzled wolf Grinjaw, they still
the mountain. make their den in the shelter of the ruins
The slopes are bitterly cold and beset by and prowl the slopes at night in search of
fierce winds, but their most dangerous prey.

11
 1A. SNOWY SLOPES dozen feet away from the pedestals
themselves.
The mountain slopes leading up to the
ruins of Ninth Watch are steep and While it is not immediately evident, any
covered in thick snow. An icy wind character who examines the gates will see
cuts through even warm winter that the destruction here is unrelated to
clothing and visibility is greatly the shift of the mountain generations ago.
reduced by the flurries of snow it kicks The gates were torn down by Onnür, who
up, but there is no mistaking the sight often passed his time by pulverizing the
of the ruins looming up ahead. few remaining remnants of dwarven
A squat pile of crumbling masonry stonework with his club.
and ruined walls are all that remain
Threats. If the party enter through these
standing, and even that has been
gates during the day without taking care
partially buried in snow from a past
to travel quietly, they will be attacked by
avalanche. While most of the structure
the wolves sleeping in area 1G who will
has collapsed into piles of loose rubble, have heard them approaching.
the thickest sections of the exterior
wall are still intact and deep snow 1C. ICE CAVE ENTRANCE
drifts have piled up against them.
This tower has been swallowed up by
The flurries of snow greatly restrict the mountainside, buried beneath a
visibility while out in the open, imposing great weight of snow and rubble. A
disadvantage on all Wisdom (Perception) fissure in the mountain seems to lead
checks made to see things more than 60 to a cave of some kind, and the
feet away. The ground slopes down away entrance is large enough for most
from the ruins to the south and west, but humanoids to walk in without needing
upwards to the north-east. At night, the to duck.
temperature plummets, becoming
unbearably cold, and Grinjaw's pack take If a character chooses to examine the area
to the slopes in search of fresh prey. sheltered within the cave entrance, they
can make a DC 14 Wisdom (Survival)
Threats. If the players are on the slopes check, or a DC 16 Intelligence
after dark, they will be ambushed in the (Investigation) check. If a character
night by Grinjaw (see appendix A) and a succeeds on their check, they notice
pack of five winter wolves. The party will tracks leading in and out of the cave. If
be surprised for the first round of this they succeed by 5 or more, they can
combat unless an awake member of the ascertain that the tracks were made by a
party has a passive Perception of 18 or large, canine creature, and that the
higher. creature was injured when it exited the
cave.
1B. THE BROKEN GATES
The tectonic shifts in the mountains
A pair of massive gates have been torn opened up numerous fissures and caverns
from their posts. Chunks of shattered within. This crack in the mountsinside
masonry attest to the presence of two leads to a larger ice cave that extends
statues of dwarven warriors that once deeper into the mountain. If the
flanked this entrance, and the spread characters proceed into the cave, read the
of the debris seems to indicate that following section of text:
they were demolished with a great deal
of force using a very large bludgeon as
chunks of stone can be found several Soon after entering the cave, you come

12
 across a spread bundle of furs and beasts and numerous furs and baubles
animal hides. It seems to be a extorted from the people of Snowbound
bedchamber of some kind for a very Vale, the throne is coated in a thick
large individual. A short distance blanket of snow and does not seem to
further on, the snow is stained with have been sat in for many days. There is
blood, and shattered pieces of stone no sign of the giant, nor any indication of
are scattered around the walls. A where he may have gone, although the
massive, stone club, nearly ten feet pile of belongings left behind implies that
long, lies discarded on the ground. if the current absence is by choice, it is
intended to be a temporary one.
This used to be Onnürs sleeping quarters If the party search the area for signs of
and it was where Grinjaw and his pack where Onnür may have gone, they will
attacked him. Onnür drove off the wolves, discover the staircase at area 1E,
but while he was recovering from his although it is clearly much too small for
wounds, the hags attacked him in his Onnür to have descended normally, and
sleep, killing him and taking his remains the fissure in area 1C which a giant would
below. be able to enter, although it would need to
The ice drakes that now lair deeper in stoop to do so.
these caves have disturbed the area too
much for the characters to gather any Loot. If the treasures around the throne
sense of what happened here other than are looted, players can gather 10d20 gold
that the giant fought with something. pieces worth of loot, but it is bulky and
difficult to transport (furs, silverware
1D. GIANT'S THRONE plates, animal trophies, etc.).

The wall of the keep standing opposite 1E. CRUMBLING STAIRS

the broken gates has been entirely
consumed by some past avalanche, The walls of this tower are badly
disappearing into a cliff made of ice damaged, and the upper floor has
and rubble in front of which a gigantic completely fallen away, but a
throne has been constructed by piling crumbling staircase still remains that
up chunks of stone and carving away descends to a lower level. It looks
the ice. Whoever this throne is for is dangerously unstable with numerous
easily three times the height of most cracks in the stonework and large
humanoids, and the seat of the throne sections of the stairs being entirely
itself is six feet off the ground. absent where chunks have broken off.
Various treasures, such as animal
skin rugs, silverware platters, bolts of These stairs connect to area 2A. This
fabric, and reindeer antler scrimshaws staircase descends to the interior levels of
are strewn about the throne and the tower, but it is badly damaged and
draped over the seat itself, all partially may be dangerous to descend, threatening
buried under a blanket of fallen snow. to collapse under too much weight and
Whether these items were deliberately providing little in the way of stable footing
arranged in their current positions, or on its cracked and crumbling stonework.
simply discarded there is unclear.
Threats. The dilapidated state of this
Onnür seems to have constructed a crude staircase makes it dangerous to use as it
throne on his own massive scale by piling may crumble and crack beneath you,
up boulders and chunks of rubble against causing you to lose your footing. When
the ice of the the mountain slope. travelling on this staircase (whether
Decorated with the bones of huge ascending or descending) a character

13
 must succeed on a DC Dexterity immediate danger, but close inspection
(Acrobatics) check or lose their footing and will reveal thick tufts of white fur and
fall to the bottom of the staircase, taking large, gnawed bones beneath the snow.
2d6 bludgeoning damage. Any character with proficiency in the
Survival skill will recognise them as the
1F. WOLF DEN bones of a mammoth, reindeer, or other
large mountain herbivore and will see the
tooth marks on the bones that indicate
This tower appears to be the most they have been chewed on by a large,
intact section of the ruins. Its thick carnivorous creature.
walls provide moderate shelter from
the wind and cold outside. Threats. The winter wolf, Grinjaw (see
I f Appendix A) and his pack shelter in the
the characters enter the tower while ruins of this tower to rest. If the party
Grinjaw's pack are inside it, read the arrive during daytime, there will be three
following text too: winter wolves sleeping here, unless they
have been alerted to the party's presence
A pack of three massive, white-furred (see area 1B). If the party arrive at night,
wolves is gathered within. They do not the tower will be empty as the wolves are
look friendly. all out hunting.

The wolves then immediately attack the 1G. COLLAPSED WALLS

party if they aware of the characters'
presence. Invisibility will only be of limited The interior walls that once formed rooms
use here, as the wolves' keen sense of and corridors have long since collapsed
smell and hearing will likely be able to into rubble. Covered by a thick layer of
detect a character's presence even if the snow, only the largest rocks are still
wolves cannot actually see them to get an visible breaking throught the surface of
exact location. these mounds, the tallest of which is
The wolves fight ferociously at first, but around three feet high, but most of which
are intelligent enough to retreat if the range from one to feet tall. If the
battle goes against them. Once one wolf characters search these piles of rubble,
dies, the others will disengage and run they will not find anything other than rock
away once they are moderately wounded and snow.
(reduced to 30 hp or fewer). If all three
wolves are still alive, they will turn and These mounds are difficult terrain, and a
run once they are seriously wounded small creature can hide behind them to
(reduced to 20 hp or fewer). get half cover.
If the wolves are wounded, but some of
the characters have gone down too, they
may choose to stay and fight in the hopes
of finishing off the last few survivors
rather than run away.
If any wolves do escape, they will return
to the ruins in one hour accompanied by
five more winter wolves and Grinjaw if he
is still alive.

If the characters enter the tower while it is

empty of wolves, either because they are
out hunting, or because they were already
drawn out of the tower, then there is no

14
 CAVES LEVEL

2D
2I 2J

2G.i
2H

2G.ii 2C
2B

2G.iii

2B

2F
2E 2A

SHATTERED HALLS
This level of the tower served as the living result was devastated by the great shifting
quarters for the warriors that were once of the mountain. Many rooms are utterly
garrisoned here. Being the closest level to demolished, with gaping holes in place of
the surface it had the smallest amount of floors, and walls broken down by the
stone surrounding it it stability and as a mass of the mountain itself.

15
 2A. STAIRS TO UPPER LEVEL
the large, pale blue webs that pervade the
halls, strands glittering with frost. The
This tall, narrow room contains a
webs are ice cold to the touch, and sticky.
staircase that connects to the level
above. The chamber is bare stone Threats. Icy webs can be found
apart from the staircase itself, the throughout these corridors. Disturbing
empty torch sconces at each landing, the webs or getting caught in them will
and the fragments of stone scattered alert the spiders in adjacent locations to
on the stairs and floor. A door on the the party's presence and could draw them
west wall swings into the room, to investigate the disturbance.
opening onto a pitch-dark corridor.
2C. ICE CAVES
These stairs connect to area 1E. This
staircase leads up to the surface level, it is The walls of these caves are a mix of
in poor condition. ice and mountain granite. At certain
points, piles of rubble containing
Threats. When travelling on the stairs (up bricks and other dressed stone line the
or down) a character must succeed on a sides of the cave. The floor continues
DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or lose to slope downward, but the cave twists
their footing and fall to the bottom of the and turns in sporadic, jarring ways.
staircase, taking 2d6 bludgeoning
damage. These caves lead up to the surface, exiting
onto the mountain slopes. A character
2B. WEB-FILLED CORRIDORS who is particularly observant (passive
Perception 18 or higher) or who is familiar
The dwarven stonework in these with subterranean environments will
corridors is badly damaged, with notice strange breaks in the layers of rock
cracked flagstones, crumbling wall in the wall that reveal these caves were
decor, and broken doors all attesting to not naturally eroded or dug out, but
the ravages of time. involved some drastic shift in the rock
itself.
If the characters have an active light
source, read the following text, otherwise The frost maws in this cave are initially
the first character to move into the distracted, playing tug-of-war over some
corridor must succeed on a DC 12 shiny object but they will stop when they
Dexterity saving throw or become become aware of approaching creatures.
restrained as they get tangled in the While the frost maws are fighting over the
webbing. object, the characters will not be able to
get a good look at it, but if the frost maws
In the darkness, it is almost impossible are killed or run away, they will leave the
to see the strands of pale-blue webbing object behind.
that criss-cross the corridor at various If the characters examine it, they will
points, but beads of frost glitter in the see that it is an ornamental piece of
light, showing the position of these icy metalwork that has been bent and crudely
threads. Alcoves that may have once twisted into a ring large enough to fit
held braziers or torches sit dark and around the waist of a large man. The
cold, filled with the same icy webbing. players may assume this is the giant's
crown, and if they ask, confirm that it
The dwarven stonework in these corridors does indeed seem to be the case. When
bears the marks of age, with cracked and the hags took Onnür's body below, they
crumbling flagstones, and crumbling wall didn't bother to collect his crown, and so
decor. A more recent addition seem to be it has lain in the cave for the past few

16
weeks until the frost maws discovered it. they bring it down before moving on.

Threats. Three frost maws (see Appendix 2E. KITCHENS

A) can be found in this section of the
caves. Their primary focus is to prevent Ruined ovens, dilapidated cabinets,
characters from venturing deeper into the and piles of shattered crockery attest
caves, and they will attack any character to this room having once served as a
that attempts to move past them, but will kitchen. Any food it may have held has
not pursue characters that flee back long since rotted away or been eaten
toward the surface. by vermin. Scattered refuse and
In combat, the frost maws will focus on broken bits of furniture are strewn
characters that have been paralyzed by about the chamber, and icy webs
another frost maw, or characters that adorn the crannies of the room, while a
have harmed them individiually. If no door in the western wall leads to
such options exist, the frost maws will another chamber beyond.
attack the closest character to them, and
will attempt to down a wounded character A character with high enough passive
before moving on to a new target. perception (13 if the spiders are not
The frost maws will attempt to retreat to hidden, or 17 if they are) or one who is
area 2C when they are all lightly wounded actively looking for threats will notice the
(reduced to 42 hp or fewer) or as soon as spiders lurking in this room as soon as
one frost maw is killed. When they do so, they enter, provided they have sufficient
they use their climbing speed to exit along light to see by.
the roof or walls of the cave to avoid If the spiders are still present in this
attacks, but are not intelligent enough to room read the following additional text:
disengage before running away.
As you peer into the corners of the
2D. FROST MAW DEN room, a set of glassy black eyes peers
back as you see the chitinous form of a
The tunnel broadens into a large, open monstrously large spider unfurl its
space littered with shards of ice. The many legs, and a swarm of smaller,
snow and ice gives way to a paved floor pale-blue arachnids surge forth from
of cracked stone at the far end of the the piles of detritus around the room,
cave, leading to an intact stone wall scurrying towards you.
with a door to the south.
The spiders then attack. Any character
A group of frost maws lair in this cave, that did not notice the spiders will be
preying on any creatures that wander in surprised for the first round of this
from the surface in search of shelter. They combat.
have been brought here by Sally If the spiders have already left this room
Stitchfingers to guard the tower and to when the characters arrive, then there will
observe for her experiments, but she does be no spiders present and you should only
not visit the area regularly. read the first text box regardless of the
characters' passive perceptions or level of
Threats. Six frost maws (see Appendix A) alertness.
can be found in this section of the cave.
As this area is their den, they will not Threats. Four giant frostweb spiders
retreat from it, but will fight any creature and four frostweb hatchling swarms (see
that enters the chamber. Otherwise, they Appendix A for both) occupy this room
employ similar tactics to the frost maws in and will attack any non-spider creature
the tunnel, relying on weight of numbers that enters. If the webbing in the corridor
and focusing on a single character until outside (2B) or the storeroom (2F) is

17
 disturbed, these spiders will leave to go 2G. BARRACKS
and investigate.
All of the barracks areas are funtionally
2F. STOREROOM the same. When the characters enter one
of these rooms for the first time, read the
This small room appears to have been following description. For future rooms of
a pantry of some kind, although all this type, you can give a brief description
that remains of the food stores it once again each time they enter one, or simply
held are a collection of empty crates, inform them that it has the same general
warped barrels, and disintegrating layout as the other barracks rooms.
sacks. A section of floor has collapsed,
leaving a large hole in the floor leading This small room has a single door, and
down to the area below. There are
the collection of stone carved bunks
doors in both the north and east walls.
arrayed against the walls marks it as a
barracks, although the bedding is so
The door in the north wall connects to the
ancient that it crumbles at the lightest
corridor outside (2B) while the door in the
east wall connects this storeroom to the touch. Everything is blanketed in a
kitchens (2D). The hole in the floor leads thick layer of dust.
down to area 3E.
The bunks are sized for dwarves, and the
Threats. Five frostweb hatchling layout marks this a communal, likely
swarms (see Appendix A) can be found in military, barracks rather than private
this room. Three are in the pile of refuse sleeping quarters or dormitories.
in the south west corner, and two more
lurk in the debris up against the north- Loot. If the party choose to search these
east wall. rooms, they must make a DC 14
There is a 30 foot drop from the hole in Intelligence (Investigation) check. They will
the floor down to the floor below. A pile of always find 20gp worth of loot in the form
rubble offers a potentially safer landing of jewellery or small art objects and
due to being a shorter fall, but at the risk personal effects, regardless of the outcome
of landing on unstable ground and of the roll, but some rooms will contain
injuring yourself. specific valuable items.
Any creature that intentionally drops If they succeed on the check while
down to the floor below may choose to aim searching area 2G.ii, they will discover a
for the mound of rubble. If they do so, gem of brightness beneath one of the
they must makea DC 15 Dexterity saving threadbare pillows, and area 2G.iii
throw. On a success, they take no contains a potion of healing in the
damage, but on a failure, they take 3d8 bottom of a footlocker, beneath a pile of
bludgeoning damage due to a bad landing. faded uniforms.
A creature that chooses not to aim for
the rubble, or that is not in control of 2H. MESS HALL
their motion when they fall through will
take the regular 3d6 bludgeoning damage The doors to this room have been webbed
for a 30 foot fall. shut from the inside. They are unlocked,
but forcing them open requires a DC 16
Loot. If the party decide to search this Strength check. If a character attempts to
room, they can make a DC 14 Intelligence force the door open, but fails to make the
(Investigation) check to find a bottle of check, they alert the spiders within the
well-aged dwarven brandy that has room to their presence and the spiders
survived intact. It can be sold for 300gp if will gather around the inside of the door
they are able to find a suitable buyer. to attack the characters as they enter.

18
 This large hall has a higher ceiling hole in the floor to area 3C. Add them to
than the other rooms on this level, the spiders already present when the
rising to a lofty roof twenty feet above. characters enter that chamber.
Numerous long tables and benches are
arranged in the center of the room, The hole in the floor is a 30 foot drop
down to area 3C. Any creature that falls
now broken into ramshackle piles of
through the hole and lands on the floor
rotted, wooden boards and slabs of
below takes 3d6 bludgeoning damage and
cracked stone.
lands in the thick blanket of webbing that
Icy, pale-blue webs spread out from
carpets the floor of the chamber below,
a hole in the floor to fill the corners becoming restrained by it.
and crannies of the chamber, covering
large sections of the walls, floor, and 2I. STAIRS TO LOWER LEVEL
ceiling. Large portions of the north and
east walls have been forced inward by A staircase descends deeper into the
slabs of rock from the mountainside. tower. Apart from a few loose surface
bricks, it seems stable.
The ceiling in this room is 20 feet high.
Once the mess hall for the tower, this These stairs connect to area 3A. The
room is now fiercely defended by the ice stairwell is unlit, but otherwise poses no
spiders as the hole in the floor leads particular challenge or threat.
directly to the broodmother's nest.
2J WEB-FILLED CORRIDOR
Threats. Six giant frostweb spiders (see
Appendix A) occupy this room and will The walls of this corridor transition
attack any non-spider creature that from cracked stonework to the raw
enters. Their primary aim is to prevent rock of the mountainside. The floor is
creatures from reaching the hole in the dotted with patches of ice and snow, as
floor, and as such they will not pursue well as numerous patches of webbing.
characters that attempt to flee out of the A particularly dense web blocks the
room and away from the hole. corridor entirely, preventing passage to
If a characters disturbs the webs in any the other side.
adjacent corridor (2B or 2J), the spiders in
this room will be alerted to the presence of The web blocking this corridor stretches
the characters, but will not leave the area from floor to ceiling and wall to wall. The
to go investigate. Rather, they will remain largest gaps are only an inch or two
in this room, hiding themselves in corners across, and the layers of webbing prevents
or on the ceiling. The spiders in this area one from being able to see through to the
will not be aware of any disturbances to other side, although abilities such as
webs in other areas. amorphous and spells like gaseous form
If the spiders are hidden, they will will allow a creature to move through the
ambush any non-spider creature that barrier.
enters the room the moment they step The web has AC 10, 15 hit points, and
inside. A character will be suprised for the immunity to bludgeoning, cold, piercing,
first round of this combat unless they poison, and psychic damage. Destroying it
have a passive perception of 17 or higher, will alert the ice spiders in the mess hall
or entered the room specifically braced for (2H) and the broodmother's nest (3C) to
combat. the characters' presence. If the webbing
If it becomes clear that the spiders are has not been destroyed, any creature that
losing the fight (i.e. once four giant enters the webbed area becomes
frostweb spiders have been killed) the restrained by the webbing and alerts the
surviving spiders will retreat through the spiders.

19
 ASSEMBLY LEVEL

3A 3F 3I

3C

3H
3D 3G

3B
3E 3J

3A. STAIRS TO UPPER LEVEL

These stairs connect to area 2I. The the corridor beyond. The doorframe
stairwell is unlit, but otherwise poses no itself seems to have been damaged by
particular challenge or threat. the passage of a large creature.

The staircase narrows partway down The damage has been caused by the
as the wall has been bowed inward by passage of the Oni and Granny Shiver-
shifting rock, but it remains intact all Bones, both of whom are notably larger
the way to the base of this chamber. than the dwarves the door was designed
The door in the south wall has been to accomodate.
broken from its hinges and left lying in Close inspection of the door or its frame

20
will reveal claw marks that have bit into prison cells. A desk and chair are set
the stone itself, leaving deep gouges. On a up against the western wall, facing the
successful DC 14 Wisdom (Survival) check door that opens onto the corridor. A
a character will notice that the spread of collapsed shelf slumps against the
the claw marks indiciates a hand rather northern wall, and scattered pieces of
than a paw. parchment litter the room. A broken
footlocker sits against the wall behind
3B. COLLAPSED ROOM the desk, on the opposite side to the
cell wall.
Whatever this room once was has been
lost to time. The majority of what The cells beyond are arranged in a U-
remains is dominated by a large pile of shape around the outer wall of the
rubble from a collapsed ceiling, and room, with a ten foot gap between the
the section of wall that has been forced first cell and the bars that separate
inward by a spur of granite. them from the office. The south east
A large hole in the west wall leads to corner of the room is occupied by a
a room beyond. The bottom of the hole chunk of rock that has damaged
sits two feet above the floor and several of the cells, but most of them
reaches nearly to the ceiling. The are still intact, even if the bars are
bricks and stonework from the broken rusted with age.
section have mostly fallen into this
chamber rather than the room beyond, When the characters enter this room for
and several of the chunks of stone bear the first time, an oni will be lurking in one
scorch marks and gouges from claws. of the cells, disguised as a gnome. As the
players approach the wall of bars that
The hole in the ceiling corresponds to the separate the guardroom from the cells the
hole in area 2F and the rubble pile is high oni will call out for help, asking the
enough that a medium sized creature can characters to free it before "she" comes
stand on top of it and pull themselves up back. If questioned,the oni will supply the
to the level above. Doing so takes the following information to the characters as
creature's action and requires it to a cover story:
succeed on a DC 12 Strength (Athletics)
check • If asked who he is or how he ended up
in the cell, the oni will say it is Akim
3C. PRISON CELLS Kyarnos, a gnomish researcher who
came to investigate the dwarven ruins
The door to this area is more secure than after hearing about them from a
most others, breaking it down requires a merchant who had visited Snowbound
DC 25 Strength (Athletics) check. Its Vale. He had to flee some massive
locking mechanism is also unusual. It has white wolves, and ran deeper into the
a pair of deadbolts that are currently slid ruins, only to be caught by spiders.
into place keeping the door locked, • If asked who "she" is, or why the
however, these bolts are on the outside of spiders didn't eat him, the oni will tell
the door rather than inside the room itself the characters that the spiders
and can be undone easily by anyone poisoned him and webbed him up,
standing in the corridor. but then a grotesque ogre woman
When the characters enter the room came along and the spiders backed
within, read the following text: off. The ogre woman then brought him
to this cell. She was covered in
A small office is backed by a wall of stitches and scar tissue, and he
iron bars that separate it from a row of thinks she keeps the creatures here

21
 as pets or test subjects. She said prisoner records and messages between
she'd be coming back for him later guard shifts. There is no relevant
and he's afraid she has some horrible information, and the pages crumble to
experiment planned, or that she's pieces if touched.
going to cut him up for parts. The locked chest holds confiscated
• If the characters ask how they can get items and its lock can be picked with a
him out he will say that the ogre successful DC 18 Dexterity (Thieves'
woman had a ring of keys that she Tools) check. Due to the age of the lock, a
used to lock him in this cell, but she failure will result in the lock itself
took them with her. He promises to breaking and no further attempts can be
help the characters kill the woman if made to pick the lock. If the characters try
they can break his cell open or pick to break the chest open they must make a
the lock, mostly because he says he's DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check. They
too scared to go off on his own again. will break the chest open on any success,
but if the character making the check rolls
If the characters are suspicious of the his a total of 16 or higher, the force they use
words, they can make a DC 18 Wisdom to open the chest damages the contents
(Insight) check to determine that he is within.
lying. Any character with a passive Insight
of 18 or higher will automatically detect Two of the cells have had their doors
that he is witholding information. If ripped from the hinges, and several others
pressed about what the truth is, the oni stand wide open, but three cells remain
will have a second story ready, "admitting" locked and intact. The oni will be in one of
that they are not a researcher, but rather the locked cells.
a thief who heard about the tribute the Unlocking a cell door requires a
townsfolk pay and came to steal some successful DC 18 Dexterity (Thieves'
from the giant. A character with a passive Tools) check, while breaking a door open
Insight of 22 or higher will still find this requires a successful DC 25 Strength
cover story suspicious. (Athletics) check. The wall separating the
If the party remain unconvinced and it cell block from the guardroom has a door
becomes clear the oni cannot talk its way that has been left open. The metal bars of
out of the situation, the oni will turn the cells and the dividing wall each have
hostile, unleashing its cone of cold on the an AC of 16, 20 hit points, resistance to
party before using gaseous form to pass cold, fire, lightning, bludgeoning, piercing
through the bars of the locked cell and and slashing damage; immunity to poison,
solidifying on the other side to fight the psychic, and radiant damage; and
party with its glaive. When the oni is vulnerability to acid damage.
moderately wounded (reduced to 65 hp or
fewer) it will turn invisible and fly out of Threats. One oni disguised as a gnome
the room, bolting the door behind it to that will turn hostile and attack the party
slow down its pursuers. If the oni engages if exposed.
in combat and escapes it immediately goes
to warn Sally Stitchfingers. Loot: The locked chest in the guardroom,
Should the characters choose to free the holds a leather belt, a rusted dagger, and
oni from its cell it will travel with them, a pouch containing a set of set of rusted
maintaining its gnome disguise until it lockpicks, a dwarven signet ring worth 60
gets the opportune moment to strike. For gp, 68 electrum pieces, 37 gold pieces,
more information on how the oni behaves and 128 silver pieces in dwarven
while travelling with the party see the currency.
"Running the Oni" section on page 28. If the characters managed to open the
chest without damaging the contents
The scattered parchment pages are old within they will also find a potion of

22
invisibility, otherwise they will find a pillars, enabling spiders to travel between
broken glass vial. them without walking along ground level.
If the party search inside the locked If the webbing wrapped around a pillar
cells, they will find a gambler's coin (see is destroyed, part of the ceiling will
Appendix B) hidden in a pile of rags. collapse around it as the weakened pillar
breaks under its weight without the
3D. SPIDER QUEEN'S NEST webbing to keep it intact. Each creature
within 10 feet of the pillar must make a
The ceiling of this lofty chamber sags DC 14 Dexterity saving throw or take 16
overhead, held aloft by web-wrapped (3d10) bludgeoning damage from the
pillars, and a large section of it has falling rubble.
collapsed, leaving a hole leading to the
level above. Webbing blankets every The spiders have been using the hole in
surface of the room, walls, floors, and the ceiling to access the upper floor, and
what remains of the ceiling, and hangs characters can enter the room through the
in massive, gauzy curtains between the hole from area 2H by descending on ropes
crumbling pillars. or simply jumping down. The floor directly
The strands seem to be thicker and beneath the hole is densely webbed, which
stickier than in other parts of the will soften the landing (reduce any fall
tower, glistening with a cold wetness, damage by 5) but any creature that lands
and clumps of dense webbing can be in it is immediately restrained by the
seen affixed to the walls and pillars, webbing.
enveloping clusters of pale, round The characters can also climb down the
objects. wall itself, since the same webbing that
Giant spiders scurry across the slows their progress provides sufficient
webbing, and perched in the center of friction for handholds, although the walls
the ceiling, a monstrously large will also count as difficult terrain.
arachnid dominates the hall, its chitin
a cold and icy blue, pitted and scuffed, Threats. The frostweb broodmother sits
with swarms of tiny hatchlings on the ceiling in the center of the room.
crawling across its carapace in an The room also holds eight giant frostweb
undulating swarm. spiders and three frostweb hatchling
swarms (see Appendix A for all three). Ten
Once a parade ground, this room is now egg sacs are scattered at various points
the nest of the broodmother of this colony around the room on the walls, floor, and
of frostweb spiders. The ceiling here is ceiling.
higher than in other rooms on this level, The broodmother has grown too large to
standing at a height of 40 feet. exit the room, and is effectively confined
to the chamber by her sheer size, meaning
The webbing that carpets all exposed that she is unable to flee if attacked. As a
surfaces is not adhesive enough to hold a result, she fights to the death, and all
creature in place if they are small size or other spiders are also willing fight to the
larger, but tiny creatures are immediately death to defend her.
restrained if they touch the webs (see the The spiders' primary goal is to protect
General Features section on page 9). The the broodmother and they focus their
carpet of webbing does cling to the feet of attention on any characters that directly
larger creatures however, and the entire harm her. Their secondary focus is any
room is considered to be difficult terrain character capable of dealing fire damage
for small and medium creatures. or holding a torch, since they do not want
their webs to be damaged. In the absence
The intact pillars are wrapped in layers of of such creatures, the spiders attack
webbing, and strands of web connect the creatures that are restrained by webbing,

23
 or that have harmed them personally. form he is in now, and his exceptionally
The spiders attack as soon as any non- rapid regenerative abilities.
spider creature enters the room and will
attempt to restrain a creature with Scarhide's chain is affixed to an iron ring
webbing, keeping out of reach up among set into the wall at the south-west corner
their webs and on the ceiling. Once a of the room. It is long enough to allow him
creature is restrained, spiders will to move around freely within this room
descend down upon it and attack it with and area 3B, but he cannot exit into the
their poisonous bite. The hatchling corridors. Scarhide is very angry and
swarms will simply attack the closest aggressive and will attack anything that
hostile creature, dashing towards one if no comes within reach.
creature is close enough. The chain has an AC of 30, 25 HP,
immunity to psychic and poison damage,
Egg Sacs. If combat breaks out, the resistance to piercing damage, and
broodmother will release a pheremone vulnerability to acid damage. If it is
that causes the egg sacs to start hatching. reduced to 0 HP, one of its links is
Each egg sac that hatches spawns a completely broken and Scarhide is able to
frostweb hatchling swarm on its move freely. The chain can also be broken
location. At initiative count 8 each turn, with a successful DC 25 Strength check.
one unhatched egg sac chosen at random Sally Stitchfingers' hag magic causes
will automatically hatch, then roll a d8 for the chain to immediately undo any
each remaining unhatched egg sac. On a damage dealt to it as long as Scarhide
roll of 8, that egg sac will also hatch. remains bound by it, and so the chain
Egg sacs have an AC of 8, 8 HP, must be broken in a single attack, or else
vulnerability to fire damage, and it regains all of its hit points. This has
immunity to cold and poison damage. If prevented Scarhide from being able to
an egg sac is reduced to 0 HP before it break the chain himself, but a character
hatches, it is destroyed without spawning that speaks Giant may try to use this as a
a hatchling swarm and will not be rolled bargaining chip, offering to break the troll
for on any subsequent turns. If the free in exchange for assistance or safe
frostweb broodmother dies, no more egg passage.
sacs will hatch. Convincing Scarhide to let the
characters pass without harming them
3E. SCARHIDE'S CELL requires a DC 22 Charisma (Persuasion)
while convincing the troll to help the
Broken furniture litters this room, characters fight against Sally Stitchfingers
smashed into splinters and tossed requires a DC 30 Charisma (Persuasion)
violently about. Chained to a large iron check as the troll is terrified of the hag.
ring affixed to the wall is the probable Any such negotiations require that the
culprit, a massive, pale-skinned troll character can communicate with Scarhide
covered in scars, and with an extra in a language the troll understands, and
arm sprouting from its left shoulder. they must break his chain before he
Each of its three arms ends in a agrees to help with anything.
monstrous, clawed hand.
If the characters get Scarhide talking and
The ice troll chained up in this room is ask him questions about what happened
Scarhide the Heartless (see Appendix A). to him or why he is chained up, he will tell
Sally Stitchfingers has conducted them the following:
numerous experiments on him, exploring
his regenerative abilities, including cutting "The stitch woman brought me here.
off his arms and removing his heart She hurt me, burned me, and chained
multiple times. The result is the mutated me up. She cuts off my hands and

24
steals my heart. I hate her, but she is The armory is a sturdy room with a single
very strong, very scary." entrance. There is no key for the door to
be found within the room, but if the
Scarhide does not know how to explain characters can find some way to barricade
more about her, only knowing that she or seal the door it is able to keep out most
cuts and pokes him, cuts pieces off and creatures.
takes bits out of him. She laughs when There are no creatures within this room,
she does, and she throws fire at him when making it a an excellent option when the
he tries to fight. party are looking for a location to rest.
Some scattered equipment can still be
Threats. Scarhide the Heartless (see looted, but most of it is very basic
appendix A) is an ice troll that has been weaponry and armor, and all sized to
the subject of numerous experiments. His dwarf scale.
extra limbs and enhanced regeneration
are accompanied by a great deal of pain, Loot. This room contains 18 daggers, 8
and he will immediately attack any battleaxes, 6 shortswords, 6 spears, and
creature that enters his chamber. In 4 warhammers that have not completely
combat, Scarhide focuses on characters corroded. These weapons all suffer a -3
that can deal acid or fire damage. penalty to all attack and damage rolls due
If a fight breaks out, Scarhide is also to their decayed state. Characters can also
strengthened by his rage and adrenaline, find plentiful ammunition within this
and may be able to break his chain. Roll a room. If the characters decide to search
d20 at the start of each of Scarhide's the room carefully, they can make a DC
turns, and on a roll of 18-20 he manages 18 Intelligence (Investigation) check. On a
to break free. Once free, Scarhide will success they find an arrow-catching
pursue the characters beyond his shield that is still in perfect condition due
chamber, but will not venture into the to its magical enchantment.
mold corridor (3G) or beyond.
If the characters escape him, Scarhide 3G. MOLD CORRIDOR
will flee the tower, taking advantage of
opportunity to escape from Sally As the character near the intersection
Stitchfingers, something that may become with this corridor, any lit torches or
a problem for Snowbound Vale in the days exposed nonmagical flames will flicker and
to come. start to dim, and the characters will feel a
chill that grows stronger as they approach
3F. ARMORY the corridor itself. When the characters
reach the intersection, read the following
The door to this room is locked when the text:
characters first discover it. The lock can
be picked with a successful DC 18 Thick, green mold carpets the walls,
Dexterity (Thieves' Tools) check, or broken floor, and ceiling of this corridor in an
open with a successful DC 25 Strength unbroken, spongy mass. The air in the
(Athletics) check. If the characters get corridor is foggy, and a single torch sits
inside the room, read the following text: burning in a sconce at the far end of
the corridor, flame almost choked out
The scattered racks and piles of by the mold growing up around it.
corroded weapons strewn about this There is a closed door on the eastern
room indicate that it was once an wall 60 feet from the intersection.
armory of some kind. The rear wall of
the room has been forced inward by a The mold drains the warmth from the area
pressing mass of stone, but the nearby, but exposure to intense cold will
chamber is otherwise intact. kill it. Sally Stitcfingers has worked her

25
 magic on the torch to prevent it from The floor of the room is sticky from
being extinguished while it is in its various puddles of blood, ichor, and
sconce, but it is removed, the mold will viscera that have soaked into the stone
immediately snuff it out. Without the and the ominous shapes of large iron
warmth of the torch, the mold will shrivel cages loom out of the darkness deeper
up and die over the course of the next in. Heaped up in a pile, they seem to
minute if no other source of warmth is
be empty for now.
present for it to feed on.
A door in the northern wall leads to a
Any character within 5 feet of the torch
chamber beyond, while beyond the
can use their action to remove it from its
cages, the wall to the south is largely
mounting. As long as the torch remains
burning, the mold regrows one five-foot obscured by a spur of rock protruding
square section every six seconds. This from the corner of the chamber, but
growth cannot extend more than 60 feet what little is visible has been reduced
from the torch. to a low mound of rubble.

Threats. When a creature starts its turn Once an archery range, this room has
within 15 feet of a patch of green mold, or been claimed by Sally Stitchfingers for her
moves within the affected area for the first grisly experiments. The various tables and
time on its turn it must make a DC 13 countertops sport a myriad of gruesome
Constitution saving throw, taking 21 (6d6) remains, including the opened carcass of
cold damage on a failure, or half as much a giant spider, with some of its legs laid
damage on a success. The mold can be out on a nearby surface, chitin severed
destroyed by dealing cold damage, with and held open by rusty clamps. Webbed
each point of cold damage destroying a up cocoons are piled against one wall,
five-foot square section of mold. The mold holding a variety of dead animals and
growing within 15 feet of the mounted humanoids. Some of these cocoons have
torch cannot be destroyed using cold been cut open, and the bodies have been
damage while the torch is still burning. subjected to similar autopsies.
Each point of fire damage dealt to the A character with proficiency in medicine
mold causes it to grow, expanding to fill can make a DC 18 Intelligence (Medicine)
an additional five-foot square area. check to determine what the purpose of
Exposed flames brought within 10 feet of these procedures was. On a success they
the mold are immediately extinguished. gather that the examiner was comparing
the strength of the webs, and their ability
3H. STITCHING ROOM to freeze and preserve the creatures within
the cacoons, as well as the potency and
A set of double doors hang askew on their effects of spider venom.
hinges opposite the torch sconce. While
shut, they seem to keep the mold from An array of shelves and cabinets hold an
getting through, but they have clearly assortment of unpleasant odds and ends,
been repaired poorly after being broken including jars of eyeballs and other organs
down. They are not locked, and open suspended in alcohol. Chests hold entire
easily if pushed, revealing a stomach limbs or frozen body parts, while rusty
turning sight. saws, clamps, and needles are organized
on racks.
The room beyond the doors sports a
horrifying array of corpses and animal The metal cages are all empty, and their
remains laid out on slab-topped tables, construction is crude. The pieces of scrap
with dim light from flickering tallow metal have many jagged edges and rough
candles painting them all in grisly joins that are very likely to injure anyone
shadows. that tries to handle them, let alone be

26
interred within them. They vary greatly in escape the combat itself as soon as it is
size, from only a few feet in each sure the hag has made its escape.
dimension to some that would be large
enough to hold an ox. The disturbing Loot: If the characters manage to kill Sally
majority seem to be person sized. Stitchfingers, they will be able to loot the
following items from her remains:
Threats: Sally Stitchfingers (see Stumpmaker (see Appendix A), spindle of
appendix A) will be present in the room webs (see Appendix A), necklace of
when the characters first arrive, along fireballs.
with her four troll claw (see appendix A) If the hag used the spindle of webs
assistants that scuttle around the room in before she died, the characters do not find
a deeply unpleasant way. If the oni is still it as loot. Similarly, if it hasnt been used,
alive, it will also join any fight that breaks the necklace of fireballs will have five
out between the characters and the hag, beads on it, but this number will decrease
either casting off its disguise and turning if the hag uses any in the combat.
on the party if it is travelling with them, or
else entering from the corridor behind If the characters search the tables and
them on the second turn of the combat, shelves, they will find two valuable items
having been following them at a distance among the assorted body parts and tools:
using its invisibility up to that point. an earthenware vial full of thick, syrupy
liquid that smells of blood and alcohol
If a fight breaks out, Sally Stitchfingers (trollblood tincture, see Appendix A) and
will take great pleasure in taunting the a glass bottle stoppered with a cork full of
characters about the pain she and her icy blue liquid and a massive toenail
sisters will inflict on the people of floating suspended in the center. This is a
Snowbound Vale after they fail, gloating potion of frost giant strength and the
over the fact that her pets will eat well. If toenail is clearly recognisable as belonging
she gets the opportunity, she will attempt to a giant.
to sever a character's hand using If any of the characters are using a
Stumpmaker, even if it is not the most components pouch for their spellcasting
efficient use of her action in combat. you may have them find some spell
She is still a hag however, and has a components in this room too.
strong self preservation instinct. As soon
as she is moderately wounded (reduced to 3I. HAG'S CHAMBER
80 hp or fewer) she will attempt to flee to
the lower levels of the tower, using hold This room is filthy, and a foul smell
person and her spindle of webs to stop her pervades the entire chamber. A blood-
pursuers and block the pathway behind soaked leather apron lies crumpled in
her. She will not use the spindle of webs one corner, while a large unmade bed
during the combat, and will only resort to occupies the center of the chamber,
using the beads from her necklace of the covers stained in patches.
fireballs if she is seriously wounded
(reduced to 60 hp or fewer) or if she learns This is where Sally Stitchfingers sleeps.
that Scarhide is dead, otherwise she There is little of value in the room, but
conserves the beads for later use against characters that search the chamber can
the troll. find a crude journal containing
The oni will continue to fight until it is anatomical diagrams of giant spiders,
badly wounded (reduced to 33 hp or fewer) frost maws, a troll, and a giant. The notes
as long as Sally Stitchfingers is still in the are written neat and precise handwriting,
fight. If the hag flees, the oni will attack at odds with the appearance of the hag it
any character that attempts to pursue, clearly belonged to.
then use its invisibility and flight to The level of detail indicates that the

27
 drawings are based on a close and potion using troll blood as an ingredient,
surgical examination of the creatures but was unsatisfied with the limited
depicted, particularly given how well the duration of its effects.
internal organs are laid out. There are - The final notes in the Scarhide pages
also mentions of curiosity regarding indicate that she had plans to assess
Grinjaw and his wolves, and the oni, whether a transplant of troll organs,
although no diagrams of these creatures, particularly the heart, would grant the
which seems to indicate that the hag had recipient the same abilities.
not experimented on any of them yet, but
was considering doing so. Giant:
- Precise diagrams of the giants internal
If the characters examine the pages on organs indicate that at some point Sally
specific creatures they can discover the Stitchfingers had the opportunity to open
following information by reading through him up and look around.
the notes on the relevant pages. - The giant's physical resilience is noted
and there are musings about what kinds
Ice Drakes: of modifications could be undertaken with
- The drakes are mules, artificially created a body this hardy. Procedures that would
by the hag from a combination of basilisks destroy a weaker creature, and energies
eggs, the blood of a white dragon, and her that would render them naught but ash
own alchemy and magic. could potentially be survivable for a giant.
- The final pages of the notes record that
Frostweb Spiders: the hag took some bits and pieces, but
- The unnatural size of the frostweb didn't have a use for the whole thing, so
spiders is a trait that Sally Stitchfingers she sent the rest of the giant down to her
has been selectively cultivating for several Grandmother.
generations of spiders. The nest in this
tower represents the fruit of three years of 3J. STAIRS TO LOWER LEVEL
experimentation.
- The hag was particularly interested in A large hole in the damaged wall gives
increasing the abilities of the spider's way to a corridor with a broken door
venom to paralyze but not kill, and notes that opens into a room containing a
that this combined with their methods of staircase descending to the next level
webbing up prey for later consumption of the tower. The air on the upper
made them the ideal creature to use when landing carries a chill that was not
she needed something to harvest more present elsewhere on this level.
specimens for her experiments.
As the characters descend the staircase,
Troll: they start to notice their breath forming a
- Scarhide was being kept as a source of cloud of fog when they exhale as the
fresh body parts to create more troll claws temperature continues to drop. The lowest
since his limbs would regrow after she steps are covered in a thin layer of frost
severed them. It only works with her (These stairs connect to area 4A).
cleaver though, otherwise the severed
limbs continue to crawl around and try to RUNNING THE ONI
reconnect with the stump of the troll's
arm. Unlike the other monsters in this
- Sally Stitchfingers was particularly adventure, which the party will normally
interested in Scarhide's regenerative encounter and fight, before one side dies
abilities, and her experiments succeeded or flees, the oni is a creepy bogeyman that
in amplifying it. She managed to stalks the party and has them always
temporarily replicate these abilities with a looking over their shoulder.

28
 While the party will almost certainly kill attack while some of the party are asleep
the oni eventually, you want it to survive and the others are drained from a day of
at least two or three encouters with them. enconters. The tactics the oni employs in
To assist with this, and to help make the this scenario will differ depending on
oni feel like the terrifying and cunning whether it is disguised and travelling with
nightmare creature it is, here are some the party or shadowing them at a
guidleines on how to run the oni for distance. In either scenario the oni will
maximum effect. attempt to flee as soon as the sleeping
party members join the combat, or if it
If the oni tricks the party into believing it starts to take damage. The oni will also
is a gnome, it will travel with them as they use its sleep, darkness, and charm person
move throughout the rest of the level, spells to swing the odds in its favor and
keeping out of combat, and maintaining keep the rest of the party from interfering
its facade as being weak and cowardly. while it deals with the most vulnerable
If the party never end up visiting the character.
Prison Cells (3C), the oni will not attempt If it is currently accompanying the
to join the characters, but will tail them at party, the oni will offer to take a watch
a distance while staying invisible. This alone, or else accompany the physically
means that characters with abilities to see weakest character, or any elf character as
invisibility or detect creatures may notice it cannot put them to sleep with its magic.
it, so bear that in mind for when players While they are taking watch together, the
use such abilities. oni will attack that character first, aiming
If the oni flees from a combat with the to take them by surprise and eliminate
characters, it switches to this same tactic them before they can raise the alarm.
of invisible pursuit while waiting for an If the oni is following at a distance, it
opportunity to strike. When the oni is will instead attack while invisible,
pursuing the characters, you can replace targetting a sleeping creature first, and
any random encounter you roll with the potentially using sleep on whoever is
oni attacking, or decide that it attacks keeping watch if it judges that they pose a
when you feel it would be dramatic or threat.
appropriate. Bear in mind that the oni
The oni knows that its regeneration will
would pick moments when the party is
have it back to full strength in a matter of
most vulnerable, rather than any moment
minutes so long as it can stay alive, and
when they stop to rest, and that it would
so it makes use of its flying speed to put
go into such an attack with the intention
distance between it and its pursuers,
to kill at least one character. generally using its action to turn invisible
beforehand to reduce the risk from
The oni knows that it cannot take on the attacks of opportunity and minimise
entire party at once, and it is intelligent ranged retaliation. If it is at risk of dying
enough not to throw itself into combats from opprtunity attacks however it will
that will only get it killed. Therefore, the instead use its action to disengage. If it is
oni will only reveal itself to the party on not in melee range of any characters, it
two occasions. will instead use its action to dash if it can
The first of these is if the characters get around a corner or break line of sight
make it to Sally Stitchfingers' lair. by doing so.
Whether the oni is disguised, or following The oni favors hit and run tactics and
at a distance, it will reveal itself and join flees immediately if it is ever moderately
the fight here on the side of the hag as wounded (reduced to 72 hp or fewer). It
described in the description for area 3H. only fights on its terms and if it is ever
The second occasion is if the characters discovered or exposed it focuses on fleeing
take a long rest on this level. The oni will rather than fighting.

29
 FORGE LEVEL

4H
4I

4G

4F
4D

4E

4C 4B

4A

30
GENERAL FEATURES
connect to area 3J. The door will scrape
Oppressive Cold. This level of the ruins is on the frozen floor of the corridor when it
exceptionally cold, and the unnatural chill is opened, and the hallway beyond is
threatens to drain the energy from all but bitterly cold, with factal patterns of ice
the most resilient creatures. A creature spreading across the stonework. The
must succeed on a DC 14 Constitution iconography and decorations on this level
saving throw at the end of each hour that display anvil and hammer symbols.
it spends on this level. On a failure, the
creature gains one level of exhaustion. If any characters examine the door, they
Creatures with immunity to cold damage will notice that the side that faced out into
automatically succeed on the saving the corridor bears the marks of several
throw. Creatures with resistance to cold heavy blows, such as from a battering
damage, or that are naturally adapted to ram, or a large bludgeon of some sort.
cold climates, make the saving throw with These dents mark the impacts of a
advantage. If a creature is wearing cold warhammer wielded by an enlarged
weather gear (thick coats, gloves, and the duergar during the ancient battle that
like), or takes shelter around a fire or or tore through the tower, and they are likely
other source of warmth, the DC of the the first indicator of the conflict that the
saving throw is reduced to 12. If Aria Ice- characters will encounter. The characters
Veins is killed, the temperature returns to will not know the source of the marks, but
normal over the next 1d6 days. this is a good point to start introducing
hints and evidence of the past conflict in
Freezing Water. A stream flows from its order to have the party wonder why there
source in area 4C, through 4G into the are no bodies to be found on these levels
lake in 4H. Any creature that enters the despite the evidence of a battle, building
water emerges frigid and soaking and has tension and setting up the undead they
disadvantage on saving throws made to will encounter on the level below.
resist the effects of the oppressive cold on
this level until it has dried off, either by 4B. CARGO LIFT
using magic such as the prestidigitation
cantrip, or by spending at least ten This room contains several large crates
minutes around moderately sized fire. and stacks of various raw materials for
building and smithing, including coal,
Icy Floors. The surfaces on this level of metal ingots, blocks of stone, and large
the tower are covered in a layer of ice that sheets of aged, faded leather.
makes keeping one's footing difficult.
Anytime a creature moves more than 30 The center of the room is dominated by
feet on its turn, unless it is flying, it must a large cargo lift. A badly damaged
succeed on a DC 13 Acrobatics check or
winch mechanism sits to one side of a
fall prone as it slips on the ice. Creatures
lift shaft with a chain hanging down
with the ice walk trait or that are under
into the darkness. A low railing skirts
the effect of the freedom of movement spell
the west, south, and east sides of the
or equivalent magic automatically succeed
on this saving throw. shaft, although it is broken in several
places.
4A. STAIRS TO UPPER LEVEL Everything in the room is covered in
a thin layer of ice. The western and
The floor of this room is coated in crisp northern walls each sport a set of
frost, and each footfall makes a soft double doors, and both remain intact.
crunch on the final steps.
The broken winch mechanism can be
These stair lead up to the floor above and repaired with a successful DC 18 Smith's

31
 Tools or Tinker's Tools check. Along with the cold furnaces and
In order to attempt to repair the winch, numerous anvils, the multitude of
a character must have a set of the workbenches, tool racks and crafting
relevant tools, and be proficient with materials make it clear that this room was
them. once a smithy of some kind, although
Once it is repaired, a character can use everything is now frozen and cold.
the winch mechanism to raise or lower the If the characters choose to examine the
chain at a rate of 10 feet every six room, they will notice the following things:
seconds. In combat, operating the winch - The tools and boxes are scattered
requires the character's full turn, but around the room and long-dried blood
additional characters can increase the splatters can be seen beneath the ice,
speed by an additional 10 feet for each attesting to a violent conflict that took
character manning the winch. place here long ago, but there are no
Winching the chain up will reveal that it bodies to be seen.
has snapped off after 130 feet. The rest of - A section of the west wall is suspiciously
the chain lies with the shattered lift devoid of ice although this iceless patch
platform at the bottom of the shaft, 300 does not extend more than a few feet from
feet down. If the characters attach a new the wall itself. This was were the five
chain to the winch, they can use it to figures were huddled when the characters
reach the bottom of the shaft. frst arrived. If any of the characters touch
the wall, they will note that it is warmer
When a character descends at least 60 than the rest of the room, like a rock in
feet down the shaft however, they will the late afternoon sun.
encounter the blizzard elemental lurking - The stream of water flows from a fissure
within. The shaft connects to area 5L. in the wall that once fed a water trough
used to cool metal, but the fissure has
Threats: A blizzard elemental (see been broken open, with the stonework
Appendix A) is lurking in the lift shaft, 60 that once surrounded it lying shattered on
feet down. If the chain is pulled up, or if the ground beneath it. The stream has
anything is sent down the shaft, the overflowed the trough and continues out
elemental will move up to the room to of the room and into the area beyond. The
investigate. If any creature enters the water itself is freezing cold, with small
shaft, the elemental will attack it, and chunks of ice floating in the stream.
pursue it up or down the shaft
Threats. The figures in tattered rags are
4C. THE FORGE five chilling shades (see Appedix A).
When the party first enter the room, the
shades are focused on the the wall just
This room contains a row of furnaces
north of the furnaces. As soon as any
along the west wall, all of which hold
member of the party comes within 60 feet
only cold ash. The walls and floor are of the shades, they will switch their focus
coated in a layer of ice, and icicles from the wall to the party and will all
glitter on the anvils and bellows that immediately attack. The shades will use
fill the rest of the room. always use their Siphon Warmth ability if
Figures clad in tattered rags huddle it available to them, and will not retreat or
around a section of the west wall cease hostilities no matter how badly the
between two cold furnaces, and at the fight is going.
north end of the room part of the wall They are drawn to heat and sources of
has split open and a stream of water warmth and as such will focus on any
pours forth, flowing out of the room character carrying a torch or similar heat
and into the corridor beyond. source.
In the absence of such sources, they will

32
simply go for the nearest warm body, Threats. The mound of snow in the
meaning that they will continue to attack middle of the room is actually a gelid
unconscious characters, but may entirely mass (see Appendix A), and the icicles
ignore creatures that do not give off heat. hanging from the ceiling are six ice
mephits using their False Appearance to
Loot. Characters can gather a set of disguise themselves as natural ice
smith's tools from this room, but doing formations.
so requires them to spend ten minutes The mephits will stay disguised until
searching the area. they are attacked, or until the gelid mass
A forgemaster's hammer (see Appendix grapples a character, or splits into two
B) has been hidden inside the rock of the smaller masses, at which point they will
smithy wall itself, three feet behind the descend from the ceiling to attack,
iceless section of wall. The warmth it gives favoring their frost breath and targetting
off has prevented ice from forming and characters caught in the numbing aura of
was attracting the chilling shades to that the gelid mass.
section. The characters can use any The gelid mass lacks the intelligence to
reasonable means to reach the hammer, flee from a combat, and as such will fight
although there is no outward sign that to the death, but the mephits will attempt
anything is there to be found except for to flee out the door in the north wall if
the warmth. they are wounded (reduced to 11 hp or
fewer) and once three mephits have fled or
4D. REPAIR ROOM been killed, any remaining survivors also
start fleeing on their next turn.
This room is filled with workbenches Add any mephits that manage to flee to
and tool racks, with the layout the enemies that are present in area 4H.
indicating it was used as a repair room
of some kind. Loot: Characters that search this room
It is divided into two rough sections, can gather a set of artisan's tools. The
with the western half dealing primarily following sets can be found in this room:
with armor and equipment, while the tinker's tools, carpenter's tools,
mason's tools.
eastern half appears to have been
focused on weaponry. The two sections
4E. STOREROOM
are not separated by any internal
walls, and the entire room is frozen
The door to this room is shut, and while it
over, with a large pile of snow gathered is not locked, it has swollen with the cold
in the center of the room and half a and damp and requires a forceful shove to
dozen icicles, each nearly three feet open.
long, hanging from the ceiling.
This room is unlit and thick with dust,
Each section of the room is outfitted with but the sealed door seems to have
workbenches and the appropriate tools, as protected it from the cold. It is largely
well as either armor stands, or weapon free of the ice that coats the rest of the
racks and quivers. Many of the stands level.
and racks have been knocked over, and The shelves that line the walls are
their blood splatter and chipped stocked with boxes of fasteners, nails,
stonework beneath the ice. Crossbow and other small tools and components.
bolts protrude from the frozen wooden
frames of some of the furniture and There is little of interest in this room, but
discarded weapons still have bloodstains it could serve as a useful hiding place. If
on them, but there are no bodies. the characters search the room, they can
find a handful of mundane items.

33
 Loot. Characters that search this room westward, through ruined sections of
can find a bag of ball bearings, four wall that indicate area was once an
pieces of chalk, and a flask of oil. If any enclosed room.
of your players' characters are using a
components pouch for their spellcasting The water flowing in this area is shallow
you may have the characters find some but swift, and a creature that does not
spell components in this room too. resist the current is carried downstream
at a rate of 15 feet each round. The
4F. CRAFTING STORES stream is 6 feet across, 3 feet deep at its
shallowest, and increases in depth as it
The door to this room is solid iron and flows reaching a depth of 10 feet before
remains shut and locked. Picking the lock joining the lake in area 4H.
requires a DC 16 Dexterity (Thieves' Tools) The water is freezing and the chunks of
check while breaking it open takes a DC ice bobbing on the surface are carried
22 Strength (Athletics) check. The door is swiftly downstream only to be replaced by
an object made of metal with an AC of 18 new ice crystals and chunks that form in
and 30 hit points. the water while the charaters look on.

This room is full of large crates, chests, Threats. A water elemental lurks within
and barrels grouped in small clusters. this stream and will ambush any creature
Large wooden planks, piles of cured that attempts to cross over or enter the
leather, and metal sheets and rods are water. The elemental will remain
stacked against the walls. A pair of submerged within the stream, where it is
large anvils are stowed in the corner indistinguishable from the regular water
next to a large, coiled chain. until the moment it strikes. When it
attacks it will use its Whelm attack to
The crates and chests store crafting grapple creatures and drag them below
materials like metal ingots and rods, while the surface and drown them, carrying
the barrels are full of coal and coke. them downstream to deeper waters (4H)
Smaller boxes are stocked on a shelf at and away from any allies it may have all
the back of the room containing gems, while keeping the creature grappled and
powdered minerals, and other valuable submerged.
materials.
4H. FLOODED ROOMS
Loot. The large coiled chain can be used
as a replacement chain for the winch in A lake has formed in the hollowed out
area 4B. This chain is 350 feet long, long remains of the level, with a small
enough to reach all the way to the bottom island rising from the center with a
of the elevator shaft when it is wound handful of pale blue lights twinkling
around the winch mechanism. above it. Icicles hang from the ceiling,
Any character that searches the shelves and clusters of crystalline ice growths
at the back of the room must make a DC dot the banks of the island itself.
12 Intelligence (Investigation) check. On a
success they find 200gp of diamond dust The area is shrouded in a cold, dense
in addition to the 320gp of gems that are fog that settles over the surface of the
found regardless of the result of the roll.
water, occasionally disturbed by
chunks of ice bobbing in the gentle
4G. FREEZING STREAM
current. The walls of the room have
eroded into a larger cave that extends
A fast-flowing stream cuts a course
into the mountain beyond the
through the floor, and chunks of ice
boundaries of the dwarven stonework.
float on the surface. The stream flows

34
This lake is the lair of Aria Ice-Veins, the Aria will attack the characters from her
second of the Winter Sisters. The fog island as soon as she becomes aware of
hangs low to the floor and doesn't impede any threats. If any characters enter the
vision for anyone looking across the area, lake and start to make their way over to
but it prevents any creature that is not in the island, she will take to the air on her
the lake from being able to see what is flying staff and continue to keep her
beneath the surface of the water. This distance, using her ranged attacks to
enables the water elemental from area 4G hamper the characters while her
to approach without being noticed. elemental minions engage them in close
The four pale blue motes of light hover 8 quarters.
to 12 feet in the air above the island, and Aria will focus on draining her enemies
each shed dim light in a 10 foot radius. and making them despair rather than
simply cutting them down, and as such
The ceiling of this area is thirty feet above will use her Deepwinter Chill until all
the surface of the water, and 28 feet above characters have been cursed, or passed
the island and the shore of the lake. The their saving throw indicating they are too
icicles hanging from the ceiling range from hardy to succumb. At that point, she will
one to four feet in length and are a mix of switch to using her ray of frost, targeting
actual icicles and disguised ice mephits. two different creatures each turn, focusing
The island is irregular in shape, but on those that have been cursed, and
measures roughly 40 feet by 30 feet. prioritising those characters that look
The lake is 30 feet deep at its deepest most feeble.
point, and freezing cold. A creature that Throughout all of this, Aria will engage
starts its turn in the lake, or that enters it the characters in conversation, attempting
for the first time on a turn must make a to demoralize them by telling them how
DC 13 Constitution saving throw, taking 5 she and her sisters will usher in an
(2d4) cold damage on a failure of half as unending winter, until everything is dead
much damage on a success. and frozen. If they succumb to her curse,
she will taunt them about their fading
Threats. The hag, Aria Ice-Veins (see strength and suggest that they just give in
Appendix A) is on her island, accompanied and let the cold take them rather than
by eight ice mephits, four of whom are continue to struggle.
disguised as icicles when the characters
arrive, as well as any mephits that may Aria will continue in this way unless a
have fled from area 4D. hostile creature manages to engage her in
A frost elemental stands among the ice close quarters, at which point she uses
crystals on the island, and may be hold person to paralyze them and make
mistaken for an ice formation until it her escape.
moves, although characters with a passive If she is engaged by multiple enemies,
Perception of 16 or higher will notice it she instead takes the disengage action
from a distance. and flies out of reach.
When a fight breaks out, the water Aria only unleashes her powerful
elemental from area 4G will swim over damage dealing spells like ice storm and
beneath the surface and will behave in a cone of cold if she is cornered and cannot
the same way as described there, except escape, or if the majority of characters
that it drags grappled creatures down to prove resistent to her curse.
the bottom of the lake rather than to If she is ever moderately wounded
another area. The water elemental does (reduced to 60 hit points or fewer) she
not take cold damage from being in the withdraws from combat and flees on her
lake, and is unaffected by the crystal broom down the stairs in area 4I to the
growths. lower level. She will most likely
outdistance any pursuers due to being

35
 able to fly directly down the center of the Loot. Aria has gathered together the gems
staircase room rather than having to run and metals from this level that embody
down the actual flights of stairs, but will the stark cold of winter. A chunk of ice in
also use wall of ice to block the path the center of the island has treasure
behind her. frozen inside of it that can be retrieved if
the characters break it open.
The elementals meanwhile focus on any Inside the ice is one diamond worth
characters that are standing near crystal 1,000 gp, two diamonds worth 50 gp each,
growths, or that have been cursed by the 8 bars of silver each worth 100 gp, a silver
hag. The mephits fly overhead and use framed mirror worth 120 gp, and a mithril
their Frost Breath, retreating to the ceiling chain necklace worth 460 gp.
while they wait for it to recharge while the
frost elemental attacks any character that 4I. STAIRS TO LOWER LEVEL
reaches the island.
If any character is able to fly, the A set of stone stairs spiral down this
mephits focus on that individual, tearing chamber, descending into the darkness
into them with their claws and doing far below.
everything they can to protect the hag.
The mephits will also swarm any This staircase descends 300 feet to the
characters that engage the hag or the frost level below and connects to area 5A.
elemental in melee, slashing them with
claws and freely using their Frost Breath Threats. The stairs are damaged, with
knowing that they and their allies are all large sections of the staircase having
unaffected by it. They will intentionally try broken away, leaving 10 foot gaps that
to include the frost elemental in the cone must be jumped across, or dropped down
of their Frost Breath knowing that it will to the stairs on the spiral directly below.
be healed by the cold damage, but will not Jumping across the gap requires a DC
do so if it means they hit fewer characters 12 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check when
in order to do so. landing on the far side to avoid slipping
and falling down to the level below.
The icy crystal growths on the island and A character that drops down to the
the lake shore emanate an aura of intense stairs below, or that falls due to failing
cold. When a creature takes cold damage, their acrobatics check falls 40 feet and
it is also dealt 3 (1d6) cold damage by lands on the stairs directly below.
each crystal growth within 10 feet of it. If the characters have climbing gear or a
An ice crystal fills a 5 foot cube and is grappling hook and rope they are able to
considered a nonmagical object made of climb down to the stairs below the break
ice for the purpose of spells such as without risk.
shatter and disintegrate. An ice crystal
has 15 hit points, an AC of 12, immunity
to cold, poison, and psychic damage, and
vulnerability to fire and bludgeoning
damage.

36
 TEMPLE LEVEL

5F
5I

5A 5E
5H

5B
5D

5J
5C
5G

5M 5K

5L

37
 GENERAL FEATURES
Loot. Most of the medical supplies in this
Ceilings. The rooms on this level of the room have decayed past being useful, but
tower have higher ceilings than those a character that spends ten minutes
above. The main hall of the temple and scrounging supplies can gather the
the temple antechamber are 40 feet and components for a healer's kit with 1d10
30 feet high respectively, while all other uses, one vial of antitoxin, and a potion
rooms have a 20 foot ceiling. The plaza of vitality.
and the corridors have a ceiling height of
30 feet. 5C. PLAZA

Desecrated Ground. Infused with dark This plaza is surrounded by structures

and unholy magic, this entire level is on all sides, with corridors exiting it to
desecrated ground. the south, west, and east, and a large
Undead in an area of desecrated ground set of double doors on the face of an
have advantage on all saving throws and impressive building to the north.
start all encounters with ten temporary hit
The flagstones of this plaza are
points.
cracked with age, and a broken
automaton has collapsed in the center.
5A. STAIRS FROM UPPER LEVEL

The building to the north is a temple, and

This damaged staircase descends a its facade bears a carved relief depicting
great distance through cracked stone the dwarven pantheon. Most of the gods'
from the level above. Chunks of the features have been deliberately defaced.
staircase are missing. The automaton in the center of the plaza
is a shield guardian that was deployed to
These stairs connect to area 4I. When defend the tower but was destroyed in the
ascending, the air turns freezing cold and siege. It cannot be repaired without the
the characters notice their breath fogging assistance of a skilled artificer and a great
up as they reach the top of the stairs. deal of time and resources.

5B. INFIRMARY Threats. A group of undead dwarves are

gathered in this plaza. The group consists
Rows of cots line the walls of this of one frozen skeleton captain, four
room. A basket in the corner holds frozen skeletons, and three frozen
bloodstained bandages, while basins skeleton archers.
and washtubs lie dry and rusted. A If either of the hags managed to flee
small statuette sits in an alcove in the from the upper levels, these skeletons will
far wall. be on alert and waiting to attack the
characters. Otherwise, the characters
This room was an infirmary. No bodies may be able to surprise the group while
remain in the room, but several cots bear they are gathered in front of the temple
bloodstains that show they were occupied antechamber (5D).
at some point and never cleaned.
5D. ANTECHAMBER
On a successful DC 15 Intelligence
(Religion) or Intelligence (History) check, A faded mosaic decorates the internal
the characters can identify the statuette walls of this small room, depicting
as a Dwarven deity associated with some grand dwarven procession. One
healing and medicine. A dwarven of the the large double doors set in the
character or one who worships dwarven far wall hangs open.
gods recognizes the deity immediately.

38
There is nothing of interest in the room peaceful rest of the departed. This spirit
itself, but no undead will enter this room. will manifest atop the dais at the far end
A character that uses the detect magic of the room as soon as any character
spell or similar magic will notice a steps over the threshold into the room.
shimmering line at the threshold of the The spirit's primary aim is to preserve
main temple doors that belongs to the the temple, and as such, it demands that
abjuration school of magic. any intruder vacate the chamber
This area is not desecrated ground. immediately, for their presence disturbs
the rest of the departed. The spirit makes
5E. TEMPLE this pronouncement in Dwarvish first,
repeating the statement in Celestial if it
A lofty ceiling soars high above with a sees that the intruders do not understand
row of pillars flanking either side of the it. A lack of comprehension on their part
is not deemed an acceptable reason to not
room. A faded, dusty carpet runs down
do as it commands.
a central aisle with rows of pews to
If characters do not reply or immediately
either side, to a central dais against
vacate, the spirit will animate the stone
the far wall sporting a pair of massive
statues flanking the dais and attack, even
dwarven statues and a plinth to deliver if the characters did not understand what
sermons from. There are skeletal it said.
remains slumped in the benches.
If the characters can understand the
The interior hall of this temple has been spirit, they may attempt to converse with
consecrated as by the hallow spell, it. This will require them to convince the
preventing fey, fiends, and undead from guardian spirit that they mean no harm
being able to enter, and preventing any and will not disturb the rest of the dead
dead bodies in the room from being dwarves, or befoul the sanctity of the
turned into undead. temple.
In addition, as long as the area remains Any character that is capable of
consecrated, no creature can move into or communicating with the guardian spirit
out of the area using teleportation or by can make a DC 18 Charisma (Persuasion)
extradimensional or extraplanar means. check to convince the spirit of their good
If the guardian spirit dies or is intentions. The DC of this check is
banished, their protective influence fades increased by 3 for each evil aligned
over time. After one hour, the main temple character in the party, and decreased by 2
hall and antechamber will both become for each Dwarven character, or cleric
desecrated ground if the rest of the level associated with a good or neutral aligned
has not been purified (either by the Dwarven deity.
guardian spirit's ritual or by casting the
hallow spell or similar magic), enabling If the characters successfully convince the
fey, fiends, and undead to freely enter and guardian spirit they mean no harm, it will
move throughout these areas. be willing to converse with them and can
share the following information:
The skeletons that lie slumped in the - It is a guardian spirit, bound to this
benches are the remains of the dwarves temple. It is unable to pass beyond the
that sought sanctuary here when the threshold, and is charged with protecting
tower was attacked. Mostly servants and the sanctity of the temple itself, and
laborers as there are no armor pieces ensuring the dwarves who died here are
nearby. not disturbed.
- There was a battle here long ago between
A guardian spirit watches over this the Stronghold Dwarves and the Deep
temple, preserving its sanctity and the Dwarves. The deep dwarves attacked the

39
 tower, and the defenders were being If the party convince the spirit to attempt
overrun. A deep dwarf magician cast a the cleansing spell, undead will begin to
spell to bring the tower down on the converge on the temple as soon as the
defenders and bury them in rubble, but ritual begins.
the spell went wrong, collapsing the At initiative count 20 on each turn a
tunnels and burying most of the deep number of undead arrive as shown below.
dwarf army, and causing a cataclysmic The number and type of undead will
shift in the mountain itself, trapping the depend on how far along the ritual is, but
survivors in the tower. they will all enter through the main door
- The few surviving defenders sought to the temple from area 5D.
refuge in the temple, entrusting their
souls to the gods and hoping that Round Undead.
someone would come to find them. 1 - 4 shadows
- More recently, a new presence has taken 2 - 8 shadows
over the ruins, bringing with it a foul, 4 - 4 frozen skeletons
dark magic that has infused this deepest, 5 - 6 frozen skeletons
darkest level of the tower. The spirit has 7 - 2 frozen skeleton captains
used its power to keep the temple free of 8 - 6 frozen skeletons and 4
such corruption, but it is unable to affect frozen skeleton archers
what is occuring beyond the threshold. 10 - 1 flameskull and 2 frozen
- Many fallen dwarves have been raised to skeleton captains
unlife, puppeteered by unholy magic.
- A ritual has been started in the deepest, At initiative count 20 on rounds 3, 6, and
darkest cavern, beyond the tower, feeding 9 no new undead arrive but pulse of foul
on the lingering echoes of death and magic sweeps through the chamber.
despair that are so potent in this place. If The guardian spirit must make a DC 10
the ritual reaches completion, it will spell Constitution saving throw. On a failure, it
death for thousands more. is shaken by the dark power and its ritual
is interrupted, allowing the dark magic to
CONSECRATION animate some of the dwarven skeletons in
the temple. 1d6 skeletons rise to their
If it is suggested or requested by the feet from the benches of the temple, roll
characters, the spirit will admit that it initiative for them as a group.
may be able to cleanse the level from this These skeletons do not have any
dark malaise, but doing so will require all temporary hit points as the temple is not
of its power, meaning that the temple will yet desecrated ground, and they wield
not be warded for the duration of its clubs rather than shortswords.
attempt, which will take 1 minute. If this
ritual is completed, this entire level of the While the ritual is being conducted, the
tower is purified and ceases to be guardian spirit can do nothing other than
desecrated ground. focus on casting the spell, and afterwards
will need time to replenish its strength.
Threats. A guardian spirit will animate The guardian statues are therefore
the two guardian statues if attacked. The inanimate objects for the duration of the
statues and spirit both fight to the death, csting, and the spirit cannot animate
but cannot pursue beyond the threshold them for an hour after completing the
of the temple hall. ritual.
If the characters flee the area and return The undead try to get at the guardian
later, the spirit and statues will have spirit, but will react if attacked, or if their
regained all of their hit points, but any path is blocked.
that were reduced to 0 hit points will still If the ritual is completed and the spirit
be destroyed. survives, it then assists the characters in

40
killing the remaining undead in the The scaffolds are storage rigs for shield
temple. It and the statues are still unable guardians, but the four automatons were
to leave the temple threshold even if the all deployed in the defense of the tower
ritual succeeds. and so the garage is empty.
If the guardian spirit dies before the An artificer will automatically recognise
ritual is complete, the spell fails. Undead that the scaffolds are repair and recharge
continue to arrive for the next two rounds, stations for constructs or magical
or until the tenth round after the ritual creations. A non-artificer character with
was started, whichever comes first. If the proficiency in the arcana skill can make a
guardian spirit is dead and would have DC 20 Intelligence (Arcana) check to gain
needed to make a Constitution saving the same information.
throw to stop skeletons from being Each rig has metal plate set into the
animated, the saving throw is considered base with a symbol carved into it that
to have been failed and 1d6 skeletons are corresponds to the shield guardian that
automatically animated. was stored there.

5F. PRIEST'S CHAMBERS 5H. CASTELLAN'S CHAMBERS

A door on the west wall leads to this The corridor outside this room is occupied
smaller chamber off the main temple by a group of undead. They will attack any
hall. A combination of bedroom and creatures they encounter.
study, it is neat and orderly, but
everything is covered in a layer of dust. A large desk sits against the back wall
of this room near what would have
A desk and chair have been tucked into once been a comfortable bed. The rest
one corner of the room next to a set of of the room is given over to a small
well-stocked bookshelves, while the other lounge area with a low table and a set
side of the room is occupied by a bed,
of stone-carved furniture arranged
wardrobe, and small bedside table.
around it.
The books on the shelves are religious
tomes and history books written in
ancient Dwarvish and Celestial, but most Threats. The group of undead in the
are too brittle to open and read. corridor consists of four frozen skeleton
captains.
Loot. The bedside table holds a necklace
of prayer beads with five beads (1 favor, 2 Loot. If the characters wish to search the
curing, 1 blessing, and 1 smiting). room, they can make a DC 15 Intelligence
A small chest under the bed contains a (Investigation) check. Regardless of the
mace of disruption, 200gp worth of result, they will find 5d20gp worth of art
incense, and four vials of holy water. objects and trinkets, and an a success
If the characters search the papers on they will also find belt of dwarvenkind.
the desk, they find a spell scroll of Any character that uses the detect magic
hallow. spell or similar magic while searching the
room finds the belt automatically.
5G. AUTOMATON GARAGE
5I. OFFICER'S QUARTERS
The entrance to this room is a large
double door, with the doorframe This area is split into four individual
standing 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide. rooms, each of which seems to be a
Four large scaffolding rigs line the private quarters. The furnishings and
walls. They are currently empty. size of the rooms indicates higher

41
 status than the barracks on the upper Undercommon, while the specters
levels of the tower. understand these languages but cannot
speak.
Threats. When the characters enter the
first of the private rooms in this area, a Loot. The skeletal hand of the duergar
patch of darkness in the corner of the warlord is still clasped around an
room will peel itself off the wall and streak adamantine war pick. While the dwarven
toward them. Eight shadows lurk in this castellan's remains have an amulet of
area, two in each room, but as soon as the control lying nearby.
characters enter any room, all eight This amulet is for the Shield Guardian
shadows start to converge on them and in area 5L and has the same symbol
attack. engraved in it as on that construct's chest
piece, which matches the symbols on one
Loot. Each room contains 4d10gp worth of the scaffolding rigs in area 5G.
of art objects and trinkets.
5K. GATEHOUSE
5J. WAR ROOM
The door to this room is broken into
A large map table dominates the center fragments. The room within is bare of
of this chamber, with high-backed, furniture and the walls facing out on
stone chairs arranged around it. Many the corridor and courtyard are lined
chairs have been knocked over, and a with arrow slits. At various points
large section of the table has broken off around the room barrels there are
and been reduced to rubble. weapon racks and ammunition barrels
Dwarven corpses are scattered shattered into splinters.
throughout the room, their poses
indicating they died in battle. Bloodstains cover the surfaces of this
room, which was the clearly the location
This room saw the of the dwarven of fierce fighting.
garrison clash with the leader of the
duergar attackers. Their skeletons are Threats. Five frozen skeleton warriors
intermingled, the duergar's warpick are picking through the room, collecting
embedded in the shattered skull of the weapons and bones.
castellan, while a warhammer lies on the
ground near a splintered rib cage. 5L. LOADING BAY
The other skeletons in the room are
their honor guard, clad in either dwarven This warehouse room is pitch dark,
plate, or the black iron armor of the and the entrance is blocked by a
duergar. massive pile of rubble.
The duergar warlord's spirit still lingers, A half-laden wagon sits in one corner
his bitterness and wrath having with various cargo stacked on the
manifested as a wraith that has raised the ground nearby. A broken lift platform
echoes of the fallen as specters. These and shattered crates occupy the floor
dark spirits have kept anyone from directly beneath a hole in the ceiling.
entering the room, which is why none of A nine foot tall humanoid construct
the bodies have been removed yet. of wood, metal and stone stands
motionless amid a pile of dwarven
Threats. The bitter spirits of dead skeletons.
dwarves linger in this room. A wraith and
six specters drift through the room and The hole in the ceiling is the base of the
will attack any creature that enters the lift shaft that connects to area 4B. The
room. The wraith speaks Dwarvish and main entrance to this room is a large

42
sliding door that opens out to the Threats. The inactive shield guardian,
courtyard (area 5O) but it is currently will defend itself if attacked, but will take
blocked by a pile of rubble that will take no action otherwise.
several days to clear with mundane tools.
Spells such as disintegrate, mold earth, Loot. The inactive shield guardian can be
passwall, or similar magic can clear the controlled using the amulet on the
rubble far more quickly. castellan's corpse in area 5J and will
A doorway in the west wall leads to the follow any order it is given by the creature
hostel (area 5M). wearing the amulet.
Returning it to its scaffolding rig in the
The construct is a shield guardian that automaton garage (area 5G) will allow it
remains operational but inactive. recharge and after 10 minutes in the rig it
It has no spell stored, having released regains its regeneration ability.
whatever was placed within it during the
attack on the tower. It is also running low 5M. HOSTEL
on energy, and as a result its regeneration
ability is not functioning. This plain room is simply furnished
Its chest plate has a symbol carved into with basic accommodations such as
it that matches the symbol on the bunks, a wash basin, and chamber
Castellan's amulet in the War Room (area pots. It seems to be a temporary hostel
5J). for guests or wagon drivers.
If the shield guardian is actived and
under the characters' control, they can Loot. Tucked underneath one of the
order it to clear the rubble blocking this bunks is a bag of holding.
room's exit, a task that takes the shield
guardian 30 minutes to complete.

43
 CAVERN LEVEL

6A

6B

44
GENERAL FEATURES
courtyard side, and the towers themselves
Ceilings. The ceiling on this level soars far are slightly thicker than the walls.
overhead at the roof of this subterranean
cavern. The courtyard and cavern both Threats. The gigantic figure standing in
have a ceiling height of 100 feet. front of the gates is Onnür, Thane of
Ninth Watch, the frost giant that has
Desecrated Ground. Unless the spirit been extorting the people of the
guardian's ritual has been successfully Snowbound Vale for the past years, killed
completed (see area 5E) this entire level is and reanimated by the winter sisters to
desecrated ground. serve as a powerful undead servant.
Undead in an area of desecrated ground Onnür guards the entrance to the hag's
have advantage on all saving throws and lair and will attack any enemies that enter
start all encounters with ten temporary hit the courtyard, fighting to the death and
points. aiming to kill any intruders.
There are also six frozen skeleton
6A. COURTYARD archers on top of the walls, three on
either side of the gates. These archers will
A large, paved courtyard the width of attack any characters that come within
range of their bows and will shoot their
the entire tower extends out to a
arrows down into any fights that take
crenellated wall whose massive gates
place in the courtyard or the cavern
stand partially open.
beyond.
The courtyard is featureless and
empty, except for a gigantic, humanoid
6B. CAVERN
form standing head and shoulders
above the wall itself that paces back
A vast, subterranean cavern is cast in
and forth in front of the gates.
total darkness, the only source of light
being a bubbling cauldron that
The courtyard is largely devoid of cover, emanates a deep purple glow, and a
the only debris being a few chunks of
handful of ghostly orbs of light drifting
stone that have fallen from the cavern
through the air.
ceiling high above, and the wrecks of two
A foul chant echoes through the
destroyed shield guardians.
cavern, and shadowy figures shift in
Built from large stones, the crenellated the darkness around the cauldron.
walls on the far side of the courtyard are
the outer walls of the fortress. The rocky floor of this cavern is cold and
The walls are thirty feet tall, and twenty covered in a layer of grit and gravel. It
feet thick with a platform along the top slopes almost imperceptibly downwards
wide enough for multiple medium sized away from the walls of the tower.
creatures to walk side by side.
The crenellations on either side of this The cauldron is situated in the center of
platform are four feet tall and a creature the cavern, 100 feet from the gates.
on top of the wall can use them to gain The chant is coming from the winter
cover from creatures on the ground in the sisters who are gathered around the
courtyard or cavern. A medium sized cauldron.
creature can gain three-quarters cover in The cauldron itself acts as the focal
this way, while a small creature can gain point of a ritual that has already begun
total cover. and is nearing completion. All of the hags
The stairs to reach the top of the walls are linked with the magic, and are
are contained within the gatehouse therefore unwilling to flee the area,
towers. The doors to the towers are on the fighting with far more determination than

45
 in previous encounters. have linked themselves to it.
The liquid in the cauldron is a watery With the souls, misery, and and despair
black sludge, with wisps of dark smoke they will harvest, the Winter Sisters will
pouring off the top, and purple froth be able to usher in an endless winter, and
bubbling over, casting the area in a see all life wither and perish at their
foreboding half-shadow. hands. If they are not stopped here and
now, the consequences will be
On the far side of the caverns, a pile of catastrophic.
boulders marks the cave-in that destroyed
the tunnels connecting this tower to the NO TIME TO LOSE
wider network of dwarven roads.
When the characters encounter Onnür at
Threats. All of the surviving winter sisters the gates, Granny Rattle-Breath
will be gathered around the cauldron. commences the final stage of the ritual.
Granny Rattle-Breath will always be Describe the low chant and minor tremor
present, accompanied by three will o' that runs through the earth as the
wisps which are the ghostly balls of light shadows begin to swirl in the cavern
illuminating the cavern. above.
If Aria Ice-Veins, or Sally Stitchfingers If the characters do not move quickly
managed to flee their earlier encounters, after defeating the undead giant, the ritual
they will also be present, with their full hit will reach completion, and a necrotic
points and complement of daily abilities, tempest will be unleashed upon the tower,
although any magic items that were and overflow to envelop Snowbound Vale
expended remain used. below.
These hags behave differently in this A few moments of planning or
fight compared to their previous preparation to cast spells and drink
encounter since they are reluctant to flee potions, formulate a plan, or sneak in are
from this fight due to being linked with probably fine, but if the characters try to
the ritual (see "The Hag Coven" below). stop and take a short or long rest, the
The wisps focus on creatures that have hags' ritual will likely reach completion.
been reduced to 0 hit points but are not Make it abundantly clear that there is
dead, using their Consume Life ability to no time to waste. If the characters do
kill them and further empower the ritual. spend a few minutes preparing, consider
If there are no such targets, they use their starting the ritual count at a higher
variable illumination to give the skeleton number to represent the fact that the
archers on the wall a good view, or simply ritual has progressed in the time they
remain invisible and bide their time if the spend preparing.
archers are all dead.
THE CAULDRON
THE RITUAL
The focus of the hag's ritual is a large,
At the direction of Granny Rattle-Breath, black, iron cauldron. The effects of the
the three hags have combined their ritual are felt most strongly in close
powers in a ritual that will conjure up a proximity to the cauldron itself, with
storm of necrotic energy, fused with their necrotic energy bubbling over even before
innate ice magic to engulf the settlements the ritual is complete to animate and
of Snowbound Vale. empower undead creatures, and leach
The bitter winds will sweep down the away the life force of the living. As the
mountainside, freezing them in their ritual nears completion, these effects
tracks, and their souls will be whipped up become even more powerful.
into the storm, fuelling the unholy
tempest and empowering the hags who The cauldron is 5 feet in diameter, and its

46
rim is 4 feet above the ground. A greasy, On a success, they tip the cauldron
dark fire burns underneath the cauldron, enough that part of the liquid within spills
but does not provide any illumination, out, reducing the ritual count by an
and the floor of the cavern around it is amount equal to the amount by which the
littered with bones from the skeletal total result exceeded the DC of the check.
remains of dwarves that have been taken If this reduces the ritual count to 0, they
from the ruins. successfully overturn the cauldron
completely, spilling out its contents onto
While the ritual is active, any humanoid the floor, and ending the ritual.
creature that dies within 30 feet of the If the ritual is ended while any of the
cauldron becomes an undead. Winter Sisters are still alive, each
If the creature had 2 or fewer hit dice, it remaining hag gains 1d4 levels of
becomes a zombie, if it had 3 to 5 hit dice, exhaustion, and takes 3d12 psychic
it becomes a ghoul. Otherwise, it becomes damage due to their link to the ritual.
a wight. The dead humanoid retains its
place in the initiative order and animates RITUAL COUNT
at the start of its next turn, provided that
its body hasn't been completely destroyed. Over time, the ritual grows in power and
its effects becomes more potent. The
The cauldron has immunity to all damage following effects become active when the
while the ritual is active, as the conflux of ritual reaches the corresponding count.
magic protects it. Effects from a lower count remain active
when the count increases, and if the ritual
The cauldron also has other effects that count lowers, any effect that was active at
only become felt when the ritual has a higher count ceases until the ritual
reached a certain amount of power, these reaches that level of power once again.
are described in the "Ritual Count" section
below. 1-5: Undead creatures within 30 feet of
the cauldron are immune to effects that
STOPPING THE RITUAL turn undead.
6-10: At initaitive count 20, the cauldron
The winter sisters are the ones that set up animates the bones piled around it. 1d4+2
this ritual, and it has been fueled by their skeletons appear in unoccupied spaces
power, but has begun to draw on the within 30 feet of the cauldron. Roll
echoes of death that suffuse the ruins of initiative once for this group of enemies
Ninth Watch itself. As such, killing the who all act on the same initiative step and
hags will slow the ritual's progress, but follow any commands given to them by the
will not stop it outright. To fully stop the Winter Sisters. These skeletons are
ritual, the hags' black cauldron must be minions and only have one hit point.
overturned and the foul magic dispersed. 11-15: Creatures within 30 feet of the
However, if the hags survive, they can cauldron, other than undead and the
return and begin the ritual anew later, Winter Sisters, cannot regain hit points.
and so the only way to truly put an end to 16-20: Any creature that that starts its
this evil is to kill all three Winter Sisters turn within 20 feet of the cauldron that is
and tip over their cauldron. not undead, a construct, or one of the
Winter Sisters, or that moves there for the
Any creature within 5 feet of the cauldron first time on its turn, must succeed on a
can attempt to tip it over and interrupt DC 18 Constitution saving throw. The
the ritual. To do so, the creature must use creature is dealt an amount of necrotic
an action to make a Strength (Athletics) damage equal to the current ritual count
check with a DC equal to 11 plus the on a failure, or half as much damage on a
current ritual count. success.

47
 21+: If the ritual count ever exceeds 20, rather than on her own turn. She casts
the ritual is completed and a raging storm greater invisibility at the first opportunity
of necrotic magic is unleashed (see the after she becomes aware of the characters
"Consequences" section on page 50). Once and then using her actions, soul cage, and
the ritual is completed, tipping the proximity to the cauldron to feed the ritual
cauldron over has no effect. without exposing herself to harm.
Granny Rattle-Breath relies on the
The ritual count starts at 1 and increases undead and other surviving hags to deal
when any any of the following conditions damage to the characters, preferring to
are met: use her spells and abilities to hamper and
- At initiative count 20 each turn, the weaken. If she is forced into combat, she
ritual count increases by 1 automatically uses her draining touch and temporary hit
and then increases by an additional 1 point abilities to stay alive until she can
point for each Winter Sister that is still slip away gain. Granny Rattle-Breath only
alive and within 30 feet of the cauldron. switches to her damage dealing spells if
- The ritual count increases by 1 when a she is the only hag alive, or if she is
creature, other than an undead or surrounded and has no means of escape.
construct, dies within 30 feet of the She may also use finger of death to finish
cauldron. If the creature is one of the off a vulnerable character and gain an
Winter Sisters, the ritual count increases undead minion.
by 3 instead. The exception to this behaviour is if any
- Any Winter Sister that is within 10 feet creature starts to push over the cauldron,
of the cauldron can use an action on her at which point Granny Rattle-Breath will
turn to increase the ritual count by 1. immediately switch her focus onto that
- If any of the Winter Sisters have been creature, using legendary actions and
killed previously, their deaths would have actions on her own turn to cast her most
empowered the ritual. For each Winter powerful and damaging spells to try and
Sister that has died before the characters kill it as quickly as possible, all while
reach this area, the starting ritual count ranting that she has labored too long fail
increases by 1d6. now.

THE HAG COVEN Sally Stitchfingers is far more aggressive

in this encounter than in her own lair.
The winter sisters are a coven, and She freely uses the beads of her necklace
Granny Rattle-Breath is a powerful of fireballs, and prefers to attack with the
grandmother hag. As such, they are able intention to kill rather than toying with
to bring immense power to bear when her enemies and paralyzing them.
assembled together, but most of their She will switch her focus to the
magic is currently bound up in the ritual characters as soon as she becomes aware
and cannot be broken off. of them, and does not worry about aiding
Each hag's primary goal is still their the ritual at all.
own survival, (although they are more
than willing to let their fellow sisters die) Aria Ice-Veins has learned which
and so they do not sacrifice themselves, characters are vulnerable to her curses
but they are also reluctant to flee so long from previous encounters. If there is a
as the ritual remains active. character that succumbed to her curse in
their previous battle, but is now free of it,
Granny Rattle-Breath focuses her she will use her first action to attempt to
attention on the ritual, using her action to curse them again, but if this fails will not
feed the cauldron, and preferring to use make any more attempts, preferring to
her soul cage to empower it further, unleash her more damaging spells such
casting spells with her legendary actions as cone of cold and ice storm.

48
 She will take to the air but seeks to stay ESCAPING
near the cauldron to continue feeding the
ritual by proximity, although she does not If the ritual is ended due to the cauldron
devote any actions to it, unless there are being overturned, the hags are all
no characters within range that she can negatively affected by the magical
target with one of her powerful spells. backlash. At this point, they are weakened
If a creature starts trying to tip the and have no reason to stay and fight any
cauldron over, Aria focuses on that longer, and will attempt to flee.
creature, using her Deepwinter Chill
ability to inflict exhaustion and prevent Granny Rattle-Breath attempts to use
them from being able to overturn it. her invisibility and hindering magic to
Aria only uses her ray of frost if she has create a safe escape, while Aria Ice-veins
cast all of her powerful spells and there is flees on her staff, trusting to her speed
no creature tipping the cauldron, in which and flight to keep her safe. Sally
case she prioritizes creatures that have Stitchfingers tries to fight her way out,
been cursed by her and targets them with relying on her regeneration to endure any
both rays each turn. attacks she suffers along the way, while
she uses her paralysis spells to occupy
any character that has attacks that would
shut her regenerative abilities off.

49
 CONSEQUENCES
If the ritual reaches completion, an Should the characters die, your players
immensely powerful vortex of death magic will almost certainly be eager to take on
erupts from the cauldorn and blasts out the role of new heroes fighting to defend
through the cavern, engulfing it all in an the people of Snowbound Vale from the
eldritch tempest. evil that descends upon them, and get a
shot at avenging their old characters in
There are various consequences to the the process.
hag's ritual succeeding, but ultimately the
final result is up to you. Perhaps any If the characters successfully stop the
character caught in this tempest is ritual, they are hailed by heroes upon
immediately killed outright, or each their return to Snowbound Vale.
character may find themselves confronted The people there saw the storm
by an avatar of death, as though they had beginning to gather at the mountain
drawn the skull card from the deck of peaks, and knew something terrible was
many things. It could be that the tempest happening. They are more than happy to
simply conjures up an endless horde of reward the characters for their valiant
undead that threatens to overwhelm the deeds, and with a reward far greater than
party, or that the tempest inflicts necrotic had initially been offered to seek out
damage (1d10, 1d6, or whatever amount Onnür.
seems appropriate) at the start of each If any of the Winter Sisters escaped
turn while it rages around them, and the however, they're sure to hold a grudge,
characters are unable to regain these hit and a hag never let's go of a grudge.
points until they are out of the storm, Snowbound Vale, and the characters
which is rapidly expanding. themselves, may not be as safe as they'd
The exact intensity of the unleashed like to imagine, but that is a challenge the
tempest should be adjusted to your victorious heroes will face on another day.
specific game, but if the ritual has
succeeded, the characters should be put If the characters defeated the hags, killed
in a situation where they need to escape, all three sisters, and stoppped the ritual,
and quickly, or die. there are still opportunities for them to
continue the adventure.
If they do manage to escape, perhaps Perhaps something emerges from the
through a teleportation spell or a creative collapsed tunnel in the deep cavern,
plan, then the story is not over. drawn out by the conflux of magic, or
The tempest is growing, and will engulf perhaps one of Onnür's relatives finds
Snowbound Vale entirely within a day or themselves obligated to avenge his death,
two. If the characters wish to save the putting the characters at odds with a
population, they will need to move fast, powerful frost giant jarl and their subjects
and even then, they may not be able to get who hold the party accountable.
everyone out, and if Granny Rattle-Breath You may even decide that the hags were
or any of the other Winter Sisters being used as pawns by a powerful lich or
survived, they will now be empowered by demigod who was going to siphon off the
the success of the ritual, and have an power of their ritual. If you are running an
army of undead and the brutal power of ongoing capaign and want to use this
winter at their behest. adventure as a filler chapter of sorts, this
Someone will have to stop the remains would be an excellent way to tie it in with
of the coven, and who better than a group the overarching narrative.
of powerful adventurers who have already These are all just suggestions, but
survived an assault on their most secure hopefully they give you some inspiration
lair. for where to take your players next.

50
APPENDIX A: MONSTERS & NPCS
This section presents new the new even setting them alight serves only to fuel
monsters and NPCs that appear in this this desperate hunger.
adventure. Each entry provides a brief
description of the creature and a short CHILLING SHADE
summary of their background and Medium undead, chaotic evil
personality where applicable before
presenting detailing their in-game
statistics and abilities.
This section concludes with descriptions
of the winter sisters, the trio of hags that
have made the ruins of Ninth Watch their
lair and seek to usher in a deadly, eternal
winter.

Frozen Soul. When the chilling shade is dealt fire

damage, its Siphon Warmth ability automatically
recharges.

Ice Walk. The chilling shade can move across

and climb icy surfaces without needing to make
an ability check. Additionally, difficult terrain
composed of ice or snow doesn't cost it extra
moment.

Snow Shroud. The chilling shade has advantage

on all Dexterity (Stealth) checks it makes in
snowy conditions.
CHILLING SHADES Sunlight Weakness. While in sunlight, the
Those that die from intense cold, killed by chilling shade has disadvantage on attack rolls,
exposure and hypothermia, drowned in ability checks, and saving throws.
icy lakes, or buried beneath snowdrifts,
may wander the places where they died as ACTIONS
ghostly shades of fractal ice clad in
Freezing Touch. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit,
tattered clothing.
reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 7 (2d6) cold damage.
Hunger for Warmth. Chilling shades
are beckoned by open flames, drawn to Siphon Warmth (Recharge 6). One creature
torches and campfires from miles away, within 5 ft. of the chilling shade must make a DC
flocking to them out of the blizzards and 13 Constitution saving throw. On a failure, they
snowdrifts that shroud them on the take 14 (4d6) cold damage and gain one level of
mountain slopes. While the heat threatens exhaustion. On a success, they take half as
to end their existence, they long to feel much damage and suffer no exhaustion.
any semblance of warmth to the point that
51
 FROST MAW
A crossbreed between basilisks and frost Numbing Jaws. The most notable traits
drakes, the thick, pale grey scales of a of each species, the basilisk's petrifying
frost maw attest to both creatures tough gaze and the ability of dragons to exhale
hides, and its massive jaws are lined with ice, are absent in this new monster,
rows of jagged icicle-teeth designed to although traits of each can be found in its
crush and splinter are proof that it is no bite, which imparts the elemental cold of a
less fearsome than its progenitors. dragon's breath and can numb a creature
Scaled Amalgam. The frost maw is a into frozen paralysis for a time.
mule, artificially created by the hag Sally
Stitchfingers through alchemy and foul FROSTWEB SPIDERS
fleshcraft in an attempt to transfer
dragons' ability to survive in extreme cold Frostweb spiders are giant, pale blue
to other reptilian creatures. Traits from arachnids that spin glittering webs,
both creatures can be found in the final sparkling from tiny beads of ice that form
product, although apart from the scaly on the strands, giving the species its
hide, powerful jaws, and climbing talons, name.
the physical appearance of a frost maw Icy Nests. Unlike most of their kind,
can differ greatly between specimens, with frostweb spiders thrive in cold climates,
some of the beasts sporting a basilisk's making their nests in frozen caves and icy
eight stocky legs while others have the crags. They use their webs to shore up the
four legs of a drake. Their heads are also walls of twisting corridors and to add to
equally likely to be adorned with the crest the existing chill, creating a labyrinth that
of a white dragon as the borad, sloping will ensnare or freeze any intruder.
forehead of a basilisk. Big and Small. Frostweb spiders grow
to immense sizes, but even as hatchlings
they can prove deadly. Immediately after
FROST MAW hatching from clusters of egg sacs that
Medium monstrosity, unaligned
can spawn a hundred spiders in a clutch
the young spiders will swarm together and
while their venom glands do not develop
until they have matured, but their fangs
are capable of delivering a painful bite
nevertheless, and in sufficient numbers,
they can overwhelm much larger prey,
making these scuttling swarms a very real
threat to anything that crosses their path.
Colonies and Queens. Frostweb spiders
live in colonies with a single broodmother
in an arrangement more reminiscent of an
ant colony or beehive than most spider
colonies. The broodmother sits at the
ACTIONS heart of the nest, surrounded by egg sacs
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5ft., and swarms of hatchlings. Every other
one target. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage, plus spider in the colony will rush to protect
3 (2d6) cold damage. the broodmother, and most intruders will
If the target is a creature that is not immune to find themselves ambushed and webbed up
cold damage it must succeed on a DC 12 by other spiders long before they ever set
Constitiution saving throw or be paralyzed until the eyes on the gargantuan, icy-blue arachnid
end of its next turn. at the center of the network of webs.

52
FROSTWEB BROODMOTHER FROSTWEB HATCHLING SWARM
The largest spider in a colony, a Each hatchling would be considered a
broodmother sits at the center of the web, large spider in its own right if the species
attended by dozens of other spiders as it did not grow to such immense sizes. As it
lays countless clutches of eggs that are is, they are capable of swarming together
swiftly carried away and webbed to the almost immediately after hatching, and
walls to be kept cold for their incubation. their fangs deliver a painful bite even
A broodmother is incredibly resilient due to without matujre venom glands.
its massive bullk and thick carapace, but
is not a particularly fearsome foe for irs GIANT FROSTWEB SPIDER
size. While its venom is more potent that Hatchlings grow into giant arachnids with
smaller spiders, it generally relies on its ale blue chitin that spin webs to ensnare
smaller attendents and the swarms of their prey before closing in to finish it off
hatchlings that surround it to protect it with their venomous bite.
from any threats that reach the heart of Forstweb spiders prefer to hunt from a
the nest. distance, generally sticking to the walls
and ceiling to remain out of reach of their
FROSTWEB BROODMOTHER prey until it is webbed up, at which point
Huge beast, unaligned the rest of the swarm descend upon it in a
frenzy of legs and fangs until it succumbs
to their poison, and the paralyzed body can
. be taken back to the nest for consumption.

Web Walker. The spider ignores movement

restrictions caused by webbing.

ACTIONS
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
one creature. Hit: 8 (1d10 + 3) piercing damage,
and the target must make a DC 13 Constitution
Broodlings. A mass of hatchlings swarm across saving throw, taking 11 (2d10) poison damage on
the queen's carapace, biting and attacking any foe a failed save, or half as much damage on a
that draws dear. When a creature starts its turn successful one. If the poison damage reduces the
within 5 feet of the queen, or moves there for the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable but
first time on its turn, it takes 5 (2d4) piercing poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining hit
damage as they are bitten by these tiny spiders. points, and is paralyzed while poisoned in this
way.
Ice Walk. The spider can move across and climb
icy surfaces without needing to make an ability Icy Web (Recharge 5-6). Ranged Weapon Attack:
check. Additionally, difficult terrain composed of
+6 to hit, range 30/60ft., one creature. Hit: The
ice or snow doesn't cost it extra moment.
target is restrained by webbing, and takes 2 (1d4)
Spider Climb. The spider can climb difficult cold damage at the start of each of its turns. As an
surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, action, the restrained target can make a DC 13
without needing to make an ability check. Strength check, bursting the webbing on a
success. The webbing can also be attacked and
Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the destroyed (AC 10; hp 5; vulnerability to fire
spider knows the exact location of any other damage; immunity to cold, poison, and psychic
creature in contact with the same web. damage).

53
 FROSTWEB HATCHLING GIANT FROSTWEB SPIDER
SWARM Medium monstrosity, unaligned
Medium swarm of tiny beasts, unaligned

Spider Climb. The spider can climb difficult

surfaces, including upside down on ceilings,
without needing to make an ability check.
Spider Climb. The spider can climb difficult
surfaces, including upside down on ceilings, Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the
without needing to make an ability check. spider knows the exact location of any other
creature in contact with the same web.
Swarm. The swarm can occupy another
creature's space and vice versa, and the swarm Web Walker. The spider ignores movement
can move through any opening large enough for restrictions caused by webbing.
a Tiny spider. The swarm can't regain hit points or
gain temporary hit points. ACTIONS
Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft.,
Web Sense. While in contact with a web, the one creature. Hit: 7 (1d8 + 3) piercing damage,
spider knows the exact location of any other and the target must make a DC 11 Constitution
creature in contact with the same web. saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) poison damage on a
failed save, or half as much damage on a
Web Walker. The spider ignores movement
successful one. If the poison damage reduces
restrictions caused by webbing.
the target to 0 hit points, the target is stable but
ACTIONS poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining hit
points, and is paralyzed while poisoned in this
Bites. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5ft.,
way.
one target. Hit: 11 (4d4 + 1) piercing damage, or
5 (2d4) piercing damage if the swarm has half of Icy Web (Recharge 5-6). Ranged Weapon Attack:
its hit points or fewer. +5 to hit, range 30/60 ft., one creature. Hit: The
target is restrained by webbing, and takes 1 cold
damage at the start of each of its turns. As an
Individual Hatchlings action, the restrained target can make a DC 12
To represent a single frostweb Strength check, bursting the webbing on a
hatchling, simply use the statistics for success. The webbing can also be attacked and
a regular spider and give it resistancce destroyed (AC 10; hp 5; vulnerability to fire
to cold damage. damage; immunity to cold, poison, and psychic
damage).

54
FROZEN SKELETONS
Animated from the remains of the invaders both, these skeletons are clad in
dwarven defenders of Ninth Watch, these sturdy armor and wield brutal blades.
undead are clad in tattered armor and the They hold a measure of their skill and
missing pieces of their skeletons have tactical mind too, able to react with
been replaced with ice. surprising speed to counter foes that
Ice and Bone. While it was necromancy attempt to strike at them.
that animated theses skeletons, the winter
sisters are still creaures of snow and ice, FROZEN SKELETON WARRIOR
and as such elements of that appear even These skeletons were once the rank and
in their undead minions. Where bones or file warriors of the dwarven forces that
fragments are missing, glittering ice has clashed at ninth watch, and still carry
taken its place, and a cold blue spark their shields and axes into battle, now
shines in the eye sockets of each skeleton, coated in a layer of biting frost, while their
a mark of the magic that imbues their tattered armor does not provide the
weapons with an intense chill that cuts to protection it did in life.
the bone with every strike.
Frozen Shards. When these skeletons
die, the ice that held them together FROZEN SKELETON ARCHER
Medium undead, lawful evil
shatters in a vengeful explosion of freezing
splinters and razor sharp shards of ice
that can injure any creature caught in its
radius if they don't react in time to shield
themselves.
Assorted Armory. These sketons are
animated from the dead dwarves and
duergar that the winter sisters found in
the ruins of Ninth Watch. As such, they
are outfitted with axes, shield, and
greatswords, and other weapons that they
wielded in life. The difference in armor is
also due to the origins of each skeleton,
with officers and dwarves that were
wearing more durable armor resulting in
skeletons that have more intact armor Shatter. When it dies, the skeleton shatters into
than the tattered scraps hanging from the shards of ice. Each creature within 5 feet of it
bones of others. must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw,
or take 3 (1d6) piercing damage and 3 (1d6) cold
FROZEN SKELETON ARCHER damage.
These lightly armored skeletons wield
bows and their arrows are frozen-tipped Undead Nature. The skeleton doesn’t require air,
icicles. These skeletons generally fight food, drink, or sleep.
alongside warriors and captains,
harassing the enemy from range while ACTIONS
they are focused on avoiding the blades of Multiattack. The skeleton makes two attacks with
thei more melee oriented skeletons. its frozen bow.

FROZEN SKELETON CAPTAIN Frozen Bow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit,

Animated from the remains of the officers range 80/320 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2)
and honor guard of the defenders and piercing damage, plus 3 (1d6) cold damage.

55
 FROZEN SKELETON CAPTAIN FROZEN SKELETON WARRIOR
Medium undead, lawful evil Medium undead, lawful evil

Shatter. When it dies, the skeleton shatters into Shatter. When it dies, the skeleton shatters into
shards of ice. Each creature within 5 feet of it shards of ice. Each creature within 5 feet of it
must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw, must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw,
or take 3 (1d6) piercing damage and 3 (1d6) cold or take 3 (1d6) piercing damage and 3 (1d6) cold
damage. damage.

Undead Nature. The skeleton doesn’t require air, Undead Nature. The skeleton doesn’t require air,
food, drink, or sleep. food, drink, or sleep.

ACTIONS ACTIONS
Multiattack. The skeleton makes two attacks with Multiattack. The skeleton makes two attacks with
its frozen greatsword. its frozen blade.

Frozen Greatsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to Frozen Blade. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit,
hit, reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 + 3) reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing
slashing damage, plus 3 (1d6) cold damage. damage, plus 3 (1d6) cold damage.

REACTIONS
Parry. The skeleton adds 3 to its AC against one
melee attack that would hit it. To do so, the
skeleton must see the attacker and be wielding a
melee weapon.

Skeletons from Different Graves

The frozen skeletons here represent the Changes such as these are unlikely to
reanimated dwarven defenders of Ninth require any rebalancing in terms of the
Watch. However, by giving them different threat these enemies will pose to your
equipment, such as spears and swords players, but can really help to sell the
rather than axes, they can be used as particular flavor and setting of an
human warriors, while the captains could encounter, so feel free to tinker around
be he skeletons of tribal champions with the weapons and armor options and
wielding greataxes instead of swords. see what suits you best.

56
GELID MASS
A frozen ooze resembling a mound of icy Grow and Multiply. A gelid mass
slush or snow slurry. the aura of numbing continues to grow as it consumes more
cold given off by a gelid mass is often the prey, and will reach sizes far beyond most
first clue that there is anything untoward oozes. When forced to separate, each
about it, but at that point it is often too separate piece of the ooze attempts to
late , for that same chill slows the muscles begin the process again, multiplying and
and makes it difficult to fend off a gelid growing exponentially unless they
mass once it strikes. eradicated.
Cold Storage. When a creature wanders Meltdown. As one would expect for a
too close to a gelid mass, it lashes out creature comprised of frozen matter, a
with a pseudopod, latching onto the gelid mass is not particularly fond of fire,
creature and numbing it as it pulls its with the heat threatening to melt away the
victim into the mass of frozen slurry in the ice and snow it has gathered to itself. The
hopes of freezing it solid and crushing it extremities are the first to melt which
down into powdered ice that the gelid means that fire is very useful for those
mass will then consume and grow even attempting to free themselves from the
larger. grasping tendrils that hold its prey fast.

GELID MASS Melting Tendrils. If the gelid mass takes fire

Huge ooze, unaligned damage, it immediately releases any creature it
has grappled.

Numbing Aura. Any creature that starts its turn

within 10 feet of the gelid mass must make a
DC17 Constitution saving throw. Unless the save
succeeds, the creature can't make more than one
attack, or take a bonus action on that turn.

Spider Climb. The gelid mass can climb difficult

surfaces, including upside down on ceilings,
without needing to make an ability check..

ACTIONS
Pseudopod. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit,
reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 + 3) bludgeoning
damage plus 18 (4d8) cold damage and the
Amorphous. The gelid mass can move through a target is grappled if it is the same size as the
space as narrow as 1 inch wide without gelid mass or smaller.
squeezing. A grappled creature takes 9 (2d8) cold damage
at the start of its turn.
False Appearance. While the gelid mass remains
motionless, it is indistinguishable from a mound REACTIONS
of snow or frozen slurry. Split. When a gelid mass that is Medium or larger
is subjected to lightning or slashing damage, it
Ice Walk. The gelid mass can move across and splits into two new masses if it has at least 10 hit
climb icy surfaces without needing to make an points. Each new mass has hit points equal to
ability check. Additionally, difficult terrain half the original's, rounded down and is one size
composed of ice or snow doesn't cost it extra smaller than the original mass.
moment.

57
 GRINJAW
Grinjaw is a grizzled winter wolf and the assistance of the hags however, Grinjaw
leader of the pack that previously made saw a chance to free his pack, and get his
up Onnür's kennel. A vicious predator, he revenge on Onnür in one fell swoop. He
takes his name from the permanent snarl attacked the pack leader, killing him in a
caused by the lack of flesh along his lower savage display and mocking him as a
jaw where his bottom lip was torn away in coward and lapdog. Claiming leadership of
a fight. the pack for himself, Grinjaw then led the
Traitor, Liberator. The winter sisters wolves to attack Onnür in his sleep,
approached the pack, seeking their aid in softening him up for the hags.
killing Onnür in order to calim the tower Cruelty and Fear. Grinjaw embodies
for themselves. The wolves' previous the cruel tendencies of winter wolves,
leader refused, fearing reprisal from taking great pleasure in howling toensure
Onnür should the hags fail, but Grinjaw his prey knows they have not escaped, the
would not let an opportunity like this pass heady scent of terror sweetening the taste
by. He had wished to see the pack freed of his meal. Grinjaw savors the feeling of
from Onnür's service for some time, but warm blood on the raw flesh of his jaw,
knew that they did not have the strength the only respite from the bitter cold it is
to oppose the giant themselves. With the exposed to at all times.

GRINJAW ACTIONS
Large monstrosity, neutral evil
Multiattack. Grinjaw uses his Bone-Chilling Howl
if it is available and makes a bite attack.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft.,

one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage, or
14 (3d6 + 4) piercing damage if the target is a
creature that doesn't have all its hit points.

Bone-Chilling Howl (Recharge 6). Each creature

of Grinjaw’s choice that is within 120 feet of him
and can hear him must succeed on a DC 14
Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for 1
minute. A creature can repeat the saving throw at
Go for the Throat. When Grinjaw makes a melee the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on
attack against a creature that doesn't have all its itself on a success.
hit points, that attack deals an extra 3 (1d6) If a creature’s saving throw is successful or the
damage (included in the attack).. effect ends for it, the creature is immune to
Grinjaw's Bone-Chilling Howl for the next 24
Keen Hearing and Smell. Grinjaw has advantage hours.
on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on
hearing or smell. Cold breath (Recharge 5-6). Grinjaw exhales a
blast of freezing wind in a 15-foot cone. Each
Pack Tactics. Grinjaw has advantage on an creature in that area must make a DC 13
attack roll against a creature if at least one of Dexterity saving throw, taking 18 (4d8) cold
Grimjaw's allies is within 5 feet of the creature damage on a failed save, or half as much
and the ally isn't incapacitated. damage on a successful one.e

Snow Camouflage. Grinjaw has advantage on

Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in snowy
terrain.
58
GUARDIAN SPIRITS
Temples and holy sites that have been
Incorporeal Movement. The guardian spirit can
consecrated to deities are often protected
move through other creatures and objects as if
by a supernatural entity, manifesting as a
they were difficult terrain. It takes 5 (1d10) force
spirit wielding divine magic to protect the
damage if it ends its turn inside an object.
sanctity of its domain.
ACTIONS
GUARDIAN SPIRIT
Awaken Guardians. The guardian spirit magically
A guardian spirit is a celestial entity
awakens up to two guardian statues within the
that has bound to a temple tasked with
location to which it is bound. These statues are
guarding it. It is unable to leave the
under the spirit's control and will continue to
location once it is bound in this way
follow its commands until they are completed or
Duty Bound. A guardian spirit's
the statue is destroyed. If the spirit dies, a statue
primary goal is to protect the sanctity of a
will continue to follow the last orders it was given.
temple, which the spirit will not allow to
A guardian spirit can have up to two guardian
come to harm or suffer desecration no
statues awakened and under its control at a time.
matter how necessary the cause may be.
This refusal to compromise often brings Cleanse the Sanctum (Recharge 5-6). The
guardian spirits into conflict with other guardian spirit unleashes a burst of divine energy
well-intentioned creatures. One can that ripples outward from it. Each creature of the
communicate with a spirit however, and if guardian spirit's choice within 30 feet of it must
it is persuaded that an intruder does not succeed on a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or
intned to disturb its temple, it may allow take 28 (8d6) radiant damage and be knocked
them to pass unimpeded. prone. A creature that succeeds on its saving
throw takes half as much damage and isn’t
GUARDIAN SPIRIT knocked prone.
Medium celestial, lawful good
Divine Rebuke. A pillar of radiant light descends
to burn a creature the guardian spirit can see
within 120 feet of it. The target must succeed on
a DC 16 Dexterity saving throw or take 18 (4d8)
radiant damage.

LEGENDARY ACTIONS
The guardian spirit can take 3 legendary actions,
choosing from the options below. Only one
legendary action option can be used at a time
and only at the end of another creature's turn.
The guardian spirit regains spent legendary
actions at the start of its turn.

Animate Guardian (Costs 2 Actions). The

guardian spirit awakens one guardian statue
within the location to which it is bound.
Command Statue. The guardian spirit chooses a
guardian statue it can see within 60 feet. That
statue can immediately make a single attack.
Bound Guardian. The guardian spirit is magically Sanctify (Costs 3 Actions). The guardian spirit
bound to the location it protects and is unable to recharges Cleanse the Sanctum and uses it.
pass beyond a designated threshold.

59
 GUARDIAN STATUE ICE ELEMENTALS
Temples that have a guardian spirit bound
to them will often have a variety of statues The most common types of elementals are
those comprised of the four core elements,
ereceted. For most, these edifices are
air, earth, fire, and water, but other, less
simply monuments to honor the fallen or
common elemental planes also exist, and
venerate the deity to whom the temple is
creatures can be brought forth from these
dedicated, but they serve a dual purpose, realms too, as evidenced by the great
for the guardian spirit can awaken them to variety of mephits.
aid in protecting the sacred place against Frost Given Form. A relatively stable
intruders. region, is that which is dominated by
Stone Servants. These guardian statues elemental ice, with elementals brought
are intended for a sole purpose, to destroy forth from this realm bearing marked
any intruder that fails to heed the resemblances to their more common
warnings of the guardian spirit. They are counterparts, but clearly transformed by
unable to act on their own, but follow the the touch of a deep and bitter cold.
commands of a guardian spirit without
question or hesitation. BLIZZARD ELEMENTAL
These elementals embody the biting winds
of midwinter storms, flecks of ice carried
GUARDIAN STATUE by swirling air that stings exposed skin
Huge construct, unaligned and manages to find a way in through even
the warmest clothing.
Can't Take the Heat. As creatures made
entirely out of cold air, blizzard elementals
detest fire and the warmth it brings. They
avoid flames wherever possible, but are
quite capable of snuffing out any source of
warmth they encounter to bring things to
the freezing temperatures they find
comfortable.

FROST ELEMENTAL
Hulking, vaguely humanoid forms, these
elementals are jagged, rough ice lumbering
forward like a living glacier accompanied
by the sound of snapping and scraping ice.
Their massive arms taper to skewers that
are capable of puncturing metal and flesh
alike, and even when destroyed, they
explode in a spray of razor sharp ice
Siege Monster. The guardian statue deals double shards.
damage to objects and structures. Implacable Ice. The sheer mass of ice
packed together makes a frost elemental
ACTIONS immensely resilient, able to survive having
Multiattack. The guardian statue makes two slam large portions of its body shattered and
attacks. broken away and continue on its course
undeterred. Their greatest asset however is
Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft., their ability to absorb more ice into
one target. Hit: 17 (2d12 + 4) bludgeoning themselves, refreezing their missing
damage. sections by taking in the element of their
origin.

60
BLIZZARD ELEMENTAL FROST ELEMENTAL
Large elemental, neutral Large elemental, neutral

Heat Aversion. The elemental has disadvantage Death Burst. When the elemental dies, it
on attack rolls against any creature that is explodes in a burst of jagged ice. Each creature
currently on fire, or that is holding a lit torch or within 5 feet of it must make a DC 15 Dexterity
similar heat source. saving throw, taking 9 (2d8) slashing damage on
a failed save, or half as much damage on a
Wind Form. The elemental can enter a hostile successful one.
creature's space and stop there. It can move
through a space as narrow as 1 inch wide without Ice Form. When the elemental is subjected to
squeezing. cold damage, it takes no damage and instead
regains a number of hit points equal to the cold
ACTIONS damage dealt
Multiattack. The elemental makes two lash
attacks. Ice Walk. The elemental can move across and
climb icy surfaces without needing to make an
Lash. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5ft., ability check. Additionally, difficult terrain
one target. Hit: 12 (2d6 + 5) piercing damage composed of ice or snow doesn't cost it extra
plus 3 (1d6) cold damage. movement.

Blizzard (Recharge 4-6). Each creature within the ACTIONS

elemental's space or within 5 feet of it must make Multiattack. The elemental makes two skewer
a DC 13 Constitution saving throw. A creature attacks.
takes 22 (4d10) cold damage on a failure, or half
as much damage on a success. Any exposed Skewer. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach
nonmagical flame in the affected area is 5ft., one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) piercing damage
extinguished. plus 3 (1d6) cold damage.

Frostwave (Recharge 5-6). The elemental

expels a torrent of freezing air and flecks of ice.
Each creature in a 15-foot cone must make a DC
15 Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 18
(4d8) cold damage on a failed save and half as
much damage on a successful one.
61
 ONNÜR, THANE OF NINTH WATCH Brawler. While he still lived, Onnür
carried a club, but disdained its use it
A fearsome brawler in life, the frost giant combat, preferring to use it to break
Onnür was killed by the Winter Sisters things for his own enjoyment. In a fight,
after they convinced his winter wolves to the frost giant was a brawler, and he
turn on him. The hags have since found that his immense size was generally
animated his corpse and the gigantic enough to carry him to victory against his
zombie has been infused with necrotic opponents and he maintains this fighting
power and tasked with defending the hags' style even after death.
deepest lair and site of the ritual they are Infusion. Onnür's current form is the
enacting. product of all three winter sisters working
Self-Proclaimed Lord. An outcast in tandem. Sally Stitchfingers repaired the
among his own kind, Onnür wandered the giant's torn up body, but there are many
snowcapped peaks alone for many months places where sections of missing flesh
before he came upon the ruins of Ninth reveal a sinister purple glow from within,
Watch. Claiming the abandoned fortress evidence of the overflowing font of necrotic
for himself, Onnür declared himself thane energy that Granny Rattle-Breath poured
of the empty halls, a title with no into her spell, drawing power from all
meaning, but that fed his snubbed ego. three members of the coven. Onnür was a
When his wandering brought him into test of their abilities to channel their
contact with the towns of Snowbound power into a single feat of necromancy,
Vale, he was quickl to flex his self-styled before they committed themselves to their
title, and the townsfolk were in position to ultimate goal, and with his successful
question him, especially not once he reanimation, the winter sisters have
gathered a kennel of winter wolves to add begun the final steps of their long-planned
to the facade he created. ritual.

ONNÜR, THANE OF NINTH

WATCH ...The Harder They Fall. When Onnür dies he
Huge undad, chaotic evil falls to the ground and anything nearby runs the
risk of being crushed underneath him.
Any medium or smaller creature within 5 feet of
Onnür when he dies r is knocked prone must
make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw. On a
failure, a creature takes 26 (4d12) bludgeoning
damage, is knocked prone, and becomes
restrained for as long as Onnür remains prone, or
until his dead body is moved. A restrained
creature can use an action on its turn to make a
DC 14 Strength check, pulling themselves free
from beneath Onnür on a success, although they
will still be prone. Creatures being held by Onnür
when he dies are dropped before he falls.

Won't Stay Down. If damage reduces Onnür to 0

hit points, he must make a Constitution saving
The Bigger They Are... Onnür is considered to be
throw with a DC 5 + the damage taken, unless
giant for the purpose of any game effect that
the damage is radiant or from a critical hit. On a
works on giants.
success,

62
ACTIONS Drain. Onnür drains the life essence from one
creature he is currently holding in his fist. That
Multiattack. Onnür makes two attacks using his
creature must make a DC 16 Constitution saving
hands or feet, and can use, Crush or Drain once.
throw, taking 23 (4d8 + 5) necrotic damage on a
Grab (Hand). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, failure or half as much damage on a success.
reach 10ft., one target. Hit: 12 (1d12 + 6) Onnür regains a number of hit points equal to half
bludgeoning damage, and if the the target is a the damage dealt.
creature that is medium or smaller, it is grappled
(escape DC 17). Until the grapple ends, the LEGENDARY ACTIONS
target is restrained, and Onnür cannot use that
hand to grab another creature. Onnür can take 3 legendary actions, choosing
If a creature grappled in this way deals 30 or from the options below. Only one legendary
more damage to Onnür with melee attacks in a action option can be used at a time and only at
single turn, or becomes large or larger while the end of another creature's turn. Onnür regains
grappled in this way, Onnür drops it and the spent legendary actions at the start of his turn.
grapple ends.
When a creature escapes this grapple, or when Snatch (Costs 2 Actions). Onnür makes a Grab
it ends for any reason other reason than Onnür attack. If he is already holding a creature in one
throwing the held creature, the creature falls to of his fists, he can instead Crush or Drain that
the ground unless it has some means of staying creature.
aloft. It the creature falls, it takes the appropriate Stand. Onnür stands to his feet if he is prone.
amount of damage for the distance it fell (ten feet Throw. Onnür throws one creature he is currently
if Onnür was standing on level ground and
holding in his fist. Make a rock attack that only
holding them at his torso height) and lands prone
uses one hand and that deals 20 (4d6 + 6)
in an empty space within 5 feet of Onnür.
bludgeoning damage to the target on a hit, and
Kick (Foot). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, 17 (2d10 + 6) bludgeoning damage to the
reach 10ft., one target. Hit: 24 (4d8 + 6) thrown creature regardless of whether the
bludgeoning damage and the target must attack
succeed on a DC 17 Strength saving throw or be hits or misses. The thrown creature is then
knocked prone. placed prone in an open space within 5 feet of
the target.
Slam (Hand). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit,
reach 10ft., one target. Hit: 24 (4d8 + 6)
bludgeoning damage. If the hand is holding a SCARHIDE THE HEARTLESS
creature that Onnür grabbed, the held creature
A terrifying figure, Scarhide takes his
takes 5 (1d10) bludgeoning damage.
name from the mass of toughened scar
Stomp (Foot). Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, tissue that covers most of his body,
reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 28 (4d10 + 6) accompanied by burns and lumpy
bludgeoning damage, or 32 (4d12 + 6) growths from his numerous regenerations.
bludgeoning damage if the target is prone. The troll has endured all manner of
horrifying treatments at the hands of Sally
Rock (2 Hands). Ranged Weapon Attack: +9 to Stitchfingers, and the hag now keeps him
hit, range 60/240, one target. Hit: 28 (4d10 + 6)
chained up as a source of renewable
bludgeoning damage. If Onnür is holding a
components for her experiments.
creaturein either of his fists, he cannot make this
attack. Successful Tests. Sally Stitchfinger's
experiments were focused on increasing
Crush. Onnür crushes one creature he is the troll's regenerative abilities, and in
currently holding in his fist. That creature must that respect, they succeeded to a degree
make a DC 17 Strength saving throw, taking 41 even she had not anticpated. Scarhide's
(10d6 + 6) bludgeoning damage on a failure or healing now far exceeds that of an
half as much damage on a success. ordinary troll, and he has recovered from
having his heart removed, as well as
63
 numerous amputations. Once, when SCARHIDE THE HEARTLESS
regenerating a severed arm, Scarhide's Large giant, chaotic evil
overactive abilities grew back an extra
limb, and he now has a pair of arms
protruding from the same shoulder.
Ongoing Pain. Scarhide exists in a state
of perpetual agony however, as his body
attempts to heal itself even it isn't injured,
leading to internal growths and immense
discomfort that have caused Scarhide to
deliberately injure himself as he considers
that pain preferable.

TROLL CLAW

The creation of crawling claws from a Cold Aura. While he's alive, Scarhide generates
severed hands is an well-known, if an aura of intense cold that fills the area within 10
disturbing practice, particularly among feet of him. At the start of his turn, all nonmagical
less scrupulous students of necromancy. flames in the aura are extinguished. Any creature
The hands of giants and giant-kin such as that starts its turn within 10 feet of Scarhide takes
ogres can be used in the same way, but 10 (3d6) cold damage.
trolls pose the unique challenge of having
Keen Smell. Scarhide the Heartless has
severed limbs regenerate, or reattach
advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that
themselves to the severed limb stump,
rely on smell.
making it nigh impossible to turn them
into crawling claws. Regeneration. Scarhide the Heartless regains 15
A Wicked Cleaver. The hag, Sally hit points at the start of his turn. If he takes acid
Stitchfingers, carries a bloody cleaver that or fire damage, this trait doesn't function at the
can turn any severed hand into a crawling start of his next turn. Scarhide dies only if he
claw with a single stroke. In her time starts his turn with 0 hit points and doesn't
experimenting on Scarhide, she managed regenerate.
to find a a way to supress the ice troll's
regenerative abilities long enough for the ACTIONS
cleaver to sever a limb and work its foul
Multiattack. Scarhide the Heartless makes four
magic before the claw could attempt to
attacks: one with its bite and three with his claws.
reattach itself. The hag has repeated this
process numerous times to create a pack Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft.,
of troll claw assistants for her lab, taking one target. Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus
advantage of the fact that Scarhide always 9 (2d8) cold damage.
regrows the missing limbs.
Traces of Troll. Trolls exhibit unique Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft.,
poperties among giant kind, and many of one target. Hit: 11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage
these traits are still present in their plus 9 (2d8) cold damage. If the target takes any
severed limbs, such as their regeneration, of the cold damage, the target must succeed on a
although it is limited to the form of the DC 15 Constitution saving throw or have
claw itself and cannot grow back anything disadvantage on its attack rolls until the end of its
beyond the elbow. The type of troll may next turn.
also confer natural adaptations to cold,
poison, or other harmful effects that are
not universal to trolls as a whole.

64
TROLL CLAW Regeneration. The troll claw regains 5 hit points
Small undead, neutral evil at the start of its turn. If the troll claw takes acid
or fire damage, this trait doesn't function at the
start of its next turn. The troll claw dies only if it
starts its turn with 0 hit points and doesn't
regenerate.

Turn Immunity. The troll claw is immune to

effects that turn undead.

ACTIONS
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft.,
one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) slashing damage plus
3 (1d6) cold damage.

65
 THE WINTER SISTERS necromancy, and as hags they all take
pleasure in spreading death and despair,
The hag coven that has laimed claim to but their innate abilities are linked to the
Ninth Watch consists of three bheur hags cold and dark of winter, and the pain and
who call themselves the Winter Sisters. struggle that accompany it.
While the coven wield necromantic magic,
each hag has her own preference for how ARIA ICE-VEINS
to spread death and suffering, and various
levels of the tower have been given over to "Cease your struggle against the inevitable.
the pursuit of these private interests. Winter's icy grip will consume all until the
Family Matters. Granny Rattle-Breath is world is reduced to a wasteland devoid of
the oldest member of the coven, and both life. Do not fight your weariness, give in,
Aria Ice-Veins and Sally Stitchfingers are and let the cold take you."
her "daughters" plucked away from their
families in Snowbound Vale as babies. The elder of Granny Rattle-Breath's two
Granny Rattle-Breath has no maternal daughters, Aria Ice-Veins believes that
instinct for them however, and only ever winter in its purest form is about the biting
intended them to serve as the missing cold, and withering of life. She seeks to
members of a coven under her control, amplify the ability of a harsh winter to
knowing that other hags of her age and bring about hardship and strife, and wields
power would be beyond her ability to the power of elemental cold, using ice and
control. Surprisingly, her daughters do not chill winds to cut her victims to the bone
seem to resent her for this, simply taking and freeze the soul.
advantage of the power they can access. Elemental Assistants. Aria Ice-Veins
The hags disparate personalities and focuses on the power of winter and
interests mean that they do not come into elemental ice to bring pain through freezing
conflict often, and tend to pursue personal winds, and a bone-numbing cold. She
projects alone, only coming together as a makes regular use of summoned
coven for matters they all agree upon and elementals, and is always accompanied by
that none can achieve alone. a flock of ice mephits who pay gleeful
The Power of Three. As a grandmother witness to her latest acts of ingenuity with
hag, Granny Rattle-Breath wields immense the pains that cold can inflict.
magical power, but some feats were beyond A Slow Death. While more than capable
even her prodigious talents. The inability to of freezing her victims solid in a heartbeat,
enact her plans soured her, and she was Aria prefers to slowly drain the warmth and
determined to expand her horizons, life from their bodies, taking care to ensure
turning to a coven as her only valid option. that their joy and hope and stripped away
Now empowered by her daughters, Granny by the inexorable, but incremental end that
Rattle-Breath has guided the coven down creeps up on them. She has perfected her
her own path of necromancy, and tested particular brand of torment with a curse of
their abilities in reanimating Onnür as a her own design that traps the cold within a
vessel for an immense well of magic. With creature, building up over time and
the success of that project, the coven set rendering them weaker and more
about their true goal, working the ritual vulnerable as the warmth fades from their
that willl bring forth the great necrotic flesh and the blood starts to freeze in their
tempest to scour Snowbound Vale of life veins, until they are left dead and cold,
and capture the souls of the dead to feed heart are always nearby to assist her and
their magic for even greater feats to come. to witness her latest acts of ingenuity with
Cold and Dead. As a coven, the winter the pains winter can inflict..
sisters have embraced the magic of

66
ARIA ICE‐VEINS ACTIONS
Medium fey, chaotic evil Multiattack. Aria uses Ray of Frost twice.
A Ray of Frost (Cantrip). Ranged Spell Attack: +6
to hit, range 60ft., one target. Hit: 13 (3d8) cold
damage and the target's speed is reduced by 10
feet until the start of Aria's next turn.

Staff. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5ft.,

one target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) bludgeoning damage
plus 3 (1d6) cold damage.

Deepwinter Chill. Aria chooses a creature she

can see within 120 ft and forces it to make a DC
14 Constitution saving throw (or 17 if Aria is
holding the Midwinter Staff). On a failure, the
creature takes 22 (4d10) cold damage and gains
Frozen Skin. At the start of her turn, Aria gains a level of exhaustion. On a success the creature
15 temporary hit points as a layer of protective takes half as much damage and gains no levels
ice forms on her skin. While Aria has these of exhaustion.
temporary hit points, her AC is 16 and any If a creature gains a level of exhaustion in this
creature that hits her with a melee attack takes way, it must also make a DC 14 Wisdom saving
10 (3d6) points of cold damage. throw (or DC 17 if Aria is holding the Midwinter
Staff). On a failure, that creature becomes
Ice Walk. Aria can move across and climb icy
afflicted with the Curse of Weariness. On a
surfaces without needing to make an ability
success, the creature is immune to the curse for
check. Additionally, difficult terrain composed of
the next 24 hours.
ice or snow doesn't cost her extra movement.

Innate Spellcasting. Aria's innate spellcasting CURSE OF WEARINESS

ability is Charisma (spell save DC 14, +6 to hit When a creature becomes afflicted with
with spell attacks). Aria can innately cast the the curse of weariness, a sense of fatigue
following spells, requiring no material and despair settles onto it, accompanied
components: by a chill below the skin that clutches at
its heart. Future chills do not dissipate,
At will: hold person*, ray of frost sinking deeper into body and soul,
3/day each: cone of cold*, ice storm*, wall of ice* draining hope and warmth in equal
1/day: control weather measure.
Midwinter Staff. Aria carries a staff of carved ice The curse lasts until all levels of
that is a focus for her inner power. She can ride exhaustion are removed, or until the
the staff as if it were a broom of flying. While Remove Curse spell or similar magic is
holding the staff, she can cast additional spells cast upon the creature.
with her Innate Spellcasting trait (these spells are
marked with an asterisk). If the staff is lost or While cursed in this way, each time a
destroyed, Aria must craft another, which can creature is dealt any amount of cold
only be done on the night of the winter solstice. damage, it gains one point of weariness.
When it has gained a number of weariness
While Aria is holding the Midwinter Staff, her
points equal its constitution ability score,
magic is empowered and the save DC of
it gains another level of exhaustion and its
Deepwinter Chill and the Curse of Weariness is
weariness resets to 0.
increased to 17.

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 GRANNY RATTLE-BREATH
she has put in motion uses a great deal of
"The living are here for a time, but come the her power, and until it is complete, she is
winter, plants die, animals starve, and the unable to bring her full strength to bear,
dead grow in number. Your time has come leaving her vulnerable, and leading her to
to join them." seek out a remote location to complete her
final preparations, and raised the giant
A powerful bheur hag grandmother, Onnür to act as her final guardian, taking
Granny Rattle-Breath has learned a great his soul to make up for her own absent
deal in her long life, and amassed power.
immense power.
A Time for Dying. A creature of winter SALLY STITCHFINGERS.
like her daughters, Granny Rattle-Breath
views it as the season of dying, when the "A fascinating specimen, so much potential
life that springs up in the warmer seasons for improvement. So much to learn, I'll need
withers and dies, and this has led her to to run many tests. Feel free to scream..."
pursue necromancy as a path to even
greater power. A massive, lumpen form that looks more
Caged Souls. In her pursuits, Granny- like an ogre than hag at first glance, Sally
Rattle-Breath learned how to capture the Stitchfingers is the youngest hag in the
souls of dying creatures before they slip coven, and her brutish appearance belies
away to their afterlife, and she used these
a surprisingly keen mind, and the hag
caged souls liberally to attain mastery
herself maintains a mockery of genteel
oveer magic beyond her normal limits.
manners, greeting her victims and test
With enough souls, feats that were once
subjects as guests in her home, and
impossible would become a trifling matter,
and so she hatched a plan to harness the making pleasant convesration over their
power of thousands of mortal souls, screams as she saws off limbs and
stripped away in an instant. extracts organs.
Scheming Crone. Granny Rattle-Breath A Scientific Mind. Sally Stitchfingers is
has worked her scheme for decades, a curious being, always digging into the
displaying patience and a willingness to source of abilities and the reasons behind
wait generations if need be. She has natural phenomena. In particular, the hag
raised two daughters simply to have the is interested in alchemy and the natural
power of a coven to enact her ritual, and sciences of botany and biology, collecting
has been careful not to attract attention all manner of specimens of plants and
lest anyone interfere with her plans. There animals and seeking to understand their
is no act too vile or magic too profane for properties.
her to employ in order to see her Myriad Monstrosities. Sally
machinations to completion, and she Stitchfingers believes that is the flora and
would willingly sacrifice the sould of her fauna that thrive in winter that best
daughters and anyone else to achieve her represent its character, and that are
goals. capable of most actively spreading pain
Powerful, Vulnerable. With the body of and suffering. Many of her experiments
an elderly, hunchbacked old woman, are on such creatures, with the hag
Granny Rattle-Breath poses little physical
seeking ways to improve them in her own
threat to an accomplished warrior, but the
particular fashion.
pale blue tinge to her skin, and the dark
Removing Limitations. The limits of a
purple gleam behind her eyes hint that
given specimen are the focus of many of
this frail appearance is deceptive. Her
power is not phyhsical however, and there her experiments, and she seeks to take a
are few beings that can contend with her creature beyond them, particularly in
in an arcane contest of might. The ritual terms of its ability to endure suffering.

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Scarhide has become a favorite plaything Soul Cage. Granny Rattlebreath has the soul of
of hers in recent days, and she has the frost giant Onnür trapped in an iron cage
enjoyed seeing exactly what kinds of hanging from her belt. As a bonus action on her
damage his body can repair. She is turn she can drain part of his remaining essence
continuosly increasing this limit for to create one of the following effects:
herself too, going so far as to transplant a - Invigorate (gain 4d4 temporary HP)
troll's heart into her own chest to gain its - Enfeebling Hex (Choose a creature within 60
regenerative abilities all the better to feet to make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw.
endure future tests she conducts on On a failure, the creature deals only half damage
herself. with weapon attacks that use Strength until the
end of its next turn.
- Feed Cauldron (The ritual count is increased by
GRANNY RATTLE‐BREATH 1).
Medium fey, chaotic evil
ACTIONS
Draining Touch. Melee Spell Attack: +8 to hit,
reach 5ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d10) necrotic
damage and granny Rattle-Breath regains hit
points equal to the necrotic damage taken.

Whispers of Death. Ranged Spell Attack: +8 to

hit, range 120ft., one target. Hit: 13 (3d8) necrotic
damage and the target can't regain hit points
until the start of Granny Rattle-Breath's next turn.

REACTIONS
Siphon Soul. When a creature within 30 feet of
Granny Rattlebreath dies, she can use her
reaction to capture its life essence and feed it into
Ice Walk. Granny Rattle-breath can move across the ritual, increasing the ritual count by 1d4.
and climb icy surfaces without needing to make
an ability check. Additionally, difficult terrain LEGENDARY ACTIONS
composed of ice or snow doesn't cost her extra Granny Rattle-Breath can take 3 legendary
movement. actions, choosing from the options below. Only
one legendary action option can be used at a
Innate Spellcasting. Granny Rattle-Breath's time and only at the end of another creature's
innate spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save turn. Granny Rattle-Breath regains regains spent
DC 16, +8 to hit with spell attacks). Granny legendary actions at the start of its turn.
Rattle-Breath can innately cast the following
spells, requiring no material components: Spite. Granny Rattle-Breath chooses a creature
within 60 feet that used its last action to try and
At will: false life, hold person, message, ray of tip the cauldron over. The creaure must
frost succeed on a DC 16 Wisdom saving throw
3/day each: blight, blindness/deafness, cone of stunned until the end of its next turn.
cold, darkness Torment Soul. Granny Rattle-Breath uses one of
2/day each: finger of death, fear her Soul Cage options.
1/day each: circle of death, greater invisibility Wyrd Magic (Costs 2 Actions). Granny Rattle-
Breath casts one spell from her Innate
Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Granny Rattle-
Spellcasting trait.
Breath fails a saving throw, she can choose to
succeed instead.

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 SALLY STITCHFINGERS ACTIONS
Large fey, chaotic evil
Multiattack. Sally Stitchfingers makes three
attacks: two with her cleaver and one with her
bite or slam.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft.,

one target. Hit: 15 (2d10 + 4) piercing damage
plus 7 (2d6) cold damage.

Cleaver. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach

5ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d10 + 5) slashing
damage.

Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5ft.,

one target. Hit: 17 (3d8 + 4) piercing damage
plus 3 (1d6) cold damage.
Special Equipment. Sally Stitchfingers carries a
Sever. Sally Stitchfingers uses Stumpmaker to
necklace of fireballs (5 beads), a spindle of webs,
sever the hand of a dead, restrained, or
and the cleaver Stumpmaker, a +1 handaxe with
incapacitated humanoid or giant.
additional properties that cannot be thrown.
The severed limb then becomes a crawling
As an action on her turn, Sally Stitchfingerss
claw if the creature was humanoid or a troll claw
can use Stumpmaker to sever the hand of a
if it was a giant. The claw follows her commands.
dead, restrained, or unconscious humanoid or
giant. The severed limb then becomes a crawling Spindle. Sally Stitchfingers throws her spindle of
claw that follows her commands. webs at a point within 60 feet where it will cast
As an action on her turn, Sally Stitchfingers can the web spell (save DC 14).
throw the spindle of webs at a point within 60 feet
where it will cast the web spell (save DC 14).

Ice Walk. Sally Stitchfingers can move across

and climb icy surfaces without needing to make
an ability check. Additionally, difficult terrain
composed of ice or snow doesn't cost her extra
moment.

Innate Spellcasting. Sally Stitchfingers' innate

spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC
14, +6 to hit with spell attacks). She can innately
cast the following spells, requiring no material
components:

At will: ray of frost, spider climb

3/day each: hold person
1/day each: control weather, hold monster.

Regeneration. Sally Stitchfingers regains 10 hit

points at the start of her turn. If she takes acid or
fire damage, this trait doesn't function at the start
of her next turn. Sally Stitchfingers dies only if
she starts her turn with 0 hit points and doesn't
regenerate.

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APPENDIX B: MAGIC ITEMS
This section presents new the new magic
items used in this adventure. Some of GAMBLER'S COIN
them are vile creations of the winter Wondrous item, uncommon
sisters, while others are relics left in the
ruins of ninth watch by the dwarves that This coin is slightly larger than most
used to live there. Each item's physical currency, and is stamped with on each
appearance and history is described, as face with symbols of a dwarven deity of
well as their rarity and in-game effects. chance and fate, one side inscribed with
the icon for food fortune, and the other for
FORGEMASTER'S HAMMER ill.
Weapon (warhammer), rare (requires attunement)
Fickle Fortune. As a bonus action, you
Forged from a single piece of ore, this can flip this coin, resulting in either heads
masterwork of dwarven smithing carries or tails (either flip a real coin, or roll a d20
within it a memory of the fires that shaped with even numbers being heads and odd
it, an ember that can be stoked to full numbers being tails). The next time you
flame when the cold threatens to creep in. make a saving throw, or a Deception,
When the duergar broke through the Sleight of Hand, or Stealth check after
defences of Ninth Watch, the forgemaster flipping the coin, roll an extra d4 and add
realized that this relic would fall into the it to your total if your flip came up heads,
hands of the deep dwarves and chose to or subtract it from your total if your flip
seal it away within the walls of the forge came up tails.
rather than allow that to happen. It has
sat unclaimed for centuries, surrounded Fixed in Fate. Subsequent flips of the
by unmoving stone, but still radiating its coin will all come up as the same result
inner heat. until you make a saving throw, or a
Deception, Sleight of Hand, or Stealth
Inner Warmth. While holding this magic check.
warhammer, you automatically succeed
on saving throws against environmental SPINDLE OF WEBS
cold, including the oppressive chill and Wondrous item, uncommon
freezing water on the forge level. In
addition, while holding this hammer, you These spindles resemble a tailor's
cannot be cursed with the curse of materials in appearance only and anyone
weariness or have your weariness count hoping to use them for weaving or any act
increase if you are already cursed. of creation will be sorely disappointed. The
central shaft of this spindle is made from
Master of the Forge. You can use this bone or gnarled wood, and the threads
hammer as part of a set of Smith’s Tools. spooled around it are the webs of giant
When you do so, you have advantage on spiders that have congealed into a solid
any checks you make using those Smith’s lump that is impossible to untangle into
Tools. separate threads. They serve only to
ensnare and entangle, trapping and
Unquenchable Fire. Whenever you hit a inhibiting freedom with their clutching,
creature with this Warhammer, it deals an claustrophobic grasp. The webs are either
extra d6 fire damage. If the creature is harvested from giant spiders that the hag
resistant or immune to cold damage, it keeps as pets, or else traded to the hag by
deals an extra 2d6 fire damage instead. ettercaps.

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 Spider's Snare: As an action you can TROLLBLOOD TINCTURE
throw the spindle at any point within 60 Potion, rare
feet. The congealed webs then explode
outwards as the spindle casts the Web Crafted by Sally Stitchfingers using blood
spell centered on that point with a save from the ice troll Scarhide, the liquid in
DC of 14. Doing this destroys the spindle. this small earthenware pot is thick and
viscous. It gives off the heady fumes of
STUMPMAKER strong spirits, and tastes strongly of a
Weapon (handaxe), uncommon (requires attunement) metallic, iron tang, but for those who are
able to stomach it, the concoction
The pitted surface of this butcher’s cleaver temporarily grants the regenerative
is stained with rust, dried blood, and abilities of a troll. However, the process of
congealed ichor. Its handle is wrapped in regrowth and regeneration can take its toll
pale leather that bears an unsettling on an ordinary creature's physiology.
resemblance to flayed human skin, and its
poorly maintained edge bears dozens of Regenerating Flesh. When you drink this
small nicks from careless use. It is Sally potion, you gain a troll's regenerative
Stitchfingers’ weapon of choice, and abilities for 10 minutes. At the start of
serves double duty as a tool in her your turn, you regain 10 hit points, or 1
fleshcraft. Despite its appearance, the hit point if you start your turn with 0 hit
cleaver bears a razor edge and when points, up to your current hit point
swung with the brute force of the maximum. If you take acid or fire damage,
youngest winter sister, it severs flesh and you do not regain any hit points at the
bone with unsettling ease, severing limbs start of your next turn.
only for them to twitch and spring to a Any severed body parts (heads, fingers,
unlife as a grotesque puppet. legs, tails, and so on), are restored after 2
minutes. If you have the severed part and
Cleaver. You receive a +1 bonus to attack hold it to the stump, the body part
and damage rolls you make using this instantaneously knits back onto to the
weapon. This weapon does not have the stump.
thrown property. At the end of the 10 minutes, you must
make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw,
Dismember. As an action, you can sever becoming poisoned for one hour on a
the hand of a restrained, unconscious, or failure.
dead humanoid with Stumpmaker. If you
do, that severed hand becomes a Crawling
Claw (Monster Manual p.44) that can
understand you and follows your
commands. A single humanoid's body can
only ever be used to create one crawling
claw regardless of the number of hands it
may have. Once you have used this
property of the weapon, you cannot do so
again until you complete a long rest.

Hag Weapon. A hag has no limit on how

many times it can use the Dismember
property of this weapon before needing to
rest and can create multiple crawling
claws from a single creature.

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LEGAL NOTICE AND OGL
DISTRIBUTION NOTICE
The Ruins of Ninth Watch can not be sold
or redistributed, either in part or whole,
for profit without the express permission
of the Talmanah Project.

The maps included in this adventure

cannot be sold or distributed for profit
without the express permission of
Miks.Maps.

Any part of this adventure may be used

free of charge in publications that are
distributed free of charge, provided credit
is given to The Talmanah Project,
Miks.Maps, or both as relevant for the
content that is used.

Redistribution of this document in its

totality is prohibited. Links to The
Talmanah Project's posting of the
document will allow free access to the full
document.

OPEN GAMING LICENSE (OGL)

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