TEXT: A Cold Day in Hell
  A Cold Day in Hell
  BALDUR’S GATE: DESCENT INTO AVERNUS
  BALDUR’S GATE: DESCENT INTO AVERNUS
  An adventure for Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
  An adventure for Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus
  Chapter 3: Avernus
  Chapter 3: Avernus
  
  ﻿
  t
  his﻿adventure﻿is﻿designed﻿for﻿use﻿
  with Baldur’s Gate: Descent into 
  Avernus, although it can be used in any 
  hellish setting. It features challenges and 
  encounters tailored to a party of four 8th-
  level adventurers, but includes advice on 
  how to balance it for other parties.
  Adventure﻿Background
  A particularly nasty bearded devil named Nichozal, or 
  simply Zariel’s Claws, is working on a diabolical plan. 
  After finding a powerful artifact – an amulet called 
  the Heart of Agathys – left behind on the battlefield, 
  Nichozal was imbued with chilling powers. Thus 
  emboldened, Nichozal has devised a devilish plan to 
  secure his ascension in the ranks of Zariel’s legions.
  Channelling the power of Agathys, Nichozal has 
  created a dome of ice around a ruined fort on a small 
  isle in the middle of a lake. Within the dome, Nichozal 
  has set to work transforming imps into sentient 
  children’s toys made of snow and ice, which he plans 
  to send to major cities on the Material Plane, such as 
  Baldur’s Gate, Waterdeep and Neverwinter. From within 
  their frozen prisons, the imps are tasked with corrupting 
  the children who stumble upon them and ultimately get 
  them to sign away their souls to Nichozal – either by 
  convincing them that their precious toys will melt away 
  if they don’t, or by luring them with promises of gifts 
  and sweets. To ward off meddling devils and roaming 
  demons, Nichozal has conjured a powerful and ever-
  expanding snowstorm around his ‘gift factory’. 
  Not all the imps involved were aware of the specifics 
  of the arrangement – indeed, most were caught, lured, 
  or tricked by Nichozal, and transformed against their 
  will. One such malcontent, Phlodur, managed to escape 
  the ice dome before its transformation was completed. 
  Coincidentally, a group of unlikely heroes have 
  wandered into the snowstorm that surrounds the Heart 
  of Agathys, and soon spot Phlodur’s brightly shining red 
  nose in the heavy snowfall. The adventurers must put an 
  end to Nichozal evil plans – if not for the children (or the 
  imp, who wants its transformation reverted!) then to get 
  themselves out of the cold before it’s too late!
  Adventure﻿Synopsis
  This adventure follows a fairly simple outline, 
  separating it into three chapters, which should play out 
  over a span of a single adventuring day. Depending on 
  your group’s pace, the adventure should take between 
  3-6 hours to play through.
  Chapter 1: A Nose So Red. While travelling across 
  the plains of Avernus, the adventurers find themselves 
  enveloped by a terrible snowstorm. After suffering the 
  terrible cold for an hour, they run into the red-nosed imp 
  Phlodur and the frost worm that chases it. When the 
  worm has been dealt with, Phlodur offers to lead the 
  adventurers to Nichozal, so they can foil the devil’s evil 
  plans, saving the imp, the children, and themselves.
  Chapter 2: On Thin Ice. On their way to Nichozal’s 
  frozen factory, the adventurers must not only weather 
  the snowstorm once more, but also survive a trap on a 
  frozen river and an ambush by frosty devils.
  Chapter 3: Coldhearted. Arriving at the infernal 
  gift factory, the adventurers must use fire to create an 
  entrance into the dome of ice. Once inside, they must 
  deal with Nichozal – either figuratively or literally – 
  before they can continue on with their infernal journey.
  Adventure﻿Hooks
  The basic premise of this adventure is fairly simple – 
  while travelling in Avernus, the adventurers are caught 
  in a snowstorm. In order to continue toward their 
  destination, they must first destroy the Heart of Agathys 
  or strike a bargain with Nichozal. Thus, A Cold Day in 
  Hell can be easily inserted into any session that involves 
  travelling the plains of Avernus.
  If you prefer intertwining the adventure with the story, 
  you can use one of the hooks below instead.
  A﻿Warlord's﻿Worry
  Any infernal warlord the party comes across – but most 
  likely Mad Maggie of Fort Knucklebone – may have 
  reason to want to investigate the weird snowstorm that 
  is encroaching on their territory. The task of heading 
  into the dangerous storm, find its origin and put an end 
  to it, can be given by Mad Maggie as a requirement 
  for performing her ritual, or with the promise of 
  reward (such as a dozen soul coins) by any warlord the 
  characters meet on their journey.
  On﻿the﻿Quest﻿for﻿the﻿Sword
  You can insert this adventure into one of the ‘paths’ 
  leading to the Bleeding Citadel and Zariel’s Sword, 
  described in Chapter 3: Avernus of Baldur’s Gate: 
  Descent into Avernus. Possible options include:
  • Mirror of Mephistar. Instead of damming the River 
  Styx to gain Mephistopheles’ aid, the party must retrieve 
  the Heart of Agathys for the archdevil. 
  • Monument to Tiamat. Instead of bargaining with 
  an innocent’s life, Arkhan wants the Heart of Agathys, 
  which he hopes can make him immune to the corruption 
  of his flesh caused by the Hand of Vecna. 
  About﻿the﻿Adventure
  1
  Adapting﻿the﻿Adventure
  A Cold Day in Hell features references to Christmas and 
  iconic characters such as Santa Claus and Rudolph. If 
  you prefer to run the adventure with less attachment to 
  Christmas, you can do so by changing the devils’ names, 
  and removing Phlodur’s red nose. 
  The adventure is meant to be run as part of the Baldur’s 
  Gate: Descent into Avernus-campaign, which means it is 
  situated in Avernus, the First Layer of Hell. It is, however, 
  possible to insert the adventure into any campaign, by 
  changing a few things around. Instead of imps, the 
  creature’s caught by Nichozal can be pixies, tiny beasts, 
  or even halflings, and instead of a devil who happened 
  upon the Heart of Agathys, he can have been sent 
  from one of the Nine Hells – the frigid Cania, ruled by 
  Mephistopheles would work well – specifically to acquire 
  children’s souls with his snowtoys.
  
  CHAPTER﻿1:﻿A﻿NOSE﻿SO﻿BRIGHT
  Chapter﻿1:﻿A﻿Nose﻿So﻿Bright
  c
  hapter﻿1﻿starts﻿as﻿the﻿characters﻿are﻿
  travelling across the desolate plains of 
  Avernus. During this chapter, the heroes 
  will have to contend with a snowstorm, 
  parley with a frantic imp and survive the 
  assault of a frost worm – an enormous 
  monstrosity wielding deathly weapons! 
  Let﻿it﻿Snow
  As the adventurers – by chance or design – come within 
  a few hours journey of the Heart of Agathys, their 
  surroundings change dramatically. The snowstorm 
  summoned by Nichozal is expanding rapidly, and 
  soon overtake the characters. Read or paraphrase the 
  following text:
  In the span of a few minutes, the air around you 
  becomes noticeably colder, and the frigid wind picks 
  up pace. Before long, crystals of snow are falling on 
  the ground around you, quickly increasing in both size 
  and ferocity, until you’re enveloped in a full-blown 
  snowstorm. Snow is falling in droves now, the howling 
  wind is making it hard to hear anything, and you can 
  barely make out your surroundings through snowy mist.
  The adventurers are caught in a snowstorm (see the 
  description under ‘Snowstorm’), quickly losing most 
  sense of direction, except that the storm seems to 
  be moving toward the direction they came from. A 
  character that succeeds on a DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) 
  or Intelligence (Nature) check realizes that the storm 
  isn’t natural. It moves too fast – outpacing any character 
  with a move speed less than 40 ft. – and shows no sign 
  of slowing down. It is unlikely the characters would be 
  able to get out of the snowstorm by backtracking.
  Regardless of whether the characters forge ahead or 
  try to find shelter – a tough task in Avernus – they will 
  travel for an hour without finding anything (prompting 
  a Constitution saving throw against exhaustion, as 
  described under ‘Snowstorm’). If the adventurers shelter 
  by magical means (such as with Leomund’s tiny hut), 
  they will find the storm still raging when they reappear.
  A﻿Glowing﻿Guide
  After an hour – or when you see fit – the party happens 
  upon Phlodur. Read or paraphrase the following text:
  A faint metallic clinking, like chiming bells, rises above 
  the wind’s howling. Turning toward the noise, you can 
  make out a small, red glow, growing brighter as it moves 
  toward you. “Mortals! Aid Phlodur, and Phlodur shall aid 
  you in turn!” a shrill, panicked voice exclaims in relief. 
  Phlodur becomes visible soon after: A deformed mix 
  between an imp and a clown made of snow and ice. It’s 
  nose is large, round and shining red, while oversized 
  feet of ice keep it from getting far off the ground in 
  the snowstorm. A vest of snow fitted with bells of ice 
  produces a chiming sound whenever the imp moves. 
  Phlodur’s transformation has halved its speed and 
  robbed it of its ability to shapeshift or cast invisibility, 
  but it otherwise has the statistics of an imp. 
  Before any further introductions can be made, the 
  source of the imp’s panic bursts through the ground!
  2
  Snowstorm
  The fierce, magical snowstorm has the following 
  consequences for creatures that try to brave it:
  • Disadvantage on ranged weapon attack rolls. 
  • Disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely 
  on hearing, sight or smell. Objects and creatures further 
  away than 60 ft. are heavily obscured. 
  • Strong winds make flight nearly impossible. Flying 
  creatures must land at the end of their turn or fall.
  • A creature exposed to the cold must succeed on a DC 
  10 Constitution saving throw at the end of each hour or 
  gain one level of exhaustion. Creatures with resistance or 
  immunity to cold damage automatically succeed on the 
  saving throw, as do creatures wearing cold weather gear 
  (thick coats, gloves, and the like) and creatures naturally 
  adapted to cold climates. 
  • Creatures can only gain the benefit of a short rest 
  if they are unaffected by the extreme cold of the 
  snowstorm as described above, and can only gain the 
  benefit of a long rest if also sheltered from the wind.
  
  CHAPTER﻿1:﻿A﻿NOSE﻿SO﻿BRIGHT
  Cold﻿Reception
  Just moments after the dishevelled imp’s arrival, a frost 
  worm bursts out of the ground near the adventurers, 
  already using its Trill-feature. The near-mindless beast 
  has slipped through from Agathys, and is motivated only 
  by hunger. Eyeing bigger prey, the worm ignores the imp 
  and instead focuses on the party, first using its Frost 
  Breath against paralyzed targets to devastating effect, 
  before swallowing up the tastiest morsel. When it has 
  swallowed a creature, or when reduced to less than 50 
  hit points, the worm will try to burrow away.
  While the party deals with the frost worm, Phlodur 
  hides in a snowdrift, offering helpful advice and shouts 
  of encouragement, but not interfering in the battle. 
  Speaking﻿with﻿Phlodur
  Once the danger has passed, Phlodur crawls out of 
  the snowdrift it has hidden in and introduces itself: 
  "Phlodur greets you, mortals. Thanks for your service!” 
  While speaking with Phlodur, the party can take a well-
  earned short rest near the pit of lava on the battlefield 
  (see the ‘Frozen Avernus Encounter Map’).
  Phlodur's﻿Story
  Phlodur’s story is simple: drawn in by promises of souls 
  in abundance, he and a pack of other imps answered 
  the summons of a bearded devil named Nichozal. After 
  they arrived by a mysterious icy globe, Nichozal began 
  transforming them into snowtoys. Phlodur managed to 
  flee before his transformation was complete, evading 
  spined devils commanded by Nichozal, but unable to 
  outrun the snowstorm.
  Phlodur’s primary motivation is to survive and revert 
  its transformation. In order to do so, the Heart of 
  Agathys must be destroyed. Phlodur will do all it can 
  to convince the party to destroy the heart. If the party 
  seems disinterested, Phlodur will use arguments such 
  as: “Think of the children!” or “you’ll never be able to 
  outrun the storm, you have to stop it!”
  Phlodur, although self-important and abrasive, readily 
  answers any questions the party has:
  • “The snowstorm? That bully Nichozal created it with 
  his ‘Heart of Aga-what-now... Agathys! Said he didn’t 
  want any demons interfering in his business.”
  • “Nichozal? Strong, red armor, big ol’ frosty beard with 
  icicles in it. Zariel’s Claws, they call him!”
  • “His plan? He catches imps and puts us inside toys 
  made from snow. Wants to drop us over your cities to be 
  picked up by your filthy offspring. Says we have to gain 
  the little buggers’ affection and convince them that they 
  have to sign over their souls to Nichozal to keep us from 
  melting, or to get more presents and sweets!”
  • “Why Phlodur fled? Eh, Phlodur ain’t looking to 
  become some little piss-ant’s toy, having to grovel for 
  a soul or melt to a puddle. Doesn’t sound fun to me. 
  Slipped out when Nichozal made an entrance in the 
  dome for his damned spined devils, but was slowed 
  down by these stupid feet and this damned storm.”
  • “Where is Nichozal? He and the Heart are inside 
  an ice dome on a frozen lake not far from here. Come, 
  Phlodur shows you, so you can help Phlodur transform 
  back and you can get on with your business!”
  Phlodur’s transformation to a snowtoy is complete mere 
  minutes after his meeting with the party, rendering the 
  imp completely inanimate, but still able to communicate 
  telepathically. He asks the party to bring him with them 
  to Nichozal, but reluctantly accepts being left behind in 
  a snowdrift, if that’s what the party prefers.
  Developments
  If the characters accept his offer, Phlodur leads the party 
  toward a frozen river, which feeds into the frozen lake 
  where Nichozal’s ice-dome-toy-factory is located. The 
  journey to the frozen river takes an hour, once more 
  prompting unprotected adventurers to make a DC 10 
  Constitution saving throw against exhaustion in the 
  extreme cold (see ‘Snowstorm on the previous page’).
  The defeated frost worm possesses no treasure, 
  but its hide can be used to fashion improvised winter 
  clothing by a creative character that succeeds on a DC 
  10 Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check.
  3
  Frost﻿Worm
  Huge monstrosity, unaligned
  Armor Class
  Armor Class 18 (natural armor) 
   18 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points
  Hit Points 161 (14d12 + 70)
   161 (14d12 + 70)
  Speed
  Speed 30 ft., burrow 20 ft.
   30 ft., burrow 20 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  26 (+8)
  12 (+1)
  20 (+5)
  2 (-4)
  11 (+0)
  4 (-3)
  Saving Throws
  Saving Throws Str +12, Con +9, Wis +4
   Str +12, Con +9, Wis +4
  Damage Immunities
  Damage Immunities cold
   cold
  Damage Vulnerabilities
  Damage Vulnerabilities fire
   fire
  Senses
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60ft., passive 
   darkvision 60 ft., tremorsense 60ft., passive 
  Perception 10
  Perception 10
  Languages
  Languages –
   –
  Challenge
  Challenge 10 (5,900 XP) 
   10 (5,900 XP) 
  Death Throes. 
  Death Throes. When the worm dies, it turns to ice and 
  When the worm dies, it turns to ice and 
  shatters in an explosion. Each creature within 30 ft. must 
  shatters in an explosion. Each creature within 30 ft. must 
  make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) cold 
  make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw, taking 17 (5d6) cold 
  damage and 17 (5d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half 
  damage and 17 (5d6) piercing damage on a failed save, or half 
  as much on a successful one.
  as much on a successful one.
  Tunneler. 
  Tunneler. The worm can burrow through solid rock at half its 
  The worm can burrow through solid rock at half its 
  burrow speed and leaves a 10-foot-diameter tunnel in its wake.
  burrow speed and leaves a 10-foot-diameter tunnel in its wake.
  Actions
  Bite. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack:
  Melee Weapon Attack: +12 to hit, reach 10 ft. 
   +12 to hit, reach 10 ft. Hit:
  Hit: 24 
   24 
  (3d10 + 8) piercing damage and 10 (3d6) cold damage. If the 
  (3d10 + 8) piercing damage and 10 (3d6) cold damage. If the 
  target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 17). Until this 
  target is a creature, it is grappled (escape DC 17). Until this 
  grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the frost worm can’t 
  grapple ends, the target is restrained, and the frost worm can’t 
  bite another target.
  bite another target.
  Swallow. 
  Swallow. The frost worm makes one bite attack against a 
  The frost worm makes one bite attack against a 
  Medium or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, 
  Medium or smaller creature it is grappling. If the attack hits, 
  that creature takes the bite’s damage and is swallowed, and 
  that creature takes the bite’s damage and is swallowed, and 
  the grapple ends. While swallowed, the creature is blinded 
  the grapple ends. While swallowed, the creature is blinded 
  and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other 
  and restrained, it has total cover against attacks and other 
  effects outside the frost worm, and it takes 17 (5d6) cold 
  effects outside the frost worm, and it takes 17 (5d6) cold 
  damage at the start of each of the frost worm’s turns. 
  damage at the start of each of the frost worm’s turns. 
  If the frost worm takes 25 damage or more on a single turn 
  If the frost worm takes 25 damage or more on a single turn 
  from a creature inside it, the frost worm must succeed on 
  from a creature inside it, the frost worm must succeed on 
  a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn 
  a DC 15 Constitution saving throw at the end of that turn 
  or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a 
  or regurgitate all swallowed creatures, which fall prone in a 
  space within 10 feet of the frost worm. A creature inside the 
  space within 10 feet of the frost worm. A creature inside the 
  worm when it dies is released by its Death Throes, taking no 
  worm when it dies is released by its Death Throes, taking no 
  damage in the process.
  damage in the process.
  Frost Breath (Recharge 6). 
  Frost Breath (Recharge 6). Each creature in a 30-foot cone 
  Each creature in a 30-foot cone 
  must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw as the worm 
  must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw as the worm 
  exhales frozen air. A creature takes 28 (8d6) cold damage on a 
  exhales frozen air. A creature takes 28 (8d6) cold damage on a 
  failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
  failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
  Trill.
  Trill. The frost worm emits a noise that forces prey to stand 
   The frost worm emits a noise that forces prey to stand 
  motionless. Each creature within 60 ft. that can hear it must 
  motionless. Each creature within 60 ft. that can hear it must 
  succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed for 
  succeed on a DC 17 Wisdom saving throw or be paralyzed for 
  1 minute. A paralyzed creature repeats the saving throw at the 
  1 minute. A paralyzed creature repeats the saving throw at the 
  end of each of its turns, and whenever it takes damage, ending 
  end of each of its turns, and whenever it takes damage, ending 
  the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw 
  the effect on itself on a success. If a creature’s saving throw 
  is successful or the effect ends for it, it is immune to the frost 
  is successful or the effect ends for it, it is immune to the frost 
  worm’s trill for the next 24 hours.
  worm’s trill for the next 24 hours.
  
  CHAPTER﻿2:﻿ON﻿THIN﻿ICE
  C
  hapter﻿2﻿features﻿a﻿dangerous﻿trap,﻿
  and a deathly encounter with Nichozal’s 
  helper, a frosty barbed devil called Rupert, 
  and a pack of frosty spined devils. This 
  chapter begins when the adventurers have 
  travelled for another hour through the 
  storm after meeting Phlodur. 
  The﻿Frozen﻿River
  After about an hour of trudging through the unforgiving, 
  howling snowstorm, the party – guided by Phlodur – 
  arrives at a frozen river. Following the river is easy at 
  first, but it soon snakes between tall cliffs and rocky 
  outcroppings, until it is in a virtual canyon, with cliffs 
  on each side reaching beyond how far the party can see 
  in the heavy storm. Blessedly, the tall cliffs provide a 
  measure of protection from the strong winds, making 
  it possible to fly at a normal pace and to make ranged 
  weapon attacks without disadvantage. 
  The characters must make a choice here: walk on 
  the frozen river or follow a narrow, snowy trail that 
  snakes alongside the river 20 ft. above its icy surface. If 
  consulted, Phlodur has little aid to give: he flew above 
  the ice when he travelled through here, and has no idea 
  which path is safest.
  Devilish﻿Traps
  When the adventurers have decided how to proceed, 
  they’ll not travel long before walking into a trap set 
  by crafty devils in Nichozal’s employ. Which trap is 
  sprung depends on how the characters are travelling – a 
  snow avalanche hits characters travelling by the trail, 
  while characters on the river walk onto a deviously 
  disguised patch of sabotaged ice. Make sure to know the 
  characters’ marching order and how they are travelling. 
  If the characters split up – some walking on the ice, 
  while the rest take the mountain path – the traps are 
  sprung simultaneously.
  Snow﻿Avalanche
  A snow avalanche is set off by spined devils further up 
  the mountainside. It comes roaring down to flatten a 
  150 ft. long section of the trail, and is set off when it can 
  hit as many characters as possible.
  Creatures on the trail must make a DC 15 Dexterity 
  saving throw (creatures with passive Perception 15 or 
  higher hear the avalanche coming, gaining advantage 
  on this save), or be hit by the avalanche, taking 10 (3d6) 
  bludgeoning damage. 
  A creature hit by the avalanche must also make a DC 
  15 Strength saving throw. On a failure, the creature 
  is thrown down to the frozen river. It takes another 7 
  (2d6) bludgeoning damage from the 20 ft. fall, and is 
  restrained in a pile of snow. A creature can use an action 
  to pull itself or another creature free from the pile of 
  snow with a successful DC 10 Athletics check.
  Thin﻿Ice
  The barbed devil Rupert has cleverly melted a 15 ft. 
  square section of ice, weakening it so that it collapses 
  when two or more creatures – or a single heavy creature 
  – move onto it. The snow blanketing the ice makes the 
  sabotage nearly undetectable before its too late. 
  A creature standing on the thin ice when it breaks 
  must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw 
  (creatures with passive Perception 15 or higher have 
  advantage on this check, sensing that the ice is weak), or 
  plunge into the icy water, taking 10 (3d6) cold damage.
  A creature that starts its turn in the water must 
  succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, or suffer 
  a level of exhaustion. A creature can use an action to 
  pull itself or another creature free from the icy waters 
  with a successful DC 10 Athletics check.
  Developments
  Immediately after the trap – or traps – have been 
  sprung, a host of devils descend upon the party. 
  Characters that are buried in snow or have fallen into 
  the frigid water start the combat there, making very 
  tempting targets to the bloodthirsty devils.
  Chapter﻿2:﻿On﻿Thin﻿Ice
  4
  
  CHAPTER﻿2:﻿ON﻿THIN﻿ICE
  Frost﻿Devil﻿Ambush
  Rupert, a frosty barbed devil, attacks from a hiding 
  spot 30 ft. in front of the party, while a frosty spined 
  devil for each character in the party (i.e. a party of five 
  adventurers and Lulu the Hollyphant would face six 
  frosty spined devils) come diving out of the snowstorm.
  Devil﻿Tactics﻿
  Rupert faces the party head on, using Piercing Shriek 
  and Snowball Swarm to hit clusters of foes, and its 
  grappling tail to take hold of the easiest target available. 
  If it can’t get in range, it uses its Hurl Flame ability to 
  strike targets at a distance.
  The spined devils get just close enough to attack the 
  party with Tail Spines, but remain airborne. They go 
  for weaker targets first, but otherwise use their abilities 
  to aid the frosty barbed devil, such as diving down to 
  use Shaking Cold before flying off again, or using Tail 
  Spines to slow down targets as appropriate.
  Developments
  Rupert, who has been ordered to defend the river with 
  its life, fights on until destroyed. The spined devils flee 
  toward Nichozal’s ice dome when the barbed devil is 
  destroyed. They disappear from sight if they can manage 
  to get more than 60 ft. away from the party in the heavy 
  snowstorm, forcing any chasing characters to make DC 
  14 Wisdom (Perception) checks with disadvantage to 
  keep up the chase.
  If the characters manage to capture and interrogate a 
  devil, it knows little more than what Phlodur has already 
  told them: Nichozal and the Heart of Agathys is about 
  a mile further up the river, where the bearded devil is 
  hard at work turning more imps into snowtoys. They 
  have one important piece of information, however: To 
  enter the icy dome that envelops Nichozal’s factory on 
  the lake, one has to either be allowed inside by Nichozal, 
  or burn a temporary hole through the dome, which 
  constantly regenerates burned-away ice (Rupert can do 
  this with his Hurl Flame-feature). 
  5
  Frosty﻿Spined﻿Devil
  Small fiend (devil), lawful evil
  Armor Class
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor) 
   15 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points
  Hit Points 22 (5d6 + 5)
   22 (5d6 + 5)
  Speed
  Speed 20 ft., fly 40 ft.
   20 ft., fly 40 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2)
  15 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  11 (+0)
  14 (+2)
  8 (-1)
  Damage Resistances
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing 
   bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing 
  from nonmagical weapons that aren’t silvered
  from nonmagical weapons that aren’t silvered
  Damage Immunities
  Damage Immunities cold, fire, poison
   cold, fire, poison
  Condition Immunities
  Condition Immunities poisoned
   poisoned
  Senses
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
   darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
  Languages
  Languages infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
   infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
  Challenge
  Challenge 3 (700 XP) 
   3 (700 XP) 
  Devil’s Sight. 
  Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s 
  Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s 
  darkvision.
  darkvision.
  Flyby. 
  Flyby. The devil doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it 
  The devil doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it 
  flies out of an enemy’s reach.
  flies out of an enemy’s reach.
  Limited Spines. 
  Limited Spines. The devil has twelve tail spines. Used spines 
  The devil has twelve tail spines. Used spines 
  regrow by the time the devil finishes a long rest.
  regrow by the time the devil finishes a long rest.
  Magic Resistance. 
  Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws 
  The devil has advantage on saving throws 
  against spells and other magical effects.
  against spells and other magical effects.
  Actions
  Multiattack. 
  Multiattack. The devil makes two attacks: one with its bite 
  The devil makes two attacks: one with its bite 
  and one with its fork or two with its tail spines.
  and one with its fork or two with its tail spines.
  Bite. 
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack:
  Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. 
   +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit:
  Hit: 7 (2d4 + 
   7 (2d4 + 
  2) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) cold damage.
  2) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) cold damage.
  Fork. 
  Fork. Melee Weapon Attack:
  Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. 
   +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit:
  Hit: 5 (1d6 + 
   5 (1d6 + 
  2) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) cold damage.
  2) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) cold damage.
  Tail Spine. 
  Tail Spine. Ranged Weapon Attack:
  Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 20/80 
   +4 to hit, range 20/80 
  ft. 
  ft. Hit:
  Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) cold damage, 
   4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage plus 3 (1d6) cold damage, 
  and the target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of its 
  and the target’s speed is reduced by 10 feet until the end of its 
  next turn.
  next turn.
  Shaking Cold. 
  Shaking Cold. The devil shakes itself, showering nearby 
  The devil shakes itself, showering nearby 
  creatures with freezing spine-splinters. Each creature within 
  creatures with freezing spine-splinters. Each creature within 
  10 ft. of the devil must make a DC 13 Constitution saving 
  10 ft. of the devil must make a DC 13 Constitution saving 
  throw. On a failure, it takes 10 (3d6) cold damage, and it can’t 
  throw. On a failure, it takes 10 (3d6) cold damage, and it can’t 
  take reactions until the start of its next turn.
  take reactions until the start of its next turn.
  Frosty﻿Barbed﻿Devil
  Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil
  Armor Class
  Armor Class 17 (natural armor) 
   17 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points
  Hit Points 110 (13d8 + 52)
   110 (13d8 + 52)
  Speed
  Speed 30 ft.
   30 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  18 (+4)
  17 (+3)
  18 (+4)
  12 (+1)
  14 (+2)
  14 (+2)
  Saving Throws
  Saving Throws Str +7, Con +7, Wis +5, Cha +5
   Str +7, Con +7, Wis +5, Cha +5
  Skills
  Skills Deception +5, Insight +5, Perception +8
   Deception +5, Insight +5, Perception +8
  Damage Resistances
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing 
   bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing 
  from nonmagical weapons that aren’t silvered
  from nonmagical weapons that aren’t silvered
  Damage Immunities
  Damage Immunities cold, fire, poison
   cold, fire, poison
  Condition Immunities
  Condition Immunities poisoned
   poisoned
  Senses
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
   darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 18
  Languages
  Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
   Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
  Challenge
  Challenge 6 (2,300 XP)
   6 (2,300 XP)
  Barbed Hide. 
  Barbed Hide. At the start of each of its turns, the devil deals 
  At the start of each of its turns, the devil deals 
  5 (1d10) piercing damage to any creature grappling it.
  5 (1d10) piercing damage to any creature grappling it.
  Devil’s Sight. 
  Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s 
  Magical darkness doesn’t impede the devil’s 
  darkvision.
  darkvision.
  Magic Resistance. 
  Magic Resistance. The devil has advantage on saving throws 
  The devil has advantage on saving throws 
  against spells and other magical effects.
  against spells and other magical effects.
  Actions
  Multiattack. 
  Multiattack. The devil makes three melee attacks: one with 
  The devil makes three melee attacks: one with 
  its tail and two with its claws. Alternatively, it can use Hurl 
  its tail and two with its claws. Alternatively, it can use Hurl 
  Flame twice.
  Flame twice.
  Claw. 
  Claw. Melee Weapon Attack:
  Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. 
   +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit:
  Hit: 7 (1d6 
   7 (1d6 
  + 4) piercing damage.
  + 4) piercing damage.
  Tail. 
  Tail. Melee Weapon Attack:
  Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. 
   +7 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit:
  Hit: 9 (1d10 
   9 (1d10 
  + 4) piercing damage and the barbed devil can attempt to 
  + 4) piercing damage and the barbed devil can attempt to 
  grapple the target.
  grapple the target.
  Hurl Flame. 
  Hurl Flame. Ranged Spell Attack:
  Ranged Spell Attack: +6 to hit, range 150 ft. 
   +6 to hit, range 150 ft. Hit:
  Hit: 
  10 (3d6) fire damage. If the target is a flammable object that 
  10 (3d6) fire damage. If the target is a flammable object that 
  isn’t being worn or carried, it also catches fire.
  isn’t being worn or carried, it also catches fire.
  Piercing Shriek (1/day). 
  Piercing Shriek (1/day). The devil flares its spikes in a 
  The devil flares its spikes in a 
  terrible display and emits a horrible shriek. Each creature of 
  terrible display and emits a horrible shriek. Each creature of 
  the devil’s choice within 30 ft. who can see it must make a 
  the devil’s choice within 30 ft. who can see it must make a 
  DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 
  DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes 
  13 (3d8) psychic damage and is frightened of the devil until 
  13 (3d8) psychic damage and is frightened of the devil until 
  the end of its next turn.
  the end of its next turn.
  Snowball Swarm (1/day). 
  Snowball Swarm (1/day). A flurry of magic snowballs erupts 
  A flurry of magic snowballs erupts 
  from a point within 90 ft.
  from a point within 90 ft. Each creature in a 5-foot-radius 
  Each creature in a 5-foot-radius 
  sphere centered on that point must make a DC 13 Dexterity 
  sphere centered on that point must make a DC 13 Dexterity 
  saving throw. A creature takes 17 (5d6) cold damage on a 
  saving throw. A creature takes 17 (5d6) cold damage on a 
  failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
  failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
  
  CHAPTER﻿3:﻿COLDHEARTED
  C
  hapter﻿3﻿is﻿where﻿the﻿characters﻿
  finally arrive at the Heart of Agathys to stop 
  Nichozal’s evil plan. Here they will first have  
  to get inside the icy dome that surrounds 
  the factory. Inside, they have an opportunity 
  to bargain with Nichozal, or – more likely – 
  fight a battle to the death with the evil devil.
  The﻿Gift﻿Factory
  Nichozal’s ‘factory’ is in fact a decrepit fort on a small 
  isle in the middle of the frozen lake. Here Nichozal 
  transforms imps into infernal gifts by briefly submerging  
  them in the river’s frozen water, while casting dark 
  spells on them through the Heart of Agathys. Both 
  island and fort is surrounded by an immense dome of 
  opaque ice, preventing both prying eyes and attacks 
  from afar from disturbing the rituals.
  When the characters come within a 100 ft. of the ice 
  dome, read or paraphrase the following text:
  Before you rises a luminescent dome of thick ice, 
  reaching from the lake’s frozen surface to a height of 
  50 feet and stretching out to a diameter of 200 feet. 
  The snowstorm seems to emanate from the enormous 
  dome, blowing fiercely cold winds toward you, almost 
  as if trying to physically keep you away. Whatever lurks 
  within the dome is hidden by its thick, opaque walls, and 
  there appears to be no door or entrance of any kind.
  The dome looks the same from every angle and also 
  extends underneath the water’s frozen surface.
  Entering﻿the﻿Dome
  If the characters are still carrying Phlodur, the imp 
  informs them that it doesn’t know how to enter the 
  dome. It only managed to escape when Nichozal used 
  the Heart’s magic to open up the sphere so that spined 
  devils could enter with more captured imps. In other 
  words, it’s up to the characters to find their own way in.
  Luckily, getting into the sphere is quite simple. The 
  magic of Agathys continuously regenerates the icy 
  dome, but if at least 25 fire damage is dealt to a section 
  of the sphere in a single round, the ice melts away for 
  long enough to allow the characters to slip in. A spell 
  like fireball might do the trick on its own, or several 
  characters can use cantrips such as firebolt or produce 
  flame simultaneously to create an entrance. If the 
  characters don’t have access to such magic, they can 
  also create an entrance by building a natural fire next to 
  the sphere’s walls, and waiting for a few minutes. 
  The characters should be able to realize how to enter 
  the dome through trial and error – seeing how the dome 
  isn’t indestructible but quickly regenerates if they to try 
  to damage it. If they don’t, or have no way to produce 
  fire, you can allow other creative solutions to work – as 
  long as the players feel clever and expend resources, any 
  mode of entry can work. Characters can also gain entry 
  by simply calling for Nichozal (or Nichozal notices them, 
  if they’ve been trying to enter fruitlessly for a while), who 
  can magically create a temporary entrance using the 
  Heart of Agathys. Nichozal gladly invites the characters 
  inside, hoping that he can convince them to deliver his 
  infernal gifts for him (see ‘Speaking with Nichozal’).
  Inside﻿the﻿Dome
  When the characters enter the dome, read or 
  paraphrase the following text:
  Coming from the storm outside, the inside of the 
  dome is almost eerily calm. Snow drifts calmly down – 
  seemingly from nowhere – to land softly on the lake’s 
  icy surface. The pearly luminescence of the dome’s walls 
  casts the interior in a dim light, revealing simple ruined 
  walls covered in gleaming ice. Amidst the ruins and near 
  holes in the thick ice are cages each holding several 
  imps in various stages of transformation. In the dome’s 
  center, four icy pillars beset with glowing runes curve 
  inward toward each other, a beautiful amulet suspended 
  in midair between them – the Heart of Agathys. Near 
  the pillars stands a hulking devil with a frosty, white 
  beard and wearing crimson plate mail.
  Unless the characters have somehow managed to 
  get inside the dome without damaging it, Nichozal is 
  immediately aware of the characters’ arrival.
  Chapter﻿3:﻿Coldhearted
  6
  
  CHAPTER﻿3:﻿COLDHEARTED
  Nichozal
  Nichozal was once an ‘ordinary’ bearded devil, which, 
  in the infernal hierarchy, is one of the least of the lesser 
  devils. By a stroke of luck, however, Nichozal came upon 
  the Heart of Agathys, which had been left behind on the 
  battlefield after an intense battle between fierce demons 
  and Zariel’s devil legions. Nichozal claimed the powerful 
  artifact as his own, and quickly devised a particularly 
  devious plan. Tapping into the power of the Heart, the 
  devil froze the lake, created the sphere, and went to 
  work transforming imps into magical toys, so he could 
  trick young mortals out of their souls. 
  Speaking﻿with﻿Nichozal
  Since one of the only ways to gain entry to the dome is 
  by burning a hole, it will be very difficult for the party 
  to enter without Nichozal noticing. Luckily, Nichozal 
  is more interested in striking a bargain than fighting. 
  When the characters enter, he’ll be standing ready 
  before the Heart of Agathys, giving them his pitch:
  The bearded devil notices you, offering a jovial smile 
  and spreading his massive arms in welcome. “Ho-ho-ho, 
  what do we have here! Splendid work, mortals, splendid 
  work – you must be quite the heroes to have made 
  it this far. Such resourcefulness! I assume you have 
  come out of some misguided sense of justice or moral 
  objection to my enterprise? Fortunately for you, I see 
  no wisdom in needlessly destroying you, when we can 
  instead aid one another. I offer you safe passage through 
  my storm and the blessing of Agathys” – the devil 
  points to the amulet suspended between the pillars – 
  “and ask in return only that you deliver a few gifts for 
  me. Each of you must take a single of my toys back to 
  your world and give it to a child, who seem like they 
  could use a friend. What do you say?”
  If the characters seem interested in bargaining, 
  Nichozal magically produces an infernal contract 
  inscribed on a tablet of solid ice. The deal is as Nichozal 
  says, but a character that reads infernal and succeeds 
  on a DC 13 Intelligence (Investigation) check finds an 
  important clause in the fine print. If the character’s 
  actions – exemplified by giving a snow toy to a child 
  – does not result in another mortal signing over their 
  soul to Nichozal, the character’s own soul is forfeit to 
  Nichozal upon their death. In essence, each character 
  that signs the contract owes a soul to Nichozal.
  Nichozal brooks no refusal and has zero patience 
  for extended negotiations, so if the characters begin 
  squabbling over terms, or act with aggression or 
  impudence, the rotund devil laughs heartily and resigns 
  himself to convincing the characters with force.
  Fighting﻿Nichozal
  A fight with Nichozal should be both tough and exciting. 
  You can use the Ice Dome Map (see ‘Ice Dome’ for more 
  about the ice dome’s terrain features.
  Nichozal has a wide array of action options available 
  to him, but regardless of which he uses, his overall plan 
  is the same: control the battlefield, stay out of harm’s 
  way, and methodically eliminate the characters. He uses 
  Wall of Ice and Cold Feet to shape the battlefield to his 
  liking, and then Frosty Beard and Frost Ray to slow 
  characters so they can’t easily escape those areas. Cone 
  of Cold comes in handy against clusters of foes, and 
  the strong Armor of Agathys should be used whenever 
  Nichozal runs out of temporary hit points.
  If the characters manage to destroy the pillars around 
  the Heart (see ‘Heart of Agathys’ below), Nichozal loses 
  his legendary actions, so he’ll often put himself at risk to 
  draw attention away from the heart. Fully dedicated to 
  his evil plans, Nichozal fights until destroyed, refusing to 
  suffer the indignity of surrender.
  Heart﻿of﻿Agathys
  The amulet Heart of Agathys hangs suspended between 
  four pillars of ice. The amulet itself is indestructible 
  and immovable – both magic and mundane strikes are 
  simply absorbed. In fact, a creature that touches the 
  Heart of Agathys or hits it with a melee attack, takes 17 
  (5d6) cold damage. 
  However, if all four pillars around the heart are 
  destroyed, it falls to the ground, abruptly ending all 
  magical effects created by it, including the snowstorm, 
  ice dome, and any ice golems. Each pillar has AC 13, 30 
  hit points, immunity to poison, psychic and cold damage, 
  and is vulnerable to fire damage. Damage dealt by spells 
  or effects that target an area (such as fireball) is divided 
  between all pillars it hits. Each time a pillar is destroyed, 
  the Heart pulses with increasingly erratic light.
  During a fight with Nichozal, you should make it clear 
  that the pillars around the Heart of Agathys empowers 
  Nichozal. You can describe how rays of frost charge 
  from the pillars to then streak out from the Heart 
  against a target when he uses Frost Ray, and how cold 
  energy is siphoned from the pillars to Nichozal when 
  he uses Armor of Agathys. If the characters still don’t 
  catch on, you can have NPCs such as Phlodur, Lulu or 
  Gargauth in the Shield of the Hidden Lord point it out 
  to them.
  Balancing﻿Combat
  By himself, Nichozal should be a hard challenge for a 
  party of four 8th-level adventurers, who have already 
  spent some of their resources. Depending on the 
  strength of the characters – their numbers, level and 
  remaining resources – there’s various ways you can 
  increase or decrease the encounter’s difficulty.
  First, it’s up to you to decide if any devils that survived 
  the ‘Frost Devil Ambush’ fled back to the dome or 
  vacated the area entirely. If you think Nichozal needs 
  additional aid, you can also add 2-4 ice golems – simple 
  monsters who are mainly there to soak up damage and 
  obstruct characters. Created by the Heart of Agathys, 
  Nichozal uses these constructs to dip the imps in the 
  river, chain them up and stick them in their cages. 
  You can also balance the encounter on the fly by 
  having the Heart of Agathys create an ice golem each 
  round if the fight seems too easy for the characters, 
  or limit Nichozal’s use of Legendary Actions if the 
  characters are having difficulties.
  7
  Ice﻿Dome
  Nichozal’s gift factory has several terrain features that 
  can impact combat, as noted below.
  Ice Holes. A creature that starts its turn in the frigid 
  water must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving 
  throw, or suffer a level of exhaustion. A creature can use 
  an action to pull itself or another creature out of an ice 
  hole with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check.
  Ice Walls. Walls are 10 ft. tall, have AC 10, 15 HP, and 
  immunity to cold, poison and psychic damage.
  Snow. Snow-covered squares are difficult terrain. 
  
  CHAPTER﻿3:﻿COLDHEARTED
  8
  Nichozal,﻿Zariel's﻿Claws
  Medium fiend (devil), lawful evil
  Armor Class
  Armor Class 18 (plate) 
   18 (plate) 
  Hit Points
  Hit Points 152 (16d8 + 80)
   152 (16d8 + 80)
  Speed
  Speed 30 ft.
   30 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  20 (+5)
  16 (+3)
  20 (+5)
  14 (+2)
  16 (+3)
  14 (+2)
  Saving Throws
  Saving Throws Str +9, Con +9, Wis +7
   Str +9, Con +9, Wis +7
  Damage Resistances
  Damage Resistances bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing 
   bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing 
  from nonmagical weapons that aren’t silvered
  from nonmagical weapons that aren’t silvered
  Damage Immunities
  Damage Immunities cold, fire, poison
   cold, fire, poison
  Condition Immunities
  Condition Immunities poisoned
   poisoned
  Senses
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13
   darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 13
  Languages
  Languages Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
   Infernal, telepathy 120 ft.
  Challenge
  Challenge 11 (7,200 XP) 
   11 (7,200 XP) 
  Armor of Free Action. 
  Armor of Free Action. Nichozal isn’t slowed by difficult 
  Nichozal isn’t slowed by difficult 
  terrain, and magic can’t reduce his speed or cause him to be 
  terrain, and magic can’t reduce his speed or cause him to be 
  paralyzed or restrained.
  paralyzed or restrained.
  Devil’s Sight. 
  Devil’s Sight. Magical darkness doesn’t impede Nichozal’s 
  Magical darkness doesn’t impede Nichozal’s 
  darkvision.
  darkvision.
  Innate Spellcasting. 
  Innate Spellcasting. Nichozal’s innate spellcasting ability is 
  Nichozal’s innate spellcasting ability is 
  Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). He 
  Wisdom (spell save DC 15, +7 to hit with spell attacks). He 
  can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material 
  can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material 
  components:
  components:
  1/day each: 
  1/day each: cone of cold, wall of ice
  cone of cold, wall of ice
  Magic Resistance. 
  Magic Resistance. Nichozal has advantage on saving throws 
  Nichozal has advantage on saving throws 
  against spells and other magical effects.
  against spells and other magical effects.
  Steadfast. 
  Steadfast. Nichozal can’t be frightened while he can see an 
  Nichozal can’t be frightened while he can see an 
  allied creature within 30 feet of him.
  allied creature within 30 feet of him.
  Actions
  Multiattack. 
  Multiattack. Nichozal makes three attacks: one with his 
  Nichozal makes three attacks: one with his 
  beard and two with his glaive.
  beard and two with his glaive.
  Frosty Beard. 
  Frosty Beard. Melee Weapon Attack:
  Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 5 ft. 
   +9 to hit, reach 5 ft. 
  Hit:
  Hit: 9 (1d8 + 5) piercing damage plus 13 (3d8) cold damage, 
   9 (1d8 + 5) piercing damage plus 13 (3d8) cold damage, 
  and the target must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving 
  and the target must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving 
  throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this 
  throw or be poisoned for 1 minute. While poisoned in this 
  way, the target can’t regain hit points, its move speed is 
  way, the target can’t regain hit points, its move speed is 
  halved, and it can only take an action or a reaction on its turn, 
  halved, and it can only take an action or a reaction on its turn, 
  not both. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of 
  not both. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of 
  each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
  each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success.
  Glaive. 
  Glaive. Melee Weapon Attack:
  Melee Weapon Attack: +9 to hit, reach 10 ft. 
   +9 to hit, reach 10 ft. Hit:
  Hit: 10 
   10 
  (1d10 + 5) slashing damage plus 13 (3d8) cold damage. If the 
  (1d10 + 5) slashing damage plus 13 (3d8) cold damage. If the 
  target is a creature other than an undead or a construct, it 
  target is a creature other than an undead or a construct, it 
  must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or lose 
  must succeed on a DC 17 Constitution saving throw or lose 
  9 (2d8) hit points at the start of each of its turns due to an 
  9 (2d8) hit points at the start of each of its turns due to an 
  infernal wound. Each time the devil hits the wounded target 
  infernal wound. Each time the devil hits the wounded target 
  with this attack, the damage dealt by the wound increases 
  with this attack, the damage dealt by the wound increases 
  by 9 (2d8). Any creature can take an action to staunch the 
  by 9 (2d8). Any creature can take an action to staunch the 
  wound with a successful DC 17 Wisdom (Medicine) check. 
  wound with a successful DC 17 Wisdom (Medicine) check. 
  The wound also closes if the target receives magical healing.
  The wound also closes if the target receives magical healing.
  Cone of Cold (1/day). 
  Cone of Cold (1/day). Each creature in a 60-foot cone must 
  Each creature in a 60-foot cone must 
  make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw as a blast of cold 
  make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw as a blast of cold 
  erupts from Nichozal’s hands. A creature takes 36 (8d8) 
  erupts from Nichozal’s hands. A creature takes 36 (8d8) 
  cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on 
  cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on 
  a successful one. A creature killed by this spell becomes a 
  a successful one. A creature killed by this spell becomes a 
  frozen statue until it thaws.
  frozen statue until it thaws.
  Wall of Ice (1/day). 
  Wall of Ice (1/day). Nichozal magically forms an opaque wall 
  Nichozal magically forms an opaque wall 
  of ice on a solid surface it can see within 60 feet of it. The 
  of ice on a solid surface it can see within 60 feet of it. The 
  wall is 1 foot thick and up to 30 feet long and 10 feet high, or 
  wall is 1 foot thick and up to 30 feet long and 10 feet high, or 
  it’s a hemispherical dome up to 20 feet in diameter. When the 
  it’s a hemispherical dome up to 20 feet in diameter. When the 
  wall appears, each creature in its space is pushed out of it by 
  wall appears, each creature in its space is pushed out of it by 
  the shortest route. The creature chooses which side of the 
  the shortest route. The creature chooses which side of the 
  wall to end up on, unless the creature is incapacitated. The 
  wall to end up on, unless the creature is incapacitated. The 
  creature then makes a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 
  creature then makes a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 
  35 (10d6) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much 
  35 (10d6) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much 
  damage on a successful one. The wall lasts for 1 minute 
  damage on a successful one. The wall lasts for 1 minute 
  or until the devil is incapacitated or dies. The wall can be 
  or until the devil is incapacitated or dies. The wall can be 
  damaged and breached; each 10-foot section has AC 5, 30 
  damaged and breached; each 10-foot section has AC 5, 30 
  hit points, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to acid, 
  hit points, vulnerability to fire damage, and immunity to acid, 
  cold, necrotic, poison, and psychic damage. If a section is 
  cold, necrotic, poison, and psychic damage. If a section is 
  destroyed, it leaves behind a sheet of frigid air in the space 
  destroyed, it leaves behind a sheet of frigid air in the space 
  the wall occupied. Whenever a creature finishes moving 
  the wall occupied. Whenever a creature finishes moving 
  through the frigid air on a turn, willingly or otherwise, the 
  through the frigid air on a turn, willingly or otherwise, the 
  creature must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, 
  creature must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw, 
  taking 17 (5d6) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much 
  taking 17 (5d6) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much 
  damage on a successful one. The frigid air dissipates when 
  damage on a successful one. The frigid air dissipates when 
  the rest of the wall vanishes. 
  the rest of the wall vanishes. 
  Legendary﻿Actions
  Nichozal can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the 
  Nichozal can take 3 legendary actions, choosing from the 
  options below. Only one legendary action option can be 
  options below. Only one legendary action option can be 
  used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. 
  used at a time and only at the end of another creature’s turn. 
  Nichozal regains all legendary actions at the start of his turn.
  Nichozal regains all legendary actions at the start of his turn.
  Frost Ray. 
  Frost Ray. A ray of frost shoots from the 
  A ray of frost shoots from the Heart of Agathys
  Heart of Agathys 
  against a target within 60 ft. of it. The target must succeed on 
  against a target within 60 ft. of it. The target must succeed on 
  a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 cold damage for 
  a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 cold damage for 
  each Pillar of Agathys still standing, and its speed is reduced 
  each Pillar of Agathys still standing, and its speed is reduced 
  by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
  by 10 feet until the end of its next turn.
  Cold Feet. 
  Cold Feet. Nichozal causes the ground in a 15 ft. radius 
  Nichozal causes the ground in a 15 ft. radius 
  around a point it can see within 120 ft. to be filled with 
  around a point it can see within 120 ft. to be filled with 
  grasping ice. Any creature of Nichozal’s choice that ends its 
  grasping ice. Any creature of Nichozal’s choice that ends its 
  turn in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving 
  turn in that area must succeed on a DC 15 Strength saving 
  throw or become restrained (escape DC 15) as magic ice 
  throw or become restrained (escape DC 15) as magic ice 
  forms around its feet. This effect lasts for 1 minute, or until 
  forms around its feet. This effect lasts for 1 minute, or until 
  all the Pillars of Agathys have been destroyed.
  all the Pillars of Agathys have been destroyed.
  Armor of Agathys (2 actions). 
  Armor of Agathys (2 actions). Nichozal gains 5 temporary 
  Nichozal gains 5 temporary 
  hit points for each Pillar of Agathys still standing. If a 
  hit points for each Pillar of Agathys still standing. If a 
  creature hits Nichozal with a melee attack while he has these 
  creature hits Nichozal with a melee attack while he has these 
  hit points, the creature takes 5 cold damage for each Pillar of 
  hit points, the creature takes 5 cold damage for each Pillar of 
  Agathys still standing.
  Agathys still standing.
  Ice﻿Golem
  Medium construct, unaligned
  Armor Class
  Armor Class 16 (natural armor) 
   16 (natural armor) 
  Hit Points
  Hit Points 52 (7d8 + 21)
   52 (7d8 + 21)
  Speed
  Speed 30 ft.
   30 ft.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  19 (+4)
  10 (+0)
  17 (+3)
  3 (-4)
  10 (+0)
  1 (-5)
  Damage Immunities
  Damage Immunities poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and 
   poison; bludgeoning, piercing, and 
  slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t adamantine
  slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren’t adamantine
  Condition Immunities
  Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, 
   charmed, exhaustion, frightened, 
  paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
  paralyzed, petrified, poisoned
  Senses
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
   darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10
  Languages
  Languages understands Infernal, but can’t speak
   understands Infernal, but can’t speak
  Challenge
  Challenge 4 (1,100 XP)
   4 (1,100 XP)
  Magic Resistance. 
  Magic Resistance. The ice golem has advantage on saving 
  The ice golem has advantage on saving 
  throws against spells and other magical effects.
  throws against spells and other magical effects.
  Actions
  Slam. 
  Slam. Melee Weapon Attack:
  Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. 
   +6 to hit, reach 5 ft. Hit:
  Hit: 7 (1d6 
   7 (1d6 
  + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) cold damage, and the 
  + 4) bludgeoning damage plus 3 (1d6) cold damage, and the 
  target’s speed is slowed by 10 until the end of its next turn.
  target’s speed is slowed by 10 until the end of its next turn.
  Reactions
  Intercept Attack.
  Intercept Attack. In response to another creature it can 
   In response to another creature it can 
  see within 5 feet of it being hit by an attack roll, the stone 
  see within 5 feet of it being hit by an attack roll, the stone 
  defender gives that creature a +5 bonus to its AC against that 
  defender gives that creature a +5 bonus to its AC against that 
  attack, potentially causing it to miss.
  attack, potentially causing it to miss.
  
  CHAPTER﻿3:﻿COLDHEARTED
  Developments
  There are several potential outcomes to the characters’ 
  battle with Nichozal, depending on how they act.
  Victory
  If the characters manage to kill Nichozal, the Heart of 
  Agathys falls down to land in the soft snow, if it hasn’t 
  already done so. This ends everything wrought by the 
  amulet – the snowstorm fades immediately, the ice 
  dome quickly melts away, any ice golems fall lifeless to 
  the ground, and all the imps revert back to their original 
  forms. This also means that the ice covering the lake 
  begins melting, although this process takes hours, 
  allowing the characters to get off the ice without haste.
  If Phlodur is still with the party, the imp offers its 
  sincere gratitude and, at your discretion, offers to guide 
  the party to their next destination. All the other imps on 
  the isle quickly try to fly off, not particularly interested 
  in facing off with the powerful heroes. The characters 
  can pick up the amulet, which can’t be used to quite as 
  big effect as Nichozal did, but still holds great power. 
  If the characters make no move to pick up the Heart of 
  Agathys, you can have an imp – even Phlodur – try to 
  sneak off with the powerful artifact. Beside the amulet, 
  Nichozal’s armor of free action is also a valuable prize.
  When the adventurers come back to shore, the plains 
  of Avernus look much like themselves again. The only 
  traces of Nichozal’s magic are sizzling puddles of melted 
  ice and snow.
  A﻿Merry﻿Bargain
  If the characters have struck a bargain with Nichozal – 
  promising to deliver a snowtoy to a child in return for 
  passage through the snowstorm – Nichozal uses the 
  Heart of Agathys to create a set of magic snowshoes for 
  each character, along with an infernal snowtoy each.
  Characters wearing the snowshoes have resistance to 
  cold damage, ignore difficult terrain caused by snow or 
  ice, and the snowstorm created by the Heart of Agathys 
  is dampened in a 30 ft. radius around them, allowing 
  them unhindered passage. Thus outfitted, the characters 
  can continue on their journey, leaving the snowstorm 
  in a handful of hours. Once clear of the snowstorm, the 
  snowshoes melt away, their benefits lost forever.
  Clever characters may accept the bargain and the 
  snowshoes, only to turn around and attack Nichozal – 
  his destruction will effectively void the contract – while 
  wearing the beneficial footwear. This should make the 
  fight with Nichozal a whole lot easier – which is a fitting 
  reward for such delicious, devilish deception!
  Defeat
  If Nichozal defeats the characters in battle, it doesn’t 
  have to mean the end of their journey. You can have 
  defeated characters – even characters that died during 
  the fight – awaken encapsulated in a thick layer of 
  ice. Awake, but securely imprisoned by the magic 
  of Agathys, the characters receive a final offer from 
  Nichozal. If they accept his bargain – which has now 
  increased to a debt of three souls instead of one – he 
  will give them their freedom and free passage through 
  the snowstorm. Like before, Nichozal gives each 
  character that accepts a set of snowshoes and an 
  infernal snowtoy and allows them to leave.
  Troubleshooting
  It is with adventures as it with battle – no plan survives 
  contact with the enemy (or, in this case, a group of 
  creative D&D-players). Below are some possible issues 
  that may arise, and advice on how to handle them.
  Refusing﻿the﻿Hook
  If you are running this adventure as a form of extended 
  random encounter between locations in Avernus, the 
  hook relies on the party realizing that dealing with 
  Nichozal is the quickest way to get on with their journey 
  and reach their destination. As is sometimes the case 
  with adventuring parties, they may not see it that way. 
  Remember that there are several ways Phlodur (or 
  another NPC) can motivate them:
  • They won’t be able to outpace the storm – it will 
  expand faster than they can move!
  • Nichozal has powerful magic treasure – a crimson 
  plate mail and the Heart of Agathys!
  • If Nichozal isn’t stopped, he will condemn the souls of 
  hundreds, even thousands of children to eternal torture!
  If the characters still aren’t compelled, you can always 
  have them run into both the ‘Frost Devil Ambush’ 
  and Nichozal’s dome of ice as they stumble about the 
  magical snowstorm – or perhaps even by Nichozal’s 
  design, as he seeks someone to transport his snowtoys 
  to the Material Plane. Granted, it’s not the most elegant 
  solution, but it gets job done.
  Changing﻿Pace
  Characters who’ve been challenged to expend resources 
  by their encounters with first a frost worm and then 
  a pack of frosty devils may try to find a way to take a 
  long rest. The snowstorm makes long rest impossible 
  without secure shelter, and since no shelter is readily 
  available, the characters shouldn’t be able to. This is by 
  design, because being low on resources is what makes 
  the encounter with Nichozal tense and challenging.
  However, if the party can cast Leomund’s tiny hut or 
  similar magic, they may be able to rest regardless, thus 
  breaking the pace. You can try to deter this by having 
  Phlodur or another NPC emphasize that Nichozal must 
  be stopped sooner rather than later, lest his power 
  grows or he finds more creatures to do his bidding. If 
  the characters rest regardless, you can compensate by 
  increasing Nichozal’s hit points and giving him some ice 
  golems or frosty devils to aid him in battle.
  9
  Snow﻿Dome
  Nichozal’s gift factory has several terrain features that 
  can impact combat, as noted below.
  Ice Holes. A creature that starts its turn in the frigid 
  water must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving 
  throw, or suffer a level of exhaustion. A creature can use 
  an action to pull itself or another creature out of an ice 
  hole with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check.
  Ice Walls. Walls are 10 ft. tall, have AC 10, 15 HP, and 
  immunity to cold, poison and psychic damage.
  Snow. Snow-covered squares are difficult terrain. 
  
  APPENDIX﻿A:﻿MAGIC﻿ITEMS
  Armor﻿of﻿Free﻿Action
  Armor (plate), rare (requires attunement)
  This crimson plate is made for a heavyset bearded devil, 
  but magically resizes to fit any creature that attempts to 
  attune to it. 
  While you wear this armor, difficult terrain doesn’t 
  cost you extra movement. In addition, magic can neither 
  reduce your speed nor cause you to be paralyzed or 
  restrained.
  Heart﻿of﻿Agathys
  Wondrous item, very rare (requires attunement)
  You have immunity to cold damage while wearing this 
  magic amulet.
  The Heart of Agathys has 3 charges, and regains 
  all expended charges daily at dawn, or 24 hours after 
  the last charge was used. While wearing the Heart of 
  Agathys, you can cast the following spells from the 
  amulet, expending the necessary number of charges: 
  armor of agathys (at 4th-level, 1 charge), cone of cold (2 
  2 charges), wall of ice (3 charges). The save DC is 15 for 
  spells cast using the Heart of Agathys.
  Infernal﻿Snowtoy
  Wondrous item, uncommon (requires attunement)
  This small toy of snow – such as a plushy bear, or a 
  figurine – holds the soul and personality of an imp. You 
  can communicate telepathically with the imp inside 
  it, which is lawful evil and has an Intelligence of 11, 
  Wisdom of 12 and Charisma of 14.
  While attuned to the snowtoy, you can use an action to 
  cast the spell invisibility targeting only yourself. You can’t 
  do so again until you finish a long rest.
  Armor of 
  Free Action
  Heart of 
  Agathys
  Appendix﻿A:﻿Magic﻿Items
  10
  
  APPENDIX﻿B:﻿DM'S﻿CHEATSHEET
  Background
  • Nichozal found Heart of Agathys on battlefield
  • Uses Heart of Agathys to turn imps in to snowtoys
  • Wants imps to make children sign away their souls
  • Has created a snowstorm to ward off demons
  • Phlodur (imp) escaped mid-transformation
  Chapter﻿1:﻿A﻿Nose﻿So﻿Bright
  • Characters suddenly in snowstorm
  In the span of a few minutes, the air around you 
  becomes noticeably colder, and the frigid wind picks 
  up pace. Before long, crystals of snow are falling on 
  the ground around you, quickly increasing in both size 
  and ferocity, until you’re enveloped in a full-blown 
  snowstorm. Snow is falling in droves now, the howling 
  wind is making it hard to hear anything, and you can 
  barely make out your surroundings.
  • DC 10 Survival or Nature realizes storm is unnatural 
  and too fast to outrun
  • After 1 hour (DC 10 Con or exhaustion) sees Phlodur
  A faint metallic clinking, like chiming bells, rises above 
  the wind’s howl. Turning toward the noise, you can 
  make out a small, red glow, growing brighter as it moves 
  toward you. “Mortals! Aid Phlodur, and Phlodur shall aid 
  you in turn!” a squeaky voice exclaims in relief. 
  • Frost worm comes out of ground to attack party, tries 
  to swallow creature, flees if less than 50 hit points
  • After frost worm, party can take short rest by lava pit.
  • Phlodur wants to revert transformation. Knows:
  • Snowstorm created by Nichozal with an artifact 
  called Heart of Agathys
  • Nichozal is a big, bearded devil with red armor and 
  frosty beard, also called Zariel’s Claws
  • Catches imps and makes them into snowtoys, 
  wants them to get children to sign over souls
  • Phlodur fled, slowed by storm and transformation
  • Nichozal is in a ice dome on a frozen lake nearby
  • Phlodur’s transformation complete soon after, is 
  inanimate but can communicate telepathically
  • If party accepts, Phlodur leads them to a frozen river – 
  1 hour journey (DC 10 Con or exhaustion)
  • No treasure, but frost worm hide can make warm 
  clothing with DC 10 Dexterity check using proper toolst
  Chapter﻿2:﻿On﻿Thin﻿Ice
  • Party arrives at frozen river flanked by tall cliffs
  • River pass protected by strong winds, making flying 
  possible and ranged weapon attacks w/o disadvantage
  • Characters can travel by river or trail 20 ft. above ice
  Devilish﻿Traps
  • Snow avalanche hits characters on trail
  • Avalanche hits 150 ft. long section of trail
  • DC 15 Dex save (passive Perception 15+ has 
  advantage) or 3d6 bludgeoning damage. 
  • On failure, DC 15 Str save or thrown down to 
  frozen river, taking another 2d6 bludgeoning damage 
  and restrained by pile of snow (action and DC 10 
  Athletics to free)
  • Characters on ice walks onto sabotaged patch of ice
  • 15 ft. square breaks under 2 creatures or 1 heavy
  • DC 15 Dex save (passive Perception 15+ has 
  advantage) or 3d6 cold damage.
  • A creature starting turn in water must make DC 
  15 Con save or 1 level exhaustion (action and DC 10 
  Athletics to get out)
  • Immediately after trap, devils attack.
  Frost﻿Devil﻿Ambush
  • Rupert (frosty barbed devil) and 1 frosty spined devil 
  for each character in the party
  • Rupert fights until destroyed, spined devils flee if 
  Rupert dies (DC 14 Perception with disadvantage to 
  keep chasing if they get more than 60 ft. away)
  • Captured devils can tell party that fire can burn 
  entrance in dome, or Nichozal can grant entry
  Chapter﻿3:﻿Coldhearted
  • A mile further up river, party finds ice dome
  Before you rises a luminescent dome of thick ice, 
  reaching from the lake’s frozen surface to a height of 
  50 feet and stretching out to a diameter of 200 feet. 
  The snowstorm seems to emanate from the enormous 
  dome, blowing fiercely cold winds toward you, almost 
  as if trying to physically keep you away. Whatever lurks 
  within the dome is hidden by its thick, opaque walls, and 
  there appears to be no door or entrance of any kind.
  • 25 fire damage dealt to section of ice in one round 
  opens entrance, or Nichozal can create entrance
  • When the party enters:
  Coming from the storm outside, the inside of the 
  dome is almost eerily calm. Snow drifts calmly down – 
  seemingly from nowhere – to land softly on the lake’s 
  icy surface. The pearly luminescence of the dome’s walls 
  casts the interior in a dim light, revealing simple ruined 
  walls covered in gleaming ice. Amidst the ruins and near 
  holes in the thick ice are cages each holding several 
  imps in various stages of transformation. In the dome’s 
  center, four icy pillars beset with glowing runes curve 
  inward toward each other, a beautiful amulet suspended 
  in midair between them – the Heart of Agathys. Near 
  the pillars stands a hulking devil with a frosty, white 
  beard and wearing crimson plate mail.
  Appendix﻿B:﻿DM's﻿Cheatsheet
  11
  Snowstorm
  • Disadvantage on ranged weapon attack rolls. 
  • Disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely 
  on hearing, sight or smell. Objects and creatures further 
  away than 60 ft. are heavily obscured. 
  • Flying creatures must land at end of their turn or fall.
  • If exposed to cold, DC 10 Constitution saving throw 
  at the end of each hour or gain one level of exhaustion. 
  Automatic success if resistance/immunity to cold 
  damage, wearing cold weather gear, or adapted to cold.
  • Can only short rest if unaffected by the extreme cold 
  of the snowstorm (as described above), and can only 
  benefit from long rest if sheltered from the wind.
  
  APPENDIX﻿B:﻿DM'S﻿CHEATSHEET
  Nichozal
  • Nichozal notices entrance by force and greets party
  The bearded devil notices you, offering a jovial smile 
  and spreading his massive arms in welcome. “Ho-ho-ho, 
  what do we have here! Splendid work, mortals, splendid 
  work – you must be quite the heroes to have made 
  it this far. Such resourcefulness! I assume you have 
  come out of some misguided sense of justice or moral 
  objection to my enterprise? Fortunately for you, I see 
  no wisdom in needlessly destroying you, when we can 
  instead aid one another. I offer you safe passage through 
  my storm and the blessing of Agathys” – the devil 
  points to the amulet suspended between the pillars – 
  “and ask in return only that you deliver a few gifts for 
  me. Each of you must take a single present back to your 
  world and give it to a child, who seem like they could 
  use a friend. What do you say?”
  • DC 13 Investigation notices hidden clause: characters 
  that agree owe a soul to Nichozal 
  • If party argues, or acts aggressively, Nichozal attacks
  • In combat, Nichozal uses Wall of Ice and Cold Feet to 
  shape battlefield, and fights until destroyed
  Heart﻿of﻿Agathys
  • Indestructible, 5d6 cold if touched or melee attacked
  • Pillars holding Heart of Agathys can be destroyed 
  (AC 13, 30 HP, immunity to poison, psychic and cold, 
  vulnerable to fire, AoE damage is split by pillars)
  • If pillars are destroyed, Heart of Agathys falls to 
  ground and magic created by it ends
  Balancing﻿the﻿Encounter
  • Devils that escaped earlier can be in the ice dome
  • If too easy, add 2-4 ice golems at start, or have Heart of 
  Agathys create some during combat
  • If too hard, restrict use of Legendary actions 
  Developments
  • If Nichozal or the pillars are destroyed, Heart of 
  Agathys reverts back to a magic amulet, the ice dome, 
  snowstorm and ice golems quickly melt
  • If the characters bargain with Nichozal, he gives 
  them each an infernal snowtoy and magic snowshoes 
  (resistance to cold, ignore difficult terrain, dampening 
  snowstorm in 30 ft. radius). Characters can get clear of 
  storm in 24 hours and snowshoes melt
  • If the characters are defeated, Nichozal traps 
  characters in ice and offer them freedom and escape 
  from storm in return for a debt of 3 souls
  12
  Snow﻿Dome
  Nichozal’s gift factory has several terrain features that 
  can impact combat, as noted below.
  Ice Holes. A creature that starts its turn in the frigid 
  water must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving 
  throw, or suffer a level of exhaustion. A creature can use 
  an action to pull itself or another creature out of an ice 
  hole with a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check.
  Ice Walls. Walls are 10 ft. tall, have AC 10, 15 HP, and 
  immunity to cold, poison and psychic damage.
  Snow. Snow-covered squares are difficult terrain. 
  
  A Valeur RPG 
  Adventure
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/Adventures/Eventyr/Complete DM's Bundle - Baldur's Gate - Descent into Avernus/Chapter 3 - Avernus - A Cold Day in Hell.pdf