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  A Four-Hour Adventure for 1st- and 2nd-Level Characters 
  Optimized for APL 1.
  A Plague of Ancients Adventure
  DDAL10-01
  Credits
  Credits
  Lead Designer: Travis Woodall
  Designer: Paige Leitman
  Editing: Ashley Michaela “Navigator” Lawson
  Art Director and Graphic Designer: Rich Lescouflair
  Interior Art: Mark Behm, Jedd Chevrier, David René 
  Christensen, Axel Defois, Olly Lawson, Robson Michel, 
  Irina Nordsol, Robin Olausson, April Prime
  Cartography: Travis Woodall, Mike Schley
  D&D Adventurers League Guildmaster: Chris Lindsay 
  D&D Adventurers League Wizards Team: Lea Heleotis, 
  Adam Lee, Ari Levitch, Chris Lindsay, Mike Mearls, Ray 
  Winninger
  D&D Adventurers League Administrators: Alan Patrick, 
  Amy Lynn Dzura, Travis Woodall, Ma’at Crook, LaTia 
  Jacquise, Claire Hoffman, Greg Marks, Shawn Merwin, 
  Will Doyle
  Playtesters: The TSW folks (Colt, Solomon Lancaster, 
  and Sallah) and the crew of the spaceship USS 
  Katherine Johnson (Shawn Banerjee, Ben Heisler, Ian 
  Gould, Ayanna Jones, and Jonathan Connor Self,); 
  Daniel Beam, Daniel Chapman, Christopher Clement, 
  Brian Clift, John David, David Deaton, Frank Foulis, 
  Derek Gray, Gregory Harris, Jon Lamkin, Michael 
  LeBlanc, Jarrad Litwalk, John David Litwalk Jr., Zachary 
  Litwalk, Michael Mattson, Chris McGovern, Pearce 
  Reickert, Brett Robinson, Matthew Roderick, K Turner, 
  Marcello Velazquez
  THE FROZEN NORTH
  An avalanche strands you and your allies in the treacherous Spine of the World, and 
  a relentless blizzard is quickly blowing away all hope of survival. Gather the surviving 
  members of your caravan and strike out for shelter. Strike out for life!
  Part One of the Plague of Ancients Series of Adventures.
  
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Adventure Primer
  Adventure Primer
  I dunno what the hell’s in there, but it’s weird and pissed off, 
  whatever it is.
  —Bill Lancaster, The Thing (1982)
  This adventure is designed for three to seven 1st- or 2nd-
  level characters and is optimized for five characters with 
  an average party level (APL) of 1. Characters outside this 
  level range can’t participate in this adventure.
   This adventure takes place north of Luskan, somewhere 
  along the “Ten Trail” caravan route through the Spine of 
  the World toward Icewind Dale. See appendix E for a map 
  of the region.
  Background
  ICEWIND DALE, the frigid expanse north of the 
  SPINE OF THE WORLD, is deep in the grip of the 
  EVERLASTING RIME—a name bestowed upon the 
  wrath of AURIL THE FROSTMAIDEN. Denied the 
  sun’s warmth, the people of TEN-TOWNS, the GOLIATH 
  CLANS, and the REGHED NOMADS in the surrounding 
  wilds, huddle near their fires to drive away the cold, hoping 
  they’ll be able to endure the chill until the sun rises once 
  more.
   Unbeknownst to them however, the cold is the least 
  of their concerns. Among the THUUNLAKALAGA 
  clan—the goliaths of WYRMDOOM CRAG—the druid 
  FERAL-TONGUE has gone missing, and in his absence, 
  beasts infused with CHARDALYN are driving away prey 
  and fomenting madness in the minds of the people they 
  encounter.
   All is not yet lost; OLD GOAT, the leader of the 
  Thuunlakalaga clan anticipates a sign. Salvation will be 
  heralded by a FALLING STAR on the distant horizon, an 
  ember of hope to melt away the icy grip of doubt in her 
  heart.
  Overview
  The adventure’s story is spread over four parts, each taking 
  approximately 1 hour to play:
  Part 1: The Survivors (60 mins). The heroes are caught in 
  a terrible avalanche and must rally the survivors and take 
  stock of their supplies before the weather grows worse. 
  This is Story Objective A.
  Part 2: The Blizzard (60 mins). A blizzard with unusual 
  manifestations befalls the heroes and other survivors, 
  who must seek out shelter. One of the survivors 
  disappears under disturbing circumstances. This is 
  Story Objective B.
  Part 3: The Cave (60 mins). The survivors find a cave to 
  shelter from the blizzard in and find sinister ancient 
  ruins within. The entrance to the ruins is hidden by a 
  trapped puzzle that claims the life of another survivor. 
  This is Story Objective C.
  Part 4: The Thing (60 mins). As they explore the ruins, 
  the heroes learn of the long-forgotten wizards who once 
  lived here. The lurking menace reveals itself as a snowy 
  owlbear, who slays the final survivor before vanishing 
  into the snow. A goliath hunter, Suuk One-Feather 
  Thuunlakalaga, offers shelter to the weary travelers. This 
  is Story Objective D.
  Story Awards
  At points in the adventure, this glyph along 
  with an entry describes how the specified story 
  award is earned or impacted by the story. Ignore 
  it if it refers to a story award none of the characters have. 
  If it refers to a story award the characters just earned, it 
  provides information for you and the players.
  Adventure Hooks
  In addition to the characters’ individual backgrounds, the 
  following hooks are possible ways to involve them in this 
  scenario:
   Caravan Guard. This is a dangerous area of the world 
  and the caravan master offered good pay for guards, scouts, 
  outriders, war mages, healers, and even a minstrel to keep 
  people entertained.
   Local Connections. The heroes are heading home to 
  visit family or friends, or are conducting business in the 
  area.
   Dire Portents. Characters with ties to the divine or 
  arcane may have received visions of unusual goings-on 
  in Icewind Dale, which is deep within the grasp of an 
  unusually long and deep winter called the Everlasting 
  Rime.
   The Great Hunt. Characters who prefer the wilder parts 
  of the world have heard rumors of unusually cunning 
  beasts wandering the wilds of Icewind Dale and may be 
  seeking them out for a challenge or to investigate them.
  Narrating Frostclaw, the Hunter
  Though they don’t face her directly until part 4, the characters 
  are constantly hunted by the awakened owlbear as the 
  adventure progresses. To ensure you instill the appropriate 
  sense of paranoia and dread this villain deserves, leave 
  signs of her passing for the characters to encounter. Some 
  examples of what the characters might encounter include:
  • A large, white feather stained with blood.
  • The mutilated carcass of a beast or a missing goliath 
  hunter.
  • Large footprints that’re quickly blown away by wind and 
  snow.
  • A dead tree with huge claw marks gouged into the trunk.
  • Growls and roars; their source obscured by howling wind.
  • A circular pattern of deliberately arranged body parts.
  
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  The Survivors
  The Survivors
  1
  Estimated Duration: 60 minutes
  The Spine of the World
  Themes. Fear, isolation, shock.
  This episode introduces the sidekicks: the Expert, the 
  Warrior, and the Spellcaster (see handout 1).
  Story Objective A
  Rescuing the other survivors and surviving the night is Story 
  Objective A.
  Character Introductions
  Allow each character a minute or so to introduce their 
  character, describe their appearance and mannerisms, and 
  the reason why they’re with the caravan. Be sure to give 
  everyone equal time in the spotlight and be prepared to 
  gently stop people if they run on. Character introductions 
  are crucially important for the players to understand who 
  the other characters are, to build a basis for roleplaying 
  opportunities, and for you, the DM, to learn more about 
  the characters so you can create story elements that really 
  speak to them.
   Award inspiration (explaining what inspiration is and 
  how it works) once everyone’s had a turn.
  Inspiration
  Inspiration can be awarded by the DM for roleplaying, clever 
  thinking, contributing to the fun, or for any other reason. If 
  a player has inspiration, they can state that they’re using it 
  before rolling an attack roll, a saving throw, or an ability check 
  to get advantage on that roll. Advantage means that you roll 
  two d20s (or one d20 twice) and take the higher roll.
   Players can earn inspiration once and can’t earn it again 
  until they’ve used it or given it away to another player who 
  doesn’t have inspiration. What does this mean? The more you 
  award inspiration, the more players will try to earn it!
  Area Information
  This section represents a desperate search for survivors 
  and gear before the blizzard grows to full force. The heroes 
  should slowly realize they’re in deep trouble.
   Dimensions and Terrain. The pass winds through 
  rocky peaks, narrow paths, and wide saddles, but is made 
  far more treacherous by the snow and ice driven by the 
  constantly howling winds. It’s quite possibly the deepest 
  winter this part of the world has seen in living memory.
   Temperature. Snow gets into people’s clothes from being 
  tumbled by the avalanche and melts making them wet and 
  cold. The temperature is starting to drop.
   Light. The nights in Icewind Dale are long (especially 
  during the grip of the Everlasting Rime) and the utter 
  darkness is broken only by a few hours of dim twilight—
  usually between late morning and early evening—and the 
  auroras that streak across the sky.
  Lighting in Icewind Dale
  Unless otherwise noted in the adventure, daytime hours 
  provide dim light outdoors, while nighttime hours are dark. The 
  permanent dusk of Auril’s curse makes the promise of sunlight 
  seem a teasing possibility, but the sun never breaks the horizon.
   Weather. A blizzard is coming. The sky turns steel gray 
  and the wind picks up, blowing snow everywhere. The light 
  snow hangs in the air as a white mist, lightly obscuring the 
  area beyond 15 feet, and heavily obscuring anything beyond 
  30 feet. The mist leaves a thin coat of ice on surfaces it 
  comes into contact with.
  Obscurement
  Vision is important in adventuring—whether it’s needed to 
  see a hidden foe, to target a spell, or to find clues. Some 
  effects obscure a creature’s vision, complicating these tasks.
   Lightly Obscured. These areas can be caused by fog, dim 
  light, and moderate foliage. Creatures have disadvantage on 
  Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when trying to 
  see something that’s lightly obscured.
   Heavily Obscured. These areas are caused by darkness, 
  opaque fog, and dense foliage and block vision entirely. A 
  creature is blinded when trying to see something in that area. 
  Blinded creatures automatically fail Wisdom (Perception) 
  checks that rely on sight, have disadvantage on attack rolls, 
  and grant advantage to attackers that they can’t see.
   Sounds. Settling snow shifting. The wind’s rising whine. 
  The wounded’s weak cries as they suffocate or succumb to 
  their injuries. Given the background noise, Wisdom checks 
  relying on hearing are made with disadvantage.
  
  IRINA NORDSOL
  4
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  A. The Avalanche
  Unfortunately, things are about to get a whole lot worse for 
  our intrepid band of heroes and do-gooders!
  To Boxed Text or Not to Boxed Text
  You can read this box text dramatically to your players, or you 
  can ignore it and describe the avalanche yourself. Don’t use 
  more than a few sentences and don’t describe the characters’ 
  actions; tell the players what their characters sense and let 
  them decide what their characters do. As a DM, you get to 
  portray the entire world; let the players focus on their own 
  characters.
  A shockingly loud roar, like all the thunder in the world, 
  sounds from hundreds of feet up the mountain followed 
  by the cracking of evergreen trees as a huge wave of ice, 
  snow, and debris crashes down to engulf the tiny caravan 
  like a nightmare of white dragon breath.
  Give the players a few seconds each to describe what their 
  characters do before the avalanche engulfs them!
  As the grinding roar of the avalanche subsides into the 
  cracks and groans of snow settling, weak cries for help and 
  wails of pain penetrate the snowpack. Dusting the snow off 
  yourselves, you see the caravan is gone; only felled trees, 
  tumbled boulders, and mounds of snow remain.
  Just as the heroes take stock of the avalanche damage, the 
  weather starts to turn bad; a blizzard is clearly coming. 
  Remind the players that they have inspiration—they may 
  need it! Inspiration is used to gain advantage on a d20 
  roll—the most important die in the game.
  Advantage and Disadvantage
  Sometimes your character enjoys or suffers an effect that 
  grants advantage or imposes disadvantage on a d20 roll—
  such as an ability check, an attack roll, or a saving throw. 
  While the two mechanics operate very similarly, they’re polar 
  opposites. In both cases, instead of rolling one d20, you roll 
  two. If you’ve got advantage on a roll, you choose the higher 
  result of the two dice. If you’ve got disadvantage, you choose 
  the lower roll.
   If multiple effects grant advantage or impose disadvantage 
  on a roll, you don’t roll more than one additional d20. If an 
  effect causes a roll to have both advantage and disadvantage 
  (for instance, an NPC is helping but the hero has a level of 
  exhaustion), you’re considered to have neither; you roll one 
  d20 as normal. This is true even if multiple circumstances 
  impose disadvantage and only one grants advantage or vice 
  versa. In such a situation, you have neither advantage nor 
  disadvantage.
   Ask the characters what they’re doing in response to the 
  debacle they’ve suddenly found themselves in. Consider a 
  short introduction to ability checks here.
  Ability Checks
  An ability check tests a creature’s (characters and monsters 
  are both creatures) innate talent and training in an effort to 
  overcome a challenge. You call for an ability check when a 
  creature attempts an action (other than an attack) that has 
  a chance of failure. When the outcome is uncertain, the die 
  determines the results. The adventure usually suggests which 
  ability to use as well as the difficulty class (DC) of the check, 
  though you can change that.
   An ability check consists of a d20 roll plus the ability 
  score modifier for the ability used for the check. If the ability 
  check calls for using a skill, a creature proficient in that skill 
  also adds their proficiency modifier. If the roll plus all the 
  modifiers equals or exceeds the DC, the creature succeeds; 
  otherwise they fail.
  Story Objective A
  Once the characters are ready to move on, they see and 
  hear signs of other survivors:
  • A shivering Expert partially buried in the snow.
  • A Warrior threatened by hungry wolves, trying to 
  quickly don their armor.
  • Shouts of terror can be heard from a Spellcaster stuck 
  beneath an overturned wagon: “Help!”
   The characters must decide how to rescue as many 
  survivors as possible. Given the gravity of the situation, they 
  must split up if they’re to rescue them all.
  
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  B. Rescue
  The characters must rescue the surviving caravan 
  members—and with the weather worsening by the moment, 
  they’ll need to split up to do so.
   Once each character has decided who they’re going to 
  save, have everyone roll initiative. Track the following 
  encounters in this order and monitor how many rounds 
  pass. Emphasize that their situations are most dire; a 
  survivor who isn’t saved within four rounds dies! Feel free 
  to adjust this up or down for particularly small or large 
  groups as you see fit.
  Initiative
  An initiative check is a Dexterity ability check. It isn’t a skill, 
  so proficiency bonuses aren’t typically added. This check 
  determines the order in which the actors in a given encounter 
  take their turns. The creature with the highest initiative check 
  goes first at the beginning of a round, with others following 
  in descending order until the last creature takes their turn. 
  Once everyone’s taken their turn, the round ends and the next 
  round begins.
  B1. The Expert
  The Expert is buried up to their waist in the snow and is 
  unable to escape. Worse yet, their precious flask is gone!
  The Expert
  Chaotic good expert sidekick
  This clever soul is the firstborn of a highly regarded 
  smith. After their father died in a suspicious accident, and 
  suspecting a competitor was to blame, they self-exiled rather 
  than tend to the business themselves. The Expert is brash 
  and boisterous.
  What They Want. Having left their ancestral home behind, 
  they seek to begin life anew in the frozen, unexplored reaches 
  of Icewind Dale. They’ve heard rumors of long-forgotten ruins 
  with ancient treasures ripe for plunder.
  Nagging Guilt. They seldom speak of their past, and they 
  shield themselves from the guilt of leaving their home with 
  jokes and self-deprecating anecdotes. But those who push 
  them on it find it’s a surefire way to anger them.
   Freeing the Expert requires a successful DC 9 Strength 
  (Athletics) check, but once freed, they immediately begin 
  searching for a flask—a gift from someone very dear to 
  them. In order to rescue the Expert, the characters must 
  find it among the snow and wreckage.
   Finding the flask requires a successful DC 11 group 
  check—meaning that each character present makes the 
  check, but if half or more of them succeed, the entire group 
  does. This time, the type of check (Wisdom, Dexterity, etc.) 
  is determined by the player. Have each player describe 
  what their character is doing to search. A character digging 
  through the snow makes a Strength (Athletics) check, while 
  a character who clambers atop a nearby vantage point, 
  such as a ruined wagon, makes a Wisdom (Perception) 
  check. A character might even try to deduce where the flask 
  would’ve fallen—given the wind speed and the sidekick’s 
  fall trajectory—making an Intelligence (Investigation) 
  check. Reward the players’ creativity here.
  Help
  As an action, a creature can take the Help action to assist 
  others with a task, provided that the check is something 
  the creature could attempt alone—such as searching for 
  something. However, a creature can only use the Help 
  action with tasks that two or more people could perform 
  productively. Some tasks, such as threading a needle, aren’t 
  easier with help.
   Helping a creature gives them advantage on their next 
  ability check to perform that task. Alternatively, a creature can 
  aid a friendly creature in attacking a creature within 5 feet of 
  them. They feint, distract the target, or in some other way 
  team up to make their ally’s attack more effective. If their ally 
  attacks the target before the helping creature’s next turn, the 
  first attack roll is made with advantage.
   NOTE: The Expert can Help others as a bonus action, so 
  they should aid one of the characters in their efforts each 
  round. Choose a character randomly or choose one played 
  by a young or new player, or someone with anxieties about 
  roleplaying. Remember, everyone should be able to shine.
   If the characters aren’t interested in searching for the 
  flask, they can convince the Expert to give up the search 
  instead with a successful DC 11 group check. As before, 
  the characters describe what they’re attempting, and you 
  decide what sort of check they must make. A character 
  who tries to convince the Expert of the immediate 
  environmental dangers would make a Wisdom (Survival) 
  check. Convincing them with a lie about having already 
  found the flask would require a Charisma (Deception) 
  check. Barring that, asking nicely (or not-so-nicely) calls for 
  a Charisma (Intimidation or Persuasion) check.
   Development. The Expert is rescued once their flask is 
  found or they’re convinced to stop searching for it.
  B2. The Spellcaster
  The Spellcaster was sound asleep when the rushing snow 
  overturned their wagon. They’re trapped beneath it and risk 
  suffocating unless they’re saved!
  The Spellcaster
  Neutral spellcaster sidekick
  Growing up on the streets of Waterdeep didn’t stop this ruffian 
  from teaching themselves how to read and obtaining work at 
  Candlekeep. In pursuit of becoming a full-fledged member of 
  the Avowed (the monks that maintain the great library), they’ve 
  made the trek to Icewind Dale searching for ancient Netherese 
  tomes and relics. The Spellcaster is gruff and terse.
  What They Want. Ambitious to a fault, they’re pursuing the 
  ruins of an ancient Netherese keep they found referenced in a 
  number of long-forgotten tomes.
  Something from Nothing. They’re no longer the street rat 
  they once were, and by succeeding in their journey, they’ll 
  make a difference in the world. As a reminder, they carry the 
  black robes of an Avowed acolyte folded neatly at the bottom 
  of their pack, waiting patiently to be earned.
   The Spellcaster is trapped beneath the wagon debris and 
  snow and has one round left until they start suffocating. 
  Once this happens, they hold out for one additional round 
  before dropping to 0 hit points, at which point they begin 
  dying (see below). Hearing the characters nearby, the 
  Spellcaster calls out in fear and desperation.
  
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Dropping to 0 Hit Points
  Upon being reduced to 0 hit points, a creature falls 
  unconscious and is dying. At the beginning of each of their 
  turns, a dying character makes a special saving throw—a 
  death saving throw. A death saving throw is like any other 
  saving throw except it isn’t tied to an ability score and 
  creatures aren’t usually proficient in them. If the creature rolls 
  a 10 or higher, they succeed; otherwise, they fail.
   If the creature succeeds on three saving throws, they 
  stabilize and even though they remain at 0 hit points, they’re 
  no longer at risk of dying; they don’t continue to make saving 
  throws. If they fail three times, they die. If a creature rolls a 
  natural 20 on their death saving throw, they regain 1 hit point 
  and can act on their turn. A natural 1 counts as two failures. 
  A creature also suffers a failed death saving throw if they 
  take damage while dying unless it’s from a critical hit—which 
  counts as two!
   Dying creatures can also be stabilized if another creature 
  uses an action to administer first aid and makes a successful 
  DC 10 Wisdom (Medicine) check, or automatically if they use 
  a healer’s kit.
   The characters have little time to rescue the Spellcaster. 
  Doing so requires hoisting the wagon off them with a 
  successful DC 11 group Strength (Athletics) check. Due 
  to the abundance of piled snow, however, these checks 
  are made with disadvantage. If all the characters spend a 
  round clearing the snow away, the group check is made 
  normally.
  Suffocating
  A creature can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal 
  to 1 + its Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds). 
  Once its breath runs out, it can survive for a number of 
  rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 
  round). At the start of its next turn, it drops to 0 hit points 
  and is dying, and it can’t regain hit points or be stabilized 
  until it can breathe again.
  Development
  The Spellcaster is rescued once they’re freed from the 
  wagon wreckage.
  B3. The Warrior
  The Warrior was off duty when the avalanche struck. They 
  managed to get to safety and sensing impending combat, 
  began to don their armor. However, they’ve been set upon 
  by two wolves before they’ve had the chance to finish!
  The Warrior
  Lawful neutral warrior sidekick
  Once a temple guard, this brave veteran later fell into service 
  with the Flaming Fist. They took a leave of absence when their 
  sibling made the voyage into Icewind Dale and never returned 
  after two years. The Warrior is manipulative and calculating.
  What They Want. They’ve made the voyage to Icewind Dale 
  in search of their sibling. They don’t know where to begin 
  their search, but figure Ten-Towns is a good place to start.
  Single-Minded Determination. They’re confident their 
  sibling is still alive and will do whatever it takes to prove it, 
  including throwing others into harm’s way.
  
  AXEL DEFOIS (L), MARK BEHM (R)
  7
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Deciding the Warrior is easy prey, the wolves begin circling 
  them. The Warrior has donned their shield and spent the 
  last seven rounds frantically donning their armor; their AC 
  is currently 13. The Warrior finishes donning their armor 
  after they use three actions to do so, raising their AC to 
  16. The characters must defend the Warrior until they’re 
  finished. The Warrior aids the characters if things look 
  dire.
  Adjusting This Encounter
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter, 
  according to your group. These aren’t cumulative:
  • Weak: The wolves use the mastiff stat block.
  • Strong: Add one wolf.
  • Very Strong: Add two wolves.
  Playing the Pillars
  Suggestions for this encounter:
  Combat. If the heroes are outmatched, the wolves may 
  probe the group for weaknesses by attacking individually.
  Exploration. There might be patches of thick, wet snow 
  in the area that count as difficult terrain. This may work 
  to the characters’ advantage; they could try to lure the 
  wolves into the hazards. Alternatively, sudden gusts of 
  wind carrying snow might obscure the area.
  Social. Characters can convince a wolf to flee or stop 
  attacking with a successful DC 15 Wisdom (Animal 
  Handling) check. If the wolf is charmed by an animal 
  friendship spell or a character uses a speak with animals 
  spell to communicate with it, the check is made with 
  advantage.
  Damage
  When a creature takes damage, its hit points are reduced by a 
  like amount. When a creature’s hit points are reduced to 0, it 
  dies or is dying.
   Damage is usually determined by a die roll and a damage 
  type. DMs are usually also provided with an average number. 
  Here, the wolf deals 7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage on a hit. 
  Using the average is convenient and fast, but you can choose 
  to roll the damage instead. It’s recommended you ask your 
  players which method they’d prefer, and stick with the choice 
  you make.
   Development. The Warrior is rescued once the wolves 
  are defeated.
  Story Award: Rescuers
  The characters earn this story award if they 
  rescue any of the survivors. Annotate which of 
  the three survivors they rescued. Each sidekick 
  is then controlled by one character. If the sidekick has the 
  Magical Role or Martial Role trait, the controlling character 
  (with the consideration of the other players) chooses which 
  one to use. This choice can’t be changed.
  Setting Up Camp
  Night falls as the heroes find each other and the other three 
  survivors and begin to search the wreckage. It’s completely 
  dark and while the characters may be up to it, the survivors 
  are just too exhausted to continue. They suggest searching 
  the area for supplies and making camp with what they find; 
  they can decide on what to do next in the morning.
  Searching the Wreckage
  If the characters take the time to search the area, they find 
  the following:
   The Silver. The characters spot the shiny brass fittings of 
  a sturdy lockbox partially buried in the snow. The lockbox 
  can be unlocked with a successful DC 11 Dexterity check 
  made with thieves’ tools, or a character can force it open 
  with a successful DC 11 Strength check—though doing so 
  ruins the nice box. The box contains a pouch of dark-blue 
  velvet filled with silver from the city of Luskan to the south 
  (see Treasure).
  Thieves’ Tools
  Thieves’ tools aren’t a skill, but rather a tool proficiency. 
  A creature that’s proficient with these tools adds their 
  proficiency bonus to any ability checks they make with 
  them—usually checks made to disarm traps or open locks.
  
  DAVID RENÉ CHRISTENSEN
  8
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
   The Potion. The corpse of a caravan member lies next to 
  a potion box: both shattered by the force of the avalanche. 
  Most of the vials within have broken and spilled onto the 
  snow, creating a slick of faintly glowing liquid in an eye-
  searing rainbow. Only one vial remains intact. The vial 
  contains a bead of red liquid that bobs lazily within, pulsing 
  rhythmically—a potion of growth (see Treasure).
   The Special Delivery. The character comes across the 
  remains of a wagon and finds a sturdy wooden crate (see 
  Treasure) about the size of a large shoebox, with a partial 
  label indicating its intended recipient resides somewhere 
  in Icewind Dale, but the name is gone. The sealed crate 
  can be pried open with a successful DC 12 Strength check. 
  Within is a knitted pink cap and mittens sized for an adult, 
  a package of herbal cough drops, leather bootlaces, and a 
  package of home-baked chocolate chip cookies. Placed with 
  loving care atop it is a handwritten note (see handout 2).
  Development
  Once the characters have prepared for the long, cold night 
  ahead, they’re safe to take a long rest.
  Long Rest
  A long rest is a period of extended downtime, at least 8 hours 
  long, during which a character sleeps for at least 6 hours 
  and performs no more than 2 hours of light activity, such 
  as reading, talking, eating, or standing watch. If the rest is 
  interrupted by a period of strenuous activity—at least 1 hour 
  of walking, fighting, casting spells, or similar adventuring 
  activity—the characters must begin the rest again to gain any 
  benefit from it.
   At the end of a long rest, a character regains all lost hit 
  points. The character also regains spent Hit Dice, up to a 
  number of dice equal to half the character’s total number of 
  them (minimum of one die). As the characters are likely first 
  level and only have one Hit Die, this isn’t much of an issue.
   A character can’t benefit from more than one long rest in a 
  24-hour period, and a character must have at least 1 hit point 
  at the start of the rest to gain its benefits.
   The night is long and cold. In the morning, each 
  character must make a DC 11 Constitution saving throw. 
  If you feel a particular character was descriptive and 
  adequately roleplayed their preparations, consider allowing 
  them to make the save with advantage. Characters who fail 
  the save gain the Frostbitten story award.
   By morning, the storm has abated, but the characters 
  aren’t out of trouble yet; they awake to find the tracks of 
  a rather large creature circling their camp (see handout 
  3). Characters who make a successful DC 11 Intelligence 
  (Nature) check identify the tracks as those of an owlbear—a 
  big one.
  Story Award: Frostbitten
  Characters who fail the saving throw gain this 
  story award. They gain a level of exhaustion that 
  can’t be removed until they complete a long rest 
  with food and drink in a warm and dry location.
  Exhaustion
  Some special hazards, such as the long-term effects of 
  freezing temperatures, can lead to a special condition called 
  exhaustion. Exhaustion is measured in levels. An effect can 
  give a creature one or more levels of exhaustion.
  Level
  Effect
  1
  Disadvantage on ability checks
  2
  Speed halved
  3
  Disadvantage on attack rolls and saving throws
  4
  Hit point maximum halved
  5
  Speed reduced to 0
  6
  Death
   Levels of exhaustion are cumulative, and a creature suffers 
  the effect of its current level of exhaustion as well as all lower 
  levels. For example, a creature suffering level 2 exhaustion 
  has its speed halved and has disadvantage on ability checks.
   Finishing a long rest reduces a creature’s exhaustion level 
  by 1, provided the creature has also ingested some food and 
  drink.
   Some effects that cause exhaustion might impose other 
  conditions for their removal. In this case, the Frostbitten story 
  award requires a long rest somewhere warm and dry.
  Treasure
  Provided they scavenged for supplies, the characters find:
  • A dark-blue velvet pouch of silver coins from Luskan.
  • A potion of growth (see handout 7).
  • A parcel containing a delivery of homemade goods to 
  persons unknown. The crate and its contents count as 
  a single trinket—one person among the group can keep 
  them. While the individual items aren’t really useful, if 
  the characters can figure out who they were intended for, 
  the recipient may be incredibly happy to have them.
  
  9
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  The Blizzard
  The Blizzard
  2
  Estimated Duration: 60 minutes
  The Blizzard
  Themes. Fear, isolation, helplessness.
  This part of the adventure continues to pit the characters 
  against the environment and strains their relationship with 
  the sidekicks. It ends with the discovery that one of them 
  has been slain by the unseen creature stalking the group.
  Story Objective B
  Finding shelter from the storm in the caves is Story 
  Objective B.
   If playing this adventure across multiple sessions, 
  consider having players reintroduce their characters.
  Character Introductions
  Allow each player a minute or so to introduce their character, 
  describe their appearance and mannerisms, and the reason 
  why they’re with the caravan. Be sure to give everyone equal 
  time in the spotlight and be prepared to gently stop people if 
  they run on. Character introductions are crucially important 
  for the players to understand who the other characters are, to 
  build a basis for roleplaying opportunities, and for you, the 
  DM, to learn more about the characters so you can create 
  story elements that really speak to the characters.
   Award inspiration (explaining what inspiration is and 
  how it works) to players who entertain the table with their 
  introductions!
  Area Information
  The area has the following features:
   Dimensions and Terrain. The pass winds through 
  rocky peaks, narrow paths, and wide saddles, but is made 
  far more treacherous by the snow and ice driven by the 
  constantly howling winds. It’s quite possibly the deepest 
  winter this part of the world has seen in living memory.
   Temperature. The temperature is still dropping, and the 
  wind causes exposed skin to ice over. It’s uncomfortably, 
  dangerously cold. If someone stops moving, they feel sharp 
  pain from freezing extremities and know death is coming if 
  they stay still for long.
   Light. The nights in Icewind Dale are long (especially 
  during the grip of the Everlasting Rime) and the utter 
  darkness is broken only by a few hours of dim twilight—
  usually between late morning and early evening—and the 
  auroras that streak across the sky.
  Lighting in Icewind Dale
  Unless otherwise noted in the adventure, daytime hours 
  provide dim light outdoors, while nighttime hours are dark. 
  The permanent dusk of Auril’s curse makes the promise of 
  sunlight seem a teasing possibility, but the sun never breaks 
  the horizon.
   Weather. An unnaturally strong blizzard. Snow pours 
  from the sky, angry thunder rumbles overhead, and violent 
  lightning sears the landscape. A creature that makes a 
  successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) suspects the blizzard 
  will arrive within a few hours and is likely to last several 
  days. There’s no doubt that if the group doesn’t find shelter 
  soon, they’ll freeze to death. The whiteout conditions and 
  strong winds lightly obscure anything beyond 15 feet and 
  heavily obscure anything beyond 30 feet.
   Sounds. Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on 
  hearing are made with disadvantage due to the incessant 
  thunder and wind.
  Story Award: Frostbitten
  Characters with this story award begin this part 
  with one or more levels of exhaustion that can’t be 
  removed until they complete a long rest in a warm 
  and dry location. Remind the players that the 
  Expert is keen to use the Help action to offset disadvantage.
  Story Award: Rescuers
  If any of the characters have this story award, 
  the group begins this part with each sidekick 
  the characters annotated in their story award. 
  The players decide who’ll control each sidekick 
  (choosing randomly if they can’t agree).
  A. Where Do We Go 
  From Here?
  The area destroyed by the avalanche is nearly a quarter 
  mile across; it extends down one mountain, across the 
  valley floor, and a quarter of the way up the mountain on 
  the opposite side of the valley. The remains of the caravan 
  are scattered over a large area.
  Thunder rattles overhead as snow, sky, and land blend 
  in whiteout conditions. Lightning in the clouds overhead 
  cause irregular bursts of light that make seeing harder 
  still. In the distance, you can make out the dark shape of a 
  mountain peak looming overhead. Perhaps you’ll be able 
  to find shelter there.
  
  10
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Spend a few moments with each player in turn, asking 
  what their character wants to do as they prepare to strike 
  out for the mountain. Once they’re all ready, they depart.
   The journey toward the mountain is arduous. It’s also 
  rife with dangerous weather and terrain. After an hour, 
  the party come across such a hazard. Roll a d4 to see 
  what they encounter (or choose one yourself); once the 
  characters successfully traverse the hazard, proceed to B. 
  Snow Birds.
  d4
  Event
  1
  Quicksnow
  2
  Crevasse
  3
  Blood Sleet
  4
  Razor Snow
  A1. Quicksnow
  Quicksnow occurs in areas of light, powdery snow atop 
  heavy, slushy snow. A quicksnow field covers the ground in 
  an area roughly 10 feet square and 10 feet deep. A creature 
  that makes a successful DC 11 Wisdom (Survival) check 
  identifies the quicksnow. Once detected, it’s easily avoided.
   When a creature enters the area, it sinks 1d4 + 1 feet into 
  the quicksnow and is restrained. At the start of each of the 
  creature’s turns, it sinks another 1d4 feet. As long as the 
  creature isn’t completely submerged in quicksnow, it can 
  escape by using its action and succeeding on a Strength 
  (Athletics) check. The DC is 10 plus the number of feet the 
  creature has sunk into the quicksnow.
  Restrained
  While restrained:
  • A restrained creature’s speed becomes 0, and it can’t 
  benefit from any bonus to its speed.
  • Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the 
  creature’s attack rolls have disadvantage.
  • The creature has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.
   A creature that starts its turn restrained by quicksnow 
  takes 2 (1d4) cold damage. A creature can pull another 
  creature out of the quicksnow as an action with a 
  successful Strength check. The DC equals 5 plus the 
  number of feet the target has sunk into the quicksnow.
  A2. Crevasse
  A crevasse is a long deep crack in the snowpack hidden 
  by a thin crust of ice and snow. A creature that makes a 
  successful DC 11 Wisdom (Survival) check identifies the 
  crevasse. Once detected, it’s easily avoided. Otherwise, a 
  creature that steps here breaks through the ice and must 
  make a successful DC 11 Dexterity saving throw or fall 
  into the 10-foot-deep crevasse, taking 3 (1d6) bludgeoning 
  damage. Climbing out of the crevasse requires a successful 
  DC 10 Strength (Athletics) roll. A character who fails this 
  check falls back down, taking another 3 (1d6) bludgeoning 
  damage, and must attempt their escape anew.
  A3. Blood Sleet
  The whirling snow becomes stinging pellets of coppery, 
  dark-red sleet. The sleet blows into eyes, noses, and 
  mouths and threatens to freeze solid everything in its path.
  Off in the distance, the storm looks . . . odd; the snow is a 
  dark crimson color.
  
  JEDD CHEVRIER
  11
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
   Any creature that starts its turn in blood sleet must make 
  a successful DC 12 Constitution saving throw or take 3 
  (1d6) cold damage and find themselves coated in a rime 
  of blood-red ice. A creature that starts its turn encrusted 
  in ice takes 3 (1d6) cold damage. Clearing the rime from a 
  creature requires an action.
   The sleet lasts for 3 rounds before dissipating.
  A4. Razor Snow
  The wind abates, something that’d normally be a good 
  thing. Moments later, sparkling snowflakes the size of 
  dinner plates lazily drift down from the storm above. While 
  beautiful, they’re razor sharp—something that becomes 
  immediately apparent as the wind picks back up and sends 
  the snowflakes whizzing around the area cutting limbs off 
  the evergreen trees.
   On initiative count 20 (losing ties), the snowflakes whiz 
  toward a random creature in the area and attack it: +3 to 
  hit, dealing 2 (1d4) slashing damage on a hit.
   The snow lasts for 3 rounds before dissipating.
  B. Snow Birds
  After another hour of travel, the blizzard calms slightly; the 
  swirling snow around the characters moves in odd patterns 
  before opening into lambent, yellow-orange eyes burning 
  with malice.
  Creature Information
  Feral-Tongue has used dark magic to conjure four snowy 
  giant owls made of frost, ice, and hate.
  Adjusting This Encounter
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter, 
  according to your group. These aren’t cumulative:
  • Weak: Remove one giant owl.
  • Strong: Add three giant owls.
  • Very Strong: The giant owls use the giant wasp stat block.
   A successful DC 10 Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence 
  (Arcana or Nature) check reveals that these aren’t natural 
  creations, but rather elementals conjured from the evil 
  magic suffusing the area. They hate all life.
   These elemental manifestations mimic real owls and fear 
  only one thing: bigger owls—something a successful DC 
  10 Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence (Arcana or Nature) 
  check reveals. Clever and resourceful characters may look 
  to exploit these fears. If they do so, any somewhat realistic 
  image or sound—such as from the minor illusion cantrip 
  or mimicking a “hoot” with a successful DC 10 Charisma 
  (Nature) check—may frighten the creatures for a few 
  rounds or even drive them away; giving the heroes time to 
  escape if they choose.
  Frightened
  A frightened creature:
  • Has disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls while 
  the source of its fear is within line of sight.
  • Can’t willingly move closer to the source of its fear.
   Once the owls are defeated, the characters happen upon 
  the frozen remains of another caravan member—and 
  perhaps other victims of the owls. By the look of it, she 
  froze solid while preparing to drink a potion—evident from 
  the vial clutched in her hand. She’s also wearing a platinum 
  ring set with a large sapphire that looks valuable.
   Treasure. A potion of healing and a platinum ring set 
  with a large sapphire, if the characters prize them from the 
  frozen woman’s hand.
  Shelter At Last!
  The tattered heroes make it to the mountains on the far 
  side of the valley and must search for shelter. A successful 
  DC 12 group Wisdom (Survival) check allows them to find 
  a suitable cave quickly. Remember to award inspiration 
  often for roleplaying and clever thinking! If the characters 
  fail, the search takes a few hours in the numbing cold. Each 
  character gains the Frostbitten story award.
   Upon entering the cave, the characters find it spacious 
  and warm, even the wind seems unable to ruin it. At the 
  back of the cave, a tiny stream flows from a crack in the 
  wall and collects into a pool, which is safe to drink.
   In either case, the characters are free to take a long rest 
  if they choose, the cave is safe (and warm if they start a fire 
  using some of the goods they scavenged from the caravan).
  Story Award: Frostbitten
  If the characters fail the group Wisdom (Survival) 
  check to find the cave, each character gains a 
  level of exhaustion. Respite is to be found in the 
  cave, however. The characters can take a long rest in the 
  cave, reducing their exhaustion level by 1 upon completing 
  it. If a character’s exhaustion level is reduced to 0, instruct 
  the player to remove this story award from their character.
  Story Award: Rescuers
  If the Warrior sidekick is present, one of the other 
  sidekicks (or the characters, if no other sidekicks 
  are present) notices that the Warrior is missing 
  as the group enters the cave mouth. On cue, a scream is 
  heard above the wind. If the characters investigate, read (or 
  paraphrase):
  Retracing your steps, you find what’s left of the Warrior. 
  For lack of a better description, they’ve been torn limb 
  from limb and their component parts arranged in an 
  unusual geometric pattern in the snow.
  The only indications of what happened are the tracks of a 
  large creature, a bear perhaps, quickly being erased by the 
  wind-driven snow.
   A character who makes a successful DC 15 Wisdom 
  (Survival) check identifies the tracks as those of an 
  owlbear—a big one. The tracks lead into the snowy wastes 
  and disappear after 50 feet.
   Instruct each player to remove the Warrior from their 
  character’s story awards.
  
  12
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  The Cave
  The Cave
  3
  Estimated Duration: 60 minutes
  The Door in the Cave
  Themes. Ancient, unknowable ruins, fear, paranoia.
  In this episode, the characters finally find shelter from the 
  Spine of the World’s brutal wind and cold in the form of a 
  shallow cave that’s also an entrance to a Netherese ruin.
  Story Objective C
  Discovering how to open the door is Story Objective C.
   If playing this adventure across multiple sessions, 
  consider having players reintroduce their characters.
  Character Introductions
  Allow each character a minute or so to introduce their 
  character, describe their appearance and mannerisms, and 
  the reason why they’re with the caravan. Be sure to give 
  everyone equal time in the spotlight and be prepared to 
  gently stop people if they run on. Character introductions 
  are crucially important for the players to understand who 
  the other characters are, to build a basis for roleplaying 
  opportunities, and for you, the DM, to learn more about the 
  characters so you can create story elements that really speak 
  to the characters.
   Award inspiration (explaining what inspiration is and 
  how it works) to players who entertain the table with their 
  introductions!
  Area Information
  The cave has the following features:
   Dimensions and Terrain. The naturally formed cave the 
  heroes have found contains a number of tunnels and small 
  chambers. The most curious is a short tunnel leading from 
  the opening chamber, which transitions to worked stone.
   Light. The cave is completely dark.
   Temperature. Pleasantly warm compared to outside.
   Sounds. Occasional drips of water, weird echoes.
  Story Award: Frostbitten
  Characters with this story award begin this part 
  with one or more levels of exhaustion that can’t 
  be removed until they complete a long rest in a 
  warm and dry location—like this cave.
  Story Award: Rescuers
  If any of the characters have this story award, 
  the group begins this part with each sidekick 
  the characters annotated in their story award. 
  The players decide who’ll control each sidekick (choosing 
  randomly if they can’t agree).
   The Warrior. If any of the characters have the Warrior 
  listed in their story awards, they awake to find one of the 
  other sidekicks obviously distraught and pointing outside 
  the cave. If the characters investigate, read or paraphrase:
  Just outside the cave’s mouth, you find what’s left of the 
  Warrior. For lack of a better description, they’ve been torn 
  limb from limb and their component parts arranged in an 
  unusual geometric pattern in the snow.
  The only indications of what happened are the tracks of a 
  large creature, a bear perhaps, quickly being erased by the 
  wind-driven snow.
  If no other sidekicks are present, the characters find bloody 
  drag marks leading outside the cave to the grim discovery. 
  The tracks lead into the snowy wastes and disappear 
  after 50 feet. A character who makes a successful DC 15 
  Wisdom (Survival) check identifies the tracks as owlbear 
  tracks—a big one.
   Instruct each player to remove the Warrior from their 
  character’s story awards.
  A. The Door
  After exploring the cave, the characters find a chamber of 
  worked stone—different than the natural stone they’ve seen 
  elsewhere.
  Area Information
  The chamber has the following features:
   Dimensions and Terrain. A short tunnel branching from 
  the first chamber transitions from unworked stone to a 
  corridor of hewn stone ending in a grand chamber 30 feet 
  across with an ornate ceiling 40 feet overhead. The walls 
  are covered in detailed bas-relief carvings. An ice-covered 
  door is set in the far wall with the long-cold remnants of a 
  camp nestled by it. Two tunnels lead into darkness.
   Carvings. These carvings depict numerous wizards 
  casting spells that alter entire landscapes, floating cities as 
  grand as Neverwinter or Waterdeep, and ancient gods who 
  are somewhat familiar, yet distinctly different from the ones 
  revered today.
  
  OLLY LAWSON
   Door. The door is made of white marble with streaks of 
  gray and blue. It bears writing in Draconic letters, as well 
  as diagrams, and small holes, described in handout 4.
   Camp. Beside the door, the characters find the remnants 
  of an incredibly old camp. The camp has a firepit along 
  with a bundle of old, but dry, firewood, various camping 
  supplies, and a backpack covered by a paper-thin layer 
  of limestone—deposited by years of water dripping from 
  above. The backpack contains a tattered journal and a 
  leather pouch containing pebbles painted in various colors 
  of sparkly paint (see handout 5). A character who makes 
  a successful DC 11 Intelligence (Investigation or Nature) 
  check wagers the camp has been abandoned for at least a 
  century, maybe two.
   Ice. The ice makes it impossible to discern the door’s 
  engravings. The door can be cleared of ice by spending a 
  couple hours chipping it away. Alternatively, the characters 
  can build a fire to warm the chamber and melt the ice in an 
  hour. The writing is legible once cleared of ice.
   Writing. The writing uses Draconic letters but is in a 
  language the characters are unlikely to understand without 
  magical assistance: Netherese. If the characters can’t 
  translate it, perhaps their sidekicks can. Once translated, 
  the passage reads:
   “Protection of the Leadership leads to Mastery but 
  Reserve your Intellect for Self-Preservation. Your Fortitude 
  is due to your Regeneration and Absorption of Sustenance. 
  Awareness of Insight leads to Supreme Intellect.”
  Story Award: Rescuers
  The sidekicks can help the characters—
  depending on if they ask for help or appear to 
  need it. Let the characters be the focus of the 
  story; their sidekicks shouldn’t constantly chime in!
   The Spellcaster. If present, they’re able to translate 
  the Netherese to Common, if needed. They’re also quite 
  helpful in interpreting the images in the carvings. They aid 
  a character who consults with them, granting advantage on 
  the check made to discern what the carvings depict.
   The Expert. If the characters lack the ability to translate 
  the writing and if the Spellcaster isn’t present to do so, 
  the Expert (if present) grudgingly assists and draws out a 
  vial full of a clear liquid with soot swirling in it—a potion 
  of comprehension (see handout 7)—and hands it to the 
  nearest character with annoyance.
  The Puzzle
  There’s an inscription on the door in Netherese (see 
  handout 4). There are depictions of stones around the 
  outside of the door, and a chute under the text in the middle 
  of the door. Dropping the pebbles into the central chute in 
  the order hinted at in the text opens the door.
   However, there are two pebbles still unidentified by the 
  missing archaeologist, and four stones total are missing. 
  The heroes must solve the puzzle to figure out what they 
  look like and then explore the caves to find the missing 
  pebbles (see B. The Missing Stones).
   A character who makes a successful DC 12 Intelligence 
  (Arcana) check recognizes the diagrams on the door 
  as Ioun stones; magic stones named after their creator, 
  Congenio Ioun, one of the Netheril Empire’s greatest 
  wizards. His stones would be familiar to most spellcasters 
  in the empire; identifying them would pose an easily 
  solvable puzzle for a wizard of that era.
  The Carvings
  Any character who inspects the bas-relief carvings can 
  make an Intelligence (Arcana or History) check, learning 
  one or more pieces of information based on the result of 
  their check. These results are cumulative; if a character 
  gets 14 on their roll, for example, they learn all the 
  information for the lower DCs as well.
  DC 10: These old gods are no longer worshipped. For 
  instance, the goddess of magic referenced is Mystryl, not 
  Mystra.
  DC 12: The floating cities were unique to the Netheril 
  empire. And it’s been gone a thousand years now.
  DC 14: The pictograms identify this particular ruin as a 
  school or research group that studied necromancy.
  DC 16: These ruins date from the Second Age of Netheril, 
  the Nether Age, when the Nether Scrolls that allowed 
  the empire’s magical might to flourish were found. That 
  was about 4,000 to 5,000 years before the present age.
  Treasure
  In addition to the journal and the pebbles, the backpack 
  also contains a potion of comprehension, a slender silver 
  needle (an illuminator’s tattoo), and a silver trade ingot.
  B. The Missing Stones
  The heroes must search the caves for the last four stones. 
  The heroes can also search for the stones before they solve 
  the puzzle if they choose—encountering the creatures 
  below along the way.
  
  14
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
   As the heroes search for the stones, the Expert gets 
  jumpier and jumpier—stress their increasing unease, 
  though they dismiss any inquiries about it.
  Self-Preservation/Intellect
  Two of the stones have been claimed by a gaggle of gazers. 
  Down one passageway (see appendix B for the map), 
  two gazers float about near the 20-foot-high ceiling. The 
  gazers have gone a bit feral without a beholder to keep an 
  eye on them.
   The gazers tussle over “the eyes” and aggressively attack 
  intruders—all the while insisting that the characters are 
  unworthy of the eyes and childishly mocking anything they 
  say in retort.
  Adjusting This Encounter
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter, 
  according to your group. These aren’t cumulative:
  • Weak: Remove one gazer.
  • Strong: Add one gazer.
  • Very Strong: Add two gazers.
  Playing the Pillars
  Suggestions for this encounter:
  Combat. The gazers like to float outside melee reach. If the 
  party retreats back to the entrance, strong winds knock 
  the gazers to the ground. They rush back toward their 
  lair in a panic on their next turn—provoking opportunity 
  attacks as they flee.
  Exploration. The gazers are busy tussling and arguing 
  with each other as the characters approach. A character 
  who makes a successful DC 14 Dexterity (Stealth) check 
  can slip by them, grab the stones, and escape before the 
  gazers are any the wiser.
  Social. The gazers enjoy terrorizing anything they can find. 
  If the characters manage to strike up a conversation 
  with them, they relate that it’s been a long time ago since 
  they’ve had good visitors; the last one had a staff made of 
  old, dark magic, so they stayed away from him. The ones 
  before that “stole things from them” and were “no fun.”
  Treasure
  The gazers generally hold the stones of Self-Preservation 
  and Intellect in their mouths when they aren’t squabbling 
  over them.
  Awareness/Mastery
  A breeding colony of piercers clings to the 20-foot-high 
  ceiling. Only two piercers are awake at the moment. 
  A skeleton in the middle the floor clutches two sparkly 
  pebbles. Appendix C contains the map for this encounter.
  Adjusting This Encounter
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter, 
  according to your group. These aren’t cumulative:
  • Weak: Remove one piercer.
  • Strong: Add one piercer.
  • Very Strong: Add two piercers.
   The piercers are enjoying a lazy afternoon, but they’d still 
  enjoy a warm meal. They haven’t eaten in a long time.
   Treasure. The skeleton clutches the stones of Awareness 
  and Mastery in its hand.
  Breaching the Door
  Once the heroes have all the stones, they must drop them 
  into the central chute in the order noted in the door’s 
  riddle. If they get the order wrong, the internal channels in 
  the door reroute the stones back to their respective slots so 
  the heroes can try again.
   The heroes can take another long rest in relative warmth 
  and safety in the cave.
  Story Award: Frostbitten
  If the characters take a long rest at the end of this 
  part, reducing their exhaustion level by 1 upon 
  completing it. If a character’s exhaustion level 
  is reduced to 0, the player removes this story award from 
  their character.
  Story Award: Rescuers
  If the Expert sidekick is present, they insist on 
  checking the door for traps and “other nasties” 
  that the door might hide. Shoving the characters 
  aside, they push it open. Read (or paraphrase):
  The door slides open with the grinding of stone. The grand 
  entry room is covered with faded frescoes of life and magic 
  in the Netheril Empire. A heartbeat later, there’s a pulse of 
  arcane energy and the Expert’s name appears on the far 
  wall, written in sticky blood.
  The Expert shrieks in terror and runs out of the ruins 
  toward the cave entrance in a desperate panic.
  The Expert runs to the cave entrance as fast as they can, 
  refusing to stop until they’re outside. If the characters 
  follow, read (or paraphrase):
  The Expert stands in the blowing snow just outside the 
  cave, hands on their knees and panting breathlessly.
  “Did you see . . .” The words barely escape their lips 
  as a hulking, white-and-crimson form careens out of the 
  snow, grabs them in a huge, taloned claw, and disappears 
  from sight.
  Whether the heroes move to save the Expert or save their 
  own skins and flee, they hear the Expert’s dying screams. 
  Adventurers willing to venture 100 feet away from the cave 
  mouth catch a glimpse of a large creature standing over the 
  Expert’s mangled body, but the creature disappears into the 
  blizzard with disconcerting speed and grace.
   Instruct each player to remove the Expert from their 
  character’s story awards.
  The Spellcaster
  They’re clearly disturbed if they see the Expert’s death, and 
  with trembling breath, suggest that the characters are next.
  
  15
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  The Thing
  The Thing
  4
  Estimated Duration: 60 minutes
  The Colloquium Of 
  Immortality
  Themes. Fear of the unknown, death, discovery.
  In this episode, the characters enter the winding halls 
  of the Netherese ruins. As the characters explore, the 
  awakened owlbear hunting the group finally reveals herself.
  Story Objective D
  Discovering the secrets of the Colloquium of Immortality and 
  surviving Frostclaw’s attack is Story Objective D.
   If playing this adventure across multiple sessions, 
  consider having players reintroduce their characters.
  Character Introductions
  Allow each character a minute or so to introduce their 
  character, describe their appearance and mannerisms, and the 
  reason why they’re with the caravan. Be sure to give everyone 
  equal time in the spotlight and be prepared to gently stop 
  people if they run on. Character introductions are crucially 
  important for the players to understand who the other 
  characters are, to build a basis for roleplaying opportunities, 
  and for you, the DM, to learn more about the characters so 
  you can create story elements that really speak to them.
   Award inspiration (explaining what inspiration is and 
  how it works) to players who entertain the table with their 
  introductions!
  Area Information
  The area has the following features:
   Light. The ruins are in darkness.
   Temperature. Pleasantly warm compared to outside.
   Atmosphere. Weird echoes, the faint smell of carrion. 
  Ancient ruins undisturbed for thousands of years.
  Story Award: Frostbitten
  Characters with this story award begin this part 
  with one or more levels of exhaustion that can’t 
  be removed until they complete a long rest in a 
  warm and dry location.
  Story Award: Rescuers
  If any of the characters have this story award, 
  the group begins this part with each sidekick 
  the characters annotated in their story award. 
  The players decide who’ll control each sidekick (choosing 
  randomly if they can’t agree).
   The Warrior and the Expert. If any of the characters 
  still have the Expert or the Warrior listed in their story 
  awards, they awake to find them missing. If the characters 
  investigate, they find bloody drag marks leading to the 
  cave’s mouth. There, they find the sidekicks’ mutilated 
  remains arranged in a macabre pattern, surrounded by 
  the tracks of a large creature, a bear perhaps. The tracks 
  lead into the snowy wastes and disappear after 50 feet. 
  A character who makes a successful DC 15 Wisdom 
  (Survival) check identifies the tracks as owlbear tracks—a 
  big one.
   Instruct each player to remove the Warrior and the 
  Expert from their character’s story awards.
  A. Pit of Sacrifice
  An elegant stone bridge worked to resemble bones crosses 
  a dark pit in this room. There’s something at bottom of the 
  pit, and it’s definitely moving. The stone bridge leads to B. 
  Chamber of Slumbering Crystal.
  Area Information
  The chamber has the following features:
   Dimensions and Terrain. The room is 75 feet wide 
  and 55 feet long with a 30-foot-high ceiling. The entirety 
  of the floor is a 30-foot-deep pit partly filled with a thin 
  fog. An elegant 10-foot-wide stone bridge worked to 
  resemble bones spans the pit. The walls are decorated with 
  detailed frescoes depicting students in pursuit of profane 
  knowledge.
   Light. The chamber is in darkness.
   Frescoes. The faded frescoes depict the following:
  • Powerful mages surrounded by scores of seated 
  students taking notes and skeletal attendants cleaning, 
  making deliveries, and bringing food.
  • Under the watchful supervision of a mage, a 
  student coaxes a spirit from the body of a recently 
  deceased human.
  • Several students conducting a ritual in a graveyard that 
  calls the dead from their graves while nearby townsfolk 
  run away screaming.
  • Students vivisecting a screaming gnome while others 
  take careful notes about the poor creature’s anatomy.
  • The final fresco depicts two elder mages standing over a 
  kneeling apprentice cutting off her own right hand.
   Characters who inspect the frescoes and have a passive 
  Intelligence (Investigation) score of 12 or higher, or who 
  make a successful DC 12 Intelligence (Investigation) check, 
  notice that all the senior mages depicted in the frescoes are 
  missing their right hands.
  
  ROBSON MICHEL
  16
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Passive Checks
  A passive check is a special kind of ability check that doesn’t 
  involve any die rolls. A passive check is usually used when 
  the DM wants to secretly determine whether the characters 
  succeed at something without rolling dice, such as noticing a 
  hidden monster.
   A creature’s passive score is 10 plus all modifiers to a given 
  skill check (ability score modifier plus their proficiency modifier, 
  if proficient). If the creature has advantage on the check, add 5 
  to their passive score. If they have disadvantage, subtract 5.
   If the creature’s passive score equals or exceeds the DC of 
  the check, the creature succeeds.
   Crawling Claws. While it’s easy to see something is 
  moving at the bottom of the 30-foot-deep pit, the light fog 
  makes it difficult to discern exactly what it is. A creature 
  that makes a successful DC 13 Wisdom (Perception) 
  check realizes the pit is filled with moving, severed hands—
  innumerable crawling claws. The claws consist only of 
  right hands—those cut off by their owners in pursuit of the 
  colloquium’s necromantic mysteries. The claws become 
  agitated in response to light and sound—scrabbling at the 
  walls and filling the chamber with an absolutely horrifying 
  scratching, skittering noise.
   The Pit. Falling into the pit comes with good news and 
  bad news. The good news is that their fall is cushioned and 
  they take no damage. The bad news is that their fall was 
  cushioned by a mass of undead severed hands, which are 
  very excited to meet them.
   A creature that starts their turn in the pit finds the little 
  creatures crawling all over the bodies and takes 7 (2d6) 
  bludgeoning damage. Climbing out the pit requires a 
  successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) check, though it’s 
  made with disadvantage due to the sheer abundance of 
  clinging and grasping hands.
  B. Chamber of Slumbering 
  Crystal
  The chamber (see appendix D for the map) has the 
  following features:
   Dimensions and Terrain. While numerous collapsed 
  chambers are spread throughout the ancient complex, the 
  only open ones lead to a large, 75-foot-wide rectangular 
  room. The floor in the center of the chamber is broken 
  open and chunks of ice lay strewn about. Pictograms 
  depicting a staff made of stone or ice—perhaps chardalyn—
  line the walls.
   Temperature. This chamber is frigid compared to 
  the rest of the colloquium; it seems even colder than 
  the blizzard outside. The partially collapsed rear of the 
  chamber leads to an icy tunnel that slopes upward—
  perhaps toward the surface. The ice is free of dust and 
  seems new.
   Floor. Chunks of ice lay strewn about the floor, 
  concentrated around a depression 10 feet wide and 10 feet 
  deep that’s been rent in the center of the chamber; it’s plain 
  to see something broke free from its icy prison.
   Pictograms. Complex pictograms line the walls and 
  text is carved under them in several different languages 
  including Common, Draconic, Dwarvish, and Elvish. Their 
  contents are detailed for the players in handout 6.
  The Thing
  Having had a chance to inspect the pictograms, the 
  creature that’s been hunting the group bursts into the 
  chamber from the icy tunnel, collapsing the hallway 
  characters used to reach the chamber.
  The chamber shudders as an immense creature crashes 
  into the room—filling it with a shower of snow and ice!
  Story Award: Rescuers
  If the Spellcaster sidekick is present, they’re 
  crushed by falling rubble as Frostclaw arrives. 
  Read (or paraphrase):
  A huge chunk of ice detaches from the ceiling with 
  an earsplitting crack and crashes to the ground with 
  immeasurable force.
  The only thing where the Spellcaster once stood is 
  a pile of shattered ice and a slowly growing pool of 
  dark-red blood.
   Instruct each player to remove the Spellcaster from their 
  character’s story awards.
  Creature Information
  Frostclaw, Feral-Tongue’s closest ally, has finally revealed 
  herself to the characters!
  
  APRIL PRIME
  17
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  As the snow and powdered ice settles, a snowy owlbear 
  with shards of blood frozen into its fur and feathers comes 
  into view. She stands the better part of fourteen feet tall 
  and her black beak and claws are viciously sharp.
  Callous intent burning in her crystalline blue eyes, she 
  stares intently at you, lets loose an ear-piercing shriek, 
  and charges!
  Frostclaw
  Chaotic evil awakened owlbear
  Frostclaw was the first creature Feral-Tongue awakened 
  following his discovery of the corrupted chardalyn staff. 
  Frostclaw is a murderous creature whose lust for blood is made 
  all the more terrifying by her intellect. She resembles other 
  snowy owlbears, but her beak and claws have been transformed 
  into corrupted chardalyn—a manifestation of the evil magic in 
  Feral-Tongue’s staff. Crystals of frozen blood cling to her fur and 
  feathers—tinkling and chiming eerily as she moves.
  What They Want. Frostclaw lives to drive terror into the 
  hearts of her prey; their screams are almost as sweet to her as 
  their meat.
  Thrill of the Hunt. Her skill at hunting is matched by her 
  thirst for instilling terror in her victims.
   Frostclaw is as smart as an average hero and was charged 
  by Feral-Tongue with securing the pass from the start of 
  part 1—the heroes are the only remaining detail to take care 
  of. Once she’s dealt with them, she can return to her lair.
   Frostclaw uses the brown bear stat block but the chunks 
  of frozen blood in her fur increases her AC by 2. She has an 
  Intelligence of 10 and is proficient in Giant. In addition to 
  this, she has the Legendary Resistance trait and Legendary 
  Actions listed below:
  Legendary Resistance (3/Day). If Frostclaw fails a saving throw, 
  she can choose to succeed instead.
  Legendary Actions. Frostclaw 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. Frostclaw regains spent legendary actions at the 
  start of her turn.
  Move. Frostclaw moves up to her speed.
  Shove. Frostclaw attempts to shove a creature. (See the “Making 
  an Attack” section of chapter 9 in the Player’s Handbook for 
  more details.)
  Fearsome Roar (Costs 2 Actions). Frostclaw roars loudly. Any 
  creature within 30 feet that can see and hear Frostclaw must 
  succeed on a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw or be frightened of 
  Frostclaw until the end of their next turn.
  Icy Breath (Costs 3 Actions). Frostclaw exhales a breath of frigid 
  air in a 15-foot cone. Each creature in the area must succeed on 
  a DC 13 Constitution saving throw or take 4 (1d8) cold damage 
  and be restrained by freezing ice (escape DC 13). A creature that 
  succeeds on its saving throw takes only half damage and isn’t 
  restrained.
  Adjusting This Encounter
  Here are some suggestions for adjusting this encounter, 
  according to your group. These aren’t cumulative:
  • Weak: Use the black bear stat block modified as above.
  • Strong: Use the polar bear stat block modified as above.
  • Very Strong: Use the owlbear stat block modified as above.
  
  18
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Playing the Pillars
  Suggestions for this encounter:
  Combat. Frostclaw fights dirty. She’s happy to suffer an 
  opportunity attack if it means going after lightly armored 
  prey. If a character is close to the depression in the 
  center of the chamber, Frostclaw might gleefully trade 
  one of her claw attacks to Shove them into the hole so 
  she can focus on dismantling the heroes one at a time.
  Exploration. While rough and uneven, the depression’s 
  walls are slick. Climbing them requires a successful DC 
  12 Strength (Athletics) check. A creature climbing a rope 
  held by another character or secured by a grappling hook 
  makes this check with advantage.
  Social. Frostclaw is beyond redemption and reason. She’s 
  toyed with the characters just long enough to make their 
  flesh succulent and satisfying. While she still becomes 
  friendly if successfully charmed, she can’t be compelled 
  to abandon Feral-Tongue without more powerful 
  magic. She still flees if defeated, regardless of magical 
  influences.
  Die Another Day
  When Frostclaw is reduced to 0 hit points (or when you feel 
  the characters are in real peril of dying to her), she doesn’t 
  die; instead she flees through the icy cave, which crumbles 
  behind her. This is unavoidable; she shrugs off any effects 
  that’d prevent her escape. Read or paraphrase:
  The owlbear roars in frustration and outrage. Rearing on 
  her hind legs, she turns to flee the chamber, shrugging off 
  your attacks as she barrels away.
  She slips on the blood-slick floor by the Spellcaster’s 
  body and slams into the wall by the tunnel, causing 
  another collapse that both seals the tunnel behind her 
  and reveals an intact, older passage toward the surface, 
  exposing the bodies of a group of archaeologists—all 
  frozen solid.
  Frostclaw’s escape tunnel collapses in her wake; any 
  creature that starts their turn within it takes 5 (1d10) 
  bludgeoning damage from falling stones and ice and must 
  make a successful DC 13 Dexterity saving throw or be 
  knocked prone and be restrained (escape DC 13).
   The remains belong to an expedition that’d almost 
  reached the Chamber of Slumbering Crystal. A character 
  who inspects the bodies and makes a successful DC 11 
  Intelligence (Investigation) or Wisdom (Medicine) check 
  discerns that they tore each other apart in a frenzy before 
  becoming frozen for all eternity.
  Treasure
  A pair of goggles of night with black crystal lenses with 
  brass and black leather frames hangs around one corpse’s 
  neck.
  Wrap Up: Back to the 
  Surface
  The characters can take a long or short rest if they wish; 
  there’s nothing in the colloquium that can harm them now 
  Frostclaw has fled. When they’re ready, the characters can 
  use the newly revealed archaeologists’ tunnel to return to 
  the surface.
   The tunnel exits on the opposite side of the mountain. 
  Below, the characters can see the expanse of Icewind Dale. 
  The wind has calmed, but it’s still snowing.
  A Feather on the Wind
  A hulking shape emerges from the snow and resolves 
  into a goliath in heavy furs with an immense bow in their 
  hand: Suuk One-Feather Thuunlakalaga. The goliath heard 
  and felt the collapses and was investigating it when they 
  found the characters. They offer the party salted meat, 
  water, and shelter in nearby Wyrmdoom Crag. The goliath 
  is curious and asks the heroes questions as they travel. If 
  they mention the owlbear, Suuk acknowledges seeing the 
  great beast and is awestruck by the characters’ description; 
  Old Goat, the Thuunlakalaga chieftain, will no doubt be 
  interested in hearing their story.
  Suuk One-Feather Thuunlakalaga
  Neutral goliath hunter
  One of the more gifted hunters among the Thuunlakalaga 
  goliaths of Wyrmdoom Crag, Suuk keeps mostly to 
  themself—often ranging the wilds of Icewind Dale for 
  months at a time. Old Goat recognizes their wisdom and 
  skill; the chieftain one day hopes the hunter will succeed her 
  as the tribe’s chieftain—something she’s requested of them 
  on more than one occasion. However, deep down, Old Goat 
  knows Suuk has no interest in doing so.
  What They Want. Suuk is content to provide for their tribe, 
  and thankful that Old Goat allows them to do so in the 
  manner they choose. Each journey is further, each peak taller, 
  and each beast larger and fiercer than the one before it. Their 
  accomplishments are their own, however; their kin seldom 
  witness them.
  Unwanted Pressures. Suuk knows full well what Old Goat’s 
  plans are—to have them replace her as chieftain and spend 
  the rest of their days providing counsel and making decisions 
  that’d impact the entirety of their tribe. But they’ve given their 
  answer a dozen times already: no.
  Story Award: Frostbitten
  Each character removes this story award.
  Story Award: Rescuers
  Each character removes this story award.
  
  JEDD CHEVRIER
  Rewards
  At the end of the session, everyone receives rewards based 
  upon their accomplishments.
  Character Rewards
  The characters earn the following rewards:
  Advancement
  A character that successfully completes this adventure 
  gains one level.
   D&D Celebration. If you played this adventure during 
  the D&D Celebration event in September of 2020, your 
  character gained a level upon completing each part of this 
  adventure. This was a special exception to the normal rules.
  Optional: Declining Advancement
  Each player can decline advancement if they so choose; this 
  has its benefits. It’s possible for a character to advance beyond 
  an adventure’s level range, meaning they’d be unable to play 
  an adventure as planned. Similarly, advancing too quickly 
  means a character won’t earn as much gold as their peers.
   Conversely, remind them that the amount of gold their 
  characters can earn per level is limited; characters declining 
  advancement might reach a point where they no longer 
  earn gold.
  Gold
  Award each character gold for each hour of the session. 
  Adventures typically features cues for this, but you can add 
  it where you see fit. The maximum gold you can award a 
  character per hour is determined by their tier, as follows:
  Tier
  Hourly GP Award
  GP Limit per Level
  1
  20 gp
  80 gp
  2
  30 gp
  240 gp
  3
  200 gp
  1,600 gp
  4
  750 gp
  6,000 gp
  Magic Items
  If found during the adventure, the characters can keep the 
  following magic items, described in handout 7:
  • Illuminator’s tattoo
  • Potion of growth
  • Potion of healing
  • Potion of comprehension
  • Goggles of night
  Story Awards
  The characters may earn one or more of the following story 
  awards, described in handout 7:
  Rescuers. You’ve rescued other members of the caravan, 
  only to have them slain by an awakened snowy owlbear.
  Frostbitten. Remove this story award upon successfully 
  completing this story award.
  Dungeon Master Rewards
  For running this adventure, you earn a DM Reward. See 
  the Adventurers League Dungeon Master’s Guide for more 
  information.
  
  20
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Dramatis Personae
  The following NPCs feature prominently in this adventure:
  The Expert
  Chaotic good expert sidekick
  This clever soul is the firstborn of a highly regarded 
  smith. After their father died in a suspicious accident, and 
  suspecting a competitor was to blame, they self-exiled 
  rather than tend to the business themselves. The Expert is 
  brash and boisterous.
  What They Want. Having left their ancestral home behind, 
  they seek to begin life anew in the frozen, unexplored 
  reaches of Icewind Dale. They’ve heard rumors of long-
  forgotten ruins with ancient treasures ripe for plunder.
  Nagging Guilt. They seldom speak of their past, and they 
  shield themselves from the guilt of leaving their home 
  with jokes and self-deprecating anecdotes. But those 
  who push them on it find it’s sure to anger them.
  The Spellcaster
  Neutral spellcaster sidekick
  Growing up on the streets of Waterdeep didn’t stop the 
  spellcaster from teaching themself how to read and 
  obtaining work at Candlekeep. In pursuit of becoming a 
  full-fledged member of the Avowed, they’ve made the trek 
  to Icewind Dale searching for ancient Netherese tomes and 
  relics. The Spellcaster is gruff and terse.
  What They Want. Ambitious to a fault, they’re pursuing 
  the ruins of an ancient Netherese keep they found 
  referenced in a number of long-forgotten tomes.
  Something from Nothing. They’re no longer the street 
  rat they once were, and by succeeding in their journey, 
  they’ll make a difference in the world. As a reminder, 
  they carry the black robes of an Avowed acolyte folded 
  neatly at the bottom of their pack, waiting patiently to be 
  earned.
  The Warrior
  Lawful neutral warrior sidekick
  Once a temple guard, the warrior later fell into service 
  with the Flaming Fist. They took a leave of absence when 
  their sibling made the voyage into Icewind Dale and never 
  returned after two years. The Warrior is manipulative and 
  calculating.
  What They Want. They’ve made the voyage to Icewind 
  Dale in search of their sibling. They don’t know where to 
  begin their search, but figure Ten-Towns is a good place 
  to start.
  Single-Minded Determination. They’re confident their 
  sibling is still alive and will do whatever it takes to prove 
  it, including throwing others into harm’s way.
  Suuk One-Feather 
  Thuunlakalaga
  Neutral goliath hunter
  One of the more gifted hunters among the Thuunlakalaga 
  goliaths of Wyrmdoom Crag, Suuk keeps mostly to 
  themself—often ranging the wilds of Icewind Dale for 
  months at a time. Old Goat recognizes their wisdom and 
  skill; the chieftain one day hopes the hunter will succeed 
  her as the tribe’s chieftain—something she’s requested of 
  them on more than one occasion. However, deep down, Old 
  Goat knows Suuk has no interest in doing so.
  What They Want. Suuk is content to provide for their tribe, 
  and thankful that Old Goat allows them to do so in the 
  manner they choose. Each journey is further, each peak 
  taller, and each beast larger and fiercer than the one 
  before it. Their accomplishments are their own, however; 
  their kin seldom witness them.
  Unwanted Pressures. Suuk knows full well what Old 
  Goat’s plans are—to have them replace her as chieftain 
  and spend the rest of their days providing counsel and 
  making decisions that’d impact the entirety of their tribe. 
  But they’ve given their answer a dozen times already: no.
  
  ROBIN OLAUSSON
  21
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Creature Statistics
  The following creatures appear in this adventure:
  Black Bear
  Black Bear
  Medium beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 11 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 19 (3d8 + 6)
  Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   15 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  2 (−4) 
  12 (+1) 
  7 (−2)
  Skills Perception +3
  Senses passive Perception 13
  Languages —
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
  Keen Smell. The bear has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) 
  checks that rely on smell.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The bear makes two attacks: one with its bite and 
  one with its claws.
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 
  (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  7 (2d4 + 2) slashing damage.
  Brown Bear
  Brown Bear
  Large beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 11 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 34 (4d10 + 12)
  Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   19 (+4) 
  10 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  2 (−4) 
  13 (+1) 
  7 (−2)
  Skills Perception +3
  Senses passive Perception 13
  Languages —
  Challenge 1 (200 XP)
  Keen Smell. The bear has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) 
  checks that rely on smell.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The bear makes two attacks: one with its bite and 
  one with its claws.
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 8 
  (1d8 + 4) piercing damage.
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  11 (2d6 + 4) slashing damage.
  Gazer
  Gazer
  Tiny aberration, neutral evil
  Armor Class 13
  Hit Points 13 (3d4 + 6)
  Speed 0 ft., fly 30 ft. (hover)
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   3 (−4) 
  17 (+3) 
  14 (+2) 
  3 (−4) 
  10 (+0) 
  7 (−2)
  Saving Throws Wis +2
  Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5
  Condition Immunities prone
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
  Languages —
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
  Aggressive. As a bonus action, the gazer can move up to its speed 
  toward a hostile creature that it can see.
  Mimicry. The gazer can mimic simple sounds of speech it 
  has heard, in any language. A creature that hears the sounds 
  can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 10 Wisdom 
  (Insight) check.
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1 
  piercing damage.
  Eye Rays. The gazer shoots two of the following magical eye rays 
  at random (reroll duplicates), choosing one or two targets it can 
  see within 60 feet of it:
  1. Dazing Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 12 
  Wisdom saving throw or be charmed until the start of the gazer’s 
  next turn. While the target is charmed in this way, its speed is 
  halved, and it has disadvantage on attack rolls.
  2. Fear Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 12 
  Wisdom saving throw or be frightened until the start of the 
  gazer’s next turn.
  3. Frost Ray. The targeted creature must succeed on a DC 12 
  Dexterity saving throw or take 10 (3d6) cold damage.
  4. Telekinetic Ray. If the target is a creature that is Medium or 
  smaller, it must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be 
  moved up to 30 feet directly away from the gazer.
   If the target is an object weighing 10 pounds or less that 
  isn’t being worn or carried, the gazer moves it up to 30 feet in 
  any direction. The gazer can also exert fine control on objects 
  with this ray, such as manipulating a simple tool or opening a 
  container.
  
  22
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Giant Owl
  Giant Owl
  Large beast, neutral
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 19 (3d10 + 3)
  Speed 5 ft., fly 60 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   13 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  8 (−1) 
  13 (+1) 
  10 (+0)
  Skills Perception +5, Stealth +4
  Senses darkvision 120 ft., passive Perception 15
  Languages Giant Owl, understands Common, Elvish, and Sylvan 
  but can’t speak them
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
  Flyby. The owl doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it flies 
  out of an enemy’s reach.
  Keen Hearing and Sight. The owl has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or sight.
  Actions
  Talons. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. 
  Hit: 8 (2d6 + 1) slashing damage.
  Giant Wasp
  Giant Wasp
  Medium beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 13 (3d8)
  Speed 10 ft., fly 50 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   10 (+0) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  1 (−5) 
  10 (+0) 
  3 (−4)
  Senses passive Perception 10
  Languages —
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
  Actions
  Sting. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. 
  Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage, and the target must make a DC 
  11 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) poison damage on 
  a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. If the 
  poison damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, the target is 
  stable but poisoned for 1 hour, even after regaining hit points, 
  and is paralyzed while poisoned in this way.
  Mastiff
  Mastiff
  Medium beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 12
  Hit Points 5 (1d8 + 1)
  Speed 40 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  3 (−4) 
  12 (+1) 
  7 (−2)
  Skills Perception +3
  Senses passive Perception 13
  Languages —
  Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)
  Keen Hearing and Smell. The mastiff has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  4 (1d6 + 1) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must 
  succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
  Owlbear
  Owlbear
  Large monstrosity, unaligned
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 59 (7d10 + 21)
  Speed 40 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   20 (+5) 
  12 (+1) 
  17 (+3) 
  3 (−4) 
  12 (+1) 
  7 (−2)
  Skills Perception +3
  Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 13
  Languages —
  Challenge 3 (700 XP)
  Keen Sight and Smell. The owlbear has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on sight or smell.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The owlbear makes two attacks: one with its beak 
  and one with its claws.
  Beak. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one creature. 
  Hit: 10 (1d10 + 5) piercing damage.
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  14 (2d8 + 5) slashing damage.
  
  23
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Piercer
  Piercer
  Medium monstrosity, unaligned
  Armor Class 15 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 22 (3d8 + 9)
  Speed 5 ft., climb 5 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   10 (+0) 
  13 (+1) 
  16 (+3) 
  1 (−5) 
  7 (−2) 
  3 (−4)
  Skills Stealth +5
  Senses blindsight 30 ft., darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 8
  Languages —
  Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)
  False Appearance. While the piercer remains motionless on the 
  ceiling, it is indistinguishable from a normal stalactite.
  Spider Climb. The piercer can climb difficult surfaces, 
  including upside down on ceilings, without needing to make an 
  ability check.
  Actions
  Drop. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, one creature directly 
  underneath the piercer. Hit: 3 (1d6) piercing damage per 10 feet 
  fallen, up to 21 (6d6). Miss: The piercer takes half the normal 
  falling damage for the distance fallen.
  Polar Bear
  Polar Bear
  Large beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 12 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 42 (5d10 + 15)
  Speed 40 ft., swim 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   20 (+5) 
  10 (+0) 
  16 (+3) 
  2 (−4) 
  13 (+1) 
  7 (−2)
  Skills Perception +3
  Senses passive Perception 13
  Languages —
  Challenge 2 (450 XP)
  Keen Smell. The bear has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) 
  checks that rely on smell.
  Actions
  Multiattack. The bear makes two attacks: one with its bite and 
  one with its claws.
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 9 
  (1d8 + 5) piercing damage.
  Claws. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  12 (2d6 + 5) slashing damage.
  Wolf
  Wolf
  Medium beast, unaligned
  Armor Class 13 (natural armor)
  Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2)
  Speed 40 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   12 (+1) 
  15 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  3 (−4) 
  12 (+1) 
  6 (−2)
  Skills Perception +3, Stealth +4
  Senses passive Perception 13
  Languages —
  Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)
  Keen Hearing and Smell. The wolf has advantage on Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
  Pack Tactics. The wolf has advantage on attack rolls against a 
  creature if at least one of the wolf’s allies is within 5 feet of the 
  creature and the ally isn’t incapacitated.
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 
  7 (2d4 + 2) piercing damage. If the target is a creature, it must 
  succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.
  
  24
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Provide each sidekick with a name and other details. If 
  they’re a race other than human, add the associated racial 
  traits:
  Dwarf. Darkvision 60 ft., resistant to poison damage, and 
  has advantage on saving throws against being poisoned.
  Elf. Darkvision 60 ft., +5 feet to speed, +2 bonus to Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks.
  Halfling. Small, if they roll a 1 on an attack roll, ability 
  check, or saving throw, reroll the die and use the new 
  result.
  The Expert
  Chaotic good expert sidekick
  This clever soul is the firstborn of a highly regarded 
  smith. After their father died in a suspicious accident, and 
  suspecting a competitor was to blame, they self-exiled 
  rather than tend to the business themselves. The Expert is 
  brash and boisterous.
  What They Want. Having left their ancestral home behind, 
  they seek to begin life anew in the frozen, unexplored 
  reaches of Icewind Dale. They’ve heard rumors of long-
  forgotten ruins with ancient treasures ripe for plunder.
  Nagging Guilt. They seldom speak of their past, and they 
  shield themselves from the guilt of leaving their home 
  with jokes and self-deprecating anecdotes. But those 
  who push them on it find it’s sure to anger them.
  The Expert
  The Expert
  Medium humanoid, chaotic good
  Armor Class 14 (studded leather)
  Hit Points 11 (2d8 + 2)
  Speed 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   10 (+0) 
  15 (+2) 
  12 (+1) 
  13 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  14 (+2)
  Saving Throws Dex +4
  Skills Acrobatics +4, Performance +4, Persuasion +4, Sleight of 
  Hand +4, Stealth +4
  Senses passive Perception 10
  Languages Common, language associated with their race
  Helpful. The Expert can use a bonus action to take the 
  Help action.
  Tools. The Expert has thieves’ tools and a lute.
  Actions
  Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
  Dagger. Melee or Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft. or 
  range 20/60 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
  Shortbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage.
  Handout 1: The Sidekicks
  Handout 1: The Sidekicks
  
  25
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  The Spellcaster
  Neutral spellcaster sidekick
  Growing up on the streets of Waterdeep didn’t stop the 
  spellcaster from teaching themself how to read and 
  obtaining work at Candlekeep. In pursuit of becoming a 
  full-fledged member of the Avowed, they’ve made the trek 
  to Icewind Dale searching for ancient Netherese tomes and 
  relics. The Spellcaster is gruff and terse.
  What They Want. Ambitious to a fault, they’re pursuing 
  the ruins of an ancient Netherese keep they found 
  referenced in a number of long-forgotten tomes.
  Something from Nothing. They’re no longer the street 
  rat they once were, and by succeeding in their journey, 
  they’ll make a difference in the world. As a reminder, 
  they carry the black robes of an Avowed acolyte folded 
  neatly at the bottom of their pack, waiting to be earned.
  The Spellcaster
  The Spellcaster
  Medium humanoid, neutral
  Armor Class 12 (leather)
  Hit Points 9 (2d8)
  Speed 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  10 (+0) 
  15 (+2) 
  14 (+2) 
  13 (+1)
  Saving Throws Wis +4
  Skills Arcana +4, Investigation +4, Nature +4, Religion +4
  Senses passive Perception 12
  Languages Common, language associated with their race
  Magical Role. The spellcaster has one of the following traits:
   Spellcasting (Healer). The spellcaster’s spellcasting ability 
  is Wisdom (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The 
  spellcaster has the following cleric spells prepared:
  Cantrips (at will): guidance, sacred flame
  1st level (): cure wounds
   Spellcasting (Mage). The spellcaster’s spellcasting ability is 
  Intelligence (spell save DC 12, +4 to hit with spell attacks). The 
  spellcaster has the following wizard spells prepared:
  Cantrips (at will): fire bolt, light
  1st level (): sleep
  Actions
  Quarterstaff. Melee Weapon Attack: +2 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 3 (1d6) bludgeoning damage, or 4 (1d8) bludgeoning 
  damage if used with two hands.
  The Warrior
  Lawful neutral warrior sidekick
  Once a temple guard, the warrior later fell into service 
  with the Flaming Fist. They took a leave of absence when 
  their sibling made the voyage into Icewind Dale and never 
  returned after two years. The Warrior is manipulative and 
  calculating.
  What They Want. They’ve made the voyage to Icewind 
  Dale in search of their sibling. They don’t know where to 
  begin their search, but figure Ten-Towns is a good place 
  to start.
  Single-Minded Determination. They’re confident their 
  sibling is still alive and will do whatever it takes to prove 
  it, including throwing others into harm’s way.
  The Warrior
  The Warrior
  Medium humanoid, lawful neutral
  Armor Class 16 (chain shirt, shield)
  Hit Points 13 (2d8 + 4)
  Speed 30 ft.
   
  STR 
  DEX 
  CON 
  INT 
  WIS 
  CHA
   15 (+2) 
  13 (+1) 
  14 (+2) 
  10 (+0) 
  12 (+1) 
  10 (+0)
  Saving Throws Con +4
  Skills Athletics +4, Perception +3, Survival +3
  Senses passive Perception 13
  Languages Common, language associated with their race
  Martial Role. The warrior has one of the following traits:
   Attacker. The warrior gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls. 
   Defender. The warrior gains the Protection reaction, below.
  Actions
  Longsword. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 6 (1d8 + 2) slashing damage, or 7 (1d10 + 2) slashing 
  damage if used with two hands.
  Longbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +3 to hit, range 150/600 ft., one 
  target. Hit: 5 (1d8 + 1) piercing damage.
  Reaction
  Protection (Defender Only). When an attacker the warrior can see 
  makes an attack roll against a creature within 5 feet of the warrior, 
  the warrior can impose disadvantage on the attack roll.
  
  26
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Handout 2: Letter from Mom
  Handout 2: Letter from Mom
  
  27
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Handout 3: Strange Tracks
  Handout 3: Strange Tracks
  
  28
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Handout 4: Door Diagram
  Handout 4: Door Diagram
  
  29
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  The journal of an archaeologist who’s growing more 
  demented by the day.
  • Studying Netherese ruins
  • Abandoned for a thousand years or more
  • Center of great magical power
  • “The Staff,” some sort of artifact
  • Diagrams of severed hands
  • Frequent references to “Congenio’s Pebbles”
  Nine weird, marble-sized rocks. They’re painted with still-
  sparkling paint, but it’s chipped in places and plain, gray 
  rock shows through. These are IDed in the journal.
  Stone of Protection—dusty-rose prism
  Stone of Fortitude—pink rhomboid
  Stone of Regeneration—pearly-white spindle
  Stone of Leadership—marbled pink-and-green sphere
  Stone of Supreme Intellect—faceted clear sphere
  Stone of Reserve—vibrant purple prism
  Stone of Insight—incandescent blue sphere
  Stone of Absorption—pale-lavender ellipsoid
  Stone of Sustenance—clear spindle
  The notes indicate that the stones of Self-Preservation, 
  Intellect, Awareness, and Mastery must be elsewhere in 
  the caves, but the archaeologist didn’t figure out what they 
  look like.
  The two-color stone is a sphere.
  The stone of Awareness isn’t pale green.
  Self-Preservation is a gem, I’m sure of it.
  The stone of Awareness is a rhomboid.
  The prism is pale green.
  The stone of Self-Preservation is silvery.
  I know the stone of Intellect is a mixture of two colors.
  The stone of Mastery isn’t dark blue.
  Handout 5: The Tattered Journal
  Handout 5: The Tattered Journal
  
  30
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  The pictograms in the central chamber are accompanied 
  by text in Common, Draconic, Dwarvish, Elvish, Giant, and 
  Netherese.
  Handout 6: Pictogram Text
  Handout 6: Pictogram Text
  
  31
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  The characters may earn the following rewards in this 
  adventure:
  Goggles of Night
  Wondrous item, uncommon
  These goggles consist of thin sheets of translucent black 
  crystal set into brass and leather framers.
   While wearing these dark lenses, you have darkvision 
  out to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision, 
  wearing the goggles increases its range by 60 feet.
  Illuminator’s Tattoo
  Wondrous item (tattoo), common (requires attunement)
  Produced by a special needle, this magic tattoo features 
  beautiful calligraphy, images of writing implements, and 
  the like.
   Tattoo Attunement. To attune to this item, you hold the 
  needle to your skin where you want the tattoo to appear, 
  pressing the needle there throughout the attunement 
  process. When the attunement is complete, the needle 
  turns into the ink that becomes the tattoo, which appears 
  on the skin.
   If your attunement to the tattoo ends, the tattoo vanishes, 
  and the needle reappears in your space.
   Magical Scribing. While this tattoo is on your skin, you 
  can write with your fingertip as if it were an ink pen that 
  never runs out of ink.
   As an action, you can touch a pierce of writing up to one 
  page in length and speak a creature’s name. The writing 
  becomes invisible to everyone other than you and the 
  named creature for the next 24 hours. Either of you can 
  dismiss the invisibility by touching the script (no action 
  required). Once used, this action can’t be used again until 
  the next dawn.
  Potion of Comprehend Languages
  Potion, uncommon
  When you drink this potion, you gain the effect of a 
  comprehend languages spell for 1 hour. This liquid is a 
  clear concoction with bits of salt and soot swirling in it.
  Potion of Growth
  Potion, uncommon
  When you drink this potion, you gain the “enlarge” effect of 
  the enlarge/reduce spell for 1d4 hours (no concentration 
  required). The red in the potion’s liquid continuously 
  expands from a tiny bead to color the clear liquid around it 
  and then contracts. Shaking the bottle fails to interrupt this 
  process.
  Potion of Healing
  Potion, common
  You regain 2d4 + 2 hit points when you drink this potion. 
  The potion’s red liquid glimmers when agitated.
  Story Award: Frostbitten
  You’ve gained levels of exhaustion. This story award is 
  removed at the end of the adventure.
  • Exhaustion Levels: 
  Story Award: Rescuers
  You rescued (and lost) the following sidekicks:
  • The Expert: 
   
  Alive:   
  Dead: 
  • The Spellcaster: 
  Alive:   
  Dead: 
  • The Warrior: 
   
  Alive:   
  Dead: 
  The two-color stone is a sphere.
  Handout 7: Character Rewards
  Handout 7: Character Rewards
  
  32
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  The stone of Awareness isn’t pale green.
  Self-Preservation is a gem, I'm sure of it.
  The stone of Awareness is a rhomboid.
  The prism is pale green.
  The stone of Self-Preservation is silvery.
  I know the stone of Intellect is a mixture of two colors.
  The stone of Mastery isn’t dark blue.
  • From the starting information, we know the stone of 
  Self-Preservation is a silvery gem and the stone of 
  Intellect is a marbled, scarlet-and-blue sphere.
  • The stones of Mastery and Awareness are either pale 
  green or dark blue.
  • The stones of Mastery and Awareness are either 
  prisms or rhomboids.
  • We the stone of Awareness can’t be pale green and 
  must be a rhomboid. Therefore, it must be a dark-
  blue rhomboid.
  • If the stone of Awareness is a dark-blue rhomboid, 
  then the stone of Mastery must be a pale-
  green prism.
  • The heroes might start cross-referencing stones with 
  the images on the door, that’s fine too.
  The heroes need to drop the painted stones into the central chute in the right order according to the writing on the door:
  “Protection of the Leadership leads to Mastery but Reserve your Intellect for Self-Preservation.
  Your Fortitude is due to your Regeneration and Absorption of Sustenance.
  Awareness of Insight leads to Supreme Intellect.”
  • Protection
  • Leadership
  • Mastery
  • Reserve
  • Intellect
  • Self-Preservation
  • Fortitude
  • Regeneration
  • Absorption
  • Sustenance
  • Awareness
  • Insight
  • Supreme Intellect
  If they get the order wrong, the door reroutes the stones to the pockets under each stone’s diagram so they can try again.
  Appendix A: 
  Appendix A: 
  Door Puzzle Solution
  Door Puzzle Solution
  
  33
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  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Appendix B: Gazer Fight Map
  Appendix B: Gazer Fight Map
  
  34
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Appendix C: Piercer Fight Map
  Appendix C: Piercer Fight Map
  
  35
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Appendix D: Chamber of 
  Appendix D: Chamber of 
  Slumbering Crystals Map
  Slumbering Crystals Map
  
  36
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  Icewind Dale
  (Note: Please Ignore Chapter References)
  Appendix E: 
  Appendix E: 
  Map of Icewind Dale
  Map of Icewind Dale
  
  37
  Not for resale. Permission granted to print or photocopy this document for personal use only.
  DDAL10-01 The Frozen North (v1.0)
  To DM an adventure, you must have 3 to 7 players—each 
  with their own character within the adventure’s level range 
  (see Adventure Primer). Characters playing in a hardcover 
  adventure may continue to play too, but if they play a 
  different hardcover adventure, they can’t return to the first 
  if they level beyond its level range.
  New to D&D Adventurers League?
  https://dnd.wizards.com/ddal_general
  New to the Annual Storyline?
  https://dndadventurersleague.org/storyline-seasons/rime-
  of-the-frostmaiden/
  Preparing the Adventure
  Before you start play, consider the following:
  • Read through the adventure, taking notes of anything 
  you’d like to highlight or remind yourself of while 
  running the adventure, such as a way you’d like to 
  portray an NPC or a tactic you’d like to use in a combat. 
  Familiarize yourself with the adventure’s appendices 
  and handouts.
  • Gather any resources you’d like to use to aid you in 
  running this adventure—such as notecards, a DM 
  screen, miniatures, and battlemaps.
  • Ask the players to provide you with relevant character 
  information, such as name, race, class, and level; 
  passive Wisdom (Perception) score, and anything the 
  adventures specifies as notable (such as backgrounds, 
  traits, and flaws).
   Players can play an adventure they previously played 
  as a player or DM, but may only play it once with a given 
  character. Ensure each player has their character’s 
  adventure logsheet (if not, get one from the organizer) 
  with their starting values for level, magic items, gold, and 
  downtime days. These are updated at the conclusion of the 
  session. The adventure information and your information 
  are added at the end of the adventure session—whether 
  they completed the adventure or not.
   Each player is responsible for maintaining an accurate 
  logsheet. If you have time, you can do a quick scan of a 
  player’s character sheet to ensure nothing looks out of 
  order. If you see magic items of very high rarities or strange 
  arrays of ability scores, you can ask players to provide 
  documentation for the irregularities. If they can’t, feel free 
  to restrict item use or ask them to use a standard ability 
  score array.
   Point players to the D&D Adventurers League Players 
  Guide for reference. If players wish to spend downtime 
  days and it’s the beginning of an adventure or episode, 
  they can declare their activity and spend the days now, 
  or they can do so at the end of the adventure or episode. 
  Appendix F: 
  Appendix F: 
  Dungeon Master Tips
  Dungeon Master Tips
  Players should select their characters’ spells and other 
  daily options prior to the start of the adventure unless 
  the adventure specifies otherwise. Feel free to reread the 
  adventure description to help give players hints about what 
  they might face.
  New Players? No Problem!
  With starter adventures like this one it’s possible you may 
  have players new to D&D, or just new to fifth edition. It’s up 
  to you as the DM to ensure they a) have fun with the game 
  and b) learn the basics of how to play. At this level, having fun 
  is more important than learning every rule exactly right. Be 
  gentle with new players who make mistakes.
   Make sure to keep your players smiling and rolling dice. 
  Be positive and enthusiastic when describing the action, and 
  you’ll notice they quickly follow suit.
   If you’re a new DM, then welcome—and thank you! New 
  DMs are the lifeblood of the D&D community. This adventure 
  includes sidebars like this one that explain of some rules used 
  as the adventure progresses!
  Adjusting This Adventure
  To determine whether you should consider adjusting the 
  adventure, add up the characters’ levels and divide the total 
  by the number of characters (rounding .5 or greater up; .4 
  or less down). This is the group’s average party level (APL). 
  To approximate the party strength for the adventure, 
  consult the table below.
  Determining Party Strength
  Party Composition
  Party Strength
  3–4 characters, APL less than
  Very Weak
  3–4 characters, APL equivalent
  Weak
  3–4 characters, APL greater than
  Average
  5 characters, APL less than
  Weak
  5 characters, APL equivalent
  Average
  5 characters, APL greater than
  Strong
  6–7 characters, APL less than
  Average
  6–7 characters, APL equivalent
  Strong
  6–7 characters, APL greater than
  Very Strong
  Safety Tools
  Safety tools ensure that players aren’t pushed beyond their 
  comfort levels. They let your players know you want them to 
  have a positive experience.
   A broad range of safety tools are available for you and your 
  players online, but for more information reach out to your 
  Event Organizer or to community@dndadventurersleague.org
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/Adventure League/S10 - Rime of the Frostmaiden/DDAL10-01 - The Frozen North.pdf