D&D 5E - The Rise of Tiamat

Ic e H u n t e r s
The Ice Hunters are nomads that have lived in the North
far longer than any other humans. Short, dark-haired,
broad-faced, and with light brown skin, they cling
stolidly to their culture and their traditions of fishing
and whaling on the Sea of Moving Ice, and of hunting
for seal, walrus, and polar bears among the ice floes.
They travel by dogsled on land and ice, and paddle
seal-hide boats called khyeks or oumyeks across the
frigid water. They worship totems of animals from the
world around them, such as Clever Oomio the gray seal,
Grandfather Walrus, Great White Bear, and Pindalpau-
pau the Reindeer Mother.
The Ice Hunters came unaware to the dragon’s
iceberg generations ago. Desiring servants to guard
his lair during his long absences, the dragon killed just
enough of the tribesfolk to force the rest to obey him
out of terror. Using their unsurpassed ability as scouts,
they act now as Arauthator’s eyes and ears on the Sea
of Moving Ice. Living as thralls, they have no doubt that
if they ever leave the iceberg, Arauthator w ill hunt them
down and take horrific revenge.
R a n d o m E n c o u n t e r s
Searching the Sea of Moving Ice for the plateau-like
iceberg described by Maccath is a time-consuming
process. Roll a d6 each morning, afternoon, and night.
On a roll of 1, an encounter occurs. Roll on the table
to determine the specifics, adding +1 for each previous
table roll made while the characters were searching
from the ship on water by day. Searching by night or
searching by day while Frostskim m r is on an ice floe
doesn’t improve the odds of finding Oyaviggaton.
S e a o f M o v i n g Ic e E n c o u n t e r s
d6
Encounter or Event
1 Giant octopi
2 Merrow
3 Polar bear
4 Scrags*
5 Ice Hunters
6 Ice Hunters in fishing boats
7+ Oyaviggaton sighted
*Use trolls with the Amphibious trait and a swim speed o f 30 feet.
If combat becomes necessary, Captain Lerustah fights
as a knight and his crew fight as 40 guards. If fighting
aboard Frostskimmr, the characters must be cautious
while using area spells that deal fire or force damage.
One such spell does minimal damage that can be fixed
by the crew at sea after the fight ends. If two such spells
are used, Frostskim m r must be hauled onto an ice floe
for repairs that take half a day. Roll normally for events
during that time, but reroll any total of 7 or higher.
Giant Octopi. This event can occur by day or
night, but only on water. Two giant octopi attack
simultaneously, trying to drag characters and crew off
the ship into the freezing water. When one octopus is
killed, the other withdraws underwater and escapes.
Merrow. This event can occur by day or night, on
ice or water. Five merrow move as close as possible to
Frostskim m r before attacking. If the characters are on
the ship, the merrow try to swamp it by making a D C 25
Strength check, with a +2 bonus to the check for each
additional merrow involved in the attempt. Success
means that Frostskim m r lurches dangerously and
each creature on board must make a D C 15 Strength
or Dexterity saving throw. On a failed saving throw, a
creature is dumped overboard. (To make things easy,
divide the crew into groups of five and make one saving
throw for each group.)
A creature that falls into the frigid water is swimming,
and must make a D C 12 Constitution saving throw at
the start of each turn that it is in the water. On each
failed saving throw, the creature suffers one level of
exhaustion. Characters in the water are preferred
targets for monsters in the water.
P o la r Bear. This event can occur day or night, but
only on the ice. A crew member aboard Frostskim m r
spots a polar bear stalking a wounded Ice Hunter
on an ice floe. If the characters intervene and save
the hunter, he is grateful, and converses with them in
his own tongue. (If the characters have no means to
communicate with him, one of Frostskim m r’s crew can
translate.) Though he is not from the tribe that lives on
Oyaviggaton, the hunter knows the iceberg. In response
to any questions about Oyaviggaton, he advises the
characters as to its distance and direction from their
current position, but warns them to keep away from it.
Armed with this information, the characters gain a +1
bonus to their next two daytime event rolls.
Scrags. This event occurs only at night, and only on
the ice. W hile Frostskim m r sits on an ice floe to wait
for morning, three aquatic trolls, known as scrags
(swim speed 30 ft., can breathe underwater), attack the
ship. If the characters and crew don’t intend to haul
Frostskim m r onto an ice floe for the night, one of the
scrags swims beneath the ship and wrenches a plank
loose, causing a serious leak that requires the ship to be
pulled onto the ice for repairs.
Ice Hunters. This event can occur only by day. A
hunting party from Oyaviggaton (12 tribal warriors)
is spotted pursuing seals on an ice floe, whether
Frostskim m r is on the water or on an adjacent ice
floe. The hunters are surly and uncommunicative if
approached, knowing that they must return to the
iceberg before nightfall or their kin w ill be punished.
Captain Lerustah is puzzled by their behavior, knowing
that the Ice Hunter people are shy but never hostile.
The hunters quickly paddle their khyeks away to the
northeast. If the characters follow the hunters or use
that bearing for the next stage of their journey, they gain
a +1 bonus to their next daytime event roll.
Ice H unters in Fishin g Boats. This event
occurs only during the day. A group of fishers from
Oyaviggaton (12 tribal warriors) are spotted in their
characteristic boats, whether Frostskim m r is in the
water or on a nearby ice floe. They are unfriendly and
uncommunicative if approached, paddling away to the
northeast as soon as they are able. If the characters
follow the hunters or use that bearing for the next