TEXT: 10113
  PAUL “WIGGY” WADE-WILLIAMS
  •CREATURE GUIDE•
  
  by Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams
  lead editor & ProoFreader: Hans botHe 
  editors: Vince Kingston, tyler morrison, lee F. szczePaniK, Jr.
  coVer & graPHic design: robin elliott 
  tyPesetting: Paul Wade-Williams
  coVer illustration & interior art: cHris KuHlmann
  dedication: to Hans botHe, WHose FriendsHiP and suggestions  
  HaVe added greatly to HellFrost
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  Creature Guide  
  Compendium
  
  ii
  Contents
  buFomi ........................................ 3
  origin of the species .................. 3
  anatomy ..................................... 3
  social structure .......................... 5
  culture ....................................... 6
  Warfare ....................................... 9
  religion .................................... 10
  bestiary ..................................... 11
  Frost giants ............................ 15
  origin of the species ................ 15
  anatomy ................................... 15
  social structure ........................ 17
  culture ..................................... 18
  Warfare ..................................... 20
  religion .................................... 23
  bestiary ..................................... 24
  Fungals ..................................... 27
  origin of the species ................ 27
  anatomy ................................... 27
  social structure ........................ 28
  culture ..................................... 29
  Warfare ..................................... 31
  religion .................................... 32
  bestiary ..................................... 32
  golems ...................................... 35
  origin of the species ................ 35
  the golem uprising................. 35
  bestiary ..................................... 37
  ice goblins .............................. 45
  origin of the species ................ 45
  anatomy ................................... 45
  social structure ........................ 47
  culture ..................................... 47
  Warfare ..................................... 51
  religion .................................... 53
  bestiary ..................................... 55
  Kreana ....................................... 57
  origin of the species ................ 57
  anatomy ................................... 57
  social structure ........................ 59
  culture ..................................... 60
  Warfare ..................................... 63
  religion .................................... 65
  bestiary ..................................... 66
  
  most citizens of rassilon know of bufomi only through 
  travelers’ tales. Jokingly referred to as “toadies,” they are 
  often portrayed as harmless, backward simpletons prac-
  ticing a bizarre toad-worshipping faith. but those who 
  dwell near the dank marshes the bufomi call home, tell 
  no such stories and do not laugh with those that do, for 
  they know how savage and cunning the toad-men can be 
  when aroused. their culture is a violent one, where the 
  strong devour the weak and life is a constant struggle for 
  survival. this chapter delves beneath the stereotypical 
  exterior of bufomi society to reveal the true nature of the 
  toad-men race.
  oriGin of the speCies
  although much of the sentient races’ historical re-
  cords were destroyed during the blizzard War, and the 
  centuries long collapse of civilization that followed, frag-
  mentary anari texts dating back many millennia make 
  vague mention of “men not unlike toads in appearance 
  and habit” dwelling in the marshes of alantaris isle.
  although the older races—frost dwarves, elves, and 
  gatormen, among the more notable—make no mention 
  of bufomi, this should not be taken as proof they were 
  not around in antiquity. the dwarves had no reason to 
  venture into the marshes, the elves were tied to their 
  forests, and gatormen were of the habit of labeling all 
  lesser races simply as slaves, not bothering to distinguish 
  them.
  most civilized races now put the creation of the bu-
  fomi down to eostre or loki. Followers of eostre animal-
  mother claim the goddess created all animal life, even 
  the toad-men. an early race of dull intelligence, they 
  were given dominion over the marshes, and were to be 
  its watchmen and guardians, tending the creatures and 
  plants in the wondrous and varied garden of creation. 
  but the toad-men began to create idols in their own im-
  age and fell from grace, rapidly devolving into barbarity 
  without the blessing of the goddess. in other stories, the 
  bufomi remained loyal to their task until loki, whose 
  mischief knew no bounds, led them astray.
  sages less bound to religious myths argue that the bu-
  fomi may once have been a continent-spanning race, for 
  they are found in numerous marshes below and above 
  the icebarrier mountains. although they do not know it, 
  they are closer to the truth than they realize, for bufomi 
  society arose during the ancient age when much of the 
  northern continent was dank marsh.
  anatomy
  once found far and wide across rassilon, bufomi are 
  largely confined to the Hearthlands these days, though 
  colonies exist in the marshes of the low Winterlands. 
  despite being separated by hundreds or thousands of 
  miles and millennia of time, the disparate tribes have 
  never evolved along distinct lines. While individual 
  tribes may have unique customs based on circumstances 
  or the whim of their rulers, and perhaps minor variations 
  in skin tones caused by diet, there is but one bufom race 
  sharing a common physiology and psychology.
  physioloGy
  bufomi are the only known sentient amphibian race. a 
  typical toad-man stands around four feet tall and weighs 
  in at a measly 95 pounds. male and female genders ex-
  ist. Females are larger, often weighing as much as 150 
  pounds, less aggressive, and unlikely to be encountered 
  outside the lair. 
  bufomi are not called toad-men for nothing, for their 
  general appearance is that of a bipedal toad. their skin 
  is moist and warty, though thin and prone to drying out 
  if not regularly bathed. most bufomi have green skin, 
  though the exact shade varies immensely—shamans tend 
  to have mottled brown skin, as do the rare slime lords.
  Bufomi
  
                                      
                   
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  like toads, the eyes are high on the head. capable of 
  swiveling to face rearward, they allow bufomi to keep an 
  eye on prey while seemingly oblivious to its presence. 
  in the dangerous world of the marshes, wherein dwell 
  giant leeches, marsh trolls and dragons, the ability to see 
  behind you is as much for defense as offense. When a bu-
  fom is submerged in water a thin membrane slides down 
  over the eye. this lens acts to correct vision, allowing the 
  bufomi to see equally well underwater or on land.
  the wide, lipless mouth can open wide enough to 
  engulf cat-sized animals with ease—more than enough 
  for the small animals that skitter through the marshes. 
  bufomi are toothless. small prey and handfuls of veg-
  etable matter can be swallowed whole, but larger meals 
  must be cut up first. bufomi are capable of understand-
  ing other languages, but the physiology of their mouths 
  and larynx prevents them from speaking in any language 
  other than their own croaking tongue.
  thanks to its wide mouth, bufomi appear both idiotic 
  and alien. these views are only emphasized when the 
  creature’s long, sticky tongue whips out to moisten its 
  eyeballs or snatch a fly from the air.
  located on the male’s bottom jaw are two sacs. 
  normally invisible, these can be inflated at will, almost 
  doubling the size of the toad-man’s head. this serves the 
  bufomi in several ways. First, it serves as an internal air 
  supply, enabling the toad-men to remain submerged for 
  up to five minutes. second, by making the bufomi look 
  larger it makes him look both more physically impressive 
  and more dangerous. likely at one stage this was used 
  in courtship rituals and to ward off other males. today it 
  serves only for the latter purpose. third, the bufomi can 
  release the stored air to produce the thunderous croaks 
  which form a key part of their military tactics.
  the loud croak is also used for primitive communi-
  cation, for on a clear night the croak can be heard at 
  distances of up to one mile. the booming noise conveys 
  no information beyond indicating that a bufom is pres-
  ent. scholars have deduced that each tribe has a unique 
  croak. thus, it is likely that sentries in areas where mul-
  tiple tribes dwell croak to warn others they are straying 
  into their territory.
  strangely, when a bufomi is killed his air sacs inflate 
  and deflate one last time, producing a feeble, drawn out 
  croak. this led to use the use of “croak” among the anari 
  to mean someone has died (as in “He’s croaked it”).
  bufomi have long, webbed fingers and toes (three at 
  the end of each limb), making them capable swimmers. 
  their arms tend to be spindly, but their thighs are ex-
  tremely powerful. the natural walking motion is not as 
  with humans, but rather an ungainly hopping motion. 
  by tensing and rapidly unleashing its thigh muscles, bu-
  fomi can leap horizontal distances of up to 16 yards in a 
  single bound.
  However, the legs of shamans tend to be weaker, pro-
  hibiting them from leaping to any noticeable distance be-
  yond that of an average human. since caste is not based 
  on genetics, sages can only assume that shamans lose the 
  ability due to lack of physical exercise.
  life CyCle
  Female bufomi are fertile at about one year old, 
  whereas male can take between three and five years to 
  reach full maturity. during this time, treat all attributes 
  and skill a being one die type lower, to a minimum of a 
  d4. bounding is limited to 1d4+1”.
  bufomi utilize external fertilization. during mating 
  season, which occurs in late summer and is triggered by 
  the steady drop in temperature, female bufomi lay hun-
  dreds of eggs in special spawning pools situated in the 
  heart of the lair. the males of the tribe then do their bit 
  to fertilize them. all males use the same pools, though 
  shamans perform their duty before warriors. the eggs 
  develop into tadpoles, which hatch in the same pool.
  at least 95% of the tadpoles hatched the next spring 
  are devoured by their kin. the bufomi see this as natural 
  selection and make no attempts to interfere in the pro-
  cess. those who survive to grow into immature bufomi 
  are carefully studied by the shamans of the tribe.
  depending on the traits they exhibit, the infants are 
  cast as either shamans or warriors, receiving appropriate 
  training from the moment they vacate the pool. bufomi 
  society is harsh. infants who fail to make the grade are 
  not demoted to a lower caste—they are sacrificed.
  throughout his adult life a male bufomi toils to en-
  sure both he and his tribe survive. life will be an endless 
  challenge of hunting and gathering, avoid death at the 
  hands of predators, and avoiding ending up in his god’s 
  already bloated stomach. He has no hope (or indeed 
  concept) of promotion or a better life. He is what he is, 
  and that is all he will ever be. 
  those few who manage to reach old age, which is 
  around 40 years, are either very blessed or very lucky. 
  unlike in many societies, bufomi do not honor their 
  elderly for their wisdom.
  once a bufom becomes infirm whether from long-
  term illness, infertility (easily recognized only in fe-
  males), permanent injury, or the ravages of old age, there 
  is only one fate awaiting him—to become a sacrifice. 
  the tribe’s daily struggle for food means the bufomi can 
  ill-afford to feed useless mouths. even those tribes with 
  adequate food see no purpose in the weak, save to ap-
  pease K’kroakaa.
  psyCholoGy
  although the bufomi were once a relatively advanced 
  race, their fall from grace has not itself marked their 
  psyche. the gatormen, for instance, vividly remember 
  and lament the halcyon days of their mighty empire, 
  lusting after a return to former glories. the bufomi do 
  not place any attachment to their ancient achievements. 
  that said, they still prefer to dwell in ancestral areas, but 
  this is more akin to a primitive calling than a conscious 
  decision to cling to ancient memories.
  in days of old bufomi were passive creatures. they 
  kept to their patch of marsh and, with plentiful resourc-
  es, were even willing to trade with other tribes. thanks 
  
  Bufomi
  
  to centuries of privation by gatormen and lizardmen, 
  and the reduction in viable homeland due to massive 
  climate changes, these days bufomi are highly territorial 
  creatures.
  each tribe marks out an area for its own and fiercely 
  defends it from all trespassers. markers usually comprise 
  small piles of skulls. Violent competition for the best 
  feeding grounds is rife when multiple tribes exist in a 
  small geographic area. this serves the neighboring races 
  well, for it keeps the bufomi occupied.
  much of a bufomi’s life is spent in fear. Part of this 
  stems from a natural fear of larger creatures, both sen-
  tient and bestial which inhabit the same marsh. bufomi 
  are not naturally belligerent and, while tenacious and 
  relatively cunning, are unskilled fighters. the other fear 
  originates in the unfortunate practice of regular sacrifice 
  to their bloated god and cannibalism. 
  to allay the latter eventualities, bufomi are always try-
  ing to prove their worth to their leaders. rather than dis-
  plays of physical prowess, they do this by fawning over 
  their social superiors and offering plentiful gifts of food. 
  there is an old saying among the bufomi that it is better 
  to be alive and hungry than dead and bloated.
  the starvation levels suffered by most tribes can make 
  them gullible to crafty outsiders looking for cheap, if 
  largely ineffective, mercenaries. Promises of plentiful 
  food, and some treasure for the shaman, can sway the 
  tribe to undertake activities they would never normally 
  dream of doing.
  treachery is a trait found only among the shaman 
  caste, and even then it is always for the benefit of the tribe. 
  indeed, this tribal mentality is thoroughly ingrained in 
  the race from birth. While bufomi have individual names, 
  their few aspirations are always centered on improving 
  the tribe’s lot. the thought of doing something purely 
  for oneself is a very rare trait.
  soCial struCture
  bufomi society operates around two castes—shamans 
  and warriors—though there are rare sub-castes. casting 
  occurs as a matter of selection and training, not one’s 
  birthright. Within bufom society there is no place for ad-
  vancement—one either spends one’s entire life fulfilling 
  one’s chosen role, or you end up as a sacrifice.
  Warriors make up from 60-75% of the population. 
  shamans range from a single individual to a full 10%. Fe-
  males rarely exceed 10%, even in the largest tribes. the 
  remainder is juvenile bufomi undergoing training.
  tribes vary in size from a lowly 30 up to several 
  hundred members depending on the local climate, 
  predators, internal conflicts, and available food. Famil-
  ial groups, such a clans and families, are unknown to 
  bufomi. indeed, the ideas are totally alien to the race. a 
  tribe with a single female can rightly claim to be mother 
  of the entire tribe, but tracing one’s father is impossible 
  due to the communal nature of breeding.
  shamans
  bufomi are a superstitious race. since only shamans 
  have supernatural powers, bufomi take this as a clear 
  sign that only they are fit to rule.
  every bufomi tribe is led by a single shaman. large 
  tribes may boast multiple shamans, but there is always 
  a dominant one who takes the title “high priest.” com-
  petition for leadership can be fierce, for it brings many 
  rewards. those desiring power must have the cunning to 
  outwit their rivals, display greater faith, and garner the 
  support of the warrior caste.
  maintaining this power requires a mixture of cunning, 
  aggression and blind luck. While no warrior would deign 
  to overthrow a shaman of his own volition, every junior 
  shaman is looking to increase his personal power. coups 
  are typically instigated with K’kroakaa’s “blessing.” the 
  would be usurper need only highlight a tribe’s misfor-
  tune and point to the current ruler to begin a rapid 
  cascade toward violence.
  unfortunately, being a leader is not always an active 
  choice, for some tribes practice a form of enforced de-
  mocracy. While rulers are accorded immense respect, 
  and are gifted the bulk of the food gathered and all the 
  treasure scavenged, their position is very shaky.
  their continued reign requires the tribe to prosper, 
  or at least not slide further into decay. once things turn 
  bad, rivals are quick to accuse the shaman of offending 
  K’kroakaa. the only solution is to sacrifice the unfortu-
  nate shaman to his god and install a new leader.
  many shamans work hard to emulate their god—they 
  make proclamations and croak orders, but let others do 
  they hard work while they gorge themselves into obesity 
   new Gear
  Air Sacs: bufomi may be a sentient species, but 
  to most other races they are nothing more than 
  primitive beasts. this bias has led some to utilize 
  dead bufomi for their body parts, in particular the 
  air sacs. the sacs are fashioned into crude double 
  bladders. inflating a pair to full size, about a foot in 
  diameter each, takes four actions.
  air sacs can be used as flotation bladders. a pair of 
  inflated air sacs provides a +1 bonus to swimming 
  rolls to remain afloat.
  they can also serve as emergency air supplies. by 
  inhaling air from an inflated bladder at regular pe-
  riod, a character doubles the number of rounds he 
  can hold his breath.
  air sacs must be kept moist or the skin becomes 
  brittle and ruptures when inflated. attempts to ar-
  tificially protect the skin have failed—the skin be-
  comes too thick and will no longer inflate.
  Availability: s (found only close to marshes where 
  bufomi lair); Cost: 10 gs per pair; Weight: 1 lb per 
  pair.
                                  
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  and siphon off most of the plunder. young, dynamic, 
  ruthless, and smart shamans lead the most dangerous 
  tribes.
  slime lords
  the rarest and most powerful bufomi are the slime 
  lords. they are of the shaman caste, but are immensely 
  bloated and exceptionally intelligent.
  their warty skin exudes a viscous, pungent hallucino-
  genic slime. before entering combat, a slime lord smears 
  his bodily excretion on his weapon.
  these fearsome, slime-coated creatures are always the 
  leaders of their tribe, and often command several lesser 
  tribes. the cohesive bonding of disparate tribes under a 
  single figure can make the bufomi a threat to their neigh-
  bors, but such a union can exist only as long as the slime 
  lord rules. once he dies, natural rivalries over feeding 
  grounds return the tribes to the dominant status quo.
  warriors
  Warriors make up the bulk of every tribe. they live 
  only to serve K’kroakaa through his earthly shamans, 
  acquire enough food to ensure the tribe’s continued 
  survival, and breed so there will be a new generation to 
  fill vacant roles.
  despite the caste name, which is one used by other 
  races, warrior males fill every role from laborer to hunt-
  er-gatherer to actual protector of the tribe. the bufom 
  word for the caste translates literally as “servant.”
  Champions
  Whereas most bufomi are small, the champion is a 
  tall, muscular member of the species. they stand a head 
  taller than saxa and weigh upward of 200 pounds. de-
  spite their huge size, they are still members of the war-
  rior caste, albeit ones accorded greater respect.
  unlike other bufomi, champions are noticeable from 
  birth, being larger and more aggressive members of the 
  species. From the moment their status becomes clear, 
  their destiny is set. 
  a champion’s primary diet comprises of young bufomi 
  who fail to meet the grade for their chosen caste, and the 
  flesh of sacrifices. unlike regular warriors, champions 
  wield good quality weapons. these are usually looted 
  from the corpses of intruders.
  females
  Whereas male bufomi are divided into two castes—
  shamans and warriors—females are outside the caste 
  system. their sole purpose is the procreation of their 
  race, and because of this they are deeply respected 
  (though granted no authority over males) and diligently 
  protected at all times.
  Females are extremely rare, with most tribes boasting 
  only one per 20 males. Possession of females not only 
  increases the potential number of tadpoles each mating 
  season, but it is also a sign of status.
  most tribes are content to survive with just a single 
  female. However, should she die or become infertile 
  (an event met by her sacrifice), the tribe has only two 
  choices—slowly wither away or find a new female. the 
  latter means open conflict with another tribe, and a tribe 
  with no females is a truly deadly foe, for it has nothing to 
  lose in armed struggle.
  Possession of healthy females, while a boon in terms 
  of more potential hatchlings and greater prestige with 
  neighboring tribes, is not without its drawbacks. Females 
  require substantial amounts of food if they are to produce 
  a plethora of viable eggs. While bufomi do not begrudge 
  giving food to their females, such offerings do reduce the 
  amount available to the rest of the tribe.
  Culture
  regardless of its level of civility and intricacy, all sen-
  tient beings possess a culture. this section looks at the 
  basic culture of the bufomi.
  haBitat
  For all their other failings as a race, the bufomi are 
  deeply spiritual, in their peculiar, barbaric way. com-
  munities exist to serve the tribe’s temple rather than the 
  other way round, and thus wherever the bufomi have set 
  up home there is always a place of worship at its heart.
  long ago, the bufomi raised stone temples to honor 
  their gluttonous god. never masters of masonry, such 
  temples were far from majestic, but they still boasted an 
  impressive number of rooms. over time these structures 
  have largely crumbled, leaving behind naught but creep-
  er-choked piles of rubble in most places and a patchwork 
  of standing walls and piles of collapsed stonework in 
  others.
  although they possess no ability to see in the dark, 
  bufomi prefer to live underground whenever possible, 
  ideally in cool, damp places. conditions deemed insani-
  tary by other races, even orcs, are often ideally suited to 
  toad-men, though even they draw the line at rassilon’s 
  few sewers.
  as a matter of prudence, there is usually one visible 
  entrance and a smaller, concealed one for emergency 
  evacuation. unlike orcs, who prefer a strongly defended 
  entrance, bufomi post only a handful of guards. since 
  their homes are usually low (by human standards), put-
  ting your enemy at a disadvantage is seen as more prefer-
  able than a suicidal stand.
  being a small race, they favor lairs with narrow cor-
  ridors and low ceilings. Floors in select rooms may be 
  excavated as deep as ten feet, allowing them to fill with 
  water. While the bufomi can cross these with ease, either 
  by leaping if the ceiling height allows or simply swim-
  ming, they present an obstacle for most intruders. War-
                  
  
  Bufomi
  
  riors dominate the outer areas, while the shamans and 
  the vital rooms, such as the larder and birthing pool are 
  placed deeper within the tunnels.
  but while rassilon boasts an innumerable number 
  of suitable ruins, bufomi refuse to leave their ancestral 
  marshes. as a result, many tribes are forced to dwell on 
  the surface due to a lack of ruins and soil too boggy to 
  excavate safely.
  When forced to live above ground, the most favored 
  location is an island. although the ability to work stone 
  has been lost, bufomi have enough knowledge to erect 
  simple fortifications from either wood or, more com-
  monly, by planting thorny bushes around the perimeter.
  most surface-dwelling bufomi live in crudely fash-
  ioned circular reed huts. each hut sleeps anywhere from 
  four to ten warriors. Privacy is not a common trait, and 
  no internal divisions exist to create separate sleeping 
  areas. bedding is usually a mass of wet reeds.
  typically, a village is built as a series of concentric 
  circles, with warriors’ hut outermost. When a tribe has 
  a champion, he normally lodges with the leader, effec-
  tively becoming his private bodyguard. Junior shamans, 
  when such exist, form an inner ring around the heart of 
  the settlement—the birthing pool, the ruler’s hut, and 
  the temple.
  serving as the altar is an effigy of a giant toad with its 
  mouth open. in many temples offerings are shoved into 
  the maw and out through the toad’s back. the symbolic 
  sacrifice over, the bufomi dine on the carcass while the 
  highest-ranking shaman takes the treasure. in a rare few 
  others, the sacrifices fall through a hole in the base of 
  the statue into a subterranean chamber. giant toads 
  are housed below the temple, and they dine on the still 
  screaming victims.
  diet
  bufomi are carnivorous hunter-gatherers capable of 
  eating almost anything they can fit into their mouths.
  much of their diet comprises worms, slugs, spiders, 
  grubs, small birds, vermin, and insects either caught on 
  their sticky tongues or collected in reed baskets attacked 
  to long poles. gathered insects are returned home and 
  mashed into small balls. While insects are plentiful, a 
  bufom requires more than the occasional mosquito or 
  fly to survive.
  nets and spears are used to hunt fish, eels, leeches, 
  and even other amphibians. despite the similarities be-
  tween the race and mundane amphibians, bufomi have 
  the same approach to eating frogs and toads as humans 
  do to other animals. While technologically primitive, 
  bufomi are masters of snares. this enables them to catch 
  small land animals.
  it should be noted that while bufomi do eat the flesh 
  of sentient beings, it is a rarity in their daily diet. in dire 
  emergencies they may attack a small stead on the fringes 
  of their territory, but they are too fearful to launch attacks 
  on larger settlements unless driven to the point of utter 
  despair. lone travelers and small parties should always 
  take care, though, for the opportunistic bufomi will take 
  small risks to ensure they eat.
  outsiders who come prepared can buy safe passage 
  and even hire guides in return for fish or shreds of meat. 
  bufomi are quite happy with rotting meat, so an adven-
  turer need not spend a fortune purchasing fine cuts. 
  loyalty, though, only extends as far as the next meal. it 
  has been known for a bufom to work for an adventur-
  ing party, be refused food, and lead his so-called masters 
  into a treacherous area of bog or into an ambush.
  While bufom make use of fire for heat and light, they 
  disdain cooked food, finding it unpalatable (which is 
  saying something). Whether flies, fish, or rabbits, food is 
  hacked into manageable chunks and swallowed whole.
  certain soft weeds are eaten, but only as a last resort, 
  for they provide very little nutrition. lacking teeth, any 
  fibrous plants are rolled around the mouth until they 
  form a ball and then swallowed.
  although always on the hunt for sufficient food, 
  bufomi are careful hunter-gatherers. they understand 
  enough about the cycle of life not to hunt to excess, lest 
  they leave themselves short of prey the next year.
  ClothinG
  Personal modesty and fashion mean nothing to bu-
  fomi. they do not wear clothes, even when garments 
  are available to them. a shaman might wear a piece of 
  plundered jewelry to show his status, but would not don 
  an ermine lined cloak, though he probably would hap-
  pily use it as a blanket.
  this reluctance to don clothing leaves the bufomi 
  vulnerable to cold weather and has led to the misun-
  derstanding that they hibernate in winter. in truth, they 
  merely limit their outside activities to a minimum, instead 
  huddling around fires in the safety of their damp homes.
  law and order
  Within a tribe the word of the ruling shaman is ab-
  solute law. generally there is little need for policing, 
  as tribes are naturally communal, the idea of personal 
  possessions is confined to a rare few individuals such as 
  senior shamans and champions (and even then it is for 
  the good of the tribe), as such there is little crime.
  despite this, there are some immutable laws in place. 
  overeating, stealing food, or hoarding of food in secret 
  is a crime, as is using the birthing pool out of turn. 
  treason against the ruler is a crime only if the ruler is 
  not overthrown—otherwise it is a perfectly valid way of 
  trying to improve the tribe’s fortunes. murder is a very 
  serious crime, though only if the victim was a productive 
  member of society. those unfit to aid the tribe are non-
  entities, though murdering one out of hand is a religious 
  crime, as it robs K’kroakaa of a meal.
  bufomi society has no room for lengthy trials domi-
  nated by legal precedent and clever wording. all cases 
  are brought before the ruler, who is quick to pass the 
  only judgment known to the race—death by sacrifice.
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  healthCare
  bufomi society favors the strong. the weak are a seri-
  ous drain on resources, and likely to end up as a sacrifice. 
  However, bufomi are also pragmatists—if a wounded 
  warrior can be healed relatively easily, then why waste a 
  valuable resource?
  What bufomi sorely lack is access to magical healing. 
  a tribe might own one or two healing potions, but these 
  would be precious treasures, not things to be casually 
  squandered. a handful of warriors might know basic first 
  aid, but most medical care lies with the shamans.
  Fortunately, bufomi shamans often understand hedge 
  magic. the marshes they call home are abundant with 
  medicinal herbs, not all of which are known to non-bu-
  fomi practitioners. While perfectly safe for other races 
  to use, most concoctions take the form of thick, slimy 
  pastes that are either rubbed onto the skin or gulped 
  back. a race that happily eats bugs has little care about 
  ingesting rotting weeds.
  lanGuaGe
  bufomi speak a dialect of lesarde, a language also 
  shared by gatormen and lizardmen. scholars have long 
  argued why this should be so, since bufomi were never 
  enslaved en masse and are not biologically or mythically 
  related to the other races. to date no viable solution has 
  been put forward. While other races can reproduce the 
  language, it is hard on the throat.
  the language is not advanced, though whether or not 
  it is debased from an earlier tongue or just never evolved 
  is open to discussion. sentences are very clipped and 
  never used in a compound structure.
  names
  While individuals have personal names, the race has 
  no concept of surnames. they do not name their tribes, 
  either. instead, a bufomi describes where he is from when 
  forced to reveal anything about his tribe. For instance, a 
  bufomi may state that his tribe “lives in the shadow of the 
  bent tree near the brook where the frogs grow.”
  only shamans use personal adverbs and pronouns—
  warriors use their given name. so while a shaman might 
  say “i want the spear,” a warrior would say “Kruk wants 
  the spear.”
  numBers
  despite having just six fingers, bufomi use a decimal 
  system. again, it is hypothesized this is a hold over from 
  relations with the gatormen or lizardmen, though it is 
  impossible to prove. the bufomi numbering system 
  stops at 1000—they simply have no need to count any 
  higher. beyond that, they employ vague descriptive 
  terms, like “many more than us” or “as many as there are 
  flies in a swarm.” though meaningless to other races, 
  other bufomi have an intuitive grasp of the phrases.
  written lanGuaGe
  bufomi have no true written language. they utilize 
  simple pictograms, but these convey only basic mean-
  ings, such as “danger” or “sacred.” though little true 
  education occurs among the primitive race, customs, 
  laws, and religious beliefs are passed on through an oral 
  tradition by the shamans.
  Calendar
  bufomi have never been stargazers or farmers, and 
  thus have little use for a calendar. they understand 
  the changing of the seasons, as this alters what food is 
  available. their primitive culture knows the seasons as 
  bad time (winter), Warming time (spring), insect time 
  (summer), and Hunting time (fall).
  Winter is aptly named, for the insects and animals 
  that form much of their diet are hard to find. ice may 
  prevent fishing, and wild animals tend to migrate out of 
  the marsh to better feeding grounds. For much of the 
  winter the tribe sits in its lair, rationing provisions gath-
  ered the previous year, and hoping the Warming time 
  quickly comes.
  as spring dawns so the tribe becomes more active, 
  venturing outside in the hope of catching fresh provi-
  sions. tribal boundaries are checked, and if necessary 
  rebuilt to warn rivals the tribe is active. as lambing sea-
  son approaches, tribes fortunate enough to live close to 
  steads begin making their first raids.
  summer is a time of relative plenty. swarms of buzzing 
  insects fill the air, the waters run freely, and other animals 
  are starting to gain body fat, at least in the Hearthlands. 
  For tribes in the Winterlands, insect time is less a leisurely 
  banquet and more a mad scramble for pitiful scraps. the 
  warriors spend much of their time hunting and gathering 
  in preparation for the coming winter. ironically, while hu-
  mans favor war in summer, bufomi cannot afford to waste 
  the short period on such matters.
  as the great wheel of the heavens turn, so summer 
  gives way to fall. the days grow shorter and colder, and 
  the bufomi know it is time for a last minute flurry of 
  food gathering before winter again blankets the land in 
  its deadly embrace. raids against neighboring tribes and 
  isolated steads reach a peak in the weeks before the first 
  snow falls. as winter comes, the tribe again withdraws to 
  its lair to weather the hard times to come.
  bufomi have no names for the days of the week or 
  months, seeing each day as just another cycle of activ-
  ity. the passage of time is crudely marked by noting the 
  number of sun rises. bufomi mythology claims K’kroakaa 
  is slowly devouring the sun in revenge for burning him 
  (see page 11).
  the moon is identified as K’kroakaa’s belly. When 
  full of sacrifices, it expands and fills the night sky. as the 
  god digests his meals, so his stomach deflates until it is 
  empty. this superstitious belief has led to sacrifices be-
  ing offered during the phases when the moon is more 
  dark than light.
  
  Bufomi
  
  trade and triBute
  all bufomi tribes are self-sufficient in the basic wares 
  they need to survive day-to-day. cooperation between 
  rival tribes is virtually unheard of due to the bufomi’s 
  tendency to view everyone else as competitors for the 
  same resources. a powerful slime lord might bond mul-
  tiple tribes together, but even then there is little direct 
  trade—such an organization is more a personal military 
  force than an economic one.
  still, bufomi are sorely lacking in arms and armor, and 
  will trade for them. they have been known to trade for 
  sacrifices as well. since they possess no valuable crafts, 
  all they have to offer is herbal remedies and general sup-
  port, typically supplying small numbers of warriors. 
  While the latter may not sound appealing, rumors 
  are circulating that an engro merchant in drakeport was 
  using bufomi from gnatmarsh to commit acts of piracy. 
  such alliances are extremely uncommon, and are never 
  based on mutual trust. 
  When large quantities of goods must be moved 
  around, giant toads fitted with simple harness support-
  ing wicker baskets are used as beasts of burden.
  strong tribes have, on occasion, risen to such power 
  as to be able to demand tribute from weaker tribes. While 
  a strong tribe could take what it wanted by force, open 
  warfare risks casualties, and even a seemingly weak foe 
  might prove difficult to crush. so the threat of violence 
  is used instead.
  it is theoretically possible, but as yet unknown, that 
  a tribe could extend its influence outside the marsh, 
  demanding tribute from farms and steads in return for 
  leaving the settlers in peace. but any such act would re-
  quire either a strong military force or a massive bluff, and 
  either is likely to earn only a short-term victory.
  warfare
  bufomi are not widely renowned for their bravery 
  or skill at arms, though when defending their lairs they 
  fight with a tenaciousness rarely found elsewhere. under 
  the direct command of a slime lord, they can become a 
  reasonable fighting force.
  weapons and armor
  bufomi lack the technology and skill sets to forge and 
  work metal. even leatherworking is beyond their under-
  standing. unless a warrior has been fortunate enough to 
  acquire a suit of armor from an outside source, such as a 
  fallen foe of similar size, he fights naked.
  even when armor is available, it is rarely worn around 
  the clock. bufomi skin may appear tough, but it is actu-
  ally surprisingly delicate. armor is renowned for chafing. 
  Furthermore, being able to swim is a key part of their 
  daily life, and armor is heavy.
  as a general rule, one can expect champions to wear 
  at least a leather vest to denote their status. slime lords 
  protect themselves with the heaviest armor they can find. 
  since they spend much of their day seated, chaffing and 
  weight are rarely problematic.
  similarly, unless an outside source of weapons is lo-
  cated all he has to fight with is a very primitive spear. 
  often these are little more than sharp stones lashed to 
  sticks with dried reeds. spears are popular across the 
  spectrum of sentient races, not only because they are 
  cheap to produce but also because they allow you to at-
  tack at an increased range, thus helping ensuring your 
  foe doesn’t get chance to strike you.
  Perhaps because of their powerful leap, bufomi have 
  never bothered with ranged weapons. While the inven-
  tion of the sling is hardly a work of genius, limitations in 
  understanding prohibit the manufacture of bows. again, 
  though one should never assume the bufomi will only 
  engage in melee—tribes that manage to acquire missile 
  weapons are inclined to at least experiment with them.
  taCtiCs and strateGy
  no organized military structure exists within a bufomi 
  tribe. every male is expected to help protect the tribe, 
  though the leader only rarely places himself in mortal peril. 
  on all but the rarest occasions, the junior shamans fill the 
  role as military commanders, though their main purpose is 
  to supply magical support rather than true leadership.
  this section looks at bufomi tactics in ambushes, 
  when defending lairs, and on small-scale raids. no tribe 
  or collection of tribes has yet taken part in a pitched 
  battle, and it is unlikely they ever will.
  amBushes
  bufomi rarely have the manpower to attack from a 
  position of strength. instead, they prefer to attack from a 
  position of surprise, looking to overpower their enemies 
  before spells can be brought against them. given ideal 
  circumstances, bufomi like to outnumber their foes by 
  at least two-to-one. However, under desperate circum-
  stances they will attack larger forces, though usually only 
  for a few rounds before retreating.
  being semi-aquatic, bufomi prefer to employ ambush-
  es at sites where there is water on multiple sides. the 
  sly hunters lurk below the surface with only their eyes 
  protruding. as well as providing cover from which to 
  attack, it makes for a handy escape route should things 
  turn bad. Warriors are spread around the ambush site, 
  ensuring that the approaching enemy can be adequately 
  hampered from all sides.
  Knowing that the opening few seconds of an ambush 
  are the most vital time, bufomi attacks always begin with 
  the warriors on one side emitting a barrage of croaks in 
  a bid to stun their opponents for those crucial few sec-
  onds. When enemies not stunned turn to face the direc-
  tion of the attack, the warriors not behind them repeat 
  the tactic. this tactic is also employed when an enemy 
  immediately breaks or tries to fall back to regroup.
                   
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  10
  With the enemy now reeling, the warriors bound into 
  battle from all sides simultaneously, employing another 
  of their strengths to deliver deadly blows before their 
  opponents can recover.
  unless these first few moments have given the bufomi 
  an advantage, they are likely to turn tail and flee at the 
  earliest opportunity. only if their foes are on the ropes 
  will they press the attack.
  shamans remain as far from battle as their spells al-
  low. during the initial two rounds, when the warriors are 
  croaking, shamans unleash their offensive spells at the 
  enemy, hoping to kill or disable them before the warriors 
  leap into action. spells such as blast and entangle are 
  targeted at the most dangerous looking foes, while stun 
  is used against weaker looking troops. cavalry may be 
  pelted with knockdown spells in an attempt to unhorse 
  the rider, thus robbing the rider of his height and speed 
  advantage. Prolonged blast is normally only used when 
  the bufomi are outnumbered, the spell being placed 
  so as to divide the enemy into more manageable sized 
  units.
  once melee is joined, the shamans become more se-
  lective, angling spells to pick off groups of foes without 
  endangering their warrior comrades.
  Beast friend can be useful for controlling giant toads 
  or swarms of carnivorous frogs, but only when such crea-
  tures are present. given a chance to employ such allies, 
  bufomi use them as shock troops. When giant toads are 
  not available, the shaman often employs his summon 
  herald spell to bring one forth before the ambush is 
  sprung. spells such as boost/lower trait, leaping, shape 
  change, sanctuary, and wall walker are kept in reserve 
  in case the shaman needs to make a quick getaway.
  defendinG lairs
  as noted above, bufomi prefer to allow intruders into 
  their lairs before mounting any type of resistance. as 
  well as favoring the defender, the bufomi have learned 
  the hard way that grouping warriors together in a small 
  confine is an invitation for an enemy spellcaster to drop 
  an area effect spell.
  Warriors stationed at the entrance fight fanatically, not 
  in a bid to force attackers back, but simply to buy their 
  comrades more time.
  unable to bound effectively in low, narrow corridors, 
  bufomi must fall back on croaking as their primary tactic. 
  intersections are the ideal place to surprise an enemy, 
  as it allows for a crossfire of croaks followed by a multi-
  pronged charge with spears. When strength of numbers 
  proves too great, the bufomi simply retreat to another 
  advantageous position and repeat the tactic.
  Flooded rooms, slick floors, even mud are used to 
  great advantage. although bufomi are just as hampered 
  by slippery surfaces as other races, their ability to leap, 
  combined with their swimming skills, allow them to 
  bypass most such obstacles with ease. While the enemy 
  flounders in the mire or has to wade through chest-deep 
  water, they are susceptible to croaks and spells.
  When fighting in the outer regions, shamans are more 
  likely to invoke blast spells. Prolonged blast, when avail-
  able, can be very useful in blocking corridors and either 
  hemming the enemy into a killing ground or simply pre-
  venting them from progressing deeper.
  but as the fight continues toward the birthing pool 
  and larder so shamans switch to non-damaging spells, 
  like entangle, knockdown, and stun, so as not to risk 
  causing collateral damage.
  small raids
  most raids are for livestock, not to cause destruction 
  or take prisoners (though bufomi never turn down a free 
  meal when the opportunity arises). raiding parties are 
  always small bands, generally of no more than a dozen 
  warriors and one or two shamans.
  ill-suited for warfare in the open, stealth is the key 
  factor in any raid. it is far better to steal one sheep and 
  lose no warriors, than to steal ten sheep, and suffer cata-
  strophic losses. night raids are popular, for while bufomi 
  have trouble with the dark, so do most of their targets, 
  thus ensuring a level playing field. darkness also limits the 
  effectiveness of missile fire, again bringing things down to 
  the toad-men’s level. unless times are desperate, raiding 
  parties turn and run at the first sign of stiff resistance.
  naturally stealthy and skilled at leaping, bufomi can 
  easily circumvent low obstacles in silence, allowing 
  them to penetrate the enemy’s defenses without wasting 
  valuable time assaulting gates or raising scaling ladders. 
  once inside, they move quickly, gathering everything of 
  use to the tribe before retreating back to the safety of 
  the marsh.
  reliGion
  the bufomi faith centers on a single, ever-hungry de-
  ity, K’kroakaa, the bloated one. according to myth, he 
  dwells in the center of a vast heavenly swamp known as 
  the land of reeds.
  bufomi believe in an afterlife, but have no version of 
  the abyss. those who die in service to their tribe will 
  serve K’kroakaa in the afterlife, forming part of a single 
  tribe under the guidance of their majestic deity. those 
  who end up sacrificed are devoured body and soul, ef-
  fectively erasing them from existence.
  no forms of funerary rites exist. those sacrificed are 
  either devoured by giant toads, proxies for K’kroakaa, 
  or by their former tribe mates. those who die in battle 
  become food for the tribe over winter or, if the body can-
  not be recovered, are left for wild giant toads to eat.
  note that although bufomi worship a god, it is not 
  K’kroakaa who gives shamans their supernatural pow-
  ers. rather, shamans tap into the magical threads that 
  surround amphibians. despite using Faith to call forth 
  powers and suffering backlash as miracle workers, they 
  are more akin to mages than true clerics. 
                  
  
  Bufomi
  11
  K’KroaKaa
  Titles: the bloated one.
  Aspects: bufomi, amphibians, gluttony.
  Symbol: a toad.
  Priesthood: Priests and paladins are not differenti-
  ated, and thus a shaman may take both the champion 
  and Holy Warrior edges.
  Herald: none. When called to send a herald, K’kroakaa 
  sends a giant toad. on a raise, the toad is a Wild card.
  Holy Days: bufomi hold major festivals on Heah su-
  mor daeg and Heah Wyntr daeg. minor ceremonies are 
  held as often as the highest-ranking shaman demands.
  Signature Power: Leaping.
  Powers: Beast friend (amphibians only), blast, boost/
  lower trait (stealth and swimming only), champion of 
  the faith, entangle, environmental protection (water 
  only), growth/shrink, knockdown, prolonged blast, 
  sanctuary, shape change (amphibians only), stun, sum-
  mon herald (a giant toad), wall walker.
  Trappings: trappings all relate to toads. Knockdown 
  may be a powerful croak, entangle could be sticky 
  tongues, and blast a swarm of flesh-eating toads.
  Disciple Edge: K’kroakaa’s disciples can unfurl their 
  tongue to reach 2. this allows them to initiate grapples 
  at range or deliver a sting slap for strength damage. 
  K’kroakaa is an ancient god by human standards, 
  having been worshipped by the bufomi since before the 
  gatormen and lizardmen ruled much of the northern 
  continent. a bloated monstrosity, the deity has devoured 
  so many sacrifices it can no longer move. 
  instead, it sits motionless in its dank lair, its immense 
  maw gaping wide to accept whatever offerings its follow-
  ers deign fit to throw its way. K’kroakaa has little true 
  love for his followers. He is their god, and they exist 
  solely to ensure he is constantly fed.
  K’kroakaa appears in no civilized race’s mythology, 
  though gatormen tell how in his greed he once swal-
  lowed the sun, plunging the world into total darkness, 
  but badly burning himself in the process. For this reason, 
  amphibians need to regularly bathe their skin to avoid 
  drying out. 
  some clerics of eostre animalmother claim the inhu-
  man deity was one of the goddess’ early creations, a true 
  child of the mythical First age, but this viewpoint is not 
  widely supported.
  Ceremonies
  any time a sacrifice is deemed to be required, the 
  tribe holds a ceremony to their obese god. there are 
  only two truly important ceremonies in the race’s reli-
  gious calendar.
  warm-end day
  on Heah sumor daeg, the primitive toad-men gather 
  outside their lair as the sun sets and begin croaking loud-
  ly. the croaks are those emitted by hungry bufomi, and 
  are pleas to the sun to return quickly. With the mid-point 
  of the year gone, they know winter is on its way, and 
  that means a shortage of food. bufomi society is uncar-
  ing, and those considered too weak to survive the winter 
  are seen as a drain on valuable resources. once the first 
  hard frosts bite, these unfortunates end up sacrificed to 
  K’kroakaa.
  warm-start day
  Heah Wyntr daeg is a day of celebration. although the 
  snow lies deep and the air is freezing, the days will soon 
  begin to lengthen and foodstuffs will again be plentiful. 
  the croaks are ones of welcoming, for the sun will soon 
  drive away the winter chill and awaken the prey animals 
  and plants. raiding tribes begin to plan their activities 
  for the warmer months.
  Bestiary
  this section pulls together various stat blocks con-
  cerning the bufomi and their allies, consolidating them 
  in a single volume for ease of use when designing or 
  running toad-men related adventures. it also introduces 
  new varieties of bufom to keep the players guessing 
  about exactly the threat they face.
  Bufomi
  Champion
  Whereas most bufomi are small, the champion is a 
  tall, muscular member of the species. its primary diet 
  comprises young bufomi who fail to meet the grade for 
  their chosen caste and the flesh of sacrifices. unlike regu-
  lar warriors, champions wield good quality weapons. 
  these are usually looted from the corpses of intruders.
  Wild card champions should have Fighting d10 (Parry 
  8), Vigor d10 (toughness 9 (1)), and First strike. a cham-
  pion serving a slime lord has improved Frenzy.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d6, spirit d8, strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: climbing d8, Fighting d8, intimidation d8, notice 
  d6, stealth d8, swimming d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 8 (1)
  Hindrances: overconfident
  Edges: combat reflexes, command, Frenzy
  Gear: leather vest (+1; torso only), long spear (str+d6, 
  +1 Parry, reach 1, 2 hands)
  Treasure: Worthwhile
  Special Abilities:
  * Bound: a bufom can leap 1d6+2” in a straight line to 
  attack with +2 to its Fighting roll and +2 to damage.
  * Croak: if a bufom takes no other actions in a round, 
  including moving, it can emit a deafening croak. Place 
  the thin end of a cone template in front of the bu-
                  
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  12
  fom. all creatures within the template must make a 
  spirit roll or be shaken.
  * Rotating Eyes: the eyes of a bufom sit on top of their 
  head, and can swivel to see behind them. they reduce 
  gang-up bonuses against them by one.
  * Semi-Aquatic: bufomi can hold their breath for 5 
  minutes.
  * Size +1: a champion is a hulking brute.
  fanatiC
  Fanatics are warriors, but ones who for some reason 
  are filled with a righteous devotion to their religious 
  leaders. When a shaman or slime lord is injured, the 
  fanatics undergo a frenzy, striking out at nearby foes to 
  avenge the insult to their master.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d6, spirit d8, strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: climbing d6, Fighting d6, intimidation d6, notice 
  d6, stealth d8, swimming d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 4
  Gear: crude long spear (str+d6, +1 Parry, reach 1, 2 
  hands, see below)
  Treasure: meager
  Special Abilities:
  * Bound: a bufom can leap 1d6+2” in a straight line to 
  attack with +2 to its Fighting roll and +2 to damage.
  * Croak: if a bufom takes no other actions in a round, 
  including moving, it can emit a deafening croak. Place 
  the thin end of a cone template in front of the bu-
  fom. all creatures within the template must make a 
  spirit roll or be shaken.
  * Crude Spear: if a bufom rolls a 1 on his Fighting die, 
  regardless of Wild die (for Wild cards), he has dam-
  aged his spear. the spear’s damage die is reduced 
  one step. below a d4, the spear has shattered, leaving 
  the bufom holding a few bits of stick.
  * Fanatic: if a bufom shaman or slime lord within 5” of 
  a fanatic is shaken or wounded, the fanatic may make 
  a single Fighting roll against one opponent within 
  reach as a free action. it may do this even if it has 
  acted in the round or is on Hold. in the latter case, it 
  remains on Hold.
  * Rotating Eyes: the eyes of a bufom sit on top of their 
  head, and can swivel to see behind them. they reduce 
  gang-up bonuses against them by one.
  * Semi-Aquatic: bufomi can hold their breath for 5 
  minutes.
  * Size –1: bufomi stand 4’ tall.
  shaman
  shamans are the leaders of bufomian society, and 
  worship K’kroakaa, the bloated one, whose form is that 
  of a monstrous toad with an immensely long tongue.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d8, spirit d8, strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: climbing d6, Faith d8, Fighting d4, notice d6, 
  stealth d8, swimming d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Edges: arcane background (miracles)
  Gear: crude long spear (str+d6, +1 Parry, reach 1, 2 
  hands, see below)
  Treasure: meager
  Special Abilities:
  * Croak: if a bufom takes no other actions in a round, 
  including moving, it can emit a deafening croak. Place 
  the thin end of a cone template in front of the bu-
  fom. all creatures within the template must make a 
  spirit roll or be shaken.
  * Crude Spear: if a bufom rolls a 1 on his Fighting die, 
  regardless of Wild die (for Wild cards), he has dam-
  aged his spear. the spear’s damage die is reduced 
  one step. below a d4, the spear has shattered, leaving 
  the bufom holding a few bits of stick.
  * Powers: shamans know the following spells: beast 
  friend (amphibians only), boost/lower trait (stealth 
  and swimming), entangle (long, sticky tongue), 
  knockdown (croak), leaping, summon herald (a gi-
  ant toad).
  * Rotating Eyes: the eyes of a bufom sit on top of their 
  head, and can swivel to see behind them. they reduce 
  gang-up bonuses against them by one.
  * Semi-Aquatic: bufomi can hold their breath for 5 
  minutes.
  * Size –1: bufomi stand 4’ tall.
         slime lord
  a slime lord is a bloated shaman of exceptional in-
  telligence. these foul creatures are found only rarely, 
  and typically rule over multiple small tribes or a single 
  very powerful tribe. their warty skin exudes a viscous, 
  pungent hallucinogenic slime. before entering combat, a 
  slime lord smears his bodily excretion on his weapon.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d10, spirit d8, strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Faith d10, Fighting d8, intimidation d8, notice 
  d6, stealth d4, swimming d6
  Pace: 4; Parry: 7; Toughness: 9 (2)
  Hindrances: obese
  Edges: arcane background (miracles), command, com-
  mand Presence, Fervor, sweep
  Gear: chain shirt (+2; torso only), staff (str+d4, +1 
  Parry, reach 1, 2 hands; see below)
  Treasure: rich
  Special Abilities:
  * Croak: if a bufom takes no other actions in a round, 
  including moving, it can emit a deafening croak. Place 
  the thin end of a cone template in front of the bu-
  fom. all creatures within the template must make a 
  spirit roll or be shaken.
  * Hallucinogenic Slime: anyone shaken or wounded 
  by the slime lord’s mucus-coated staff must make a 
  Vigor roll at –2 or be shaken for 1d6 rounds as he 
  experiences vivid hallucinations. unless the victim 
  spends a benny, he may roll to unshake only after the 
  1d6 rounds have expired.
  
  Bufomi
  1
  * Powers: slime lords know the following spells: beast 
  friend (amphibians only), blast (flesh-eating toads), 
  boost/lower trait (stealth and swimming), entangle 
  (long, sticky tongue), knockdown (croak), leaping, 
  stun (mighty croak), summon herald (a giant toad), 
  wall walker (sticky mucus on hands and feet).
  * Pungent Stench: anyone moving adjacent to a slime 
  lord must make a Vigor roll or be shaken. With suc-
  cess, the victim is immune to that slime lord’s stench 
  for 24 hours. if a victim fails his roll, moves away, and 
  later returns adjacent to the slime lord, he must make 
  the roll again.
  * Rotating Eyes: the eyes of a bufom sit on top of their 
  head, and can swivel to see behind them. they reduce 
  gang-up bonuses against them by one.
  * Semi-Aquatic: bufomi can hold their breath for 5 
  minutes.
  warrior
  the warrior caste is the most commonly encountered 
  by adventurers. as well as the tribes’ defenders, they 
  double as hunters. though small, their deep croak can 
  stun much larger prey.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d6, spirit d8, strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: climbing d6, Fighting d6, intimidation d6, notice 
  d6, stealth d8, swimming d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 4
  Gear: crude long spear (str+d6, +1 Parry, reach 1, 2 
  hands, see below)
  Treasure: meager, per 5 bufomi
  Special Abilities:
  * Bound: a bufom can leap 1d6+2” in a straight line to 
  attack with +2 to its Fighting roll and +2 to damage.
  * Croak: if a bufom takes no other actions in a round, 
  including moving, it can emit a deafening croak. Place 
  the thin end of a cone template in front of the bu-
  fom. all creatures within the template must make a 
  spirit roll or be shaken.
  * Crude Spear: if a bufom rolls a 1 on his Fighting die, 
  regardless of Wild die (for Wild cards), he has dam-
  aged his spear. the spear’s damage die is reduced 
  one step. below a d4, the spear has shattered, leaving 
  the bufom holding a few bits of stick.
  * Rotating Eyes: the eyes of a bufom sit on top of their 
  head, and can swivel to see behind them. they reduce 
  gang-up bonuses against them by one.
  * Semi-Aquatic: bufomi can hold their breath for 5 
  minutes.
  * Size –1: bufomi stand 4’ tall.
  Variant Bufomi
  champions and slime lords are the most common 
  variant bufomi, but the race also produces other muta-
  tions. depending on the gm’s needs, these may be rare 
  individuals or common traits possessed by an entire 
  tribe. simply pick one of more of the new special abili-
  ties described below and apply them to any of the exist-
  ing bufomi archetypes.
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +1: thick, warty skin.
  * Chameleon: the bufom’s skin undergoes slight 
  changes in color to help in blend into its environment. 
  When in marshland, the bufom has +4 to stealth rolls 
  if immobile and +2 if moving.
  * Larger than Average: a warriors or shaman stands 
  five and a half feet tall. it has size +0 (toughness 5).
  * Marsh Born: Wide feet allow the bufom to cross shal-
  low water and mud without impairment. mud, slime, 
  and water no more than waist deep do not count as 
  difficult ground for this variant.
  * Stench: the bufom releases a pungent secretion the 
  first time it is shaken, wounded, subjected to Fear, or 
  intimidated during an encounter. any non-bufom ad-
  jacent to the bufom at the end of its turn must make a 
  Vigor roll or be shaken. the mucus remains in effect 
  for the remainder of the encounter.
  * Twitchy: the bufom’s body is constantly twitching 
  and jerking. ranged attacks targeted at the bufom suf-
  fer a –1 penalty.
  * Wide-Mouthed: this variant appears normal until it 
  opens its gaping maw. although the bufom cannot 
  swallow large prey whole, it can swallow entire limbs 
  of creatures of size +0 or size –1. instead of using its 
  spear, the wide-mouthed bufom can make a called 
  shot touch attack using its mouth (+0 modifier) to 
  latch onto a foe’s arm or leg. With success, the limb is 
  engulfed and immobile. this attack causes no damage 
  (no teeth, but it renders the limb temporary useless). 
  Freeing the limb requires an opposed strength roll as 
  an action or the death of the bufom.
  toad, Giant
  these monstrous toads are found in marshes across 
  the Hearthlands and low Winterlands.
  draGon
  giant dragon toads are named for their fearless, ag-
  gressive nature. opportunist hunters, they will attack 
  prey much larger than themselves. unlike other giant 
  toads, they have powerful jaws and sharp teeth.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4(a), spirit d8, strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, notice d6, stealth d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 8
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: str+d8.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Frenzy: a giant dragon toad may make two Fighting 
  attacks each round, both with a –2 penalty.
  * Semi-Aquatic: giant toads can hold their breath for 
  10 minutes.
  * Size +2: giant dragon toads weigh 500 pounds.
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  1
  normal
  bufomi use these monstrous toads as guards in the 
  same way other races use dogs and as beasts of burden.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d4(a), spirit d6, strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, notice d8, stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 10
  Treasure: meager, in lair
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: str+d6.
  * Engulf: giant toads can swallow prey as large as size 
  +1 whole. While engulfed, the target is at –4 to all 
  trait rolls and damage. He suffers 2d6 damage per 
  round from powerful digestive juices. (armor offers 
  no protection, except through the armor spell.)
  * Large: attackers are +2 to attack rolls against the 
  toad, due to its size.
  * Semi-Aquatic: giant toads can hold their breath for 
  10 minutes.
  * Size +4: giant toads weigh over 2,000 pounds.
  * Tongue: reach 3. the tongue is coated in sticky saliva. 
  if the toad scores a success on its Fighting roll it has 
  grappled its prey. unless the foe can escape before 
  the toad’s next action, it draws him into its mouth 
  and engulfed. on a raise, the victim is grappled and 
  engulfed in the same action.
  spit
  giant spit toads are considerably smaller than normal 
  giant toads. they lack the vast jaws and long tongue of 
  regular giant toads. they hunt by spitting toxic sticky 
  saliva at prey. the saliva hardens quickly, trapping the 
  unfortunate victim. unless they free themselves quickly, 
  spat on prey rapidly succumb to the paralyzing venom.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4(a), spirit d6, strength 
  d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, notice d8, shooting d8, stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: str+d6.
  * Poison (+0): the spit toad’s saliva contains a neu-
  rotoxin that slowly paralyzes its prey. at the start of 
  his turn, before he takes any action, a victim coated 
  in saliva must make a Vigor roll or suffer a level of 
  Fatigue, this can lead to death. one level of Fatigue 
  is recovered every 10 minutes once free of the spit.
  * Semi-Aquatic: giant toads can hold their breath for 
  10 minutes.
  * Size +1: giant spit toads weigh 300 pounds.
  * Spit: spit toads launch balls of sticky saliva. this re-
  quires a shooting roll and has range 3/6/12. With suc-
  cess, targets of size +1 or smaller are coated in the 
  slime, which hardens rapidly. targets suffer a –2 pen-
  alty to Pace and skills linked to agility and strength. a 
  raise restrains the target fully. He cannot move or use 
  any skills linked to agility or strength. each follow-
  ing round, the target may make a strength or agility 
  roll to break free. other characters may also attempt 
  to free the saliva-coated person by making a strength 
  roll at –2.
   toads and froGs
  one aspect of bufomi culture little witnessed by ob-
  servers is their use of small amphibians. Warriors 
  have been found to be carrying species of toad and 
  frog in small sacks. these are usually dismissed as 
  either pets (a foreign notion to bufomi) or snacks. 
  in fact, bufomi lick or ingest these creatures to in-
  duce certain physical and mental states.
  in all the examples below, licking a toad takes one 
  action and an individual toad may be licked only 
  once per day. licking multiple toads produces no 
  additional effect.
  bufomi use many other species used, though char-
  acters are unlikely to encounter their use in com-
  bat. the Wide-eyed Frog, for instance, produces a 
  slime that induces a state of euphoria. it is normally 
  licked during religious ceremonies.
  Great Warty Toad: a large, brown, warty specimen, 
  found mainly in the great swamp, the warty toad’s 
  secretions produce feeling of euphoria. Humans in-
  volved in the narcotics trade pay good money for 
  live specimens. licking a warty toad grants +2 to 
  spirit rolls to resist fear rolls for the next hour.
  Red-spotted Toad: common to gnatmarsh, the red-
  spotted toad (also known as blood toads or dargar’s 
  toads) is known to be toxic. its secretions produce 
  a raging fever if they enter the body. bufomi, how-
  ever, react very differently. by licking a red-spotted 
  toad, bufomi suffer a temporary madness akin to a 
  berserker frenzy. bufomi licking this specimen grants 
  the berserk edge for one hour. the bufomi an calm 
  down with a smarts roll as normal, but he risks going 
  berserk is shaken or wounded again until the brew 
  wears off. other races must make a Vigor roll (–2) or 
  suffer a level of Fatigue for 24 hours.
  Rigr’s Toad: so named because they are active at 
  night (and thus never appears to sleep) and because 
  of their useful secretion. licking one grants +2 to 
  Vigor rolls to stay awake and lasts for 12 hours.
  Wretch Toad: bright green with yellow spots, the 
  secretions of this amphibian are a defense mecha-
  nism against predators. When ingested, the mucus 
  acts causes a violent purging. a single dose imme-
  diately removes any poison. a patient Fatigued or 
  physically wounded by poison remains in that state 
  until he heals naturally, but he will not get worse. 
  Poisons that induce paralysis or similar effects are 
  immediately negated, leaving the patient free to 
  move. the victim is Fatigued for 24 hours due to 
  the vomiting.
  
  the civilized races fear many monstrous breeds, but 
  none more than the frost giants. each winter-loving, 
  towering fiend is a one-man company, with the strength 
  of a blizzard and the fortitude of a glacier. individually, 
  they are a great menace; when they gather in numbers, 
  they are nearly unstoppable. those are beholden to hold 
  back the forces of winter would do wise to heed the ad-
  vice presented here, for to ignore it is to invite doom.
  oriGin of the speCies
  in some myths, the first mortals created by the gods to 
  seed the world were the giants. storm giants took form 
  as thunor hammered thunder and lightning into living 
  flesh. Frost giants were carved from blocks of ice and 
  given life by thrym. ertha took clumps of earth, molded 
  them into form, and gave them life as forest giants. Kenaz 
  crafted hot coals to create the fire giants. neorthe shaped 
  the sea giants from sea foam, and even Vali created marsh 
  giants from the primordial slime of his dank home.
  according to one legend, the first frost giants, known 
  in tales as true frost giants, were creatures of living ice. 
  stronger, hardier, and crueler than the breeds of the cur-
  rent age, they lived in the far north, where the ice was 
  permanent, and little troubled mortals. their lives were 
  not measured in centuries, or even millennia, for they 
  were immortals, born of divine intervention. While their 
  hearts were as cold as ice, they became enamored of 
  mortal humans (who appeared much later), and repro-
  duced with them. skalds and sages alike politely ignore 
  the logistics of such an act. the result, so the songs go, 
  were the frost giants whose descendants walk the world 
  today.
  Frost giant myths tell a different story. While they 
  accept the existence of true frost giants, they do not 
  consider themselves an inferior breed, and certainly not 
  one tainted with human blood. in their eyes, true giants 
  are divine heralds in flesh form, superior yes, but only 
  by dint of never being mortal in the first place. When 
  thrym sought to create a race of mortal creatures, he 
  sculpted the frost giants from a glacier and breathed life 
  into them.
  these are not the only tales, though, for the history 
  of giants is long, and other races have their own views 
  on their creation. dwarves claim there were no frost gi-
  ants on the mortal world until the god War. a wicked 
  blow was struck at thrym by one of the gods’ fearsome 
  enemies, but his frigid beard saved his life. He suffered 
  only a minor nick to his flesh, but the ignominy of los-
  ing half his beard. as each icicle-like hair landed on the 
  mortal world, it became a frost giant. true frost giants, 
  the dwarves say, were formed of drops of thrym’s blood 
  shed in that terrible conflict.
  as should be evident from the various tales, of which 
  the above represent only a small fraction, the origins of 
  this much (and rightly) feared race is heavily wrapped 
  in myth and hearsay, for no creatures save the gods are 
  privy to that knowledge.
  anatomy
  second in stature only to fire giants, and then only by 
  a few feet, frost giants are towering creatures. 
  physioloGy
  scholars have long debated the differences between 
  lesser and greater frost giants. the former are dumber, 
  shorter, and lack the ability to radiate intense cold. many 
  have concluded they are mere adolescents, not yet at the 
  peak of their abilities. a few clerics of Kenaz and sigel 
  have hinted that they may be a different species alto-
  gether. the latter are far closer to the truth than they 
  realize. before the blizzard War, there were only greater 
  frost giants. as thrym unveiled his plan for the world, 
  the two gods pooled their might and cursed the entire 
  frost Giants
  1
                                      
                   
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  1
  frost giant race. as a result, the first lesser frost giants 
  were born. Perhaps thrym kidnapped Kenaz and sigel in 
  order to force them into revoking the curse. if true, then 
  they have yet to break under duress.
  the most obvious thing about frost giants is their 
  height. the smallest adults stand 15 feet, while larger 
  specimens average 18 feet. Jarls are considerably bigger, 
  reaching up to 25 feet. they are not a different species, 
  and it has been theorized that assuming the mantle of 
  power comes with certain blessings from thrym. it may 
  also simply be that jarls enjoy better and more plentiful 
  food, and that any frost giant could reach their height if 
  given the same diet. typically, a jarl grows an extra foot 
  in height for each 50 years in power, making the change 
  slow but steady.
  as for their main physical features, they are human-
  oid and possess five digits on each limb. their skin is 
  glacial blue, their hair snow white, and their eyes almost 
  entirely black.
  the belief frost giants have poor eyesight is a fallacy. 
  Frost giants have very few natural predators (some may 
  argue they have none), and little fear the smaller races. 
  their supposed visual impairment is actually nothing 
  more than inattentiveness coupled with a liberal amount 
  of arrogance. originally natives of a land where the sun 
  never rises during the winter months, frost giants pos-
  sess infravision. they see perfectly well in daylight, and 
  have only limited impairment in darkness.
  Frost giants have a reputation for clumsiness and 
  being lumbering oafs. their hand-eye coordination and 
  manual dexterity are actually no worse than an average 
  human. their clumsy appearance is no more than optical 
  illusion brought on by their greater height and weight.
  Frost giants’ ability to withstand intense cold, and suf-
  fer less injuries from focused cold (such as found in spell 
  trappings) is not natural, nor is their ability to radiate 
  an aura of intense cold that does not affect other frost 
  giants. Whatever their true origins, giants are an elder 
  race, and in those halcyon days the gods bestowed their 
  children with strange and wondrous powers. by the time 
  the frost dwarves crawled into existence, the gods had 
  curbed their enthusiasm.
  their susceptibility to concentrated heat is simply a 
  by-product of their creation—heat opposes cold. despite 
  this weakness, frost giants can tolerate high backgrounds 
  temperatures without discomfort, though avoid such 
  conditions whenever possible.
  life CyCle
  as with most other races, male and female frost giants 
  exist. it is very important to note that this occurs only in 
  the greater species—all lesser frost giants are male and 
  infertile. males outnumber females by roughly three-to-
  one.
  When it comes to mating, frost giants are monoga-
  mous, and it is the female who chooses her mate. Po-
  tential partners must be physically strong, intelligent, 
  generous, courageous, and loyal to thrym. they must 
  also ply the female with copious gifts of food and trea-
  sure to earn her interest. though cavorting with other 
  males is forbidden, giants do not marry. a female keeps 
  with her mate until a better prospect comes along. at this 
  time she publicly renounces any ties to her former lover. 
  the loser cannot argue this decision. if he believes he is 
  wrong, he must set out to prove his virility again.
  the act of procreation occurs as with most other 
  races. unfortunately for giants, females have low fertility. 
  While giants enjoy sex for pleasure, procreation occurs, 
  at best, once every 25 years. Pregnancy lasts two years, 
  and invariably results in a single child of size –1.
  around half of all births in the modern age are lesser 
  frost giants, a number that has been increasing by a flat 
  10% per century since the blizzard War. Within another 
  500 years, if nothing changes, greater frost giants will 
  cease to be born, signaling the demise of the race.
  childhood is a different experience for greater and 
  lesser frost giants. lesser giants are taken from their 
  parents and placed in a communal crèche, where their 
  early years are watched over by elderly females. there 
  is no nurturing. indeed, from an early age they learn 
  how to defend themselves by having to fight for scraps of 
  food. those too weak to survive are not mourned—they 
  are deemed unfit to serve thrym. as soon as they are 
  deemed old enough (about 10 years in human terms), 
  they are sent to undergo brutal military training. matu-
  rity is reached in roughly 20 years.
  young greater frost giants are indoctrinated into the 
  religion of thrym as soon as they are old enough to talk, 
  and begin martial training as soon as they can walk. un-
  like their lesser kin, they are schooled in actual tactics 
  and fighting styles. even though they are growing scarc-
  er, greater frost giant children are not molly-coddled or 
  protected from the harshness of life. many children die 
  in training or in learning how to raid. Full maturity oc-
  curs at roughly 50 years. those with a talent for magic 
  or a calling to serve thrym as a cleric begin training at 
  this age.
  barring accidental death, a lesser frost giant can ex-
  pect to live for a few centuries. most die in battle long 
  before old age begins to grip their flesh. greater frost 
  giants can live for as much as 900 years—there are still 
  giants around today who talk about the glorious days at 
  the start of the blizzard War, when they swept south as 
  young adults as part of huge armies, and who lament the 
  ignominious defeat inflicted on them by the lesser races 
  less than a human generation later.
  outside of spellcasters, elderly giants are virtually 
  unknown. For a male warrior, to die in bed is a shameful 
  death, whereas to die in the service of thrym a noble 
  end. before they get infirm, most frost giants will venture 
  into the wider world in search of battle, glory, and death. 
  Keen to make a final impression on thrym, they wage a 
  one-giant war to the death on any nearby species (save 
  other frost giants), though they favor enemies of thrym 
  above all others. although not naturally berserk, giants in 
  these final moments have been known to spontaneously 
  enter a frenzied state, enabling them to shrug off lesser 
  
  frost Giants
  1
  injuries and deal crippling blows to their foes. spellcast-
  ers remain with the tribe, passing on knowledge and 
  advising the jarl. this is their act of devotion to thrym, 
  and dying in bed is not considered a bad death.
  psyCholoGy
  in days of yore, frost giants were wildly overconfident 
  creatures, quick to anger and reach for their axes. many 
  thousands answered the call to battle at the start of the 
  blizzard War and marched headlong into battle, believ-
  ing they had nothing to fear. the defeat inflicted on them 
  at the end of the blizzard War scarred their racial psyche, 
  denting their image of themselves as an unstoppable 
  force of nature. most recently, this rose up again follow-
  ing the abortive invasion of the battlelands. though it 
  occurred almost 120 years ago, they still show reluctance 
  to try again, despite having swelled their numbers.
  today, frost giants are bullies. bullying lesser races, 
  most notably ice goblins and orcs, makes them feel bet-
  ter about themselves, and stirs memories of the old days, 
  when other races groveled before them in fear.
  one should not be lulled into thinking they are cow-
  ards, though. courage and martial-prowess are extremely 
  important to them, and, while they lack honor, insulting 
  one’s bravery is a sure-fire way to start a fight. at least, 
  it is in the case of other giants. giants can ignore chal-
  lenges from a single member of a lesser race, except in 
  the case of Hearth Knights and clerics of Kenaz or sigel. 
  turning aside the challenge of a single human or dwarf 
  is not cowardly—frost giants have convinced themselves 
  they have nothing to prove against such foes. that said, 
  the giant is likely to have a go just for the insult of actu-
  ally being challenged by an insect.
  soCial struCture
  Frost giants are found in families, clans, and, on rare 
  occasions, tribes. a family typically comprises one to six 
  male adult frost giants, half this number of females, and 
  a handful of children of various ages. Families are led by 
  the eldest male, who never takes the title jarl. the near-
  est equivalent title in trader is chieftain.
  among the civilized races, clans are made up of fami-
  lies united by a common ancestor. among giants, they 
  comprise families who have agreed or been forced to 
  work together for the betterment of thrym’s cause. a 
  clan comprises anywhere from two to ten families, and 
  is led by a jarl. When a family agrees to join an existing 
  clan, it barters for the best treatment and rewards for its 
  warriors. if it feels slighted, it has the choice of refusing 
  to join, or challenging for the title of jarl (see below).
  outside of giant’s throne and Hrimthyr isle, no frost 
  giant tribe has been recorded since the end of the bliz-
  zard War, at least not south of the icewall. the ruler of 
  a tribe can assume any title he desires, for he wields im-
  mense power and authority.
  Jarls
  the jarl is the undisputed ruler of a clan. a wise jarl 
  always takes advice from his spellcasters before making 
  any decision, but once he issues an order it becomes ab-
  solute law. only the jarl may rescind the command, and 
  this is done only rarely—revoking a command is consid-
  ered a sign of weakness among frost giants. still, a crafty 
  ruler, and one confident in his martial abilities, might 
  deliberately do so in order to draw would-be usurpers 
  into playing their hand prematurely.
  barring death of old age or battlefield wounds, a jarl 
  can only be legitimately removed through a ritualized 
  duel. the challenger, who must be a greater frost giant, 
  must declare his intent to challenge the jarl on Heah 
  sumor daeg. the declaration must be made in front of 
  the jarl and his advisory council. these challenges are 
  not made lightly—in order to prevent the clan or tribe 
  dividing into rival camps, combat is to the death.
  the duel takes place several months later, on Heah 
  Wyntr daeg. not only is this thrym’s most holy day, it 
  gives both sides time to prepare. once the challenge 
  is issued it cannot be rescinded. the only way either 
  party can avoid the conflict is to voluntarily enter exile, 
  a cowardly act sure to be remembered by thrym when 
  the giant’s soul is eventually judged. it also marks the 
  giant for death if his former clan ever encounters him, 
  for while he lives, he may plot against the jarl.
  by tradition, both combatants may employ magic. un-
  less the challenger is particularly strong, or the jarl weak 
  or infirm, he is unlikely to receive any support from the 
  clan’s spellcasters—the victor is sure to remember the 
  actions of any who sided against him.
  combat is held in the jarl’s throne room, and starts 
  the instant the sun disappears below the horizon—the 
  frost giants have no wish to bolster sigel’s will by display-
  ing a lack of unity. the only witnesses permitted are the 
  jarl’s advisors (who in theory are neutral in matters of 
  politics), and three greater giants chosen by each com-
  batant to ensure no foul play occurs. in the rare instance 
  the combat is not over by the approach of dawn, the 
  challenger is judged to be an agent of sigel, arrested, 
  and put to death without hope of mercy.
  Victory does not give the challenger any right to sit on 
  the jarl’s throne. Jarls are democratically elected by the 
  greater frost giants. of course, if his family happens to be 
  the largest, he has a good chance of winning.
  assassination would result in an immediate and ex-
  tremely painful death for the murderer, and likely any-
  one believed to be a supporter. Frost giants may be many 
  things, but they do not skulk in shadows. such an act is 
  also guaranteed to irrevocably tarnish the assassin’s soul, 
  and frost giants take their religion very seriously.
  spellCasters
  Frost giants accept only three types of spellcasters—
  clerics of thrym (and his minor aspects), hrimwisards, 
  and rune mages. all other forms of magic and miracle-
                                  
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  1
  working are considered beneath the race, though in truth 
  they have had little success in mastering other forms of 
  arcane magic, and honor no other gods.
  rune magic, once the primary arcane lore of the race, 
  is in terminal decline. When the current generation of 
  rune mages dies, it will likely sound the death knell for 
  the art. in its place is rising hrimwisardry. Few clans can 
  muster more than one hrimwisard, though—giants, un-
  like the lesser races, are slow to learn new things.
  the most common spellcasters are clerics of thrym. 
  every clan has a handful at its disposal, and most can 
  muster one cleric of either langbarðr or norðri. only the 
  strongest clans possess clerics of both minor gods.
  regardless of their bias, spellcasters are greatly re-
  spected for their wisdom. to argue against one is to risk 
  tainting one’s soul, and to strike one is a capital offense. 
  their devotion lies with thrym above all others, and 
  in matters of clan politics they are considered neutral 
  parties. every spellcaster serves the jarl as part of his 
  advisory council. most back the incumbent jarl, simply 
  because a strong leader gives the clan the best hope of 
  success. While they may never hold the title of jarl, they 
  are not above manipulating others into challenging for it 
  when they feel the incumbent is acting against thrym’s 
  interests, or displays continual weakness.
  warriors
  Whether greater or lesser, most frost giants are war-
  riors. although there is only one social class, greater gi-
  ants are superior to their lesser kin, both in abilities and 
  stature. the job of the warriors is simple—to protect the 
  clan, to obey the jarl, to honor thrym, and to promote 
  his cause by bringing death to his enemies.
  though there is chance for promotion in the case of 
  frost giants, warriors are never given too much power. 
  to do so weakens the position of the jarl, and may give 
  an underling ideas above his station. only those who 
  renounce any claim to the title can hope to earn true 
  recognition for their talents.
  females
  Female frost giants sit uneasily in the social structure 
  of the martial race. nothing in thrym’s laws prevents 
  them from becoming jarls, spellcasters, or warriors, but 
  at the same time they are expected to devote their lives 
  to siring as many as possible. they are a rare commodity, 
  and giants protect their females.
  GoBlins, orCs, and others
  though they regularly employ ice goblins, orcs, 
  frostborn, and other races, frost giants are firm believ-
  ers in their racial superiority. lesser beings are tools, to 
  be wielded as the jarl sees fit, and not even worthy of 
  contempt. this applies even to non-frost giant clerics of 
  thrym, whom giants see as loyal slaves, but still far infe-
  rior to the true servants and scions of the winter god.
  Culture
  brutal they may be, but frost giants are not mindless 
  creatures. though their culture may appear barbaric to 
  humans, it has developed over countless millennia, and 
  serves the frigid race well.
  haBitat
  the monumental mountaintop castles of frost giants 
  are an awe-inspiring sight. skilled masons and favoring 
  a strong home, they build their fortresses from huge 
  blocks of stone or ice. the actual carving is usually per-
  formed by orcs. a typical castle comprises just a single 
  keep—mountains rarely have enough suitable terrain to 
  build curtain walls—but may be two or more stories high 
  (a frost giant story is 30 feet).
  despite being located in precarious positions and 
  largely free from the threat of siege, frost giants take 
  their security seriously. entrance is through a large gate 
  (sometimes with a portcullis), and greater frost giant 
  warriors are always stationed here.
  intruders need have no fear of traps, at least not in 
  corridors. a jarl may have traps (magical and mundane) 
  placed in certain rooms to prevent unauthorized access, 
  but pits and tripwires are not considered practical mea-
  sures. Patrols are more constant, comprising either one 
  or two giants, or a small group of tough orcs. security is 
  maintained day and night, if only to keep the warriors’ 
  minds occupied. one of the great obstacles intruders 
  face is the sheer size of doors. built for giants, it takes 
  a mighty hero or several lesser ones to shove open an 
  unlocked door, and short of a battering ram there is little 
  hope of smashing down a locked portal.
  the heart of any fortress is the jarl’s massive hall. Here 
  he meets with his advisors, sits in judgment, and feasts 
  with chosen greater frost giants. His private chambers are 
  usually nearby, as is the treasury and temple of thrym. 
  beneath the castle are the several layers of cellars. Work-
  shops and kitchens are also housed down here.
  elite orcs, such as chieftains, spellcasters, and veteran 
  warriors may live within the castle. orcs might consider 
  this a sign of trust and favor, but frost giants like to keep 
  potential troublemakers close at hand. Kitchen slaves 
  and servers live in the lowest level in wretched condi-
  tions. the rest of the tribe, and any goblin minions, oc-
  cupies the surrounding slopes.
  Frost giants who maintain riding mammoths keep 
  them in secluded caves further down the mountain. some 
  clans have constructed staircases that wind through the 
  heart of the mountain, but most must trudge down the 
  outside to reach the stables.
  diet
  Frost giants exist almost entirely on meat. greater 
  frost giants favor strong flavors, such as wild boar, veni-
                  
  
  frost Giants
  1
  son, aurochs, and mammoth, though any meat will sate 
  their appetite. sentient flesh ranks far down their prefer-
  ences. this is not a matter of squeamishness, just taste. 
  aside from dwarves (tough but flavorsome), the sentient 
  races taste rather bland. exceptions are made for follow-
  ers of Kenaz and sigel. eating such meat is considered to 
  empower thrym and weaken the gods of light and heat.
  lesser giants are far less discerning. carrion and live 
  goblins are just as tasty to them as the finest cut of beef. 
  Food is usually raw—roasting takes time, and these 
  brutes are not renowned for their patience.
  it takes a lot of meat to feed even a single giant. an en-
  tire sheep is a single meal for an adult, and even a whole 
  mammoth is barely enough to suffice at a feast. While 
  frost giants do not herd animals, many tribes employ orc 
  runts to watch over great flocks of mountain goats and 
  hardy sheep. these graze the lower slopes. raiding is an-
  other tried-and-tested way to acquire a full larder, though 
  it is not without its drawbacks—raid too often, and the 
  area will be depopulated, forcing the giants to venture 
  further and further afield for food. this inevitably brings 
  them into conflict with a well-prepared defensive force. 
  the amount of food frost giants require has served the 
  lesser races well, for it prevents clans growing too big.
  beer and wine are drunk in huge quantities, though 
  only when stocks are available. a frost giant can quaff a 
  gallon keg as easily and as quickly as a human downs a 
  frothing pint. When alcohol isn’t available, they get by 
  with water infused with herbs, or milk from their herds.
  ClothinG
  though immune to the bitter cold, frost giants wear 
  clothes. lesser kin favor simple furs. rarely prepared 
  properly, they stink of the rotting meat that clings to 
  the inside. great frost giants vary in their tastes. some 
  wear leather trousers and jerkins. others opt for wool or 
  fur. little vanity or modesty exists—greater giants wear 
  clothes to prevent their armor from chaffing and as an 
  extra layer of defense when unarmored.
  law and order
  only the jarl may pass laws, and only he may pass 
  judgment. as always, his advisors are there to lend a hand 
  and ensure he obeys thrym’s will. Frost giants actually 
  have very little crime. in families, property is considered 
  communal, making theft impossible. murder does occur 
  on rare occasions, as does rape and heresy, but punish-
  ments for such heinous crimes are extremely harsh—
  roasting over hot coals. desertion, failure to obey orders 
  in battle, cowardice, and failing to complete a mission 
  (for military commanders) are religious crimes, for they 
  offend thrym and weaken his cause. the punishment for 
  such acts is death by slow roasting.
  the jarl, even if he goes against the advice of his coun-
  selors, is never wrong in his judgment, for he speaks 
  with the authority of thrym. sentence is carried out im-
  mediately, with no hope of appeal.
  in clans, petty theft and disagreements about one’s 
  battle prowess or manhood are likely to result in bare-
  knuckle fights or wrestling. With their race declining, 
  the use of lethal force is strictly forbidden. unless the 
  dispute threatens to weaken clan solidarity, the jarl stays 
  out of things.
  When it comes to punishing slave races, there are two 
  tiers of justice. Jarls only punish chieftains and spellcast-
  ers—to sit in judgment over common orcs is beneath 
  the jarl’s station. instead, their immediate superiors are 
  expected to keep the peace and maintain loyalty. should 
  they prove unable to do this, they are quickly, perma-
  nently, cruelly removed from office as a warning to their 
  replacements. any greater frost giant may legally punish 
  an orc or goblin for a crime, perceived or real, without 
  fear the jarl will rebuke him. the only exception to the 
  rule is he cannot punishment a chieftain or equivalent, 
  or harm a cleric of thrym (or one of his minor aspects). 
  those who abuse this power risk creating a mutiny or of-
  fending the god, and may quickly find themselves dragged 
  in chains before the jarl to explain their actions.
  healthCare
  Frost giants care for their sick and injured. even lesser 
  frost giants may receive rudimentary first aid, for while 
  despised, they are necessary to a clan’s survival. Heal-
  ing is left to females, many of whom are well-versed in 
  herbalism and the healing arts.
  What frost giants lack is any form of long-term care. 
  once basic healing has been applied, the giant is expect-
  ed to resume his duties immediately. those who cannot 
  do so are judged to have failed thrym.
  lanGuaGe
  the giant language is akin to trader, a mishmash of 
  words borrowed from all the other giant breeds, and 
  is thus very much a lesser language in the eyes of frost 
  giants, who consider themselves above such a debased 
  language. Frosttongue is the native and sacred tongue 
  of frost giants, with orcish the usual second choice. 
  the third language learned, when intelligence allows, is 
  typically that of the closest enemy race, be that dwarven, 
  taiga elven, or a human tongue.
  Frosttongue, when spoken by frost giants, sounds like 
  a grinding glacier. dwarves can speak it with little prob-
  lem, their own language being hard sounding, but other 
  races find it hard on the throat. dialects and specific 
  words exist, as they do with any language, but knowl-
  edge of the basic tongue assumes an understanding, or 
  at least the ability to deduce, these variations.
  names
  Frost giants have two names. the first is their per-
  sonal name, given to them at birth. the second is that 
  of their jarl suffixed by -húsa (“of the house of”). thus, 
  beli Hraudunghúsa translates as “beli of the house of 
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  20
  Hraudung.” When a new jarl is enthroned, the second 
  name changes accordingly. independent families use the 
  name of their elder. Jarls also boast only a single name, 
  but prefix it with their title. nicknames are as common 
  among frost giants as they are among saxa.
  a list of sample frost giant names is given below. 
  Male: alsvart, aurgelmir, brimir, býleistr, eggthér, 
  Fjolverk, gangr, grima, Hardgreip, Hrímgrímnir, Hrod, 
  Jarnsaxa, Kott, laufrey, loptr, naglfari, oskrud, skerkir, 
  skrýmir, svart, Vardrun, Vigglod, Vipar
  Female: angeyja, atla, aurboda, bestla, dúfa, eyrgjafa, 
  geitla, grima, Hyndla, Keila, móðguða, soma, ymira
  written lanGuaGe
  When communicating between themselves or setting 
  down records, frost giants use the frost runes of Frost-
  tongue. most frost giants are actually illiterate. For lesser 
  giants this is simply a lack of necessary intelligence, but 
  for greater frost giants it is a deliberate choice—frost 
  runes are sacred symbols, given to the race by thrym, 
  and contain great power. misused, they might spell di-
  saster. thus, reading and writing is left to spellcasters 
  and jarls.
  this belief likely stems from the days when rune 
  mages were the dominant magical spellcasters, and its 
  continuation today is superstition and a fading racial 
  memory. cynics have argued that illiteracy is merely a 
  tool wielded by the elite to keep the masses ignorant, 
  though there is no proof to support this claim.
  Calendar
  Frost giants have studied the changing seasons since 
  the dawn of time, and have long known the patterns of 
  the stars and rising times of the sun and moon. they 
  recognize the four seasons, which they refer to as little 
  Fimbulvintr (winter), First struggle (spring), lamenta-
  tion (summer), and second struggle (fall). spring and 
  fall take their names from the belief that thrym battles 
  with his enemies to extend winter longer into the year.
  months matter little to frost giants, and though they 
  know the common names they use them only rarely. days 
  are recorded by the passing of nights, which they know 
  as “little Fire deaths.” they tell the coming of winter and 
  summer not by recording days, but by the height of the 
  Hellfrost dragon constellation (see Region Guide #46: 
  Godsheim) at their latitude, and subtle changes in the 
  north wind. it is widely believed frost giants can literally 
  smell winter coming, and that they have a preternatural 
  ability to sense a blizzard. neither is true, and the latter 
  can be explained away by their frequent use of storm 
  spells to mask their movements.
  all that matters to their race are the dates of thrym’s 
  two high days (death of Heat day and Fimbulvintr day). 
  clerics calculate these by the position of the Hellfrost 
  dragon in the night sky, rather than the height of the 
  accursed sun.
  during summer, when the lesser races are more ac-
  tive, frost giants prefer to remain in their holds. Heat 
  holds no fear for them, but there is little sense in risking 
  valuable manpower. instead, orcs are unleashed into the 
  world to cause havoc. Frost giants consider winter the 
  optimum time for raiding. the civilized races’ crops are 
  harvested and stored, their livestock is penned rather 
  than roaming free, and the bitterly cold temperatures 
  and snow limits wide-ranging patrols. every advantage 
  is with the giants.
  trade and triBute
  Frost giants rarely trade between clans due to the 
  distances and terrain separating them. they do occasion-
  ally trade with orc tribes, bartering giant treasure for orc 
  manpower. this arrangement allows the giants to keep 
  their own warriors in reserve, maintaining the clan’s 
  strength while others die for their cause.
  While frost giants are tough, it does them no benefit 
  to anger orc tribes by constantly raiding them. sooner 
  or later, the tribe is likely to declare open warfare, and 
  while confident they would win, it distracts from doing 
  thrym’s work. When a tribe refuses to serve the clan, the 
  threat of violence is used to lever tribute. unless the clan 
  is considered weak, most orcs see the sense in timely 
  payments. it is a rare tribe that demands tribute from 
  civilized races. orcish caves are a natural barrier to frost 
  giant attacks, but walls and stockades pose little obstacle. 
  it is considered better to demonstrate one’s superiority 
  over insects by raiding and taking what the clan needs 
  rather than conducting any form of negotiation.
  warfare
  if there is one thing frost giants know how to do well, 
  it is fighting. though the blizzard War ultimately ended 
  in defeat for the giants and their allies, frost giant tactics 
  have proven sound for century upon century.
  weapons and armor
  as an elder race, giants mastered metalworking long 
  before the dwarves came into being. However, this 
  does not mean giants readily use the skill. ever-willing 
  to lord it over orcs, and far more interested in feasting 
  than manual labor, they prefer to let their minions toil 
  on their behalf. conventional forges are used when orcs 
  make up the bulk of a clan’s smiths. When giants must 
  perform the task, coldfire forges are lit.
  although naturally tough, frost giants favor chain 
  armor. Jarls and greater giants opt for hauberks, while 
  hrimwisards and clerics prefer lighter shirts. 
  axes are the racial weapon of choice, and it is a rare 
  frost giant (save the lesser kind) who wields any other 
  armament. With their prestigious size, giants are quite 
  capable of wielding a human-sized great axe single-hand-
  ed, in the manner of a battle axe. Jarls favor larger axes, 
                   
  
  frost Giants
  21
  monstrous weapons that require two hands to wield ef-
  fectively. such weapons are beyond the capacity of all but 
  the strongest humans as tool of war.
  though they disdain missile weapons, frost giants are 
  not without ranged attack capabilities. When defending 
  their homes, stacks of huge boulders are kept in strategic 
  locations. several feet across and weighing hundreds of 
  pounds, these can be thrown to a distance of up to 40 
  yards, though most giants have a range of around 30 
  yards. When on the offensive, giants employ battle axes 
  in the same manner as throwing axes. the range brackets 
  are as for a throwing axe, but the damage is str+d8.
  lesser frost giants are rarely given armor or decent 
  weapons. their typical armament is a crude club, with 
  long nails hammered through it. though they form the 
  bulk of a clan’s fighting force, they are little more than 
  mindless brutes, expendable assets to be thrown into 
  battle to weaken the enemy before the main assault. 
  Wasting precious items on them serves no purpose.
  orGanization
  the organization of a frost giant army depends on the 
  number of giants it has available. the smallest formation 
  is known by many names, though most civilized races 
  refers to it as an “axe.” it typically comprises three to 
  five giants, one of whom is always a greater frost giant. 
  Holding a rank roughly equivalent to a sergeant, he is re-
  sponsible for maintaining order and discipline. in order 
  that the sergeants do not get ideas above his station, they 
  are rotated frequently to prevent a strong bond forming 
  between commander and troops.
  anywhere from two to five axes make a “great axe.” For 
  most clans, this is the entire frost giant fighting force—
  anywhere from six to 25 warriors. if a clan contains only 
  a single great axe, it is personally led by the jarl, though if 
  using only one or two axes on a mission he may appoint 
  a subordinate in his place. Where multiple great axes ex-
  ist, each is commanded by a captain appointed by the 
  jarl. again, commands are routinely swapped to prevent 
  a potential rival from building a personal army.
  every jarl has a bodyguard. it is made up entirely of 
  greater frost giants who have sworn sacred oaths forsak-
  ing all claims to the position of jarl in return for a more 
  luxurious life. depending on the clan’s size and the jarl’s 
  paranoia, the bodyguard can contain anywhere from two 
  to 20 giants. Where possible, a cleric of langbarðr com-
  mands this formation. His role is purely military, and he 
  has no authority to speak for his lord except in matters 
  of defense of the lair.
  Frost giant spellcasters are rarely assigned to a unit on 
  a permanent basis. they are rare creatures, even in the 
  largest clans, and spend much of their time advising the 
  jarl. When assigned to a unit, they technically serve as 
  advisors, though most greater frost giants willingly defer 
  to their authority. spellcasters of other races, even clerics 
  of thrym, are assets to be used and abused, however. 
  rarely trusted as advisors, they are conscripted into the 
  military as frontline troops.
  Few clans are not supported by ice goblins or 
  orcs—even the weakest can muster a force of minions 
  at least ten times the number of frost giants. Where pos-
  sible, allies are drawn up into 100-strong companies, 
  though formations as low as ten have been recorded in 
  the weakest clans. the exact make-up of an orc company 
  varies by the warriors the tribe can field. some contain 
  only regular warriors, perhaps with a single Wild card 
  elite warrior acting as their commander. others boast a 
  chieftain, a war drummer, clerics, berserkers, and other 
  specialized troops.
  While most clans can muster orcs or goblins riding 
  dire wolves or wolves respectively, mammoth cavalry is 
  very unusual. such beasts are expensive to keep, and 
  they are ill-suited to life in mountaintop fortresses.
  Very specific frost giant, goblin, and orc companies 
  are detailed in the giant’s throne chapter of the Hell-
  frost Atlas.
  strateGy and taCtiCs
  though capable of great cunning, frost giant tactics 
  are usually far from subtle. With strength on their size, 
  not to mention a host of lesser troops and an aura that 
  can freeze a man to death in seconds, they have little 
  need for clever plans.
  defendinG lairs
  When defending their homes from attack, frost giants 
  favor strong lines. better to hold the gate, they say, then 
  let rats run loose. Where possible, goblins and orcs are 
  sacrificed first, thrown into battle to weaken the enemy 
  and drain his resources. lesser giants, dire wolves, and 
  other pets are sent next, along with elementals. only if 
  the enemy still presses do the greater frost giants enter 
  the fray. meanwhile, giants atop the battlements lob boul-
  ders into the melee, while spellcasters unleash whatever 
  they have to hand to disrupt the attackers.
  should orcs or greater frost giants discover a small 
  band of infiltrators, the alarm is immediately raised. less-
  er giants are more likely to engage in hunting down the 
  intruders for sport, sparing little thought for the dangers 
  such infiltrators may present.
  mass Battles
  skalds know many stories dating from the bliz-
  zard War that tell of massed ranks of grim frost giants. 
  they have a hundred ways to recount how the ground 
  trembled at their advance, how the air was sundered 
  with thunderous war cries and the lightning-crash of axe 
  blades slapped on hauberks, and how terror gripped 
  the hearts of their enemies. in the early days of the war, 
  before men were hardened by the knowledge they were 
  the last line of defense, frost giants won more than one 
  battle without setting eyes on their enemies.
  Fortunately, the days of massed ranks of frost giants 
  are long past, memories mourned by the giants, and 
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  22
  praised by the civilized races. today, the clans are too 
  small to field hundreds of warriors as did their ances-
  tors, and even the great realms of giant’s throne and 
  Hrimthyr isle are loathe to field large numbers of war-
  riors in a single engagement. the former simply lacks the 
  strength to mount a prolonged assault, while the latter is 
  still licking its wounds after the aborted invasion of the 
  battlelands. Fortunately for them, frost giants can call 
  upon large numbers of orcs and/or ice goblins to bolster 
  their strength. 
  Fielding a massive force also carries with it the danger 
  of uniting neighboring nations against a common foe. 
  a handful of giants and a few hundred orcs is certainly 
  a threat, but most armies can deal with that without 
  outside assistance. as the strength of the giant army in-
  creases, so there is an exponential chance other nations 
  will fear for their own safety and intervene.
  since frost giants do still invade with sizeable orc and 
  goblins allies, it is worth discussing their preferred for-
  mation and tactic.
  the standard offensive battle formation is known as 
  the “mammoth.” the infantry are drawn up in two ranks. 
  at the front are the goblins and orcs, along with lesser 
  frost giants. behind them are the jarl, the clan’s spell-
  casters, and its greater frost giants, along with elite orc 
  warriors to reinforce the line. any cavalry is placed on 
  the flanks, divided as equally as possible (and as terrain 
  allows) to prevent enemy flanking maneuvers.
  When the jarl gives the order, spellcasters summon 
  one or two elementals to bolster the front line. it then 
  advances on the enemy, pausing momentarily to unleash 
  missile weapons once at long range. lesser giants may 
  well carry a single boulder each, for a well-placed lob 
  can shatter an enemy’s shieldwall. missiles launched, the 
  line charges. its main role is to inflict as much damage as 
  possible while the second line begins its advance. caring 
  little for their minions, and generally lacking the brains 
  to control their primitive urge to kill and maim, lesser 
  giants unleash sweeping attacks. allies may be cut down, 
  but the attack is almost sure to inflict terrible carnage on 
  their enemies as well.
  as the second rank, so spellcasters begin their as-
  sault. depending on the assets available, the enemy may 
  be met with volleys of coldfire bolts, battering winds 
  (knockdown), unearthly howls (fear), and blasts of 
  frigid air (stun). these are aimed not at the strongest 
  defensive line, but at the weakest—if the giants can 
  punch a hole through any defenses, the second line of 
  attackers can pour through the gap. the second rank 
  is usually staggered, with orcs standing away from the 
  greater frost giants and their icy aura. this also allows 
  the giants to employ sweep attacks if they desire, without 
  fear of cutting down their veteran troops unnecessarily. 
  do not think the giants care about their minions—if the 
  opportunity to destroy the enemy presents itself, any 
  orcs are considered expendable.
  though orc-ridden dire wolves and mammoths may 
  chomp at the bit, keen to gore and trample their foes, 
  they are not yet unleashed. only when the enemy routs 
  or a weak flank is exposed are they signaled to begin 
  their charge.
  When on the defensive, it is normal to keep the 
  standard infantry formation—lesser frost giants, orcs, 
  and goblins are sacrificed to blunt the enemy attack and 
  prevent it reaching the more valuable troops. spellcast-
  ers may be placed directly behind the front line, from 
  where they can use entangle, knockdown, and stun, not 
  to mention summon elemental to break up charges and 
  cause the enemy’s advance to lose cohesion.
  the spellcasters then retreat to cast defensive spells 
  on the jarl and his bodyguard—if the jarl falls, the battle 
  is likely lost, for even greater frost giants are capable of 
  losing heart. once the lines clash, the cavalry is set into 
  motion, sweeping around the battle and into the enemy 
  flanks or command company (if the latter is behind the 
  main engagement).
  raidinG parties
  For all their strengths, frost giants do not enjoy 
  prolonged battles. the longer an engagement lasts, the 
  more chances exist for something to go wrong, or for a 
  giant to be seriously injured. small-scale raids are their 
  favored method of battle. such a force usually comprises 
  an axe or two, and as many orcs or goblins as are con-
  sidered necessary to complete the objective (sometimes 
  this results in none being sent).
  raids are designed to be completed quickly—the 
  sooner the enemy are dead, the less chance anyone will 
  learn of the attack until the frost giants are safely en-
  sconced in their fortress again. subtle tactics go out the 
  window in favor of a brutal assault with every weapon at 
  their disposal.
  sieGes
  it has been a long time since any sizeable frost giant 
  army has conducted a siege. unless the target is very re-
  mote or weak, a siege means exposing oneself to attacks 
  from relief columns, not to mention privation. they also 
  require supply lines if they are to be effective.
  monstrous catapults are employed to smash walls, 
  their windlasses cranked by hulking lesser giants under 
  the guidance of orc engineers. the boulders these fear-
  some machines launch are huge—the size of carts and 
  weighing several tons. even with giants loading them, 
  these siege engines have a very slow reload time. in order 
  the enemy cannot conduct repairs or be allowed to settle 
  into a routine, waves of orcs or goblins are sent against 
  the walls under a volley of arrows from companies of 
  archers. the first few waves are all-but guaranteed to die, 
  but repelling these attacks forces the enemy to consume 
  arrows and risk wielding magic.
  only when the defenses are broken does the main 
  assault begin. this follows the standard offensive mass 
  battle pattern, with the first wave of expendable troops 
  ordered to pass through the breech and secure a beach-
  head for the second wave to advance from.
  
  frost Giants
  2
  reliGion
  Frost giant religious practices are focused entirely on 
  thrym. the thought of honoring any other god is utterly 
  alien to them. that said, they allow orc tribes to worship 
  whatever deities they favor, though any that would dare 
  to support Kenaz or sigel (something yet to happen) 
  would face immediate and very painful extermination. 
  Kenaz and sigel are thoroughly despised by all frost gi-
  ants. their temples are considered abominations, and 
  their clerics the vilest of foes.
  thrym’s two affiliated minor deities, langbarðr and 
  norðri, are considered of less importance than worship-
  ping thrym directly, but they are duly worshipped, both 
  as individuals and as part of the greater whole.
  funerals
  lesser frost giants can expect no funeral service. out-
  side the lair, their bones are left to rot (or more likely 
  freeze, for whatever keeps frost giants from freezing 
  while alive ceases at death) where they fall. inside, they 
  are fed to the wolves as a special treat.
  the loss of greater frost giants is mourned, for they are 
  a diminishing race. Prayers to encourage their souls to 
  travel to thrym’s frigid hall are uttered, while the corpse 
  is slowly incinerated on a coldfire funeral pyre. those 
  found guilty of some fell crime in life may be burned on 
  a regular fire, thus ensuring their souls are tainted with 
  their crime in the next life.
  spellcasters and jarls can expect a true funeral in a 
  manner befitting their high station. their physical re-
  mains are clad in their armor, and, along with suitable 
  grave goods, placed either inside crypts beneath the 
  fortress, or in specially constructed barrows or cairns 
  in the nearby landscape. instead of decaying, their body 
  becomes solid ice harder than any known stone. dirges 
  are song marking their passing, and female frost giants 
  wail and cry at the loss of so important a figure.
  the afterlife
  though they do not honor her in any way, frost gi-
  ants acknowledge that scaetha judges their souls in ac-
  cordance with thrym’s laws. those who remained true 
  to thrym’s glorious cause in life are destined to serve in 
  their deity’s armies in the next life, there to battle the fell 
  minions of Kenaz and sigel until the Fimbulvintr dawns. 
  those found wanting are accorded a terrible fate. the 
  worst offenders are handed over to thrym’s Hellfrost 
  dragons, where their soul is consumed, causing it to pass 
  beyond into whatever oblivion awaits. such torment can 
  last thousands of years before the soul is cast adrift into 
  the fathomless void where even the gods fear to tread. 
  more fortunate sinners are merely cast into the abyss to 
  roast over burning coals or swim through rivers of lava 
  until the end of time.
  thrym
  Titles: Hrimkonungr (an old saxa term meaning “ice 
  King”), blizzard roar, the White King, the eternal Winter, 
  Frost lord.
  Aspects: cold, ice, winter, blizzards, icy realms.
  Symbol: Hellfrost dragonhead.
  Priesthood: breath of Winter (priests); talons of 
  Winter (paladins).
  Herald: a half-frost giant, half-Hellfrost dragon.
  Holy Day: any day the temperature is below freezing. 
  the first day of Fogmonan and last day of Frostmonan 
  are high holy days.
  Duties: to expand the Hellfrost, to destroy servants 
  of fire and heat.
  Sins: (minor) lighting a fire, deliberately warming 
  oneself by a fire, eating cooked food more than once a 
  week; (major) slaying any creature with resistance or 
  immunity to cold except in self-defense, living in the 
  Hearthlands for more than half a year without permis-
  sion of a superior; (mortal) slaying a Hellfrost dragon, 
  working against the Fimbulvintr.
  Signature Power: Entangle.
  Powers: Armor, aura, barrier, beast friend (creatures 
  with resistance or immunity to cold only), bladebreaker, 
  bolt, bridge, burrow, burst, champion of the faith, de-
  flection, detect/conceal, dispel, elemental form (coldfire, 
  ice, or slush only), elemental manipulation (not fire), 
  energy immunity (cold, coldfire, heat, fire, or ice only), 
  environmental protection (cold only), fatigue, fear, fly, 
  glyph, heat mask, light, obscure, prolonged blast, sanc-
  tuary, sluggish reflexes, smite, sphere of might, storm, 
  stun, summon demon (ice only), summon elemental 
  (coldfire, ice, or slush only), summon herald, voice on 
  the wind, wilderness step (ice or snow only).
  Trappings: spellcasters must take a cold, coldfire, or 
  ice trapping where appropriate. they may never use a 
  fire or heat trapping.
  to most folk, the Hellfrost is a natural realm of ice 
  and snow. to the followers of thrym, the Hellfrost is a 
  living embodiment of their god’s awesome power, and 
  his desire to crush the world beneath a vast sheet of ice. 
  thrym seeks nothing more than to bring about the Fim-
  bulvintr—an age of endless blizzards, a total ice age for 
  the world of mortals.
  although most often worshipped by evil races such 
  as snow orcs and frost giants, he actually cares little for 
  good or evil, as these are simply moral choices assigned 
  to a culture by its own members. most hrimwisards pay 
  him lip service, if only because their spells are more po-
  tent in his frigid realm.
  thrym is most often portrayed as a Hellfrost dragon, 
  the living embodiment of the power of the Hellfrost, 
  though he also takes the form of a colossal frost giant. 
  all inhabitants of the Hellfrost view Hellfrost dragons 
  as his offspring (much to the chagrin of the frost giants, 
  who think they should be his chosen) and venerate them 
  accordingly. naturally, most Hellfrost dragons worship 
  thrym.
                  
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  2
  temples to the Frost lord are usually underground, 
  away from the eyes of fire-loving creatures. decorated 
  with white dragon teeth and scales (sometimes donated 
  freely), and usually always below freezing, followers con-
  duct rituals to weaken the sun, their most hated foe.
  His clerics are expected to promote the Fimbulvintr 
  in any way they can, be that through use of their spells, 
  killing spellcasters with knowledge of fire, destroying 
  relics with fire powers, or aiding frost giants and white 
  dragons in their individual aims.
  Worship of thrym is usually conducted outdoors in 
  the snow and biting winds. Worshippers scream prayers 
  into the howling winds, while stripping off their clothes 
  to expose their mortal flesh to thrym’s frigid touch. 
  Whenever possible, clergy sacrifice clerics of Kenaz and 
  sigel and fire elementalists to their god, knowing that 
  their death provides him with renewed vigor.
  lanGBarðr
  Titles: the unstoppable one, thrym’s beard.
  Aspects: glaciers.
  Affiliations: thrym.
  Symbol: a wall of ice.
  Priesthood: guardians of thrym (priests); crushing 
  Hands of thrym (paladins).
  Herald: none.
  Holy Days: First Waescdaeg of Wulfmonan.
  Duties: to protect clerics of thrym, advance the Fim-
  bulvintr.
  Sins: (minor) allowing a cleric of thrym to be 
  wounded, suffering any form of knockback, retreating 
  before any foe; (major) allowing a cleric of thrym to be 
  incapacitated; (mortal) allowing a cleric of thrym to be 
  killed.
  Signature Power: Barrier.
  Powers: Armor, boost/lower trait (spirit, strength, 
  and Vigor only), growth/shrink, knockdown, summon 
  elemental (glacier only), weapon immunity.
  Trappings: all trappings relate to ice.
  langbarðr serves as thrym’s bodyguard, much as 
  biflindi serves scaetha. However, as well as being a 
  defender, he is also a combatant, relentlessly driving 
  foes forward with his prestigious strength. glaciers, 
  unstoppable walls of living ice that rumble and grind 
  down mountains crushing all in their path, are symbolic 
  of langbarðr. many legends state langbarðr is thrym’s 
  beard. For this reason, glaciers are often known as 
  thrym’s Hair.
  like many minor gods, langbarðr is never featured 
  in art as a unique entity. His presence is noted in im-
  ages of thrym by the winter god’s beard. When thrym 
  is depicted as a Hellfrost dragon, langbarðr is the scales 
  that line his thick neck. For this reason, the god is pres-
  ent wherever thrym is honored and thus never has 
  individual shrines or temples. shrines and temples to 
  thrym in or near a glacier are considered special places 
  for langbarðr’s worshippers.
  Priests and paladins share some duties, yet differ in 
  others. Priests are most often employed as bodyguards 
  to important priests and frost giants, shielding their 
  charge from harm without regard for their own safety. 
  others serve as guardians in thrym’s temples, protecting 
  the most sacred areas from intruders. While paladins do 
  perform bodyguard duties, those they protect are more 
  active, traveling the world rather than remaining in a 
  single temple or fortress. symbolic of the glacier god, 
  they are expected to be remorseless in combat, smash-
  ing aside foes and advancing through enemy ranks like a 
  glacier crushing all in its path. in this regard they serve in 
  thrym’s mortal armies as heavy shock troops.
  clerics of langbarðr are rarely in a hurry to do 
  anything. they plot and ponder before acting, but are 
  then relentless in fulfilling their duty. ceremonies and 
  festivals take the same deliberate approach, appearing 
  to be enacted in slow motion and with great precision 
  of movement. drums, played at a low, steady rumble, a 
  deep thunderous drum-roll rather than a strong, distinct 
  beat, are employed in all ceremonies.
  Bestiary
  this section collects and reproduces all frost giant 
  stat blocks, presenting all the information necessary to 
  create frost giant-themed adventures in one place.
  Giant, frost
  Frost giants, also called hrimthursar (rime giants) or 
  frost lords, are the most common and most powerful 
  species of giant known in the Hearthlands. they live in 
  high mountains, always above the snow line, or in the 
  frozen reaches of the world. in these remote and frigid 
  realms they construct vast stone forts, from where they 
  rule over orcs and goblins as veritable gods. their skin is 
  glacial blue, their hair as white as snow, and their eyes as 
  black as the darkest night.
          Jarl
  Jarls are chosen for their intelligence, bravery, and 
  ferocity. once in power, a jarl can only be removed by 
  death or by being challenged by a would-be successor (in 
  which instance the loser dies, thus avoiding any chance 
  of the clan fragmenting into rival factions).
  Jarls rule through a mixture of intimidation and brib-
  ery. those they perceive as threats are often given suicide 
  missions, though this has backfired in the past—a frost 
  giant who survives terrible odds may gather supporters.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d8, spirit d10, strength 
  d12+5, Vigor d12
  Skills: climbing d8, Fighting d10, intimidation d12, no-
  tice d6, throwing d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 16 (2)
  Edges: block, command, Fervor, improved sweep, lev-
  el Headed, natural leader, snow Walker
                   
  
  frost Giants
  2
  Gear: chain hauberk (+2), monstrous axe (str+d12, –1 
  Parry, aP 2, 2 hands), thrown rock (range: 5/10/20, dam-
  age: str+d10)
  Treasure: treasure trove, in lair
  Special Abilities:
  * Icy Aura: Frost giants radiate deadly cold. at the end 
  of movement, all adjacent foes suffer 2d6 damage.
  * Infravision: Halve darkness penalties against heat-
  producing targets.
  * Large: attackers gain +2 to attack rolls against frost 
  giants, due to their size.
  * Resistance (Cold): immune to background cold. 
  Half damage from cold, coldfire, and ice attacks.
  * Size +6: chiefs are over 25’ tall.
  * Susceptibility (Fire): takes +4 damage from heat or 
  fire.
         priest
  Frost giants are worshippers of thrym, god of endless 
  winter and father of their race. to create a frost giant 
  priest of thrym use the hrimwisard stats (see below) as a 
  base and make the following changes:
  * swap Hrimwisardry d10 for Faith d10.
  * add Knowledge (religion) d6.
  * add the devotee of thrym edge.
  * retain the hrimwisardry spell list. due to their 
  devotee edge, they also retain a +2 bonus to casting.
         priest of a minor God
  Frost giants are fanatical followers of thrym and 
  honor no other major deity. While most priests honor 
  the Father of Winter directly, a small percentage favor 
  associated minor gods.
  to create a priest who serves one of thrym’s celestial 
  allies use the stat block for a hrimwisard (see below) as 
  the baseline. swap Hrimwisardry d10 for Faith d8, swap 
  Knowledge (arcana) for Knowledge (religion) d6, drop 
  the Hrimwisardry special ability, and add any changes 
  indicated below.
  lanGBarðr
  Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 13 (2)
  Gear: chain shirt (+2), large shield (+2 Parry), great axe 
  (str+d10, –1 Parry, aP 1, carried in one hand)
  Special Abilities:
  * Shieldwall: one frost giant adjacent to the cleric 
  gains the benefits of the cleric’s large shield (+2 Par-
  ry).
  * Spells: Armor (sheathe of ice), barrier (wall of ice), 
  boost/lower trait (spirit, strength, and Vigor only), 
  knockdown (glacier), summon elemental (glacier 
  only), weapon immunity.
  * Take the Hit: once per round, the cleric may inter-
  cept a blow intended for his master. this is declared 
  after the attack is rolled but before damage. damage 
  from the blow is inflicted on the cleric instead.
  * Vengeful: if a frost giant jarl, hrimwisard, or cleric of 
  thrym within 5” of him is shaken or wounded, the 
  cleric of langbarðr may make a single Fighting roll 
  against one opponent within reach as a free action. it 
  may do this even if it has acted in the round.
  norðri
  norðri, the god of the north wind, is described in the 
  ice goblin chapter of this book.
  * Spells: Deflection (blizzard), fear (Hellfrost wind), 
  knockdown (gust of wind), storm (blizzard only), 
  summon elemental (blizzard only), voice on the 
  wind, zephyr (icy wind).
         hrimwisard
  Frost giant hrimwisards are relatively uncommon due 
  to the giants’ relatively dull intellect. most clans can only 
  muster one mage, who serves as an advisor to the jarl.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d8, spirit d10, strength 
  d12+3, Vigor d8
  Skills: climbing d8, Fighting d8, Hrimwisardry d10, 
  intimidation d10, Knowledge (arcana) d8, notice d6, 
  throwing d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 13 (2)
  Edges: improved sweep, snow Walker
  Gear: chain shirt (+2), great axe (str+d10, –1 Parry, 
  aP 1, carried in one hand), thrown rock (range: 4/8/16, 
  damage: str+d10)
  Treasure: rich, in lair
  Special Abilities:
  * Hrimwisardry: Frost giant hrimwisards can draw 
  cold from their own aura. they have a minimum bo-
  nus of +2 to Hrimwisardry rolls, but use a higher bo-
  nus when the ambient temperature permits. 
   
  Hrimwisard frost giants know the following spells: 
  armor (icy skin), bolt (coldfire), entangle (freezes 
  foe), sphere of might (coldfire), storm (blizzard), stun 
  (blast of frigid air), summon elemental (coldfire, ice, 
  or slush).
  * Icy Aura: Frost giants radiate deadly cold. at the end 
  of movement, all adjacent foes suffer 2d6 damage.
  * Infravision: Halve darkness penalties against heat-
  producing targets.
  * Large: attackers gain +2 to attack rolls against frost 
  giants, due to their size.
  * Resistance (Cold): immune to background cold. 
  Half damage from cold, coldfire, and ice attacks.
  * Size +5: Frost giants are over 18’ tall.
  * Susceptibility (Fire): +4 damage from heat or fire.
         rune maGe
  Frost dwarf claims that they were gifted rune magic 
  by the gods are erroneous. giants were the initial recipi-
  ents—the dwarves simply stole the knowledge. that said, 
  knowledge of the runes is fading among the frost giants, 
  who now favor hrimwisardry and thyrm’s divine miracles. 
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  2
  to create a frost giant rune mage use the hrimwisard 
  stats (see above) as the base and make the following 
  minor changes:
  * remove the Hrimwisardry skill and special ability.
  * Frost giant runes mages know any two runes from 
  armor-rune, battle-rune, cut-rune, coldfire-rune, and 
  weather-rune. one rune is known at d10 and the second 
  at d8.
  Greater
  greater frost giants are veteran warriors of the clan, 
  from whom jarls are elected. ever watchful for signs of 
  weakness, they continually plot their ascension to power 
  while simultaneously acting like loyal subjects.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d6, spirit d8, strength 
  d12+4, Vigor d10
  Skills: climbing d8, Fighting d10, intimidation d10, no-
  tice d6, throwing d8
  Edges: Frenzy, improved sweep, snow Walker
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 14 (2)
  Gear: chain hauberk (+2), huge great axe (str+d10, –1 
  Parry, aP 1, carried in one hand), thrown rock (range: 
  4/8/16, damage: str+d10)
  Treasure: Worthwhile
  Special Abilities:
  * Icy Aura: Frost giants radiate deadly cold. at the end 
  of movement, all adjacent foes suffer 2d6 damage.
  * Infravision: Halve darkness penalties against heat-
  producing targets.
  * Large: attackers gain +2 to attack rolls against frost 
  giants, due to their size.
  * Resistance (Cold): immune to background cold. 
  Half damage from cold, coldfire, and ice attacks.
  * Size +5: Frost giants are over 18’ tall.
  * Susceptibility (Fire): takes +4 damage from heat or 
  fire.
  lesser
  lesser frost giants are cruel, stupid giants who enjoy 
  eating goblins and any other sentient beings who fall into 
  their clutches—particularly ones roasted on sticks over 
  coldfire hearths. they have no designs on being leaders 
  and are happy to obey orders, so long as that involves 
  killing and maiming. greater in numbers than their 
  larger kin, they are destined to become the inheritors of 
  thrym’s power unless the Fimbulvintr comes soon.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d6, strength 
  d12+2, Vigor d10
  Skills: climbing d8, Fighting d8, notice d6, throwing 
  d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 11
  Edges: improved sweep, snow Walker
  Gear: spiked club (str+d8), thrown boulder (range: 
  4/8/16; damage: str+d10)
  Treasure: meager
  Special Abilities:
  * Clueless: –2 to common Knowledge rolls.
  * Infravision: Halve darkness penalties against heat 
  producing targets.
  * Large: attackers gain +2 to attack rolls against frost 
  giants due to their size.
  * Resistance (Cold): immune to background cold. 
  Half damage from cold, coldfire, and ice attacks.
  * Size +4: lesser frost giants are 15’ tall.
  * Susceptibility (Fire): takes +4 damage from heat or 
  fire.
   other Giant aBilities
  in addition to the standard roles presented in the 
  Hellfrost Bestiary, there are others found among all 
  the giant species. each of these specialties takes the 
  form of a single special ability, which is added to the 
  giant’s regular stat block.
  * Blocker: stories of giants guarding, or more 
  commonly blocking, bridges and narrow mountain 
  passes are commonplace. such creatures have the 
  improved First strike edge.
  * Bowler: these giants throw their rocks underarm. 
  if they hit with a raise, their foe is pinned in addi-
  tion to suffering damage. escaping the pin requires 
  a strength roll as an action from the victim.
  * Brawler: brawlers specialize in hand-to-hand 
  combat. they never count as unarmed defend-
  ers. their hardened fists deal str+d4 damage and 
  their grapples inflict str+d4 damage if maintained. 
  if a brawler inflicts a wound through a grapple, 
  the victim’s body is crushed, mauled, mangled, or 
  stretched. Wild card victims must immediately roll 
  on the injury table, applying wound penalties as 
  normal. the injury remains until all wounds are 
  healed.
  * Mammoth Rider: Found only among frost giants. 
  these giants have riding d8 and steady Hands. Wild 
  card giants may have beast bond as well. equipped 
  with lance (str+d8, reach 2), mammoth mount, 
  and saddle.
  * Man Hunter: despite the name, these fearsome 
  brutes are skilled in the art of killing any smaller 
  foe. they ignore the –2 penalty when attacking 
  creatures of size 0 or lower.
  * Rock Thrower: rock throwers have the marks-
  man and mighty throw edges. Wild card versions 
  also have the dead shot edge.
  * Scout: giant scouts have stealth, survival, and 
  tracking at d6 or +1 die step to their existing skill, 
  whichever is higher. they also have the Woodsman 
  edge.
  * Sweeper: sweepers have practiced long and hard 
  at knocking smaller foes off their feet. they treat the 
  size difference between them and their foes as one 
  entire category larger. For example, a typical frost 
  giant is 4 to 7 sizes larger than a normal human. 
  a sweeper knocks foes back as if he were 8 to 11 
  sizes larger.
  
  Fungals are one of the strangest creatures ever seen 
  in the Hearthlands. Widely regarded as crop stealing 
  pests, they are usually attacked on sight. most citizens 
  believe they are a primitive and barbaric race. While it 
  is certainly true they lack any form of technology and 
  complex society, they are a fascinating race, and one not 
  to be underestimated when aroused. this supplement 
  explores fungal culture.
  oriGin of the speCies
  no one has yet established a rapport with the fungal 
  race, despite frequent attempts by clerics of eostre Plant-
  mother and druids. Hence, what follows is subjective 
  guesswork.
  Fungal mythology regarding the origin of their species is 
  remarkably simple—they were created by their living god, 
  Xelomycota, in a distant epoch and have served him without 
  question ever since. they believe Xelomycota is a primeval 
  deity who has existed since the beginning of time.
  the civilized races are unsure whether fungals are the 
  creation of eostre, ertha, or Vali. most hold they are a 
  primitive race created by eostre Plantmother, perhaps left-
  overs from an earlier age when there were only animals 
  and plants. it is widely held fungals were early tenders 
  of forests, but either voluntarily moved underground or 
  were forced there by some outside agency. others, espe-
  cially followers of the cult, claim ertha had a hand in their 
  creation, for fungals are native only to her dark, dank cav-
  erns. Vali’s association with them is based on the fact that 
  many species of fungus are toxic, even though they might 
  have a pleasing appearance. those who have lost valuable 
  crops to fungals are quick to label them vermin.
  though much written lore was lost during and after 
  the blizzard War, oral traditions dating back many centu-
  ries speak of plant men who lived in the earth and came 
  to the surface only to harvest crops. it may be that in 
  those ancient days of warm summers, cool winters, and 
  abundant food, fungals were left gifts, perhaps being 
  seen as members of the mysterious fey or agents of eo-
  stre Plantmother to be appeased. it is equally true their 
  reputation as crop raiders may not be a new one.
  the elves have long known of fungals, but pay little at-
  tention to their activities. elves strongly refute any claim 
  that they were somehow responsible for the creation of 
  fungals or their exile into ertha’s realm. Frost dwarves, 
  on the other hand, know much about fungals. indeed, it 
  is not unusual for the deepest food caverns of a dwarven 
  realm to be inhabited by fungals. in many cases the two 
  races have a good relationship, but in others the dwarves 
  must steal fungus crops.
  due to the inherent difficulties in cross species com-
  munication, it is unlikely the true origins of fungals will 
  ever be revealed.
  anatomy
  While sentient plants such as tree men and the fey 
  wood wights are known to the denizens of rassilon, fun-
  gals are the only known fungus-based lifeform.
  physioloGy
  the basic appearance of a fungal is that of a man-sized 
  mushroom. little wonder that they are commonly known 
  as “mushroom men” to surface dwellers.
  every fungal has a cap on the top of its body. though 
  the eyes are situated below it, as is the thin opening that 
  serves as a mouth, the cap is not a true head. thick and 
  fibrous, it serves more like a hat, protecting the fungal 
  from accidental bumps in the narrow confines of the 
  tunnels in and around their subterranean homes. the 
  great majority of fungals have brown caps, but variations 
  are known, even within the same colony. the cap joins 
  directly to the body.
  two black, beady eyes peer out from beneath the cap. 
  funGals
  2
                                      
                   
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  2
  despite being a subterranean race, fungals lack the ability 
  to see in poor lighting. although they can detect spores 
  released by members of their species at great distances, 
  they otherwise have a very poor sense of smell. Fungals lack 
  ears. Vibrations are picked up through the entire body.
  Fungals have two arms and two legs. all are short, pudgy 
  limbs. the legs are not joined by hip joints—the trunk 
  merely splits roughly two-thirds of the way down. similarly, 
  the arms sprout seamlessly from the torso. With no joints 
  or bones to hamper them, the limbs are capable of bending 
  in angles that would cause a human to cry out in pain.
  the feet have no toes. instead, the legs end at splayed 
  stumps. the sole is thick yet flexible, molding around 
  stones and other small obstacles, giving the fungal good 
  footing over loose terrain. the thick pad also helps dis-
  tribute the fungal’s weight. as a result, they are remark-
  ably stealthy creatures, even when moving normally.
  Fungals have no true hands—their fingers extend 
  from the ends of their hands. long and thick, they are 
  ideal for grasping, but incapable of fine manipulation. 
  unlike the other races, whose have virtually no variation 
  in the number of digits, fungals have anywhere from two 
  to ten fingers on each hand. there is no obvious pattern 
  to why a fungal has more fingers than its peers.
  like plants, fungals have no organs, nor do they 
  possess a brain as the other races understand it. the 
  functions of the brain, heart, and so on are distributed 
  throughout the fungals’ entire body. because of this, it 
  is impossible to target any particular weak or vital spot. 
  their thick, fibrous flesh is resistant to piercing attacks, 
  such as arrows and spears. While fungals are immune 
  to pain, they recognize the destructive potential of fire, 
  weapons, and other hazards.
  Fungals possess a mouth, but they do not use it for 
  eating or breathing. oxygen is absorbed through the 
  fungals’ milky white skin, while nutrients are absorbed 
  through their feet, but only while the fungal is stationary 
  and requires nourishment.
  Fungal skin is not smooth. numerous small bumps 
  and lumps dot their skin, and they have small openings 
  all over their bodies. the former are spore sacs, whose 
  contents are the bane of their foes. the pores also release 
  spores, but these are for communication, not defense.
  life CyCle
  concealed in every colony is a pulsating mass of fun-
  gus known to fungals as the “root.” this is the source of 
  all fungals in the colony. every year, the fungals gather 
  at the root and seed it with reproductive spores. the 
  growths these produce merge with the existing mass, but 
  do not automatically produce new fungals. 
  unlike in human settlements, there is never an excess 
  or shortage of fungals, at least never for more than a few 
  hours. each colony has exactly the number of fungals it 
  needs to function at optimal levels.
  should the colony need new members, perhaps to re-
  place dead comrades or to meet increased food quotas, 
  the resident spore priest releases his own spores into the 
  root. a new fungal sprouts, fully formed and ready to 
  work, within a few hours.
  similarly, if the colony ever has an excess of indi-
  viduals, the priest releases spores fatal to other fungals. 
  there is neither honor nor shame in being selected for 
  extermination, nor do fungals particularly fear being 
  chosen—their death is for the good of the colony, and 
  that is all that matters in the grand scheme of things.
  there is only ever one spore priest in a colony. When 
  he dies, whether by violent means or natural causes, 
  a vast cloud of spores that drifts through the colony is 
  automatically released from his corpse. these spores 
  mutate the first fungal they settle on into a new priest, 
  thus ensuring the colony has a leader and a means of 
  reproduction. once the spores have taken hold, the new 
  priest summons the members of his colony to attend 
  him. He then releases spores that halt any other muta-
  tions, guaranteeing there is only ever one leader.
  psyCholoGy
  Fungals live purely to work for the colony and serve 
  their deity. every fungal is born to fill a particular role, 
  knows its place in society, and has absolutely no aspira-
  tions. although any fungal can be elevated to the posi-
  tion of spore priest, this is not an honor they seek out.
  all fungals do is work, worship, feed, and rest. they 
  neither want nor need anything else to make their lives 
  fulfilled. because of this, many believe they are immune 
  to bribery, but this is not true. 
  While fungals have absolutely no use for gold and 
  silver, they gratefully accept fresh vegetables, as well as 
  rotting vegetation and meat. most explorers have little 
  need to bribe fungals, though.
  soCial struCture
  Fungal society is very orderly and highly structured, 
  each individual knowing his place in the great cycle of 
  food production. dissension is unknown, though this is 
  not to say there are never problems.
  KinGs
  no one has ever encountered a fungal king, also 
  referred to as sovereigns and fungal lords, and their ex-
  istence is pure supposition. that such nobles must exist 
  is purely down to the civilized races stamping their own 
  ideals of society onto others.
  spore priests
  every fungal colony is led by a single spore priest. 
  servants of Xelomycota, the bulbous living god of the 
  fungals, they stand around 8 feet tall and have a mottled 
  yellow or orange cap.
  Priests are the de facto leaders of their colony. they are 
                                  
  
  funGals
  2
  responsible for arranging work rosters, ensuring each fungal 
  meets his quota, and leading worship. unlike other leaders 
  of the other races, their orders are never questioned.
  a fungal colony without a priest, an exceptionally rare 
  event but not unknown (see diseased Fungals below), is 
  thrown into utter chaos. Without the priest’s spores to 
  set their tasks and control their day, the fungals become 
  disoriented and confused, completely unable to function 
  as a cohesive society. 
  some communities simply shut down, the fungals 
  taking root in their nutrient piles to await new orders 
  (which will likely never come). others become violent, 
  raiding the surface and subterranean worlds without 
  true purpose other than to harvest what they can grab, 
  or wander aimlessly around their lairs.
  most, though, become stuck in their current cycle, 
  following their last orders indefinitely. Fungals feeding 
  and resting never awaken from their slumber, those 
  worshipping continue to honor their god through their 
  dreamlike meditations until they die of starvation, and 
  fungals at work in the fungus chambers keep working 
  until they drop from hunger or fatigue. 
  Whatever happens once the spore priest dies, the 
  colony is doomed unless a spore priest just happens to 
  pass by and exerts control over its members.
  worKers
  the vast majority of fungals are workers. they spend 
  their days tending the fungus crops, raiding the surface 
  world, honoring their god in meditations, and resting 
  and absorbing nutrients. every aspect of their day is 
  carefully controlled. they are essentially slaves, having 
  no free will and existing only to serve.
  Fungals keep regular hours. they work for 8 hours, 
  meditate on their god for 8 hours, and eat/rest for 8 
  hours. unless an outside influence breaks this cycle, it is 
  repeated day in and day out without fail.
  wardens
  not every fungal colony has wardens, and they are 
  never found above ground except in the most desper-
  ate circumstances. they are the guardians of the great 
  fungus-growing caverns the race calls home, the near-
  est thing fungals have to soldiers. they are aggressive 
  defenders, and are thus produced only in communities 
  subjected to frequent attack.
  Wardens appear similar to regular fungals, except 
  for their caps, which are always a shade of red, nature’s 
  warning sign, and instantly recognizable as such even to 
  non-sentient creatures. they produce nothing, and so 
  rank below workers.
  diseased funGals
  Fungals suffer disease like any other living creatures. 
  When contagious diseases strike, those inflicted are 
  killed and their corpses destroyed so as to prevent fur-
  ther contamination. so long as the spore priest survives, 
  the colony will survive. one particular disease, though, 
  mutates fungals.
  Physically, diseased fungals have brown skin, the same 
  color as a harvested mushroom left exposed to air for 
  too long. Psychologically, the fungal is rendered immune 
  to the spores of non-diseased priests. He is thus cut off 
  from receiving orders and becomes an outcast from his 
  colony. a diseased spore priest can affect other diseased 
  fungals. unless hunted down and destroyed, these out-
  casts form their own communities.
  a diseased spore priest spells doom for his old colony. 
  His spores remain able to affect his former kin, and any 
  new fungals he sires from the root are automatically dis-
  eased. even if he dies within the colony, his spores will 
  only create a new diseased priest.
  Culture
  Fungals have no discernible cultural differences, even 
  among communities separated by thousands of miles. 
  some sages have argued these communities are linked in 
  some manner, while others use the uniformity as proof 
  of rulers above the spore priests.
  haBitat
  While fungals often venture onto the surface world, 
  no permanent colony has ever been discovered outside 
  the underearth. Fungals prefer deep caves, and always 
  select living ones (caves in which water is present) for 
  their dampness. running water is not vital, as water drip-
  ping down walls or from ceilings provides more than 
  enough moisture.
  Fungals prefer to occupy caverns with confined en-
  trances, but this is not always possible, even in the bow-
  els of the underearth. approaching a fungal cavern can 
  be extremely easy (terrain permitting) or a nightmare. 
  in most cases there is no form of outer defenses, nor 
  sentries to trouble explorers, though patches of fungus 
  with defensive uses may grow here naturally. colonies 
  accustomed to frequent hostile intruders purposefully 
  seed entrance tunnels with flash fungus and slick mold 
  (see Hellfrost Atlas), as well as patches of fungi that 
  produce effects similar to their defensive spores, and 
  wardens keep a watchful eye for danger.
  Where possible, fungals inhabit multiple caverns, 
  using each for a different purpose. the largest cavern 
  (or caverns) is devoted to food production. Here, amid 
  a veritable forest of gigantic mushrooms, fungals grow 
  bread balls (see Hellfrost Atlas) and other edible fungi. 
  another cavern serves as the central feeding area. the 
  floor is dotted with neat piles of decaying vegetable and 
  animal matter, fungals’ staple diet.
  the root is always located somewhere safe. in a cave 
  system, that often means a small cavern reached only via 
  a narrow tunnel. in a single cavern it is located as far as 
                  
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  0
  possible from any entrances and shielded by a wall of 
  thick giant mushroom stalks, a living palisade.
  although the root is the heart, the temple is the brain 
  of the colony, for here dwells the spore priest. temple 
  caves are always thickly covered in colorful forms of 
  fungus. the spores from these growths produce calm 
  feelings in fungals and unconsciousness in most other 
  races. these induce the necessary state of mind to wor-
  ship Xelomycota, while simultaneously protecting the 
  temple against defilers. 
  in game terms, all fungals except the spore priest enter-
  ing the temple who need to remain aware, such as those 
  fighting off intruders, must make a Vigor roll or become 
  drowsy and calm. they are treated as being Fatigued until 
  they leave the temple area. non-fungals who fail a Vigor 
  roll fall unconscious for 2d6 minutes. this roll must be 
  made every round, before a character takes his actions.
  diet
  Fungals are technically omnivores, though they do 
  not eat in the manner of other creatures, lacking both 
  stomach and digestive tract. Within every fungal colony 
  are mounds of rotting vegetation and flesh, the latter 
  carcasses found in the underearth—healthy fungals do 
  not hunt living creatures for any reason.
  during its eat/rest cycle, a fungal sinks its legs into 
  the decaying matter, absorbing nutrients through its feet. 
  any nutrient rich soil will suffice, enabling fungals to sur-
  vive on the surface world.
  law and order
  so long as the spore priest is healthy, fungal society 
  runs like clockwork. there is no greed, no desire except 
  to serve, and no clash of egos to stir up trouble. Kept in 
  line by the priests’ spores, fungals are essentially inca-
  pable of thinking of rebellious acts. 
  clerics of thunor, who are rarely encountered un-
  derground and base their arguments on second or third 
  hand reports, claim fungals are a slave race. clerics of 
  Hothar, for example, argue that fungals represent the 
  ideal society, where law and order are entrenched and 
  dissension against the greater good is unknown.
  as noted above, the only real threat is a diseased fun-
  gal, and they are quickly removed from the colony.
  Fungals have absolutely no understanding of per-
  sonal property or wealth—everything, even a fungal’s 
  life, belongs to the colony and exists solely that it might 
  function. occasionally a colony might accidentally ac-
  quire a small haul of treasure, perhaps from the corpses 
  of intruders who angered the fungals. such booty is not 
  guarded, for it serves no purpose, and fungals make no 
  attempt to stop intruders taking the treasure.
  healthCare
  although new fungals can be grown as required, indi-
  viduals are still valued for their experience—fungals are 
  not clones, and newly born members of the species are 
  essentially blank slates with only rudimentary knowledge 
  of the skills they need to serve their community.
  Xelomycota grants his priests healing, and herbalism 
  is not unknown among their number. naturally, herbal 
  remedies make extensive use of fungus, but the medici-
  nal properties of mosses and lichens are also understood. 
  unfortunately for explorers, many of the plants used are 
  toxic to the surface races.
  Fungals that die of old age or injury are added to the 
  root. their corpses will break down into the primordial 
  ooze and help sire the next generation.
  lanGuaGe
  all fungals understand dwarven and can speak a de-
  based form of arboreal, but between members of the spe-
  cies almost all communication is done via spores. unlike 
  their defensive spores, those used in communication are 
  invisible to the naked eye and have no discernible odor.
  such communication is rudimentary and precludes 
  detailed conversations or abstract concepts. simple or-
  ders such as “come here,” “Pick that mushroom,” and 
  “run away!” are essentially the limit.
  other races have no ability to learn this unique meth-
  od of communication. even speak language is useless.
  names & numBers
  rather than a true name, fungals have an identity more 
  akin to a serial number. each fungal has its identity set 
  by the spore priest at its creation, and this is hardwired 
  into any spores it releases in life. its spores automatically 
  impart its “name” without it having to make a conscious 
  decision. this also means no fungal can conceal its 
  identity from its superiors or peers (not that it would 
  ever conceive of such subterfuge), nor can there be any 
  ambiguity as to who is communicating.
  Having no set number of digits, fungals have never 
  developed a system of numbers. all quantities are given 
  in vague impressions, such as “an hour’s harvest,” or “a 
  day’s crop quota.” they don’t mean much to other races, 
  but fungals innately know what quantities they imply.
  written lanGuaGe
  Fungals pass on information solely through spores, 
  or more rarely verbal communication. even the ability to 
  read dwarven is extremely rare, and those priests who 
  understand the script lack the dexterity and inclination 
  to write it. a very small number of priests might be able 
  to decipher other languages, such as arboreal or Fey, but 
  texts in these languages are virtually unknown anyway.
  Calendar
  except near the surface, there is no discernible way 
  to accurately note the passage of time in the depths of 
  the underearth, especially without any form of technol-
  
  funGals
  1
  ogy—sunlight does not penetrate, and the temperature 
  is fairly constant except close to the surface.
  being so orderly, fungal society requires accurate 
  timekeeping. While the priest may not know the exact 
  time of day, his internal spore clock is programmed to 
  alert him when eight hours have passed. this is known 
  simply as a cycle. this is the only measurement of time 
  fungals understand.
  unfortunately, they have no way of telling others how 
  long a cycle is, for they have no comprehension of hours 
  or days (or weeks, months, seasons, and so on).
  trade and triBute
  For the most part, colonies are completely self-suffi-
  cient. Fungals have no need for clothes, jewelry, pottery, 
  and other goods so vital to life on the surface, and no 
  concept of money. they do not trade or barter, even with 
  their own kind, demand tribute, or pay taxes.
  it is true that fungals are notorious crop raiders, but 
  no one has ever witnessed what the fungals do with their 
  plunder. scholars currently believe the goods are offered 
  to their god, though why a god of fungus would require 
  carrots and beans has yet to be debated to any satisfac-
  tory conclusion. some say it forms part of the fungals’ 
  diet, but if this is true, why does the race not simply live 
  on the surface and grow their own crops?
  in truth, the fungals do not sacrifice crops to their 
  god—they don’t even eat them themselves. the fungals 
  are not a slave race, but they are subservient to the an-
  cient and powerful race known as moðsognar and the 
  lesser døkkálfar as gardeners and food providers. 
  When they cannot grow enough food in their subter-
  ranean lairs, or if too much is destroyed or devoured 
  by underground menaces, they must harvest it from the 
  surface world to meet their relentless, inflexible quotas. 
  although many farmers hate them and more than a few 
  fear them, fungals are more a nuisance than a serious 
  threat, and only rarely do they resort to violence.
  quite what the fungals get from the arrangement with 
  the deep-dwelling dwarves is unknown. aside from the 
  sickles they wield, they receive no trade goods or financial 
  reward (because they don’t need them), nor any military 
  support. it may be that although the fungals are not slaves, 
  they were created by the moðsognar—such magic would 
  not be beyond their artifice—as workers. rebellion is an 
  alien concept, but maybe the fungals were programmed 
  to think that way, rather than evolving naturally.
  warfare
  For the most part fungals are pacifists. they do not 
  seek trouble and, outside their homes, prefer to flee at 
  the first sign of trouble, incapacitating intruders with 
  clouds of spores as they scurry for the relative safety of 
  the underearth. the Hellfrost Encounters Book contains 
  two detailed encounters involving fungals.
  weapons and armor
  Fungals carry razor-sharp iron sickles, gifts from their 
  dwarven overseers. these are kept sharp by honing 
  them on rocks. Wardens and spore priests wield staff-
  sickles, which are just sickle blades mounted on thick, 
  stiff mushroom stalks. aside from these tools, for such is 
  their true purpose, fungals boast no weapons.
  the only armor known is a fibrous weave worn by 
  wardens. this is crudely fashioned by sewing sheets of 
  material together with dried fibers and tied with knots. 
  it is approximately equivalent to plate armor due to its 
  thickness and fibrous make up. outside the dank under-
  earth it dries rapidly, crumbling away at the rate of one 
  point of protection per day unless soaked in a gallon of 
  unsalted water each 24 hours. Few fungals are ever on 
  the surface that long.
  orGanization
  unless a colony has wardens, it has absolutely no mili-
  tary structure. When attacked, a fungal subconsciously 
  releases alarm spores, alerting others to its plight. these 
  spores travel at the rate of 30 yards per round above 
  ground and half that underground unless there is a 
  strong breeze. they have a maximum range of 300 yards. 
  Fungals who detect these spores release alarms spores of 
  their own. thus, word spreads fairly quickly. the fungals 
  then gather their sickles and rush to the scene of the fray 
  as individuals, not as a cohesive force.
  even a colony with wardens has no true military struc-
  ture. Wardens patrol the colony and its borders, ever 
  vigilant for signs of intruders, but do so alone or, in very 
  troubled areas, in pairs. this is the limit of fungal military 
  organization. When an alarm is raised, they too rush to 
  help without bothering to wait for support. 
  strateGy and taCtiCs
  although fungals usually have weight of numbers on 
  their side, they are poor fighters. as such, they rely on 
  stealth, knowledge of their native terrain, and spores to 
  win the day. While generally quick to flee on the surface, 
  albeit in a cloud of spores, they are tenacious opponents 
  when defending their homes.
  defendinG lairs
  in some parts of the underearth explorers have re-
  ported wandering through fungal caverns openly, the 
  fungals completely ignoring their presence. only when 
  explorers harm the crops or become aggressive have 
  the fungals reacted. in other regions, the fungals have 
  reacted with immediate violence on detecting intrud-
  ers, offering no chance to parley. the key difference is 
  whether or not the colony is accustomed to being raided 
  and has wardens at its disposal.
  lacking ranged weapons, fungals prefer to use the 
  natural fungus forests in their lairs to conceal their 
                   
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  2
  movement, allowing them to stealthily approach their 
  foes before charging.
  since fungals are immune to their own spores, they 
  have no compulsion about using them while their com-
  rades are engaged in melee with foes.
  the most potent weapon at the colony’s disposal is 
  the spore priest, but he is also too valuable to risk unless 
  the root is threatened. not only do his spores boost his 
  followers, but he wields useful magic too.
  by using the towering stalks of the mushroom forest as 
  anchors, barrier can be used to separate or trap intruders. 
  it also works well in narrow tunnels, covering a full retreat 
  or protecting the root. Entangle and stun both affect areas, 
  allowing the priest to hit large numbers of opponents and 
  give the defenders a much needed advantage against foes 
  who are usually better skilled, armed, and armored. Fatigue 
  can weaken enemy spellcasters and commanders.
  the death of the spore priest in combat rarely causes 
  confusion. the fungals simply follow their last orders 
  until a new priest is “born.”
  Fungals have no compulsion about fleeing the outly-
  ing areas of their territory, but they will not abandon the 
  root unless the spore priest is slain—it is literally the 
  beating heart of their colony.
  reliGion
  Fungals have, and need, only one deity. their faith 
  is a simplistic one, involving much meditation but little 
  else. their god craves no sacrifices, being content that 
  his creations toil ceaselessly as they have always done.
  Fungals have no concept of an afterlife, at least not 
  in the traditional sense. the spirit of dead fungals enters 
  the root, as does their flesh. although not considered 
  true reincarnation, they believe part of the spirit passes 
  onto the next generation of fungals, ensuring they have 
  enough knowledge to perform basic tasks from the mo-
  ment they are created.
  XelomyCota
  Titles: the Primordial one, the oozing one, the 
  spore lord.
  Aspects: Fungus, growth, sustenance, protection, 
  knowledge, fungals.
  Symbol: none. Fungals impart images of their deity 
  through spores, not art.
  Priesthood: Fungals are a relatively peaceful race and 
  have no paladins. Priests may take both the champion 
  and Holy Warrior edges, though they rarely bother un-
  less their colony is subjected to frequent attack.
  Herald: none.
  Holy Days: First and last days of Haerfestmonan are 
  high holy days, and any deorcmonan during this period 
  a holy day. on high holy days the entire colony takes part 
  in worship. on holy days the work and rest cycles are 
  halved in favor of extra prayers. 
  spore priests instinctively know when these dates oc-
  cur, even though fungals have no concept of a calendar.
  Signature Power: Boost/lower trait.
  Powers: Altered senses, arcane resistance, armor, 
  barrier, bless/panic, confusion, deflection, fatigue, fear, 
  healing, heat mask, obscure, sluggish reflexes, slumber, 
  stun, voice on the wind (can only be used on fungals).
  Trappings: most trappings are spores. Barrier is usu-
  ally a wall of fungus.
  Disciple Edge: can release spores five times a day.
  Xelomycota is without doubt the most alien of the 
  inhuman gods. Fungal mythology states that the deity is 
  gigantic ball of pulsating fungus, from which the fungals 
  emerged fully sentient. they believe he has a physical 
  form, which resides in some forgotten cavern of mon-
  strous proportions in the deepest bowels of the earth. 
  sages and clerics of the civilized races are unsure 
  whether this is a unique deity or a primordial aspect of 
  ertha, eostre, or Vali forgotten by the other races.
  to the fungals, Xelomycota is provider and protec-
  tor. He imparted unto them knowledge of how to brew 
  herbal remedies and create alchemical devices using 
  fungus, how to tend the crops of the underearth, how 
  to communicate, and how to avoid foes. He asks nothing 
  but continual work, which fungals perform tirelessly.
  Bestiary
  this section pulls together various stat blocks concern-
  ing the strange and alien fungals, consolidating them in a 
  single section for ease of use when designing or running 
  fungal-related adventures, and adds a few new varieties 
  to keep the players on their toes.
  funGals
         spore priest
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d8, spirit d8, strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Faith d8, Fighting d6, notice d6, stealth d8
  Pace: 5; Parry: 5; toughness: 7
  Gear: sickle-staff (str+d6, reach 1, 2 hands)
  Treasure: meager
  Special Abilities:
  * Plant: +2 to recover from being shaken. called shots 
  do no extra damage. immune to piercing attacks. no 
  wound penalties.
  * Powers: Barrier (wall of fungus), boost/lower trait 
  (unique spores), disease (fungal infection), entan-
  gle (sticky strands of fungus), fatigue (spores), stun 
  (spore cloud).
  * Size +1: spore priests average 8’ tall.
  * Spores: three times a day fungal priests can release 
  a cloud of spores in a medium burst template cen-
  tered on the fungal. only fungals within the template 
                  
                   
  
  funGals
  
  are affected, though spore priests are unaffected by 
  their own spores. each cloud contains only one type 
  of spore. the effects last for five rounds. the fungal 
  need not remain in the template to retain the bonus. 
  gms may either pick the type of spore or roll a d4 and 
  consult the table below. effects are non-cumulative.
  priest spores
  d4 
  Spore Type
  1 
  Heightened Reflexes: Fungals redraw action 
  cards of 5 or lower.
  2 
  Focused Mind: Fungals become immune to 
  smarts tricks and tests of Will.
  3 
  Armor: the spores stick to fungals and harden 
  rapidly, granting +1 armor.
  4 
  Heightened Speed: Fungals gain +2 Pace and 
  roll a d8 running die.
  funGal
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d6, spirit d6, strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, notice d6, stealth d8
  Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Gear: sickle (str+d4)
  Special Abilities:
  * Plant: +2 to recover from shaken. no effect from 
  called shots. immune to piercing attacks. 
  * Spores: once a day, a fungal can release spores in a 
  medium burst template centered on the fungal. the 
  template remains in place until the fungal’s next ac-
  tion. any creature in or who enters the template must 
  make a Vigor roll or be affected. (a victim caught in 
  multiple clouds must roll for each one separately.) 
  each template contains only one type of spore. gms 
  can either pick an entry from the table below or roll a 
  d4. all fungals are immune to these spores.
  funGal spores
  d4 
  Spore
  1 
  Paralysis: the victim is paralyzed for 2d6 rounds, 
  during which time he can take no actions.
  2 
  Choking: Victims are shaken for 1d6 rounds. this 
  does not count as a physical attack.
  3 
  Blinding: the victim is blinded. He has –6 to all trait 
  rolls involving sight, and his Parry drops to 2. He may 
  make an agility roll each round with no penalty to 
  rub the spores free of his eyes. this counts as an 
  action. With success, the spores are removed but it 
  consumes the entire round. With a raise, the hero 
  regains his sight and may act as normal.
  4 
  Berserk: the victim automatically goes berserk 
  (as per the edge) and attacks the nearest creature, 
  friend or foe, with a Wild attack. if there are mul-
  tiple targets available, roll randomly to see which 
  one the victim attacks. calming down is as normal 
  for the berserk edge.
  warden
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d6, spirit d8, strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, notice d8, stealth d8
  Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (3)
  Gear: Fibrous corselet (+3), sickle-staff (str+d4, reach 
  1, 2 hands)
  Special Abilities:
  * Plant: +2 to recover from shaken. no effect from 
  called shots. immune to piercing attacks. 
  * Spores: twice a day, a warden can release a cloud of 
  spores in a medium burst template centered on the 
  fungal. the template remains in place until the fungal’s 
  next action. any creature in or who enters the template 
  must make a Vigor roll at –2 or be affected. (a victim 
  caught in multiple clouds must roll for each one sepa-
  rately.) each template contains only one type of spore. 
  gms can either pick an entry from the table below or 
  roll a d4. all fungals are immune to these spores.
  * Sweep: makes a single Fighting roll at –2 against all 
  adjacent creatures.
  warden spores
  d4 
  Spore
  1 
  Paralysis: the victim is paralyzed for 2d6 rounds, 
  during which time he can take no actions.
  2 
  Choking: Victims are shaken for 1d6 rounds. this 
  does not count as a physical attack.
  3 
  Blinding: the victim is blinded. He has –6 to all trait 
  rolls involving sight, and his Parry drops to 2. He may 
  make an agility roll each round with no penalty to 
  rub the spores free of his eyes. this counts as an 
  action. With success, the spores are removed but it 
  consumes the entire round. With a raise, the hero 
  regains his sight and may act as normal.
  4 
  Pacifism: the victim cannot make any attacks for 
  the next 1d6 rounds. He can defend himself nor-
  mally, however.
  diseased funGal
  diseased fungals, sometimes called rotgals by those 
  familiar with them, have the same basic stat blocks as 
  regular fungals. the only difference in terms of game me-
  chanics are their spores. typically their spores produce 
  bowel loosening, disease, hallucinogenic, inebriation, 
  nauseating, stinking, or toxic effects. see the sidebar 
  on page 34 for game mechanics. the gm should create 
  unique 1d4 tables for each diseased individual or group 
  encountered. diseased priests retain their usual spores.
  funGal hulK
  Fungal hulks are tall, anthropomorphic creatures 
  made of fungus. their origins are mysterious. some sag-
  es claim they are bizarre golems created either by mad 
  wizards in ages past or some unknown subterranean 
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  race (the moðsognar are ideal candidates). others say 
  they are a natural race, distant cousins of fungals, while a 
  small minority hold they are a variant species of fungal. 
  Whatever their origins, fungal hulks have been seen 
  serving fungal colonies. they fill a role similar to that 
  of wardens. some have been encountered far from any 
  colonies, something rarely encountered in true fungals.
  a fungal hulk’s left arm ends not in a hand, but in a 
  3-feet wide circular mushroom cap. several inches thick 
  and as hard as wood, the hulk uses it to parry blows in 
  the same way other races use a shield. its right arm ends 
  in a bulbous lump of rock-hard fungus.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, notice d6, stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 9
  Special Abilities:
  * Left Hand: acts as a medium shield (+1 Parry).
  * Plant: +2 to recover from shaken. no effect from 
  called shots. immune to piercing attacks.
  * Size +2: a fungal hulk is 10’ tall. 
  * Slam: str+d6.
        protomyCota
  Without spores and the occasional dead fungal to sus-
  tain it, a root in a colony which has been wiped out nor-
  mally withers away, eventually crumbling to dust. in rare 
  instances, though, the spiritual energy within the root 
  coalesces into a primitive consciousness. these bulbous 
  monstrosities slither through the underearth, stripping a 
  cave of any available nutrients before moving on.
  Protomycotae are slimy masses of fungus measuring 
  up to 50 feet across. dominant colors are putrescent 
  shades of yellow, green, and brown. their rudimentary 
  senses cause them to instinctively lash out at any nearby 
  creatures, producing a variable number of thick stalks 
  from its heaving mass. once a creature is slain, the pro-
  tomycota crawls over the corpse and begins feeding. an 
  average human can feed a protomycota for many weeks.
  Attributes: agility d4, smarts d4(a), spirit d8, strength 
  d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, notice d6, stealth d6
  Pace: 1; Parry: 5; Toughness: 10
  Special Abilities:
  * Large: attackers are +2 to attack rolls due to the crea-
  ture’s size.
  * Mindless: immune to Fear, smarts tricks, and tests 
  of Will.
  * Plant: +2 to recover from shaken. no effect from 
  called shots. immune to piercing attacks. ignores 
  wound penalties.
  * Size +4: a typical specimen measures 20’ across. 
  * Slam: str+d4, reach 2. the creature’s action card 
  suit determines how many targets it may attack that 
  round. a club allows it to attack one foe, a diamond 
  two, a Heart three, and a spade four opponents. a 
  Joker allows it to attack all creatures within reach. it 
  suffers no multi-action penalty for these attacks.
  other spores
  the spores listed in the fungal entry are the most 
  common, but not the only ones. gms may replace 
  existing spores with any of the following.
  * Bowel Loosening: Victims are shaken for 1d6 
  rounds as their digestive tract empties. this does 
  not count as a physical attack. Victims suffer a –2 
  charisma penalty until they clean up the mess.
  * Disease: the fungus begins to grow beneath the 
  victim’s skin. each week after exposure, the victim 
  must make a Vigor roll at –2 or gain a level of Fa-
  tigue. this can lead to death. a successful roll halts 
  the infection. antibiotics can be used to treat the 
  infection. Fatigue levels recover at the rate of one 
  per day after the infection ends.
  * Hallucinogenic: Victims suffer vivid and horrific 
  hallucinations. those caught in the template must 
  roll spirit rather than Vigor. on a failure, they must 
  roll on the Fear table. a critical failure means the 
  Fear table roll is made at +2.
  * Inebriation: Victims become intoxicated for one 
  hour. agility, smarts, and all related skill rolls suf-
  fer a –1 penalty, but toughness increases by 1. ad-
  ditional failures increase the duration, but not the 
  modifiers. a dose of sobriety herbal brew (see Hell-
  frost expansion) negates the spores’ effect.
  * Mildly Irritating: different varieties may produce 
  itching, sneezing, watery eyes, chronic flatulence, 
  or other similar effects. Victims are shaken. this 
  does not count as a physical attack.
  * Nauseating: Victims are Fatigued for the next 
  hour. cumulative exposures increase the duration 
  by one hour, but do not increase the Fatigue level.
  * Sticky: these spores quickly harden. characters 
  must make agility rather than Vigor rolls. on a fail-
  ure, the victim has a –2 penalty to strength and 
  agility rolls, as well as skills linked to them. Pace is 
  halved. on a critical failure, the penalty increases 
  to –4 and Pace is reduced to 1. the effects of the 
  spores last for one minute (10 rounds). dowsing 
  the victim in a gallon of wine or vinegar weakens 
  the bond, freeing the victim.
  * Stinking: Victims are –1 to all trait rolls due to the 
  overpowering stench for the next hour. dowsing 
  the victim in a gallon of water removes the odor.
  * Toxic: Victims suffer an automatic wound.
   optional rule
  Fungals are a timid race for the most part, and easily 
  startled. if a fungal fails a spirit roll to resist Fear or 
  is successfully intimidated, it automatically releases 
  spores, even if it has done so already that day. it can re-
  lease these extra spores only once per day, no matter 
  how many spirit rolls it fails. if the fungal has already 
  released spores that day, it is Fatigued by the effort.
  
  until the destructive golem War ravaged the continent, 
  golems were used across lands held and once held by the 
  anari as near-mindless slaves, automatons programmed to 
  follow orders without question. today, golems are virtually 
  unknown, bogeymen used to scare children and adults 
  alike. this supplement explores the origins of golems, the 
  major events of the golem War, and provides stats for all 
  the species of golem known to sages.
  oriGin of the speCies
  Just over 150 years have passed since the end of the 
  golem War and the implementation of the golem ban 
  decree, but such was the thoroughness of the purge of 
  knowledge concerning the creation of golems that the art 
  went extinct virtually overnight. What little knowledge of 
  golems remains today is gleaned from vague references 
  in archaic tomes, ancient songs of the skalds, and the 
  tales of those who fought in and suffered during the ter-
  rible conflict a handful of generations ago.
  according to legend, the dwarves created the first 
  golems long ago, before the age of men. there is truth in 
  this claim, but it was not the frost dwarves who labored 
  to breathe life into inanimate matter. deep beneath the 
  ground, the reclusive moðsognar delved deep into the 
  magical arts and emerged with wisdom.
  quite when and how men learned the art is unknown, 
  for if it was recorded that history is long forgotten. records 
  show the emergent anari empire made use of golems in 
  their conquest of the Hearthlands. given the advanced 
  nature of these automatons, it is likely they knew of the art 
  long beforehand, though they continued to experiment and 
  increase their understanding. the Heligi also knew the se-
  cret of their creation, though their lore was lost long before 
  the blizzard War. it is widely agreed elven wizards probably 
  learned the art independently, for they made use only of 
  earth and wood, shunning all other materials, and had little 
  dealing with men or dwarves, even in olden times.
  many were the species of golem that walked the land, 
  for their forms and the materials used in their construction 
  were limited only by the imagination of their creators. 
  While commoners suspected that raw magic animated 
  golems, they were actually host to spirits, dull in wits, 
  yet often forceful in personality. though intended to be 
  servants, they were capricious and often hard to con-
  trol, forcing their creators and owners to exert constant 
  authority. expensive, timely to construct, and in need of 
  constant attention, living slaves were much preferred by 
  the anari. in their favor, golems required neither food nor 
  water, nor did they require sleep. Whatever task it was set, 
  a golem could perform it day after day without pause.
  Whence these spirits came from is now lost, but sages 
  agree they were not souls. elemental spirits are the most 
  likely candidates, for wizards have long been able to 
  summon and bind them.
  although intelligent beings, golems are incapable of 
  speech. they understand one spoken language, usually 
  that of their creator, and can respond with gestures.
  the Golem uprisinG
  most slave revolts begin with grumbling and minor 
  troubles, a simmering resentment of their masters that 
  finally bubbles up into violent rebellion. but not so with 
  the golem uprising. in the summer of 341 ir, golems 
  across rassilon suddenly turned on their masters, un-
  leashing a tide of destruction that was to last four years.
  the cause of the uprising has been much debated, 
  but there is little agreement among the learned and wise. 
  lacking both wits and eloquence, and their forces sepa-
  rated by vast distances, it seems highly improbable that 
  the golems united under a single leader. indeed, although 
  the uprising appears to have been coordinated, for by all 
  account the various rebellions occurred simultaneously, 
  the armies were separated by thousands of miles with no 
  obvious method of communicating.
  Golems
  
                                      
                                     
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  one theory is that the amount of golems had reached 
  such a level that the spirits, witless individually, achieved 
  a critical mass, becoming one consciousness with a 
  single goal—freedom. but this is mere speculation, as is 
  interference by the gods, who may have taken offense at 
  man’s creation of false life, and the machinations of an 
  arkhwisard seeking global domination.
  although the uprising was a continent-wide event, 
  the war was not a single conflict. rather, it unfolded as a 
  series of small wars fought across many lands. However, 
  there were three areas in which the fighting was espe-
  cially fierce—aspiria, the magocracy, and nordmark.
  aspiria
  the most northerly land to suffer in the uprising, as-
  piria had many golems. most were mere laborers, work-
  ing in the fields and vineyards, but in the capital, asper, 
  much of the city guard was made up of golems, a gesture 
  designed both to show the might of King Halgroth ii and 
  to save money on wages. asper fell from within, almost 
  obliterated from the map by the golem army.
  in the fall of 342 the golems began to drive east, de-
  stroying everything in their path. Hard pressed to contain 
  the golems, the scattered army of aspiria fell back before 
  the relentless advance.
  Frequent raids slowed the golems’ advanced and 
  bought citizens time to abandon their homes, but they 
  were as unstoppable as the tide. mile by mile they 
  ground east, cutting a wide swathe of death and destruc-
  tion across the land.
  at last, the defenders of aspiria could retreat no 
  more. trapped between the granite mountains and the 
  relentless hoard intent on pushing further east, the sol-
  diers prepared to sell their lives dearly to safeguard what 
  remained of their homeland. Five miles northeast of 
  Kingsmead, on a site known today simply as the battle-
  field, the armies clashed for the final time—the army of 
  men could not retreat; the army of golems would not 
  retreat. it would be a battle of annihilation.
  the armies’ strengths were roughly equal. the hu-
  mans had greater numbers, but the golems were better 
  armored and more resilient. in the end it was not num-
  bers that won the day but tactics, for the golems lacked 
  cohesion and coordination. together, they would have 
  brushed aside their foes, but fighting individually left 
  them vulnerable. as the sun set in a sky as soaked in red 
  as the ground, the last golem fell.
  the maGoCraCy
  the elite of the magocracy have long been accused 
  of arrogance. a stronghold of the anari culture, albeit 
  twisted around the new nobility, and a center of magi-
  cal lore, the magocracy boasted more golems per head 
  than anywhere else. they worked as soldiers and miners, 
  laborers and bodyguards. noble houses judged them-
  selves not on the size of their human servants, but on 
  their magical constructs.
  While many golems have at least partial resistance 
  to magic, the heahwisards knew each golems’ strength 
  and weakness intimately. in the war that followed, this 
  proved vital. magocratic skalds and House records com-
  monly tell how the heahwisards quickly recovered from 
  the shock of seeing their creations rebel. they gathered 
  their armies and slowly drove the golems north and west, 
  herding them onto the golem Hills (as they became 
  known later) before delivering the death blow.
  in truth, the golems headed toward the Hills of their 
  own volition. like elsewhere, the early response to the 
  uprising was limited and ineffective, the heahwisards 
  unable to marshal enough strength to prevent massive 
  destruction. each House looked to its own affairs, arro-
  gantly confident they could halt the threat without hav-
  ing to show weakness by calling on their neighbors. 
  When the golems began to move northwest, the 
  Houses whose lands lay in the south and east saw op-
  portunity. attempts to defeat the golems outright were 
  abandoned in favor of damage limitation. once they 
  crossed the border into another House’s realm, the 
  golems became their problem.
  after almost a year of intense political wrangling, dur-
  ing which time the magocracy burned, the council elect 
  passed a decree forcing the great Houses to cooperate. 
  norwick, sethnor, morrow, and zandor voted against the 
  motion, for the golems had already departed their lands. 
  dragomilov and tharkness had similarly managed to expel 
  the golems, but they voted in favor of supporting a unified 
  army, albeit in return for land and future voting favors.
  mage-Prince danislav dragomilov, later mage-King 
  danislav, was elected to command the grand army. 
  quickly gathering intelligence, danislav deduced the 
  golems’ final destination. rather than trying to prevent 
  their exodus, he encouraged it, avoiding battle where 
  necessary and evacuating settlements along their route. 
  the golems were forced west around Kingshall and 
  into the lands of Houses Kerenil, Haldir, and darovia. 
  meanwhile, the armies of Houses Wyse and eastheath 
  shepherded the golems through bremen.
  Patiently awaiting the arrival of the constructs, dan-
  islav began turning the golem Hills into a killing ground, 
  for here he saw the final battle would be fought. in the 
  spring of 344, the various strands of the golem army 
  merged into a single force.
  the battle began at dawn with a series of feints designed 
  to lure the golems deeper in the hills, where lay entire 
  fields of destructive glyphs. despite their growing losses, 
  the golems continued to advance, only to find their quarry 
  retreating before them. arrows and spells rained down 
  upon the constructs like a deluge while the humans sought 
  to thin their numbers while minimizing casualties.
  in the end battle could be avoided no longer, for 
  danislav sought total victory. the cavalry and heavy in-
  fantry companies of the magocracy poured down from 
  the hills, surrounding the battered golem army. For three 
  hours the soldiers hewed through the constructs, leaving 
  a trail of debris as far as the eye could see. by dusk, the 
  field was won and the golem threat ended.
  
  Golems
  
  such was the destruction wrought upon the golems 
  that the hills are said to be named thus not for their 
  geography, but the vast mounds of shattered constructs 
  that lay upon the field of battle.
  nordmarK
  the least destruction wrought in the major conflicts 
  occurred in southern nordmark, though that is not to say 
  it was not bloody and costly in lives, for many thousands 
  were slain. although the saxa rarely ever built golems, 
  they made use of those left behind by the anari after the 
  saxa rebellion, forcing them to work in the iron mines. 
  nordmark, it is said, grew rich on the devices of anari 
  magic, and paid the price accordingly.
  Within a few short weeks, the golems had overrun the 
  mines, slaughtering their masters and the living miners 
  who toiled beside them with little resistance. Had the 
  golems gathered their entire strength in battle, nordmark 
  would perhaps have been lost forever. but the golems 
  did not press their advantage. instead, they continued to 
  strip iron from the earth while dispatching only minimal 
  military strength.
  yet even those forces proved ample in the early stages 
  of the war, for before the year had ended three old anari 
  towns, fortified with stone, had fallen to them, the walls 
  utterly razed and the inhabitants slain without mercy.
  driven off the field of battle by the onset of winter, 
  the nordmarkers could do nothing but watch as several 
  more towns fell, their burning buildings shedding ghastly 
  light on the pale snow.
  the nordmarkers fought bravely, but throughout the 
  spring of 342 their counterattack was stalled and then 
  driven back toward yorvik. the inhabitants of the capital 
  prepared for an assault, but it did not come. instead of 
  pushing their advantage, the golems halted at the edge 
  of the grimwold, seemingly content to hold the territory 
  they had captured. 
  With the crops planted, the citizens of midmark ral-
  lied to their neighbor’s aid, sending as many troops as 
  could be spared. as the forces of nordmark pushed east 
  and south, the banner of midmark advanced north.
  the war was long and devastating both to the armies 
  of men and the economy of nordmark. While the main 
  armies clashed above ground, other forces battled in the 
  deep mines. unwilling to fight a prolonged war against 
  a tireless foe and with his warriors dwindling through 
  attrition, King thormod mansion-might ordered his 
  spellcasters to collapse the mines.
  now able to concentrate his forces, thormod ordered 
  them to crush the golems. the final engagement, the 
  battle of dancing Fire, took place at night. it was a cha-
  otic, bloody affair, but as sigel’s Hearth rose the banner 
  of nordmark fluttered unchallenged.
  frost dwarf Cities
  the dwarves had long used specialist golems in their 
  mines. equipped with picks and shovels instead of 
  hands, they toiled to expand the ore rich veins, working 
  in conditions few dwarves, no strangers to hard work, 
  could endure. 
  every dwarf city suffered in the golem War, but few 
  were afflicted by extensive damage to the upper levels. 
  With their numbers largely confined to the mines, the 
  dwarves quickly defeated those who dared venture to-
  ward their homes, workshops, and temples.
  What the dwarves never revealed is that many of 
  their creations tunneled downward. rather than waste 
  valuable lives giving chase, the dwarves allowed them to 
  leave, sealing the tunnels once scouts reported the con-
  structs were far enough away not to pose a threat. What 
  became of these creations the dwarves do not know, nor 
  do they much care.
  the Golem Ban deCree
  in late 344, emissaries from the battered magocracy 
  traveled far and wide, seeking support for a total ban on 
  the creation of golems. despite the destruction, some 
  in the council elect still maintained the uprising was a 
  temporary setback and that new golems could be created 
  to be more obedient. Fortunately, they were overruled.
  it took the better part of a year, but eventually the 
  rulers of the magocracy, the convocation, and the frost 
  dwarves gathered under one roof for the first time in his-
  tory. the debate was short, for all had witnessed death 
  at the hands of the golems. by unanimous vote, it was 
  decided that further construction of golems was to be 
  banned outright forevermore.
  the purge was thorough. thousands of manuals and 
  treaties on creation were burned, and powerful puppet 
  spells used to wipe knowledge from golem craftsmen’s 
  minds. those who would not accept the decree were 
  hunted down and either forcefully ensorcelled or put to 
  death on the spot. thus it was that, bar perhaps a few lost 
  treaties concealed in ancient tombs, that the knowledge 
  of how to create golems was lost in rassilon.
  Bestiary
  this section pulls together various stat blocks con-
  cerning golems, consolidating them in a single volume 
  for ease of use when designing or running adventures, 
  and adds a new variants.
  note that any golem can be a Wild card. due to the 
  huge expense and complexity involved in their creation, 
  not to mention most being destroyed in the uprising, 
  they are extremely rare (and powerful) creatures.
  artillery Golems
  artillery golems are shaped like siege engines, typi-
  cally either ballistas or trebuchets. rather than moving 
  on legs, they trundle around on four sturdy wheels.
  early models required separate loaders (often humans, 
                   
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  but sometimes other golems), their advantage over regu-
  lar artillery being mobility and the ability to select their 
  own targets, make adjustments for wind, and so on. later, 
  improvements allowed in golem lore the constructs to re-
  load themselves from available stockpiles of ammunition.
  Ballista
  Attributes: agility d4, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d12, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: notice d6, shooting d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 10 (2)
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Arcane Resistance: +2 armor against damage caus-
  ing arcane powers and +2 on trait rolls to resist op-
  posed powers.
  * Armor +2: made from hardwood.
  * Artillery Piece: range: 25/50/100, damage: 3d6, aP 
  3; 1 action to reload. carries ten reloads.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Size +1: artillery golems are similar in size to regular 
  ballistas, but include a sturdy frame.
  treBuChet
  Attributes: agility d4, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d12, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: notice d6, shooting d8
  Pace: 4; Parry: 2; Toughness: 15 (4)
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Arcane Resistance: +2 armor against damage caus-
  ing arcane powers and +2 on trait rolls to resist op-
  posed powers.
  * Armor +4: made from reinforced hardwood.
  * Artillery Piece: range: 24/48/96 (minimum range 
  12”), damage: 3d6, aP 4, Heavy Weapon, fills a small 
  burst template; 2 actions to reload. carries five re-
  loads. cannot fire during any round it moves.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Large: attackers are +2 to attack rolls due to the 
  golem’s size.
  * Size +4: these artillery golems are similar in size to 
  small mammoths.
  * Very Slow: trebuchet golems cannot run.
  Bone Golem
  crafted from bones of sentient creatures, bone golems 
  are usually humanoid in appearance. unlike skeletons, 
  they are a mishmash of bones bonded together through 
  dark magic. many are given bony spines to add to their 
  already grotesque appearance. only servants of Hela 
  knew the secret of creating bone golems. While all other 
  forms of golem creation are now lost, it is very probable 
  that the vile liches retain the ancient lore.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d12, 
  Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d10, intimidation d8, notice d6, stealth 
  d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 11 (2)
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: bone.
  * Bony Claws: str+d4.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fear: characters seeing it must make a spirit check.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Frenzy: makes two Fighting attacks each round at 
  –2.
  * Size +2: bone golems are usually over 9’ tall.
  ChalK Golem
  constructed of chalk paste and dust around a hu-
  manoid wire frame, chalk golems were time-consuming 
  to create. they were primarily used in a defensive roll, 
  their ability to shed their upper layer into a dense cloud 
  of chalk dust providing cover for escaping mages. more 
  rarely, they served to cover the advance of other troops.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d6, strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d6, notice d8, stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; toughness: 8
  BroKen Golems
  While there are still many intact golems, there are 
  just as many that have suffered damage, either by 
  the passage of time or the weapons of foes. Present-
  ed below are a number of ways in which golems can 
  be tweaked to suit weaker or smaller parties.
  * Cracked and Weathered: a general deteriora-
  tion that leaves the golem slower and weaker than 
  when it was in its prime. it suffers –1 Pace, and –1  
  strength and Vigor die types.
  * Damaged Legs: the golem might be missing an 
  entire limb  or have suffered partial loss. both the 
  lame and one leg Hindrances can be applied to 
  simulate this loss of mobility.
  * Missing Arm: as above, except on of the golem’s 
  arms is affected. give the golem the one arm Hin-
  drance.
  * Reduced Size: although the golem stands just as tall 
  as when it was built, it is missing chunks of its body, 
  reducing its total mass. gms can lower the golem’s 
  Vigor and/or size, both of which lower its toughness.
  
  Golems
  
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Arcane Resistance: +2 armor against damage caus-
  ing arcane powers and +2 on trait rolls to resist op-
  posed powers, except those with a water trapping.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Death Cloud: When a chalk golem is slain, it explodes 
  in a choking cloud equivalent to a medium burst tem-
  plate. all air-breathing creatures within the template 
  must make a Vigor roll or be shaken.
  * Dust Cloud: a chalk golem can generate a dense 
  cloud of chalk dust as an action. the cloud fills a 
  medium burst template placed touching the golem. 
  except for chalk golems, all notice rolls and attacks 
  made into, out of, or through the cloud suffer a –4 
  penalty. the cloud lasts for 3 rounds, after which time 
  it is absorbed back into the golem. a chalk golem may 
  only have one cloud in play at any time.
  * Easy to Track: characters receive +2 to tracking 
  rolls when tracking a chalk golem.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Size +1: chalk golems are 10’ tall but weigh only 200 
  pounds.
  * Slam: str+d4.
  * Susceptibility (Water): chalk golems suffer +4 dam-
  age from spells with a water trapping. a chalk golem 
  forced into water deeper than 1 foot begins to dis-
  solve, suffering 2d6 damage per round.
  Coin Golem
  coin golems take the form of a whirlwind of spin-
  ning coins. a pair of burning silver eyes peers through 
  the morass of whirling treasure. they fill a small burst 
  template and act as a swarm. to date, coin golems have 
  been found only in the lost city of Paraxus, though it is 
  possible they might exist in other ruins.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d6, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: notice d6
  Pace: 8; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7
  Treasure: rich (as body)
  Special Abilities:
  * Collapse: a slain coin golem collapses into a pile 
  of coins. another coin golem which moves over the 
  space in which it was slain gains half the deceased 
  golem’s size, rounded down (half the coins are too 
  scattered to have any effect). For instance, if a size 
  +3 golem is slain, the first coin golem to pass over its 
  former space gains +1 size.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Growth: When the center of a coin golem moves 
  over a space containing a pile of at least 100 coins, 
  it increases its size by +1. each increase in size also 
  increases its toughness by one point and its strength 
  by one die type (after a d12 it gains a single point—
  d12+1, d12+2, and so on) as it draws the coins into 
  its body. a golem which grows to size +4 gains the 
  large monstrous ability and fills a medium burst tem-
  plate. once reaching size +8 or higher it is consid-
  ered Huge and fills a large burst template.
  * Improved Arcane Resistance: +4 armor against 
  damage-causing arcane powers and +4 on trait rolls 
  to resist opposed powers.
  * Pummel: coin golems inflict hundreds of tiny pum-
  meling attacks every round to their victims, hitting au-
  tomatically and causing str+d4 damage to everyone 
  within the template. damage is applied to the least 
  armored location.
  * Swarm: Parry +2. because the golem is composed of 
  hundreds or thousands of coins, cutting and piercing 
  weapons do no real damage. area-effect weapons work 
  normally, and a character can swipe his hand through 
  the coins to inflict damage equal to his strength.
  Corpse Golem
  the vilest golems are those crafted from the body 
  parts of corpses. depending on the creator, the golem 
  may be stitched together from the parts of one or mul-
  tiple species. some corpse golems utilize animal parts 
  alone, others in conjunction with those of the sentient 
  races. like bone golems, the method of their creation 
  was known only to followers of Hela, and may still reside 
  among the more powerful undead.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d10, strength 
  d12, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, intimidation d10, notice d6, stealth 
  d6
  Pace: 4; Parry: 6; Toughness: 8 (1)
  Treasure: none
  Gear: typically a long sword (str+d8)
  Special Abilities:
  * Arcane Resistance: +2 armor against damage caus-
  ing arcane powers and +2 on trait rolls to resist op-
  posed powers.
  * Armor +1: Hard skin and muscle.
  * Berserk: corpse golems have the berserk edge.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fear: characters seeing it must make a spirit check.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Slam: str.
  * Slow: corpse golems roll a d4 for their running die.
  defender Golem
  constructed to serve as bodyguards, defender golems 
  were invaluable protectors for those with long lists of 
  enemies. during the golem uprising, they proved daunt-
  less opponents, able to swat away attacks and seek cover 
  from missiles behind their huge shields.
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  0
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d12, 
  Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d8, intimidation d10, notice d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 10; Toughness: 12 (3)
  Edges: improved block, shieldwall
  Treasure: none
  Gear: large shield (+2 Parry)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +3: metal body.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Improved Arcane Resistance: +4 armor against 
  damage-causing arcane powers and +4 on trait rolls 
  to resist opposed powers.
  * Size +1: stands over 8’ high and weigh 300 pounds.
  * Slam: str+d4.
  * Take the Hit: a defender golem may nominate one 
  other creature as its charge. so long as the golem is 
  adjacent to his charge, any melee attacks made against 
  the charge are made against the golem’s Parry.
  earth Golem
  said to have been created by elven elementalists and 
  druids, earth golems are constructed from earth, tufts of 
  grass, and small rocks. many have tufts of thick moss on 
  their heads in mimicry of hair. their hands are large, and 
  often packed with stones. although they usually adopt 
  humanoid form, earth golems can alter their shape to 
  resemble small mounds of earth, helping them blend 
  into their surroundings.
  it is widely believed that the elves still hold control 
  over their golems, for their magic used different charms 
  to those of men. these tireless guardians, it is said, watch 
  over the elf forests, guarding them against intruders.
  a vine golem, a distant cousin of the earth golem, is 
  made of living vines and creepers interwoven around a 
  flexible wicker frame. it loses both the burrow and im-
  munity special abilities, but gains the ability to grapple 
  one adjacent foe each round as a free action.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d10, 
  Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d8, notice d8, stealth d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; toughness: 10 (2)
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Arcane Resistance: +2 armor against damage caus-
  ing arcane powers and +2 on trait rolls to resist op-
  posed powers.
  * Armor +2: densely packed earth.
  * Burrowing (8”): can only burrow through earth. 
  they can make a surprise attack at +2 to attack and 
  damage (+4 with a raise) by making an opposed 
  stealth vs notice roll.
  * Camouflage: earth golems have +4 to stealth rolls in 
  areas of exposed earth or when their form otherwise 
  blends into the landscape.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Immunity (Earth): immune to spells with an earth 
  trapping.
  * Slam: str+d6.
  funGus Golem
  Fungus golems resemble bloated humanoids with 
  sickly white flesh and tiny black eyes. they have been en-
  countered underground and, just once, accompanying 
  fungals on their crop raids. it is unlikely the fungals cre-
  ated them, for they have displayed little understanding 
  of complex magic. no records make mention of surface 
  dwellers ever constructing them.
  Why they never entered the golem uprising is another 
  mystery. some sages have speculated that their existence 
  was unknown to whoever or whatever triggered the war. 
  others worry that their makers were simply more power-
  ful than the other civilized races and that their creations 
  could ignore the call to arms.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d6, strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d6, notice d6, stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; toughness: 10 (2)
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Arcane Resistance: +2 armor against damage caus-
  ing arcane powers and +2 on trait rolls to resist op-
  posed powers.
  * Armor +2: thick, fibrous fungus.
  * Camouflage: Fungus golems have +4 to stealth 
  rolls in areas of giant mushrooms or sizeable fungus 
  growths.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Slam: str+d4.
  * Spores: When a fungus golem is shaken or wounded 
  it releases a cloud of spores. all adjacent air-breathing 
  creatures must make a Vigor roll or be shaken. this is 
  a non-physical attack.
  Glass Golem
  the process of creating these unusual golems re-
  quired sticking thousands of glass shard together to form 
  a humanoid shape. because of this complexity, and the 
  cost of glass, glass golems were always created as man-
  sized or slightly smaller. their arms end in stumps onto 
  which long slivers of razor sharp glass are glued.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d6, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, notice d6, stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; toughness: 7
  Treasure: none
  
  Golems
  1
  Special Abilities:
  * Arcane Resistance: +2 armor against damage caus-
  ing arcane powers and +2 on trait rolls to resist op-
  posed powers, except those with a sound trapping.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Death Shatter: a slain glass golem shatters into myr-
  iad razor sharp shards filling a medium burst tem-
  plate. all creatures in the template suffer 2d6 damage. 
  this is an area effect attack.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Slash: str+d8.
  * Susceptibility (Blunt): rope golems take no dam-
  age from blunt weapons, such as clubs, hammers, and 
  maces, as well as spells with blunt trappings.
  * Susceptibility (Sound): glass golems suffer +4 dam-
  age from spells with a sound trapping.
  iCe Golem
  these unusual constructs are crafted from solid ice. 
  most often they are found serving as guardians in thrym’s 
  temples, either having been created recently or, more 
  likely, never having taken part in the golem uprising. un-
  like ice statues, ice golems are capable of basic reasoning.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d12, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, intimidation d8, notice d8, stealth 
  d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 11 (3)/13 (3)
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Arcane Resistance: +2 armor against damage caus-
  ing arcane powers and +2 on trait rolls to resist op-
  posed powers, except those with a fire or blunt (such 
  as earth) trapping.
  * Armor +3: thick ice.
  * Camouflage: When standing against a rough ice wall, 
  detecting an ice golem requires an opposed notice 
  roll at –4 against its stealth.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Icy Fists: str+d6.
  * Immunity (Cold): immune to background cold. 
  takes no damage from cold attacks.
  * Immunity (Weapons): +2 toughness against slash-
  ing attacks and take no damage from piercing attacks. 
  blunt weapons inflict additional damage.
  * Size +1: ice golems average 8’ tall.
  * Snow Walker: treats rough ice as normal terrain, 
  smooth ice as rough ice, and every inch of movement 
  in snow as 1.5” instead of 2”.
  * Weakness (Blunt): ice golems take double damage 
  from blunt weapons, such as clubs and hammers.
  * Weakness (Fire): suffers double damage from heat 
  or fire.
  inCinerator Golem
  many citizens believed the madness of golem creators 
  reached a peak with the incinerator golem, for here was 
  a construct capable of razing an entire village to the 
  ground in minutes. it was a golem built for one thing—
  destruction. its lower arms are dual-piston fire throwers 
  capable of ejecting a stream of oil over a small flame. 
  this in turn produces a powerful jet of fire. a heavy 
  metal tank fitted onto its upper back gives the construct 
  a hunched appearance. the tank holds enough oil for 40 
  shots (total).
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d12, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d4, notice d8, shooting d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 10 (2)
  Treasure: none
  Gear: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: steel plates.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Fire Thrower: range: cone, damage 2d10, ignores 
  armor. creatures caught in the template must make 
  an agility roll opposed by the golem’s shooting or be 
  engulfed in flames.
  * Improved Arcane Resistance: +4 armor against 
  damage-causing arcane powers and +4 on trait rolls 
  to resist opposed powers.
  * Size +1: incinerator golems stand over 7’ high and 
  weigh 400 pounds.
  metal Golem
  typically crafted in humanoid form from iron or 
  bronze, metal golems are among the most powerful 
  golems. some creators give their iron golems long swords 
  instead of hands. these weapons cannot be disarmed.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength 
  d12+3, Vigor d12+1
  Skills: Fighting d10, intimidation d10, notice d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 15 (5)
  Treasure: none
  Gear: great axe (str+d10, –1 Parry, requires 2 hands)
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +5: magically hardened metal.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Improved Arcane Resistance: +4 armor against 
  damage-causing arcane powers and +4 on trait rolls 
  to resist opposed powers.
  * Size +2: metal golems stand over 10’ high and weigh 
  6,000 pounds.
  * Sweep: metal golems may attack all adjacent crea-
  tures at no penalty.
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  2
  rope/twine Golem
  a rope or twine golem has a humanoid wicker core. 
  coils of thin rope or thick twine are then interwoven 
  through and around the frame over and over, build-
  ing up the creature’s size and mass. in days of old, the 
  nobles of the magocracy employed rope golems to catch 
  criminals without spilling blood.
  a variant of this construct is the chain golem. it has 
  armor +3 (iron chains) and size +3, giving it toughness 
  13 (3). its strength is increased to d10, and its lash attack 
  causes str+d8 damage.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: climbing d8, Fighting d8, notice d8, stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; toughness: 10 (2)
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Arcane Resistance: +2 armor against damage-caus-
  ing powers and +2 on trait rolls to resist opposed 
  powers.
  * Armor +2: thickly coiled rope or twine.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Entangle: a rope golem can unwind its coils in a 
  cone template. this requires a strength roll as an ac-
  tion. it otherwise acts like the entangle spell.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Immunity (Blunt): rope golems take no damage 
  from blunt weapons, such as clubs, hammers, and 
  maces, as well as spells with blunt trappings.
  * Lash: str+d4, reach 2. if it uses a strand to grapple, 
  it gains a +2 bonus. if a rope golem does not move, it 
  can attack all adjacent creatures simultaneously. make 
  a single Fighting roll and compare it to the Parry of all 
  adjacent enemies. roll damage separately.
  * Size +1: rope golems stand 7’ tall but weigh over 
  300 pounds.
  soap Golem
  many once joked that soap golems were created by 
  wizards with an obsession for cleanliness. a crudely 
  carved humanoid form made of layered soap (created 
  from lye and ash), soap golems slide rapidly on their slip-
  pery feet. in battle, they can spray a thin layer of slippery 
  suds, hampering the movement of those moving across 
  the suds and causing the unwary to slip.
  the mud golem is a variant of this construct. it is 
  formed of a baked clay core onto which soft, slippery 
  mud is molded and magically held in place.
  Attributes: agility d10, smarts d4, spirit d6, strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d6, notice d6, stealth d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 5; toughness: 7
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Arcane Resistance: +2 armor against damage-caus-
  ing powers and +2 on trait rolls to resist opposed 
  powers except for water trapping spells.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Fleet-Footed: soap golems roll a d10 when running.
  * Slam: str+d4. if the attack roll is a raise, the golem 
  does not inflict an additional 1d6 damage. instead, 
  the target is covered in soap. until he spends an ac-
  tion scraping it off, all physical trait and skill rolls suf-
  fer a –2 penalty.
  * Slippery: grapple rolls against a soap golem suffer a 
  –2 penalty.
  * Soap Spray: a soap golem can spray slippery soap in 
  a cone template as an action. the template remains 
  in play for 3 rounds. movement through the template 
  counts as difficult ground. any character who runs 
  and rolls a 1 automatically slips and falls prone in the 
  first square of his movement under the template.
  * Susceptibility (Water): soap golems suffer +4 dam-
  age from spells with a water trapping.
  spell Golem
  spell golems are mentioned in several archaic texts, 
  but whether any were actually created is open to debate. 
  some claim they were the fanciful dreams of deranged 
  mages, while other argue they were used to provide 
  wizards with yet more power. by casting a spell himself 
  and ordering his golem to do the same, a wizard could 
  effectively double his magical firepower.
  at their core is a humanoid form. most were made of 
  wicker, but wood and metal were sometimes said to be 
  employed. the inner layers of a spell golem comprised 
  long strips of parchment, wetted and glued around the 
  frame like bandages. on the topmost layer were inscribed 
  potent spells. unlike regular scrolls, these ones required 
  the user to have a basic understanding of magic in order 
  to draw out the magical power. scroll golems activate the 
  magic simply by speaking the ancient words of power on 
  a scroll, using spellcasting as their arcane skill.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d10, strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d6, notice d6, spellcasting d8, stealth 
  d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; toughness: 7
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Improved Arcane Resistance: +4 armor against 
  damage-causing powers and +4 on trait rolls to re-
  sist opposed powers, except those with a fire or water 
  trapping.
  * Scrolls: a typical scroll golem has 1d6+1 spells left 
  on its wrapping, each containing a spell chosen by the 
  
  Golems
  
  gm. each spell is one-use, but they may carry dupli-
  cates. each time a spell golem is shaken, one of its re-
  maining spells, chosen at random, is destroyed. they 
  suffer no penalties for maintaining multiple spells.
  * Susceptibility (Fire and Water): spell golems suffer 
  +4 damage from spells with fire or water trappings.
  steelwood Golem
  While many of the anari empire’s grand plans for 
  steelwood bark never came to fruition, one of the em-
  perors did manage to secretly construct a small army 
  of wood golems shaped like anari shock infantry and 
  coated in a veneer of steelwood. the army was never 
  activated, and thus played no part in the golem upris-
  ing. after the devastation wrought on imperial city by 
  the blizzard War, the location of the army was lost.
  steelwood golems are the same size and shape as 
  humans, and are carved to resemble warriors.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, intimidation d8, notice d6, swim-
  ming d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 11 (4)
  Gear: long sword (str+d8), steelwood medium shield 
  (+1 Parry; +3 armor vs. ranged attacks)
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +4: solid wood coated in steelwood.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Improved Arcane Resistance: +4 armor against 
  damage-causing arcane powers and +4 on trait rolls 
  to resist opposed powers.
  * Slam: str+d4.
  stone Golem
  stone golems are the traditional animated statue. as 
  with most golems, they are shaped in the form of war-
  riors and serve as guardians.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength 
  d12+2, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d10, intimidation d8, notice d6
  Pace: 5; Parry: 7; Toughness: 13 (4)
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +4: magically hardened stone.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Improved Arcane Resistance: +4 armor against 
  damage-causing arcane powers and +4 on trait rolls 
  to resist opposed powers.
  * Size +1: stone golems stand over 8’ high.
  * Stone Fists: str+d6.
  straw Golem
  straw golems were originally created as animated 
  scarecrows, not only watching over fields but actively 
  chasing away birds and other crop thieves. in some lands 
  they were used as sentries, covertly spying on intruders 
  while appearing to be nothing more than straw mani-
  kins. those still remaining are often home to a small 
  burst template (toughness 5) swarm of vermin, such as 
  mice or rats, living in their straw bodies.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d10, strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d6, notice d10, stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 4; toughness: 7
  Gear: scythe (str+d8, –1 Parry, 2 hands)
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Susceptibility (Air): straw golems suffer +4 damage 
  from spells with an air trapping.
  * Swarm: a straw golem can release its swarm as a free 
  action. the swarm fights alongside its host and will 
  not attack it, even if it enters the swarm’s template. 
  if the golem is slain before the swarm is released, the 
  swarm scatters on the host’s demise.
  * Weakness (Fire): straw golems suffer double dam-
  age from fire and heat spells.
  wall Golem
  created by the anari for use in warfare, the wall 
  golems resembles a 3 yard wide, 1 yard high, 1 foot thick 
  section of stone wall. it lumbers forward on four thick 
  legs, squatting down once it reaches its destination. its 
  primary use was as a mobile shield for archers. a sec-
  ondary function was the use of multiple wall golems to 
  construct a redoubt, though there is no evidence such a 
  tactic was ever used in battle. Few of these bizarre con-
  structs remain. When they are employed, they provide a 
  formidable barrier to attackers.
  a cheaper version, the wood wall golem, was little 
  more than several layers of planks bestowed with a lim-
  ited intellect. it has armor +3, toughness 10 (3). a more 
  expensive and complex version of the wall golem was 
  given arms. it has Fighting d8, Parry 6, inflicts str+d4 
  damage, and has the First strike edge.
  Attributes: agility d4, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength 
  d12+2, Vigor d10
  Skills: notice d6
  Pace: 4; Parry: 2; Toughness: 12 (5)
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +5: solid stone.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  * Cover: the wall golem can be used for cover. it grants 
  its armor rating protection.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Improved Arcane Resistance: +4 armor against 
  damage-causing arcane powers and +4 on trait rolls 
  to resist opposed powers.
  * Shove: any creature caught in the golem’s path must 
  make an opposed strength roll. With success, the 
  progress of the wall is stopped. otherwise, the victim 
  is moved backward.
  waX Golem
  mages experimented with all manner of golem forms 
  before the golem uprising. one of the most unusual was 
  the wax golem. Humanoid in shape, its outer layer ap-
  pears to be formed of molten wax which has hardened 
  into ridges and droplets. skalds mockingly claim that 
  wax golems were invented as mobile candelabras and 
  have tapers instead of claws. While such tales might be 
  true, such a specimen has never been encountered.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, intimidation d8, notice d6, stealth 
  d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 9
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Hardened by Cold: immune to cold (but not coldfire 
  or ice). damage from cold attacks is rolled as normal. 
  each “wound” inflicted by such attacks reduces the 
  golem’s Pace and running die roll by one, but gives it 
  one point of armor (max. +6). in cold temperatures, 
  a wax golem gains armor equal to the Vigor modifier 
  to resist the cold, but loses equal Pace. a wax golem 
  whose Pace drops to zero freezes solid—it can take 
  no actions and has Parry 2. For each hour in tempera-
  tures above freezing, the golem recovers one point of 
  Pace and loses one point of armor.
  * Size +2: Wax golems are the same size as humans, 
  but are made of dense wax.
  * Slam: str.
  * Weakness (Fire): takes double damage from cold-
  fire, fire, or heat.
  weB Golem
  much like the rope golem, the web golem has a wicker 
  frame at its core. miles of sticky spider web is then woven 
  through and over its body to create the humanoid form. 
  many mages suspect that beast friend spells were used 
  to force spiders into spinning the webs, for to weave the 
  threads by hand would be a daunting task.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: climbing d8, Fighting d8, notice d6, stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 10 (2)
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Arcane Resistance: +2 armor against damage-caus-
  ing arcane powers and +2 on trait rolls to resist op-
  posed powers.
  * Armor +2: dense webs.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Size +1: Web golems stand 9’ tall but weigh only 300 
  pounds.
  * Slam: str+d4.
  * Sticky: if an attacker scores a natural 1 on his Fight-
  ing die, regardless of Wild die, his weapon becomes 
  stuck to the golem. a success on the Wild die means 
  it becomes stuck after inflicting damage. Freeing the 
  weapon requires a strength roll as an action.
  * Susceptibility (Fire): takes +4 damage from fire, 
  but not from heat.
  * Wall Walker: a web golem can move along any verti-
  cal an inverted surface. it moves its full Pace and can 
  run. it need only make a climbing roll in the most 
  adverse circumstances
  * Web: the golem can spray a sticky mass of webs in a 
  cone template. this requires a spirit roll as an action. 
  it otherwise acts like the entangle spell.
  wood Golem
  Wood golems are magically animated wooden statues. 
  many were carved carrying weapons. since these weap-
  ons are part of the golem, they cannot be disarmed. For-
  tunately for those who encounter rogue wood golems, 
  these weapons are less powerful than metal versions. 
  they are used to club victims rather than slice them 
  apart.
  Attributes: agility d6, smarts d4, spirit d8, strength d10, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, intimidation d8, notice d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9 (2)
  Gear: Wooden long sword (str+d6); any weapon be 
  substituted, but it always inflicts one die less damage 
  than a metal equivalent
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Armor +2: solid wood.
  * Construct: +2 to recover from being shaken. no ad-
  ditional damage from called shots. immune to dis-
  ease and poison.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Improved Arcane Resistance: +4 armor against 
  damage-causing arcane powers and +4 on trait rolls 
  to resist opposed powers.
  * Slam: str+d4.
  * Susceptibility (Fire): takes +4 damage from fire, 
  but not from heat.
  
  From the Hearthlands to the High Winterlands, the 
  snow shrouded forests and ice covered mountains 
  are home to countless ice goblins. often dismissed as 
  lesser foes due to their size and cowardly nature, many a 
  hero has met his death on the spear of a snarling, blue-
  skinned goblin. this chapter explores many aspects of 
  goblin society.
  oriGin of the speCies
  the creation myth as told by goblin shamans is poetic 
  and widely regarded as fanciful. during the god War, 
  thrym summoned or spawned (accounts vary) many 
  Hellfrost dragons to fight by his side, for in that distant 
  time the gods were united in their struggle against their 
  implacable foes. terrifying and magnificent though these 
  dragons were, for their size and ferocity far exceeded any 
  dragon ever known in the mortal realm, they were not 
  immortal. as each hissing droplet of frigid dragon blood 
  fell, a new creature sprang forth—an ice goblin. this first 
  race of goblins dwelt only in thrym’s icy realm, having 
  no knowledge of the mortal realm. only when their god 
  set his eyes on conquering the world of mortals did he 
  send the goblins to the world of mortals, for they were 
  a great host.
  although widely dismissed by sages and skalds, the 
  tale does hold some alluring snippets that cannot be 
  easily cast aside. the folklore of the frost dwarves, taiga 
  elves, and engros, races whose domains once bordered 
  the land of ice and snow that always existed at the top of 
  the world, made no mention of ice goblins. it could be 
  that the tribes lived much further north, deep in the arc-
  tic, but their natural winter protection is not sufficient to 
  endure such terrible climes for long, and food is scarce. 
  Had goblins been present anywhere, it would have been 
  in the sub-arctic, and that would have brought them into 
  conflict with the civilized races much earlier. that said, 
  the few oral traditions dating back to the earliest years 
  of the blizzard War do report armies of goblins howling 
  down from the north.
  some scholars and sages argue that ice goblins are 
  distantly related to orcs. though they share few physical 
  features, their language is a dialect of orcish. Perhaps 
  they were a slave race that gained independence, or, more 
  plausibly, slipped away from the grip of orc dominion 
  after the embarrassing defeated on the Hellfrost armies 
  in the blizzard War. even this theory has flaws—except 
  for snow orcs, a rare breed, orcs lack even the basic cold 
  weather survival abilities of goblins. Furthermore, gob-
  lins have no known means of reproduction, so how did 
  the orcs manage to breed them?
  is it really possible that ice goblins are a race sent 
  from the thrym’s realm? they are certainly creatures of 
  flesh and blood, but that alone proves nothing—when 
  the gods’ heralds appear they too are clad in mortal 
  form. such an act would constitute a major breech of the 
  compact, and not even the most benevolent and least 
  judgmental of deities could argue unleashing a new race 
  into the world was an accident.
  to date, there is little evidence the gods have learned 
  the truth, though perhaps Kenaz and sigel stumbled 
  across it. thrym’s desire to avoid repercussions would 
  surely warrant killing or kidnapping two gods.
  anatomy
  it is more likely that at some point in their past gob-
  lins were a race of nocturnal, feral predators, though one 
  should think of wolves rather than lions when using the 
  term. as one will see below, they are perfectly adapted to 
  hunting in wintry climes, especially at night.
  physioloGy
  ice goblins are a small race, standing no taller than 
  four feet. most are a good few inches shorter. the aver-
  iCe GoBlins
  
                                      
                   
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  age member of the species weighs around 85 pounds. 
  although lacking body mass, their muscles are well de-
  veloped, giving them a strength akin to an average adult 
  human.
  an ice goblin’s face bears more than a passing resem-
  blance to that of a bat. their ears are large, tapered, and 
  slope backward. despite being large in comparison to 
  the head, there is little evidence goblins possess acute 
  hearing. it is more likely their greater size serves to help 
  regulate body heat or aid in non-verbal communication.
  the mouth and nose are extended away from the face, 
  giving the appearance of a muzzle. strong muscles and 
  arching jaw hinges allow goblins to open their mouth to 
  roughly three times that of a human. yellow fangs ring 
  the front of the mouth, but there are no molars for chew-
  ing. a broad, flat, triangular nose begins immediately 
  above the upper lip.
  goblins’ eyes are small and dark. the irises appear 
  milky white when a light is shone on them, creating the 
  impression of pinpoints of light in otherwise featureless 
  orbital sockets. the eyes have developed to suit the spe-
  cies’ subterranean lifestyle, and vision extends into the 
  infrared spectrum. goblins view the world in black and 
  white, with hotter objects appearing lighter than colder 
  ones. to an ice goblin, ice appears almost black. although 
  capable of detecting heat, their visual sense provides no 
  other benefit in darkness.
   Pronounced brow ridges and heavy eyebrows protect 
  them from the harsh glare of the sun, allowing ice gob-
  lins to operate in daylight unimpaired.
  an ice goblin’s skin is blue. unlike most other sentient 
  races, ice goblins have no sweat glands. Heat is regulated 
  primarily by the ears, though opening the mouth appears 
  to play a part in ensuring the creatures do not overheat.
  Hair is blue-white. the crown of the head is bald, the 
  hair forming a thin ring at the front to create eyebrows, 
  and thickening as it grows back. they are incapable of 
  growing beards, but heavy sideburns follow the line of 
  the lower jaw. Hair grows along the arms from the elbow 
  down to the knuckles, and is far more pronounced than 
  on human arms. similarly, thick leg hair extends from 
  knee to the start of the toes.
  ice goblins can function in temperatures as low as –7 
  F (–21 c) without suffering any ill effects, a distinct ad-
  vantage over most other sentient races. their sparse hair 
  cannot account for this natural winter protection, and 
  body fat is a rarity given their sparse diet. much anecdotal 
  evidence exists to suggest their core body temperature is 
  simply lower than that of other races, making them less 
  susceptible to the cold. unlike frost dwarves and taiga 
  elves, though, ice goblins suffer no problems in warm 
  climates, a factor which has enabled them to spread to 
  operate in the Hearthlands, even at the height of a warm 
  summer.
  goblins have four fingers on each hand. the outer 
  fingers are shorter than the middle pair, and both are 
  capable of acting as opposable thumbs. despite this pe-
  culiar trait, goblins as a race show no greater ability for 
  ambidexterity. the central fingers are long, being twice 
  as long as the hand. their hands are ideal for grasping, 
  and goblins do possess an innate, though not remark-
  able, ability to climb. While they are often said to have 
  claws, goblin fingers actually end in thick, black nails.
  the feet are triangular in appearance and relatively 
  large, making them ideal for walking in snow. again, 
  there are four toes, each tipped with a hard nail. Whereas 
  the fingers are elongated, the toes are short and stubby. 
  in temperatures they find comfortable they rarely don 
  footwear, even when crossing ice and snow.
  life CyCle
  the life cycle of goblins is a total mystery, for they lack 
  any sex organs. similarly, they have no defined genders. 
  no adventurer has ever reported encountering a female 
  goblin or a goblin child.
  since goblins do not reproduce, they cannot rebuild 
  their numbers in the manner of orcs. once a tribe or clan 
  suffers casualties, its strength will remain depleted until 
  it can recruit new members. alas, this does not mean that 
  goblins are a finite force which can be totally eradicated. 
  every year, new waves of ice goblins emerge from the 
  Hellfrost, ready to serve thrym to the death.
  some Hearth Knights have put forward the idea that 
  ice goblins actually have three genders. those commonly 
  countered are neutral. somewhere in the Hellfrost exist 
  breeding males and females, kings and queens of the 
  race. either too rare or too bloated to risk travel, they 
  remain in the frigid realm, continually spawning new 
  members of the vile race. the hypothesis is certainly a 
  talking point, but without proof it remains just a theory.
  psyCholoGy
  the overriding psychological trait in ice goblins is 
  cowardice. it is this deep-rooted trait that has enabled 
  orcs and frost giants to bully them into submission and 
  assume the role of chieftains. However, while an individ-
  ual goblin is a timid creature, goblins grow more brazen 
  as their numbers increase.
  even with a bodyguard unit to protect him, an orc 
  chieftain, or even a frost giant, who has usurped power 
  over ice goblins would quickly find himself swarmed by 
  angry goblins were it not for the goblins’ fear of retribu-
  tion. order within a tribe is maintained not by barking 
  orders or making threats, but by public displays of bru-
  tality as a demonstration of what fate awaits any who get 
  ideas above their station. goblins may secretly plot and 
  plan against their masters, but none wishes to be the first 
  to take any action.
  in order to protect their own skins, goblins tend to 
  fawn and grovel in front of powerful figures, swearing 
  loyalty and ratting out each others’ plot as a demonstra-
  tion of their fealty. this enforced submission has made 
  them a vindictive lot, eager to vent their frustration on 
  weaker opponents when the opportunity arises. given 
  half a chance, and assuming victory is in its favor, a goblin 
  will stab you in the back without a moment’s hesitation.
  
  iCe GoBlins
  
  soCial struCture
  goblins operate in tribes of varying size. though 
  humans often refer to small gatherings as clans, goblins 
  have no familial ties. regardless of size, a tribe contains 
  no more than a handful of shamans. the bulk is made 
  up of warriors.
  Chieftains
  goblins do not produce individual leaders from their 
  own kind. all chieftains within a tribe are likely to be orcs 
  or frost giants, though it is possible a creature of another 
  race could exert enough dominance to enforce his po-
  sition as a chieftain. chieftains come in two types—ap-
  pointees and usurpers.
  appointees are enforced on a clan or tribe when it 
  voluntarily makes a pact to serve a more powerful race. 
  While goblins know any leader will abuse them merci-
  lessly, they still consider it better for their long-term 
  survival to have the backing of an orc tribe or frost giant 
  clan than to go it alone.
  usurpers, on the other hand, are outsiders who take 
  control of a clan or tribe by force. such actions generally 
  require several executions, often of favored shamans, as 
  well as a show of general strength through the would-be 
  leader’s own troops. While appointees are tolerated as a 
  necessary evil, even truly honored on occasion, usurpers 
  are universally hated. unfortunately, unless the usurper 
  is stupid or displays continued overt weakness, it is un-
  likely his minions will ever dare to rise up against him.
  clerics and chosen of thrym present a special case. 
  even if usurpers, they are treated with respect. in such 
  cases, the tribe convinces itself it is somehow special, 
  having been singled out for special leadership.
  shamans
  only the smallest tribes are directly ruled by a shaman, 
  and then only because they have escaped the notice of 
  superior races. shamans are seen more as advisors than 
  leaders, giving suggestions rather than direct orders.
  in tribes ruled by another race, the most common 
  scenario, shamans are appointed to form a council of 
  advisors. most times appointments are made by the 
  new leader as he sees fit. Former popular shamans are 
  removed in favor of stooges whose loyalty is to the chief-
  tain first, not the old order. such councilors are often 
  little more than figureheads, intended to give the goblins 
  a feeling of importance and having a say in the running 
  of the tribe. 
  shamans who fail the chieftain are quickly and perma-
  nently removed from the council in a public display of 
  his anger. regular executions not only keep everyone on 
  their toes and loyal, but create vacancies. For shamans 
  not on the council, the possibility of a quick promotion 
  is often enough to ensure they remain loyal.
  spellCasters
  goblins who honor thrym are more correctly known 
  as “true shamans.” other spellcasters are considered 
  subservient, and form their own social caste. Within this 
  caste, shamans of one of thrym’s aspects rank highest, 
  with hrimwisards a close second. clerics of dargar come 
  next, with those who honor one of dargar’s aspects at 
  the very bottom of the rung. a spellcaster who dares to 
  master a different form of magic or worship a different 
  god has a very short life expectancy in the tribe.
  Warriors respect them for their supernatural powers, 
  but true shamans give them little attention, seeing them 
  as nothing but useful oddities. While a chieftain might 
  appoint one to be an advisor, goblins consider this a 
  travesty and an insult to thrym—not that they’d ever 
  dare bring this to the chieftain’s attention, of course. 
  in goblin-only tribes, these other spellcasters are never 
  given any powers of governance.
  warriors
  Warriors are a mix of hunters and soldiers. they serve 
  to protect and feed the tribe. unlike orcs, who establish 
  a pecking order within their ranks, ice goblin warriors 
  have no such desire. their natural cowardice prevents 
  one from sticking his head above the crowd. Wolf riders 
  are simply another form of warrior, different by dint of 
  their training rather than anything else.
  rippers, known to goblins as gharâsh (“wind lost”), 
  are a sub-caste of warriors. considered insane, yet not 
  without their uses, rippers are kept secluded from the 
  rest of the tribe to prevent them unleashing their furious 
  assaults on their comrades. Feeding the howling lunatics 
  is a responsibility given to those out of favor with the 
  shamans. rippers comprise 5-10% of the warriors.
  Culture
  While other races consider goblins naught but vicious 
  thugs to be exterminated on sight, they are a sentient 
  race, and do possess a culture. this section explores 
  some of the goblins’ cultural tendencies.
  haBitat
  though quite adept at working with ice blocks, gob-
  lins have no love for building forts or houses. While it is 
  very likely they outnumber nearby sentient races, goblins’ 
  innate cowardice and fear of retribution requires they 
  pick a habitat that can be easily defended. given their 
  subterranean nature, caves are the preferred dwellings, 
  but any defensible terrain will do. since most goblin lairs 
  are underground, this section focuses on caves.
  caves with multiple entrances are greatly favored. 
  While this would seem to present an enemy with mul-
  tiple points of entry, all but the main entrance is con-
                                  
                 
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  cealed behind a thin veneer of ice. these are used only 
  as escape routes in the event of an invasion, and misuse 
  of them is punishable by death. thus, by tracking a gob-
  lin patrol back to its lair, invaders are deliberately led to 
  the defended entrance.
  as a rule, chieftains and shamans make their home 
  in the center of a lair, ensuring easy access to the escape 
  tunnels. as the old saying goes, only a man seeking death 
  backs into a corner when he has other options. nearby, 
  if not adjacent, will be the ruler’s public chamber, from 
  where he issues decrees. security is always high here, 
  with fanatical goblins or, better still, orcs ensuring any-
  one who wants to see the chieftain without an invitation 
  will pay for his trespass in blood.
  also in this region is the temple and treasury. goblins 
  do not build armories—warriors are expected to keep 
  their weapons to hand at all times, though wielding them 
  into the temple or audience chamber is a sure-fire way to 
  guarantee a slow, agonizing death. the tribe’s shamans 
  inhabit small caves close to the temple.
  beyond this are the many lairs of the warriors. direct 
  routes from the main entrance typically house as much 
  as 60% of a tribe’s martial strength. the remainder are 
  spread around close to the escape tunnels just in case 
  they are used by the enemy.
  though considered a Hellfrost race, goblins are not 
  immune to bitterly cold temperatures. in such condi-
  tions, lairs are lined with furs and stolen blankets. When 
  even these are not enough to warm their bones, goblins 
  light fires. air-dried wolf dung is readily available, and 
  wood is often plentiful unless above the treeline. gob-
  lins do not use torches for lighting, and piles of snow 
  are kept near every fire, enabling it to be quickly extin-
  guished in the event of attack.
  note that shamans who honor thrym are forbidden 
  from both lighting and warming themselves by fires. 
  While warriors enjoy thawing their bones, shamans must 
  suffer for their faith. nothing prevents them donning 
  furs or winter clothing, of course.
  except for the chieftain’s chambers, goblin lairs are 
  notoriously spartan. they do not appreciate art, lack an 
  understanding of home comforts (such as beds and rugs), 
  and see tables and chairs as both alien and a waste of 
  good firewood. any wealth a chieftain displays, whether 
  it is a plundered tapestry or table, or a gold necklace, 
  hangs on display purely to demonstrate his power and 
  superiority over the rest of the tribe. its intrinsic value is 
  meaningless, as goblins have few cares or wants beside 
  serving thrym and filling their stomachs.
  diet
  goblins neither grow nor herd. if they want to eat, they 
  must hunt or forage. While they much prefer the taste of 
  flesh, their lack of taste buds means that almost any sub-
  stance is edible. there are unconfirmed reports of them 
  eating leather and woolen clothing, though these may be 
  exaggerations—even goblins need calories to survive.
  Flesh may be preferred, but it takes a lot of meat to 
  feed a tribe. slaughtering every animal in the vicinity may 
  prove a short-term solution, but a single year of excessive 
  hunting means many years of meager rations. thus, meat 
  is more rare than they’d like, and stored for lean years, 
  when it is rationed out. meat rations make good rewards, 
  and it is yet another tool in the chieftain’s arsenal for 
  ensuring loyalty. unfortunately for adventurers, it does 
  mean that prisoners tend to end up as a banquet rather 
  than be ransomed back for a reward. most days, a goblin 
  must make do with a nugget of flesh, a few berries or 
  roots, and a sliver of fungus or blob of lichen. in tribes 
  that keep wolves, whether as mounts or guard dogs, 
  meat is in even shorter supply. 
  Heating food is seen as a waste of time and precious 
  resources. lacking even basic utensils and vessels, meals 
  are eaten with one’s hands. resting easily controls the 
  shortage of food.
  Fortunately, goblins can cope quite well on reduced 
  rations, at least for a short while. When not on active 
  service, goblins enter a state of semi-hibernation. much 
  of the body shuts down, conserving vital energy. in 
  many instances the motionless state is accompanied by 
  a low droning, though whether this is a form of prayer 
  meditation or simply their natural breathing has yet to 
  be determined.
  goblins can awaken from this state in the blink of an 
  eye, with no lethargy, and remain fully aware of their sur-
  roundings while relaxed. many an adventurer has per-
  ished after mistaken this state for sleep. in game terms, 
  goblins in this state are considered inactive sentries. its 
  only downside is that the goblins are more susceptible 
  to the cold, requiring them to don furs in cold tempera-
  tures (they temporarily lose the Warm blooded ability).
  ClothinG
  as noted elsewhere, goblins can survive freezing 
  temperatures with no ill effects. When the temperature 
  drops below their comfort level, they don scraps of fur, 
  blankets, or stolen clothing. nakedness is not an affront 
  to goblin modesty—they have none.
  though they have no real need for clothes, this does 
  not preclude them wearing scraps scavenged from 
  corpses (goblins have yet to master even rudimentary 
  sewing). some warriors wear a scrap for every kill they 
  have earned, the clothing becoming a sort of trophy. 
  likewise, goblins do not think races who wear clothes 
  all the time are in anyway odd or perverse. to be honest, 
  their tiny brains rarely dwell on matters beyond obedi-
  ence, eating, and surviving.
  law and order
  Within a tribe, the chieftain or ruling shaman’s word 
  is absolute law. He may make and change laws as he sees 
  fit, with only one restriction—he may not alter the reli-
  gious laws of thrym. such an act would cause an imme-
  diate rebellion, for while cowardly and stupid, goblins 
  are fanatically religious.
  
  iCe GoBlins
  
  crime, as civilized races know it, is quite rare. goblins 
  own few possessions, and a lack of honor makes it hard 
  to slander to a goblin. When a minor grievance arises, 
  the typical result is a fight. Whoever wins is judged to 
  have been in the right.
  rulers interfere only when the safety of a lair is threat-
  ened by a goblin’s actions, one of his orders is disobeyed 
  (though what constitutes disobedience is open to much 
  variation and interpretation), a goblin dares to steal food 
  or treasure from the central supplies, or a religious crime 
  is committed. accusations of crimes mean very little to 
  rulers—unless a goblin is caught in the act or with plun-
  dered goods on his possession the chances of him being 
  dragged before the ruler are slim.
  goblins accused of a serious crime receive a very swift 
  trial. evidence is presented to the chieftain or shaman 
  council, with the defendant having no opportunity to 
  plead his case—mitigating circumstances mean nothing 
  to goblins. once judgment is passed, it is carried out 
  instantly. goblins know only one penalty for serious 
  crimes—death. While it matters little to the accused, some 
  offences may warrant a swift execution. most, though, 
  are met with a very painful and very public death.
  healthCare
  goblin healthcare is as pragmatic as it is barbarous. 
  coming from the harsh conditions of the Hellfrost, with 
  no knowledge of healing magic, and being largely igno-
  rant of herbal cures, goblins have learned that wasting 
  resources on the sick and badly injured weakens, and 
  thus threatens the survival of, the entire tribe.
  injured goblins are crudely evaluated by their supe-
  riors if outside the lair, and a shaman if inside. if the 
  wound is the sort that will heal quickly, the goblin is 
  allowed to stay in the tribe. as soon as he is fit, he is re-
  turned to active duty. otherwise (and if a minor wound 
  proves resistant to natural healing), his days are ended 
  with a quick blow to the heart.
  those who succumb to illness can expect little mercy. 
  lest whatever disease spread throughout the rest of the 
  tribe, the goblin is quickly killed and his corpse and few 
  possessions burned to prevent further contamination. 
  if the disease is known to be particular contagious, all 
  those who share his living quarters will suffer the same 
  fate. that chamber may then be walled off with ice blocks, 
  becoming an accursed place in the eyes of the tribe. in 
  rare cases, the entire cave system will be abandoned.
  lanGuaGe
  the belief that thrym created goblins is given strength 
  by the fact they do not possess their own language. un-
  fortunately, the argument for this divine creation then 
  falls flat on its face. Were goblins created to live in the 
  Hellfrost and serve thrym (either as slaves or as lesser 
  warriors bulking out his mortal armies), then not only 
  would they be better physically equipped to cope with 
  the frigid temperature, but they would also more likely 
  speak Frosttongue. instead, their language is a dialect of 
  orcish.
  this opens up the possibility that ice goblins and orcs 
  actually share common ancestry, though their separation 
  into two different species must have occurred many ages 
  ago. both races refute such spurious claims, of course—
  goblins believe they are the children of dragon blood, 
  while orcs consider goblins pitiful.
  the goblin dialect is different to the orc tongue, but 
  in the same way as midmarker saxa is different to sut-
  marker saxa. both share the same syntax and much of the 
  grammar, but there are unique words and grammatical 
  inconsistencies. still, there are enough similarities that a 
  non-goblin who speaks orcish can deduce the meaning, 
  though it might take a few moments.
  names
  Human cultures, especially the saxa, use nicknames 
  to help differentiate individuals. among goblins, every 
  name is a nickname. these are based on a physical char-
  acteristic, foible, mannerism, and such like. 
  Hence, one might find Padfoot (very stealthy), 
  big-nose, black-teeth, Fear-Wolf (afraid of wolves), 
  gut-Fingers (the goblin equivalent of calling someone 
  butter-fingers, indicating they are clumsy), or river-
  nose (constantly streaming nose). only rarely is a name 
  awarded for some noteworthy deed—making a goblin 
  warrior stand out from the crowd risks creating a cult of 
  personality around him.
  shamans add titles to set themselves above the com-
  mon warriors. in a tribe devoid of external leadership, 
  these titles are self-aggrandizing, designed to inspire awe 
  or loyalty in the warriors. thus, one may find “thrym-
  blessed,” “iron-Hand,” or “the Wise.” When an orc or frost 
  giant assumes control of the tribe, these titles are hastily 
  changed to something that clearly displays he knows his 
  lowly station. Hence, titles such as “the loyal,” “the de-
  vout,” and “the obedient servant” are employed.
  numBers
  most humanoid races, whether civilized or barbarous, 
  have ten fingers, and count in decimal. Possessed of 16 
  digits, and generally disdaining footwear, goblins make 
  use of all their digits when counting.
  since goblins have a total of 16 digits, their number-
  ing system is hexadecimal in nature. the numbers one 
  through 15 are single digits, each a unique sound pre-
  ceding the goblin word for “finger.” note that for the 
  purposes of counting, toes are treated as fingers. For in-
  stance, the number 10 is simply spoken as “ten fingers.” 
  on reaching 16, a new number word is added, “body.” 
  the largest number with a specific name is 256, known 
  as a “tribe.” beyond this, goblins descend into vague 
  terms, such as “more than us” and “many tribes.”
  most shamans are quite conversant in decimal count-
  ing, as favored by orcs and frost giants, as well as the 
  civilized races.
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  0
  written lanGuaGe
  the great majority of goblins are illiterate, and it is 
  fair to say goblins lack a true written language. in order 
  that patrols might leave messages for each other, gob-
  lins have developed a series of simple to draw glyphs. 
  the meanings of these are basic, used to convey only 
  the most rudimentary information (such as “danger” or 
  “good hunting”), but they are effective. tribes living in 
  vicinity to each other tend to use the same glyphs, but 
  as one travels further afield, so the marks change form. 
  often, the marks are based on locale conditions.
  For instance, tribes in the Jotunvalk mountain use an 
  elongated arrow to mark “danger,” the arrowhead point-
  ing in the direction of the source. those in the western 
  icebarrier mountains, however, use a circle with an off-
  center dot in the center to mark danger and the direc-
  tion. in the former case, their major enemies are taiga 
  elves armed with bows, while in the latter the shield 
  Knights and their roving patrols are the greatest threat.
  most shamans have mastered written Frosttongue or 
  orcish, depending on the nature of the tribe’s chieftain 
  or nearest allies. those who learn other languages might 
  understand the written form, but this is not guaranteed. 
  even with their enhanced intelligence, their scripts are 
  akin to those of a young human child, lacking in true 
  understanding of syntax and grammar, but understand-
  able nonetheless.
  most times, messages to chieftains or between tribes 
  are conveyed verbally. When reporting to a chieftain or 
  non-goblin race, it often considered wise to send a lesser 
  goblin rather than a shaman to appear in person, just in 
  case the ruler decides to kill the messenger.
  Calendar
  though they have no desire to farm or herd, the 
  changing of the seasons remains as vital to goblins as it 
  does civilized races. the types of food available to forag-
  ing and hunting parties, the activities of enemies, and the 
  ambient temperature changes with the seasons—survival 
  requires not only understanding these factors, but also 
  being able to plan ahead for their eventuality.
  months mean little to goblins, who focus purely on 
  the four seasons. “awakening” equates to spring. it refers 
  not to the thawing of winter snow, but to the fact that 
  civilized races come out of their self-imposed winter 
  seclusion. “conflict” covers the summer months, for it 
  is during this goblins and other races are most likely to 
  come into conflict. “Hunting” refers to fall, when animals 
  have gained weight in preparation for winter and carry 
  the most fat on their bones. tribes are active in the pur-
  suit of stocking up their larders during this time. Winter 
  is known as “raiding.” With many settlements isolated 
  by snow, goblins grow bolder in the knowledge their 
  enemies will not be able to call upon reinforcements. it 
  is also the time when tribes beholden to frost giants are 
  sent forth to cause mayhem and mischief.
  goblins watch the moon’s phases carefully, though 
  not for any superstitious reasons. deorcmonan is an 
  ideal time for them to hunt, while Fulmonan lessens 
  their advantage when faced with armed enemies.
  days of the week mean little, and goblins rarely track 
  them. While the civilized races record months based on 
  a set number of days, the seasons do not run to clock-
  work precision. Watching the clouds, sniffing the air, and 
  studying the animals and plants are far better indicators 
  of when the seasons are about to change.
  despite being a subterranean race, shamans pay close 
  attention to the sun. its height in the sky is vital to cal-
  culating the time of thrym’s two high holy days—death 
  of Heat day and Fimbulvintr day—and goblins have no 
  wish to call down the winter god’s wrath by celebrating 
  too early or too late.
  trade and triBute
  goblins produce nothing in abundance, and thus 
  have nothing worth trading. tribes may occasionally 
  barter the use of warriors for vital provisions, but such 
  activities are undertaken with extreme reluctance—any-
  one willing to hire goblins is sure to mistreat them or 
  use them as expendable troops, and the inevitable heavy 
  losses weaken the tribe. a strong tribe may try to extort 
   other leGends
  though goblins believe they were created through 
  the spilled blood of Hellfrost dragons, there are 
  other, more obscure, legends, stories, and fallacies 
  concerning their origin.
  during the blizzard War, a belief arose that when 
  a frost giant was slain by anything other than fire, 
  its bones immediately transformed into ice goblins. 
  though the belief is still shared in some remote 
  Winterlands communities, more likely it was born 
  because a host of ice goblins was never far behind 
  a frost giant.
  another legend tells that thrym sought to create for 
  himself an intelligent race, in the manner of ertha’s 
  dwarves and eostre’s elves. thrym gifted them with 
  the ability to withstand a certain degree of cold (hav-
  ing no desire at the time to create a race immune 
  to his fury). dargar gave them ferociousness, and 
  niht blessed them with the ability to see in dark-
  ness. unfortunately, thrym’s call was also answered 
  by eira, who made them cowards, and the unknow-
  able one, who caused them to be smaller than even 
  dwarves. angered at the final result, thrym cast his 
  failed race to the mortal realm in a fit of rage.
  in one story they are the creation of an evil 
  hrimwisard, though more recent versions of this 
  myth put the blame firmly on frostborn. the lat-
  ter is, of course, a gross injustice, for there were 
  no frostborn in existence when the first ice goblins 
  made their presence felt.
  
  iCe GoBlins
  1
  tribute from a small settlement near its lair in order to 
  secure a steady supply, but unless the ruler is very con-
  fident in his warriors’ abilities and his demands are not 
  too excessive, such action poses as much risk as reward. 
  in most instances, tribes get what they need by raiding 
  small caravans, attacking isolated steads, and bullying 
  weaker goblin tribes.
  more often than not the tribe is forced to pay tribute. 
  tribes with a non-goblin ruler are expected to donate ev-
  erything they plunder to the chieftain’s treasury, though 
  a wise ruler always rewards his followers with minor 
  trinkets. Fortunately, goblins have no appreciation of 
  the value of items, and a few silver coins is more than 
  enough to earn their loyalty.
  other tribes may be independent in name, but many 
  retain their freedom only so long as they continue to pay 
  tribute to some external force. both orcs and frost giants 
  prefer this arrangement—it means not having to sit in 
  judgment over the tribe, and having the goblins take all 
  the risks spares their warriors for more important tasks.
  warfare
  Warriors who boast of having no fear of ice goblins 
  are generally considered fools by their peers. those who 
  have faced them in battle in snow-covered forests, in ice-
  laden hills, or in their dark tunnels have learned to give 
  the race begrudging respect.
  goblins may lack complex tactics and show poor mar-
  tial skills, but only an idiot underestimates their capacity 
  for sneakiness or the sheer weight of numbers a tribe can 
  bring to bear when roused. even the greatest of warriors 
  cannot hope to hold out for long when surrounded by a 
  host of snarling goblins.
  weapons and armor
  goblins favor short spears and bows, weapons simple 
  to produce by a race that has not mastered metallurgy, 
  and easily mastered by warriors. more importantly, per-
  haps, they are the common weapons of their enemies, 
  and thus acquiring replacements is relatively easy.
  unlike human spears, which tend to have leaf-shaped 
  heads, goblin spears have a squared, tapering metal tip, 
  making them better suited to throwing. these tips are 
  easily produced by heating an existing spear and bat-
  tering it into shape with rocks—a crude but effective 
  method of weaponsmithing.
  rather than being constructed in a single piece, bows 
  are constructed from thin strips of wood or animal bone 
  glued together, a method not unlike that used by taiga 
  elves and Finnar. it is possible that goblins only adopted 
  the bow after encountering these races, learning the art 
  of the bowyer by studying captured weapons. arrows 
  are crudely manufactured and many are tipped not with 
  steel but with flint.
  despite having the same strength a humans and being 
  a race of cowards, goblins disdain armor. While it is ap-
  parent they lack the skill to produce even passable leather 
  armor, there is no obvious reason from them not looting 
  armor from victims and modifying it to fit. Perhaps, as 
  some sages suggest, they are forbidden from wearing 
  armor by the superior orcs and giants, thus reducing the 
  likelihood goblins will ever rise up against them. maybe 
  the reluctance to don armor is a throwback to their early 
  days as feral pack hunters, when traveling light was a pri-
  ority. Warriors who have faced them in battle are more 
  of the opinion that armor is simply considered too noisy 
  and too restrictive for a race that favors stealth.
  orGanization
  although capable of employing strategy and tactics, 
  no evidence of goblin commanders has been unearthed 
  in a tribe without a chieftain. even shamans, who appear 
  to lead, have little true leadership talent. rather, much 
  like ants and bees, goblins appear to have an unspoken 
  common bond that serves to generate basic unit cohe-
  sion. in tribes governed by a shaman, the warriors are 
  organized as best suits the mission parameters.
  in tribes led by chieftains, a more formal order is 
  usually applied to the warriors. typically, the smallest 
  formation has around ten members and is led by a goblin 
  warrior. these leaders are both respected and reviled by 
  their underlings. they are respected because they have 
  been appointed by the chieftain, and any act of mutiny 
  reflects poorly on their chieftain. revulsion comes from 
  the goblins’ general dislike of anyone giving them orders. 
  larger formations are always commanded by a non-gob-
  lin. rarely this is a frost giant, but in most tribes it is an 
  orc sub-commander.
  strateGy and taCtiCs
  naturally cowardly, goblins favor ambushes, over-
  whelming odds, and dirty tricks to defeat their foes. the 
  idea of a fair fight is an alien concept.
  amBushes
  goblins rely heavily on intelligence before making any 
  attack—underestimating the strength of the enemy may 
  prove fatal to the tribe. anyone entering goblin territory 
  can bet their last gold scield that scouts will be carefully 
  monitoring their progress, calculating their strength, and 
  attempting to guess the enemy’s likely route.
  once the goblin commanders are sure an ambush 
  will work, the trap is set up. in order to maximize their 
  advantages, goblins prefer to launch ambushes in snowy 
  and icy terrain—conditions which do not impede their 
  movement yet hamper their foes. those unused to fight-
  ing goblins are more cautious in forests and mountainous 
  terrain, where hiding places are plentiful. Wiser com-
  manders equally fear featureless snowy plains, for goblins 
  have been known to bury themselves in deep snow, lying 
  patiently for many hours, before springing their trap.
                   
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  2
  Within their territory, the tribe will have already 
  selected ideal ambush points and prepared them in 
  advance. goblins favor an attack from just one side, con-
  centrating their warriors on a single flank. the opposite 
  flank is usually devoid of features and appears to be an 
  ideal area for the defenders to regroup and face the as-
  sault. by retreating to seemingly better ground on which 
  to fight, the enemy commander is playing straight into 
  the goblins’ hands.
  these open areas, an apparent oversight made by 
  a clueless goblin commander, are littered with traps. 
  snares designed to impede movement, pits intended to 
  break ankles or at least trip a defender, and crude wood-
  en panels dotted with nails are cunningly concealed just 
  below the surface.
  regardless of the terrain, goblins prefer to open am-
  bushes with a volley of arrows at short range. although 
  goblins are competent archers, accuracy is not a prized 
  trait. since they fight only from a position of overwhelm-
  ing numbers, quantity and not quality count. While the 
  enemy will accrue casualties, the aim is to sow chaos 
  rather than significantly weaken his numbers.
  Half the warriors then drop their bows, grab their 
  spears, and charge. the remaining half advance at 
  a walk, loosing more arrows over the heads of their 
  comrades. once the initial wave makes contact with the 
  enemy ranks, the archers drop their bows and charge 
  into melee.
  the initial salvo of arrows serves as the signal for any 
  wolf riders to begin their attack. set further back, often 
  in a defile to prevent their detection, the riders spur their 
  wolves to the charge. Favored targets are lightly armored 
  foes, such as spearmen and archers, and cavalry units. 
  typically, wolf riders fighting en masse circle around 
  their warriors, striking the front and rear of the enemy 
  column simultaneously.
  most shamans know only a select few miracles. Fortu-
  nately, they are ideally suited to ambush tactics. goblins 
  know that the first moments of an ambush are vital—if 
  the enemy has chance to organize a solid defense, the 
  goblin warriors’ courage will likely fail, leading to a gen-
  eral rout. in order to keep the enemy off-balance, fear 
  and obscure spells are favored. Fear is most often aimed 
  at large blocks of infantry and at cavalry. in the latter 
  case, the horses are the key target, not the riders. Know-
  ing that most enemy commanders are made of sterner 
  stuff than their troops, shamans prefer to drop obscure 
  spells on them, thus denying them tactical awareness of 
  the rapidly unfolding attack.
  shamans remain back from the melee, using the 
  above-mentioned spells to hamper enemy movements. 
  enemies who put up a strong defense or commanders 
  who react quickly are struck by bolt spells in a bid to take 
  them down quickly and destroy enemy morale. again, 
  numbers are more important than accuracy, and most 
  shamans repeatedly fire off triple bolts. since increasing 
  the damage has an increased chance of angering thrym, 
  not to mention failing more often, shamans prefer to 
  stick with the basic damage level. Entangle is used to 
  hamper cavalry, or cast on the enemy shortly before the 
  warriors charge their quarry.
  if the defenders can hold out and inflict around 50% 
  casualties on the goblins, there is a very good chance 
  the attackers will cut and run. While it is tempting to 
  give chase, the goblins will have worked out their escape 
  route beforehand, and the odds are good the route is 
  trapped. a last barrage of fear and obscure spells provide 
  cover for fleeing warriors.
  defendinG lairs
  unfortunately for heroes, the cowardly nature of ice 
  goblins means their lairs are some of the best defended 
  of any monstrous race. any one charging into the fray 
  will, if he survives, be far more cautious on future visits.
  caves with narrow, twisting passageways are most fa-
  vored. these not only serve to slow an enemy’ advance, 
  but limit the effectiveness of missile fire and spells. of 
  course, this also works against the goblins, but sacrifices 
  must be made to ensure the tribe’s survival. Where pas-
  sageways are deemed too wide (typically they aim for no 
  wider than five feet), ice blocks are used to create natural 
  restrictions.
  Where a passageway slopes, goblins will often build 
  up a layer of ice by repeatedly pouring water down it. 
  once the ice is sufficiently thick, the surface is labori-
  ously ground smooth. such ice poses no impediment to 
  the goblin defenders, but creates a treacherous obstacle 
  for unwary intruders. Where the ground slopes up into 
  the lair, archers are posted near the top. as enemies 
  struggle to clamber up the slope, a hail of arrows meets 
  them. Where the slope is downward, spearmen are sta-
  tioned at the bottom. any intruders who slip will slide to 
  the bottom unless they arrest their fall, whereupon the 
  spearmen rush out to stab at them.
  darkness is also a goblin’s friend. Having no need for 
  light to function, all sources of illumination are hastily 
  extinguished, plunging the lair into utter darkness. in-
  truders rarely fare well without light, though, and this 
  gives them a distinct disadvantage—the light from a 
  lantern can be seen from a great distance than the area 
  it illuminates.
   the initial defense of a lair is usually chaotic. goblins 
  are torn between their desire to live and their desire not 
  to be publicly mutilated for failing their chieftain. once 
  the alarm is raised, intruders have a few minutes, at most, 
  to push as far into the lair as possible. after this, order is 
  restored, and the defenders rally to make a stand.
  Frail by human standards and with little or no armor 
  available, goblins must rely on ambushes and weight of 
  numbers to drive back intruders. their natural stealth 
  and knowledge of the myriad passages making up their 
  lairs allows them to sneak behind enemy forces, or con-
  ceal themselves behind strategically placed obstacles. 
  the ideal ambush involves an initial engagement by a 
  group of warriors, with ambushers leaping into the fray 
  once the intruders are distracted.
  goblins are a sneaky race, quite prepared to use un-
  
  iCe GoBlins
  
  derhanded tactics. For instance, in a large melee, one or 
  two may feign death. they lie among the twitching bod-
  ies of fallen comrades until the enemy passes by, before 
  leaping up and attacking from the rear. Having to ensure 
  every goblin that falls is actually dead takes time, and 
  every second means the next wave of defenders will be 
  better organized.
  ice goblins disdain complex traps. they are not ar-
  tisans by nature, and their dull intellect means they are 
  likely to trigger them as any intruder. open pits, deep 
  enough to cause trips rather than plunge a victim to his 
  death, and simple rockfalls are preferred.
  as always, shamans prefer to avoid fighting whenever 
  possible. a fear spell dropped at the head of an invad-
  ing force can result in chaos as the front warriors try to 
  retreat through their comrades—not easy in a confined 
  space. Obscure may conceal open pits, slippery slopes, or 
  a side passage crammed full of warriors, while entangle 
  can delay an enemy’s advance through a confined space 
  long enough to bring in reinforcements.
  sieGes
  unless commanded by an orc or giant, or if they have 
  truly overwhelming numbers, goblins are extremely un-
  likely to mount an assault against a serious fortification. 
  small forts and steads are ideal targets, but goblins lack 
  the siege weapons to tackle castles and hill forts. Hence, 
  this section looks at small-scale sieges.
  sieges are inevitably fought with a mixture of over-
  whelming odds and cunning. given the choice, they 
  prefer to attack at night, when their enhanced vision 
  gives them the edge over their enemies. bad weather is 
  preferred, especially snow and cold temperatures. When 
  nature does not cooperate, goblins fall back on tried and 
  tested sneak tactics.
  before the initial assault begins, a small number of 
  scouts sneak forward armed with bows. alchemical ar-
  rows enchanted with obscure spells are unleashed at 
  extreme range. the aim is not to hit any defenders, or 
  even come that close to the enemy fortification, but to 
  raise a wall of snow clouds.
  depending on their strength and the anticipated re-
  sistance, the goblins may order warriors equipped with 
  scaling ladders to surge forward, or send out archers to 
  snipe at sentries before retreating back into the snow 
  clouds. such attacks occur on multiple fronts simultane-
  ously, thus dividing the defenders.
  during dry seasons, goblins tip their arrows with 
  icewood, which is then ignited. less concerned with 
  accuracy, volleys of blue-streaking arrows are fired high 
  over the walls in a bid to set fire to thatched roofs and 
  wooden structures. such tactics are usually followed up 
  by a warrior charge to take advantage of the confusion.
  of course, not every tribe has alchemists within its 
  ranks. When they cannot manufacture, buy, or steal 
  obscure arrows, goblins are left with little recourse but 
  to either wait for the weather to turn in their favor or 
  launch their attacks without the added cover.
  reliGion
  the great majority of goblins worship thrym in his 
  major aspect. as a race they are fanatical in their devo-
  tion, to the extent of considering the worship of most 
  other deities heretical. norðri may be honored by sha-
  mans whose tribes dwell in the Winterlands or on high 
  mountains, where the cold north wind blows strong. 
  Few honor langbarðr, though—goblins simply lack the 
  courage to throw themselves into danger for the sake of 
  another required of priests and the brute strength neces-
  sary to be a paladin, though very rare exceptions exist.
  dargar is the only accepted deity, and even then 
  shamans are few and far between. ellanhere is the most 
  common minor aspect, and then only in tribes who use 
  wolves with regularity. Hildolfr, whom goblins call Hrami 
  (“Flesh ripper”), is honored by tribes with rippers at 
  their disposal. despite being the same deity, goblin sha-
  mans receive smite as their signature power, rather than 
  battle song. báleygr, god of pain, has few adherents, and 
  sanngetall, minor god of truth, is virtually unknown.
  though they require warmth in certain conditions 
  and have no fear of the sun, goblins are bitter enemies 
  to those who honor Kenaz and sigel. in battle, they will 
  actively disobey orders to target obvious worshippers of 
  these accursed deities.
  thrym
  Titles: Hrimkonungr (an old saxa term meaning “ice 
  King”), blizzard roar, the White King, the eternal Winter, 
  Frost lord.
  Aspects: cold, ice, winter, blizzards, icy realms.
  Symbol: Hellfrost dragonhead.
  Priesthood: breath of Winter (priests); talons of 
  Winter (paladins).
  Herald: a half-frost giant, half-Hellfrost dragon.
  Holy Day: any day the temperature is below freezing. 
  the first day of Fogmonan and last day of Frostmonan 
  are high holy days.
  Duties: to expand the Hellfrost, to destroy servants 
  of fire and heat.
  Sins: (minor) lighting a fire, deliberately warming 
  oneself by a fire, eating cooked food more than once a 
  week; (major) slaying any creature with resistance or 
  immunity to cold except in self-defense, living in the 
  Hearthlands for more than half a year without permis-
  sion of a superior; (mortal) slaying a Hellfrost dragon, 
  working against the Fimbulvintr.
  Signature Power: Entangle.
  Powers: Armor, aura, barrier, beast friend (creatures 
  with resistance or immunity to cold only), bladebreaker, 
  bolt, bridge, burrow, burst, champion of the faith, de-
  flection, detect/conceal, dispel, elemental form (coldfire, 
  ice, or slush only), elemental manipulation (not fire), 
  energy immunity (cold, coldfire, heat, fire, or ice only), 
  environmental protection (cold only), fatigue, fear, fly, 
                  
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  glyph, heat mask, light, obscure, prolonged blast, sanc-
  tuary, sluggish reflexes, smite, sphere of might, storm, 
  stun, summon demon (ice only), summon elemental 
  (coldfire, ice, or slush only), summon herald, voice on 
  the wind, wilderness step (ice or snow only).
  Trappings: spellcasters must take a cold, coldfire, or 
  ice trapping where appropriate. they may never use a 
  fire or heat trapping.
  to most folk, the Hellfrost is a natural realm of ice 
  and snow. to the followers of thrym, the Hellfrost is a 
  living embodiment of their god’s awesome power, and 
  his desire to crush the world beneath a vast sheet of ice. 
  thrym seeks nothing more than to bring about the Fim-
  bulvintr—an age of endless blizzards, a total ice age for 
  the world of mortals.
  although most often worshipped by evil races such 
  as snow orcs and frost giants, he actually cares little for 
  good or evil, as these are simply moral choices assigned 
  to a culture by its own members. most hrimwisards pay 
  him lip service, if only because their spells are more po-
  tent in his frigid realm.
  thrym is most often portrayed as a Hellfrost dragon, 
  the living embodiment of the power of the Hellfrost, 
  though he also takes the form of a colossal frost giant. 
  all inhabitants of the Hellfrost view Hellfrost dragons 
  as his offspring (much to the chagrin of the frost giants, 
  who think they should be his chosen) and venerate them 
  accordingly. naturally, most Hellfrost dragons worship 
  thrym.
  temples to the Frost lord are usually underground, 
  away from the eyes of fire-loving creatures. decorated 
  with white dragon teeth and scales (sometimes donated 
  freely), and usually always below freezing, followers con-
  duct rituals to weaken the sun, their most hated foe.
  His clerics are expected to promote the Fimbulvintr 
  in any way they can, be that through use of their spells, 
  killing spellcasters with knowledge of fire, destroying 
  relics with fire powers, or aiding frost giants and white 
  dragons in their individual aims.
  Worship of thrym is usually conducted outdoors in 
  the snow and biting winds. Worshippers scream prayers 
  into the howling winds, while stripping off their clothes 
  to expose their mortal flesh to thrym’s frigid touch. 
  Whenever possible, clergy sacrifice clerics of Kenaz and 
  sigel and fire elementalists to their god, knowing that 
  their death provides him with renewed vigor.
  norðri
  Titles: thrym’s blizzard, Winter Howler.
  Aspects: the north wind.
  Affiliations: thrym.
  Symbol: a stylized representation of a blizzard.
  Priesthood: Wind lords (priests); blizzard lords 
  (paladins).
  Herald: none.
  Holy Day: any day there is a blizzard in the worship-
  pers’ vicinity.
  Duties: bring about the Fimbulvintr.
  Sins: (minor) protecting others from a blizzard or the 
  Hellfrost wind, not summoning a blizzard once a month 
  that causes problems for the citizens of rassilon; (major) 
  using becalm in a blizzard; (mortal) sheltering from a 
  blizzard or the Hellfrost wind.
  Signature Power: Storm (creating blizzards only).
  Powers: Becalm, deflection, fear, knockdown, sum-
  mon elemental (blizzard only), voice on the wind, 
  zephyr.
  Trappings: trappings must involve cold wind.
  norðri was always creator of the north wind, though 
  he once served thunor. When thrym ascended to the 
  god of winter after the god War, norðri was offered 
  minor god status in return for swearing allegiance to 
  the wintry deity. norðri accepted, stealing the magical 
  bellows bestowed him by thunor as he fled his former 
  master’s wrath. because of this thunor lost the ability to 
  control the north wind and became an enemy of thrym. 
  thrym taught his new minion the secret of the Hellfrost, 
  which norðri whispers into the winds he creates, thus 
  invoking the much-feared Hellfrost wind.
  norðri has no temples or shrines—the howling bliz-
  zard is his only worship hall. similarly he has no desire to 
  be represented in art, for all citizens of rassilon know his 
  form each time the winter winds pick up. citizens of ras-
  silon willing to brave frostbite urinate into blizzards as 
  an insult to norðri. going outside or not seeking shelter 
  in a blizzard is also known as “peeing on norðri,” even if 
  the person keeps his trousers fastened.
  the only real difference between priests and pala-
  dins, both of whom are charged with bringing about the 
  Fimbulvintr by summoning blizzards and icy winds, is 
  their willingness to risk life and limb for their god. Priests 
  prefer to stick to the Winterlands, while paladins scorn 
  the power of Kenaz and sigel by holding their rituals in 
  the Hearthlands.
  most worshippers of thrym see norðri and his wor-
  shippers as hired help, useful for sure and loyal to the 
  great cause, but not worthy of any recognition—one may 
  accept a meal as good, but one praises the food, not the 
  lowly servant who cooked it. that norðri chose such 
  important sounding titles for his clergy only fuels their 
  scorn for the petty wind god.
  all ceremonies to norðri are carried out in blizzards, 
  whether natural or magically-summoned. Worshippers 
  perform frenzied dances and howl into the gale, adding 
  their voices to the Hellfrost wind. Human sacrifice is 
  performed only if the victims are worshippers of Kenaz, 
  sigel, or thunor or air or fire elementalists—all others 
  are deemed unworthy.
  Ceremonies
  goblins conduct their few ceremonies with great fer-
  vor. it is both an ideal time for enemies to attack a lair, 
  and a foolish time. While the goblins are distracted by 
  the ceremonies to the extent of leaving their lairs virtu-
  ally unprotected (save for roaming wolves), they are in 
  a state of heightened agitation and religious fervor. on 
  
  iCe GoBlins
  
  two days a year, a lone goblin would think nothing of 
  charging a dragon single-handed (though it may regret 
  the decision with its last breath).
  funerals
  goblin pragmatism toward the wounded has already 
  been mentioned. it also extends to the dead. goblins 
  do not mourn their dead. assuming they have led a life 
  in accordance with thrym’s teachings, their spirit will 
  return to him to be reborn (one presumes as another ice 
  goblin). What remains is just meat, and it is a welcome 
  addition to the larder. the heart, though, is always of-
  fered to thrym as a Fimbulvintr day sacrifice.
  the goblin creed does promise an afterlife, but not 
  until the coming of Fimbulvintr. until then, when it is 
  said the deceased will enjoy thrym’s eternal gratitude, 
  life and death are a continual cycle.
  goblins who follow the other accepted deities are not 
  devoured. though their abilities might have been useful 
  in life, such creatures are not destined to rejoin thrym, 
  and their flesh is forbidden food. it is fed to the wolves.
  Bestiary
  this section pulls together various stat blocks con-
  cerning the goblins and their immediate allies, consoli-
  dating them for ease of use when designing or running 
  goblin-themed adventures.
  GoBlin, iCe
         shaman
  though shamans might worship an aspect of dargar, 
  most favor thrym, with norðri a very distant second. 
  However, variant powers have been included for every 
  accepted deity, so as to give the gm more choice of foes. 
  Hrimwisards share the same powers as a shaman of 
  thrym—just swap Faith for Hrimwisardry.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d8, spirit d6, strength d4, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: climbing d6, Faith d8, Fighting d6, notice d6, 
  shooting d8, stealth d10, taunt d8, throwing d6
  Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Gear: short spear (str+d4, reach 1)
  Treasure: meager
  Special Abilities:
  * Improved Snow Walker: treat ice and snow as nor-
  mal terrain.
  * Infravision: goblins halve penalties for bad lighting 
  when attacking living targets (round down).
  * Powers (Ellanhere): Beast friend (canines only), 
  fear (dire wolf howl), smite (wolf’s teeth grow from 
  weapon).
  * Powers (Hrami): Battle song (howls like the Hellfrost 
  wind), smite (target enters a semi-berserk state). 
  * Powers (Norðri): Deflection (swirling snow), fear 
  (Hellfrost wind), knockdown (howling wind), storm 
  (blizzard).
  * Powers (Thrym): Bolt (icicles), entangle (ice grips 
  targets), fear (howl), obscure (snow cloud), and 
  smite (icicles form on weapon).
  * Size –1: goblins stand 3–4’ tall.
  * Warm Blooded: +2 to Vigor rolls to resist the effect 
  of cold.
  ripper
  not even ice goblins, denizens of the frozen realms, 
  are immune to the Hellfrost wind. those who succumb 
  to the madness become rippers, frenzied warriors armed 
  with thick leather gloves from which sprout long claws 
  of razor sharp bone. 
  caring nothing for their own safety, these fanatics 
  hurl themselves at foes, slashing wildly and without 
  pity. Hearth Knights report these dangerous slashing 
  machines worship a god known as Hrami, an aspect of 
  dargar whose name translates as “Flesh ripper.”
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d4, spirit d6, strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: climbing d8, Fighting d6, notice d6
  Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Gear: bone claws (str+d6)
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Frenzied Warrior: rippers have the ambidextrous, 
  improved Frenzy, and two Fisted edges.
  * Improved Snow Walker: treat ice and snow as nor-
  mal terrain.
  * Infravision: goblins halve penalties for dark lighting 
  against living targets (round down).
  * Size –1: goblins stand 3–4’ tall.
  * Warm Blooded: +2 to Vigor rolls to resist the effect 
  of cold.
  warrior
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d6, spirit d6, strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: boating d6, climbing d6, Fighting d6, notice d6, 
  shooting d8, stealth d10, taunt d6, throwing d6
  Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Gear: short spear (str+d6, reach 1), bow (range: 
  12/24/48, damage: 2d6)
  Treasure: meager, per 5 ice goblins
  Special Abilities:
  * Improved Snow Walker: treat ice and snow as nor-
  mal terrain.
  * Infravision: goblins halve penalties for dark lighting 
  against living targets (round down).
  * Size –1: goblins stand 3–4’ tall.
  * Warm Blooded: +2 to Vigor rolls to resist the effect 
  of cold.
                   
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  warrior, Veteran
  given a lot of luck and a modicum of skill, warriors 
  may survive long enough to become veterans. such war-
  riors are greatly prized by their tribe, and never wasted 
  in battle. that said, those who grow too brazen may be 
  sacrificed to prevent them developing notions of usurp-
  ing power.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d6, spirit d8, strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: boating d6, climbing d6, Fighting d8, notice d6, 
  shooting d8, stealth d10, taunt d6, throwing d8
  Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Gear: short spear (str+d6, reach 1), bow (range: 
  12/24/48, damage: 2d6)
  Edges: Pick one edge from combat reflexes, Frenzy, or 
  sweep
  Treasure: meager, per 2 veteran goblins
  Special Abilities:
  * Improved Snow Walker: treat ice and snow as nor-
  mal terrain.
  * Infravision: goblins halve penalties for dark lighting 
  against living targets (round down).
  * Size –1: goblins stand 3–4’ tall.
  * Warm Blooded: +2 to Vigor rolls to resist the effect 
  of cold.
  wolf rider
  goblins ride standard 
  wolves rather than dire 
  wolves, the latter seeing 
  goblins as naught but a 
  tasty snack. goblins do not 
  manufacture saddles, and 
  those designed for horses 
  are too bulky and too big 
  for wolves. as such, when 
  making a riding roll to 
  remain seated, the goblin 
  rolls at –2.
  Attributes: 
  agility 
  d8, 
  smarts 
  d6, 
  spirit 
  d6, 
  strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: climbing d6, Fight-
  ing d6, notice d6, riding 
  d6, shooting d8, stealth 
  d10, taunt d6, throwing 
  d6
  Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Tough-
  ness: 4
  Gear: short spear (str+d6, 
  reach 1), bow (range: 
  12/24/48, damage: 2d6)
  Treasure: meager, per 5 
  ice goblins
  Special Abilities:
  * 
  Improved 
  Snow 
  Walker: treat ice and 
  snow as normal terrain.
  * Infravision: goblins halve penalties for dark lighting 
  against living targets (round down).
  * Size –1: goblins stand 3–4’ tall.
  * Warm Blooded: +2 to Vigor rolls to resist the effect 
  of cold.
  wolf
  goblins use wolves as guard dogs and mounts. in 
  the latter instance, the creatures count as battle trained 
  mounts. should their rider be slain or dismounted, the 
  wolf continue to fight.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d6(a), spirit d6, strength 
  d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, intimidation d6, notice d10, track-
  ing d6
  Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Bite: str+d4.
  * Fleet Footed: Wolves roll a d10 when running in-
  stead of a d6.
  * Go for the Throat: Wolves instinctively go for an op-
  ponent’s soft spots. With a raise on its attack roll, it 
  hits the target’s most weakly-armored location.
  * Size –1: Wolves are relatively small.
  
  many are the terrors of the deep ocean. While fisher-
  men and sailors fear sudden squalls and colossal whales, 
  nothing strikes dread into their hearts as much as talk 
  of the dreaded “shark-men.” remorseless killers, they 
  stalk the waters of rassilon, attacking ships and raiding 
  coastal communities for treasure and food. this chapter 
  takes a look inside the culture of the kreana.
  oriGin of the speCies
  eons ago, in what skalds call the mythic age, a great 
  city stood on an island in the middle of the inner sea. al-
  though skilled architects and technologically advanced, 
  the city-dwellers were a cruel and barbaric people. 
  carcharas the shark god was their patron deity, and they 
  honored him with human sacrifices. over time, the in-
  habitants became more debauched, instigating cannibal-
  ism and raiding far and wide for captives as offerings to 
  their deity.
  the worshippers of carcharas believed their god 
  dwelt in the inner ocean, a watery realm deep below 
  the surface of the world. through ancient and power-
  ful spells they bored a hole into this realm, intent on 
  summoning their god to the world of mortals as a true 
  living deity. affronted by this unholy act, the other races, 
  secretly backed perhaps by neorthe, worked their own 
  powerful magic.
  the great and terrible city sank beneath the surface 
  of the waters, though it suffered little structural damage. 
  carcharas sacrificed great personal power to warp large 
  numbers of his followers into the kreana, changing them 
  from air breathers into ferocious shark-men; for if they 
  perished there would be none left to worship him and 
  his very existence would be threatened. the newly cre-
  ated shark-men fled the city in fear of further retribution. 
  the story of the disaster was told to subsequent genera-
  tions, though the facts were slowly replaced by myth.
  even among the clergy of neorthe, the true origin of 
  the kreana has been forgotten. indeed, even in coastal 
  communities kreana are nothing more than a myth, a 
  bogeyman invented to keep children out of the water 
  and account for the disappearance of mariners lost at 
  sea. those who know of the shark-men attribute their 
  creation to dargar, for only he would create so savage 
  and bloodthirsty a race.
  one myth tells how the kreana were once worship-
  pers of dargar, and how their enemies drove them into 
  the sea, whereupon dargar transformed them into the 
  kreana to ensure they would not drown. While many 
  of the details are wrong, the underlying kernel of truth 
  remains.
  anatomy
  standing over six feet tall and well-muscled, kreana 
  are an abominable cross between men and sharks, the 
  physical embodiment of mindless savagery.
  although native to marine environments, kreana are 
  quite capable of living in fresh water.
  physioloGy
  unlike land-dwelling sentient races, the kreana lack 
  a neck. their heads are capable of limited lateral and 
  vertical movement, allowing them to snap at prey only 
  within a narrow arc of their facing. on land, they walk 
  bent over, their heads almost horizontal to the ground. 
  olfactory pits at the end of their snout serve to pick up 
  scent. the pits are highly tuned to detect minute particles 
  of blood, and even on land they can hone in on blood spilt 
  miles away if the wind is in the right direction. Hearing is 
  achieved by two auditory channels set behind the eyes. 
  their hearing range is much lower than humans, leaving 
  them unable to hear high-pitched sounds.
  their eyes, two black, soulless orbs, are mounted far 
  apart, giving them excellent depth perception. While it is 
  Kreana
  
                                      
                   
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  commonly believed that kreana are capable of seeing in 
  the sunless depths of the oceans, this is a fallacy—their 
  eyes are no better at seeing in poor lighting than hu-
  mans. When out of water a thin membrane covers the 
  eyes, protecting them from the glare of sigel’s Hearth.
  the most noticeable feature of the head is the gaping 
  maw filled with multiple rows of triangular, saw-edged 
  teeth. When biting, kreana chomp down on their prey 
  and then shake their head from side to side, sawing off 
  a chunk of flesh and leaving a vicious wound. Kreana 
  frequently lose teeth. as one falls out, a tooth moves for-
  ward to fill the vacancy and a new tooth quickly grows to 
  ensure a steady supply.
  Further down the body are the gill slits. While primar-
  ily used for extracting oxygen from water, they also work 
  on land. Kreana have lungs which function underwater 
  as flotation bladders, and on land as those in air breath-
  ers. the gills are extremely sensitive, and a blow there is 
  akin to kicking a human in his reproductive organs.
  the body is sleek and streamlined, ideally suited to 
  rapid swimming. a powerful tail propels the creatures at 
  speeds up to 40 miles per hours. a thick, triangular dor-
  sal fin protrudes from the center of the back. it prevents 
  the kreana from rolling while using their tail for motion, 
  and enables them to turn remarkably quickly.
  the skin varies in tone from gray-blue to gray-green. 
  coloration is darker on the back, lightening to almost 
  white on the belly. the skin, while it appears smooth, is 
  actual rough to the touch. made up of millions of tiny 
  scales, it is deceptively tough, providing the kreana with 
  protection equivalent to leather armor.
  Kreana are subject to dehydration outside water. With-
  out regular immersion the skin begins to dry and crack. 
  lethargy quickly sets in, followed by intense cramps, and 
  finally system shock and death after four days.
  Kreana have two arms and two legs. each limb ends 
  in five digits. tipping each finger and toe is a non-retract-
  able claw about two inches long. the general muscula-
  ture and bone structure is remarkably close to that of 
  humans. although the kreana rarely use complex tools, 
  their fingers are dexterous.
  a kreana’s intestine is very short while their stomach 
  is about twice the size of that of a human of comparable 
  height and build. Food is broken down in the stomach 
  into a thick paste, and passed to the intestine only when 
  the kreana is hungry. When food is available, the kreana 
  gorge, storing it away for leaner times. the entire sys-
  tem is far more efficient than among other races, and as 
  much as 90% of the nutrients from a meal are eventually 
  absorbed. this results in very little bodily waste being 
  produced. excessive water is converted to urea, which 
  is exuded through the skin. one way to tell if kreana are 
  present on land is the pungent stench of ammonia.
  life CyCle
  reproduction with kreana society is a privilege, not a 
  right. Females, while technically lower in society, choose 
  with whom they will breed. Females will only breed with 
  the strongest males, and competition for breeding rights 
  often leads to bloodshed when one male will not back 
  down under another’s threats.
  sexual reproduction is internal. it is also violent. a 
  male may have won the right to sire the next generation, 
  but the female does not submit willingly. many kreana, 
  both male and female, boasts the scars of sexual union.
  Kreana do not mate for life—if a female wishes to 
  switch to a new mate, that is entirely her prerogative. by 
  law, her former partner may challenge the newcomer to 
  a fight to the death.
  like the humans from whom they descend, kreana 
  females are fertile every month. gestation lasts for seven 
  to nine months, after which time a single live young is 
  born. newborns are placed together in a nursery.
  Here they will learn the savagery needed to survive as 
  adults. unsupervised, they must fend for themselves, fight-
  ing off rivals for the chunks of meat thrown to them daily 
  and establishing their right to become an adult. those too 
  weak physically or mentally die of starvation or violence, 
  whereupon they become food for the stronger.
  offspring are regularly moved to a new nursery, en-
  suring that as they age they do not destroy too many of 
  their much younger kin. by the age of three, they are 
  dragged from the nursery to begin their education under 
  the tutelage of the shark callers.
  all males have a duty to help feed the community. While 
  children learn to catch fish, one cannot pass to full adult-
  hood and take his rightful place in society until he has 
  killed a shark single-handedly. While it might seem odd that 
  a kreana would kill a shark, the hunt proves to carcharas, 
  the kreana’s sole deity, that the youth is ready to serve him. 
  a shark dies so that a shark-man might live. those who fail 
  inevitably die from the shark’s powerful bite. they are not 
  mourned, for to mourn the weak serves no purpose.
  assuming he can avoid injuries, illness, or letting 
  down his community, a kreana can expect to live for 
  around 80 years. most rarely live this long, for once they 
  become infirmed through old age a kreana will volun-
  tarily leave his community, so as not to burden them with 
  his weakness. most choose the Final Hunt, a battle to the 
  death against a monstrous shark.
  psyCholoGy
  the kreana’s reputation for being pitiless killers capa-
  ble of unbridled savagery beyond that of other races, even 
  orcs, is well known. it is a reputation that has served the 
  aquatic race well, for they learned long ago that the fear of 
  violence is a powerful tool. in order to work, though, one 
  must first set an example as a warning to others.
  this fear pervades the entire social order. among hu-
  mans there is an old adage that one should keep one’s 
  allies close but enemies closer. among the kreana, keep-
  ing one’s allies and enemies cowed is the norm.
  all members of society jockey for position among their 
  social class. such maneuvering is not based on brute 
  strength or ability to lead, but by instilling fear in rivals. 
  this subservience through fear also keeps juniors in line 
  
  Kreana
  
  once the pecking order is established. more importantly, 
  juniors rarely gang up on a superior in a machiavellian 
  plot—anyone who suggests such a plot has openly dem-
  onstrated fear and weakness.
  it extends even beyond the clan. Families form clans 
  and clans form tribes not because of shared bloodlines 
  or military pacts, but because the most senior clan has 
  tyrannized the others into obedience. When two com-
  munities cannot dominate each other into submission, 
  civil war breaks out. the loss of a few hundred, maybe 
  a few thousand worshippers, doesn’t bother carcha-
  ras—survival of the fittest most definitely applies to the 
  kreana. at least that was the case. until recently, violence 
  was viewed as the best means to settle disputes. With few 
  natural predators, it came as a shock to the kreana to dis-
  cover their numbers were dwindling. breeding remained 
  successful and the number of young fairly constant, but 
  the frequent tribal wars fought over females and territory 
  were having a disastrous effect on the species.
  after consulting with the other priests, the high priest 
  of carcharas (who permanently resides at the great temple 
  beneath the inner sea) declared that violence must end 
  before the species consumed itself in frenzied bloodshed. 
  Violent hatred, he declared, should be reserved for air 
  breathers and other aquatic species. to that end, one 
  building in the precinct was converted into a series of 
  meeting rooms, where rival tribes could sort out their dif-
  ferences without losing much-needed military strength.
  Hatred toward all air breathers is instilled in kreana 
  from the moment they crawl out of the hatchery. While 
  air breathers have forgotten the true origin of the shark-
  men, the kreana have not. the memory of their fall from 
  grace burns deep in their black hearts.
  once an attack has begun, kreana tend to fight to the 
  death. While some kreana do suffer from uncontrollable 
  bloodlust, the majority is simply unwilling to show weak-
  ness by withdrawing. However, once a social superior 
  gives up the fight, the blame for failure can be laid at his 
  feet and a withdrawal is permitted. His subordinates may 
  face ridicule, but they are rarely punished.
  Kreana are renowned for their bloodthirstiness. the 
  racial view that the weak do not deserve to live extends 
  to other races. those taken alive are tyrannized and tor-
  tured before being put to death as weaklings, though a 
  few may be taken away to become sacrifices.
  lying and exaggeration are traits not found among 
  the shark-men. even when their lives are in danger they 
  would rather tell the truth than be viewed as cowards 
  trying to cover up their mistakes or claim prowess not 
  due them. they deal with hard facts, not spurious half-
  truths and boasts.
  soCial struCture
  Kreana society is divided into a semi-rigid structure. 
  While it is possible to climb through the ranks, given 
  the right spiritual calling, it is almost impossible to slide 
  down the ladder. Failure equates to weakness, and weak-
  ness is not a trait the kreana tolerate among their kind.
  Kreana have both clans and tribes. the clan has no 
  founding in common ancestors. rather, it refers to a sin-
  gle community of kreana who have not been subjugated 
  into a larger community. once two or more communities 
  merge, they become a tribe.
  an average clan or tribe has 10% priests and paladins, 
  5% shark callers, 65% warriors, and 20% females. young 
  number anywhere from 50-200% of the adult popula-
  tion, though many will not survive to adulthood.
  reliGious
  Priests are the leaders of the community, holding both 
  spiritual and temporal power. but as with the cultures of 
  most sentient beings, with power comes responsibility.
  any setbacks the settlement suffers are laid at the 
  feet of the highest-ranking priest. too many failures and 
  carcharas may “demand” the priest be sacrificed and a 
  replacement installed, his weakness not only apparent 
  to the entire tribe, but endangering its very existence. 
  the god never sends visions to prompt this action—a 
  rival will eventually summon the courage to take mat-
  ters into his own hands. Kreana priests tend to be power 
  hungry, for high position brings great personal wealth 
  and enhanced breeding possibilities, but their lust is 
  tempered by the inevitable fate that awaits those who fail 
  their predatory deity or who display weakness.
  Paladins, while clerics, never govern a community. 
  they serve as elite warriors, temple guardians, body-
  guards, champions, and military commanders. their 
  power is considered martial, not political or spiritual. 
  that said, since paladins often lead raids ordered by the 
  high priest, they literally hold his life in their hands—a de-
  liberately failed mission may spell doom for the priest, not 
  the paladin. to counter this, priests often publicly decree a 
  fitting fate for paladins who fail them—even if the priest is 
  sentenced to die, he will drag the paladin to hell with him.
  regardless of status or position, all paladins are sub-
  servient to priests, though it is a brave junior priest who 
  dares enrage a more senior paladin, for carcharas cares 
  little if his clergy kill each other.
  although the ruling priest makes all the final deci-
  sions concerning the well-being of the tribe, he normally 
  does so only after taking advice from advisors. Kreana do 
  not expect their leaders to be omnipotent, though they 
  demand they are competent. by taking advice, even if he 
  ignores it, a leader is displaying trust in his underlings. 
  this appearance of influence is often enough to quell 
  thoughts of rebellion. it also gives the ruler an insight 
  into his underlings’ mind set, allowing him to stop po-
  tential usurpers and take appropriate action.
  sharK Callers
  shark callers know the ancient songs of carcharas, deep, 
  ululating rhythms that travel immense distances through 
  the water and irresistibly draw sharks to the singer. 
                                  
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  0
  shark callers are not priests, but rather serve the com-
  munity as skalds and sages. lacking a written language, 
  the kreana pass on their folklore, knowledge of good 
  hunting grounds, ancient laws, and so on verbally.
  every clan and tribe has a unique song detailing its 
  exploits over the millennia. While the names of individu-
  als are recorded for posterity, their deeds are always as-
  sociated with benefitting the community, and are never 
  viewed as personal acts of bravery or sacrifice. the songs 
  are forever evolving, steadily growing longer over time. 
  on rare occasions a song will be altered to remove 
  an individual’s name. this occurs when the kreana has 
  been removed for weakness, a crime that invalidates his 
  earlier successes.
  warriors
  the majority of the tribe are warriors, and all are 
  male. Part-hunter and part-soldier, the warriors work to 
  feed and protect the community, to expand its sphere of 
  influence, and to garner treasure and sacrifices.
  although paladins are the military commanders, there 
  are sub-ranks among the warriors. Promotion is earned 
  through a mixture of displays of courage, longevity, suc-
  cess, and bullying. as with the religious members of the 
  tribe, rising through the ranks is achieved by taking the 
  position, not waiting for it to be offered.
  blood ragers are kreana warriors who fly into a deadly 
  frenzy when they inflict an injury on a foe. in order to 
  help induce this frenzied state, they carry barbed spears, 
  which tear victim’s flesh, inflicting terrible wounds as the 
  tip is removed.
  females
  in kreana society, only the males belong to a commu-
  nity. Females have no tribal bonds and are, for the most 
  part, apolitical. yet they are not regarded as second-rate or 
  inferior citizens. they are accorded special privileges, such 
  as choosing with whom they mate. still, in other ways they 
  are a commodity, for raids against rival communities are 
  often for the purpose of kidnapping breeding females.
  Female kreana are far from weak and helpless. al-
  though not as skilled at warfare as the males of the spe-
  cies, they are no less vicious and of similar build. their 
  claws and teeth are just as sharp.
  Culture
  While many monstrous races possess a violent, bar-
  baric culture, all have unique qualities. this section 
  explores some of the kreana’s cultural aspects.
  haBitat
  Kreana dwell on the seabed, at depths where sunlight 
  rarely ever penetrates. they favor sunken ruins and sea 
  caves, though if necessary they have the skill, though 
  rarely the desire, to erect artificial structures.
  a kelp forest surrounds most communities. the kelp 
  is harvested for bedding and clothing. strewn within 
  the kelp are finely woven nets dotted with curved coral 
  hooks and the jaws of sharks. the former are intended to 
  ensnare fish, saving the shark-men from having to hunt. 
  the jaws are wired with sinewy seaweed rope and pried 
  open with fragile sticks. a large intruder or prey fish who 
  blunders into the trap dislodges the stick, which causes 
  the jaws to snap shut.
  While the layout of a city varies immensely based on 
  local geography, all share common structures.
  as a priest rules every kreana community, every settle-
  ment has a temple. these vary immensely in size and 
  style, but are always located at the heart of the com-
  munity. atop the altar of each temple sits a shark’s jaw, 
  its mouth gaping wide and ready to accept sacrifices. 
  gold and jewelry plundered from air breathers, corals 
  and shells, and living sacrifices are fed into the mouth in 
  symbolic sacrifice. treasures are then stored away, while 
  sacrificial victims are devoured. as well as kreana guards 
  and traps, many temples are patrolled by sharks. Kreana 
  do not draw images or carve idols of their god.
  males without a breeding partner live in communal 
  chambers housing up to eight warriors. such areas are 
  always positioned near strategic areas, the occupants 
  doubling as guards.
  if the terrain allows, the community may boast one or 
  more guard towers. mounted atop these is a heavy bal-
  lista. ammunition takes the form of coral bolts or large 
  weighted nets. against small creatures swimming close 
  together, the net is favored, as it can ensnare multiple 
  targets. For larger creatures, or if intruders are dispersed, 
  a coral bolt is launched.
  regardless of their breeding status, members of the 
  religious and shark caller castes have private chambers. 
  the larger and more finely appointed the room, the 
  more important, or at least aggressive, the occupant is in 
  the community. the ranking priest has his quarters close 
  to the temple, as does the senior paladin.
  communities have between three and ten nurseries, 
  depending on the number of females. not all are in con-
  stant use, as the number of offspring born at any one time 
  varies immensely. nurseries are usually domed structures 
  with a hole at the top into which food is thrown.
  there is always some form of prison for holding 
  sentient sacrifices. these take the form of tall poles to 
  which are attached weighted conical nets. by keeping 
  prisoners in the open, the chances of them escaping and 
  overpowering the guards without being detected are 
  greatly reduced. it also allows passing kreana to taunt 
  the captives.
  For all their savagery, kreana enjoy home comforts. 
  Homes are decorated with tapestries of woven seaweed 
  strands, and shells and corals. the latter may simply hang 
  from a wall, or they may be carved with abstract patterns. 
  unlike sharks, kreana sleep lying down on beds of soft 
  kelp in the same manner as humans.
                  
  
  Kreana
  1
  With eyes poorly adapted for life in the dark, kreana 
  make use of bioluminescent coral and fish to light their 
  homes. glowing fish are kept in nets, preventing them 
  from swimming away. such sources of light provide il-
  lumination as a torch, but need to be fed in order for 
  them to remain healthy.
  Kreana also tend gardens of seaweed and coral, deco-
  rating them with stacks of colorful shells. such gardens 
  are the repose of the religious caste, places where they 
  can meet in private, meditate, and hunt the exotic fish 
  attracted by the coral and seaweed.
  diet
  most stories concerning kreana label them as glut-
  tonous killers that devour anything in sight. a kreana’s 
  metabolism is closely linked to water temperature—the 
  warmer the water, the faster their metabolic rate, and the 
  more they are required to eat to remain healthy.
  most attacks on air breathers occur on or very close to 
  the surface, where the water is markedly warmer than at 
  the depths the kreana call home. Patrols that have been 
  swimming close to the surface for hours quickly develop 
  ravenous appetites, thus encouraging them to attack 
  prey they might otherwise avoid.
  Kreana are strict carnivores. much of their diet con-
  sists of fish and whales, but they are not picky eaters. 
  Havmandr and finfolk, both sentient races, are hunted 
  for their meat.
  youngsters are expected to hunt for harmless fish, 
  learning how to use nets and spears against small, nimble 
  targets. While such hunts do provide food for the tribe, 
  they also teach essential skills they will need during 
  adult life. as the youth grows older, he will be invited to 
  participate in hunts against more dangerous prey. such 
  hunts give him a taste of battle, hone his skills, and teach 
  him the strengths and weaknesses of various creatures.
  Kreana make use of sharks in hunting. sharks are 
  used to round up fish into a tightly packed shoal, giving 
  the kreana large targets for their nets or spear thrusts. 
  against larger, more vicious prey, sharks may participate 
  in the kill. 
  by tradition, only females do not have to hunt. While 
  priests and shark callers are expected to do their duty 
  for the tribe, they usually have enough influence to bully 
  others into undertaking their duties. this is especially 
  true when hunting for harmless fish. against more ag-
  gressive prey, it serves the kreana well to actively partici-
  pate, partly to keep his skills honed and partly to show 
  that he is not afraid.
  Kreana are not egalitarian. as much as 25% of any hunt 
  is divided among the warriors’ females and offered as gifts 
  to higher castes. the strongest member of the hunting 
  party then devours around a quarter, leaving the others 
  to fight over the remainder. again, survival of the fittest 
  comes into play, and those who fail to stand up for their 
  share quickly find themselves starving. meals are eaten 
  without decorum, the shark-men biting off huge chunks 
  of flesh and swallowing them with minimal chewing.
  ClothinG
  Well-insulated against the cold of the briny deep and 
  lacking modesty, clothing is worn only to denote social 
  class. Warriors wear small belts of woven kelp to which 
  are attached coral hooks. small items (such as a shark’s 
  tooth to use as a miniature saw or a conch signal horn) 
  are hung from the hooks, thus freeing up the kreana’s 
  hands. shark callers are clad in a similar garment, but 
  add a skirt of woven plant matter to denote their status. 
  the religious castes add a vest to this garb.
  many kreana wear necklaces and bracelets of sharks’ 
  teeth. by tradition, the first teeth come from the shark 
  killed during the kreana’s test of adulthood. other teeth 
  are added as the kreana kills more sharks. it is thus easy to 
  tell at a glance the comparative skill, strength, and prow-
  ess of a shark-man by the extent of his jewelry collection.
  it is rare for kreana to take trophies from other crea-
  tures, for they consider them unworthy. to sport tro-
  phies from weaker creatures gives the impression that 
  one considered them a worthy opponent, which in turn 
  implies the holder to be weak. there are exceptions, of 
  course. a kreana sporting a sea dragon or sea serpent 
  tooth is a foe to be avoided, for even though it is very 
  unlikely he killed the beast in single combat, his actions 
  were deemed courageous enough to allow him the right 
  to collect trophies.
  ground red coral is used to create tattoos. imagery 
  is heavily stylized and abstract. unlike jewelry, tattooing 
  is a personal choice rather than a display of bravery or 
  prowess. However, overuse can give the impression of 
  being superior, something which rivals may challenge. as 
  such, most tattoos are found on clerics and blood ragers, 
  with warriors careful not to outdo their superiors.
  law and order
  Kreana society may not be civilized in human terms, 
  but it is a lawful one. Fear keeps the kreana in line.
  some crimes simply do not exist due to the kreanas’ 
  mentality. theft, for instance, is a crime with two con-
  notations. theft by intimidation of violence is not a 
  crime—it is an act of proving one’s superiority. theft by 
  subterfuge is a sign of weakness, and counts as a crime.
  others are punishable by death without exception. 
  rape, for example, carries an automatic death sentence. 
  While females are not tribe members, they have the un-
  swerving right to choose with whom they mate. breaking 
  that right results in the victim being torn limb from limb 
  by the females of the tribe.
  murder of a fit and healthy tribe member is only a 
  criminal offense if the deceased was killed in secret or 
  by stealth. nothing technically prevents one kreana 
  from approaching another, making a public challenge, 
  and then slaughtering him. such an act only serves to 
  intimidate others. However, in order to prevent a tribe 
  turning in on itself, those who abuse the right to prove 
  superiority by violence quickly find themselves facing a 
  superior opponent.
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  2
  it is a rare female that commits a crime. most are pam-
  pered by their breeding partner in order to maintain her 
  loyalty, and thus want for little. When one does require 
  something special, she can easily convince a male to act 
  on her behalf.
  the ruler and his council judge criminals. evidence is 
  heard (kreana don’t lie, remember), and the ruler then 
  passes sentence. While it is possible for a ruler to grant 
  clemency, doing so is a thin line—such an act of leniency 
  may be perceived as weakness.
  except for rape, those found guilty have the right to 
  demand trial by combat to prove their worth to the tribe. 
  in order to prevent the weak from gaining their freedom 
  too easily, it is normally a paladin who answers the chal-
  lenge. such combats are very one-sided—paladins are 
  skilled warriors and are permitted to use their miracu-
  lous powers in ritual combat.
  While being executed is never much fun, being slain 
  in ritual combat is a far worse fate. Kreana who fall this 
  way are doubly guilty of being weak, and are destined for 
  a wretched afterlife.
  healthCare
  For a culture that disdains weakness, promotes vio-
  lence as a means of social climbing, and worships a sav-
  age deity, kreana do make use of magical healing spells.
  Kreana do not practice communal healthcare. the heal-
  ing spells of the clerics are theirs to use as they see fit. most 
  often they are employed not only to save the life of a valued 
  tribe member—accidents happen, and even the best war-
  rior can have a bad day—but to reinforce their superiority 
  over the injured party. in contrast, nothing prevents a war-
  rior from intimidating a cleric into curing his injuries.
  this poses an interesting dichotomy, for despite be-
  ing of lower social rank, a warrior is not prohibited from 
  gaining power over a cleric. naturally the clergy abhor 
  such subservience, and any warrior undertaking such a 
  brazen move will need to watch his back, for revenge will 
  come sooner rather than later.
  those denied healing, or who refuse to bow before 
  the cleric, must leave the tribe until they heal naturally. 
  a wounded member is a useless member, and his inju-
  ries may attract predators. For many, such expulsion is 
  a death sentence—kreana, while tough, are trained to 
  fight in numbers, not as individuals.
  as well as alchemical healing potions, which clerics 
  offer in return for service, kreana are swift to make use of 
  alchemical brews on a daily basis. the use of magic is not 
  a sign of weakness, even among the warriors, for magic is 
  the gift of carcharas to his people. not using magic when 
  it is prudent to do so is just stupid, and the kreana are not 
  renowned for their stupidity. although carnivores, kreana 
  use marine plants to create a wide range of herbal brews.
  lanGuaGe
  Kreana speak a dialect of seatongue, a language 
  shared by the finfolk, havmandr, and even races such as 
  sea dragons and sea giants. most can vocalize other lan-
  guages, though the result is always harsh and guttural.
  body language is important to kreana, especially 
  when challenging rivals. aggressive posturing and draw-
  ing back the gums to reveal one’s savage teeth can win 
  an argument or cause a rival to back down without re-
  sorting to bloodshed.
  names
  Kreana have personal names but no surnames. in-
  stead, tribal names are adopted to show that one has the 
  support of a tribe. tribes are always named after their 
  current ruler, since in many ways he is the tribe.
  until they reach adulthood, kreana are simply known 
  as “son of <female’s name>.” such names are consid-
  ered highly insulting, and serve only to encourage young 
  kreana to prove themselves adults as soon as possible.
  Kreana personal names always carry meaning. When 
  a youth is accepted as an adult, he is expected to recount 
  the story of his shark hunt. From his description he will 
  be given a name. such names are not always carried for 
  life. a kreana who impresses his superiors may be given 
  a new name as an honor. in such cases he uses his new 
  name but adds, “once known as <previous names>” to 
  show his award.
  Kreana can also lose their names out of bullying. a 
  superior might trash an underling he dislikes and force 
  him to carry a demeaning name. the injured party has 
  only two choices—live with his derogatory name or fight 
  back and reclaim his original name. While being forced 
  to carry a derisory name is a great shame, it is not a true 
  sign of weakness.
  some even turn the tables on their oppressors by not 
  only accepting the name, but by using it with honor. if 
  the kreana can prove his worth to the tribe, his superiors 
  have little choice but to grant him a new name. going 
  straight from a weak sounding name to an impressive 
  one can actually intimidate potential rivals, as the kreana 
  has taken a huge leap.
  numBers
  Kreana use a decimal counting system. When spoken, 
  numbers are always given with the single digits first, then 
  tens, hundreds, and so on. the number 219, for example, 
  is pronounced “nine, one ten, and two hundreds.” 
  it has been surmised by air breathing scholars that re-
  counting numbers in this manner empowers the speaker 
  in some way, perhaps because only he knows when the 
  number will end.
  For instance, if a human begins with “one thousand,” 
  his listener knows that the next numbers can never be 
  higher than “999.” in contrast, only the kreana speaker 
  knows when the number he is speaking of will end, thus 
  forcing his audience to pay attention to him. others have 
  argued that such a bizarre counting system is only more 
  proof of the kreanas’ barbarous nature.
  but numbers alone mean little to the kreana, especial-
  
  Kreana
  
  ly when referring to enemies. as well as a numeric count, 
  words indicating perceived strength are added. thus, a 
  handful of ordinary mariners in a boat may number 20, 
  but by adding a word or phrase such as “weaklings” or 
  more poetically “a female’s rejects,” other kreana instinc-
  tively know the mariners are not much of a threat.
  written lanGuaGe
  Kreana have no true written language, having forsak-
  en their original tongue during their ancient transforma-
  tion. they do use glyphs to display single word concepts, 
  such as “danger” or “Food.”
  such marks are carved into permanent markers, typi-
  cally coral, sunken ruins, large boulders, and shipwrecks. 
  carved with their claws, these marks always comprise 
  three lines, though they may be straight, angled, or 
  curved. any creature that speaks seatongue has knowl-
  edge of these glyphs.
  Kreana do record numbers. Within a community, 
  lengths of seaweed onto which shells have been knotted 
  are used to create simple numerical records. strings are 
  always hung vertically.
  While such a physical representation allows the kre-
  ana to read the number as a human would, from largest 
  to smallest, starting at the smallest number and working 
  upward is ingrained in them.
  away from the community, marks are made with the 
  claws. a straight line represents a length of string and 
  horizontal scratches mimic shells. most often the num-
  bers are associated with a glyph. For instance, while 
  there is a glyph to represent food, there is no adjective 
  to show “great” or “plentiful.” to give an impression of 
  food quantity, a kreana might scratch the number 1,000 
  by the food glyph.
  Calendar
  the kreana calendar comprises only seasons, and 
  every tribe uses a unique method of timekeeping. With 
  little to no sunlight reaching their homes, seasons are 
  tracked by natural events, such as the migration or re-
  turn of common food fish, changes in currents caused by 
  warming or cooling of the seas, and even subtle changes 
  in water temperature.
  shorter periods of time are noted by the turning of 
  the tides. as far as  kreana are concerned, the tides are 
  caused by carcharas’ tail beating a steady rhythm.
  trade and triBute
  as a rule, communities do not trade with each other. 
  While a clan or tribe may lack certain useful resources, 
  offering to trade is perceived as weakness, being an in-
  ability to provide for the community. instead, a commu-
  nity short of a resource will locate a nearby settlement 
  which has the commodity and either make threats until 
  the goods are handed over or launch a raid.
  an individual member will, however, barter for goods 
  when visiting a special holy site or a neighboring commu-
  nity. to demand goods be handed over when faced with 
  overwhelming odds is not bravery—it is gross stupidity.
  warfare
  it is impossible to estimate the number of kreana lurk-
  ing beneath the turbulent oceans. the few scholars that 
  know of them judge them to be the equivalent of orcs, 
  innumerable, but held in check by internal feuding and 
  their scattered tribes. individually a tribe is a menace, 
  but one that can be defeated with equal force and good 
  strategy. but were they to unify, to gather their strength, 
  they could perhaps become a true scourge, making habi-
  tation of the coastlines impossible, and perhaps even 
  extending their reach for many miles inland.
  With the high priest having declared an end to sense-
  less inter-tribal violence, that horrific possibility has 
  taken one step closer to becoming a reality.
  weapons and armor
  due to their natural weapons and native environ-
  ment, kreana do not invest time in manufacturing many 
  weapons. the weapon of choice is a short spear, ideal for 
  stabbing fish or enemies, and easily replaced if broken 
  or lost. the haft is usually driftwood scavenged from 
  the surface. coral blades are preferred, but sharks’ teeth 
  and even worked stone are used. they have little use for 
  metal in an underwater environment.
  the wearing of armor is considered an act of weak-
  ness, for no true son of carcharas should hide behind 
  added protection. more pragmatically, there is little armor 
  kreana can manufacture underwater, additional loads 
  only hamper maneuverability, and carrying extra weight 
  requires more food consumption. thus, the shark-men 
  rely solely on their tough hide for protection.
  orGanization
  Kreana are organized hunters. the formations de-
  tailed below are typical examples, but not fixed in stone. 
  unit sizes vary slightly based on the number of warriors 
  and clerics available, and thus may be smaller or larger 
  than described.
  the smallest formation is a hunting pack, which 
  comprises four warriors led by a cleric. normally this is 
  a paladin, but priests serve if no paladins are available. a 
  hunting pack is large enough to gather fish with ease and 
  powerful enough to challenge some larger prey.
  the next largest unit is the great hunting pack. it is 
  made up of two to five hunting packs (10 to 25 warriors 
  and 2 to 5 clergy). many great hunting packs also have 
  a shark caller. the formation is not one regularly main-
  tained, and command is given to a cleric when the great 
  pack is mustered. in small tribes, this formation may be 
  the entire sum of their military strength. in such cases, 
                   
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  command may be given to the senior paladin if the mis-
  sion is deemed important enough.
  the largest common formation is known as the “maw 
  of carcharas”. it is found only in tribes numbering more 
  than 100 kreana, and consists of two or more great 
  hunting packs. such packs are always led by the senior 
  paladin.
  as noted elsewhere, a pecking order exists among 
  warriors. Within a hunting pack, males constantly jostle 
  for position, for higher status means more food. the 
  highest-ranking warrior in each pack serves as the unit 
  cleric’s second-in-command. While he is not guaranteed 
  the support of his full superior at all times (he must still 
  be able to stand up for himself), it never hurts to have 
  powerful friends.
  strateGy and taCtiCs
  Kreana tactics are well rehearsed, being a natural 
  extension of their hunting techniques. this is hardly sur-
  prising, given that all non-kreana are seen as potential 
  food sources.
  When multiple units fight together, cohesion is main-
  tained through signal horns made of conch shells. every 
  tribe has a set of predetermined signals. such commands 
  are generally very basic, usually nothing more than or-
  ders for a given unit to enter the fray or fall back and 
  regroup. complex orders are instigated during the initial 
  planning, but are never carved in stone—battlefields are 
  chaotic places and the commanders always carefully 
  monitor the situation.
  because it is unlikely heroes will have much recourse 
  to battle kreana underwater, the following tactics focus 
  on the two situations air breathers are most likely to en-
  counter the vicious shark-men.
  raids, Boat
  Kreana have been known to attack all types of long-
  ships. When attacking ships, kreana prefer to have the 
  support of sharks. most attacks occur at night. although 
  kreana cannot see well in darkness, they know that most 
  of their foes will be sleeping.
  standard tactics are to remain submerged until right 
  beside the target vessel, and then surge forward from 
  close range. in darkness, there is little chance of spotting 
  the raiding party until it is too late.
  invariably their tactics require them to place their foes 
  at a significant disadvantage as quickly as possible. Fear 
  is the most favored spell, for within the confines of a 
  boat the only escape route is to jump overboard, placing 
  the victim in the kreana’s natural environment. Here he 
  can be picked off at leisure by sharks or warriors, or left 
  to drown. if that spell is not available, stun is deployed 
  to soften the defenders.
  While the cleric works his miracles, the warriors surge 
  over the gunwale, thrusting with their spears and snap-
  ping with their grim jaws. those unable to take part in 
  the first wave of boarders thrust their spears from the 
  water, adding to the carnage.
  Kreana only ever attack from one side of a ship—they 
  like to leave their air breathing prey an escape route 
  since it removes them as a threat and leaves them at their 
  mercy while they flounder around in the ocean.
  unless the situation is desperate, clerics switch to bolt 
  spells once the warriors have gained a foothold, picking 
  off individual targets from the safety of the water. there 
  is no shame in this tactic—carcharas granted the cleric 
  the spell for a reason.
  Paladins aboard the ship may invoke sphere of might 
  if the tide of battle turns against the attackers, seeking 
  to slay as many foes as possible before either a retreat is 
  called or pushing back the defenders so a second wave 
  of warriors can storm the vessel.
  of course, these tactics assume the kreana want to 
  shed blood (and they normally do). When sacrifices are 
  required, they employ stealthier techniques. the vessel 
  may be watched from a distance for many hours, the 
  shark-men studying shift patterns and selecting those 
  they wish to feed to their god. When the time is right, 
  a small number of warriors surface near the selected 
  target, reach over the gunwale, and drag him into the 
   time and tide
  natural events in Hellfrost are the work of the gods. 
  Heat waves occur because sigel’s minions are busy 
  pumping the bellows at his hearth. earth’s expan-
  sion of her subterranean home causes earthquakes. 
  in order to discover why tides exist in rassilon, one 
  must again turn to mythology.
  in days long past, neorthe was renowned for al-
  ways being late for gatherings. When this matter 
  was brought up he complained that while the sur-
  face world had the light of sigel and maera to help 
  determine the time, neither bothered to illuminate 
  his aquatic realm. as a result, he was always unsure 
  of the time.
  sigel refused to help, for if he shone so brightly as 
  to illuminate the deepest depths, he would scorch 
  the surface world. maera said that if she turned up 
  the lantern in her home she would go blind, and 
  the world would be as brilliantly lit as if sigel were 
  in the sky. However, she proposed a solution.
  she offered to fix the magical threads, touching 
  large bodies of water to her window. as her hall 
  moved through the sky, the threads would tug the 
  water along behind them, raising and lowering the 
  water level at regular intervals.
  While neorthe begrudged losing some control over 
  the ocean, he agreed that it was a workable solu-
  tion.
  that the strength of the tide varies from place to 
  place and can be altered by the season is down to 
  the unknowable one, but that is another story for 
  another day.
  
  Kreana
  
  water, whereupon he is targeted by an environmental 
  protection spell before he drowns. if the target happens 
  to be on duty alone, it may be hours before his disap-
  pearance is noticed, and by then the kreana will be many 
  miles away and deep below the surface.
  raids, Coastal
  Kreana raid coastal communities for food, sacrifices, 
  and treasure. air breathing sacrifices are especially fa-
  vored, as are their precious metals, which do not tarnish 
  or corrode.
  subtlety is not a typical watchword when discussing 
  the kreana, but they are willing to use stealth against air 
  breathers. Kreana see no shame or weakness in such 
  tactics—the wise hunter knows that to catch a fish he 
  must use patience and aggression at the right time. if he 
  moves too soon, his prey will flee. at the end of the day, 
  air breathers are just another form of prey.
  such tactics are especially favored when raiding com-
  munities known to be well guarded. unless the pack is 
  especially large or the foe known to be especially weak, 
  announcing your presence to the enemy is only likely to 
  cause unnecessary deaths.
  many communities are protected by fences or walls. 
  although they have clawed hands and feet, climbing is 
  not a skill required in an environment when one can 
  move freely in three dimensions. in such instances the 
  kreana focus their attention on the main gate, using 
  whatever is at hand as a battering ram.
  sooner or later the kreana make their presence felt, 
  for few can resist the blood lust in their veins. unless the 
  aim is mindless bloodshed, the initial assault often starts 
  with a cleric launching fear at any armed defenders. 
  given suitable time and stealth, command figures may 
  be hit with panic first, to help weaken their resolve.
  depending on the type of cleric and his particular 
  miracles, he may then employ stun against suitable sac-
  rifices. Powerful individuals or small groups the kreana 
  see as a threat might be weakened by bolt or sphere of 
  might spells. if a powerful adversary has been selected 
  for sacrifices, then fatigue and stun spells are used in-
  stead. once the cleric has played his part, the kreana 
  warriors engage their foes in bloody battle.
  the aim of a raid is generally to acquire goods, not 
  fight a prolonged engagement. once the kreana’s goals 
  are met, they quickly retreat to the safety of the water. at 
  this point environmental protection spells are cast on 
  sacrifices, ensuring they can survive the long journey to 
  the kreana’s lair.
  While they do not expect to be followed by air breath-
  ers, kreana take no chances. during the return trip the 
  pack will make several detours through areas of thick 
  kelp. lurking unseen are other hunting packs ready to 
  ambush pursuers. as well as harassing any pursuers, the 
  tactic buys the hunting pack time to reach home and 
  alert their comrades to potential invaders.
  note that while many clerics know the sanctuary 
  ritual, few are willing to use it without good justification. 
  First, it might be viewed as retreating from battle, and 
  thus leave one open to accusations of weakness. second, 
  the spell transports the cleric to the nearest temple of 
  carcharas, and that might not be one’s own tribe.
  reliGion
  Kreana faith focuses on carcharas, the race’s sole de-
  ity. He is both protector and destroyer, benevolent and 
  malevolent, a god who combines the aspects of many of 
  the greater pantheon worshipped by air breathers.
  the kreana have a single afterlife for the pious and 
  multiple versions of eternal damnation for those who 
  offend carcharas. those who live and die in the shark 
  god’s service are destined to bond with their deity in 
  death, becoming one with their god and giving him in-
  creased strength. eventually, such will be his might that 
  he will burst forth from his prison and reap revenge on 
  neorthe.
  the various hells all involve becoming food for car-
  charas. the least sinful are transformed into prey fish on 
  which the god feeds in vast quantities. their existence is 
  the constant fear of being hunted and devoured, their 
  essence expunged from existence. the worst sinners and 
  weaklings are chewed eternally, repeatedly ground in the 
  god’s cyclopean jaws and ripped apart by his immense 
  teeth while remaining fully conscious of their pain and 
  unable to end their misery.
  there is a middle ground, for the kreana believe in 
  limited reincarnation, something no other sentient race 
  does. a kreana who is neither pious nor sinful returns in 
  the form of a shark. He has no memory of his former life, 
  no sentience, but he is able to serve his god by spread-
  ing death and hunting the weak. should he fail in this 
  new life, he is condemned to one of the hells. a long, 
  successful life as a remorseless hunter may see him join 
  with his god.
  this accounts, at least partially, for why kreana both 
  hunt and use sharks. Killing a shark culls the weak, while 
  using them allows the creatures to serve carcharas.
  CarCharas
  Titles: the great shark, scourge of the ocean, the 
  devourer, deep Hunter.
  Aspects: sharks, kreana, bloodshed, destruction, 
  gluttony, fear.
  Symbol: a shark’s tooth.
  Priesthood: carcharas has both priests and paladins.
  Herald: no true herald. carcharas is rumored to have 
  an avatar.
  Holy Days: celebrations are held to coincide with 
  fish migrations, and before and after raids.
  Signature Power: Smite (bite only).
  Powers: Altered senses, analyze foe, armor, beast 
  friend (sharks only), bless/panic, bolt, boost/lower trait 
  (Fighting, notice, and swimming only), champion of the 
                  
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  faith, environmental protection (water only), fatigue, 
  fear, growth/shrink, healing, sacrifice, sanctuary, shape 
  change (sharks only), speed, sphere of might, stun, sum-
  mon herald (carcharas sends a megalodon).
  Trappings: all trappings relate to sharks (such as 
  shark’s teeth for bolt) or water (for stun).
  Disciple Edge: carcharas grants his kreana disciples 
  enlarged teeth and the ability to chew through armor. 
  their teeth inflict strength+d6 damage, aP 2. by spending 
  a benny, the teeth become Heavy Weapons for one round.
  carcharas is the sole god of the kreana. like many 
  inhuman gods, carcharas has no place within the wider 
  pantheon except as an enemy. in this case, he is the eter-
  nal foe of neorthe. some myths claim that when neorthe 
  first created sharks, one particular specimen quickly de-
  veloped into a voracious hunter. everything and anything 
  in his path was fair prey, and he rapidly grew to monstrous 
  size. by the time neorthe realized what was happening, 
  the shark was large enough to challenge even a god.
  the two deities fought on and off for eons before 
  neorthe finally got the upper hand. using his magical 
  trident, he slashed carcharas once on each side of the 
  head, stunning the monstrous fish. lacking the power to 
  slay the beast, neorthe imprisoned him in a deep, dark, 
  watery realm from which he could not escape. even to-
  day, all sharks carry the scars of neorthe as a reminder 
  that neorthe is the true power beneath the waves.
  Ceremonies
  Kreana rituals revolve around the sacrifice of air 
  breathers and treasure. a lot of blood is spilled during 
  the fell rites, which drives the kreana into a frenzy. Wildly 
  gnashing jaws and slashing claws make attendance a 
  dangerous proposition, but there is no alternative—fail-
  ure to attend a ceremony is a death sentence.
  Bestiary
  this section pulls together various stat blocks con-
  cerning the kreana and their allies, consolidating them 
  in a single volume for ease of use when designing or 
  running shark-men related adventures.
        aVatar of CarCharas
  canonically, the avatar of carcharas can only be sum-
  moned at the conclusion of an ancient prophecy. this 
  event forms the basis of adventure H3: The Blood Tide. 
  in your campaign, it may be possible to summon the 
  avatar at other times.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d8, spirit d10, strength 
  d12+8, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d12, intimidation d12+2, notice d10, 
  stealth d6
  Pace: —; Parry: 8; Toughness: 16
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Aquatic: Pace 12.
  * Bite: str+d12, aP 4. Heavy Weapon.
  * Blood Frenzy: once there’s a significant amount of 
  blood in the water (usually one wound), the avatar 
  goes into frenzy and adds +2 to its attacks and dam-
  age for the rest of the fight.
  * Chew: the avatar does not roll a bonus 1d6 damage if 
  it scores a raise on its Fighting roll against foes of size 
  +3 or smaller. instead, it has taken them into its maw. 
  Victims are at –4 to any physical rolls while inside the 
  creature’s mouth. each round, the victim automati-
  cally takes str+d12 damage. until the victim is spat 
  out, escapes (requires an opposed strength roll), or 
  slain (the remains are swallowed as a free action), the 
  avatar cannot use its bite attack.
  * Fear (–2): anyone seeing the avatar must make a spir-
  it roll at –2. the kreana are immune to this effect.
  * Fearless: immune to Fear and intimidation.
  * Gargantuan: Heavy armor. attacks against them by 
  man-sized creatures are made at +4. 
  * Hardy: successive shaken results do not cause a wound.
  * Size +8: the avatar is over 60’ long.
  Kreana
  Blood raGer
  blood ragers are kreana warriors who fly into a deadly 
  frenzy whenever they inflict an injury on a foe. they 
  carry barbed spears, which tear victim’s flesh and inflict 
  terrible wounds when the tip is removed.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d6, spirit d6, strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, intimidation d6, notice d8, stealth 
  d8
   other leGends
  other myths claim that carcharas was a creation of 
  dargar, a means to spread cruelty and destruction 
  in the seas. in some stories he is nothing more than 
  a herald of dargar granted immense powers, while 
  in others the shark god is a favored pet of dargar.
  some legends state that carcharas was a normal 
  shark until the unknowable one fed it air-breathing 
  animals to see what would happen. the shark grew 
  larger and more aggressive. Fearful his experiment 
  would be discovered, he quietly dragged the shark 
  into the deep ocean where no one would find it. 
  another version puts the blame on loki, who fed a 
  shark on human flesh to spite the other gods. this, 
  some say, is why kreana are willing to come ashore 
  and hunt humans.
  naturally, the kreana refute all such claims, and any-
  one who dares whisper such heresy in their pres-
  ence is sure to end up as a sacrificial victim.
                  
  
  Kreana
  
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: bloodthirsty
  Edges: —
  Gear: barbed short spear (str+d6+2, reach 1)
  Treasure: meager
  Special Abilities:
  * Aquatic: Pace 10.
  * Armor +1: scales.
  * Blood Frenzy: a blood rager automatically goes ber-
  serk (as per the edge) when it inflicts a wound. While 
  berserk it makes two Fighting attacks per round at no 
  penalty and has +2 to recover from being shaken.
  * Claws/Bite: str+d4.
  * Dehydration: Kreana must immerse themselves in 
  water at least one hour out of every 24. those who 
  don’t are automatically Fatigued each day until they 
  are incapacitated. the day after that, they perish.
         paladin
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d8, spirit d10, strength 
  d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Faith d8, Fighting d10, intimidation d10, notice 
  d8, stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: bloodthirsty
  Edges: arcane background (miracles), command, Fer-
  vor, Frenzy
  Gear: short spear (str+d6, reach 1)
  Treasure: Worthwhile
  Special Abilities:
  * Aquatic: Pace 10. Kreana can run while swimming.
  * Armor +1: scales.
  * Claws/Bite: str+d4.
  * Dehydration: Kreana must immerse themselves in 
  water at least one hour out of every 24. those who 
  don’t are automatically Fatigued each day until they 
  are incapacitated. the day after that, they perish.
  * Powers: Paladins know the following spells: armor 
  (toughened scales), beast friend (sharks), bolt (shark’s 
  teeth), boost/lower trait (Fighting, notice, and swim-
  ming only), fear, sanctuary, shape change (sharks 
  only), smite (bite only, increases size of teeth).
         priest
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d10, spirit d10, strength 
  d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Faith d10, Fighting d6, intimidation d10, notice 
  d8, stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: bloodthirsty
  Edges: arcane background (miracles)
  Gear: short spear (str+d6, reach 1)
  Treasure: Worthwhile
  Special Abilities:
  * Aquatic: Pace 10. Kreana can run while swimming.
  * Armor +1: scales.
  * Claws/Bite: str+d4.
  * Dehydration: Kreana must immerse themselves in 
  water at least one hour out of every 24. those who 
  don’t are automatically Fatigued each day until they 
  are incapacitated. the day after that, they perish.
  * Powers: Priests know the following spells: beast 
  friend (sharks only), bolt (shark’s teeth), fatigue 
  (water in lungs), healing, sanctuary, shape change 
  (sharks only), smite (bite only, increases size of teeth), 
  stun (blast of water).
  sharK Caller
  shark callers know the ancient songs of carcharas; 
  deep, ululating rhythms that irresistibly draw sharks to 
  the singer. shark callers are not priests, but rather serve 
  the community as skalds and sages. lacking a written 
  language, the kreana pass on their folklore, knowledge 
  of good hunting grounds, laws, and so on, verbally. al-
  though spells are used to mimic their abilities, the pow-
  ers cannot be dispelled or negated.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d8, spirit d8, strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, intimidation d6, Knowledge (arcana) 
  d8, Knowledge (Folklore) d8, notice d8, stealth d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Hindrances: bloodthirsty
  Gear: short spear (str+d6, reach 1)
  Treasure: meager
  Special Abilities:
  * Aquatic: Pace 10.
  * Armor +1: scales.
  * Call Sharks: shark callers may use the beast friend 
  (sharks only) and summon beast (sharks only) spells 
  using spirit as their arcane skill die.
  * Claws/Bite: str+d4.
  * Dehydration: Kreana must immerse themselves in 
  water at least one hour out of every 24. those who 
  don’t are automatically Fatigued each day until they 
  are incapacitated. the day after that, they perish.
  warrior
  Female kreana have Fighting d4, Parry 4, and do not 
  carry spears. they otherwise use the stats of males.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d6, spirit d6, strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, intimidation d6, notice d8, stealth d8
  Hindrances: bloodthirsty
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Gear: short spear (str+d6, reach 1)
  Treasure: meager, per 3 warriors
  Special Abilities:
  * Aquatic: Pace 10. Kreana can run while swimming.
  * Armor +1: scales.
  * Claws/Bite: str+d4.
  * Dehydration: Kreana must immerse themselves in 
  water at least one hour out of every 24. those who 
  don’t are automatically Fatigued each day until they 
  are incapacitated. the day after that, they perish.
  
  hellfrost: Creature Guide
  
  sharKs
  sharks swim in the warm waters off the southern 
  coasts. only the much-feared megalodon haunts the 
  arctic seas further north. Fishermen are in the most dan-
  ger, for the smell of bloody fish attracts these voracious 
  predators from miles around. unless guided by kreana 
  or induced into a feeding frenzy, shark attacks are actu-
  ally very rare occurrences.
  typiCal man-eater
  these statistics cover most medium-sized man-eaters, 
  such as tiger, mako, and bull sharks.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d4(a), spirit d6, strength 
  d8, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, notice d12
  Pace: —; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Treasure: none
  Special Abilities:
  * Aquatic: Pace 10.
  * Bite: str+d6.
  * Feeding Frenzy: once there is a significant amount 
  of blood in the water (usually one wound), all sharks 
  present go into a feeding frenzy and add +2 to their 
  attacks and damage for the rest of the fight.
  Great white
  these statistics cover great 
  whites measuring 18 to 25 feet 
  long. larger specimens do exist, 
  as do smaller ones.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts 
  d4(a), spirit d8, strength d12+4, 
  Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d10, notice d12
  Pace: —; Parry: 7; Toughness: 
  12
  Treasure: meager, in stomach
  Special Abilities:
  * Aquatic: Pace 10.
  * Bite: str+d8.
  * Feeding Frenzy: once there 
  is a significant amount of 
  blood in the water (usually 
  one wound), all sharks pres-
  ent go into a feeding frenzy 
  and add +2 to their attacks 
  and damage for the rest of the 
  fight.
  * Hardy: second shaken does 
  not cause a wound.
  * Large: attackers add +2 to 
  their attack rolls when attack-
  ing a great White, due to its 
  large size.
  * Size +4: great whites can 
  grow up to 25’ in length.
         meGalodon
  these massive predators are large enough to attack 
  the biggest warships, and have done so on several oc-
  casions. Fortunately, they rarely come close to shore, 
  preferring to lurk in the deeper oceans. Kreana revere 
  them as avatars of their bloodthirsty god.
  Attributes: agility d8, smarts d4(a), spirit d6, strength 
  d12+8, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d10, intimidation d10, notice d10, 
  stealth d6
  Pace: —; Parry: 7; Toughness: 18 (2)
  Treasure: treasure trove, in stomach
  Special Abilities:
  * Aquatic: Pace 10.
  * Armor +2: thick skin.
  * Bite: str+d12.
  * Gargantuan: Heavy armor. attacks against them by 
  man-size creatures are made at +4. a megalodon’s at-
  tacks are Heavy Weapons. add size to damage when 
  stomping (only possible for this beast if it manages to 
  breach up and onto a vessel).
  * Size +8: megalodons are over 60’ long.
  * Swallow: if a megalodon scores a raise on its Fight-
  ing roll against foes of size +3 or smaller, it has swal-
  lowed them. Victims are at –4 to any physical rolls 
  while inside its gut and –4 to damage. Victims must 
  make a Vigor roll each round or gain a level of Fa-
  tigue. this can lead to death.
  
  www.tripleacegames.com
  $16.99
  10113
  From the comical-looking but deadly 
  bufomi to fearsome frost giants to
  ravenous kreana, Hellfrost is populated 
  by all manner of intelligent
  creatures. Designed for GMs who want 
  their monsters to be more than
  simple swordfodder and for players 
  who want to face new challenges,
  the Creature Guide Compendium 
  explores six of these monstrous races.
  Inside this invaluable tome you will 
  find detailed notes on anatomy,
  social structure, culture, warfare, and 
  religion, as well as stats for
  all manner of foes!
  Featured inside this 68-page book are:
  * Bufomi
  * Frost Giants
  * Fungals
  * Golems
  * Ice Goblins
  * Kreana
  KNOW YOUR ENEMY!
  © 2008-2015 Triple Ace Games. Hellfrost and all related marks and logos are trademarks of  Triple Ace Games. Savage Worlds, and all related marks and logos are  
  trademarks of Pinnacle Entertainment Group. © 2015. All rights reserved. Used with permission. 
  This book is designed for use in conjunction with the Hellfrost Player’s Guide 
  and Hellfrost Bestiary.
  Hellfrost is the epic fantasy setting for the award-winning Savage Worlds RPG.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Triple Ace Games/Hellfrost/Savage Worlds - Hellfrost - Creature Guide.pdf