TEXT: TM
  A Modular Toolkit to Build Endless RPG Adventures
  
  2
  
  3
  ADVENTURE KIT
  TM
  Absolute Tabletop, LLC
  PO Box 2493
  Moriarty, NM 87035
  www.AbsoluteTabletop.com
  AbsoluteTabletop@Gmail.com   
  Copyright © 2017 by Absolute Tabletop, LLC. All rights 
  reserved. Version 1.0 – October 2017.
  Absolute Tabletop, the Absolute Tabletop logo, the Absolute 
  Tabletop monogram, and all content contained herein are 
  trademarks of Absolute Tabletop, LLC. Any reproduction or 
  unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is 
  prohibited without the express written permission of Absolute 
  Tabletop, LLC.
  Adventure Kit™ is a trademark of Absolute Tabletop, LLC in the 
  U.S.A. and other countries.
  Arbitron, Enchea, Erenoth, and Dragongrin are all trademarks of 
  Absolute Tabletop, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries.
  Dice Drop Adventure Generator™ is a trademark of Absolute 
  Tabletop, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries.
  This product is compatible with the fifth edition of the world’s 
  oldest fantasy roleplaying game, published by Wizards of the 
  Coast, Inc. It is licensed under the Open Game License Version 
  1.0a Copyright © 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. It utilizes the 
  System Reference Document 5.0 Copyright © 2016, Wizards 
  of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris 
  Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. 
  Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, 
  based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. 
  The full text of the Open Gaming License Version 1.0a can be 
  found at the back of this book.
  Oath of the Frozen King is set in the following fonts: Aller, 
  Diavlo, and Graveside.
  www.AbsoluteTabletop.com
  Project Lead:
  Tim Kearney
  Writing and Editing:
  Tim Kearney, Matt Click, Michael 
  Barker, and James Kearney
  Layout:
  Matt Click
  Design:
  Jon Pintar and Tim Kearney
  Cover Art:
  Jon Pintar
  Interior Art:
  Jon Pintar, Emily Kruger, and Jake 
  Perez
  Isometric Map:
  Jon Pintar
  Dice Drop Maps:
  Nate Vanderzee (Sellsword Maps)
  Adventure Maps:
  Joe Bilton and Sarah Bilton 
  (Heroic Maps)
  Special Thanks:
  The Kickstarter Backers – for 
  making this book a reality.
  Inspiration at the Speed of Your Imagination
  Somewhere between pre-written adventure modules 
  and your own simple prep notes, there’s an RPG 
  sweet spot. Adventure Kits from Absolute Tabletop 
  provide versatile, flexible frameworks for roleplaying 
  game adventures. Much like a model kit, some 
  assembly is required. We provide the pieces – all you 
  need is some paint, a little glue, and a steady hand. 
  Build fun, limitless adventures quickly and easily 
  with Adventure Kits from Absolute Tabletop!
  This book was created with the help of 1,231 Kickstarter backers.
  
  4
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | FOREWORD
  I love to think about the games I’m going to run, but I don’t 
  like sitting down to prep them. Distilling an interesting 
  concept into a quantified encounter isn’t something that 
  comes naturally to me, so I usually avoid the work. I’m a 
  “wing it after I’ve thought about it for a week” sort of GM, 
  and to be honest, my games might improve if I had the 
  discipline to spend more prep time on the most beneficial 
  things. I think the eternal, paramount question for us as 
  Game Masters is: “What do I prep?”
  I often find myself turning to pre-written adventure 
  modules – not to run them, but to flip through them, 
  vicariously feeling someone else’s hard work and 
  painstaking preparation pass through my fingers, hoping 
  to gain a measure of it by osmosis. I find myself pillaging 
  pre-written adventures for seeds of ideas. That mayor’s 
  plot hook to find his son? I can hitch that to my paladin’s 
  wagon. That vile orcish tribe’s motives of divine chaos? 
  That’s perfect for the faction hunting down my player 
  characters. I find myself wishing I didn’t have to dig 
  through modules, scouring for the best NPCs, the coolest 
  locations, and the basics of each encounter, stripping 
  them of unnecessary elements and retrofitting them to my 
  campaign. I find myself wishing that someone would make 
  something that combines just the pieces, so I can use them 
  however I want...
  So we did.
  FOREWORD
  Adventure Kits from Absolute Tabletop are the pinnacle 
  of our mantra “We make what we’d use.” What you have 
  in your possession is preparation at the speed of your 
  imagination, with the linchpins we use to prepare – laid 
  out in all of their simple, modular glory. NPCs, monsters, 
  locations, encounters – all segmented, all ready to be 
  mixed and matched to create the game you’re imagining – 
  quicker and easier than ever.
  Providing all of the most concentrated pieces of an 
  adventure module like a buffet carries the wonderful side 
  effect of unmatched replayability. For the first time ever, 
  an RPG adventure supplement can be used with the same 
  group over and over, with vastly different setups and 
  outcomes.
  To create a true Game Master’s dream, we included the 
  Toolkit: a multi-page, thematic smorgasbord of roll table 
  after roll table, generator after generator, to customize and 
  create everything from traps and monsters to locations and 
  NPCs. You can construct these things yourself, or let the 
  dice fall where they may – creating new and interesting 
  combinations with every toss of the dice.
  What you’re about to read is the prep book that we’ve 
  always wanted – so much so, we had to make it ourselves. 
  We hope you like this inaugural Adventure Kit, entitled 
  Oath of the Frozen King, and we look forward to creating 
  many more. 
  Now what are you waiting for? Get prepping.
  From our tabletop to yours,
  Tim (and Matt, and Barker, and James)
  Absolute Tabletop 
  timbo the prep troll
  
  ADVENTURE KIT
  TM
  5
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TABLE OF CONTENTS
  USING THIS BOOK 
  6
  ADVENTURE SETTING 
  9
  11 GRISLY TRUTHS OF DRAGONGRIN 
  10
  ADVENTURE OVERVIEW 
  12
  ADVENTURE MAPS 
  15
  ISOMETRIC MAP 
  15
  BATTLE MAP 
  16
  EXPANSION ROOMS 
  17
  LOCATIONS 
  18
  THE ALTAR OF SORROW 
  18
  THE SWORD SHRINE 
  18
  GUNTHER’S RESPITE 
  19
  THE HALL OF BONE AND ICE 
  19
  GRIGOR’S KENNEL 
  19
  THE FRIGID TOMB 
  19
  ENCOUNTERS 
  20
  THE FREEZING SOLDIER 
  20
  THE MAD TROLL 
  20
  FRIGID CANNIBALS 
  20
  ON THIN ICE 
  21
  THE CHASM 
  21
  TAX OF THE FROZEN KING 
  21
  CLIMAX: THE FROZEN KING 
  22
  NPCS 
  24
  SIEGFRIED: LONE SOLDIER 
  24
  KURTZ: SAVAGE CULT LEADER 
  25
  RUSKA: TOMB ROBBER 
  26
  VARNISS: LOST ADVENTURER 
  26
  GRAST: GRUFF MERCENARY 
  27
  HALEY: STALWART PALADIN 
  27
  MONSTERS 
  28
  ICE SKELETON (MINION) 
  28
  ZEALOT (SKIRMISHER) 
  29
  KENNEL HOUND (SKIRMISHER) 
  29
  MAD TROLL (VANGUARD) 
  30
  HAND OF THE FROZEN KING (VANGUARD) 
  30
  THE FROZEN KING (NEMESIS) 
  31
  RESOLUTION AND REWARDS 
  32
  TOOLBOX 
  34
  ADVENTURE ODDITIES 
  34
  ITEMS AND LOOT 
  35
  LOCATION GENERATOR 
  37
  ENCOUNTER GENERATOR 
  40
  MONSTER GENERATOR 
  42
  SKILL CHALLENGE GENERATOR 
  45
  TRAP GENERATOR 
  46
  NPC GENERATOR 
  48
  SHORT STORY: A CROWN OF BONE AND ICE 
  52
  KICKSTARTER BACKERS 
  56
  OPEN GAMING LICENSE 
  60
  KICKSTARTER EXCLUSIVE PRODUCTION DIARY 
  62
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
  
  6
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | USING THIS BOOK
  Somewhere between pre-written adventure modules and 
  your own simple prep notes, there’s an RPG sweet spot. 
  Adventure Kits from Absolute Tabletop provide versatile, 
  flexible frameworks for roleplaying game adventures. Much 
  like a model kit, some assembly is required. We provide 
  the pieces – all you need is some paint, a little glue, and a 
  steady hand. 
  The locations, maps, encounters, and other assets supplied 
  in Adventure Kits are intended to give Game Masters some 
  fast, fun, ready-made material with which to construct 
  adventures of all varieties.
  WHAT’S INCLUDED?
  In Oath of the Frozen King, you’ll find inspiration, mechanics, 
  and ready-made, modular parts and pieces for crafting 
  an icy adventure. Use as little or as much as you need to 
  create your unique experience. 
  Adventure Setting: Some basic info on the world of 
  Dragongrin, plus some guidelines on how to set Oath of the 
  Frozen King in your preferred campaign setting. 
  Adventure Overview: This top-down view includes high 
  concept details of the lore, tone, and possible conflicts that 
  can unfold during the adventure.
  Locations: Each area of the adventure includes a flavorful 
  description, complete with bulleted sensory details.
  Maps: Oath of the Frozen King includes an isometric dungeon 
  map, as well as a full-page battle map of the adventuring 
  locations for easy reference. You can find full-size maps 
  for use with miniatures available for purchase at www.
  HeroicMaps.com. 
  Encounters: This list of encounters includes roleplay 
  encounters, combats, skill challenges, environmental 
  hurdles, puzzles and traps, and a climactic “boss” 
  encounter.
  NPCs: A handful of unique non-player characters, complete 
  with physical descriptions, personality traits, and even 
  secrets for use in roleplay encounters. 
  Monsters: Pre-generated monsters complete with 
  basic stats, and simple guidelines to scale them for any 
  challenge level.
  Resolution and Rewards: Suggested adventure resolutions 
  and ideas for satisfying rewards and loot for the 
  adventurers.
  Toolbox: Modular add-ons and adventure enhancements, 
  including mechanics, thematic phrases, set dressing, 
  trinkets and loot, and simple generators for monsters, skill 
  challenges, and traps.
  WHAT YOU’LL NEED
  • 
  This Adventure Kit (and any other Adventure Kits you 
  want to pull material from).
  • 
  A fistful of polyhedral dice to roll on the provided 
  tables.
  • 
  A pencil and some paper (or index cards) to plot out 
  your adventure.
  WHERE TO BEGIN
  If you want to dive right into your adventure, then we have 
  a few easy suggestions for getting started!
  QUICKSTART METHOD
  Just start playing – use the locations and encounters as 
  provided to run a fun, simple adventure. Follow the steps 
  below to prep for your game.
  1. Read over the adventure overview – this will give you 
  a handle on the background lore, overall tone, and 
  components of the adventure. You will also roll to 
  create the framing quest of your adventure.
  2. Take a look at the provided maps, and familiarize 
  yourself with the locations and their descriptions.
  3. Decide on which encounters you’d like to include. Use 
  any or all of them!
  4. Tweak the locations and encounters to your liking 
  using the provided Toolbox.
  5. Gather your friends and run your unique adventure!
  USING THIS BOOK
  A NOTE ON NUMBERS
  Adventure Kits are designed to be compatible 
  with the fifth edition of the world’s oldest fantasy 
  roleplaying game, but we’ve left out a lot of the 
  numbers to make it easy to run with your preferred 
  system and with player characters of any level. For 
  instance, an encounter might mention making a 
  Dexterity saving throw, but leave the exact target 
  number or DC to the GM’s discretion. When you 
  need a number, lean on your system of choice and 
  the level of your adventurers. Guidelines for DCs, 
  damage, and monster stats are included in the 
  Toolbox at the back of this Adventure Kit.
  MULTI-ROLL TABLES
  Throughout this book, you will find roll tables with 
  multiple columns, designed to be rolled on multiple 
  times to yield varied results. When you see a die 
  symbol like this (d12³), it means you should roll a 
  d12 three times.
  
  7
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | USING THIS BOOK
  FOLLOW YOUR INSPIRATION
  If you’re stuck on where to begin, choose a starting point 
  from the list below, and you’ll soon find yourself elbow-
  deep in a finished adventure.
  1. Locations/Maps: Begin with the locations first. This 
  allows you to think of them as containers to fill with 
  challenges, threats, and people, focusing on the sights, 
  sounds, and locations of each area.
  2. Encounters: Start by choosing what challenges 
  you want your players to face, and what character 
  resources you want to tax.
  3. NPCs: Focus on the people involved, allowing their 
  conflicts to take center stage.
  4. Monsters: Start with a monstrous enemy, and 
  construct your adventure around them. 
  5. Resolution and Rewards: Start at the end, and work 
  your way back. What’s the ultimate goal of the 
  adventure, and what’s at stake?
  6. Toolbox: Begin by combing through the toolbox and 
  randomly generating some unique challenges that suit 
  your players’ playstyles and characters’ skill levels.
  DICE DROP ADVENTURE GENERATORTM
  For a fun, randomized start to your adventure, roll a set 
  of dice on a piece of paper and watch your dungeon take 
  shape using the provided roll tables.
  1. Grab a blank sheet of paper and a fistful of polyhedral 
  dice. You’ll need a full set of 6 dice including a d4, d6, 
  d8, d10, d12, and a d20.
  2. Roll the dice across the sheet of paper. These dice 
  represent your adventure locations.
  3. Slide the dice around to create your preferred layout, 
  and then outline each of them.
  4. Next to each dice outline, write down the die type, as 
  well as the number rolled.
  5. Remove the dice, and draw connecting lines between 
  your outlines.
  6. Now, use the tables on this page to see what each 
  location contains. (If you get a duplicate, explain it 
  narratively, or choose an adjacent option.)
  7. Finally, place additional NPCs, monsters, hazards, etc. 
  from the Toolbox to round out your adventure.
  Die
  Location
  d4
  Hall of Bone and Ice
  d6
  Gunther's Respite
  d8
  The Altar of Sorrow
  d10
  The Sword Shrine
  d12
  Grigor's Kennel
  d20
  The Frigid Tomb
  d4
  Hall of Bone and Ice Encounters
  1
  The Freezing Soldier
  2
  The Mad Troll
  3
  Frigid Cannibals
  4
  Tax of the Frozen King
  d6
  Gunther’s Respite Encounters
  1
  The Chasm
  2-3
  On Thin Ice
  4-5
  Tax of the Frozen King
  6
  The Freezing Soldier
  d8
  Altar of Sorrow Encounters
  1-2
  Tax of the Frozen King
  3-4
  Reward – Roll on an item table!
  5-6
  The Mad Troll
  7-8
  The Chasm
  d10
  Sword Shrine Encounters
  1-3
  On Thin Ice
  4-6
  The Freezing Soldier
  7-9
  Reward – Roll on an item table!
  10
  Frigid Cannibals
  d12
  Grigor’s Kennel Encounters
  1-3
  The Chasm
  4-6
  Frigid Cannibals
  7-9
  On Thin Ice
  10-12
  The Mad Troll
  d20
  Frigid Tomb Encounters
  1-5
  The adventurers surprise the Frozen King
  6-10
  The Hand of the King interferes
  11-19
  The Frozen King fights other creatures
  20
  The Frozen King wanders – swap the contents 
  of the closest room with the climax encounter
  
  8
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | USING THIS BOOK
  the dice drop dungeon generatortm
  step 1: roll a fistful of dice
  step 2: consult the tables. 
  assign locations and 
  encounters.
  step 3: flesh out the 
  map, sprinkle with 
  your favorite stuff 
  from the toolbox, 
  and get playing.
  
  9
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | USING THIS BOOK
  ADVENTURE SETTING
  This adventure takes place in Arbitron, the official shared-
  universe of Absolute Tabletop. Arbitron’s known realms 
  are Dragongrin, Enchea, and Erenoth, which are all 
  orbited by three moons. These realms are separated by 
  a volatile arcane maelstrom known as the Bleak, making 
  travel between them perilous, and often deadly. There are 
  limitless unexplored worlds in the cosmos of Arbitron – and 
  boundless adventure to be found! To find out more about 
  these worlds, visit AbsoluteTabletop.com.
  DRAGONGRIN
  Evil reigns in the realm of Dragongrin. Twenty years ago, 
  the Dismembered Lord crushed the forces of good, and 
  now he rules over the ashes. Heroes aren’t welcome here 
  in Dragongrin – but there are those who seek to do the 
  impossible, and against all odds, take up arms against the 
  shadow of the Dismembered Lord. 
  VARNHOLME
  Varnholme is a grassy, rainy region in the eastern portion 
  of Dragongrin. The northern reaches of Varnholme, called 
  Winter’s Tongue, are home to frozen mountains and icy 
  fjords, as well as the Maw of Black Ice, the keep where the 
  Frozen King was entombed after his execution. The reach 
  of the Dismembered Lord does not extend far into this 
  region, but his shadow can still be felt, and his patrols pose 
  a threat to outsiders – if the harsh elements don’t claim 
  them first.
  RESKINNING THIS ADVENTURE
  Need an adventure that isn’t set in a frozen tundra? Easily 
  reskin Oath of the Frozen King to suit any environment. Find 
  some ideas on the following table.
  SETTING THIS ADVENTURE ELSEWHERE
  While this Adventure Kit is set in Dragongrin, it 
  can easily be dropped into your favorite campaign 
  setting, and is best suited for freezing regions 
  prone to deep snow and howling blizzards. It could 
  also work atop a snowy mountain range, or even a 
  location that is cursed to a long, unnatural winter – 
  perhaps due to the Frozen King’s oath.
  RESKINNING THIS ADVENTURE
  d8
  New Adventure
  Reskin With...
  1
  Oath of the Buried Emperor
  Stone and earth, the adventure occurs deep underground.
  2
  Oath of the Desert Prince
  Sand and heat, the adventure occurs in the desert.
  3
  Oath of the Drowned Queen
  Water and reef, the adventure occurs on the coast/under water.
  4
  Oath of the Forest King
  Forest and groves, the adventure takes place in an enchanted wood.
  5
  Oath of the Mountain Lord
  Mountains and hills, the adventure takes place atop a craggy peak.
  6
  Oath of the Rogue Czar
  Brick and wood, the adventure occurs in a dilapidated thieves’ den.
  7
  Oath of the Serpent King
  Jungle and vines, the adventure occurs deep in a savage land.
  8
  Oath of the Burning Chieftain
  Fire and stone, the adventure takes place near an active volcano.
  
  10
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | USING THIS BOOK
  11 GRISLY TRUTHS OF DRAGONGRIN
  1. Lightfall was the death of hope. In Dragongrin, evil 
  reigns. The forces of good were decimated by the 
  forces of darkness, falling to the military might of the 
  Dismembered Lord in a series of catastrophic events 
  known as Lightfall. The hand of the Dismembered Lord 
  extends over the realm even today, and the shadow of 
  his empire spreads like a sickness from the region of 
  Grinn, threatening to snuff out any light that remains.
  2. Being a hero will get you killed. Heroes are not 
  welcome, as they bring unwanted attention and 
  retribution from the forces of darkness. They fight a 
  battle most consider already lost. By and large, the 
  common people of Grinn do not welcome heroes 
  readily, for they have witnessed the draconian 
  punishments of the Dismembered Lord firsthand. 
  Those who choose to take action against the evils 
  of the land often do so alone. Many are quick to 
  meet their own deaths – or worse. Those resilient 
  enough to persist may catch the attention of one 
  of the few revolutionary organizations that operate 
  in insubordination of the Dismembered Lord – the 
  Copper Jackals, the Peacemakers, or the Undying Light, 
  to name a few.
  3. Amidst the shadows, a Copper Sun rises. Points 
  of dim sanctuary persist in a land of long, gnarled 
  shadows – the greatest of which is the Copper Sun, 
  a city that floats high above the terrors of the land. It 
  is the capital city of the region of Innes, and though 
  ransacked and cast earthbound during Lightfall, it is 
  being rebuilt in secret. Having achieved flight again, 
  the Copper Sun has risen to become a beacon of hope 
  – though its light in the surrounding regions grows 
  dimmer by the day. If you wander beyond the Copper 
  Sun, you’re subject to either the feral law of the land, 
  or the martial law of Grinn.
  4. Imminence is the most powerful force that exists, 
  yet is nearly impossible to wield. In Dragongrin, 
  there are three primary sources of magic: arcane, 
  divine, and Imminence. Imminence is a pre-creation 
  energy source of endless potential and raw primeval 
  power. It is a formless, shapeless force from which 
  all creation was birthed eons ago. Its secrets were 
  long lost to history until recently. Now unearthed, its 
  volatile and untamable power holds limitless potential 
  to those who can withstand it. From Imminence 
  comes light, comes darkness, comes good, comes 
  evil, comes everything in between. From Imminence 
  comes all. Those who know of Imminence rightly fear 
  it, and those rare few who command it can become 
  unstoppable. 
  5. The Bleak is a festering magical maelstrom, and the 
  source of arcane power. In many realms, the font from 
  which arcane magic flows is ethereal and mysterious, 
  but in Dragongrin, it is a physical force of nature that 
  mars the land endlessly. Chaotic and volatile, it is an 
  untamable, unforgiving maelstrom that transforms (or 
  obliterates) everything it touches. The arcane energy 
  that makes up the Bleak is believed to be the direct 
  result of a laceration in Imminence itself, bleeding 
  the Bleak onto the material plane from a great planar 
  wound, eons old. The Bleak is more active and tangible 
  in Dragongrin than most realms. Mostly prominent 
  above the oceans of the realm, it commonly brings 
  its unpredictable and destructive tempests to the 
  landmasses of the realm in the form of Bleakstorms 
  and Bleakrifts.
  6. Eons ago, the world was shaped by a bloody 
  supernatural war. The old stories speak of two 
  godlike, opposing forces that shaped the world: the 
  mighty, inspired Titans, and the potent, elemental 
  Primordials. These immense and powerful beings are 
  said to have emerged from Imminence itself, likely as 
  manifestations of its strongest energies: creation and 
  chaos. As polar opposites, the constructive Titans and 
  the nihilistic Primordials clashed immediately and 
  eternally – their brutal conflict resulting in the First 
  War. No one knows exactly how this bloody “Godwar” 
  ended, but neither race presently exists in the realms, 
  though their advanced technologies and geological 
  effects are evident, even today.
  7. Relics of the past shape the present. Dragongrin 
  is dotted with inexplicable wonders, traceable to a 
  cryptic, ancient past. Be they geographic wonders 
  such as the ancient caverns of Svir Below and 
  the mechanical labyrinth known as Deepvault, or 
  technological marvels such as the fusion of magic and 
  technology called Archanics or the animated steel 
  repositories of information known as the Tomehearts  
  – in Dragongrin, the wondrous past can often exist 
  alongside the mundane in the land.
  8. Dragongrin is a graveyard of dragons. The word grin 
  is Titanspeak for “graveyard,” and the superstitious 
  histories of the land have taken root, even in its name. 
  The realm formerly known as Arthunvale is now more 
  commonly called Dragongrin. Legends posit that 
  the central landmass is the final resting place of the 
  scattered and defeated ancient dragons, annihilated 
  in the First War, with the northernmost region of 
  Üldane made toxic and unlivable because of the 
  concentration of long-buried dragon carcasses.
  9. Dragongrin is the birthplace of the mighty Typhons. 
  The dragons are said to have been formed by the 
  Primordials to enact chaos in the First War. The Titans 
  responded to this threat with perhaps their greatest 
  creation: the mighty Typhons. The Typhons were 
  cunning, powerful, and benevolent creatures, rivaling 
  the wyrms and even the primordials in their abilities. 
  
  11
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | USING THIS BOOK
  Besting the dragons in the final battle of the First 
  War, no one knows exactly what happened to these 
  powerful creatures, though they have been absent 
  from the realms for centuries. The Typhons are now 
  creatures of myth and legend – but the common folk 
  of Dragongrin still watch the skies, praying for the day 
  that they might return to save them.
  10. As the Bleak festers, the space between planes grows 
  restless. Like any untreated wound, there are ghastly 
  consequences of the Bleak endlessly seeping into the 
  material plane. Darker, more eternal evils that slumber 
  between the fabric of the realms are beginning to 
  stir, and forces that have not been reckoned with for 
  millennia are slowly turning their immortal gazes to 
  this fissure into the material planes.
  11. The existence of the gods is unproven. No mortal 
  knows if the gods truly exist, though many in 
  Dragongrin wield power that they believe is divine. 
  Many temples and churches existed and thrived 
  before Lightfall, though they’re now much fewer 
  in number, presumably because of the high risk 
  that comes with proclaiming one’s self as a beacon 
  of faith. Though there is no empirical evidence 
  proving or disproving the existence of deities in 
  Dragongrin, those who believe in the gods tend to do 
  so vehemently, while naysayers posit that anything 
  “divine” can easily be explained by the technology 
  of the Titans, or even simple magic. One thing is 
  certain, however: no matter what one may believe, 
  there are holy warriors in the realm, and though they 
  are few, they are irrefutably drawing their power from 
  something.
  
  12
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | ADVENTURE OVERVIEW
  BACKGROUND
  The Frozen King: Long ago, the Frozen King ruled the 
  region of Varnholme, subjugating its people and leading 
  them to ruin. The commonfolk of Varnholme ended the 
  reign of the Frozen King in a great uprising, unseating the 
  tyrannical king and putting him to death.
  The Oath of Winter: The Frozen King was put to death with 
  a sacred runeblade of Varnholme, but not before he could 
  swear this oath: “Varnholme is mine in life – it shall remain 
  mine in death. I shall return and restore glory to my kingdom. 
  Then you will know the coldest winter – then you will suffer 
  the slowest, surest death.”
  The Keep: After his death, the Frozen King was entombed 
  with his most loyal followers in the Maw of Black Ice, a 
  mountain keep in Winter’s Tongue, the far, frozen north 
  region of Varnholme. Once an old border outpost, the keep 
  has been overtaken by the ages and the curse of the Frozen 
  King. He has remained, sealed away for centuries, guarded 
  always for fear of his oath coming to fruition...
  POSSIBLE CONFLICTS
  Below are a few example conflicts you can leverage in your 
  adventure.
  The Zealots: A cannibalistic cult breaks into the Frozen 
  King’s tomb and attempts to resurrect him using an ancient 
  blood ritual.
  The Unguarded Tomb: The sentinels of Varnholme 
  are caught in an ambush – and now the tomb stands 
  unguarded until reinforcements can make the arduous 
  journey north. Word travels quickly and cultists and tomb 
  raiders alike seize the opportunity.
  The Usurper’s Sword: The ancient runeblade used to 
  execute the Frozen King has awakened, glowing and 
  humming on its sacred altar – what does it mean?
  Dissonant Whispers: Men and women of Varnholme hear 
  voices and receive visions in their dreams – a hulking, 
  skeletal figure with a crowned skull, commanding them to 
  come to the Maw of Black Ice...
  ADVENTURE ELEMENTS
  The NPCs, locations, and encounters of this Adventure Kit 
  are outlined below for quick reference. Read on for more 
  detailed sections for each!
  LOCATIONS
  1. The Altar of Sorrow: Locals pay tribute at this altar in 
  the hopes of keeping the King entombed.
  2. The Sword Shrine: Resting place of the runeblade 
  used to defeat the Frozen King.
  3. Gunther’s Respite: Shadowy, frigid cells with echoes 
  of the past.
  4. The Hall of Bone and Ice: A royal banquet hall 
  bedecked with creaking nooses.
  5. Grigor’s Kennel: A holding pen with sunken pits, piled 
  with the bones of beasts.
  6. The Frigid Tomb: The resting place of the Frozen King 
  himself.
  ENCOUNTERS
  1. The Freezing Soldier (Roleplay): A freezing guard 
  prone to taking bribes.
  2. The Mad Troll (Combat): A vicious troll with an addled 
  mind, carving runes on the walls. 
  3. Frigid Cannibals (Combat): Cultists who blend in with 
  the ice and ambush their prey.
  4. On Thin Ice (Skill Challenge): Sliding boulders across 
  a brittle floor of ice.
  5. The Chasm (Environmental): Frozen winds rush up 
  from a treacherous icy chasm.
  6. Tax of the Frozen King (Trap): A riddle with a frostburn 
  trap that destroys equipment.
  NPCS
  1. Siegfried: A deserter of the Varnholme sentinels, fed 
  up with his duty.
  2. Kurtz: The cannibalistic cult’s towering leader, 
  powerful and unrelenting.
  3. Ruska: A tomb robber here to retrieve a specific 
  treasure said to reside in the tomb.
  4. Varniss: An adventurer who got separated from the 
  rest of her party.
  5. Grast: The stout dwarven leader of three mercenaries 
  sent to investigate the tomb.
  6. Haley: A zealous paladin on a mission to vanquish the 
  Frozen King and retrieve the sacred runeblade.
  QUESTS
  Use the Quests table to generate a framing device for your 
  adventure. The patron can be an NPC in the book or one 
  from your existing campaign. The quest gives you an idea 
  of what goals and challenges to throw at the players and 
  the complication is the twist that makes for a dynamic 
  adventure.
  TWISTS
  Use the adventure twists found in the Twists table to add 
  some depth to the story of the Oath of the Frozen King.
  ADVENTURE OVERVIEW
  
  13
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | ADVENTURE OVERVIEW
  QUESTS
  d123
  Patron
  Quest
  Complication
  1
  Divine Clergy
  Assassination
  Consequences of the party’s past resurface.
  2
  Rival Adventurer
  Conscription
  Completing the quest would cause the party to break a vow.
  3
  Respected Scholar
  Courier
  The quest is considered blasphemous by locals.
  4
  Powerful Guild
  Demolition
  The quest is far more dangerous than expected.
  5
  Local Authorities
  Elimination
  The quest turns out to be a trap.
  6
  Influential Politician
  Escort
  Something about this isn’t quite ... legal.
  7
  Old Friend
  Insertion
  The quest and its outcome must remain secret.
  8
  Ranking Soldier
  Investigation
  Someone else is racing to achieve the same goal.
  9
  Beloved Relative
  Protection
  The party is deceived by the patron.
  10
  Shady Contact
  Reconnaissance
  The patron's information is incorrect or incomplete.
  11
  Simple Townsfolk
  Rescue
  The quest brings retaliation or revenge upon the party.
  12
  Wealthy Merchant
  Retrieval
  Completion of the quest would reignite an old feud.
  TWISTS
  d6
  Twist
  1
  The Frozen King was actually a well-loved and benevolent ruler, and was demonized after his execution by the elite 
  of Varnholme. 
  2
  The cultists are the true descendants of the Frozen King, and the rightful heirs to his legacy.
  3
  The Varnholme guardsmen have been infiltrated by the cultists, and have been working for months to unseal the 
  tomb and return the Frozen King to power.
  4
  Siegfried the guardsman has been driven mad by the Frozen King’s call, and will betray the party if they attempt to 
  stop the King’s return.
  5
  Kurtz is the Frozen King reincarnated (or believes himself to be), and wishes to retrieve the enchanted maul of the 
  Frozen King to ascend to power once more.
  6
  The runeblade used to kill the Frozen King is imbued with his vile essence – any who wield it will become a slave to 
  his will.
  ADVENTURE OPENING
  Traveling two days from Varlith, the seat of Varnholme, deep 
  into Winter’s Tongue, the adventurers see the Maw of Black 
  Ice nestled in a break in an icy ridgeline. This dilapidated 
  keep is the well-known resting place of the Frozen King. As 
  the adventurers draw closer, it becomes clear that someone 
  else has already entered this icy pass...
  THE ADVENTURE BEGINS
  Blood stains the snow ahead of you, and the bodies 
  of two Varnholme watchmen sprawl in the snow 
  at the entrance of the Maw of Black Ice. The frozen 
  blood seems fresh, and footprints lead upward into 
  the seemingly abandoned keep.
  
  14
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | ADVENTURE OVERVIEW
  ADVENTURER MOTIVATIONS
  d20
  Motivation
  Description
  1
  Acting on a dream or vision
  The power of the Frozen King is great, and somehow he is haunting the dreams of 
  many. You have received a specific bidding from the Frozen King himself. 
  2
  Acting to restore honor
  You are descended from servants of the Frozen King. This is your chance to redeem 
  your name.
  3
  Arrested and conscripted
  Your are arrested for trespassing, and told that you must stop the Frozen King to 
  earn your freedom.
  4
  Ambushed and robbed
  You are ambushed, robbed, and coerced into delving into the tomb in search of 
  more treasure for your captors.
  5
  Blackmailed into service
  The patron has information about your past, and leverages it against you to help 
  stop the Frozen King.
  6
  Following a map
  A map has led you here, promising great treasure in the depths of the Maw of Black 
  Ice. 
  7
  Following rumors
  In the ports and small towns, rumors persist of a great treasure within a tomb in the 
  Maw of Black Ice that grants eternal life.
  8
  Coerced by authority
  Your mentor pulls some strings to allow you access to the tomb.  
  9
  Hired to do so
  The locals have scraped together all of the fish and copper they can muster, hoping 
  to hire you to stop the Frozen King.
  10
  Following instructions
  You have heard tales of the Maw of Black Ice and the dangers it holds – as well as 
  the untold riches.
  11
  Deceived into service
  A local politician recruits you with blatant lies, telling you that a mad troll is behind 
  the troubles, rather than the Frozen King.
  12
  Lost or stranded
  On a journey elsewhere, you are shipwrecked on the icy shores of northern 
  Varnholme, finding its people in need.
  13
  Winning a bet
  You made a bet with someone that the Frozen King is a myth, with a handsome sum 
  on the line to prove it.
  14
  Making good on a favor
  An old friend of yours calls in a huge favor for saving your skin in a previous 
  adventure.
  15
  Ordered by a superior
  Your superior orders you to investigate this disturbance, and report back if 
  possible. 
  16
  Repaying a debt
  You could easily repay your debts with the treasure entombed in the Maw of Black 
  Ice.
  17
  Researching a prophecy
  The stars are aligning – the signs are all there. You recognize the effects that the 
  Frozen King has on the region as the possible inciting event of a major prophecy.
  18
  Stumbled into the situation
  Happily traveling home after another adventure, you stumble upon the dead 
  bodies in front of the Maw of Black Ice. Foul play is certain, and the way may not be 
  safe.
  19
  Seeking revenge
  The zealots of the Frozen King just sacked and slaughtered a local village. Surely 
  this act cannot go unpunished.
  20
  Lifting a curse
  You are psychically affected by the Oath of the Frozen King – a malady which has 
  plagued your family for generations. 
  ADVENTURER MOTIVATIONS
  Use the Adventurer Motivations table if you’d like to tie 
  the player characters directly into the background of Oath 
  of the Frozen King. You can assign these to players or have 
  them roll to randomly assign them.
  
  15
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | ADVENTURE OVERVIEW
  
  16
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | ADVENTURE OVERVIEW
  battle maps by heroic maps
  the maw of black ice
  
  17
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | ADVENTURE OVERVIEW
  battle maps by heroic maps
  expansion rooms
  1
  2
  3
  4
  5
  6
  7
  8
  
  18
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | LOCATIONS
  LOCATIONS
  LOCATIONS AS ZONES
  The sights, sounds, and sensations of each 
  location can be used to describe the setting to 
  your players, but also provide aspects for them to 
  utilize in combats and other encounters. Allow the 
  adventurers to engage with the environment during 
  encounters or exploration, using these aspects as 
  guidelines.
  1. THE ALTAR OF SORROW
  A simple slab of rough-hewn stone dominates an 
  alcove in this entrance chamber. A stone stairway leads 
  deeper into the keep.
  SIGHTS
  • 
  A simple stone dais, cluttered with worn 
  copper coins. 
  • 
  Yellowed bones of various shapes, sizes, 
  and sources.
  • 
  Scraps of parchment with words denouncing the 
  Frozen King and his reign.
  SOUNDS
  • 
  The frigid wind whips through the chamber.
  • 
  Ice crunches underfoot.
  • 
  Whispers and weeping haunt this location.
  SENSATIONS
  • 
  The cold air bites at you, stealing all warmth.
  • 
  The odd formations of ice make the actual 
  shape of the room indiscernible.
  • 
  This place is devoid of all smell, save the twinge 
  of icy steel in the air.
  2. THE SWORD SHRINE
  The frozen shrine at the center of the room glows a 
  pale white. Somehow, the air in here is even colder.
  SIGHTS
  • 
  An ancient broadsword with runic curses etched 
  upon it.
  • 
  A freshly severed hand grips the hilt of the sword.
  • 
  A set of vaguely humanoid ice sculptures, their 
  faces frozen in silent screams.
  SOUNDS
  • 
  Incessant dripping echoes through the chamber.
  • 
  The faint, ghostly hiss of cold steel being honed.
  • 
  Something clamors below, howling in the night.
  SENSATIONS
  • 
  A chilling blast of wind carries the sounds of 
  ancient battle.
  • 
  The room seems to be slowly melting, and the 
  walls and floor are slick. 
  • 
  Your reflection in the ice appears gaunt and 
  hollow – almost skeletal.
  
  19
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | LOCATIONS
  3. GUNTHER’S RESPITE
  The shadows are deep within the stone cells of this 
  large dungeon. The frigid cold seeps into each cell from 
  circular chutes leading outside.
  SIGHTS
  • 
  Cells barred with iron hold the frozen, 
  mummified remains of prisoners.
  • 
  The corpse of a massive beast – its mangled 
  form is difficult to identify beneath layers of ice.
  • 
  A skeletal guardsmen slumps over a small table, 
  holding a pewter tankard.
  SOUNDS
  • 
  The wind howling through the chutes sounds 
  uncannily like a pained scream.
  • 
  The rusted iron bars creak and groan.
  • 
  A scraping sound from the cells seems to grow 
  louder and louder.
  SENSATIONS
  • 
  A mysterious warmth emanates from the one of 
  the cells. 
  • 
  The oppressive stone walls seem to close in 
  around you.
  • 
  Dust falls from the ceiling and the walls 
  buckle inward. 
  4. THE HALL OF BONE AND ICE
  This enormous feasting hall is a frostbitten shadow of 
  its former glory. A massive wooden table, split in twain, 
  rests at its center, bound together by iron bands. A long-
  spoiled feast sits in piles upon the shattered table.
  SIGHTS
  • 
  A massive feasting table wrought of dark iron 
  and oak, split at its center.
  • 
  A series of faded tapestries displaying the reign 
  of the Frozen King.
  • 
  Empty nooses longing for fresh necks hang from 
  broad joists overhead. 
  SOUNDS
  • 
  The creaking of hanged men – though the 
  nooses above hang empty.
  • 
  Two distant, spectral soundscapes: a merry 
  feast, and the din of shrill screams.
  • 
  The sundered table creaks under the weight of a 
  rotting, frost-covered feast.
  SENSATIONS
  • 
  A strange, unnatural hunger stirs in your gut.
  • 
  The stench of the spoiled feast is almost 
  overwhelming.
  • 
  The shadows on the wall resemble the 
  silhouettes of hanged men, swinging lazily back 
  and forth.
  5. GRIGOR’S KENNEL
  A dozen sunken, circular pits dominate this sour-
  smelling room. The remains of wolves, giant rats, and 
  other unidentifiable beasts lay in piles at the bottom of 
  these pits, forgotten for centuries.  
  SIGHTS
  • 
  Barbed whips and chains hang from the walls.
  • 
  Yellowed bones of beasts, piled at the bottom 
  of the pits.
  • 
  Feeding troughs containing what appear to be 
  gnawed human bones.
  SOUNDS
  • 
  A distant howl, emanating from the walls 
  themselves.
  • 
  Muffled skittering, like claws on flagstone.
  • 
  Chains jingle softly in the chill breeze.
  SENSATIONS
  • 
  The overpowering smell of rot, mildew, and 
  wet fur.
  • 
  Something slouched and hulking moves in the 
  shadows of the room.
  • 
  Brittle, gnawed bones crunch beneath your feet.
  6. THE FRIGID TOMB
  This dim, frozen tomb carries an overwhelming feeling 
  of oppression and death. A pale white fog wafts in the 
  air, originating from a massive stone sarcophagus.
  SIGHTS
  • 
  A climbing, crawling fog of a pale white color.
  • 
  Walls of black ice, sinister and ancient – runic 
  carvings ripple from behind the ice. 
  • 
  An enormous stone sarcophagus, carved in the 
  likeness of the Frozen King in life.
  SOUNDS
  • 
  A faint, rhythmic breathing emanates from 
  the tomb.
  • 
  A low, sickening hum drones at the edge of 
  your senses.
  • 
  The creaking and cracking of ice rapidly thawing 
  and freezing.
  SENSATIONS
  • 
  The air is so cold that it hurts to breathe.
  • 
  As you blink, it feels as though your eyelids 
  might freeze shut.
  • 
  The room itself rumbles with intermittent 
  tremors.
  
  20
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | ENCOUNTERS
  ENCOUNTERS
  ENCOUNTER TERMS
  Recharge: This denotes an effect that does not 
  occur every round. GMs roll a d6 at the beginning of 
  every round to determine if the effect triggers (for 
  example: an effect with a 5–6 recharge would trigger 
  on a roll of 5 or 6).
  Monster: Oftentimes, a monster will be identified 
  with a type (vanguard, nemesis, etc.) and some 
  possible buffs (attack, regeneration, etc.). While 
  traditional statblocks from your preferred bestiary 
  can be used, more information on these monster 
  types and buffs can be found in the Monster section 
  and the Toolbox at the back of this Adventure Kit. 
  You can also find simplified statblocks for these 
  creatures in the Monster chapter.
  1. THE FREEZING SOLDIER
  Roleplay Encounter
  Siegfried (or an NPC of your choice) is hiding in 
  a portion of the keep, waiting for reinforcements 
  or a chance to escape. He was assigned to guard 
  the Frozen King’s remains, but his cohorts have 
  been killed, and now the cultists control the keep. 
  He is newly married with a young one on the way. 
  His years guarding the keep have weakened his 
  mind, and he seems especially paranoid – though 
  physically capable. If you can win his trust, he’ll 
  likely have information on the cult and the secrets of 
  the Maw of Black Ice. 
  Suspicious Soldier: Siegfried is a wary, untrusting 
  soul. Using Persuasion or Deception might prove 
  difficult – but slipping him some silver coins will 
  significantly up the chances of success.
  Useful Intel: Siegfried has been hiding out for a 
  while in the keep, and if the adventurers can win 
  his trust, he might give them a hint as to what lies 
  deeper within the frigid tunnels.
  Stalwart Swordsman: Adventurers who win 
  Siegfried’s complete trust might find a valuable 
  ally in the hapless warrior. Siegfried is a minion 
  with a longsword, leather armor, and a pair of trusty 
  throwing daggers. He holds his own in a fight if the 
  adventurers can convince him to join their endeavor.
  2. THE MAD TROLL
  Combat Encounter
  Drawn by the whispers of the Frozen King, a mad 
  troll (vanguard with regeneration [1d6]) dwells within 
  the frozen keep, scratching eldritch wards in the ice 
  with its scythe-like claws. Driven mad over many 
  decades, the troll protects its territory with ferocity.
  Frigid Wards (Recharge 5–6): The troll’s wards 
  come to life in a blue-white flash. Adventurers must 
  succeed on a Constitution saving throw to avoid cold 
  damage.
  Slippery Floors: Creatures moving more than 15 feet 
  on their turn must succeed on a Dexterity saving 
  throw or fall prone.
  Crumbling Stalactites: Spears of ice and stone hang 
  from the ceiling. They can be targeted with ranged 
  attacks to drop upon creatures below and deal 
  piercing damage. 
  3. FRIGID CANNIBALS
  Combat Encounter
  The ice-skinned zealots (minions with defense 
  wielding rusty daggers and clubs) are undeterred in 
  their quest to wake the Frozen King – and they serve 
  him without compromise. Protecting the tomb from 
  outsiders and carrying out the Frozen King’s twisted 
  machinations, these savage but cunning cannibals 
  will protect their new territory to the death.
  Filth-Ridden Bites: The zealots favor their rusty 
  daggers and clubs, but will not hesitate to use 
  their rotting, jagged teeth in combat. Adventurers 
  dealt damage by these bite attacks must succeed 
  on a Constitution saving throw or become 
  poisoned for 1d4 hours.
  Icy Ambush: The Frozen King has rewarded 
  his faithful servants with tough, ice-like skin. 
  The zealots blend in perfectly with their frigid 
  environment. They have advantage on Stealth 
  checks made to hide in frozen environments.
  Savage Frenzy: If a zealot successfully grapples an 
  adventurer, it can immediately make a bite attack 
  against that adventurer.
  
  21
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | ENCOUNTERS
  4. ON THIN ICE
  Skill Challenge
  The ice is beginning to melt in this area. Large, frosty 
  boulders block the adventurer’s path, and the floor 
  creaks as they step forward. The adventurers must 
  carefully shift the boulders across the ice, clearing a 
  path without breaking the floor beneath them.
  Rolling Rocks: The boulders are too heavy to lift, but 
  the slick, icy floor makes them easier to push. The 
  adventurers must make three successful Strength 
  checks between all of them to carefully shove the 
  boulders aside. A critical success counts as two 
  successes.
  Over Troubled Water: The floor is thin and brittle, 
  and below rushes a frigid river. Each failed Strength 
  check creates a crack in the floor (with a critical failure 
  counting as two failures). If the adventurers fail three 
  total checks, the floor gives way and dumps them into 
  the freezing river 20 feet below.
  Sub-Zero Waters: If the adventurers plummet into the 
  water, they suffer cold damage and must also succeed 
  on a Constitution saving throw or are stunned for 1d4 
  rounds. The river deposits them outside of the tomb 
  or into a random room of the dungeon.
  5. THE CHASM
  Environmental Hazard
  Frigid winds rush up from an enormous chasm in this 
  area. As the adventurers progress across the room, 
  the floor gives way, and the icy chasm grows larger 
  and more treacherous. They must use the items in the 
  room and their wits to find a way across a deep, ever-
  growing chasm.
  Frigid Winds (Recharge 4–6): The winds rush up from 
  the chasm. Strength savings throws are required to 
  remain standing.
  The Chasm Realized: A deep chasm begins to open 
  beneath the players, caving in. The chasm advances 
  10 feet per round until the room is nothing but a 
  gaping hole.
  Fall of Doom: If the adventurers plummet into the 
  chasm, they suffer bludgeoning damage. There 
  are jutting cliffs below, difficult to spot in the hazy 
  weather. If an adventurer falls, roll 1d6 and multiply 
  the result by 10. That is the number of feet they fall 
  before landing on a ledge.
  6. TAX OF THE FROZEN KING
  Puzzle/Trap
  This area is guarded by a ward that detects heat. Even 
  the slightest breath, torchlight, or body heat will set 
  off the trap. If the trap is triggered, the frigid blast 
  will leave the adventurers mostly unscathed, but the 
  cursed chill is designed to destroy their weapons, 
  armor, and gear. The only way to pass uncursed is to 
  speak the password.
  The Password: In a very old dialect of the common 
  language, the phrase “Cry out! Water that turneth 
  to bone!” is carved deep above the entryway. 
  The adventurers might speak the word “ice,” the 
  seemingly obvious answer to the etchings. To disarm 
  this arcane trap, the word “out” must literally be 
  shouted (cry “out”). 
  Frostburn Trap: If the trap is sprung, the area is filled 
  with a noxious-smelling cloud of frigid smoke, and 
  each weapon belonging to the adventurers is dropped 
  a single die in damage (from d8 to d6, d6 to d4, etc.). 
  If the weapon has a d4 damage die, it is destroyed. 
  All armor takes a permanent negative 1 to its armor 
  class. All small items are affected negatively at the 
  GM’s discretion (arrows may do half damage, healing 
  potions may do half healing, etc.). The trap may also 
  deal cold damage to the adventurers, at the GM’s 
  discretion.
  Alternate Riddles: If you want to present the 
  adventurers with a different riddle, you can use one of 
  the questions below, or create your own!
  • 
  What runs around the keep, but never moves?  
  (Wall/Moat)
  • 
  If you speak my name, you destroy me. What am 
  I? (Silence)
  • 
  What can bite without teeth? (Cold/Frost)
  • 
  As I grow larger, I get closer to the ground. 
  (Icicle)
  • 
  In my embrace, nothing decays. (Ice)
  • 
  I move mountains and carve valleys. (Glacier)
  PLOT TWISTS
  If you plan on using any of the plot twists provided 
  in the Adventure Overview, now might be a good 
  time to use a red herring to foreshadow an outcome 
  different than one you’re planning. Also remember 
  that you want to surprise your players in a fulfilling 
  way, not confuse them. A great plot twist is 
  surprising, yet inevitable.
  
  22
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | ENCOUNTERS
  CLIMAX: THE FROZEN KING
  Combat Encounter
  The Frozen King awakens from his sealed tomb! 
  A massive skeleton garbed in armored plates and 
  wreathed in an aura of frigid air, the Frozen King 
  (nemesis with multiattack [2], deadly [1d6], immunity: 
  cold, and magic [2]) stands as the final obstacle here 
  in the tomb. He wields a massive maul and glowers 
  with blue-glowing eyes. The adventurers must work 
  quickly to defeat this undead fiend and leave with 
  their lives.
  Freezing Aura: The Frozen King exudes a cloud of 
  biting, frigid air. Adventurers who successfully damage 
  the Frozen King with a melee attack while standing 
  within 5 feet of him must succeed on a Constitution 
  saving throw or take cold damage and have their 
  movement speed reduced.
  Undead Servants (Recharge 5–6): The Frozen King 
  exerts his influence over the icy corpses here in 
  the tomb, and summons 1d4 ice skeleton minions 
  wielding clubs, shortswords, and javelins. They move 
  to the nearest adventurer and attack!
  Relics of Power: Littered throughout the room are 
  items that belonged to the Frozen King in life. Using 
  an action to damage or destroy one of these relics 
  stuns the Frozen King for 1 round.
  
  23
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | ENCOUNTERS
  
  24
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
  NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
  NPC STATS
  As previously mentioned, Adventure Kits are 
  designed to be compatible with the fifth edition of 
  the world’s oldest fantasy roleplaying game. You 
  can use any stat block (from 5E or your preferred 
  system) of a creature that is a suitable challenge 
  rating. We also suggest using the Toolbox in the back 
  of this book to create any stats you need quickly and 
  easily without needing any resources outside of the 
  Adventure Kit.
  1. SIEGFRIED: LONE SOLDIER
  “I’ll do my duty, but I’m not dying for a frozen mummy.”
  Personality:
  Duty-driven, but paranoid and 
  untrusting 
  Appearance:
  Young man with thick, dark hair and 
  slate-gray eyes
  Equipment:
  Worn leather armor, a keen-edged 
  broadsword, and a pair of throwing 
  daggers
  Strength:
  Skilled swordsman with a long 
  military record
  Drawback:
  Prone to taking bribes and 
  preoccupied with saving his own 
  hide
  Secret/Motive:
  Siegfried’s wife is expecting their 
  first child – Siegfried hopes it’s a girl, 
  so she won’t have to go to war.
  
  25
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
  2. KURTZ: SAVAGE CULT LEADER
  “By the Frozen King’s flesh and bone, we persist.” 
  Personality:
  Cold, calculating, and utterly devoted 
  to the Frozen King
  Appearance:
  Tall man with a bald, scarred head 
  and ice-blue eyes
  Equipment:
  Foul-smelling furs and a club edged 
  with razor-sharp obsidian
  Strength:
  Foul-smelling furs and a club edged 
  with razor-sharp obsidian
  Drawback:
  Blindly devoted to the Frozen King, 
  who would readily sacrifice him
  Secret/Motive:
  Kurtz believes he hears the voices of 
  the gods, and they have commanded 
  him to assist the Frozen King at all 
  costs.
  DEPTH OF A MADMAN
  d6
  Kurtz is...
  1
  A cult leader, but not a mindless cultist 
  himself. He uses reasoning, cunning, and 
  charisma to avoid a fight – and gain followers 
  from the adventuring party.
  2
  A distant ancestor of Eirick, the man who 
  became the Frozen King. He seeks to restore 
  his kin’s honor.
  3
  Dying. He is seeking a cure for himself, and 
  is testing methods on his cultists under the 
  guise of granting them power.
  4
  Doing and saying whatever is needed for 
  people to follow him – he doesn’t truly be-
  lieve in the power of the Oath.
  5
  Learning the secrets of the Oath from the 
  Mad Troll, and in return, feeds it victims from 
  his among his followers.
  6
  Feigning reverence, and in secret, seeks to 
  usurp the Frozen King. He desires his heart, 
  and is using his followers to get it.
  
  26
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
  4. VARNISS: LOST ADVENTURER
  “I may be alone here, but I’m far from helpless.”
  Personality:
  Curt, but honest and sincere
  Appearance:
  A lithe halfling woman with close-
  cropped hair 
  Equipment:
  A notched shortsword and dented 
  buckler
  Strength:
  Values the truth over just about 
  anything
  Drawback:
  Owes favors to one too many 
  unsavory folks
  Secret/Motive:
  Varniss is responsible for the death 
  of her sibling. She sees this as an 
  opportunity for atonement.
  3. RUSKA: TOMB ROBBER
  “If this frozen king exists, surely his riches do too...”
  Personality:
  Daring, resourceful, and selfish
  Appearance:
  Wiry man with jet black hair and a 
  chipped tooth
  Equipment:
  Winter clothes, a sturdy bow, and a 
  satchel with hidden pockets
  Strength:
  Resourceful and scrappy, with an 
  affinity for survival
  Drawback:
  Self-serving and terrified of death
  Secret/Motive:
  Ruska has died once already, and is 
  not keen to do so again. He sees this 
  score as his chance for eternal life. 
  
  27
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | NON-PLAYER CHARACTERS
  5. GRAST: GRUFF MERCENARY
  “I’ve been hired to do a job. I intend to finish it.”
  Personality:
  Money-driven, with an unshakable 
  work ethic
  Appearance:
  Stout dwarf with a messy topknot 
  and braided beard 
  Equipment:
  Hide armor, a well-worn crossbow, 
  and a stale-smelling pipe
  Strength:
  Always sees the job through – no 
  matter the cost
  Drawback:
  Coin is everything, and the contract 
  comes first
  Secret/Motive:
  Grast left his fellow mercenaries to 
  die deep in the keep – he hopes he 
  won’t encounter their undead forms.
  6. HALEY: STALWART PALADIN
  “If none shall stand against this Frozen King, then I 
  shall.”
  Personality:
  Loyal and honorable, with a hidden 
  mean streak
  Appearance:
  Braided blonde hair, with a grisly scar 
  across her nose
  Equipment:
  Plate armor, a silver holy symbol, and 
  a lucerne hammer
  Strength:
  Fearless and skilled in combat
  Drawback:
  Quick to anger and prone to violence
  Secret/Motive:
  Haley has long doubted her own 
  faith, and seeks to rekindle her 
  connection with her deity by purging 
  the keep of evil and retrieving the 
  sacred runeblade.
  
  28
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | MONSTERS
  MONSTERS
  1. ICE SKELETON
  Undead Minion
  Appearance:
  Frozen flesh and rusted chainmail 
  hang from the bones of this undead 
  fiend. A cold, blue light burns 
  from the hollows of its skull as it 
  shambles towards you. 
  Behavior:
  Berserk and frenzied. Attacks any 
  creatures nearby – friend or foe.
  Buffs:
  None 
  SIMPLIFIED STATBLOCKS
  You will recognize a few terms in this section, such 
  as monster type, hit points, appearance, and armor 
  class. But you’ll also find a few new terms in our stat 
  blocks that are designed to provide flexibility.
  Monster Threat Level: Monsters are broken into four 
  different threat levels – minion, skirmisher, vanguard, 
  and nemesis – which dictate base hit points, armor 
  class, and roll bonus.
  Behavior: Specific cues as to how the monster might 
  act when the adventurers encounter it.
  Buffs: Unique abilities that up the challenge of the 
  monster. Find more buffs in the Toolbox!
  Roll Bonus: In place of ability modifiers, skills, and 
  attack rolls, our simplified monsters have a single 
  “roll bonus,” which is a flat number that is added to 
  all of their rolls.
  Damage: Damage is broken into different tiers 
  corresponding to the level of your adventurers. This 
  means the monsters can be used against a party of 
  any power level.
  STATS
  Hit Points
  Armor Class
  Roll Bonus
  5
  10
  +2
  DAMAGE BY LEVEL
  Level 1-4
  Level 5-10
  Level 11-16
  Level 17-20
  1 dmg
  6 dmg
  10 dmg
  14 dmg
  
  29
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | MONSTERS
  2. ZEALOT
  Humanoid Skirmisher
  Appearance:
  Draped in foul-smelling furs, this 
  scarred human wields a rusted 
  dagger and sneers with pointed, 
  rotting teeth. 
  Behavior:
  Blindly loyal. Ready to do whatever 
  it takes for their cause.
  Buffs:
  Defense (1) – Adds 1 to armor class
  STATS
  Hit Points
  Armor Class
  Roll Bonus
  15
  13
  +3
  DAMAGE BY LEVEL
  Level 1-4
  Level 5-10
  Level 11-16
  Level 17-20
  1 dmg
  6 dmg
  10 dmg
  14 dmg
  3. KENNEL HOUND
  Beast Skirmisher
  Appearance:
  This black-furred hound has 
  smoldering red eyes. Icy breath 
  plumes from its flared nostrils as it 
  sniffs you out.
  Behavior:
  Pack tactics. Coordinating to hunt, 
  kill, and survive.
  Buffs:
  Resistance: Cold
  STATS
  Hit Points
  Armor Class
  Roll Bonus
  12
  11
  +2
  DAMAGE BY LEVEL
  Level 1-4
  Level 5-10
  Level 11-16
  Level 17-20
  1 dmg
  6 dmg
  10 dmg
  14 dmg
  ENDLESS MONSTERS
  You can find more ideas for thematic monsters, as 
  well as a monster generator, in the Toolbox at the 
  back of this book.
  
  30
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | MONSTERS
  4. MAD TROLL
  Giant Vanguard 
  Appearance:
  This gangled troll has mottled, 
  rubbery blue skin, and wears the 
  combined skins of a multitude of 
  smaller creatures.
  Behavior:
  Violently territorial. Obsessed with 
  the words of the Frozen King’s Oath.
  Buffs:
  Regeneration (1d6) – Regains 1d6 
  HP at start of turn
  STATS
  Hit Points
  Armor Class
  Roll Bonus
  33
  15
  +6
  DAMAGE BY LEVEL
  Level 1-4
  Level 5-10
  Level 11-16
  Level 17-20
  6 dmg
  10 dmg
  14 dmg
  18 dmg
  5. HAND OF THE FROZEN KING
  Undead Vanguard
  Appearance:
  This tall, lean figure is garbed in 
  the armored robes of the Frozen 
  King’s augurs. A gaunt skeletal 
  visage peers out from the flickering, 
  blue flames that escape its pitted 
  steel gorget. With hands of bone, it 
  begins to conjure a vile spell. 
  Behavior:
  Unshakable. Will not retreat, no 
  matter how dire the odds.
  Buffs:
  Multiattack (2) – Can make two 
  attacks each turn; Magic (2) – Knows 
  two at-will spells
  STATS
  Hit Points
  Armor Class
  Roll Bonus
  33
  14
  +6
  DAMAGE BY LEVEL
  Level 1-4
  Level 5-10
  Level 11-16
  Level 17-20
  6 dmg
  10 dmg
  14 dmg
  18 dmg
  
  31
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | MONSTERS
  6. THE FROZEN KING
  Undead Nemesis
  Appearance:
  An imposing armored figure, with 
  flowing white hair and a skeletal 
  visage. His chest is hollow, and 
  within, a frozen heart pulsates with 
  pale light. He clutches an enormous 
  maul etched with runes, his eye 
  sockets glowing a vibrant blue.
  Behavior:
  Revered by his peers. Other 
  creatures will follow orders, 
  sacrificing themselves for their 
  king.
  Buffs:
  Multiattack (2) – Can make two 
  attacks each turn; Deadly (1d6) – 
  Adds 1d6 damage to attacks; Magic 
  (2) – Knows two at-will spells; 
  Immunity: Cold
  STATS
  Hit Points
  Armor Class
  Roll Bonus
  112
  18
  +8
  DAMAGE BY LEVEL
  Level 1-4
  Level 5-10
  Level 11-16
  Level 17-20
  8 dmg
  12 dmg
  16 dmg
  20 dmg
  
  32
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | RESOLUTIONS AND REWARDS
  RESOLUTIONS AND REWARDS
  RESOLVING THE ADVENTURE
  Answer the following questions to close out Oath of the 
  Frozen King.
  1. The Quest: Did the adventurers complete their quest? 
  To what degree? What repercussions might arise?
  2. The Patron: How will the patron react to the 
  adventure’s outcome?
  3. The Complication: Was the complication resolved? 
  What happens next?
  CONTINUING THE ADVENTURE
  If you’re looking to extend the adventure, consider answer 
  the questions below, which tie directly into the conflicts 
  laid out in the Adventure Overview.
  • 
  The Cult and the King: Was the cannibalistic cult able 
  to break into the Frozen King’s tomb? Did their ancient 
  ritual succeed? If so, the Frozen King has awakened. 
  What will his first evil act be?
  • 
  The Frigid Tomb: Does the keep remain unguarded? 
  In addition to cultists and tomb raiders alike, what 
  monstrous denizens would take residence there? What 
  would their aims be?
  • 
  The Sacred Sword: Who holds the runeblade? What 
  arcane secrets does it hold? Does it have a mind of 
  its own?
  • 
  The King’s Call: What happens to the locals who heard 
  the whispers of the Frozen King? Have they gone mad? 
  Do they long to hear his commands once more? Have 
  they sworn to destroy him?
  REPERCUSSIONS AND RETALIATION
  You can’t keep everyone happy. Often success for one 
  faction or individual means a loss or setback for another. 
  To make things interesting and continue the conflict, you 
  can have the outcome of the adventure upset another 
  individual or faction. Use the Repercussions and Retaliation  
  table to generate the opposition who has been upset by 
  the adventure’s outcome, and their plan of retaliation.
  REWARDS AND TREASURE
  Use the Treasure and Social Rewards tables to reward the 
  party for surviving the Maw of Black Ice. These can be 
  loot or items of note the party recovers inside the Maw, or 
  rewards from their patron. Roll one for each character, or as 
  many times as you see fit.
  REPERCUSSIONS AND RETALIATION
  d122
  Opposition
  Plan of Retaliation
  1
  Divine Clergy
  The adventurers’ loved ones are now in danger.
  2
  Respected Scholar
  They uncover the adventurers’ weaknesses, and plan to exploit them.
  3
  Influential Faction
  They capture or kill a trusted ally of the adventurers.
  4
  Powerful Guild
  They put the word out – the adventurers are not to be trusted.
  5
  Local Authorities
  They know a dark secret about one of the adventurers’ past – and exploit it.
  6
  Influential Politician
  The adventurers are framed for a crime they didn’t commit. 
  7
  Old Friend
  They call in a favor from a powerful ally to interfere with the adventurers’ progress.
  8
  Ranking Soldier
  They dispatch assassins to deal with the adventurers.
  9
  Beloved Relative
  They cut off a valuable source of income or information for the adventurers.
  10
  Shady Contact
  Good, old-fashioned, violent revenge.
  11
  Townsfolk
  The adventurers are no longer welcome in a place they once called home – for fear 
  of death.
  12
  Wealthy Merchant
  They exploit the law to inhibit the adventurers’ actions.
  
  33
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | RESOLUTIONS AND REWARDS
  TREASURE
  d10
  Item
  1
  10 gold pieces per level
  2
   20 silver pieces per level
  3
   1d4 rare gems per adventurer
  4
  Skald’s Steel of Shrewdness: This set of engraved steel plates is contained in a leather case trimmed with white fox 
  fur. This tome provides +1 bonus to Intelligence (Arcana) checks.
  5
  The Grimoire of Skava: This eldritch tome is written in pitch and bound in carved wooden plates. It grants a +1 
  bonus to checks using a poisoner's kit.
  6
  Crown of Bone and Ice: Once per day, the wearer may give a simple command to an undead creature, who must 
  succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or follow the simple command. 
  7
  Boots of Frozen Resolve: Worn boots. When standing, if an effect would move the wearer against their will, the 
  distance is halved.
  8
  Sacred Runeblade: A rune-etched +1 greatsword with +1d8 damage versus undead.
  9
  Frost Sigil: A silver-blue amulet that grants resistance to cold damage.
  10
  Oathkeeper: The Frozen King’s massive +1 maul with +1d6 cold damage.
  SOCIAL REWARDS
  d6
  Reward
  1
  New Allies: The chieftain of the local city is indebted to you for your assistance.
  2
  Silver Badges: You are deputized and outfitted by the Varnholme royal guard.
  3
  Quiet Minds Once More: A handful of cultists, their minds awakened to the reality of the Frozen King, pledge 
  themselves to you in thanks.
  4
  History Remembers the Victors: A plaque of brass is engraved with your names and placed at the entrance of the 
  tomb.
  5
  A Place Among Thieves: The tomb robbers acknowledge your skills and offer you a place among them – there’s coin 
  and adventure to be had.
  6
  A Fresh Start: The local villagers honor you with a plot of fertile land and a few goats. Maybe it’s time to settle 
  down...
  TIES THAT BIND
  d6
  Connection
  1
  Choose an NPC. They recognize the surname of one of the adventurers.
  2
  Choose an encounter. It reminds an adventurer of a tragic past event.
  3
  Choose two monsters. The party finds them fighting over an item or piece of treasure that they recognize.
  4
  Choose a location. The adventurers find a book within that answers a crucial question.
  5
  Choose a trinket or mundane treasure. It’s an item from an adventurer’s home town.
  6
  Choose a monster and an NPC. They are sworn enemies, each stopping at nothing, trying to kill one another.
  
  34
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  TOOLBOX
  Herein lies the final piece of the Adventure Kit puzzle – the 
  Toolbox. The Toolbox provides a rules reference to some 
  of the mechanics and terms used throughout this book, as 
  well as a wealth of roll tables, inspiration, and generators 
  designed to help you be a better game master. Roll up 
  endless rooms, monsters, NPCs, traps, and skill challenges. 
  The Toolbox can be used to enhance and expand your Oath 
  of the Frozen King adventure – or any adventure you might 
  be running!
  ADVENTURE ODDITIES
  The following tables are designed to add thematic 
  elements and fun details without breaking the cohesion of 
  the overall adventure. They highlight the looming, ever-
  present threat of the Frozen King and his oath. Use these 
  tables when you need a quick burst of terror to remind the 
  adventurers that they are not alone here in the tomb...
  WHISPERS OF THE FROZEN KING
  d20
  Description
  1
  You see a skull in the ice, briefly. When you 
  look again, it’s gone.
  2
  A distant, rasping whisper urges you forward.
  3
  A chill wind flows over you, carrying the stench 
  of decay.
  4
  A shadow moves in your peripheral vision – 
  but nothing is there.
  5
  A skeletal hand tugs at the back of your tunic, 
  then vanishes.
  6
  You find fiendish runes, scrawled in blood 
  across the floor.
  7
  A distant scream splits the silence, 
  reverberating through the ice.
  8
  Bones crunch underfoot like brittle leaves.
  9
  The melting ice appears to drip blood.
  10
  A disembodied voice whispers your name, 
  almost inaudibly.
  11
  Slow, heavy footfalls echo through the 
  chamber, fading into the distance.
  12
  Your shadow appears to move on its own for a 
  split-second.
  13
  A decaying, disembodied hand clutches a note 
  reading “There’s no way out.”
  14
  Something breathes, heavy and rasping, 
  deeper within the keep.
  15
  Hair stands up on the back of your neck – you 
  are being watched.
  16
  Discordant music echoes from somewhere 
  above you.
  17
  You hear the snarling of vicious beasts from 
  the other side of the wall.
  18
  The room suddenly settles into its shoddy 
  foundations, jolting you downward.
  19
  Bones clatter in the next room.
  20
  A hulking, armored silhouette stands before 
  you, breathing steadily. It soon fades. 
  THEMATIC PHRASES
  d20
  Phrase
  d20
  Phrase
  1
  Frozen Crypt 
  11
  Trollchamber
  2
  Violent Zealots
  12
  Deserted Passages
  3
  Long-Dead Frost
  13
  Undead Rabble
  4
  Frigid Cannibals
  14
  Oathkeeper Ambush
  5
  Ice-Covered Relics
  15
  Lost Iceways
  6
  Windburn
  16
  Skeletal Scavengers
  7
  Runic Blade
  17
  Weary and Freezing
  8
  Vengeful King
  18
  Creeping Guardians
  9
  Archaic Ice Traps
  19
  Snowblind
  10
  Chilling Whispers
  20
  Deafening Silence
  
  35
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  SET DRESSING
  d10
  Description
  1
  Barrels filled with long-spoiled meat. The frost 
  keeps the stench at bay.
  2
  A weapon rack, still stocked with rusted blades, 
  frozen in place.
  3
  A huddled skeleton in the corner, clutching a 
  tarnished locket.
  4
  An arcane torch, sputtering with a blood-red 
  flame that emits only light – no heat.
  5
  A rusted floor grate, leading to a deeper level 
  of the keep.
  6
  A locked chest, frozen shut, and filled with fake 
  gold coins.
  7
  A mummified corpse, frozen inside the wall.
  8
  Clusters of oddly shaped barrels and crates, 
  providing ample cover from ranged attacks.
  9
  A dividing wall of ice, peppered with murder 
  holes for bowmen.
  10
  Collapsed pillars and ruined walls.
  INSTANT HAZARDS
  d6
  Description
  1
  An icy sinkhole – 1d4 undead minions ambush 
  the adventurers.
  2
  A sudden snowstorm – Survival check to find 
  shelter, or suffer 1 level of exhaustion.
  3
  A gust of brutal, icy wind – Dexterity saving 
  throw or suffer cold damage.
  4
  The ceiling collapses – Dexterity saving throw 
  to avoid bludgeoning damage.
  5
  A wandering frost troll – Stealth check to 
  avoid its savage ire.
  6
  A territorial mountain goat – Animal Handling 
  check to calm the beast.
  ITEMS AND LOOT
  As the adventurers traverse the icy keep of the Frozen King, 
  they’ll certainly find items and loot in rooms and on their 
  fallen enemies. Generate infinite loot with the following 
  tables.
  COMMON LOOT
  d20
  Item
  1
  1d6 copper pieces per level
  2
  1d8 silver pieces per level
  3
  Leather bag of strong-smelling incense
  4
  Silver mirror with cracked glass
  5
  Talisman of fur and bone
  6
  Pewter chime
  7
  Rabbit fur gloves
  8
  Canteen full of clean water
  9
  Small potion of healing
  10
  Leather belt with pouches of dried herbs
  11
  Silk cloak lined with fur
  12
  Spell scroll of level 1d4
  13
  Fine fur and leather cap
  14
  A woodcutter’s axe
  15
  1d10 gold pieces per level
  16
  Bolt of fine cloth
  17
  1d4 dried rations
  18
  2d10 gold pieces per level
  19
  Quiver of  arrows
  20
  3d10 gold pieces per level
  
  36
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  TRINKETS
  d20
  Item
  1
  A worn sword hilt, missing its blade
  2
  A set of four canopic jars, sculpted with skeletal 
  visages
  3
  A conch shell carved from ice
  4
  A clay jug containing the half-frozen dregs of a 
  rare port wine
  5
  A cracked stone coin, bearing the sigil of a lost 
  noble house
  6
  A handaxe with a blade of ice that never melts
  7
  A wide leather belt etched with dwarven runes
  8
  A black, flat stone that glows brightly when 
  tossed
  9
  An hourglass filled with drifting snow
  10
  A gnarled stave of white birch, topped with 
  quartz
  11
  A palm-sized, crystalline wolf skull
  12
  A single-edged dagger marked with the initials: 
  EVH
  13
  A pair of knife-sized claws on a leather string
  14
  Leather boots tipped with climbing spikes
  15
  An arrow topped with an ever-frozen icicle
  16
  A flask of fizzing blue liquid – it’s sweet, but 
  painfully cold to drink
  17
  A yellowed humanoid femur bone wrapped in 
  silver twine
  18
  A white, fur-lined cloak, tattered and muddy at 
  the hem
  19
  A silver medallion emblazoned with a sneering 
  skull
  20
  A tarnished brass lantern that sheds silver 
  moonlight
  
  37
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  LOCATION GENERATOR
  Create infinite locations complete with sensory details 
  using the following tables. Roll for a location first, then 
  utilize the tables for sights, sounds, and sensations to 
  complete the picture.
  MAJOR LOCATIONS
  d6
  Location
  Description
  1
  The Altar of Sorrow  
  A simple slab of rough-hewn stone dominates an alcove in this entrance chamber. A stone 
  stairway leads deeper into the keep.
  2
  The Sword Shrine 
  The frozen shrine at the center of the room glows a pale white. Somehow, the air in here 
  is even colder.
  3
  Gunther’s Respite
  The shadows are deep within the stone cells of this large dungeon. The frigid cold seeps 
  into each cell from circular chutes leading outside.
  4
  The Hall of Bone and Ice
  This enormous feasting hall is a frostbitten shadow of its former glory. A massive wooden 
  table, split in twain, rests at its center, bound together by iron bands. A long-spoiled, 
  frozen feast sits in piles upon the shattered table.
  5
  Grigor’s Kennel
  A dozen sunken, circular pits dominate this sour-smelling room. The remains of wolves, 
  giant rats, and other unidentifiable beasts lay in piles at the bottom of these pits, 
  forgotten for centuries. 
  6
  The Frigid Tomb
  This dim, frozen tomb carries an overwhelming feeling of oppression and death. A pale 
  white fog wafts in the air, originating from a massive stone sarcophagus.
  COMMON LOCATIONS
  d12
  Location
  Description
  1
  Armory/Barracks
  The walls are lined with rusted spears, swords, and shields. A skeleton in tarnished 
  chainmail leans against a rickety cot.
  2
  Banquet Hall
  Spoiled food and dry goblets are piled upon a long, oaken table surrounded by high-
  backed chairs. A faded tapestry hangs above the hearth.
  3
  Divining Room
  An octagonal altar, covered in melted wax, dominates this room of glassy, black stone. 
  Runes are etched deep into the floor, spiraling outwards from the altar.
  4
  Great Hall
  Pillars of stone rise to meet a soaring ceiling dripping with icicles.
  5
  Jail
  Eight iron hatches mar the floor in this circular prison, each leading to a frozen, 
  underground holding cell – some of which still contain their icy occupants.
  6
  Kennel
  Canine skeletons lay in frost-covered heaps beyond rusted iron bars. 
  7
  Living Quarters
  Footlockers rest at the foot of each cot lining this room, their locks long ago rusted shut. 
  Scrawled on the wall in blood is: “The oath will be fulfilled.”
  8
  Sacrificial Chamber
  A sunken basin at the center of the room is stained with ages-old blood. Runes circle the 
  basin, and a blade of obsidian rests nearby on a raised altar.
  9
  Trophy Room
  This room is full of mounted animal heads of all kinds, highlighted by the towering, 
  stuffed, dire bear frozen in a roar.
  10
  Smithy
  The forge sits cold and lifeless in one corner of this room, surrounded by various tools. In 
  another corner, the water of a freezing spring spills out into a black basin before returning 
  to the caverns below.
  11
  Throne Room
  Ratty carpets line the approach to a massive throne, stained with old blood.
  12
  Torture Chamber
  Bladed implements and chains line the walls. The floors are stained with blood.
  
  38
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  MUNDANE LOCATIONS
  d6
  Location
  Description
  1
  Hallway
  A narrow stone passageway with a floor of cracked flagstone. Ice coats the walls.
  2
  Storage Room
  Barrels and crates are stacked to the ceiling. Burlap sacks of rotten grain and vegetables 
  spill their contents across the floor.
  3
  Garbage Pit
  This deep pit brims with frozen refuse and detritus of all kinds.
  4
  Antechamber
  Dusty furniture dominates this small chamber. Portraits of cruel-faced nobility line the walls.
  5
  Latrine
  The smell of stale feces assaults your nostrils, emanating from the chamber pot in the 
  corner.
  6
  Common Area
  Frozen skeletons slump in the corners of this room, clutching each other in their final 
  moments. The sconces lining the walls are cold.
  
  39
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  SIGHTS
  d10
  Description
  1
  A severed, fleshy hand, attached to the handle 
  of a sword.
  2
  A simple stone dais, cluttered with worn copper 
  coins.
  3
  A set of vaguely humanoid ice sculptures, their 
  faces frozen in silent screams.
  4
  An ancient broadsword with runic curses 
  etched upon it.
  5
  An enormous frozen tomb, adorned with carv-
  ings and runes.
  6
  A climbing, crawling fog of a pale white color.
  7
  Scraps of parchment with words denouncing 
  the Frozen King and his reign.
  8
  Walls of black ice, sinister and ancient.
  9
  Yellowed bones of various shapes and sizes.
  10
  Leather pouches of assorted colors and sizes, 
  each containing a full set of human teeth.
  SOUNDS
  d10
  Description
  1
  Ice crunches underfoot.
  2
  A sickening hum of low, droning white noise.
  3
  An incessant dripping echoes through the 
  chamber.
  4
  A low, sickening hum drones at the edge of 
  your senses.
  5
  A faint, rhythmic breathing emanates from 
  deeper in the keep.
  6
  The creaking and cracking ice rapidly thawing 
  and freezing.
  7
  The wind whips through the chamber.
  8
  Something clamors below, howling in the night.
  9
  Whispers and weeping haunt this location. 
  10
  The rhythmic chime of a chisel against ice 
  reverberates through the chambers ahead.
  SENSATIONS
  d10
  Description
  1
  A chilling blast of wind, seemingly from no-
  where, blows powerfully and steadily.
  2
  The air is so cold it hurts to breathe.
  3
  The cold air bites constantly, stealing all 
  warmth.
  4
  The room itself rumbles with intermittent 
  tremors.
  5
  Something slouched and hulking moves in the 
  shadows of the room.
  6
  The room seems to be slowly melting. The walls 
  and floor are slick.
  7
  The odd formations of ice make the actual 
  shape of the room indiscernible.
  8
  As you blink, it feels as though your eyelids 
  might freeze shut.
  9
  This place is devoid of all smell, save the 
  twinge of icy steel in the air.
  10
  Your reflection in the ice appears gaunt and 
  hollow – almost skeletal.
  
  40
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  ENCOUNTER GENERATOR
  Generate additional encounters quickly by selecting the 
  encounter terrain, encounter features, and encounter 
  events. You can make your encounter even more 
  challenging by adding monsters from the monster 
  generator table. 
  ENCOUNTER TERRAIN
  d20
  Description
  d20
  Description
  1
  Flagstones randomly fall away into an icy 
  chasm below
  11
  Ankle-deep frigid water
  2
  Glyphs etched into the floor dispel magic
  12
  Stone flooring radiating extreme cold
  3
  Uneven, jagged flooring of icy stones.
  13
  Floor carved into a giant topographical map
  4
  Floor covered with thick ice
  14
  Thick, knee-high snow
  5
  Slime-covered icy flooring
  15
  Thick tree roots growing through the floor
  6
  Constantly shifting soft, powdery snow
  16
  Rickety rope bridges overhanging an icy chasm
  7
  Fresh, earthen flooring, devoid of ice
  17
  Platforms of varying heights
  8
  A burning gutter of fire rings the room
  18
  Nonsensical series of stairs and ladders
  9
  Floor littered with skulls and bones
  19
  Intermittent pressure plates activate gusts of icy wind 
  10
  Intermittent pressure plates activate dart traps
  20
  Faded letters carved into the frozen floor spell out a clue
  ENCOUNTER FEATURES
  d20
  Description
  d20
  Description
  1
  Racks of spears and shields frozen in place
  11
  Swinging bladed pendulum edged with razor sharp 
  icicles
  2
  Rickety wooden scaffolding, covered in icicles
  12
  Icy chains hanging from the ceiling
  3
  Large burning brazier, snow melting around it
  13
  Heavy mounted crossbow on a dais
  4
  Alchemist’s table with bubbling liquids
  14
  Crates filled with partially frozen acid flasks
  5
  Ravenous, arctic dire-rats chained to a wall
  15
  Large pit full of deadly frozen stalagmites
  6
  Large stone statues wielding iron weapons
  16
  Dilapidated siege weaponry
  7
  Wall spout intermittently spewing shards of 
  razor-sharp ice
  17
  Massive crumbling stone pillars
  8
  Glowing veins of magically potent minerals
  18
  Blood-red anti-magic crystals
  9
  Kegs filled with explosive fire powder
  19
  Large, hanging light fixture made of iron and wood
  10
  Overflowing water channel, now entirely frozen 
  creating an odd walkway
  20
  Faded murals of history with hidden switches and levers
  
  41
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  ENCOUNTER EVENTS
  d100
  Description
  d100
  Description
  1-2
  Room begins flooding with frigid water
  51-52
  Floor falls away in sections
  3-4
  Secret door appears when splashed with blood
  53-54
  Mutiny erupts within enemy ranks
  5-6
  Razor sharp icicles rise from floor/walls/ceiling
  55-56
  Room begins filling with noxious, frigid gas
  7-8
  Room begins revolving on an ancient swivel 
  57-58
  Frozen spires jut up from the ground
  9-10
  Murder holes open in the walls and ceiling
  59-60
  A massive icy pit opens in the center of the room
  11-12
  Enemy reinforcements arrive
  61-62
  Enemies begin polymorphing
  13-14
  Something susceptible flash freezes
  63-64
  Doors seal themselves with magical ice
  15-16
  Enemies retreat and take cover behind barri-
  cade
  65-66
  Effects of the Frozen King’s oath fill enemies with violent 
  rage
  17-18
  Icy walls begin to crumble
  67-68
  Frozen, arcane obelisks appear and begin spewing spells
  19-20
  Room begins freezing over
  69-70
  Enemies surrender and call for parley
  21-22
  Enemies fire ranged weapons from the rafters
  71-72
  Wall of thick ice rises from the floor to divide the room 
  in half
  23-24
  Wall of ice crumbles to reveal a monstrous 
  creature
  73-74
  A rift appears from deep within the Maw of Black Ice and 
  begins pulling things in
  25-26
  Platform of blades bursts from the floor
  75-76
  All nearby light sources go out
  27-28
  A formidable enemy appears
  77-78
  Strong freezing wind threatens to knock everyone prone
  29-30
  Fallen enemies rise as undead
  79-80
  Enemy pulls out a wand and starts slinging spells
  31-32
  Summoning circle activates and creatures 
  appear
  81-82
  Fallen weapons float to attack
  33-34
  Statue begins pulling all metal towards itself
  83-84
  Icy debris begins falling from the ceiling
  35-36
  Enemy draws repeating crossbow and opens 
  fire
  85-86
  Gravity doubles, weighing everything down
  37-38
  Empty suit of armor activates to attack
  87-88
  Weapons get brief elemental damage
  39-40
  Huge icy chasm opens up in the floor
  89-90
  Enemies start throwing alchemist’s fire
  41-42
  Bigger monster appears to chase enemies away
  91-92
  You begin experiencing hallucinations.
  43-44
  Enemy downs a potion and doubles in size
  93-94
  Unknown force seizes control of enemies
  45-46
  Massive tree erupts from the ground
  95-96
  Room begins collapsing
  47-48
  Earthquake!
  97-98
  Deafening roar fills the your ears
  49-50
  A treasure chest is uncovered from ice
  99-00
  Gravity reverses
  
  42
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  MONSTER GENERATOR
  This section is designed to generate the flavor and 
  mechanics for the monsters in your adventure. You can 
  generate these things in any order, using as much or as 
  little as needed for your taste to create as many tabletop 
  terrors as you need.
  MONSTER TYPE AND APPEARANCE
  d100
  Type
  Appearance
  1-5
  Aberration
  This putrid creature has a layer of oily, crystalline slime frozen upon its flesh.
  6-15
  Beast
  This creature is covered in thick, mottled fur, to protect it from the cold.
  16-20
  Celestial
  This creature seems unaffected by the cold, emanating an aura of heat and light. 
  21-25
  Construct
  The dark stone that this creature is hewn from was taken from the Maw of Black Ice itself.
  26-27
  Dragon
  This frost-born dragon has pale white scales coated with fractal ice that appears as diamonds.
  28-35
  Elemental
  This asymmetrical creature of pure ice and snow emits sleet and ice.  
  36-45
  Fey
  This beautiful creature appears to love the cold, and has manipulated ice to form beautifully 
  detailed armor. 
  46-50
  Fiend
  Steam bathes this creature wherever it roams, as the sizzle of fiery flesh and melting snow follows 
  it.
  51-60
  Giant
  This gangled giant has blue-white skin and a crystalline beard of ice.
  61-70
  Humanoid
  This creature is dressed in furs and leathers, prepared for the weather of this brutal tundra.
  71-75
  Monstrosity
  This creature’s anatomy speaks of its evolution to survive in this tundra. It has fur or a thick hide, 
  and its colors range from the pale bluish of ice to the stark white of fresh snow.
  76-78
  Ooze
  Appearing as a shimmering pool of slowly rippling ice crystals, this strangely beautiful creature 
  glides about in a viscous mass. 
  79-80
  Plant
  This durable plant appears more lush and green than expected, though it is covered with an 
  infinitesimal dusting of tiny ice crystals.
  81-00
  Undead
  The tatters of flesh that hang from this shambling creature are frostbitten and worn, with portions of 
  its exposed innards frozen in place.
  GIVE MONSTERS MOTIVES
  Why is this creature here? Who does it serve? What 
  does it want? Answer one or all of those questions to 
  inform your monsters’ behavior. Take it a step further 
  by making this monster’s goals in direct opposition 
  to what the adventurers want. 
  Another trick is to roll on the quest table at the 
  beginning of this Adventure Kit, and assign a quest 
  to the monster you’re creating to give them a mission 
  and purpose that matters. Alternatively, you can use 
  the NPC generator in this toolbox to give them a 
  unique secret or motive.
  
  43
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  MONSTER BEHAVIOR
  d10
  Behavior
  Effect
  1
  Cowardly: Surrenders at the 
  first opportunity
  This creatures must succeed a Charisma saving throw or flee at the first sight of 
  blood.
  2
  Overconfident: Overestimates 
  its own abilities
  This creature gravitates toward the most powerful perceived threat.
  3
  Zealous: Prepared to do what-
  ever it takes
  This creature will sacrifice itself and others without thought.
  4
  Unshakable: Will not retreat, 
  no matter how dire the odds
  This creature fights ferociously until its last breath.
  5
  Conscripted: Fights against its 
  will
  Unless it succeeds a Charisma saving throw at the beginning of combat, this crea-
  ture attacks at disadvantage.
  6
  Revered: Commands lesser 
  creatures, and they obey with-
  out question
  Its peers listen to its commands, and attempt to assist this creature.
  7
  Greedy: Values treasure above 
  all else
  This creature takes any opportunity to steal treasure, and can be bribed easily.
  8
  Frenzied: Attacks any nearby 
  creatures, friend and foe alike
  This creature attacks the nearest creature, friendly or enemy.
  9
  Mocking: Throws an endless 
  wave of taunts and insults 
  during combat
  This creature favors supporting its allies and disrupting its enemies.
  10
  Selfish: Will turn on its allies, if 
  need be
  This creature is loyal only to itself,and does whatever it takes to stay alive.
  QUICK MONSTER STATS
  d8
  Monster Threat Level
  Hit Points
  Armor Class
  Roll Bonus
  1-2
  Minion
  1 to 5
  10
  +1 to +2
  3-4
  Skirmisher 
  11 to 33
  10 to 11
  +3 to +5
  5-6
  Vanguard
  33 to 66
  12 to 15
  +6 to +8
  7-8
  Nemesis
  66 to 132
  16 to 20
  +9 to +12
  MONSTER DAMAGE BY ADVENTURER LEVEL
  Adventurer Level
  Minion
  Skirmisher
  Vanguard
  Nemesis
  1st to 4th
  1 to 4
  4 to 6
  6 to 8
  8 to 10
  5th to 10th
  6 to 8
  8 to 10
  10 to 12
  12 to 14
  11th to 16th
  10 to 12
  12 to 14
  14 to 16
  16 to 18
  17th to 20th
  14 to 16
  16 to 18
  18 to 20
  20 to 22
  
  44
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  MONSTER BUFFS
  d10
  Buff
  Description
  1
  Multiattack (X)
  Can make a number of attacks equal to X 
  2
  Defense (X)
  Adds X to armor class
  3
  Deadly (X)
  Adds X damage to attacks
  4
  Brute
  On a successful melee attack, may grapple target
  5
  Magic (X)
  Knows a number of at-will spells equal to X
  6
  Focus
  Has advantage on checks with one ability or skill
  7
  Regeneration (X)
  Regains X HP at start of turn 
  8
  Resistance
  Has resistance to one type of damage
  9
  Immunity
  Has immunity to one type of damage
  10
  Flight (X)
  Has a fly speed equal to X
  THEMATIC MONSTERS
  d8
  Monster
  1
  Frost Orc – Skirmisher with multiattack (2) 
  and resistance: cold
  2
  Goblin Stalker – Minion with focus: stealth
  3
  Ice Mephit – Minion with flight, magic (2), 
  and resistance: cold
  4
  Half-Giant Raider – Vanguard with multiat-
  tack (2) and focus: strength
  5
  Skinchanger – Vanguard with magic (1) and 
  brute
  6
  Yeti Howler – Vanguard with multiattack (2), 
  defense, and resistance: cold
  7
  Frost Wyrm – Nemesis with multiattack (3), 
  magic (3), immunity: cold, and flight (80)
  8
  Glacial Titan – nemesis with multiattack (3), 
  defense (3), regeneration, and immunity: cold
  CALCULATING MONSTER DCs
  When calculating a saving throw DC for a monster, 
  such as when a monster casts a spell, simply halve 
  that monster’s roll bonus and round down, then add 
  10 to that number. So a spell save DC for a nemesis 
  monster would be anywhere from 14 or 16. 
  UNIQUE UNDEAD
  d4
  Description
  1
  These risen creatures have been preserved 
  in ice, and still retain most of their frostbitten 
  flesh.
  2
  These undead have lucid, human eyeballs set 
  into their skulls – windows into tortured souls.
  3
  The undead have translucent ice covering their 
  bones, akin to crystalline muscle and sinew.
  4
  These undead have bone of a stark black, and 
  carry the stench of sulfur.
  5
  These skeletal beings have icicles protruding 
  from their bodies like lethal spears, and from 
  their hands like vicious claws.
  6
  These undead are patchwork abominations, 
  created through vile magic and made up of 
  many different creatures. 
  
  45
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  SKILL CHALLENGE GENERATOR
  Skill challenges require multiple skill checks from the 
  adventurers, typically three to five successful checks 
  before an equal number of failed checks are accrued. 
  Critical successes (i.e. a natural 20) count as two successes 
  – likewise, critical failures (i.e. natural 1s) count as two 
  failures.
  Oftentimes, skill challenges require multiple skills. For 
  example, adventurers escaping a crumbling dungeon might 
  face a skill challenge requiring Strength to push aside a 
  boulder, Dexterity to dodge falling rocks, Constitution to 
  swim to safety, and Wisdom to find a safe path.
  SKILL CHALLENGES BY ABILITY
  d6
  Ability
  Related Skills
  1
  Strength
  Athletics
  2
  Dexterity
  Acrobatics, Sleight of Hand, 
  Stealth
  3
  Constitution
  None
  4
  Intelligence
  Arcana, History, Investigation, 
  Nature, Religion
  5
  Wisdom
  Animal Handling, Insight, Medi-
  cine, Perception, Survival
  6
  Charisma
  Deception, Intimidation, Perfor-
  mance, Persuasion
  SKILL CHALLENGE DIFFICULTY
  d6
  Difficulty
  DC
  1
  Easy
  11 to 12
  2-3
  Moderate
  13 to 14
  4
  Difficult
  15 to 16
  5
  Extreme
  17 to 18
  6
  Near Impossible
  19 to 20+
  THEMATIC SKILL CHALLENGES
  d6
  Thematic Skill Challenges
  1
  Strength – Pushing aside heavy, ice-slick 
  stones to proceed 
  2
  Dexterity – Dodging falling stalactites of 
  razor-sharp ice
  3
  Constitution – Braving a frigid ice storm to 
  gain entry through a collapsed wall or ceiling
  4
  Intelligence – Identifying items belonging to 
  the Frozen King for clues to defeat him
  5
  Wisdom – Navigating the frozen landscape in 
  the keep and surrounding area
  6
  Charisma – Negotiating with violent cultists 
  of the Frozen King
  
  46
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  TRAP GENERATOR
  This section is designed to generate limitless, unique traps 
  for your adventure. Generate the trap by selecting its style, 
  the type of saving throw required, and the consequences 
  the trap imposes. Then, decide how difficult you would like 
  the trap to be to disarm, and how dangerous it will be if the 
  party fails (setback, dangerous, or deadly). 
  TRAP STYLE
  d10
  Description
  1
  A creature’s corpse, rigged up as a trap
  2
  A disguised object that appears normal at first 
  glance
  3
  A false trap, used to deter would-be intruders
  4
  A leftover security measure from creatures 
  dwelling in the area
  5
  An intricate arcane trap that is difficult to 
  perceive
  6
  A rudimentary trap that is simple to spot
  7
  A naturally occurring trap
  8
  A trap built as part of the original structure
  9
  A particularly deadly trap created by a well-
  known trapsmith
  10
  A trap much larger and more intricate than it 
  first appears. Roll two traps and combine them.
  SAVING THROW
  d6
  Saving Throw Required
  1
  Charisma – Fool a sentient trigger, or overcome 
  fear
  2
  Constitution – Physically withstand the conse-
  quences
  3
  Dexterity – Dodge deftly with speed and skill
  4
  Intelligence – Conjure knowledge, or resist 
  magic
  5
  Strength – Stop with brute force
  6
  Wisdom – Perceive its threat, or use survival 
  skills
  TRAP CONSEQUENCES
  d122
  Damage Type
  Conditions
  1
  Acid
  Blinded
  2
  Bludgeoning
  Charmed
  3
  Cold
  Deafened
  4
  Fire
  Exhaustion
  5
  Force
  Frightened
  6
  Lightning
  Grappled/Restrained
  7
  Necrotic
  Incapacitated
  8
  Poison
  Invisible
  9
  Psychic
  Paralyzed/Petrified
  10
  Radiant
  Prone
  11
  Slashing/Piercing
  Stunned
  12
  Thunder
  Unconscious
  
  47
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  THEMATIC TRAPS
  d6
  Trap
  1
  Hunting Trap – Wisdom saving throw to avoid being grappled and piercing damage
  2
  Giant Falling Icicle – Dexterity saving throw to avoid piercing damage
  3
  Frostburn Trap – Constitution saving throw to avoid reduced movement speed and cold damage
  4
  Concealed Bone Flail – Dexterity saving throw to avoid being knocked prone and slashing damage
  5
  Arcane Claxon – Intelligence saving throw to avoid thunder damage and alerting nearby enemies
  6
  Bone Ward – Wisdom saving throw to avoid summoning 1d4 ice skeleton minions
  TRAP SAVE DIFFICULTY AND ROLL BONUSES
  d6
  Trap Danger
  Save DC
  Roll Bonus
  1-2
  Setback
  10 to 11
  +3 to +5
  3-5
  Dangerous
  12 to 15
  +6 to +8
  6
  Deadly
  16 to 20+
  +9 to +12
  TRAP DAMAGE SEVERITY
  Adventurer Level
  Setback
  Dangerous
  Deadly
  1st to 4th
  1d10 (6)
  2d10 (11)
  4d10 (22)
  5th to 10th
  2d10 (11)
  4d10 (22)
  10d10 (55)
  11th to 16th
  4d10 (22)
  10d10 (55)
  18d10 (99)
  17th to 20th
  10d10 (55)
  18d10 (99)
  24d10 (132)
  
  48
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  NPC GENERATOR
  Use the following tables to generate your own non-
  player characters by choosing their name, personality, 
  appearance, equipment, strengths and drawbacks, and a 
  secret.
  NPC NAMES
  d102
  First Names
  Surnames
  1
  Jeanna
  Langheid
  2
  Isak
  Östlund
  3
  Jolvar
  Holmgren
  4
  Agnes
  Ravel
  5
  Erick
  Raghild
  6
  Fiona
  Furstruhm
  7
  Ivar
  Jakobsson
  8
  Tomas
  Ekblad
  9
  Henrik
  Leifsson
  10
  Fighurst
  Tornquist
  NPC PERSONALITY
  d12
  Description
  1
  Duty-driven, but paranoid and untrusting
  2
  Exceedingly polite, with the hint of an 
  uncommon accent
  3
  Quiet, yet capable
  4
  Unable to keep their mouth shut
  5
  Monotone and unexcitable
  6
  Aloof, but kind to those who show them respect
  7
  Road-weary, but friendly
  8
  Curt but honest and sincere
  9
  Lithe, strong and helpful
  10
  Stern and determined
  11
  Curious, yet cautious
  12
  Gruff and unshakable
  NPC APPEARANCE
  d122
  Race
  Physical Trait
  1
  Human 
  Thick, dark hair and slate-gray eyes
  2
  Gnome
  A thick head of well groomed hair
  3
  Dwarf
  A shaved head
  4
  Half-Orc
  A narrow build, and deep scars
  5
  Elf
  A bald, scarred head, and ice-blue eyes
  6
  Tiefling
  A wiry frame, jet black hair, and a chipped tooth
  7
  Dragonborn
  A pockmarked face and a slim figure
  8
  Halfling
  Graying hair and a fetching face
  9
  Half-Elf
  Short-cropped hair of platinum white
  10
  Giant-Blooded
  Elaborate tattoos
  11
  Undead
  A noose scar ringing their neck
  12
  Spectral
  Blood-shot eyes
  
  49
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  NPC GEAR
  d123
  Weapon
  Armor
  Items of Note
  1
  Gnarled obsidian staff
  Worn leather armor
  Oddly-shaped grimoire
  2
  Powerful composite bow
  Hides and skins
  Standard honoring a deity
  3
  Long, thin warblade
  Rare stone armor
  Silky azure cloak
  4
  Golden-handled rapier
  Armor of bone
  Bounty hunter's net
  5
  Powerful Maul
  Well-dulled plate armor
  Note from a prominent priest
  6
  Whip of bone
  Thick chainmail
  Skeletal brooch
  7
  Hand crossbow
  Colorful fitted armor
  Set of nine fortune-telling runes
  8
  Gorgeous ivory longbow
  Finely crafted elvish armor
  Crystal ball made of ice
  9
  Mighty broadsword
  Shimmering silver chainmail
  Green journal, filled with various 
  adventures
  10
  Dual shortswords
  Plain clothes, though elegant in style
  Pocket watch on a pewter chain
  11
  Needle-tipped dagger
  Armor of magical ice
  Halfling-sized spare shoes
  12
  Warhammer of dark steel
  Plate armor with pauldrons of 
  obsidian
  Snow-white satchel
  NPC STRENGTHS AND DRAWBACKS
  d122
  NPC Strength
  NPC Drawback
  1
  Skilled with a sword
  Prone to taking bribes
  2
  Knows their way around a longbow
  Frail and prone to sickness
  3
  Remarkably strong
  Gambling problem
  4
  Exceedingly loyal and brave
  Dim-witted
  5
  Has a fantastic memory
  Owes favors to many
  6
  Excellent diplomat
  Terrible with money
  7
  Insightful and wise
  Short attention span
  8
  Values truth over everything
  Brazen gloryhound
  9
  Will help anyone in need
  Old fashioned and vocal about it
  10
  Friend to many, with favors due
  Slightly racist
  11
  Well-read, and able to recall facts
  Could get lost in their own hometown
  12
  Highly skilled at surviving in nature
  Compulsive liar
  
  50
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  NPC SECRETS AND MOTIVES
  d20
  Description
  1
  They are responsible for the death of a sibling and this is their opportunity for atonement.
  2
  They are famous for something they didn't do and something here may reveal that.
  3
  They are in love with someone they should not be and this may be their last shot.
  4
  They are in tremendous debt and always looking for their chance to finally get ahead.
  5
  They are painfully claustrophobic. They overtly avoid areas with too few doors and windows.
  6
  They are spying for other powers, and they have valuable information they must report.
  7
  They are bound to this land and cannot leave it, but they are looking for their chance to get away.
  8
  They are wanted for a terrible crime in another region and they fear that newcomers may bring attention to it.
  9
  They believe they hear the voices of the gods. The gods have commanded them to take action here.
  10
  They betrayed people they loved to get ahead. Their position of power is a painful reminder, but they yearn for an 
  opportunity for redemption. 
  11
  They failed someone they admired and seek redemption.
  12
  They have an addiction they try to suppress. Every day is another struggle to to beat it – or succumb to it 
  indefinitely. 
  13
  They have died once already, and are not keen to do so again. Could this be their chance at life eternal?
  14
  They have sociopathic tendencies. This is the perfect opportunity to act on them – or try to overcome them for good.
  15
  They have a hidden talent they're ashamed of. This seems like an opportunity to prove their talent’s worth.
  16
  They know a secret about the local authorities that could get them killed. They have concrete proof of this but fear 
  for their lives.
  17
  They regret selling a family heirloom, and seek to get it back. They constantly visit the location where it was last 
  spotted.
  18
  They stole something from someone powerful. The bill has come due – it’s fight, or run.
  19
  They were once a slave. Their past is catching up with them but they’ll do anything to never lose their freedom 
  again. 
  20
  They’re hiding a fugitive – or are a fugitive themselves. The law is on their heels. Now is the time to face the music, 
  come what may.
  
  51
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | TOOLBOX
  
  52
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | A CROWN OF BONE AND ICE
  A CROWN OF BONE AND ICE
  THE FALL
  Blood soaked the snow the day the man-king died.
   
  From its tunnels, the troll watched, as it had for centuries. It 
  had seen the first snowfall, the coming of the ebon-haired 
  men, the battle with the fair-skins, the raising of the stone 
  keep amidst the craggy ranges of Winter’s Tongue. It had 
  seen the birth of the man-king, and the width and breadth 
  of his reign.
   
  The troll watched now as the man-king – the one called 
  Eirick – clutched at his belly, bleeding in the snow. His fetal 
  squirming on the steps reminded the troll of a freshborn. 
  The life of the man-king flowed from a dozen wounds, 
  spilling across the ice and stone, pooling a vibrant crimson 
  in the pristine snow. His crown – a mantle of elk bone and 
  ice-blue sapphires – toppled from his brow and clattered 
  down the steps.
   
  The troll watched the blood, and listened.
   
  The troll knew the power of blood – knew the secrets it 
  held. Not secrets scrawled in tomes – but secrets it learned 
  with its ears. With them, the troll could hear everything 
  speaking. The tunnels it called home thrummed, speaking 
  safety and solitude. The dull patter of endless snowflakes 
  spoke of a coming blizzard. And the rasping scrape of 
  the shifting ice deep within the Maw foretold a looming 
  change – a shift in power. 
  But there was a new voice that day – the day the man-king 
  died. The troll looked back to the king, whose face paled 
  and hands trembled as he reached for his maul. His blood 
  betrayed his mortality as it froze, and told the man-king’s 
  secrets. The troll heard the whispers of the blood as it 
  dripped and flowed and froze.
   
  For years the man-king’s followers – who now surrounded 
  him with bloodied blades – obeyed his every order. They 
  spoke proud tales and sang songs of Good King Eirick, 
  while he banished men and women naked into the tundra 
  to freeze or crushed their skulls with his terrible maul.
  These men standing over him now – the men holding the 
  bloody daggers – these were his closest allies. Their loyalty 
  had withered when Eirick killed their kin or cast their 
  pregnant wives into the cold. “No place for new mouths to 
  feed,” the king had said. “No kingdom for the weak.” 
  As the food grew scarce, and the cold grew stronger, Eirick’s 
  leadership waned. He was uncertain, and though none 
  would speak it, he was afraid. So he turned to the old ways 
  – scrying and divination and portents and strange runes. 
  Heeding his vizier without question or hesitation – the one 
  who would be named Hand of the King in place of worthier 
  men. And the Hand led the king further astray, and showed 
  him things deeper in the ice, and in the Maw – and these 
  things began to work their dark will.
   
  It was always an odd thing, the troll thought, to watch 
  a mortal die. They did not have the Gift, as trolls did. To 
  watch wounds gape like laughing mouths, never closing. To 
  watch skin turn white and brittle, like paper. To watch flesh 
  become bone and bone become ash and ash become dust 
  and dust become nothing.
   
  The usurpers finished the man-king with a sword – a 
  blade of pale, rippled steel, etched with strange runes 
  that glimmered like ice in the midday sun. Through their 
  jeers and curses, the king mustered the last remnant of 
  his profane strength. He gritted his bloodied teeth, and 
  between plumes of white breath, the king spoke. He made 
  an Oath as they drove the blade into his heart. And a new 
  voice spoke from the blood.
   
  “Varnholme is mine in life – it shall remain mine in death. I 
  shall return and restore glory to my kingdom. Then you will 
  know the coldest winter – then you will suffer the slowest, 
  surest death.”
   
  The words carried on the icy winds, and the new voice 
  scraped the inside of the troll’s ears, and nested in its 
  mind. It trembled, its skin tingling. An Oath was made, and 
  something old – far older than the even troll – listened. The 
  troll turned to the tunnel’s frozen walls, and began carving 
  the Oath into the ice. It etched the strange runes again and 
  again – and for the first time in its long life, the troll had 
  something it feared it might forget.
  KING EIRICK 
  
  53
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | A CROWN OF BONE AND ICE
   
  “The Oath must be remembered,” the troll said. “The Oath 
  must be remembered.”
  THE OATH
  A storm followed the betrayal of the man-king.
   
  The merciless blizzard clawed at the Maw of Black Ice, and 
  a deep cold gripped the mountains. The troll, for the first 
  time in centuries, entered the keep. The bloodletting didn’t 
  stop with the murder of the man-king – no, it persisted as 
  the loyalists clashed with the usurpers. 
  The troll’s ears heard everything. The screams of the 
  wounded and dying roared against the stone, twisting 
  into echoes. The prayers of the hopeless skittered along 
  the ground as whispers. And the venomous curses of 
  fathers hung heavy in the air, swearing vengeance for their 
  murdered sons. Even through the deafening secrets crying 
  out from the freshly spilled blood – the Oath spoke louder. 
  And the troll listened.
   
  The troll skulked through the halls, eating its fill of the 
  helpless and wounded, prowling far from the din of battle. 
  It tasted the secrets of the blood, and they tasted empty 
  – hollow. The troll yearned to hear the Oath, and grew 
  hungrier.
   
  Winding deeper into the keep, the troll came upon the 
  kennel. The hounds whimpered in their cages, and a 
  woman knelt beside the man-king’s body. The king’s corpse 
  lay on a meager bed of burlap and straw, prepared by the 
  loyalists. The woman clutched the king’s cold hand within 
  her own, and with the other cleaned his wounds. She 
  did not stir as the troll approached. She was broken, and 
  weeping. 
  The troll pulled her away from the man-king. The woman 
  was weak, and did not have the Gift. The troll’s claws dug 
  into her flesh and she bled. She died quickly, and fell 
  beside her king. Her blood spoke, but the troll ignored it, 
  focusing instead on the broad, gaping wound where the 
  runeblade had plunged into the man-king and ended his 
  mortal life.
  The Oath spoke, and the troll listened. It clawed at the 
  wound that the runeblade had left. Peeling back muscle, 
  and gouging fat and bone to ribbons. Carving out a hollow, 
  leaving only the man-king’s pierced heart in the pit that 
  was once his chest. With a single, black talon, the troll set 
  to work, carefully scraping the words of the Oath again and 
  again into the frozen heart of the man-king. 
  The troll shuddered as the runes took on a dim, blue-violet 
  glow.
   
  The Oath of the Frozen King echoed through the keep, 
  and penetrated its walls, sweeping through the mountains 
  and valleys of Varnholme. All fell subject to the Oath. Ice 
  cracked, speaking the words into the frigid air. The hounds 
  howled, and their baying spoke the Oath. The Oath was in 
  the screams of the dying and the cheers of the victorious. 
  The ringing of steel, the rending of flesh, the breaking of 
  ice and the dripping of blood – they all spoke the Oath.
   
  Varnholme is mine in life – it shall remain mine in death. I 
  shall return and restore glory to my kingdom. Then you will 
  know the coldest winter – then you will suffer the slowest, 
  surest death.
   
  But then, as quickly as they had flickered to life, the runes 
  faded, and the man-king lay dead and frozen on the kennel 
  floor. After some time, his loyalists returned to bury him, 
  and the troll crept away, fleeing further into the keep.
   
  The poor souls who couldn’t reconcile the truth of the 
  Oath fled to their freezing deaths in the tundra. And the 
  king’s loyal servants – old and new – rallied. They hung 
  the Hand of the King by his neck in the great hall in his 
  pristine ceremonial armor. The rope snapped under the 
  weight, dropping his broken body from the joists, splitting 
  the feasting table at its center. Those that remained carried 
  the king’s frozen, marred remains deep into the keep. 
  There, they buried him with his maul, his crown, and the 
  runeblade that ended him, before sealing their Frozen King 
  – and themselves – inside the tomb forever.
   
  From within the keep, the troll watched. And with blood, 
  and the razor tips of its spindly fingers, the troll carved the 
  words of the Oath again and again into the walls.
   
  “The Oath must be fulfilled,” the troll hissed. “The Oath 
  must be fulfilled.”
  THE RISE
  Blood soaked the snow the day the king returned.
   
  An age had passed, but the troll was ever patient. It waited 
  as the keep crumbled and decayed around it, as the tundra 
  all but consumed the stone halls, as new settlements 
  sprang up around the base of the mountains. And as the 
  settlers came, so too came those hungry for fame and gold. 
  And quietly, steadily, the Oath called to them, promising 
  both.
  The Oath persisted. And the troll was faithful over it. The 
  walls spoke the Oath, and the troll knew that the Frozen 
  King would soon walk the halls of his keep once more.
  
  54
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | A CROWN OF BONE AND ICE
   
  The long winter ended. As the keep emerged from the 
  thawing ice, the troll watched as fresh blood arrived to be 
  spilled anew – fortune hunters who climbed those same 
  steps the king had died upon, and dared to enter his keep. 
  These meddlers didn’t know the words – didn’t understand 
  the Oath. But they needn’t understand the Oath to serve it 
  with their blood.
   
  The four adventurers entered the Maw of Black Ice with 
  sputtering torches and virgin steel. A small, lithe creature 
  with daggers; a large man, wielding a woodcutter’s axe; and 
  two women, one an elfen archer, the other robed and meek. 
  The troll waited in the shadows, and heard the warm blood 
  pumping through their bodies. In their hushed whispers as 
  they moved deeper into the keep, the troll sensed fear.
  From the shadows, the troll lunged, clutching the smallest 
  of them. With its claws, it removed the screaming man’s 
  arm and dropped his wriggling body to the ice. The large 
  one, wielding his axe, swung the weapon wide overhead 
  and brought it down upon the troll. Steel split ancient flesh, 
  and the troll bled its black blood. The axe remained, stuck, 
  and the troll took the man’s eyes and left his face a ruin 
  with a rake of its claws. An arrow found its mark, and the 
  archer – the elfish woman – nocked a second. But the troll 
  shattered the bow in its grip, and split her head against 
  the frozen wall. 
  The last one – the robed woman – spoke old words. 
  The words of elves and dragons. Power swirled around 
  her, red and bright and terrible. The troll sneered, and 
  pulled her into a tight embrace against the blade of the 
  axe, still protruding from its flesh. The steel did its work, 
  and the words of power died on bloodied lips. The troll’s 
  Gift closed its seeping wounds, and its flesh encased itself 
  around the axe and the arrow – trophies of the kills.
  The troll drank the secrets of the adventurers’ blood and 
  scrawled the Oath into their dead  flesh.
   
  The keep shuddered. The king stirred. And the walls spoke 
  the Oath.
  “The Oath will be fulfilled,” the troll muttered. “The Oath 
  will be fulfilled.”
  The troll took the bones of the adventurers. And with its 
  gangled, wicked claws, began creating a crown – one of 
  bone and ice.
  A crown fit for a king. 
  
  55
  
  56
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | KICKSTARTER BACKERS
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  KICKSTARTER BACKERS
  THEY TOOK THE OATH
  The names inscribed here belong to some of the 
  1,231 awesome gamers who backed this project 
  on Kickstarter in May 2017. We are eternally 
  grateful for your help in making this book happen, 
  and wish you countless adventures to come. 
  
  57
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | KICKSTARTER BACKERS
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  58
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | KICKSTARTER BACKERS
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  59
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  60
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | OPEN GAMING LICENSE V 1.0A
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  2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  System Reference Document 5.0 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the 
  Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, 
  Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, 
  Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on 
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  OPEN GAMING LICENSE V 1.0A
  
  61
  OATH OF THE FROZEN KING | OPEN GAMING LICENSE V 1.0A
  
  62
  ART BY JON PINTAR: originally, 
  the “F.K.” had a mighty beard. 
  we nixed that idea after we 
  realized it would cover up his 
  ornate breastplate. from there, 
  we didn’t feel he looked unique 
  and ‘dragongrin’ enough, so we 
  hollowed out his armor and added 
  a glowing, frozen heart.
  the cover
  
  63
  the isometric map
  ART BY JON PINTAR: jon’s isometric maps are 
  always stunning, and watching this piece go from 
  sketch to finished piece was one of our favorite 
  processes during production. the initial map 
  contained only the locations from the kit, so we 
  added errant hallways to show that the keep was 
  more expansive.
  
  64
  monsters
  ART BY JAKE PEREZ: for the mad troll, initially, we went 
  for a bulbous-nosed brute inspired by traditional trolls 
  of Norwegian mythology. when we received jake’s amazing 
  execution, we quickly realized it didn’t quite fit. we needed a 
  more visceral and beastial troll, and jake delivered.
  the hand of the frozen king was originally an armored, multi-
  limbed, undead monstrosity (see the concept art on the left). 
  while we loved the art, we decided to move away from this 
  design, as the book was lacking a “mage” type adversary for 
  the adventurers to contend with. the hand was re-designed to 
  have a more wizard-like silhouette with robes and a glowing 
  skull, but retained his intimidating armored look. the end 
  result was an awesome, unique monster straight off of a 
  metal album cover.
  
  65
  the frozen king
  ART BY JAKE PEREZ: for the titular frozen king, one of 
  our primary design goals was to create a piece of terrifying 
  monster art that wasn’t just a repeat of the figure we see on 
  the cover. we knew that one of the most important things 
  was to choose a pose that would evoke action, and the F.K.’s 
  superhuman strength and power. 
  we asked jake to sketch several poses that centered around 
  the king’s maul, hitting the ground, hefted above his head 
  mid-swing. the trouble was, that this was a central piece of 
  art featuring the titular character, and in each of those 
  poses, we lost too much of the iconic design. we whittled 
  down our must-haves for the pose, and decided  on an action 
  pose with the F.K. wielding his massive maul effortlessly with 
  one hand, and reaching towards the reader with the other. 
  
  66
  NPCs
  ART BY EMILY KRUGER: emily’s npc art was nearly perfect 
  in her first pass. note that not a whole lot changed from 
  the initial sketch to the finished characters. her characters’ 
  facial expressions and body language were so emotive from 
  the start that we only had to fine-tune a couple of things. 
  notice the change of siegfried’s pose to one of more dynamic 
  action, something as simple as him cautiously peering by 
  torchlight. also, kurtz’s pose became more imposing and 
  menacing, and his face became more sinister.
  one thing we wanted to be clear was how cold it was in this 
  location. notice in the upper sketch how the garb of the 
  characters seems light and comfortable, whereas in the 
  second sketch many of them are wearing bulkier clothes, 
  more layers, and plenty of fur. 
  as our secondary villain, we wanted kurtz to have 
  a cunning to him. while his cultists might be savage 
  brutes, kurtz needed to excude an air of intelligence and 
  charisma, without eschewing strength. emily managed to 
  evoke all of that and more with a simple facial expression 
  and a slightly altered pose.
  
  67
  the battle
  ART BY JON PINTAR: this is the single largest piece 
  of art that we’ve ever commissioned, and it had a 
  monumental task: depict a battle scene between the 
  frozen king and a group of intrepid adventurers. we took 
  this as an opportunity to geek out, and inject dragongrin 
  lore in as many places as we could without it feeling 
  too heavy handed. this battle scene marks the first-ever 
  artistic appearances of dragongrin staples, such as 
  the sentient constructs the tomehearts and the living 
  undead the sarrick. we even threw in a deep easter egg: a 
  paladin of the dismembered lord, complete with his sigil 
  as a holy symbol and emblazoned upon a shield.
  you might even notice a few of these iconic 
  characters in other locations throughout the book...
  
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  Eight robust locations with sights, sounds, and sensations
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeons & Dragons [multi]/5th Edition (5e)/3rd Party/Absolute Tabletop/Oath of the Frozen King.pdf