Where do I start!? (Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden)

These quest notes are meant to accompany the video below, and will help you decide which quests are best for the flow of your campaign. Happy gaming!

Starting Quests

Cold-Hearted Killer

The PCs are tasked with tracking down a killer as there are 3 murders that seem to be tied to a small, shady, trading company that moves from town to town. Investigation with the possibility of one very deadly encounter.

Can be in any town – Investigation of murders. Asking around and following leads. Involves travel between towns.
- I’d probably add in a chance of blizzard or random encounter.
The Killer – Sephek Kaltro – might be willing to surrender, but PCs have to kill him in order to get the reward.
How challenging? Sephek will be tough! CR 3 – 75 HP and regen 5 HP per round in extreme cold.
- +5 to hit, 1d8/10+3 and 2d4 cold damage
- While he may be willing to surrender, PCs only get a reward for his death.

Nature Spirits

The PC’s are tasked with tracking down some Chwinga’s – small nature spirits Dannika Graysteel believes might be the key to improving Icewind Dale’s climate.

Investigation and not much chance of combat. Could be an eerie tone of mystery, but ends up being a bit light and whimsical.
Ultimate goal – return with a live Chwinga
Possibility of visiting 3-4 towns, so again – perhaps random encounters or perhaps weather events.
The book says this quest “prompts the characters to explore the various locales in Ten-Towns, where they can pick up other quests.” But could be tough for a DM to prep many quests beforehand!
How challenging? Could be a bit hard to catch a Chwinga, but the DM could make it easier if PCs are struggling.

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Town Quests

Bremen | Lake Monster

The PCs are hired to catch some fish, but someone else warns them of a monster attacking Bremen’s fishing boats and asks them to take notes if they see anything.

Fishing for knucklehead trout is dangerous! Characters will likely get pulled in, so keep the rules for Frigid Water handy! Good chance of levels of exhaustion.
Navigating ice floes or the boat takes damage.
Lake Monster (Awakened Plesiosaurus)
- Very likely no real, long-lasting combat encounter (more hit and run). If there is, it flees after losing half HP, and it is more likely to attack the boats than the PCs.
- It speaks (is “awakened”), but players only discover this if they try to communicate with it. It could possibly be convinced to stop its attacks.
Connection – The frost druid, Ravisin, who awakened the plesiosaurus, could be encountered in the White Moose quest (Lonelywood).
How challenging? – Overall, not a very deadly quest and quite do-able for a level 1 party. Falling into frigid water will be common and dangerous, but unlikely to cause death. The Lake monster is unlikely to do much actual damage to PCs, and they only need to identify it and take notes to be rewarded.

Bryn Shander | Foaming Mugs

The PCs run into some dwarves who have been robbed of their sled full of ingots from a local mine. A Yeti attacked them and killed one of their group.

PCs head off in that direction, but find different tracks from the spot of the attack.
6 goblins (CR ¼) have taken the shipment. A goblin boss (CR 1) and 2 more goblins are further back with a wagon pulled by 2 polar bears.
The 2 polar bears (CR 2) are just as likely to attack goblins if released.
“If five or more goblins are killed, or if Izobai is killed or captured, the remaining goblins are willing to negotiate a truce, though it’s up to the characters to initiate the negotiations.”
How challenging? – Shouldn’t be too hard, but if the PCs attack the polar bears it could turn very ugly!

Caer Dineval | Black Swords

A quest will likely “fall into the party’s lap” while they are in town. Not a traditional “we need help!”. The castle has been taken over by the Knights of the Black Sword (cultists) who are holding the town speaker hostage and telling everyone he is very sick.

The first challenge is getting into the castle.
- 3 ways listed that they may be invited in and cultists will be friendly.
- Also a few ways to sneak in.
The PCs will have the opportunity to rescue the town speaker.
The castle is large and could take more than one session to clear.
How challenging? – A few CR2 cult fanatics, and many more cultists. Pretty challenging for level 1, but otherwise could be okay.

Caer Konig | The Unseen

There are seemingly invisible thieves stealing things, and the PCs are invited to help with the investigation.

Dwarven footprints lead many to believe it’s hungry dwarves who live nearby, but other say they’d be easily spotted and aren’t stealing practical things.
In reality, it’s invisible Duergar and the players can track their outpost.
Strong Connection – This quest is closely connected to the future storyline as the Duergar leader here (Nildar Sunblight) is the son of Xardarok Sunblight, who the PCs will encounter later (Chapter 3).
How challenging? – A bunch of CR1 Duergar and potentially a CR2 ogre zombie and CR ⅛ spore servants/tribal warriors. A level one party could handle this if they were very cautious in their approach, but I’d avoid it until 2nd or 3rd level.

Dougan’s Hole | Holed Up

A pair of winter wolves are extorting the town for food and treasure on behalf of their awakened mammoth friend, Norsu. The town is small, poor, and desperate, and the PCs can help.

Two children were taken by the wolves recently.
The wolves will try to lure the players back to the Norsu’s lodge, where he stands guard over his frost giant master’s frozen corpse.
Rescuing the children and getting out is the best strategy. The mammoth is tough! (CR 6).
The PCs will confront the two winter wolves (CR 3) on the way out if they don’t find the the escape tunnel in L8. That could be quite deadly!
How challenging? Not too challenging if the players are smart and sneaky. Otherwise it will be VERY TOUGH.

Easthaven | Toil & Trouble

The PCs are asked to go searching for some lost fishers. They go to the part of the lake where they are known to fish and discover an ice cave nearby. It’s a hag’s lair

This quest is a smallish ice-covered dungeon with howling winds and a variety of monsters and hazards.
As written the fisher’s are already dead and cooked in the hag’s cauldron of plenty.
Potential for big reward if successful – cauldron of plenty can be sold for a lot (valuable source of food), and potentially a chest with 600 GP if they strike a deal with the hag.
Connection – This quest can also lead into the Town Hall Quests in Easthaven. More town drama!
How challenging? – Quite challenging for level 1 or 2. There is a dire wolf (CR 1), will ‘o wisp (CR 2), sea hag (CR 2) and frost giant skeleton (CR 3), all in fairly close quarters.

Good Mead | Let the Mead Flow

Some of the town’s mead was stolen by a verbeeg. The town speaker was killed trying to stop the theft. The PC’s must track it to its lair to retrieve the mead.

Tracking to the Verbeeg lair the PCs find 5 dead militia members killed by the verbeeg’s ogre friend. Also a funny little fox/chwinga encounter on the way.
Several different entrances and there is a chance the PCs can sneak to avoid the ogre (CR 2), verbeeg marauder (CR 4), cave bear (CR2). Stealth roll DC8 everytime they move/disturb something.
As they leave, the PCs will encounter another verbeeg heading to her “boyfriend” in the cave. She’ll let the PCs go if her lover is unharmed.
How challenging? The PC’s may manage to avoid the half-ogre and verbeeg, but if they don’t it will likely mean death or a quick retreat.

Lonelywood | The White Moose

A white mouse has been terrorizing loggers and hunters in the area. The town wants it killed, but what they don’t know is that it serves the frost druid, Ravisin, who must also be stopped to end the threat.

The PC’s have to track the moose and in doing so will likely face some Lonelywood Forest random encounters. (banshee, brown bear, chwingas, fox and hare, wolf pack).
The White Moose (CR 3) is eventually tracked to an elven tomb in the forest.
The players must also face Ravisin (CR 5 frost druid) to end the threat of more awakened beasts sowing chaos.
There is a chance the PCs can enlist the aid of an elven mummy (CR 3), but opening its sarcophagus may be difficult.
Connection – Ravisin is the same druid who awakened the “lake monster” (Bremen).
How challenging? Ravisin is a pretty deadly encounter, as she is basically a level 9 spellcaster. Add the white moose itself, and this quest is probably best for 3rd or 4th level. Getting the mummy’s help could certainly reduce that.

Targos | Mountain Climb

The PC’s are tasked with finding a mountain climber/guide who went missing on Kelvin’s Cairn. This quest involves tracking, and mountain climbing in harsh conditions.

There is the possibility of a tough random encounter, a blizzard, and there is an avalanche.
On the mountain the players discover parts of the expedition, and have a chance to rescue the guide, but are simultaneously attacked by two crag cats (CR 1).
After finding the guide, they could continue on to find other members of the climbing team, and this culminates in a yeti’s cave with a yeti and yeti tyke. While they don’t need to fight the yeti, as they leave w/ one more survivor, another yeti (CR 3) will most likely attack.
How challenging? All the hazards make this potentially a pretty deadly quest. I wouldn’t recommend it for a level 1 party.

Termalaine | A Beautiful Mine

The PCs are asked to help clear the local gem mine that has been overrun by kobolds. No one really knows that the real threat in the mine is actually a Grell that has come up from the Underdark.

This dungeon has some very interesting elements and encounters (a ghost possessing a Kobold, a psi crystal, etc.)
There are several possible interesting outcomes depending on how effective the players are in dealing with all of the various threats.
How challenging? The Icewind kobolds (CR ⅛) are not very challenging, but the Grell (CR 3) can be a very deadly encounter for a low-level party, and would likely kill a level 1 PC on a hit/grapple.