D20 - D&D - Adventure - Frigid Demise.pdf - dnd - karolinaklecha.kk

A Frigid

Demise

INTRODUCTION

Charasta, an old white dragon, has not reached her age

by being unprepared or foolish==she is, in fact, much

more intelligent than most white dragons. Her lair is

well defended and tailor-made to help her defend her-

self. Not only that, but when she leaves the caves to

hunt she’s taken to using change self to disguise her

exact color. This wily white makes a perfect foe for your

party adventuring in the North of Faerûn or in almost

any other campaign setting as well.

PREPARATION

You, the Dungeon Master (DM), need a copy of the

Player ’s Handbook , the D UNGEON M ASTER ’s Guide, and the

Monster Manual to use this adventure. If you plan to set

this cavern complex in the North of Faerûn, you’ll need

the new F ORGOTTEN R EALMS ® Campaign Setting .

Text that appears in shaded boxes is player informa-

tion, which you may read aloud or paraphrase when

appropriate. Unshaded boxes contain important infor-

mation for you, including special instructions. Monster

and NPC statistics are provided with each encounter in

abbreviated form or, where appropriate, the proper page

in the Monster Manual is referenced.

This adventure uses one of the “Undersea Caverns”

maps by Dennis Kauth from the Official D&D Website’s

Map-a-Week feature (Sept. 21, 2000). It’s reprinted on page

2; download a full-sized version from the site at www.wiz-

ards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/mw/archive .

CHARACTER HOOKS

Dragon encounters are traditionally time consuming

and difficult to prepare, so using A Frigid Demise can save

you time. It is meant to be a complex encounter in a

small cave system that you can insert in almost any sub-

terranean adventure—any time the PCs are exploring

an underground area near a river. Because of the cask of

cold (a magic item the dragon uses to keep her lair at 32

to 33 degrees Fahrenheit), there’s no need to use this

encounter in an arctic area—even a tropical area would

work (and really surprise the PCs). Or, Charasta can be

the climax of a longer dungeon-style adventure that you

are planning. You could even run A Frigid Demise all by

itself as a dragon-hunt adventure.

Use the following hooks and rumors to foreshadow

the encounter when the PCs enter the region of the lair.

• A dragon—reports vary as to its size and color—

lives and hunts in the area. Although the whole sub-

ject is kept quiet, local nobles will pay a bounty of

5,000 gp for its head.

A short adventure for four

13th-level player characters

CREDITS

Design:

Monte Cook

Editing:

Sue Weinlein Cook

Cartography:

Dennis Kauth

Web Production:

Julia Martin

Web Development:

Mark A. Jindra

Graphic Design:

Sean Glenn, Cynthia Fliege

Based on the original D UNGEONS & D RAGONS ® game by

E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edi-

tion of the D UNGEONS & D RAGONS game designed by

Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich

Baker, and Peter Adkison.

D&D, D UNGEONS & D RAGONS , F ORGOTTEN R EALMS , and D UNGEON

M ASTER are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

The d20 logo is a trademark owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All

Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses

thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America.

Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is

prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations,

places, or events is purely coincidental.

• A lot of the caves in the region are flooded due to a

powerful underground stream (the river helped

carve out the caves in the first place).

• Over the last few years, the weather has become a

little colder throughout the region.

• An ancient box was lost in the region almost 300

years ago. Many said it could change the season

from summer to winter.

continue holding her breath. Each round, the DC

increases by 1.

When the character finally fails her Constitution

check, she begins to drown. In the first round, she falls

unconscious (0 hp). The following round, she drops to –1

hit points and is dying. In the third round, she drowns.

Characters with no free action or magical cold

resistance suffer the following penalties:

• Characters must make a successful Swim check (DC

12) each round to move (see the Player ’s Handbook p.

74, do not forget penalties for encumbrance). In

combat, the DC becomes 17.

• Characters make attack rolls, Reflex saving throws, and

skill checks requiring movement (Open Locks, Move

Silently, etc.) with a –4 penalty. Range increments for

ranged weapons and visibility ranges are halved, and

such attacks suffer an additional –2 penalty.

• Characters must make Fortitude saves once per 10

minutes, taking 1d6 points of subdual damage on

each failed save. A character who sustains any subd-

ual damage from cold suffers from frostbite or

hypothermia (treat her as fatigued—she cannot run

or charge and suffers an effective penalty of –2 to

Strength and Dexterity). These penalties end when

the character recovers the subdual damage she took

from the cold and exposure.

CAVE FEATURES

The layout of the cave complex—and the fact that

most of it lies underwater—makes for extremely diffi-

cult maneuvering. In fact, a party not equipped with at

least some of the following spells is going to be in

trouble: fly, water breathing, protection from elements, ethe-

real jaunt, teleport or dimension door, passwall, disintegrate

or free action .

Characters with free action but no magical cold

resistance suffer the following penalties:

• Characters make attack rolls, Reflex saving throws and

skill checks requiring movement (open locks, move

silently, etc.) with a –2 penalty. Range increments for

ranged weapons and visibility ranges are halved, and

such attacks suffer an additional –2 penalty.

• Characters must make Fortitude saves once per 10

minutes, taking 1d6 points of subdual damage on

each failed save. A character who sustains any subd-

ual damage from cold suffers from frostbite or

hypothermia (treat her as fatigued— she cannot run

or charge and suffers an effective penalty of –2 to

Strength and Dexterity). These penalties end when

the character recovers the subdual damage she

received due to cold and exposure.

The Freezing Water

Characters in the water with some sort of magical

cold resistance ( endure, resist or protection from ele-

ments ) and free action can operate in the water nor-

mally, except that range increments for ranged weap-

ons and visibility ranges are halved. Characters either

have to hold their breath or use water breathing to stay

under. Any character can hold her breath for a num-

ber of rounds equal to twice her Constitution score.

After this period, the character must make a

Constitution check (DC 10) every round in order to

Characters with magical cold resistance but no

free action suffer the following penalites:

• Characters must make a successful Swim check (DC

10) each round to move (see the Player ’s Handbook p.

74, do not forget penalties for encumbrance). In

combat, the DC becomes 15.

• Characters make attack rolls, Reflex saving throws,

and skill checks requiring movement (Open Locks,

Move Silently, etc.) with a –2 penalty. Range incre-

ments for ranged weapons and visibility ranges are

halved and such attacks suffer an additional –2

penalty.

LAYOUT OF THE CAVES

Note that the map is a side view, showing a cross-sec-

tion of the different cavern levels. Each encounter area

description mentions the approximate width of the

cave. The passage into Area 1 leads from the surface

through a winding maze of caverns and tunnels (or any

other obstacles you want to place before this

encounter). The passages away from Areas 4 and 5 lead

to a wide underground river and eventually to the sur-

face. Charasta uses these latter three as escape tunnels.

Charasta’s Actions

Charasta is in Area 6 at the beginning of the

encounter. She moves around a lot, remaining

mobile to keep away from her foes while leading

them deeper into her lair. (Because the party could

encounter her in one of several different areas, her

CR is not included in the calculation of each

encounter’s EL.)

She hopes the watery environment will hinder

attackers and that her various barriers, traps, and

guardians can defeat them or drive them off. Thus,

she fights alongside the water elementals in Area 4

until they are gone or she is hurt, and then pulls back

to Area 5 with the stone golem there (and some heal-

ing potions), behind the wall of force.

Assume that Charasta has cast mage armorand bull’s

strength(rolling a 3) on herself, making her AC 35 and

adding +2 to her attack and damage rolls. Before enter-

ing combat, she will cast shield and resist elements

(fire). Her scrolls are all written on waterproof parch-

ment (which costs 5 gp more than normal per scroll).

As one tactic, if hard pressed, Charasta makes her

way back into Area 1 and takes to the air, fighting foes

from above. Her ultimate defense is to teleportto Area

7 and hope the intruders never figure out how to follow.

Area 1: Entrance to the Lair

Read or paraphrase this text to PCs entering the cave.

A mammoth cave, 30 feet wide, stretches ahead and

high above. The far end of the cave is full of water: a

large pool of unknown depth that takes up the entire

width of the cavern. A stalactite-covered ceiling

rises 40 feet above. The air is frigid—so cold, it’s

almost painful.

An alarm spell, cast at the entrance of this cave from the

west, silently alerts Charasta of intruders. She has

attempted to make this cave look l;ike a dead-end cav-

ern with a pool, and nothing more.

Charasta’s Tactics. If Charasta is alerted by the alarm

spell, she uses clairvoyance/clairaudience to look into the

cave at the intruders. If it looks as though they will

enter the water, she rushes to this cave by means of the

pool through Area 2. Peeking up through the surface,

she attempts to gain a single surprise attack (either a

grab attack—dragging a non-air breather into the

water—or a use of her breath weapon), then retreat into

the water. Hopefully, she thinks, this will drive off

intruders. If not, she will fight them underwater.

Charasta stores her kills here, frozen into the pool’s

walls and floor until she needs them. A great deal of

work (requiring hours) could free the corpses of these

humans, dwarves, orcs, and various Medium-sized mon-

sters. However, they have no treasure (Charasta already

looted them).

Area 3: Hidden Cave (EL 5)

The next cavern rests at the top of a tall shaft.

A long shaft rises up out of the water into the ceiling

of this cave. The sides of the shaft glisten; jagged

shards of wet ice coat every surface.

At the top of the shaft lies a cave coated with ice.

The ceiling is thick with particularly large stalactites.

Area 2: Frozen Corpses

As the party enters the next chamber, read the following:

The walls of the shaft are coated with ice, so the Climb

DC is 30. Further, a character touching any of the sur-

faces including the floor, walls, and ceiling in the hid-

den cave, must make a Reflex save (DC 20) or slip due to

the slickness of the ice.

Trap. Unless the PCs locate a hidden stone lever at the

bottom of the shaft (DC 30 to do so) and pull it down,

Under the near-frozen surface, below the floating

chunks of ice, the 20-foot-deep pool is lined with ice

along its walls and floor. Dark shapes are frozen with-

in this ice.

the stalactites immediately above the shaft in the cave

are rigged to fall when anything passes 20 feet above the

surface of the water. Anyone struck by these falling

stones while climbing must make an immediate Climb

check with a –4 penalty or fall.

Falling Stalactites: CR 5; Falling mass of rocks (10d6);

Reflex save halves damage (DC 15); Search (DC 28);

Disable Device (DC 24).

Treasure. Within the largest stalactite that remains

held fast to the cave ceiling is a secret compartment (DC

28 to find) that is locked (DC 30 to open—the key can

be found in Area 7). Within this compartment, Charasta

keeps a special treasure: a white diamond worth 5,000

gp, which the dragon’s mother gave her from her own

hoard.

Charasta’s Tactics. Charasta can appear here in a small-

er form. She does not come here when threatened and,

in fact, will teleport away rather than be cornered in the

hidden cave.

Through the frigid water, this 20-foot-wide tunnel

leads west. At its end it splits, one path angling

upward, the other down. The current seems to pull

toward the passage leading down. Weapons of all

types are frozen into the sides of the tunnel, like

embedded trophies.

Creatures. An ice-covered stone golem waits in the

passage to Area 6. Its duty is to keep intruders away

from the cask of cold Charasta keeps there. If anyone

other than Charasta even enters this tunnel, it begins to

use its slow ability on them.

Stone golem: hp 77; ( MM 108)

Treasure. Aside from a number of mundane melee

weapons, a masterwork greatsword, a masterwork dwar-

ven urgrosh, and a masterwork rapier are embedded in

the ice. Further, Charasta has hidden five potions of cure

serious wounds in the ice (DC 20 to find each one).

Charasta’s Tactics. Charasta retreats from Area 4 to this

cave, drinking the potions (if need be) while her oppo-

nents figure out how to get past the wall of force. If fol-

lowed, she tries to maneuver opponents to where the

stone golem can attack.

Ad Hoc XP Adjustment: Award an additional 25%

experience point award for overcoming the golem, due

to the difficulty of fighting it in this environment.

Area 4: Guardian Cave (EL 10)

Read the following description as the characters enter

the next cave.

This underwater, ice-coated cave deep within the

complex measures 50 feet wide and almost 60 feet tall.

The water here churns slightly, perhaps due to a cur-

rent coming through one or both of the eastern exits.

Area 6: The Cask of Cold

This section describes a source of the dragon’s magic.

Creatures. Four Large water elementals dwell in this

cave. Charasta brought them here with lesser planar bind-

ing spells on scrolls . They use their water mastery and

vortex abilities to great effect as they fight to the death

to keep intruders from passing through this cave.

Large water elementals (4): hp 60, 65, 71, 79; ( MM

84)

Charasta’s Tactics. Charasta retreats from Areas 1 or 2

to this cave so the elementals can fight alongside her. If

threatened with death, she uses one of the exit tunnels

to get to the river and the surface. Otherwise, if the ele-

mentals area slain, she teleports to Area 5.

Ad Hoc XP Adjustment: Award an additional 25%

experience point award for overcoming the elemen-

tals, due to the difficulty of fighting them in this envi-

ronment.

Strange carvings decorate the uneven, ice-covered

walls of this 40-foot-wide, dead-end cavern. Nary a

flat surface can be found among the rock and ice

slabs, although the back of the cave sports an alcove

only 5 feet wide and tall. Within it rests a small metal

box, its lid open wide. It appears to be empty.

The box is the cask of cold, the magic item that keeps the

area in this encounter at just around 32 to 33 degrees

Fahrenheit. If anyone closes it, the water will slowly

warm to its natural temperature (varies based on the set-

ting), and the ice will slowly melt. This may take more

than 48 hours, depending on the climate.

If someone who speaks draconic studies the carvings

closely (or if a comprehend languages is used), it becomes

clear that they represent an elaborate plan for the cave

system. The characters learn of the existence of Area 3’s

hidden cave as well as a huge cavern about 100 feet

straight to the west (Area 7).

Area 5: One Last Guardian (EL 12)

A wall of force seals this tunnel off from a continuing pas-

sage at its lowest point. Charasta uses her teleport bracer

to get past it when she needs to.

Trap. The cask is magically trapped so that any warm-

blooded creature that comes within 20 feet of it must

make a Reflex saving throw (DC 22) or freeze solid.

Creatures failing their saving throw suffer 3d6 points of

cold damage and freeze immediately. While frozen, the

creatures remain alive but can take no actions of any

sort. Further, they become encased in a mass of ice that

extends 2 feet away from their bodies. This ice forces

the frozen creature to sink to the bottom of the cave. A

successful Reflex saving throw (DC 22) makes the char-

acter immune to the effect of the trap. Closing the box

dispels the trap permanently.

Finally, 20 points of fire damage to a frozen character

frees him from the ice (but he suffers the fire damage).

Freezing Trap: CR 6; 3d6 damage plus frozen solid;

Reflex save avoids (DC 22); Search (DC 30); Disable

Device (DC 30).

workmanship (worth 350 gp each). All of this sur-

rounds a chest (see trap, above). Inside the chest lies the

key to the secret compartment in the stalactite in Area

3, a rod of wonder , a chime of opening, and scrolls of sugges-

tion, locate object, and identify.

Charasta’s Tactics. Charasta climbs to the roof and uses

her breath weapon against foes from above, dropping

down to crush them if she can (using her wings to slow her

descent so she suffers no damage). If intruders have made

it all the way here, she defends her hoard to the death.

THE DRAGON

Charasta, old white dragon: CR 14; Huge dragon

(cold); HD 24d12+120; hp 281; Init +4; Spd 60 ft., fly 200

ft. (poor), swim 60 ft., burrow 30 ft.; AC 31 (touch 8, flat-

footed 31); Atk +31 melee (2d8+9, bite), +30 melee

(2d6+4, 2 claws), +29 melee (1d8+4, 2 wings), +29 melee

(2d6+13, tail slap); Face/Reach: 10 ft. by 20 ft./10 ft.; SA

Breath weapon, crush, fog cloud, gust of wind, freezing

fog, SQ Damage reduction 10/+1, SR 21, cold subtype,

immunities, icewalking, blindsight, keen senses; AL

CE; SV Fort +19, Ref +14, Will +16; Str 29, Dex 10, Con

21, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 14.

Skills and Feats: Bluff +26, Concentration +29, Escape

Artist +24, Hide +24, Listen +26, Search +26, Sense

Motive +26, Spellcraft +26, Spot +26; Cleave, Hover,

Improved Initiative, Multiattack, Power Attack, Snatch,

Weapon Focus (claws).

Breath Weapon (Su): A white dragon has a 50 ft.

cone of cold breath weapon that inflicts 8d6 points of

damage with a Reflex save (DC 27) for half damage.

Crush (Ex): When flying, Charasta can land on

opponents as a standard action, using her whole body

to crush them. Crush attacks are effective only

against those of Small size or less (though she can

attempt normal overrun or grapple attacks against

larger opponents).

A crush attack affects as many creatures as can fit

under the dragon’s body. Creatures in the affected

area must succeed at a Reflex save (DC 27) or be

pinned, each automatically suffering 2d8+13 points

of bludgeoning damage during the next round unless

the dragon moves off them. If the dragon chooses to

maintain the pin, treat it as a normal grapple attack.

Pinned opponents take crush damage each round if

they don’t escape.

Cold Subtype (Ex): Cold immunity, double dam-

age from fire except on a successful save.

Icewalking (Ex): This ability works just like the

spider climb spell, but the surfaces the dragon climbs

must be icy. It is always in effect.

Area 7: Charasta’s Real Lair (EL 8)

The area described below does not appear on the map.

Perfectly round, this cavern extends 150 across and

100 feet high. It is filled with ice and frost. Six war-

riors in armor stand in a circle in the middle of the

cave, surrounding what appears to be 30-foot-wide

mound of treasure.

In this chamber Charasta sleeps and keeps her hoard.

The warriors are dead humans frozen solid, their armor

and weapons of normal quality (and poor condition due

to age). Charasta uses them for decoration, sleeping in

the center of the pile.

Trap. There is a locked chest (DC 30 to open) at the cen-

ter of the mound of treasure. A trap on the lock fires

three poisoned needles at anyone opening it without

using the key. The key to the chest is buried under all

the coins (Search DC 32 to find). Further, if the key is

not turned left, then right, then left in the lock before

opening, the chest emits a blast of sonic energy that

does not harm objects but greatly disrupts living tissue.

Poisoned Needle Trap:CR 6; three +15 ranged (1 point

of damage) plus poison (2d6 Str/2d6 Str); Fort save resists

(DC 19); Search (DC 26); Disable Device (DC 25).

Sonic Blast Trap:CR 6; 12d6 sonic damage in 20 feet;

Reflex save (DC 19) for half damage; Search (DC 31);

Disable Device (DC 31).

Treasure. The mound of treasure consists of 3,890 gp,

22,345 sp, 45,987 cp, a roll of cloth with gold weave

(worth 150 gp), a silver platter (worth 75 gp), a carved

wooden harp (worth 300 gp), a large, rolled-up tapestry

(worth 350 gp), and a pair of bronze chalices of great

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