The Player's Handbook contained character backgrounds that are well suited for this adventure, however if you are having trouble fleshing out your character's background please feel free to use any of the below suggestions.


Character Hooks Tied to Backgrounds


Background             Character Hook
Acolyte                Auril the Frostmaiden, the god of winter's fury, has cast an evil spell
                       over Icewind Dale. You can bring hope and faith to the people of Ten
                       Towns or even better, free them from winter's cold embrace in the name
                       of your god.

Charlatan              Your cons and deceptions nearly got the better of you. You needed to
                       disappear for a while, and Icewind Dale was the perfect place to do
                       so. Nothing could prepare you for the cold and dark desolation, but
                       at least there's money to be made.

Criminal               You are wanted for crimes in the cities of Luskan and Mirabar, but no
                       one will think to look for you in Ten-Towns, the cold heart of Icewind
                       Dale. Thankfully nobody in Ten-Town cares who you are-or what you've
                       done.

Entertainer            You cane to Icewind Dale three years ago seeking inspiration for a new
                       song or poem, drawn by tales of the land' harsh beauty and the
                       legendary exploits of Drizzt Do'Urden. Since then, Auril the
                       Frostmaiden has cast an evil spell over the dale, preventing you from
                       returning home.

Folk Hero              Your name is synonymous with heroism throughout Ten-Towns. Did you
                       save a fisher who fell into the ice, scare away a yeti armed with only
                       a fishing pole and a basket, or beat a drunk goliath at arm wrestling?

Guild Artisan          You came to Icewind Dale to start a business. Your shop was doing well
                       until Auril the Frostmaiden cast her evil spell to banish the sun.
                       Now, businesses throughout Ten-Towns are suffering, yours included. To
                       avoid hardship, you might need to supplement your income.

Hermit                 You've never felt at ease in civilized society, and there's no place
                       farther from the trappings of civilization than Icewind Dale. This is
                       a land without pretense, and the people of Ten-Towns pay you little
                       mind. To them, you're just another silly old fool.

Noble                  Your wealthy grandfather or grandmother sent you to Icewind Dale to
                       learn a hard lesson. Perhaps the cruel in difference of this frozen
                       land will prepare you for the cruel indifference of Waterdeep's
                       politics.

Outlander              You've a child of the ciy wilderness, born and raised in one of the
                       Reghed tribes. Imagine after following herds of migrating reindeer
                       your whole life, getting a taste of what life in Ten-Towns has to
                       offer.

Sage                   You came to Icewind Dale in search of ruins and artifacts left behind
                       by the giants who ruled the ancient empire of Ostoria. To find even
                       one relic would fulfill a lifelong dream and make your rivals back
                       home green with envy.

Sailor                 You've sailed ships up and down the Sword Coast, but a shipwreck made
                       you reevaluate your life choices. Two years ago, you headed north,
                       bought a house and a fishing boat in Ten-Towns, and became a fisher.
                       You were told that the summers here are beautiful but you have yet to
                       see one.

Soldier                You are a solider of Ten-Towns, trained to fight orcs and other
                       threats lurking in the Spine of the World mountains. Auril the
                       Frostmaiden has cast an evil spell over Icewind Dale and you struggle
                       to see how your soldier's training can save this land from so terrible
                       a doom. Still you are not about to give up on the people of Ten-Towns.

Urchin                 Because you grew up in Ten-Towns, your familiarity with the residents
                       make you useful to Harper spies and Zhentarim bounty hunters who are
                       looking for criminals and others ne'er do wells hiding in your midst.
                       Ratting out these newcomers keeps coin in your pockets.




This message was last edited by the GM at 10:30, Fri 06 Nov 2020.

In the Forgotten Realms setting, a week is ten days long and is referred to as a tenday. There are three tendays per month and twelve months in a year. For more information on the calendar of the Forgotten Realms click here to view The Calendar of Harptos.

Dalereckoning (DR) is the most common year measurement. This adventure is assumed to take place in the winter of 1489 DR or later. The exact date is not important. The happenings in this book occur more than a century after the events chronicled in R.A. Salvatore's novel The Crystal Shard, which introduced the drow hero Drizzt Do'Urden to the hardy folk of Icewind Dale.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:09, Sat 03 Oct 2020.

Characters may choose trinkets from the below list or the from the Trinkets table in the Player's Handbook.


Icewind Dale Trinkets
d100               Trinket
01-04              A small wooden figurine of a yawning walrus painted in red & black.

05-08              A pair of scrimshaw cufflinks with an image of a fisherman on a boat
                   engraved on them.

09-12              A small iron key with a frayed blue and gold cord tied to it.

13-16              A small illustrated book of Northlander myths that has pages missing.

17-20              A damaged scrimshaw cameo depicting a merfolk.

21-24              A stone from a burial cairn with a tiny Dwarvish rune carved into it.

25-28              A ripped cloth sail with a symbol you don't recognize.

29-32              An Ulu knife with a scrimshaw handle.

33-36              A jar containing an unidentifiable, sweet, sticky substance.

37-40              A delicate glass ball painted with snowflakes, capped by a metal loop with
                   a tiny hook attached to it.

41-44              An expedition log with missing pages and a pressed flower used as a
                   bookmark.

45-48              An owl figurine carved from whalebone.

49-52              A sewing box that smells of old wood and has three spools of blue thread
                   inside.

53-56              A scrimshaw-handled ink pen with black runic designs along its length.

57-60              A brooch made from a small insect encased in amber.

61-64              A scrimshaw pepper shaker etched with the letter W.

65-68              An old, wooden-handled ice pick stained with blood that won't wash off.

69-72              A fabric doll bearing an angry expression.

73-76              A set of wind chimes made from seashells.

77-80              A beautiful silver tin that, when opened emits the smell of rotting fish.

81-84              A bloodstained dreamcatcher made from fishing line, gold wire and snowy
                   owlbear feathers.

85-88              A figurine of a polar bear made of ice that never melts.

89-92              A snow globe that doesn't need to be shaken.

93-96              A piece of sea glass shaped like a unicorn's horn.

97-00              A dark blue scarf that gets lighter in shade the higher the altitude of
                   the wearer.


This message was last edited by the GM at 13:38, Sat 03 Oct 2020.

I would like to use the Character Secrets feature which is an important competent of the Rime of the Frost Maiden campaign. Each character will choose from a series of secrets. I will curate that listing to ensure no character harbors the same secret. If your first pick isn't to you liking, you will be allowed to pick once more and then decide which secret you would like to incorporate into your character.

Please be flexible here, these secrets do allow your character to become more incorporated into the story of Icewind Dale and the campaign overall.

At the highest mountain peaks — far above the slopes where trees grow and where the air is thin and the frigid winds howl — dwell the reclusive goliaths. Few folk can claim to have seen a goliath, and fewer still can claim friendship with them. Goliaths wander a bleak realm of rock, wind, and cold. Their bodies look as if they are carved from mountain stone and give them great physical power. Their spirits take after the wandering wind, making them nomads who wander from peak to peak. Their hearts are infused with the cold regard of their frigid realm, leaving each goliath with the responsibility to earn a place in the tribe or die trying.

Driven Competitors
Every day brings a new challenge to a goliath. Food, water, and shelter are rare in the uppermost mountain reaches. A single mistake can bring doom to an entire tribe, while an individual’s heroic effort can ensure the entire group’s survival.

Goliaths thus place a premium on self-sufficiency and individual skill. They have a compulsion to keep score, counting their deeds and tallying their accomplishments to compare to others. Goliaths love to win, but they see defeat as a prod to improve their skills.

This dedication to competition has a dark side. Goliaths are ferocious competitors, but above all else they are driven to outdo their past efforts. If a goliath slays a dragon, he or she might seek out a larger, more powerful wyrm to battle. Few goliath adventurers reach old age, as most die attempting to surpass their past accomplishments.

Fair Play
For goliaths, competition exists only when it is supported by a level playing field. Competition measures talent, dedication, and effort. Those factors determine survival in their home territory, not reliance on magic items, money, or other elements that can tip the balance one way or the other. Goliaths happily rely on such benefits, but they are careful to remember that such an advantage can always be lost. A goliath who relies too much on them can grow complacent, a recipe for disaster in the mountains.

This trait manifests most strongly when goliaths interact with other folk. The relationship between peasants and nobles puzzles goliaths. If a king lacks the intelligence or leadership to lead, then clearly the most talented person in the kingdom should take his place. Goliaths rarely keep such opinions to themselves, and mock folk who rely on society’s structures or rules to maintain power.

Survival of the Fittest
Among goliaths, any adult who can’t contribute to the tribe is expelled. A lone goliath has little chance of survival, especially an older or weaker one. Goliaths have little pity for adults who can’t take care of themselves, though a sick or injured individual is treated, as a result of the goliath concept of fair play.

A permanently injured goliath is still expected to pull his or her weight in the tribe. Typically, such a goliath dies attempting to keep up, or the goliath slips away in the night to seek the cold will of fate.

In some ways, the goliath drive to outdo themselves feeds into the grim inevitability of their decline and death. A goliath would much rather die in battle, at the peak of strength and skill, than endure the slow decay of old age. Few folk have ever meet an elderly goliath, and even those goliaths who have left their people grapple with the urge to give up their lives as their physical skills decay.

Because of their risk-taking, goliath tribes suffer from a chronic lack of the experience offered by long- term leaders. They hope for innate wisdom in their leadership, for they can rarely count on a wisdom grown with age.

Goliath Names
Every goliath has three names: a birth name assigned by the newborn’s mother and father, a nickname assigned by the tribal chief, and a family or clan name. A birth name is up to three syllables long. Clan names are five syllables or more and end in a vowel.

Birth names are rarely linked to gender. Goliaths see females and males as equal in all things, and they find societies with roles divided by gender to be puzzling or worthy of mockery. To a goliath, the person who is best at a job should be the one tasked with doing it.

A goliath’s nickname is a description that can change on the whim of a chieftain or tribal elder. It refers to a notable deed, either a success or failure, committed by the goliath. Goliaths assign and use nicknames with their friends of other races, and change them to refer to an individual’s notable deeds.

Goliaths present all three names when identifying themselves, in the order of birth name, nickname, and clan name. In casual conversation, they use their nickname.

Birth Names: Aukan, Eglath, Gae-Al, Gauthak, Ilikan, Keothi, Kuori, Lo-Kag, Manneo, Maveith, Nalla, Orilo, Paavu, Pethani, Thalai, Thotham, Uthal, Vaunea, Vimak

Nicknames: Bearkiller, Dawncaller, Fearless, Flintfinder, Horncarver, Keeneye, Lonehunter, Longleaper, Rootsmasher, Skywatcher, Steadyhand, Threadtwister, Twice-Orphaned, Twistedlimb, Wordpainter

Clan Names: Anakalathai, Elanithino, Gathakanathi, Kalagiano, Katho-Olavi, Kolae-Gileana, Ogolakanu, Thuliaga, Thunukalathi, Vaimei-Laga

Ability Score Increase
Your Strength score increases by 2, and your Constitution score increases by 1.

Age
Goliaths have lifespans comparable to humans. They enter adulthood in their late teens and usually live less than a century.

Size
Goliaths are between 7 and 8 feet tall and weigh between 280 and 340 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed
Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Natural Athlete
You have proficiency in the Athletics skill.

Stone’s Endurance
You can focus yourself to occasionally shrug off injury. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to roll a d12. Add your Constitution modifier to the number rolled and reduce the damage by that total. After you use this trait, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

Powerful Build
You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift.

Mountain Born
You have resistance to cold damage. You’re also acclimated to high altitude, including elevations above 20,000 feet.

Languages
You can speak, read, and write Common and Giant.

All characters begin the adventure with a free set of cold weather clothing in addition to the starting equipment they receive from their class and background choices. Winter Survival Gear includes:

    Item                             Cost            Weight
• Clothing, cold weather              10 gp           5   lbs
• Crampons (2)                         2 gp           1/2 lbs
• Snowshoes                            2 gp           4   lbs

Cold Weather Clothing: This outfit consists of a heavy fur coat or cloak over layers of wool clothing, as well as a fur lined hat or hood, goggles and fur-lined leather boots and gloves.

As long as cold weather clothing remains dry, its wearer automatically success on saving throws against the effects of extreme cold.

Crampons: A crampon is a metal plate with spikes that is strapped to the sole of a boot. A creature wearing crampons can't fall prone while moving across slippery ice.

Snowshoes: Snowshoes reduce the likelihood of their wearer getting stuck in the deep snow.

Any characters raised among the Reghed nomads recognize members of their own tribe as well as the names and reputations of prominent members of other tribes.

Reghed nomads are the children of the Reghed Glacier as suggested by their name. They are people of the wild, as revealed by their tribal names-the Elk, the Tiger, the Wolf the Bear. They are the tribes of Icewind Dale proud and strong, bound to ancient traditions that have kept them alive through countless harsh winters. The Reghed wear heavy furs as well as gloves, boots, and masks made of animal hide, to protect themselves from the bitter cold.

Although they originally descended from humans who were predominately blue-eyed and fair-haired, the Reghed tribes have assimilated other folks, adding new blood to their dwindling ranks. There used to be more than four more Reghed tribes, but the others have all disbanded over the past century, with many of their former members settling in Ten-Towns and abandoning their traditional ways.

The Reghed tribes rely on a nomadic lifestyle to survive, as they follow herds of reindeer along the route of the animals' annual migration. When they make camp, the tribesfolk live in large, round tents made of deerskin and supported by wooden shafts.

Tribe of the Bear
Tribe of the Elk
Tribe of the Tiger
Tribe of the Wolf