Page 176 - The Griffon's Saddlebag - Book One [Compressed] (1)

EXPLORATION DAGGER ICE

Much of the ancient ice on the Everglacier has turned solid
Thanks to the Everglacier’s ever-changing nature, explo- until its hardness is similar to that of jagged iron. Known as
ration can be a difficult task, even for the wisest ranger. Dagger Ice, this dense material is immune to cold and resis-
Because of the cold, wind, and dryness, travel is slow. Char- tant to fire. Through magic and patience, a blacksmith can
acters moving at a normal pace can travel 10 miles per day on reforge the material into weapons and armor.
foot through the untamed terrain of the Everglacier.
If the characters move at a fast pace, have them roll a d4. FIRES IN THE EVERGLACIER
On a roll of 1 or 2, they travel the same distance as a group
moving at a normal pace, despite their best efforts. On a Due to the lack of large quantities of liquid water and the
result of 3 or 4, they successfully double their movement for constant winds of the Everglacier, fires represent a major
the day; as normal, characters moving at a fast pace take a –5 hazard. When an object or creature is set on fire, any skill
penalty to their passive Wisdom (Perception) scores, making check or saving throw made to extinguish the flame is
them more likely to miss clues and walk into ambushes. made with at disadvantage. If extinguishing the flames
Similarly, if the characters set a slow pace, roll a d4. On a only requires an action with no check, it instead requires a
roll of 1 or 2, they advance only 5 miles that day. On any other DC 10 Dexterity check. Failure means that the fire continues
result, their caution is rewarded, and they travel the same to burn.
distance as a group moving at a normal pace. Slow-paced
movement allows characters to move stealthily. They can try WEATHER ON THE EVERGLACIER
to surprise or sneak by other creatures they encounter.
Precipitation is surprisingly rare on the Everglacier; the
NAVIGATION glacier sees no more than 2 inches of snowfall each year and
blizzards are few and far between. However, the wind can be
One character should act as a navigator, either a player’s severe. Every 8 hours, roll a d6. On a result of 5–6, the wind
character or an NPC. At the start of each new travel day, the is moderate. Otherwise, the winds are strong winds. Strong
GM makes a Wisdom (Survival) check on behalf of the navi- winds impose disadvantage on ranged weapon attack rolls
gator. The result of the check determines whether or not the and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. It
party becomes lost over the course of the day. The DC of the extinguishes open flames, disperses fog, and makes flying by
check is 2d10 + 5. Apply a +5 bonus to the check if the group nonmagical means nearly impossible.
sets a slow pace for the day, or a –5 penalty if the group is
moving at a fast pace.
If the check succeeds, the navigator knows exactly where EXAMPLE ENCOUNTERS
the party is on the Everglacier in regards to permanent loca-
tions and landmarks. The Everglacier is home to many dangers. While the
If the check fails, the party becomes lost. The navigator can characters travel through the Everglacier, roll a d20 three
repeat the check after the party spends 1d6 hours trying to times per day that passes in game. An encounter occurs on
get back on course. a roll of 18 or higher. Check the Everglacier Encounters table
below to determine the nature of the encounter. Of course,
FLORA AND FORAGING you’re free to change this list of encounters to better match
your campaign.
While plants are not completely absent from the Everglacier,
they are extremely difficult to find. A foraging character
makes a Wisdom (Survival) check as normal, but the DC is d12 + d10 Result
4d6 + 5. 2 1 adult white dragon
On a failure, the character fails to find potable water or 3 On either side of the path, frozen bodies sit
edible food. On a successful check, roll 1d4 + the character’s motionless, encased in solid ice. Fortunately,
Wisdom modifier to determine how much food (in pounds) they are very much dead. Eerily, their stiff
the character finds and roll 1d8 + the character’s Wisdom arms point in the same direction.
modifier to determine how much water (in gallons) the char-
acter finds. Once potable water is found on the Everglacier, 4 1 remorhaz with 1d4 – 1 young remorhazes
it’s usually in greater supply than food. 5 1d4 wraiths. The wraiths are immune to
cold damage.
Collecting snow for water 6 1d4 trolls looking for food. Desperate, they
fight recklessly. All of their attacks are made
During a short rest, the characters can collect snow and boil with advantage, and attacks made against
it with a fire. In doing so, they can collect as much water as them are made with advantage.
they need. Of course, fires on the Everglacier present a prob-
lem all its own. 7 1d4 air elementals

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THE GRIFFON'S SADDLEBAG