Page 182 - Tales from the Yawning Portal

UPPER LEVEL: GENERAL FE - - LOCATIONS ON THE UPPER LEVEL
Map 6.3 shows the layout of the upper le e of The following locations are identified on map 6.3.
rift. The passage from the northea t at e
map indicates the beaten path that the 2:ian : f; 1. GUARDROOM ICE CAVERN
enter the glacial rift. The path fork inside -ance. One frost giant keeps watch here at all times to prevent
each side leading to one of the icv ledges a on~ ei er any unauthorized use of the long passage that leads
face of the rift. The caves and ca;ern - he:-ein ;re ba-i- south. If combat goes against the giant, he flees through
cally formed from ice, with a few area of roe -outcrop- this passage to give a warning of intruders to the guards
ping here and there. at areas 9 and 10.
Both ledges slope gradually dowmvard. a indica ed The room contains piles of hides, a giant sack, and
by the elevation markers on the map, from a heigh of a pile of rocks and ice chunks for hurling. The guard
250 feet above the bottom of the rift at their northern certainly hurls missiles if not immediately forced into
beginnings to about 150 feet above the rift at the ledges· melee. His treasure is at area 6. Note that the giant in
far ends to the south. The central area is the rift itself. area 2 will hear sounds of combat here and rush to aid
and the openings along it are the entrances to the caves his comrade (and vice versa).
and tunnels in its face.
Boulders. Several cave mouths on this level are 2. GUARDROOM ICE CAVE
blocked by huge boulders (at the places marked B on the One frost giant waits here on standby guard. On the
map). For Medium or smaller creatures, moving these floor of the cave are a pile of sleeping skins and two
obstructions out of the way requires a successful DC 20 bags. The guard has an ample supply of rocks and ice
Strength (Athletics) check. blocks at hand for hurling at opponents.
Ceilings. Caves and caverns have ceilings from 30 to If the giant hears noise from area 1, he rushes there to
45 feet high, while tunnels and passages are from 25 to help; conversely, if attacked, he will raise a cry to bring
30 feet high. the guard from area 1 to aid him.
Illumination. Throughout this level a faint greenish Treasure. Under the pile of skins is a silver belt worth
light penetrates from above, making torches or similar 250 gp. The giant wears a jeweled chain on his wrist (a
lights unnecessary. 500 gp necklace), and one of the sacks holds 950 gp.
Secret Doors. Secret doors in the rift are coated in 3. EMPTY ICE CAVE
ice and snow, and thus difficult to find. It requires a If loud noise is made in the unoccupied chamber south
successful DC 20 Wisdom (Perception) check to find of the guardroom, the ceiling of ice and icicles in this
such a door. area partially collapses. A creature beneath the ceiling
Slippery Jee. Fireball spells or other fire effects used must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw, taking 16
in these icy areas will make the footing within the area (3d10) bludgeoning damage on a failed save, or half as
of effect very slippery. A creature hit by an attack or that much damage on a successful one. Softer noises or vi-
moves more than half its speed over slippery ice must sual clues could give warning of the unstable ice.
succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or fall
prone. For 5 minutes after such magical fire is used, the 4. SMALL ICE CAVE
area will also be filled with fog that renders the area This bone-strewn cave is the den of two adult winter
heavily obscured. wolves and their three half-grown pups (use the dire
wolf statistics). If the young are harmed, the parents
TOKENS OF FREE PASSAGE
fight recklessly, risking opportunity attacks and ganging
In a few locations within the rift, the characters can up to kill quickly.
find and obtain special items that enable them to move
through the stronghold without raising an alarm. If one 5. ICE CAVERNS
member of a group displays a token of free passage, its In a chamber southeast of the wolves' lair, the giants
privilege extends to the entire group. Those individuals have preserved eight corpses of mutilated victims,
are safe from attacks by the giants or the giants' allies standing them upright and enclosing them in blocks of
as long as they take no aggressive action. transparent ice. These exhibits are meant to frighten off
any trespassers. The bodies are obviously hacked and
RANDOM ENCOUNTERS very dead, not merely frozen whole.
On the upper level of the frost giant stronghold, the Treasure. Each of these corpses has some valuable
chance of a random encounter occurs on an hourly item with it in the ice. Beginning with the northernmost
basis. At the end of each hour, roll a dl2. On a roll of 1, one and proceeding clockwise, the ice blocks contain:
which indicates a random encounter, choose from the
following possibilities: • A dwarf and a +1 battleaxe
An elf with a long case at its feet (containing a
ld4 + 1 yetis staff of frost)
One frost giant A human wearing a jeweled belt (worth 1,000 gp)
ld4 + 1 ogres • A human with a tube in its hand that contains a scroll
ld6 + 1 winter wolves
of protection (elementals)
• A dwarf that has a spilled pouch of gems at its feet
(thirty-seven in all, worth 10 gp each)

CHAPTER 6 AGAIN>;T fHE GIANTS
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