The Frost King's Curse

Kymerik Kreationz

Introduction:

Winter's Veil, the most joyous festival of the year, has turned grim. The northern town of Everglen, known for
its grand celebration and towering Yule tree, lies cloaked in perpetual night. Frost creeps from the mountains,
devouring the land in ice, and whispers of a vengeful Frost King haunt the villagers. It falls upon the
adventurers to uncover the truth behind the dark Yule curse.

Setting the Tone:

The world is draped in snow and moonlight. Twinkling lights struggle to pierce the shadows, their cheer
diminished. Snow crunches underfoot, but it’s laced with an eerie silence. The air smells of evergreen, spiced
cider, and something acrid—burnt and unnatural. Use descriptions to juxtapose holiday cheer against
encroaching dread: shattered ornaments littering the streets, abandoned sleighs tipped over, and carolers'
songs replaced by mournful wails.

Act 1: The Vanishing Cheer

Hook:

The adventurers arrive in Everglen during what should be a joyous festival but instead find the town somber
and fearful. Mayor Silas approaches them, begging for aid. Each night, a household’s Yule decorations vanish,
and with them, the family. All that’s left is frost-covered ruins.

Key Locations:

1. The Frostbitten Inn – A dim tavern where locals whisper of curses and old legends. Clues point to
the Frost King, a long-forgotten fey who ruled the winter.
2. Town Square – The once-grand Yule tree is now blackened and covered in frost. Investigating the
tree reveals faint claw marks and a faint hum of ancient magic.
3. The Chapel of Light – Here lies the town's Yule star, a sacred relic said to ward off evil. The star is
dimming, its power waning.

Encounters:

● Frost Sprites
○ Small Fey, Chaotic Neutral
○ Armor Class: 14 (natural armor)
○ Hit Points: 10 (3d6)
○ Speed: 30 ft., fly 40 ft.
○ STR 6 (-2), DEX 18 (+4), CON 10 (+0), INT 8 (-1), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 14 (+2)
○ Skills: Stealth +6, Arcana +1
○ Damage Resistances: Cold
 ○ Damage Vulnerabilities: Fire
○ Actions:
■ Frostbite Touch: Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d6 +
3) cold damage and disadvantage on the target’s next attack roll.
■ Illusory Flicker (Recharge 5-6): The sprite creates illusory duplicates of itself,
imposing disadvantage on attack rolls against it until the start of its next turn.

● Frozen Phantoms
○ Medium Undead, Neutral Evil
○ Armor Class: 12
○ Hit Points: 22 (4d8 + 4)
○ Speed: 0 ft., fly 40 ft. (hover)
○ STR 8 (-1), DEX 14 (+2), CON 12 (+1), INT 10 (+0), WIS 14 (+2), CHA 16 (+3)
○ Saving Throws: WIS +4, CHA +5
○ Damage Resistances: Cold, Necrotic; Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing from Non-magical
Attacks
○ Damage Vulnerabilities: Radiant
○ Actions:
■ Chilling Touch: Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 10 (2d6 +
3) cold damage.
■ Wail of Despair (Recharge 5-6): All creatures within 20 ft. must make a DC 13
Wisdom saving throw or be frightened for 1 minute. A frightened creature can
repeat the save at the end of its turns.

Act 2: The Frost King’s Domain

The Journey: The adventurers must travel to the Frost King’s lair in the heart of the Everfrost Mountains.
Along the way, they face:

1. The Blizzard of Lost Souls – A supernatural storm filled with whispers and illusions. Success in a
series of skill checks (Survival, Perception, and Wisdom saves) prevents the party from being
separated.
2. An Icy Gorge – Spanning a chasm is a bridge of brittle ice guarded by a Frost Troll and its pack of
winter wolves.

The Lair: The Frost King’s castle is a crystalline palace, glowing with cold, blue light. Inside, twisted holiday
motifs abound: icicle chandeliers, frozen carolers in horrifying poses, and snow globes containing
miniaturized villages.

Encounters:

● The Toymaker (Mad Gnome Artificer)

○ Small Humanoid (Gnome), Chaotic Evil
○ Armor Class: 15 (studded leather)
○ Hit Points: 58 (9d6 + 18)
○ Speed: 25 ft.
○ STR 10 (+0), DEX 16 (+3), CON 14 (+2), INT 18 (+4), WIS 12 (+1), CHA 8 (-1)
○ Skills: Arcana +6, Tinkering Tools +6
○ Actions:
 ■ Cursed Toy Bomb: Ranged Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, range 30 ft., one target. Hit: 14
(3d6) fire damage, and all creatures within 5 ft. take 5 fire damage.
■ Mechanical Reinforcements (Recharge 6): Summons 1d4 clockwork soldiers (AC 14,
HP 10 each) to fight for 1 minute.

● The Frost King

○ Large Fey, Neutral Evil
○ Armor Class: 18 (natural armor)
○ Hit Points: 225 (30d10 + 60)
○ Speed: 30 ft.
○ STR 20 (+5), DEX 14 (+2), CON 16 (+3), INT 14 (+2), WIS 16 (+3), CHA 20 (+5)
○ Saving Throws: CON +8, WIS +8, CHA +10
○ Damage Resistances: Cold, Necrotic; Non-magical Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing
○ Damage Vulnerabilities: Fire
○ Actions:
■ Ice Shard Spear: Melee Weapon Attack: +10 to hit, reach 10 ft., one target. Hit: 18
(2d10 + 5) piercing damage and 10 (3d6) cold damage.
■ Blizzard Barrage (Recharge 5-6): The Frost King creates a 30-ft. radius blizzard. All
creatures in the area must make a DC 17 Dexterity saving throw or take 22 (4d10)
cold damage and be restrained by ice (escape DC 15).
■ Summon Frost Minions (1/Day): Summons 1d4 Frost Sprites and 2 Frozen Phantoms
to aid him.

Act 3: The Final Confrontation

The Frost King: The Frost King is a towering, antlered fey with a crown of ice. He reveals his backstory:
centuries ago, he ruled the winter court but was usurped and banished. He now seeks revenge by
extinguishing all holiday joy.

Combat Mechanics:

● The Frost King wields a staff that summons blizzards and minions (ice golems and spectral reindeer).
● The battlefield shifts, with frost spreading and creating difficult terrain.
● If the adventurers use the Yule star, it can weaken his icy shield, exposing him to attacks.

Resolution:

● Victory: With the Frost King defeated, the curse is lifted. The Yule star’s light returns, and the
kidnapped villagers are restored.
● Failure: The Frost King’s power grows, plunging the region into eternal winter. The adventurers must
regroup and seek a way to undo the devastation.

Optional Epilogue: The adventurers discover a letter in the Frost King’s throne room, hinting at another
power manipulating him—the Shadow Weaver, a rival fey. Setting the stage for future adventures.
Optional Rewards:

1. Gold and Gems: The town of Everglen offers a reward of 1,000 gold pieces, with additional
holiday-themed gemstones (worth 500 gp).
2. Magical Items:
○ Winter’s Embrace Cloak: Grants resistance to cold damage and advantage on Stealth checks in
snowy terrain.
○ Frostfire Amulet: Allows the wearer to cast Burning Hands as a 2nd-level spell, but the
damage type changes to cold.
○ Icy Longsword: A +1 longsword that deals an additional 1d6 cold damage on a hit.
3. Unique Relics:
○ The Yule Star A radiant gem imbued with the power to banish darkness and bring light to the
coldest of nights. When held, it can cast Daylight once per long rest.
○ Frost King's Crown A jagged crown of ice that grants the wearer immunity to cold damage
and the ability to summon a localized blizzard (similar to Sleet Storm) once per day.
○ Evergreen Wreath of Warding
A magical wreath that can be worn or hung in a location. It provides a +2 bonus to AC or
increases the DC of spells used to ward against undead and fey creatures.
○ Snowglobe of Sanctuary
A small, enchanted snow globe that, when shattered, creates a protective dome of snow and
ice (functionally similar to Leomund’s Tiny Hut but with a frosty theme).
○ Toymaker's Tools
A set of magical tinker's tools. When used, they can animate small, non-magical toys for a
brief time, which act as friendly, non-combatant companions for 24 hours.