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Because Dragon of Icespire Peak was originally designed as a starter-set adventure for new Dungeon Masters, Cryovain’s presence is introduced with very little subtlety. The module wants players rolling dice and confronting danger almost immediately, so the threat of the young white dragon is established upfront through increasingly frequent sightings and attacks. As the adventure…
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The thing about sitting atop a frozen treasure hoard in an isolated, abandoned fortress is its potential to become a siege. Because recovering a white dragon’s frozen treasure should not be quick process. Characters aren’t simply shoveling loose coins into a pile of sacks before heading back to Phandalin for celebratory drinks at the Stonehill…
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Continuing on yesterday’s thoughts, finding Cryovain’s hoard is one thing. Claiming the treasure hoard is something entirely different. Anyone who thinks collecting a white dragon’s treasure is as simple as scooping coins and gemstones into a collection of sacks or dumping it all into a bag of holding is in for a rude awakening. If…
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The most absurd omission in Dragon of Icespire Peak is that Cryovain has no treasure hoard. You’ve got a dungeon. You’ve got a dragon. There needs to be a payoff of some kind. To do otherwise would be like hitting the jackpot of a lottery, only to be rewarded with a nicely written congratulatory note…
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Poke around Tresendar Manor long enough, and you start to realize the Redbrand ruffians are far more sinister than they are presented in the pages of Lost Mine of Phandelver, and especially so in the sanitized reboot, Phandalin and Below: The Shattered Obelisk. Let’s talk about their criminality. Racketeering. The most obvious piece of Redbrand…
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I’ve spent the better part of two years combing through the pages of Lost Mine of Phandelver and Dragon of Icespire Peak. It’s become something of an obsession, digging into mundane details that I can turn into inspiration for the blog. It’s how I’ve come to spill ink and brain cells on thought-provoking topics such…
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I feel like it’s overlooked that there are religious elements in Lost Mine of Phandelver and Dragon of Icespire Peak, but no real guidance on how to portray them. And I’m not talking about Sister Garaele and her Shrine of Luck. I’m talking about elements that players struggle against, rather than benefit from. For instance,…
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There’s got to be something more to do in Phandalin than tipping cows! Let’s get into a downtime activity. Gambling in Phandalin Resources. This activity requires one workweek of effort plus a stake of at least 10 gp, to a maximum of 100 gp – since Phandalin is a small town. Resolution. The character must…
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Yesterday morning, I was drinking my coffee and prepping for next week’s D&D sesh when I realized my crawling claws needed a bite attack – inspiration brought about by the Santa Cruz “Screaming Hand” on my coffee mug. But where to insert this into my Along the Triboar Trail game that I run for my…
