D&D 5E Rime of the Frostmaiden Previews Include a Scroll of Tarrasque Summoning

Some D&D designers and freelancers have been sharing previews of what's inside Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. Take a look!

When a wizard puts their brain inside a helmless horror.

David Sladek

A ring of warmth.

Claudio Pozas

And this last item... perhaps the less said the better? Ouch!

 

[Reynard]

The scroll feels like something some 13 year old munchkin would come up with.

Found the grognard.

 

[Carmen Sbordone]

Found the grognard.

You say that like its a bad thing

 

[Jfdlsjfd]

The scroll feels like something some 13 year old munchkin would come up with.

In an horrorishnsetting, I could very well give it to the player. Will you enact the ritual and solve your problem, knowing it means having the Tarasque destroying Luskan afterwards? Is solving the Auril problem worth it?

 

[Carmen Sbordone]

In an horrorishnsetting, I could very well give it to the player. Will you enact the ritual and solve your problem, knowing it means having the Tarasque destroying Luskan afterwards? Is solving the Auril problem worth it?

Maybe. But ultimately its releasing a bane throughout the game. Not sure its worth it.

Also using your example, sounds like an easy button to neatly solve a button.

 

[jgsugden]

Rime of the Frontmaiden is a horror and secrets story. It is intended to evoke a sense of doom and catastrophe. The scroll is perfectly in line with that concern.

As for it ruining a campaign - it costs a minimum of 50,000 GP to make and 25 weeks (as it is consumable). If the PCs pooled all of their treasure, they should, proportionally, be able to accumulate that amount at around 12th or 13th level. Then, one of them needs to retire - for a half year- to make the scroll while the other PCs adventure and advance. By the time they complete it, they're going to be around 15th level... at the lowest … and for all their sacrifices, they can summon the Tarrasque once and not be able to control it.

Meanwhile, a 9th level party can use Divinations to find it and just attack it to wake it up and cause mischief.

All of this for a beast that can't do anything at range other than throw stuff.

 

[Eltab]

Found the grognard.

No, the Grognard still lurks somewhere, slumbering.
The only foolproof way to find the Grognard is to walk on its lawn.

 

[Theo R Cwithin]

No, the Grognard still lurks somewhere, slumbering.
The only foolproof way to find the Grognard is to walk on its lawn.

Kids these days would just use a scroll of grognard summoning.

 

[Dioltach]

Now there's a battle for the ages: Tarrasque v Grognard!

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

(I would also assume there's huge costs and conditions attached to prevent high-level adventures from turning into tarrasque summoning wars.)

I don't know, that sounds like it could be fun. High level wizards, chucking tarrasques back and forth. Or maybe there's just one, and you have to vie for control of it, trying to turn it against your opponent.

Admittedly, it's just a fantasy version of OGRE, but still ...

Anyway, the magic item as written is mislabeled ... it's really a scroll of tarrasque annoying.

 

[Reynard]

You say that like its a bad thing

Not necessarily, but my response was intended to convey my mild irritation at your categorizing this as "munchkin" play as opposed to just a difference in preferences. There is no badwrongfun in D&D. Some games will thrive on things like the scroll of the tarrasque (or deck of many things, or sphere of annihilation) in the hands of the party. That's awesome that those exist in the game to do that. It's super easy to just not present them in a game otherwise.