D&D 5E Running Rime of the Frost Maiden

[Reynard]

We finally played our first session last night. The PCs are starting in Easthaven, so I began with them on the way there from Bryn Shander at the behest of the Council of Speakers to be official witnesses of the execution of the Red Wizard. (As a reminder, I decided my PCs were going to be official agents of the Council to help solve problems and show that the Council was capable of ruling even as things get ever worse.)

Because some of my players are new to Fantasy grounds and/or 5E, we started with first a skill challenge (a sudden brief blizzard forced them to hunker down) and a combat. Dannika was in trouble: her dogs were all dead and a pack of hungry Yeti Tykes was about to eat her when the PCs arrived. After they saved her, she offered to buy them dinner at the White Lady. Once there, she made her chawinga capturing pitch.

It was a good first session.

 

[Reynard]

One minor issue that came up is that Yeti Tyke leaves a bad taste in some players' mouths. It's basically killing horrible monstrous puppies. I think I am going to explain them as diminutive "dwarf" yetis instead of young ones.

 

[MarkB]

One minor issue that came up is that Yeti Tyke leaves a bad taste in some players' mouths. It's basically killing horrible monstrous puppies. I think I am going to explain them as diminutive "dwarf" yetis instead of young ones.

Especially if anyone has the Littlest Yeti secret - though in that case it might lead into a separate "return the pups to their parents" quest.

Maybe just use wolves instead?

 

[Zaukrie]

One minor issue that came up is that Yeti Tyke leaves a bad taste in some players' mouths. It's basically killing horrible monstrous puppies. I think I am going to explain them as diminutive "dwarf" yetis instead of young ones.

In a place where food is at a premium......and people hunt wild animals for food....I guess I don't see the issue. If you think of them as food and not monsters.

 

[MarkB]

In a place where food is at a premium......and people hunt wild animals for food....I guess I don't see the issue. If you think of them as food and not monsters.

But they're so cuuuute.

 

[Reynard]

Especially if anyone has the Littlest Yeti secret - though in that case it might lead into a separate "return the pups to their parents" quest.

Maybe just use wolves instead?

I'm not using the secrets at all. I don't understand why someone would want to bake intra-party conflict into their D&D game.

I ran this encounter last night so it is too late to use wolves instead. The party ranger has Yeti as a favored enemy so it makes sense to diversify the type a little, anyway. I might reskin a couple other stock enemies as breeds of yeti.

 

[MarkB]

I'm not using the secrets at all. I don't understand why someone would want to bake intra-party conflict into their D&D game.

Most of the secrets shouldn't cause conflict even if they are revealed. There are only two or three that are potentially problematic, and it would be easy to leave them out.

Mostly they're just interesting or odd things that may crop up in play as unusual facets of a character.

 

[Eltab]

One minor issue that came up is that Yeti Tyke leaves a bad taste in some players' mouths. It's basically killing horrible monstrous puppies. I think I am going to explain them as diminutive "dwarf" yetis instead of young ones.

My own first impression was that Yeti Tykes should only be found with their parents (who are likely teaching them to hunt) - not just playing on their own. Blasting the adult should provoke them to retreat and bring the tykes along.

Killing "puppies" is no fun but if the alternative is to become puppy chow...

 

[Zaukrie]

I'm going to use this map as a lost shrine (probably to Lathander) that the PCs can find. Not sure exactly how yet.....anyway, enjoy.

Ruined Snowy Area Battle map - Mike's Thoughts

Here is a free ruined snowy are battle map, and an ice spider statblock. I'm not sure how I'll use this with Rime of the Frostmaiden yet.

mikesixel.com

 

[Azzy]

In a place where food is at a premium......and people hunt wild animals for food....I guess I don't see the issue. If you think of them as food and not monsters.

That's kind of problematioc though... Yetis are a sapient species.