I've been prepping a 1st level arctic campaign for 5th edition that I started running with my players recently (Legacy of the Crystal Shard transplanted into Blackmoor). I do think there's a good middle ground between making the environment a fun challenge and a tedious bore. Initially I used a 4th edition skill challenge but really wasn't big on each player making a dozen skill checks, so I've come up with a variation. My players are about to embark on a 3-day trek across the arctic waste, all are fully equipped and carry enough rations and water for 10 days, as well as a healing kit or two. Each day the party makes a DC12 Survival and Athletics group check, with the DC increasing by 2 each day they are out in the cold to represent attrition. The level of success depends on how many failed attempts with each group check, with resources being depleted as they proceed. For instance, a party of four characters on Day 1:
Wisdom (Survival):
One failure - wolf pack picks up party's scent (see below).
Two failures - party uses (or loses) 1-2 days' rations and water due to mishaps, hunger, etc.
3-4 failures - prolonged exposure requires each PC receive medical treatment or suffer one level of exhaustion. One use of a healer's kit and DC10 Wisdom (Medical) check per PC.
Strength (Athletics):
One failure - Each PC forfeits 1 hit die of healing from a short rest. One use of a healer's kit cancels the effect.
Two failures - Fatigue (or muscle / ankle strain); short rest benefit only from a long rest.
3-4 failures - each PC must consume an extra day's rations and water or gain a level of exhaustion.
Wolf Pack: this may consist of a group of wolves with numbers depending on the level of the party, possibly led by a worg or winter wolf. They pick up the party's scent and attack in the evening when on the hunt, preferably once the party is tired. They will try to wear the PCs down, attacking to inflict as much damage as they can before retreating if one or more of their number is slain. They resume the hunt the following night, repeating their pack tactics. Using extra lit torches may be used to deter the wolves (disadvantage on the wolves' attacks?)
Other hazards I may se include blizzards and crossing a freezing cold river.
The PCs may utilize secondary skills (with various DCs) throughout the trek such as:
Perception - find a small cave for shelter or abandoned campsite with some supplies.
Survival - use a day to find food and/or water.
Acrobatics - assist over an frozen lake or pond.
Stealth - to avoid the wolves, but slows the pace.
Persuasion - boost morale; gain a short rest benefit or +2 on next skill check. Usable only once.
Nature - use in lieu of Survival; predict weather.
Religion - PC relies on faith to nourish, heal or rest. Usable only once.
Other skills or ideas that the players come up with are accepted, provided its plausible. This is still a work in progress, so I don't have any recaps yet as to how successful (or unsuccessful) this journey will be for the party.
