How To Prepare for 'Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden' - Todd Talks - With Jim Davis

[@DnDBeyond]

This conversation was part of a larger Todd Talks around Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden, where they also discussed creating creepy monsters (kzbin.info/www/bejne/g36qmmxnrrdgjJI) and what they would do to prepare for the new book as player characters (kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqiwaH9um9d7fbM).

[@Renfailed]

Your links might not be working, they are picking up the final parenthesis

[@neonkosomey3969]

DM: This is gonna be a rough and gritty survival campaign Goodberry: I'm gonna do what is called a pro gamer move

[@kenneyc]

DM: goodberry now consumes the material component. :)

[@Thunder-bw9xm]

Super easy fix, yeah

[@BenLisAgodOFcheese]

Man, after reading through the campaign thus far... a goodberry is nice, but not near enough XD

[@Zer0Doxy]

Hearing Perkins compare some of the aspects of the new book to The Thing has got my SO HYPED

[@carsont9407]

Thank you so much for this guide! It means a lot to me that D&D isn't just a huge money-grubbing business and that they actually care enough about their players to create detailed guides like this just to help them out!

[@coreyhayes4805]

I love Dnd but they make you pay for goddamn character sheets. Try again noob

[@carsont9407]

@@coreyhayes4805 Wdym? You can download and print them for free on dnd's website.

[@tonyjabroni7205]

When it comes to situations in line with some of the examples you've given (eg. the goodberry aroma attracting polar bears, or the hut being buried under 20ft. of snow), how do you maintain that perilous atmosphere for the players while avoiding any of the classic adversarial 'PCs vs. GM' feelings? Does it come down to just having a strong session zero? Do you just accept it and lean in? How do you challenge the party without either sacrificing the tone of the whole thing, or being a bad cop/buzzkill? I'm thinking specifically of naturally argumentative players who are out to "win" D&D. I guess my question is about "yes and-ing/yes but-ing" in the context of running an extreme environment without being too too harsh, but also wanting them to feel some of the tooth of that environment.

[@kylewoodward9006]

Ive already been running a icewind dale campaign for the last 6 months. Im actually excited for this book, itll give me so many cool ideas to use im sure.

[@quonomonna8126]

Leomund's Tiny hut creates a 10-foot radius hemisphere. That means it has a floor, but Jeremy Crawford on Sage Advice says it has no floor because its a dome. But the spell description says hemisphere not dome. Jeremy Crawford is wrong.

[@Mat23]

Good video! It’d be cool to see a preparation video for the DM; for all the prior adventures.

[@biteso2333]

I can’t wait to play this adventure!

[@RubixMasta2476]

Is that famous garfield artist and writer Jim Davis?!

[@Valdis63]

Haha I feel you i moved from Texas to Alaska i want to run this game since winter is coming 😅 but also might wait till summer 🤣

[@adamlaspata7001]

LOL, Jim, it's so true. I live in Texas but am from New Jersey and have lived in Illinois so I know winter. When I told my players about this book, they got really excited but I gave that lawful evil DM grin that D&D players know so well.

[@Blextine]

i will be playing my Githzerai Knight named Ro´Kin who is my main charakter for 5e, feel i can come up with many reasons why he would travel to icewind dale, don´t know how he will feel about Auril or fey and stuff like that but that is just a fun challenge to figure out in my mind, while on the subject i hope the book give us more info on winter court fey or just fey in general. the Frostmaiden is strongly connected to that in other earlier editions of the game so would be cool to se it getting used for 5e.

[@FabienMariauxdeSerres]

Tiny Hut does have a floor, it was confirmed by Jeremy (if memory serves me right).

[@Thunder-bw9xm]

Tiny huts one weakness is that it is *explicitly* a dome, and that should never change imo. Otherwise it's just an impregnable bubble. It *does* have a floor, it's just the floor happens to still be the ground

[@FabienMariauxdeSerres]

Thunder5077 I’m sorry but this is incorrect, its range is a hemisphere and it has a impregnable floor: www.sageadvice.eu/2017/01/24/does-leomunds-tiny-hut-have-a-floor/

[@darklightstudio]

@@Thunder-bw9xm Yes

[@CitanulsPumpkin]

The important thing most edgelords forget or ignore is that horror is about tone and suspense. And you can't maintain suspense for 4 hours straight without your players/audience checking out. That's why good horror movies/shows have gallows humor and jokes/puns every now and then. You can't fill a story with grim dark edgy edgy dark dark all the way through and expect it to have the same impact as setting up a scary tone and then making every fifth jump scare a cat meme. In short, for the love of god someone throw a pie every once in a while.

[@druid_zephyrus]

No, No, No... not every 5th. do the first 3 cat memes as the 5th then as the 2nd (next cycle; cycles ending with 5 or any number more than 5)...The sequences should read: {5, 5, 5, 2, 4, 5, 5, 9, 1, 5, 3, 6,...} and then no more _cats_ until the very last "n" immediately after BBEG and it is an actual cat.

[@druid_zephyrus]

And then is the foreshadowing for next campaign. my cat is orange creamsicle swirled. And then they left it alone AND left the BBEGs weapon. so now the cat has it.

[@CitanulsPumpkin]

@@druid_zephyrus agreed, but in jump scares 2, 9, and 3 on that sequence the cat needs to hit someone in the face with a pie. I can't stress this enough. It's vital that someone regularly gets hit in the face with a pie.

[@AdrianGell]

Good call. If my party doesn't end up with a Tormund Giantsbane-like character, we'll want an NPC because now I need that. What's the DC to seduce an owlbear?

[@CitanulsPumpkin]

@@AdrianGell seducing an owlbear is a DC 20 Charisma Animal Handling check, but the DC goes up by one for each day that has passed since the owlbear's last full meal.

[@christopheroneill77]

I Love facing adversity in my rpg's , I have trouble understanding other players who don't want to practice against real world problems in a fantasy setting. Lets talk about it, look at it and come up with solutions. Just my 2 cents.

[@tamblyn9484]

same! I love solving challenges from the lens of my PC

[@fudgebears]

i think in terms of real world problems like racism, homophobia, sexism, etc., some players who are from marginalized groups don't want to also experience that marginalization in their fantasy game, and would rather it be more of an escape from that. i think it's def a conversation that needs to be had with players and DM about expectations and comfort level with "hard topics" - other players may want to have their characters go through these struggles because they've experienced something similar in the real world and want a chance to have agency to "fix" it in D&D. ultimately it comes down to what is going to make the game interesting/fun, but also comfortable for all parties involved, imo!

[@christopheroneill77]

@@fudgebears yea I check with my players before I run something, I have been watching Lovecraft Country and enjoying that show I love the blend of real world issues and fantasy.

[@techpriest8965]

What is a good source for exploration systems and environmental hazards? Non-combat 5e encounters? I am having a hard time incorporating travel from location to location in a fun way. My homebrew world is stuck in a winter period that is getting perpetually worse over the months/years. I have base level system how cold affects pc's. Can't remmember exactly but I think the first thing that goes are strength and dexterity checks. Then exhaustion levels. Then total inability to cast concentration based spells. Ultimately slow and painful death since your exhaustion levels, reduced speed and general disadvantage just kill you.

[@fonandoozmando5961]

holy moly, didn't know garfield was in the campain

[@vaevictusasmadi84]

Can Auril be reasoned with? I find it a shame that the winter goddess would be Neutral Evil in D&D. Winter is dangerous and unforgiving, but it's also so beautiful and enjoyable for those who respect the dangers and prepare accordingly. As an embodiment of a season, and her recent distancing from Talos, I hope she's more inclined to Neutral actions than when she was a Deity of Fury under the influence of the dark crystal.

[@Gamerdudegames]

She's not just the god of winter, she's specifically the god of winter's wrath. She doesn't embody the whole season, just the most brutal and unforgiving parts of it.

[@spartaneternal8423]

I believe she can be “reasoned with” but it’s only by those that are truly devote to her. Being a god your not gonna be able to change her mind, but you might gain her favor.

[@cathyandreasson2522]

But do potions freeze 🤔

[@sea_triscuit7980]

Depends on the proof of the vodka used

[@matthewjennings7645]

In my gritty realism game Tiny Hut was banned- but Galder's Tower is totally fair game

[@Gojoseon]

I differ with them on frostbite-as a player I want to hear *some* details about how it looks and feels. Obviously describing it in too much detail could be disturbing, but isn’t that part of what makes horror-horror?

[@jgr7487]

9:55 *that* is why races that can fly at Lv.1 aren't OP. if your Lv.1 Aarakocra can survive up to 20d6 fall damage without insta-dieing, someone is cheating big time.

[@SadBoi_1066]

VERMONT REPRESENT! 802!!!!

[@codynevel1944]

Sooooo jazzed does this new module!

[@darklightstudio]

How much do matches cost at the convenience store in 5e?

[@chinookcrafts]

I would pay a considerable premium for someone to sell me their Platinum Edition... Just saying... :D

[@noahforsyth8795]

What do you mean? I am intrigued.

[@chinookcrafts]

@@noahforsyth8795 Oh, there is a Platinum Edition of Iceland Dale, by Beadle & Grimm. Sold out, and I'm annoyed. Heh.

[@JustThisGuy42]

How would you define.....considerable?

[@chinookcrafts]

@@JustThisGuy42 Oh I dunno. An extra $100 USD + reimburse shipping. Bunch of stuff from our Etsy store too. Really anything to avoid eBay. Ugh.

[@noahforsyth8795]

Duke Davidson It’s sold out and the Campaign has not even come out yet?

[@Ahcoolman]

Kind of "how to prepare for 'icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden.' Mostly not.

[@minecastlord]

From what ive seen of the book it doesnt seem too scary. Also why is auril fought at level 7 instead of at the conclusion?

[@PetofPerversion]

Auril has three different forms that get stronger as you defeat each one, so chances are level 7 is your first fight against her and the others follow at higher levels.

[@minecastlord]

The Pet not from what ive seen of the book. It looks like they fully expect you to beat her then and there. I will just move the encounter but its still a stupid decision.

[@MisterSmith00]

I am sorely tempted to create an evil character for this campaign...or at least, a character who isn't what they seem. You know, like a Bard, Rogue, or some kind of non-threatening character who has absolutely no business being in this frozen wasteland...but they say things, or do things, that suggests that they aren't as helpless as they appear to be... They help the party, try to get on their good side...but the character is entirely self-serving. It'd be interesting to see if any other players pick up on this behavior. If this campaign is good at creating desperation, then, the part dynamic will still function well because survival still depends on them working together.

[@jeremymagsamen3265]

Wait until you see the potential player secrets included in the book

[@lukejackson3901]

FIrst!~~

[@Subcomandante73]

Got it. Read it. Will never buy another WoTC adventure book. This is possibly the laziest and worst of the bunch so far, and the others have not been great. Do you even playtest this stuff? Wolves that can lock kids in a cage...when did they get opposable thumbs on them paws? Silly, lazy, not balanced, but hey we can pay £40 and end up spending a lot of time trying to fix it.

[@quonomonna8126]

but lots of other people are saying its the best WoTC adventure book to date

[@Subcomandante73]

@@quonomonna8126 The bar was already set pretty low with some of the others. If they consider unbalanced encounters, plot holes etc as 'the best yet' then they have very low standards.

[@quonomonna8126]

@@Subcomandante73 actually the encounters are easy but we have 8-9 players at the table in any given session, but we are anywhere from level 2 to 5 because people don't show up every week...there's really 12 players but maybe 8 show up