A Winter Horrorland

# A Winter Horrorland 
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## by Andrew J. Strickland
### Designed for any level group

photo by Andrew Strickland

#### Winter has descended upon the land with a firmer grip than any in recent memory. 
#### A White Dragon has taken up residence not far from the town. 
#### What does the dragon want? Can the heroes survive finding out?

##### This module contains mechanics to randomly generate a winter themed D&D 5E adventure for your existing game, meant to last 1-3 sessions. Also included is a unique dragon which can be used as a main villain in your on going game.

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>## Setup
>Draw one card per PC and one additional card to setup the game. 
>These encounters/locations are meant to be jumping off points for you to build the session(s) around. Fill in the gaps as you see fit and feel free to disregard results you don’t like.
>At the end be sure to throw in Tushar ... she's nifty afterall!

##### Card Setup Table
| Card | Result |
|:----:|:-------------|
| 2 | Ruined Temple |
| 3 | Random Encounter at party level |
| 4 | Roadside Inn |
| 5| Farm|
| 6 | Random Encounter at party level |
| 7 | Crater |
| 8 | Cave|
| 9 | Random Encounter at lower level than party |
| 10 | Camp Site |
| Jack | Adventurer | 
| Queen | Random Encounter at party level |
| King | River Crossing |
| Ace | Random Encounter at higher level |
| Joker | Tushar does a flyby attack on the party.|

### Winter Has Arrived
<div class='descriptive'>
You are traveling along the road, and the weather has taken a frightfully cold turn. Within a few miles, you’ve gone from a mildly cold day to there being deep snow on the ground. A bitterly cold wind flings the loose upper layer of snow at your face.</div>

## Random Encounter Charts 
##### Levels 1-4 Encounters

| d8 | Encounter |
|:----:|:-------------|
| 1 | 1d6 Dire Wolves (MM pg 321)  |
| 2 | 1d2 Yeti (MM pg 305) |
| 3 | 1 Troll (MM pg 291) |
| 4 | 1d3 Sabertooth Tigers (MM pg 336) |
| 5 | 1d3 Berserkers (MM pg 344) |
| 6 | 1d6 Ghouls (MM pg 148) |
| 7 | 1 Half-Ogre(MM pg 238) |
| 8 | 1d6 Orcs (MM pg 246) + 1 Orc War  Chief (MM pg 246) |
 
##### Levels 5-10 Encounters
| d8 | Encounter |
|:----:|:-------------|
| 1 | 1d4 Winter Wolves (MM pg 340) + 1d8 Dire Wolves (MM pg 321) 
| 2 | 1 Abominable Yeti (MM pg 306) 
| 3 | 1d4 Trolls (MM pg 291)
| 4	| 1d4 Young Remorhaz (MM pg 258)
| 5 | 1 Frost Giant (MM pg 155)
| 6| 1d2 Wyvern (MM pg 303)
| 7| 2d6 Zombies (MM pg 316) + 1d8 Ghouls (MM pg 148)
| 8| 1d4 Polar Bears (MM pg 334) + 1 Orc War Chief (MM pg 246)

##### Levels 11-16
| d8 | Encounter |
|:----:|:-------------|
| 1 | 1d4 Rocs (MM pg 260) 
| 2	| 1d2 Abominable Yeti (MM pg 306) + 1d6 Yeti (MM pg 305)
| 3 | 1 Beholder Zombie (MM pg 316) + 1d6 Ogre Zombie (MM pg316)
| 4 | 1d3 Remorhaz (MM pg 258)
| 5 | 1d4 Frost Giants (MM pg 155)
| 6 | 1 Death Knights (MM pg 47)
| 7 | 1d8 Ghouls (MM pg 148) + 1d6 Ghast (MM pg 148)
| 8 | 1d6 Polar Bears (MM pg 334) + 2d6 Orcs (MM pg 246) + 1 Orc War Chief (MM pg 246)
 
##### Levels 17-20
| d8 | Encounter |
|:----:|:-------------|
| 1 | 2d8 Trolls (MM pg 291)
| 2 | 1d6 Frost Giants (MM pg 155)
| 3 | 1d2 Death Knights (MM pg 47)
| 4 | 1d3 Dao or Djinni (MM pg 143-4)
| 5 | 2d10 Werebears (MM pg 208)
| 6 | 1d6 Abominable Yeti (MM pg 306)
| 7	| 1d4 Remorhaz (MM pg 258)
| 8 | 1d6 Wyvern (MM pg303)

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## Non-Combat encounters

### Two : Ruined Temple
<div class='descriptive'>

You make out a structure upon a small rise several hundred yards off the roadway. It is small; only some ten-feet by twenty-feet but could offer some shelter from the weather.

As you get closer to the building, it appears that the building is a temple. The now bare trees and hedges around the building have been left to grow unchecked and had you passed by when they are in bloom this place would be difficult to see.

On the door is carved a symbol ...  </div>

This temple is to give the PCs an area to rest. They may choose to investigate as it is a temple of a long forgotten deity; perhaps inside there can be found a tome about the deity.
### Four : Roadside Inn 
<div class='descriptive'>

You see smoke rising from a chimney not far ahead, and the idea of getting out of this abrasive cold is appealing. Making your way towards the smoke, you find yourself at what appears to be a roadside inn. A large wooden sign declaring **Barchan** swings in the cold breeze.  A trio of carriages sit in the drive and you can hear horses neighing from a nearby stable. The sounds of several simultaneous conversations can be heard behind the heavy wooden door.

Entering, you find yourself in a large open room with a central fire pit which has a cone above it leading to the ceiling. The fire is roaring in an attempt to keep the cold at bay. Tables, scattered throughout the room, are filled with people of various races and from many walks of life, all of whom go quiet as the door opens. To the left is a bar, behind which is an older human female who eyes you for a moment before going back to work. A set of stairs to the right of the bar lead upward, presumably to rooms.</div>

Inside the inn are various lycanthrope factions currently working a peace treaty. They won’t be rude to the PCs but will not suffer them either.

### Six : Farm
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Light snow becomes a constant companion as you on travel further along the roadway. A split-rail fence starts running beside the road, and you can see fields with scarecrows beyond it. After an hour you come to an opening in the fence where a sign reads: **Zithering Farm**.

A wide, recently cleared pathway leads away from the road, and you see a farmhouse at its end. The house and nearby barn to be in good shape. The fields all appear to have been recently tilled and made ready for winter. You can make out someone sitting on the porch. </div>

Animated scarecrows are operating this farm. The retired wizard who animated them is long dead - and has been left sitting on the porch by his scarecrows as they go about their work.

### Seven : Crater
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Ahead you see a patch of ground that has no snow on it. It is large conical depression of earth with something near the center which seems to be smoldering. </div>

This is a fresh crater with a hunk of Adamantine at its center.

### Eight : Cave
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Jagged hills line your way as sleet and ice hammer down from angry clouds. An opening in one of the hills appears to be a cave. Getting closer you realise that it is definitely a cave.  Around the roughly man-sized entry, the earth appears to have been clawed at by something of a great size.

Inside you can see the glint of something shiny; investigating further, you find five young individuals huddled together. Each appears to have been wounded by something with large claws.

</div>

A small natural cave; inside are the remains of an ill-fated adventuring party who were attacked by Tushar. They have five random magic items.

### Ten : Camp Site
<div class='descriptive'>

A plume of smoke and the scent of roasting meat comes from a nearby encampment. Music can be heard drifting on the air. A trio of wagons are circled around a large fire. Horses are covered in heavy blankets and tied to nearby trees. A handful of people stand around the central fire attempting to warm themselves.

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This is a troupe composed mostly of musicians and storytellers. They are local and talk willingly to the PCs about the cold and have also seen Tushar out flying.

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### Jack : Adventurer
<div class='descriptive'>

Ahead you see an unkindness of ravens by the side of the road. They are all seem to be pecking at a rather large piece of ice. As you get closer, the birds fly off, and you can see a humanoid form encased in the ice. The remains are dressed in once bright garb and there is a large gash across their stomach. 
</div>

The body has standard bard starting equipment plus one random magic item.

### King : River Crossing 
<div class='descriptive'>

The sound of rushing water echoes through the grove of evergreens you’ve been walking through for the past few hours. The road snakes for a while longer, before bringing you to a clearing with a bridge which has seen better days. Several planks are missing and ice covers those planks that remain.
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This scene could be a series of skill checks, a skill challenge, or however your players figure out how to cross.
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## Tushar the Luminous

This white dragon has set up shop in the local area after leaving her previous lair. Tushar is smarter than the average white dragon (+4 Intelligence vs Monster Manual entry) and does **NOT** fight to the death.

### Scaling Tushar for party level
| Party Level | Age Category of White Dragon |
|:--------------------:|:-------------|
| 1-4   | Young White Dragon (MM pg 101) |
| 5-10  | Adult White Dragon (MM pg 101) |
| 11-16 | Ancient White Dragon (MM pg 100 )|
| 17-20 | Ancient White Dragon (MM pg 101) + 1d3 Young White Dragons |

### Tactics
Tushar is smart and will leave her underground lair as soon as she senses (or interacts) with the heroes to find a place to hide. She likes to swoop down on foes from above or spring up from a hiding place beneath snow or ice. She will use frightful presence first before unleashing her breath weapon. Thereafter, Tushar uses her multi-attack until her breath weapon recharges .

As an adult/ancient dragon, Tushar alternates between using icy tomb and her breath weapon but otherwise fights as described above. Tushar will fight until she is left with a quarter remaining hit points, after that she will flee.

### Abilities
Tushar & her young have the following abilities in addition to those listed in the Monster Manual 
* ***Bloody Breath.*** When Tushar reaches half hit points, her breath weapon automatically recharges and, as a reaction, she can use it.

#### Adult Abilities 
* ***Icy Tomb*** *(Recharge 5-6)*;  +11 to hit; range 60 ft, one target. Target is encased in ice, takes 36 (4d12 + 8) cold damage and is restrained and stunned (Con save DC 19 at the end of the PCs next turn will end both).
* ***Aura of Winter*** *Radius 30 ft*; a creature that enters or begins its turn in the aura takes 5 cold damage. The ground is treated as difficult terrain, and creatures flying in the aura (other than the dragon) move at half speed. When Tushar reaches half hit points, this aura increases to 60 ft radius and 10 cold damage per turn.

#### Ancient Abilities 
* ***Icy Tomb*** *(Recharge 5-6)*; +14 to hit; range 60 ft,one target. Target is encased in ice, takes 49 (6d12 + 10) cold damage and is restrained and stunned (Con save DC 22 at the end of the PCs next turn will end both).
* ***Aura of Winter*** *Radius 60 ft*; a creature that enters or begins its turn in the aura takes 15 cold damage. The ground is treated as difficult terrain, and creatures flying in the aura (other than the dragon) move at half speed. When Tushar reaches half hit points, this aura increases to 120 ft radius and 30 cold damage per turn.

### LAIR ACTIONS 
On initiative count 20 (losing initiative ties), the dragon takes a lair action to cause one of the following effects; the dragon can't use the same effect two rounds in a row: 
* Freezing fog fills a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point Tushar can see within 120 feet of her. The fog spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. Each creature in the fog when it appears must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw, taking 10 (3d6) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature that ends its turn in the fog takes 10 (3d6) cold damage. A wind of at least 20 miles per hour disperses the fog. The fog otherwise lasts until the dragon uses this lair action again or until the dragon dies. 
* Jagged ice shards fall from the ceiling, striking up to three creatures underneath that Tushar can see within 120 feet. Tushar makes one ranged attack roll (+7 to hit) against each target. On a hit, the target takes 10 (3d6) piercing damage. 
* Tushar creates an opaque wall of ice on a solid surface she can see within 120 feet of her. The wall can be up to 30 feet long, 30 feet high, and 1 foot thick. When the wall appears, each creature within its area is pushed 5 feet out of the walls space, appearing on whichever side of the wall it wants. Each 10-foot section of the wall has AC 5, 30 hit points, vulnerability to fire damage and immunity to acid, cold, necrotic, poison, and psychic damage. The wall disappears when the dragon uses this lair action again or when the dragon dies.

### REGIONAL EFFECTS 
The region containing Tushar’s lair is warped by her magic, which have created the following effects:

* Chilly fog lightly obscures the land within 10 miles of the lair. 
* Freezing precipitation falls within 15 miles of the lair, sometimes forming blizzard conditions when the dragon is at rest.

If the Tushar dies or leaves the area, the fog and precipitation fade within a week.

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## Box of Many Things

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A well worked box of white birch with bronze colored metal work. Inside Woden kept his offerings. Once per day (long rest) when a hero opens and reaches into the box roll 1d20 to determine what they withdraw:</div>

| **d20** |    **Item**  |
|:----:|:-------------|
| 1 |Child's toy|
| 2 |Potion of cure wounds (+increases/decrease drinker’s height by 10%)|
| 3 |Set of polyhedral dice|
| 4 | Pixie wings of flying – give wearer flying speed of 5 must hover 5 feet of the ground|
| 5 | Detailed map of an unknown place with a big red cross|
| 6 | Paper doll. Once per long rest can turn into mage armor (AC13+Dex) and gives 8d6 temporary HP. Once all HP are gone returns to paper form at owner's feet and mage armor lasts until end of owner's next turn.|
| 7 | Freshly baked sausage roll|
| 8 | A feather - single use Feather Fall spell|
| 9 | Bundle of twine that changes its colour halfway through|
| 10 | Pearl (of Teleportation) - single use: you throw the pearl and appear wherever the bead lands|
| 11 | A hand mirror that let's you see somewhere else you've been but only for a few seconds|
| 12 | A compass with two hands, one always faces the holder| 
| 13 | One felt slipper| 
| 14 | An old, thick book called “A Tale of Leaves” with stories so convoluted non-fey readers develop a short-term madness trying to make sense of it (DC 15 Wis).
| 15 |  Dragon Scale (color selected randomly) | 
| 16 | Tea Leaves of scrying - Single use Scrying spell DC16. | 
| 17 | Book “Cursing in Any Language” by Mert Vela translations and pronunciations for most swear words in various languages | 
| 18 | Potion of Haste (which also leaves the imbiber furiously drunk for a hour) | 
| 19 | A silver wedding band (10gp) | 
| 20 | Pink Veil. Grant a single use invisibility spell if worn |