April 2022 – Eric Watson

Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden Session 43 Recap

An epic battle turns even deadlier when another player character’s dark secret is revealed.

Live streamed and uploaded every week on YouTube. Join us live on Fridays at 7:30 pm Pacific/10:30 pm Eastern!

Original character art by Jimmy McClure.
Music by Kevin MacLeod.
Chat with us in the Official Discord Server.
Support the channel via Patreon!

Previously on Rime of the Frostmaiden

Starring:
Valravn, level 7 Eladrin Bard of Eloquence
Fray, level 7 Halfling Barbarian of the Beast/Fighter
Celeste, level 7 Half-orc Sun Soul Monk
Edmond, Level 7 Human Alchemist Artificer
Thimbleweed, level 7 Gnome Swarmkeeper Ranger

In a span of a few seconds, the ghost of Nass Lantomir possessed Vellyne and summoned an otherworldly mass of tentacles from the Far Realm (Hunger of Hadar).

The gnome bodies exploded, transforming into Deathlock Wights. Thimbleweed’s player secret was violently revealed when Vellyne-Nass ripped the insectoid growing inside him, reducing him to 1 hit point and changing his secret from The Host into The Evolved.

Vellyne-Nass grabbed the orb from the gnome body and the insectoid hatchling from Thimbleweed and teleported away, as the Earth Elemental continued to rampage.

Normally I would dramatically declare, “Roll for Initiative!”, but we were already in combat. Initiative continues!

Continue reading “Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden Session 43 Recap”

DMs Guild Review – Crimson Snow

Discover the horrors lurking in an isolated camp in this one-shot for levels 10-13.

A review copy of “Crimson Snow” was provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.

Support my work by using my affiliate links and pledging via Patreon.

Designed by: Jonny Cordova

Isolated snowy areas and horror go together like vampires and freshly-washed necks. Crimson Snow blends several reliable horror tropes into the beginnings of an interesting story, though the inevitably bloody final act comes way too quickly.

The mini-adventure is designed for levels 10-13. It’s exciting to review a Tier 3 one-shot, but the entire thing is barely 10 pages long. Lack of content and a sprint towards the big climax are its biggest problems.

Continue reading “DMs Guild Review – Crimson Snow”

Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden Session 42 Recap

The elusive fourth member of the Arcane Brotherhood finally reveals herself; Thimbleweed is forced into a dramatic metamorphosis.

Live streamed and uploaded every week on YouTube. Join us live on Fridays at 7:30 pm Pacific/10:30 pm Eastern!

Original character art by Jimmy McClure.
Music by Kevin MacLeod.
Chat with us in the Official Discord Server.
Support the channel via Patreon!

Previously on Rime of the Frostmaiden

Starring:
Valravn, level 7 Eladrin Bard of Eloquence
Fray, level 7 Halfling Barbarian of the Beast/Fighter
Celeste, level 7 Half-orc Sun Soul Monk (played by Valravn this sesh)
Edmond, Level 7 Human Alchemist Artificer
Thimbleweed, level 7 Gnome Swarmkeeper Ranger

Having explored about half of the dwarven mining facility, the Marshals were left with the magically protected security door to the arcane laboratory. Valravn had dispelled the Arcane Lock, but only Edmond knew how to properly pick locks, and he couldn’t safely make it across the yawning chasm.

After scratching their heads a bit, the party decide to find another path (and hopefully a key). They explore the eastern side of the dungeon, through more half-destroyed hallways and storage rooms.

Continue reading “Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden Session 42 Recap”

DMs Guild Review – Xanathar’s Secret Stash

Over 100 magic items, each with beautiful artwork.

A review copy of “Xanathar’s Secret Stash” was provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.

Support my work by using my affiliate links and pledging via Patreon.

Designed by: Grim Press, R P Davis, Trevor Armstrong

The beholder crime boss of Waterdeep is sure to have more than a few treasures stashed away. Xanathar’s Secret Stash features over 100 magic items, including armor, weapons, boots, belts, staves, and wands.

Continue reading “DMs Guild Review – Xanathar’s Secret Stash”

Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden Session 41 Recap

Exploring more of the dig site, the party makes a thrilling discovery about what lies beneath the ice.

Live streamed and uploaded every week on YouTube. Join us live on Fridays at 7:30 pm Pacific/10:30 pm Eastern!

Original character art by Jimmy McClure.
Music by Kevin MacLeod.
Chat with us in the Official Discord Server.
Support the channel via Patreon!

Previously on Rime of the Frostmaiden

The Marshals short rest in the shipping room, with the barbarian and bard rolling all of their hit dice to recover their wounds from the snow golem battle.

A more secure storage room to the west held food and water. The party search for any useful medical supplies but come up mostly short, finding only a single healer’s kit (the Investigation checks were hilariously bad).

Exploring north they found a destroyed office room. Almost everything was picked over, but they did find a log book written in dwarvish, presumably by a supervisor of the mining facility.

The logbook detailed the arrival of the new boss, Vaelish Gant, and his obsession with excavating chardalyn. It also included his discovery of the motherlode, and his subsequent disappearance and arrest, causing the rest of the dwarf miners to loot and flee this facility.

Thimbleweed donned his Piwafi cloak and stealthily peeks around the long hallway stretching east to west, where an eerie blue light emanates from a shambling figure roaming the hallway.

Continue reading “Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden Session 41 Recap”

DMs Guild Review – The Evil at Ra Manor

Uncover a vampire infestation at a local manor in this 5th level urban adventure.

A review copy of “The Evil at Ra Manor” was provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.

Support my work by using my affiliate links and pledging via Patreon.

Designed by: Lars Erik Eriksen

The Evil at Ra Manor is a two-part dungeon crawling adventure for fifth level that begins at a brothel and ends with some old fashioned vampire-hunting.

Continue reading “DMs Guild Review – The Evil at Ra Manor”

Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden Session 40 Recap

After several days of post-dragon rest, the Marshals set out to investigate Vaelish Gant’s chardalyn dig site in the Dwarven Valley.

Live streamed and uploaded every week on YouTube. Join us live on Fridays at 7:30 pm Pacific/10:30 pm Eastern!

Original character art by Jimmy McClure.
Music by Kevin MacLeod.
Chat with us in the Official Discord Server.
Support the channel via Patreon!

Previously on Rime of the Frostmaiden

Three days have passed since the Marshals defeated the Chardalyn Dragon in Targos.

Hundreds were saved thanks to the party’s previous adventures, including helping the kobolds in Termalaine, kicking out the cult in Caer-Dineval, and clearing the brewery in Good Mead.

But hundreds more were killed when the dragon swooped in and burned eight of the Ten Towns to the ground. Only Targos and Bryn Shander remain.

With the everlasting night still in effect and food supplies dwindling, the people of Icewind Dale face an extinction-level crisis.

During this down time, the Marshals and their allies did not stand idly by.

Continue reading “Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden Session 40 Recap”

Roll20 Review – Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep

Heed the call of a forgotten demigod in this full-length adventure set in the 5e fantasy world of Critical Role.

A review copy of the module was provided. Read more Roll20 Reviews and watch the video reviews on my YouTube channel.

Support my content via Patreon.

Designed by: Wizards of the Coast

I need to preface this review the same as when I reviewed the Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount back in 2020: I know very little about D&D streaming show Critical Role. I’m impressed by their storytelling prowess, D&D skills, and popularity, but I haven’t the time to keep up with a 4-hour session series (which goes for most D&D shows).

But I do review and play lots of D&D adventures. And I can confidently proclaim that Call of the Netherdeep is an excellent D&D 5e campaign, regardless of your Critter-ness.

Continue reading “Roll20 Review – Critical Role: Call of the Netherdeep”

Forge of Fury Session 4 Recap

Our second party had survived their first foray into the Forge of Fury, but would they survive the boss fight with a room full of orcs?

Live streamed and uploaded every week on YouTube. Join us live on Fridays at 7:30 pm Pacific/10:30 pm Eastern!

Chat with us in the Official Discord Server.
Support the channel via Patreon

We interrupt your regularly scheduled Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden to bring you an entirely new mini-campaign! It’s the Forge of Fury (from Tales from the Yawning Portal), with guest DM, Heather.

Starring:
Absalon, level 4 aasimar cleric of death
Lat’Zure, level 4 githzerai rogue soulknife
Youb Asic, level 4 human champion fighter (played by Lat’Zure, then Frank)
Frank, level 4 tortle battle master fighter
Rech, level 4 human champion fighter (played by Abaslon)

After the battle with the hill giant and death dogs, our second party settle down for a short rest and heal up. With a party of three fighters, a short rest is party darn valuable!

From there the only way to go was northwest. A short hallway ended with a big dwarven statue, with a door off to the side.

Rech (played by Chris/Absalon this week) went to investigate the statue, realizing too late that the floor is one big pressure plate. The statue’s mouth opens and poisonous gas spews out into the hallway, poisoning him and Lat’Zure.

Continue reading “Forge of Fury Session 4 Recap”