Why I ❤️Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden
In just over a tenday, Open Heart Games will launch our first campaign, Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. So for today’s blog post I wanted to give my initial thoughts and share with you the reasons I am excited to begin our journey with this specific campaign. This will be a spoiler-free preview, so please read on!
Simply put, this is the latest and greatest campaign from Wizards of the Coast. I have run modules (several of them more than once) for D&D 5e since its release and have found that each and every module is better than the last. At a whopping 320 pages, Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden is the longest module written for D&D 5e to date. For comparison’s sake, this module is nearly 100 pages longer than one of my favorite modules, Curse of Strahd, and nearly 60 pages longer than any other D&D 5e module to date. This means that there is plenty of content for the players to interact with and explore!
Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden explores one of the most iconic settings in D&D lore, Ten-Towns. This setting was made famous by author RA Salvatore who made his mark on the forgotten realms with the introduction of fan-favorite character Drizzt Do’Urden. His novel “The Crystal Shard” is set almost entirely in Icewind Dale and features Ten-Towns. In fact, Drizzt and friends save the day several times in Icewind Dale throughout the series.
Great care was taken to make each location in Ten-Towns feel like a living, breathing settlement. Each settlement features a colorful cast of characters and each location has its own unique feel. Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden features elements of horror set in an isolated frozen wasteland. The settlements of Ten-Towns are the only flecks of civilization, surrounded by miles and miles of frozen tundra. Despite its barren appearance, there are many powers at work in the area and each has their own unique motivation, obstacles, and goals.
The campaign seamlessly weaves elements of a sandbox--which encourages players to explore and interact with the world around them--and a cohesive linear narrative that will captivate the players and force them to test their mettle and [hopefully] emerge as heroes! The players are given enormous agency while in Ten-Towns. They are free to explore the area as they see fit, making the whole of Ten-Towns feel alive.
This is the most exciting campaign that I have prepared for since the release of Curse of Strahd in March of 2016. I am looking forward to leading a brave group of adventurers as they follow in the footsteps of Drizzt Do’Urden and become heroes of legend! Perhaps even you will join us! As of the writing of this blog, there are a few seats left for our initial launch of Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. As always you can follow the link here to book your session. I hope to see you at the table!!
Take Heart!
Karington Hess
Game Master and Founder of Open Heart Games
