Snowbound Hex Generator

 With summer here in the northern hemisphere in full swing, I'm pining for the frosty winter months that lie on the other end of the calendar. To alleviate my winter blues I've made for you a fun set of tables you can use to create interesting wintertime exploration encounters in the desolate snow! Frosty danger and chilling intrigue await! If you find what you see interesting, check out another one of my hex encounter generators, or take a look at last weeks D66 encounter table!  

The Snowbound Encounter Generator

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The frozen extremes of the far north can provide a daunting challenge to explorers and travelers alike. It is because of the inherent dangers associated with arctic climates that they make such compelling locations for your fantasy campaign. Whether it’s chasing a band of ice trolls across the undulating tundra atop a mammoth-bone sled pulled by polar bears or snowshoeing across the vast taiga in search of a lost civilization buried by time, the snow and ice make for fantastic adventuring sites.

 

What did you find frozen in the ice?

The ancient glaciers hold eons of secrets bound up in their glassy blue interiors. Who knows what mysteries lie frozen within them? Give your players something to marvel at while traversing the howling, windswept wasteland of the glaciers with the encounter seeds below.

D12	What did you find frozen in the ice?
1	An ice cave made of purplish sheets of ice. The cave consists of a series of 1d4+2 smaller caverns, etched out of the ice itself. Within the chambers can be found a family of ice trolls. The trolls have a fondness for high quality wine and mead.
2	A massive, green-coated mammoth locked in eternal battle with a variegated red and purple-skinned tyrannosaurus rex. The pair is frozen by the ice in perpetual combat. (Though both creatures perished long ago, their meat is still fresh!)
3	2d6 zombies have been completely frozen within a wall of ice. Their entire bodies save for their heads are frozen. Their eyes hungrily spy on the living that pass by and their jaws impotently snap at those who get too close.
4	Behind a three foot thick wall of translucent blue ice can be seen a hollow cube of space. Within the cube hovers a floating sphere the size of a basketball. The sphere slowly changes color from red into orange, then yellow, then green, then blue, then purple, and then back again to red in an endless undulating cycle. If freed from the hollow space in the ice, the cube will produce a blinding flash of light and then ascend into the sky forever. Anybody present must make a save vs. spells or be blinded for 1d4 rounds and permanently turn a different color (1. Red 2. Orange 3. Yellow 4. Green 5. Blue 6. Purple)
5	Sticking out of an ice sheet can be seen half of an ocean trading vessel from an ancient and long-extinct empire. Only the fore section of the boat remains intact. The aft is nowhere to be seen. Within the half of the boat that’s present can be found over twenty barrels stamped with an ancient imperial seal. The barrels in total contain 10,000 gp worth of ancient wine and spirits, including a barrel of special enchanted wine. If drunk, the imbiber must make a saving throw vs. spells. If they lose, they are considered charmed by the person who offered them the wine.
6	Barely visible through the ice is a spherical hollow roughly 10’ in diameter. A careful observer will spot the body of a bald child sitting within the sphere in a meditation pose as if waiting for something. A blue arrow tattoo on the child’s head is the only identifying mark visible.
7	From out of a greenish sheet of translucent ice looms a rust colored metal giant. The frozen creature is at least 20’ tall and is humanoid in shape, with a squat head and powerful-looking arms. If the thing can be freed and examined, PCs will notice the creature is mechanical in nature, with a clear crystal heart the size of a human head. If a spell of 2nd level or higher is cast into the gem, the rusty automata’s eyes will begin to glow green and it will be revived. The creature is called Gort and is an explorer sent to travel the universe and collect information for its masters.
8	The corpses of two half-rotten reindeer are half frozen into the ground, their bodies still lashed to a mammoth-bone sled covered in furs. The owner of the sled and animals these is long gone now.
9	Visible through the ice is a walrus-bone chest, carved with intricate scenes of ice dwarves going about their daily lives. Within the chest is a perfectly ripe golden-skinned apple. If eaten, the apple will immediately heal the consumer d8 hp and spread a warm feeling of surety throughout their body. The apple eater automatically succeeds at any saving throw for the rest of the day that has to do with resisting cold, tiredness, disease, or weariness.
10	From out of the looming glacier can be seen a gigantic dragon skull the size of a house. Its teeth are as long as spears! A careful examination will reveal the skull to be etched all over with arcane runes of an unknown origin.
11	The massive corpse of a purple worm can be seen frozen within the glacier. Though the thing is half rotten already, there is enough meat salvage to able to feed a small army.
12	Looming out of the ice is a large metal disk-like object roughly the size of a cottage. There is a visible hatch on the underside of the thing. If PCs choose to explore the object, they will discover it is some sort of magical craft, possibly for flight. In the cockpit of the vehicle can be found two dried out corpses in odd full-body suits with glass bubbles for helmets. The corpses don’t look human. The creatures are slighter than most humans, lack noses, and their skin is a gray-green color.

*Public Domain via rawpixel.com
 

Frozen Location Generator

Through hellacious weather and crippling cold, PCs stalk the snowy wastes for many reasons. Cold weather travel can be a brutal experience for characters out on adventure, and this is why more than other climate types, your players are going to be on the lookout for locations to rest and get out of the relentless wind. Use the tables below to generate an interesting icy location for your players to explore, filled with intrigue, treasure, and lurking dangers.

The table below will help us pick what will be the basis for our encounter location. We will use the tables further down to help flesh out the area. To help paint a more vivid picture for your players, the table below lists some suggested descriptions alongside each location. Feel free to use these as the foundation of your descriptions when you play.

D12	Locations
1	An Abandoned Village: The wind-scarred wooden houses leaning against the wind like stooped old men. The sound of chains chiming in the breeze from within a building. The bodies of the slain frozen solid in heaps. The smell of old fire.
2	An Old Watchtower: The keening of the wind through the parapets above. Gray stone blocks frosted white. The smell of stale ale and old fires. A torn tapestry of a once powerful kingdom. The silence of the stones within the tower. Drafts from down the blackened chimney.
3	A Stone Circle: A deep ditch rings the stones. An unexpected warmth within the circle. The stillness of the wind. Blue-black sarsen stone, etched in faded runes. The scent of blood on the air. The presence of the divine.
4	An Ice Castle: A kaleidoscope of prismatic hues filtered through magical icy walls. The spicy smell of ancient magic wafts through the halls. The twinkle of crystal windchimes. An otherworldly beauty in every detail. A nagging chill upon the air.
5	A Hot Spring: The tinkling of spring water flowing over rocks. The sputtering of a hot muddy pool. The smell of earthy, vibrant life. The emerald green of grass and tree. The humid warmth that hovers throughout. The sound of insects and birds return.
6	An Old Dolmen Grave: The chilly air that reaches out. The gray stone slabs that descend into the earth. The bones of the dead, laid out in reverence. A waiting silence. The shafts of light cut the darkness. The smell of old bones and the ancient earth.
7	An Ice Fishing Cabin: The bitter cold held at bay. A thin spot in the icy floor where a hole was cut. The warmth of a brazier. The stench of sweat and human habitation. A well-stocked larder. The creaking of the cabin in the wind.
8	A Stone Cave: A natural cleft in the rock. The sound of gravel crunching against feet. Walls covered with the ancient ocher paintings of bison, giraffes, lions, and wolves. The smell of old campfires. The distant sound of dripping water.
9	A Wrecked Ice Sailing Ship: The berm of snow covering half the vessel. The sound of ropes and pulleys swaying in the breeze. The pervasive quiet within the hull. Corpses frozen in terror. A hint of blood on the air.
10	A Crashed Dirigible: Wind-dried wood cracked and splintered. The sound of the balloon fabric flapping in the wind. The smell of a coal fire. The taste of metal on the tongue. The green patina covering the brass steam engine.
11	An Inexplicably Temperate Valley: A deep valley, ringed by mountains. Green trees and the smell of fecund earth. The sound of a distant predator. Trees taller than castle towers. The sound of a flowing river. Warm and humid air.
12	A Mammoth Graveyard: An unrelenting wind. The jutting bones of thousands of dead mammoths. The smell of rotting flesh. The keening sound of the wind through bare bones. Heavy clouds that never lift.

This table is for adding an interesting secret to your location. This will allow you to craft more interesting and interactable locations for your players. The feeling that there is always more to discover about a location is a powerful driver of player choice and engagement. The secrets table can help you make your encounter locations feel like more than four walls and a monster.

D8	Secrets
1	Ghosts of the first persons to die on site still haunt those who visit this place.
2	A magic item synonymous with an ancient paragon of evil is hidden here.
3	A wizard secretly lives here, hidden in an extradimensional space behind an illusory obstacle.
4	This is the long-used meeting site of a secret evil cabal.
5	A shrine is hidden somewhere on the premises dedicated to Hosta, the goddess of warmth and protection.
6	A scene of a dreadful murder plays out every night at midnight between the specters of two ill-fated lovers.
7	This is the last resting place of a famed paladin known for their bravery and faith.
8	An intelligent ice elemental hides here to avoid those that would harm it.

Use the table below for adding additional oddities to your location. This table brings an otherworldly quality to your fantastical location, permeating it with mystery and wonder. These oddities are useful for pushing your scenes into the uncanny and magical without overwhelming player or adventure goals.

D12	Oddities
1	Fire freezes here into solid blue flames. They cast heat and light, but they can’t melt ice.
2	The snow swirls all around the location but won’t fall within 50’ of it.
3	A low hum can be more felt then heard; it permeates the area yet has no discernable origin point.
4	The echoes in this location are all delayed by half a second.
5	The snow berms here have been carved by the wind into bizarre and unnatural shapes.
6	The sounds of deep, cracking ice echo throughout the area.
7	Those who rest here will occupy the same collective dream-space while they sleep.
8	Words whispered quietly into the setting sun can be heard clearly by all the inhabitants of the location.
9	Music played at this location will always sound better and more well played than anywhere else.
10	The aroma of fresh baked meat pies and bread can be smelled strongly throughout the whole location.
11	No matter how hot the fire, one can’t get warm here.
12	A keening and mournful cry can be heard periodically over the sound of wind here. It sounds almost human.

 

*Public Domain via rawpixel.com

Use the below table to generate the location’s inhabitants. Who occupies this weird place? What do they want? What can they do for your players? Use the table to determine the factions present at the location when players arrive. The second column lists the creature’s needs and wants to further aid with roleplaying.

D12	Inhabitants	Needs and Resources
1	Lost merchants of a wealthy trade house.	Need: Fresh food, cold weather protection, a way back home. Have: Arms, guards, expensive trade goods, writs of passage.
2	A nomadic tribe of ice dwarves.	Need: Metal tools, food, protection from predators. Have: Flint weapons, knowledge of the area, secret ice magics.
3	A raiding party of orcs.	Need: Slaves, man flesh, gold, oil (for fuel) Have: Weapons, raiders, knowledge of a monster lair.
4	An expedition of bug-eyed elves from the moon.	Need: Knowledge about our planet, a translator, the source of the energy field killing their people, food they can eat. Have: Advanced crystal magic, protection enchantments, navigational knowledge.
5	A colony of sabertoothed tigers.	Need: Food, companionship. Have: Shelter, protection, friendship.
6	A crew of crashed aliens.	Need: A way home, a translator, a power source. Have: Ray guns, space suits, advanced forcefield technology.
7	A hidden colony of robot people.	Needs: Solitude, raw materials, oil (for their mechanical parts). Have: Advanced technology, tracked vehicles, super strength, super-fast brains.
8	A proud tribe of cave people.	Need: Food, outsiders to marry and foster children with, psychedelic medicine for their shaman, protection from beasts. Have: Flint weapons, the gift of fire, knowledge of the surrounding area.
9	An extended family of polar bears.	Need: Food, solitude, back scratches. Have: Shelter from the cold, teeth and claws, exceptional senses.
10	A conclave of yeti.	Need: Solitude, illusion magic to hide them from the world, protection from purple worms, companionship. Have: Advanced scientific knowledge, enhanced senses, expert survival knowledge, super strength.
11	An expeditionary team of necromantic sorcerers.	Need: More bodies, knowledge of the outside world, a soul powerful enough to power their hidden city. Have: Necromantic magic, undead servants, forbidden knowledge, a secret way to travel the area.
12	A war party of fire demons.	Need: The direction of the nearest city, chaos-enchanted weapons, souls to enslave, good booze. Have: Demonic fire magic, protection from the cold, magic weapons, hell hounds.

 

*Public Domain via rawpixel.com

Finally, the table below can be utilized to incentivize treasure-focused players. Feel free to give these items to possible antagonists or “lock” them behind puzzles or obstacles. By giving your players something to overcome to acquire these interesting items, you will be vesting them with greater meaning for your players.

D12	Special Treasures
1	Ice Spear: A spear +2 with a blade of magical ice. Once a day the wielder may freeze solid a target they have already hit in combat. The target remains frozen for the next d3 rounds.
2	Personal Shield Generator: An odd device the size of a brooch that is worn on the wrist like a watch. The generator negates two hits a day from a weapon.
3	Environmental Suit: A bulky suit of heavy fabric with attached gloves and boots. The wearer may ignore extreme climate conditions due to heat or cold.
4	Crystal Staff: An ivory white staff over five feet tall with a glowing crystal head on top the size of a fist. Every two rounds of combat, the wielder can generate a ranged energy blast from the staff head. Has the range of a short bow and does 1d8 damage. The staff runs out of juice after five uses and must be set aside until the next day.
5	Personal Heater: A small, smooth metal lump that looks like steel, it fits in the palm of a hand. The lump comfortably warms a single person who holds the thing for at least five minutes.
6	Obsidian dagger: This is a beautifully crafted obsidian-bladed dagger with a carved elk antler handle. The dagger is a +1 dagger that deals double damage to orcs and goblinoids.
7	The Blue Book of Zend: This spell book is bound in blue dragon skin and contains the spells Resist Cold, ESP, Wall of Ice, and Control Weather.
8	Horn of Flames: A beautiful brass horn with a red and gold tassel. Once a day it can be blown to produce a 30 foot wide cone of fire 30 feet long. Anybody caught in the flames must make a breath save. Those who fail take 4d6 fire damage, and those who pass take half.
9	Hoarfrost Arrows: These six enchanted arrows have blue crystal arrow heads. When these arrows hit a target, they deal 1d10 cold damage and the target must make a paralysis saving throw or take a -4 penalty to attacks for the rest of the combat due to shivering.
10	Polar Bear Pelt: This is a complete pelt of a polar bear, including the skull which has been fashioned in such a way as to be worn like a hood. Once a day the wearer can transform into a polar bear for 1d4 hours. The person under the effects of the pelt takes on the physical abilities of a polar bear but retains their intelligence and other mental traits, though they cannot speak.
11	Ice Lantern: This enchanted lantern is made of magical ice and perpetually glows with a bright blue light from a frozen flame within. Once a day the wielder of the lantern can cast Wall of Ice.
12	Cloak of Cold: This white snow owl feather cloak is calf length and warm. The wearer is immune to the ill effects of mundane cold.