Although no unique character classes are native to the frostfell, the standard 11 character classes from the Player’s Handbook have additional options open to them once they begin to adventure in the frostfell.
Of all the classes, the barbarian is the most at home in the frostfell. The mere fact that civilization has yet to fully colonize vast reaches of the frostfell means that land is plentiful for barbarians to live their nomadic lifestyle. Humans, neanderthals, half-orcs and orcs comprise the majority of barbarians dwelling in most polar frostfell regions, but this isn’t necessarily the norm. Frostfell barbarians often use dire wolves, megaloceroses, tlalusks and even woolly mammoths as mounts.
Trap Sense: Barbarians may add their trap sense bonus on Reflex saves made against natural hazards of the frostfell, as well as to their Armour Class against attacks made by natural hazards. Hazards of the frostfell include dangers such as avalanches, snow-filled crevasses and other terrain features of frostfell terrain.
This ability replaces the benefits a standard barbarian receives from having trap sense.
Bards from the frostfell are sometimes known as skalds. This name is little more than a regional affectation used to refer to bards who are members of barbarian tribes and are valued for both their story telling abilities and their skills at inspiring their allies for battle. Of course, not all bards from the frostfell are skalds. Many of them are explorers, exiles, adventurers or even missionaries from warmer climates, either seeking to bring their reputation into a new region or escape the effects of their reputation in an old one.
Clerics are quite welcome in most frostfell societies, not only for the fact that they can provide valuable healing spells, but because they can help to feed large groups and protect them from the environment. Spells such as control weather, create food and water, endure elements, heroes’ feast and resist energy can often mean the difference between life and death in the frostfell, especially in regions often beset with powerful storms or in areas so cold that plants (including all crops) cannot grow.
Perhaps more important to clerics, though, is the fact that several deities have competing interests in the frostfell environs of the world. While it isn’t unusual to find frostfell worshippers or temples devoted to any of the deities in the Player’s Handbook (notably Ehlonna, Fharlanghn, Gruumsh, Kord, Nerull and Obad-Hai), several other deities whose interests in cold and ice make their faiths much more common in the frostfell than elsewhere. The names, alignments, domains granted and the favoured weapon of these deities are summarized on Table: Deities of the Frostfell; further details on the deities themselves can be found following the table.
As the frostfell is often viewed as a cruel and harsh realm, the majority of frostfell deities are likewise cruel and harsh. Several of the following deities come from specific campaign worlds; if you wish to incorporate any of these deities into a different campaign world, you have two choices. You can either rename the deity and assume it is a completely different being with a similar or identical interest to the original deity, or you can assume that the deity’s interest in the frostfell extends throughout the multiverse and is not simply rooted in one reality.
| Deity | Alignment | Domains | Favoured Weapon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aengrist | Lawful Good | Law, Protection, War, Winter | Bastard Sword |
| Auril | Neutral Evil | Air, Cold, Evil, Storm, Water, Winter | Ice Axe |
| Hleid | Neutral Good | Animal, Good, Healing, Winter | Trident |
| Iborighu | Chaotic Evil | Chaos, Cold, Death, War | Scythe |
| Levistus | Lawful Evil | Cold, Diabolic, Evil, Icebergs, Trickery | Rapier |
| Telchur | Chaotic Neutral | Air, Chaos, Cold, Strength, Winter | Shortspear or Shortbow |
| Thrym | Chaotic Evil | Chaos, Cold, Earth, Evil, Strength, War | Greataxe |
| Ulutiu | Lawful Neutral | Animal, Law, Ocean, Protection, Strength | Longspear or Shortspear |
| Vatun | Chaotic Neutral | Air, Animal, Chaos, Snow, Strength | Battleaxe |
Aengrist is a rarity among the frostfell deities. His worshippers aim to bring order and law to the frostfell, to make it a safe place to live for those forced to flee their homes and for those who might be natives to the frozen land. His typical worshippers are paladins, knights of the Iron Glacier and anyone who values honour and truth. His symbol is a two-towered keep atop a grey glacier. He appears as a ruggedly handsome middle-aged human male with a gentle smile but stern eyes. Worshippers of Aengrist patrol the frostfell relentlessly, seeking to stop uprisings of barbarians and to prevent thugs from using frontier towns as safe havens to run their illicit empires. Lately his clergy have been undertaking extensive programs to build grand cathedral-fortresses in as many frontier towns, both to spread the word of Aengrist’s teachings and to provide defensible keeps for honest locals in which to seek shelter and protection during times of war.
Auril is a fickle, vain, evil deity who is worshipped primarily out of fear. Her typical worshippers include druids, frost giants, rangers and inhabitants of the frostfell who dread and fear the cold. Her symbol is a white snowflake on a grey diamond with a white border. She appears as a coldly beautiful human woman made of ice and snow. Auril enjoys tormenting her enemies, and remains untouched by any hint of love or honour. Her ultimate goal is to cover all the lands with ice, and alliances between her cult and Iborighu’s cult are not unknown (although they tend to end in betrayal). Auril is one of the deities of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, and is detailed further in Faiths and Pantheons.
Hleid was once the primary deity of uldras, but some tribal humans who live in the frostfell revere her as well. Many centuries ago, she was struck down by Iborighu, her cruel and sadistic half-brother. Her worshippers are still few and far between, but are slowly regaining their foothold in the frostfell. Druids, rangers, sorcerers and wizards often venerate Hleid, but her most devout minions are the rimefire witches of the polar seas. Her symbol is a jagged triangle surrounding a vortex of blue fire. She appears as a ghostly, matronly uldra woman who wears simple rustic clothing and carries an upraised trident on which several birds roost. Traditionally, she was the patron of the animals of the frostfell and the guardian of cold magic, but Iborighu’s betrayal left her scarred and embittered. The new Hleid still rewards her allies with kindness, but is no longer as slow to react to cruelty and wickedness with the same.
Iborighu is perhaps the most dangerous and sinister deity of the frostfell. His worshippers range from bitter thugs and obsessed killers to despotic war lords and powerful wizards. His symbol is an icy scythe rising from a blood-stained snowdrift. Known as the Frozen King, Iborighu is depicted as a huge fiendish uldra with eye sockets filled with blood, a mouth filled with shark-like teeth, and an emaciated blue body covered with evil runes and symbols; his lower body is draconic, complete with a long forked tail. Iborighu stole the power of ice magic from his half-sister Hleid ages ago, and has since used its secrets as rewards to the necromancers and vile cultists that venerate him. His ultimate goal is similar to Auril’s; to sheathe the world in an endless ice age. Frostfell regions where both of their presences are known are particularly dangerous.
Levistus once ruled over the hellish realm of Stygia, but after he tried to turn the consort of Asmodeus against him, the ruler of Hell imprisoned him in a massive iceberg in the harbour of the Stygian city of Tantlin. His typical worshippers are assassins, rakish fighters, rangers, militant bards and rogues. Some sects of monks have even chosen him as their patron. His symbol is a thin sword thrust into a block of ice. He appears as a pale-skinned humanoid with dark hair and a goatee, and could almost pass for human were it not for his all-black eyes and pointed teeth. Currently imprisoned in an iceberg, he is visible only as a dark blot in the iceberg’s core. Levistus isn’t actually a deity in his own right, but he serves as a patron to clerics who devote themselves to the ideals he personifies; vengeance, betrayal and skill at sword fighting. Levistus is served by a group of thugs and killers known as Blade ravers. He is detailed further in Book of Vile Darkness.
Telchur is a brooding deity, bitter at the fact that he was assigned stewardship of the cold months of winter while his siblings revel in the spring, summer and autumn. His typical worshippers are barbarians, exiles, fighters, nomads and general loners. His symbol is a leafless tree in a field of snow. He appears as a stooped and gaunt man with dark eyes and an icicle beard, and is often accompanied by an albino bull. His clerics are similarly brooding and withdrawn, and dislike noise and pleasantries. They often preside over funerals, and adventure to spread the gloom of their lord to others. Telchur is one of the deities of the Greyhawk campaign setting, and is detailed further in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer.
Thrym is a hulking menace of a deity, the father of the frost giants and a scourge upon the frostfell. Almost all his worshippers are frost giants, but unlike other racial deities, he has been known to approve clerics of other races if they personify his ideals and beliefs. His symbol is a white double-bladed axe. He appears as a massive frost giant with white eyes, blue hair and a constant snarl. His priests are destructive and cruel, and have little patience for diplomacy. Thrym is a member of the Asgardian Pantheon, and is detailed further in Deities and Demigods.
Ulutiu is a slumbering deity adrift in the Astral Plane, asleep in a self-imposed exile after his affair with the wife of another deity was discovered. His typical worshippers are druids, historians, leaders, teachers and rangers who have chosen the frostfell as their home. His symbol is a necklace of blue and white ice crystals. He appears as a massive giant of a man whose countenance is set with weary sadness. Despite his exile, he remains sufficiently aware to grant spells to his followers. His departure from Faerûn brought about the creation of the Great Glacier, and were he to return to full awareness he would doubtless find himself in conflict with the numerous chaotic deities that now rule much of the frostfell. Ulutiu is one of the deities of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, and is detailed further in Faiths and Pantheons.
Vatun is largely forgotten, having spent much of recent history imprisoned by clerics of Telchur, his archrival. His typical worshippers are barbarians, druids, fighters and rangers, and they often go on long and violent raids on nearby tribes and settlements. His symbol is the sun setting on a snowy landscape. He appears as a huge man wearing polar bear skins and an icy beard, with frozen fog coming from his mouth. Vatun’s clergy are war-like and quick to anger, more so of late due to their deity’s imprisonment. Vatun is one of the deities of the Greyhawk campaign setting, and is detailed further in the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer.
Druids are rather common in the frostfell, for much of these regions remain unexplored and unsettled. Vast regions of the frozen land stand as virgin wilderness, and druids are among its most devoted and dangerous defenders. Some druids seek to help settlers live at peace with the region, but most frostfell druids are cruel and quick to anger. Frostfell druids usually do not select patron deities, since they tend to worship the ideal of the frostfell itself. Those who do select patron deities usually worship Auril, Hleid, Ulutiu or Vatun.
Any of the following animals are appropriate for a frostfell druid to select as an animal companion. Druids of sufficiently high level can also choose the following animal companions, applying the indicated adjustment to the druid’s level (in parentheses) for purposes of determine the companion’s characteristics and special features. These animals also make excellent wild-shape choices for a frostfell druid.
1st Level or Higher
4th level or Higher (Level -3)
7th Level or Higher (Level -6)
10th Level or Higher (Level -9)
13th Level or Higher (level -12)
16th Level or Higher (level -15)
1 Available only in an aquatic environment
Fighters found in the frostfell are usually mercenaries, exiled soldiers, adventurers, bandits or some combination of all four. New feats detailed elsewhere that can be taken as fighter bonus feats include Cold Endurance, Frozen Berserker, Improved Cold Endurance, Improved Frosty Touch, Sea Legs and Sugliin Master.
Monks are often drawn to the frostfell as a place to test themselves; a monk who can survive unarmed and with little to no equipment in the frostfell can be sure that she can survive anywhere, and that she has truly attained perfection of the self. Many monks build monasteries in remote regions of the frostfell so they can separate themselves farther from society; an example would be the cloud anchorites, who have chosen the highest mountain-tops as their homes.
Paladins, until recently, were fairly rare in the frostfell. Aside from the odd paladin who travels into the frozen land on some holy quest, there simply wasn’t much in the frostfell to keep their interest. With the rise of the Knights of the Iron Glacier, however, paladins finally have an organization and a cause they can call their own in the frostfell, and their numbers in these areas are increasing.
Special Mount: Paladins of the Iron Glacier (paladins who have levels in the Knight of the Iron Glacier prestige class) can call upon a powerful war megaloceros as their special mount. Paladins who aren’t members of this society (or who are, but choose not to summon a megaloceros as their mount) can still summon their mount as normal, although the relative rarity of horses in the frostfell is certain to attract more attention to the paladin’s mount than it would elsewhere.
The ranger is a fairly common sight in the frostfell, whether he is a helpful and devoted woodland guardian and self-appointed protector of the frontier or a foul-mouthed bandit aimed at bending the frontier and its settlers to his will. The ranger’s special abilities make him a natural for dwelling in the frostfell. Appropriate animal companions for frostfell rangers are identical to those listed above for frostfell druids.
Although the majority of their skills and abilities work best in civilized regions, the frostfell is far from an uninteresting place for the rogue. Many find themselves in the frostfell after being exiled or having been forced to flee persecution from civilized lands. Often, the lawless nature of the frontier towns of the frostfell can seem like heaven to a rogue who has lived most of her life dodging the city watch.
Of course, not all rogues are thieves and alley-bashers. A fair number of them serve as scouts, explorers, diplomats, spies and the like; any of these occupations can find ample employment in the frostfell.
Special Abilities: On attaining 10th level, and at every three levels thereafter, a rogue gains a special ability of her choice. Rogues experienced in frostfell adventuring may select the following special ability in addition to those listed in the Player’s Handbook.
Frostfell Terrain Mastery (Ex): The rogue can move about in frostfell environments with great ease and quickness. As long as she is in a cold terrain or region of frostfell (or in a city located in such a region), the rogue gains a +2 competence bonus on initiative checks and a +10-foot bonus to her land speed. She loses these bonuses when she is wearing medium or heavy armour, or is carrying a medium or heavy load.
Sorcerers are commonly found in the frostfell living as hermits, soothsayers, oracles and other mystical figures. They often serve primitive tribes as spiritual leaders, despite the fact that their spells are arcane in nature. Most frostfell sorcerers have the blood of white dragons in their veins, and as a result they often are exceedingly pale.
Familiar: Sorcerers and wizards in cold climates summon different creatures to serve as familiars than those used by their brethren in more temperate climates. The animals below are a good cross-section of arctic animals. The aquatic animals (penguin, puffin, sea otter) can only be called from an ice pack or a coastal region.
Treat each arctic familiar as the type listed in the “Monster” column for HD, attacks and other basic statistics, as described in the Monster Manual. Costs and effort involved in summoning arctic familiars are identical to those required for other familiars.
| Familiar | Monster | Special |
|---|---|---|
| Arctic Fox | Arctic Fox | Master gains +3 bonus on Move Silently checks |
| Gyrfalcon | Hawk | Master gains +3 bonus on Spot checks |
| Lemming | Rat | Master gains +2 bonus on Listen and Spot checks |
| Snowy Owl | Owl | Has low-light vision; master gains +3 bonus on Move Silently checks |
| Penguin | Penguin | Master gains +2 bonus on Fortitude saves |
| Puffin | Raven | Master gains +2 bonus on Swim and Survival checks |
| Rat | Rat | Master gains +2 bonus on Fortitude saves |
| Raven | Raven | Speaks one language |
The arctic familiars still gain all the abilities described in the Player’s Handbook, and are treated as magical beasts, not animals.
Wizards of the frostfell are usually found there because they have some sort of interest in cold magic, and have travelled to the frostfell to study the cold in person. Many of these wizards are exiles or criminals forced to flee from civilization. Other wizards, particularly adventuring wizards, can be of any nature, although they usually aren’t encountered among primitive societies where there aren’t as many comfortable places to study magic.
Familiar: As described above under Sorcerer, wizards in the frostfell have a different selection of familiars available to them.
Source: Frostburn (Page 41)