Frostgrave: The Wildwoods
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About this ebook
For years, spellcasters have flocked to the Frozen City, braving the perils of its ruins in the hunt for relics and forgotten magic. While the city still holds many such secrets, newly arrived wizards must delve deeper and fight harder to make their mark. A few turn from the city, seeking instead the remote settlements that surrounded ancient Felstad. Such expeditions are not without their own dangers, however – in the vast forests of the Wildwoods, death lurks in the empty cookpot and torn waterskin, in the cold of night and the looming storm, and in the teeth and claws of the beast behind the next tree…
This supplement for Frostgrave: Fantasy Wargames in the Frozen City takes players beyond the ruins with rules for running expeditions in search of secret places and forgotten treasures in the dark Wildwoods. New soldiers and magic items may improve wizards' chances of survival, but dwindling supplies, the hostile environment, and terrifying new creatures will push them to their limits in a range of scenarios set in these deep, foreboding forests.
Joseph A. McCullough
Joseph A. McCullough's first brush with writing for games was as co-author of The Grey Mountains supplement for the Middle-Earth Role-Playing Game, and he has remained passionate about Fantasy gaming since, going on to become an award-winning game designer. He is the creator of the “Frostgrave Family” of skirmish wargames (the Fantasy titles Frostgrave, Ghost Archipelago, Rangers of Shadow Deep, and the Sci-Fi evolution, Stargrave) and of the Oathmark Fantasy battle game and The Silver Bayonet, a game of Napoleonic Gothic Horror. The latest information on his game design and other writing can be found at: josephamccullough.com.
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Frostgrave - Joseph A. McCullough
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to The Wildwoods, the latest volume in the ever-expanding Frostgrave library. This book takes the wizards where they’ve rarely gone before – into the wilderness beyond the Frozen City! It’s no longer just about fighting monsters and collecting treasure; now the wizards must contend with the dangers of the wilds, making sure they have enough supplies to keep their warbands pushing on through blinding snowstorms, across partially frozen rivers, and over treacherous mountain slopes.
I have always been a huge fan of adventure stories that included an element of journey and exploration. From the ancient stories of Jason and the Argonauts and Sinbad the Sailor to the more modern tales of Treasure Island and the quest of the Fellowship across Middle-earth, I love the danger that comes from being cast adrift in the wilderness. In these stories, many of the things we take for granted, such as food and shelter, become critical to survival. There are no shops or hotels in the wilds! These stories mix the threat of sudden death from monster attacks or deadly terrain with the fear of a slow, lingering demise due to lack of food or exposure to the elements.
It is kind of surprising that it has taken me so long to write about adventures outside of the Frozen City. In fact, the first person to take a Frostgrave story outside the ruins of Felstad was Matthew Ward, in his excellent dark fantasy novel, Frostgrave: Oathgold. I didn’t really touch upon the subject until the supplement, Blood Legacy, which talks about the Fire Giants who rule small kingdoms to the north of the Frozen City and includes one short campaign set in the wilderness. That campaign gave me a taste of the possibilities and started my imagination down a new path that has led here, to The Wildwoods!
In this book you’ll find a large chapter called ‘Rules of the Wild’, which covers several different aspects of adventuring in the wilderness. When you journey outside the city, it is important to know the dominant terrain type of the area you are crossing, as each presents specific dangers. It’s also important to keep track of your supplies to make sure you have enough food and spell components to get there and back again. You might even want to bring some form of transport, such as a sled or wagon to help carry those supplies. Then there is the ever-present threat of the weather, itself a deadly proposition in these frozen climes.
Now, it would hardly be a Frostgrave book without some new scenarios to help you test out these rules. This book includes a six-scenario campaign that takes the wizards to the northeast of the Frozen City, through all kinds of varied terrain, for a final showdown in the ruins of a tower, on an island, in the middle of partially frozen lake! Along the way, the wizards will encounter a host of dangerous creatures. Some of these will be familiar to long-time players, such as the rangifer and the foulhorn, but many will be new, including the walrus-like prontolis, the demonic ravenous, and the mighty, if generally peaceful, mammuts.
Thankfully, the book also provides a bit of help for the wizards in the form of new soldiers geared to wilderness travel. What wizard venturing into the wilds wouldn’t hire a guide to help lead the way? Or a trapper to help secure food? Along with that, there is also a host of new treasures to be found (or purchased), including many that are especially useful away from the boomtowns that pass for civilization in this part of the world.
I’ll leave the rest for you to explore. I hope you enjoy reading this book as much as I have writing it. There are lots of pieces here that you can include in your game, but remember, it’s all optional. If there is something you like, use it in your campaign. If there is something you don’t, leave it out. All these rules are just tools to try and help you have fun and bring more variety and enjoyment to your games.
Many thanks for picking up this book and continuing to support me and the world of Frostgrave. Without your support, I wouldn’t have nearly as much time to work on this fantasy world. Also, without the enthusiasm for the game shown by players all over the globe, I’m sure my own enthusiasm would also wane. It’s been an incredible ride, and I’m glad that you are with me.
Joseph A. McCullough
Kent, England, 2022
CHAPTER ONE
RULES OF THE WILD
The cataclysm that destroyed Felstad brought a millennium-long ice-age that wiped out most of the life in the region. However, this magical storm lingered over the city much longer than it did anywhere else, and the surrounding lands began to thaw at different times. So, while the whole area is still in a nearly continuous winter, life has returned to much of the neighbouring regions. Great forests have sprung up to the west, and, as the trees returned, so did the tribes of barbarians, rangifer, and others who once inhabited those lands. Rivers that were once frozen solid are now breaking apart and flowing again, and fish and other creatures swim in their waters. In many places, the thaw has resulted in great boggy fields, filled with sinkholes and icy pools
While the lands around Frostgrave are still incredibly treacherous, they are at least more accessible than they’ve been since the great days of empire. Much as the thaw has uncovered the broken towers and palaces of ancient Felstad, so too has it revealed many other ruins that once serviced the great city. As the competition for the treasures of the city has grown, and the fights between wizards more deadly than ever before, many treasure hunters – new and old – have turned their eyes to the lands beyond the city.
WILDERNESS SCENARIOS
This chapter presents rules and suggestions for playing games of Frostgrave in the wild lands around the city. It begins with a look at the dominant terrain types of the area, and some specific natural dangers that can be used in scenarios. Also included in this supplement are the rules for ‘supplies’. Unlike the wizards who adventure in the ruins of the Frozen City and can rely on the local boomtowns to supply their basic needs, treasure hunters who venture into the lands beyond must be self-sufficient. They will likely want to hire a guide and arrange for baggage transport. Wizards exploring the wilds without such forethought will quickly find their warband starving, freezing, or most likely, deserting!
AWAY FROM HOME
When wizards embark on a wilderness campaign, they must leave their base and any resources in it behind. (Don’t worry, they’ll leave plenty of magical traps and protections so it will still be there when they get back.) Unfortunately, this means that