One-Shot Adventures

1 About the Adventure e Cold Bounty is a Dungeon & Dragons 5E adventure, al- though it can be easily translated to other systems (a GURPS Fantasy version is also available on 1shotadventures.com). e adventure is set far to the north of the land, deep in the cold peaks of the Zark mountain range, although it can easily be translated to any icy kingdom of the DM's preference. e PCs were part of a large manhunt for a nefarious kidnapper and villain, but the expedition met its doom after getting am- bushed by a war party of orcs that were just forced from their homes by an immortal sorcerer... who seeks revenge on his old wizard cult. e adventure is suitable for 4-6 2nd level characters, al- though it can be easily adjusted up or down a level. Players can use their own adventurers, or for additional inspiration, the end of the adventure includes names and backgrounds for six pregenerated heroes. Characters introduced for the first time in the adventure are noted in ALL-CAPS. Sections marked with a map are sidequests and adventure hooks, and not important to the overall plot of the adventure. Adventure Summary e unexpected battle was over. Corpses of men and orcs sprawl motionless on the frozen ground. Over one hundred men and bestial foes now lay mutually annihilated in the freezing northern mountains of Zark. e battle had started when the the towns south of the bor- der had finally tired of the villain FAT FARLSBAG, who was notorious for the murder and kidnapping of dozens of good folk over the years. But when he kidnapped PRINCE ADEL- HEID'S wife-to-be, just days before the wedding, that was enough. e Prince put out a massive bounty, which only caused Fat Farlsbag to murder the poor girl, and proclaim that he would never be caught in the cruel mountains of the north. at proclamation did not stop a hundred men and dwarves from heading into the mountains to track him. Unknown to the posses (and the PCs), the cragmen and hobgoblins of these mountains had recently been forced out of their underworld home – the ancient dwarven platinum mine known as Davihn-Karr. ey were chased out by an unaging sorcerer, I'ZOR'ZAH THE AZURE, who was en- slaving them with his experimental magic and forcing them to mine precious platinum. Fearing the harsh winter, and thinking themselves under attack by the southern towns, a large warband of orcs set upon the bounty hunters. e two sides annihilated each other in the battle that occurred. Fat Farlsbag is delighted by the cruel violence that has just occcurred, and sees the battle as an opportunity for new hos- tages and found wealth. He's also gotten wind that the orcs fled from a legendary platinum mine of Davihn-Karr, and seeks to discover the location of it for himself. Meanwhile, the sorcerer I'Zor'zah is readying is own plan of vengeance. Having long feuded with the fascist wizard cult he founded, the Sorcerers of the White Crystal Peaks, he has decided to create an artifact that will finally topple their hid- den headquarters, the White Crystal Spire. His goal is to cre- ate a massive statue, laced with rare essential platinum, and then animate it into a tremendous golem. According to his decades-long research, this platinum golem, being composed by J.C. Connors

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