Dungeons & Dragons Announces Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden

Dungeons & Dragons has officially announced their next adventure Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden. The new full-length campaign book will be released on September 15th and will be set in the Forgotten Realms locale of Icewind Dale, an area made famous by a series of novels starring famed drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden written by R.A. Salvatore. As the title suggests, the villain of the story is the winter goddess Auril (also known as the Frostmaiden) who has placed Icewind Dale under an eternal winter. Players will have to solve the mystery around this eternal winter, while dealing with themes of paranoia, isolation, and an ever-present threat of the cold.

Speaking to media before today's announcement, D&D designers Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins explained that this year's campaign drew inspiration from John Carpenter's The Thing, and that players will not only have to contend with a host of ice-themed monsters, but also environmental dangers as well. The new book will feature mechanics for dealing with blizzards and avalanches, along with the most monsters featured in any D&D adventure to date. Many of these, such as the Snowy Owlbird, are re-themed versions of classic D&D monsters, while others are brand new or updates from past additions. Crawford and Perkins also noted that there are rules for in-game games, such as goliath sports or rules of chance. Rime of the Frostmaiden will also bring back the Raghed Nomads and feature Goliaths - in fact, the rules to play as a Goliath will also be reprinted in the adventure book. The book will also contain a gazetteer on Icewind Dale, similar to those found in Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus or Waterdeep: Dragon Heist.

While Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden will serve as D&D's annual adventure, the book itself features some noted layout changes designed to make the DM's job a bit easier. Speaking with media members before the event, D&D designers Jeremy Crawford and Chris Perkins explained that every chapter of the book comes with a "How to Run the Chapter" section to help Dungeon Masters prepare. Additionally, the layout will be a bit more modular in nature to make it easier for a DM to run parts of the adventure and cut others for time purposes or because the players aren't interested in that particular story thread.

Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden was designed by Chris Perkins, aided by a team of writers that includes Stacey Allan, H.H. Carlan, Celeste Conowitch, Will Doyle, Anne Gregersen, Mikayla Ebel, Morrigan Robbins, Chad Quandt, and Ashley Warren. The book will be released on September 15th with a standard cover and an alternative cover (available only in hobby game stores) by Hydro74. Standard retail price is $49.99 and you can pre-order it here on Amazon now. When the inevitable pre-order discount arrives, you'll automatically get it. An accessory set is also available on Amazon for $29.99.

Note: If you purchase one of the awesome, independently chosen products featured here, we may earn a small commission from the retailer. Thank you for your support.