3 - Burning Tundra (GM Reference)


Quest for the Frozen Flame

Paizo Employee Developer

This is a spoiler-filled resource thread for the third and final volume of the Quest for the Frozen Flame Adventure Path, Burning Tundra by Jason Tondro.

The GM Reference thread for the first volume, Broken Tusk Moon, is here.

The GM Reference thread for the second volume, Lost Mammoth Valley, is here.


Had good fun reading it! The settings here are all great, can't wait to play it. :) Hegremon's role is really cool as well, I can imagine his presence looming over the party.

After a quick read, I do worry my party will have a hard time making sense of Ivarsa's moves towards the keep and the final fight "after beating Ivarsa". I don't know if I can keep the stakes up as is. I'm considering making Ivarsa lead of the Siege, mounted on Pakano. The players would have to go to the keep to slay Metuak to lift the curse, and then to return as quickly as possible (maybe a teleportation lay line?) to relieve the siege with an un-cursed Primordial Flame. Ivarsa would have her own mcGuffin in the siege that could only be countered by the Primordial Flame in full power. That way, the siege at the end also makes more sense, and it's all resolved in one last Helms Deep-esque finale.

The image of Pakano on the tower is really cool though, so that's a loss.

Any thoughts on that?

Also, the image on page 1 is beyond awesome! I couldn't find the matching encounter though. Another reason to climax the game with the final siege of Hillcross; add two of those literal burning mammoth riders besides Ivarsa and Pakano during a massive brawl! Maybe Jessira and a Lieutenant help the PC's to keep the battlefield a bit even, or tone down Ivarsa and Pakano a bit with a weak template. Might become a bit too crowded, since I play with 5 PC's.


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Apparently the Grimgorge castle tower top has the skull of a kaiju mammoth? And the beds are made for very big people!

The scale of that map feels like it was originally made as a 1 square = 5 feet map, but Paizo changed it to 1 square = 10 feet, but many of the features become very odd.


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BlubSeabass wrote:

After a quick read, I do worry my party will have a hard time making sense of Ivarsa's moves towards the keep and the final fight "after beating Ivarsa". I don't know if I can keep the stakes up as is. I'm considering making Ivarsa lead of the Siege, mounted on Pakano. The players would have to go to the keep to slay Metuak to lift the curse, and then to return as quickly as possible (maybe a teleportation lay line?) to relieve the siege with an un-cursed Primordial Flame. Ivarsa would have her own mcGuffin in the siege that could only be countered by the Primordial Flame in full power. That way, the siege at the end also makes more sense, and it's all resolved in one last Helms Deep-esque finale.

The image of Pakano on the tower is really cool though, so that's a loss.

Any thoughts on that?

Oooh, I like this idea. I found the same issue while reading this module; after Ivarsa is done with, the stakes just aren't there anymore, and to solve the siege that was even LARGER than the first with one check seems...odd.

Prior to reading this module, I had been thinking of ways to integrate the leadership subsystem and the lieutenants more in my group's game, as they're all fanatics who have multiple PCs in their back pockets at once...so giving them control of lieutenants during the campaign is something they'll really enjoy.

I was upset, then, that this module and the ones prior really only tied in pure follower count to things referencing the leadership system. Otherwise, I have been super happy with this campaign, so how to fix this issue...

It may end up being overkill, but my current idea is to let them play out the final siege themselves, simultaneously to the PCs storming Grimgorge. The players would be able to swap between scaled up versions of all of their available lieutenants to defend Hillcross from waves of Burning Mammoths and frost giants while their main characters are off taking down Ivarsa...then, when both are concluded, wrap the campaign with (hopefully) a nice big feast and reunion at Hillcross, all their foes vanquished at last.

Dark Archive

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Not personally fan of ex good guys who have "done too many atrocities" but still retaining their good alignment :p But yeah book seems great


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SofaKing68 wrote:


It may end up being overkill, but my current idea is to let them play out the final siege themselves, simultaneously to the PCs storming Grimgorge. The players would be able to swap between scaled up versions of all of their available lieutenants to defend Hillcross from waves of Burning Mammoths and frost giants while their main characters are off taking down Ivarsa...then, when both are concluded, wrap the campaign with...

Oh wow, that sounds interesting but also very intense! My players are pretty "hero centric" so I don't think they would enjoy the world turning too much without their characters. ;)

It also scratches something else that I find slightly odd about Grimgorge; Ivarsa just sitting there waiting. And given Pakano, quite visibly. I haven't found a reason for the PC's to go get Ivarsa first. And then lifting the curse would be a bit of an afterthought...

It's a bit of a shame, the only thing holding this finale back IMO. The first book does a really nice job of keeping the stakes high, but after the siege the stakes seem a bit off. The more a reason for Ivarsa to maintain an existential threat for the Broken Tusk by leading the siege! It also puts some pressure on the hexploration, which I personally enjoy. Exploring too freely gives the sessions a video game vibe where the world is waiting on you I personally don't enjoy in my TTRPGs. :)

Liberty's Edge

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I just wanted to pop my head in to thank the team for the gracious inclusion of our beloved Dinosaur Fort in the issue.

It has been getting some attention on Reddit that this was part of the backmatter and offers of thanks to the authors but I wanted to pop my head in here to speak up on it too, it's little stuff like this that helps make the community and company feel more connected and while it isn't much more than "hey that's kinda funny and cool, I'll poach that" it is something that really helps make the place, game, and community feel more integrated.


anyone got any idea what to do with event 11: breaking the gate? they're supposed to Ram the gate with their battering ram, but neither action nor item have any rules! their Trampling Ram action doesn't mention either; we just have hp & hardness of the gate


someone found Ram & battering ram: https://2e.aonprd.com/SiegeWeapons.aspx?ID=3


Pathfinder Starfinder Accessories, Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

It says that it won't fall on the first attempt. If your group just stands around picking their noses when they see two giants trying to batter down the gate I'd just open it up.

Envoy's Alliance

sooooo.

About to head into this fight with Metuak.

He has all this "hidden in dim light" stuff, but that primordial flame sheds bright light in a 100ft radius which covers the whole place. Arguments can be made for those columns blocking it to dim light and making that primordial flame person skirting columns a bit...

Just thought i'd warn y'all about that Dimlight vs primordial flame bit.

Maybe I'm missing something...I usually am!

Envoy's Alliance

Also, he had the Primordial flame and lost it.

These stats don't mention him being clumsy 4, enfeebled 4, stupefied 4, and fatigued, but he ought to be, right?


Eyeball Tsunami wrote:

Also, he had the Primordial flame and lost it.

These stats don't mention him being clumsy 4, enfeebled 4, stupefied 4, and fatigued, but he ought to be, right?

Perhaps the stats reflect it? It would be easier to run without having to think about all the conditions.


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Yesterday we finished the AP. We cleared the castle and then killed Ivarsa and Pakano, leaving Metuak for the end.

We found that the fight was overtuned a lot (high resistances, a way of healing, not being able to be flat-footed, etc). But for me the worst part was not being able to choose who are you attacking. Our fighter had a Cold Iron weapon and could only damage the demon part (we are not using ABP so switching weapons was sub-optimal).

In the end, a really hard fight, we came full of resources and well prepared (at least we thought we were), and ended playing around 16 rounds of combat and dying.

What are your expirience with this guy?

Also, we found the stats in AoN are not the same as the ones in the PDF, a lot of things are changed. Has anything changed or is AoN wrong?

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