Rin’s Storm King’s Thunder
Rin’s Storm King’s Thunder
What to Expect
If I begin to think the party has wandered too far away from the main plot, Harshnag will help steer you all back to the main story. Faction members can also re-instill a sense of growing urgency and point you all in the right direction.
Combat
In order to facilitate the speed of the game, I offload a lot traditionally DM responsibilities on to you. I will post the statblocks of whatever your fighting along with their hit points. You will be expected to roll the enemies’ saves against your spells, and you’ll know instantly if your attacks have killed them.
Maps
I post battle maps. You will be expected to give me your location in your post as a Letter-Number coordinate: e.g., M23, Z6, A15, etc., unless you didn’t move, in which case, an em-dash (—) is fine. Diagonal movement is 1-2-1. Diagonal movement is 1-1-1.
Deadly Encounters
One of the reasons that I want big parties, allow characters to roll stats, and have extra feats is that I also like to throw more stuff at them. The less I have to worry about a TPK, the more fun we can all have, and the less work I have to do carefully balancing encounters.
Introduction
You are about to embark on a great adventure that pits heroes against giants bent on reshaping the world. Storm King’s Thunder is a Dungeons & Dragons adventure for four to six player characters. You will start the adventure with a 1st-level character. The characters should reach at least 11th level by the adventure’s conclusion. Because giants figure prominently in the story, at least one character should be able to speak and understand the Giant language.
The adventure takes place in the Forgotten Realms, specifically in a region known as the Savage Frontier, in the northwest corner of the continent of Faerûn.
Adventure Background
The Savage Frontier (also known as the North) is a cold, rugged, sparsely populated land of snow-capped mountains, rocky hills, sprawling forests, and foggy vales. Isolated strongholds, ancient burial mounds, and the ruins of many forgotten empires dot this vast landscape. Bounded by the Sea of Swords to the west and the desert of Anauroch to the east, the Savage Frontier extends as far north as Icewind Dale and as far south as the town of Daggerford. Old roads stretch across this great expanse, linking the dwarven strongholds and mines in the mountains to the coastal settlements, frontier towns, and fortified outposts of humans and other folk. These roads are long, lonely, or poorly defended, making them dangerous to traverse. In fertile valleys, towns and cities have sprung up, separated by dozens if not hundreds of miles of untamed wilderness haunted by bandits, barbarians, and monsters.
Giant Runes
Evil dragons stirred into action by their dark queen, Tiamat, threatened the settlements of the Savage Frontier for a time. Ultimately, they were defeated and forced to withdraw to their lairs, while Tiamat was banished to the Nine Hells. Fear of the dragons’ wrath has faded quickly with the coming of a new threat: giants. The peoples of the North are no strangers to giant incursions. Frost giants have long claimed the Spine of the World as their demesne, and hill giants are known to scrounge for food in the untamed hills. But now, in the past couple of months, giants of every kind have emerged from their strongholds in force to threaten civilization as never before—and not just frost giants and hill giants, but also stone giants, fire giants, and cloud giants. All of the giants are in an uproar. Reports of giant attacks throughout the North have reached the coastal cities of Luskan, Neverwinter, and Waterdeep, stoking fears that the giants are waging war against humans, dwarves, elves, and other small folk.
The Ordning
Giant society (such as it is) is defined in large part by the ordning, a caste system imposed upon the giants by their gods, chief among them Annam the All-Father. The ordning determines where a giant stands among his or her ilk. Traditionally, storm giants have stood at the top of the ordning. Tall and powerful, they struggle to keep the weaker races of giants from despoiling the realms of small folk and sparking conflict. The greatest storm giants are powerful seers, skilled at identifying and interpreting cosmic signs and divine omens. The aloof and aristocratic cloud giants, one step below the storm giants, rarely condescend to deal with lesser giants or small folk. Extravagance defines their culture and their place in the ordning. Below them are the tyrannical, warmongering fire giants and the merciless, predatory frost giants. Fire giants rank themselves by their forging skill, whereas frost giants rank themselves by their martial prowess. Near the bottom of the ordning are the xenophobic stone giants, who mostly live underground and regard the surface world as a realm of dreams. How well they sculpt stone determines their place among their peers. The lowest and smallest of the true giants are the hill giants, as gluttonous as they are loathsome. Hill giants are dullards who live in fear of their more powerful giant cousins. In hill giant society, the biggest rule.
From Left to Right: King Hekaton, Queen Neri, Mirran, Nym, and Serissa
Dragons are the ancient enemies of giants. Thousands of years ago, the last great empire of giants—Ostoria—fell after a long and brutal conflict with dragons. Little of Ostoria remains in what is now called the Savage Frontier. The civilizations of small folk have taken over the land once ruled by giants. Although evil giants make occasional forays into territory settled by small folk, their ambitions have long been curtailed by their lack of cohesion and the imposition of good-aligned storm giants and cloud giants whose memories of ancient, glorious Ostoria have faded over time.
The recent efforts by dragons to bring Tiamat into the world (as told in the adventures Hoard of the Dragon Queen and The Rise of Tiamat) and the attempts by small folk to thwart them so upset the giant gods that Annam the All-Father shattered the ordning between the giants to break his “children” out of their complacency, pitting the six giant types against one another while keeping some semblance of order within each type. In so doing, Annam has spurred cloud, fire, frost, stone, and hill giants to challenge the established hierarchy and reforge their destiny. All the giants sensed the upheaval instantly, and now the giant types fiercely compete against one another, striving to create a new ordning through their deeds and accomplishments. These giants’ calamitous endeavors have not only put the settlements of humans and other small folk in jeopardy but also attracted the attention of the giants’ ancient enemies—the dragons—who will not abide the rise of another giant empire.
Small folk can only speculate as to the cause of the giants’ unrest. It remains to be seen whether the old ordning between the giant types will be restored, or whether a new hierarchy will replace the old one, knocking the storm giants from their lofty perch.
From Left to Right: Iymrith, Chief Guh, and Thane Kayalithica
Factions in the North
The giants’ plots have far-reaching consequences for the Savage Frontier and the peoples who live there. Giant castles in the clouds have been seen drifting overhead, casting ominous shadows on the settlements of the North. Caravans and farmsteads have come under attack. Frost giant longships have begun terrorizing the Sword Coast. Various organizations throughout the North are justly concerned, and some have important roles to play in events yet to unfold.
The Emerald Enclave
The Emerald Enclave is a group of wilderness survivalists who preserve the natural order by rooting out unnatural threats. They struggle to keep civilization and the wilderness from destroying each other, and they help others survive the natural perils of the Savage Frontier.
As sightings of giants become more common, members of the Emerald Enclave begin to realize something is afoot. Hill giants laying waste to vast tracts of forest, stone giants leveling homesteads, frost giants endangering mountain passes, and fire giants rounding up slaves and putting grasslands and forests to the torch are enough to invoke the enclave’s wrath.
Goals
- Restore and preserve the natural order.
- Destroy all that is unnatural.
- Keep the elemental forces of the world in check.
- Keep civilization and the wilderness from destroying each other.
Beliefs
- The natural order must be respected and preserved.
- Forces that upset the natural order must be destroyed.
- Civilization and the wilderness must learn to coexist peacefully.
Member Traits
Members of the Emerald Enclave are spread far and wide, and usually operate in isolation. They learn to depend on themselves more than others. Survival in a harsh world also demands great fortitude and mastery of certain fighting and survival skills. Members of the Enclave who dedicate themselves to helping others survive the perils of the wilderness are more social than others who are charged with defending sacred glades and preserving the natural balance.
Ranks
- Springwarden (rank 1)
- Summerstrider (rank 2)
- Autumnreaver (rank 3)
- Winstalker (rank 4)
- Master of the Wild (rank 5)
The Harpers
The Harpers are spellcasters and spies who covertly oppose the abuse of power, magical or otherwise. Working alone or in small cells, they gather information throughout Faerûn, discern the political dynamics within each region, and help the weak, the poor, and the oppressed, acting openly only as a last resort.
The Harpers were instrumental in defeating Tiamat and ending the tyranny of dragons, and with reports of giant attacks on the rise, they see giants as an emergent threat to peace in the North. The Harpers don’t know why the giants are becoming so active all at once, or what their ultimate goals are. As yet, no major towns or cities have come under attack, although the Harpers expect that situation to change. Harpers are eager to recruit adventurers to help them combat the giant threat.
Goals
- Gather information throughout Faerûn.
- Promote fairness and equality by covert means.
- Thwart tyrants and leaders, governments, and organizations that grow too powerful.
- Aid the weak, poor and oppressed.
Beliefs
- One can never have too much information or arcane knowledge.
- Too much power leads to corruption. The abuse of magic must be closely monitored.
- No one should be powerless.
Member Traits
Harper agents are trained to act alone and rely on their own resources. When they get into scrapes, they don’t count on their fellow Harpers to rescue them. Nevertheless, Harpers are dedicated to helping one another in times of need, and friendships between Harpers are nigh unbreakable. Masterful spies and infiltrators, they use various guises and secret identities to form relationships, cultivate their information networks, and manipulate others into doing what needs to be done. Although most Harpers prefer to operate in the shadows, there are exceptions.
Ranks
- Watcher (rank 1)
- Harpshadow (rank 2)
- Brightcandle (rank 3)
- Wise Owl (rank 4)
- High Harper (rank 5)
The Lords’ Alliance
Various settlements of the North have banded together to form the Lords’ Alliance, a shaky coalition that proactively eliminates threats to their mutual safety and prosperity. Alliance leaders are often contentious, while their operatives seek honor and glory for themselves and their respective lords. Key representatives of the Lords’ Alliance include the canny Lord Dagult Neverember of Neverwinter, the resplendent Lady Laeral Silverhand of Waterdeep, the grave Lord Taern Hornblade of Silverymoon, and the willful Queen Dagnabbet of Mithral Hall.
With the aid of adventurers, the Lords’ Alliance thwarted Tiamat and her dragons. Alliance members aren’t about to let giants run roughshod over their settlements and plunder their farmsteads. Alliance members call on adventurers of every stripe to attack and kill giants on sight, promising rewards of 200 to 500 gold pieces for each giant head brought to their gates.
Rumors that the Lords’ Alliance was behind King Hekaton’s disappearance have not yet reached the alliance leaders. Were the alliance to learn of these rumors, its leaders would quietly investigate the veracity of the claims while publicly dismissing them.
Goals
- Ensure the safety and prosperity of cities and other settlements of Faerûn.
- Maintain a strong coalition against the forces of disorder.
- Proactively eliminate threats to the established powers.
- Bring honor and glory to one’s leaders and one’s homeland.
Beliefs
- If civilization is to survive, all must unite against the dark forces that threaten it.
- Fight for your realm. Only you can bring honor, glory, and prosperity to your lord and homeland.
- Don’t wait for the enemy to come to you. The best defense is a strong offense.
Member Traits
To seek out and destroy threats to their homelands, agents of the Lords’ Alliance must be highly trained at what they do. Few can match their skills in the field. They fight for the glory and the security of their people and for the lords who rule over them, and they do so with pride. However, the Lords’ Alliance can only survive if its members “play nice” with one another, which requires a certain measure of diplomacy. Rogue agents within the Lords’ Alliance are rare, but defections have been known to occur.
Ranks
- Cloak (rank 1)
- Redknife (rank 2)
- Stingblade (rank 3)
- Warduke (rank 4)
- Lioncrown (rank 5)
The Order of the Gauntlet
Members of the Order of the Gauntlet seek to protect others from the depredations of evildoers. Placing their faith in deities such as Torm, Helm, and Tyr, they bring the strength of their faith, their hearts, and their weapons to bear against villainy.
Knights of the order and their loyal squires can be found throughout the North, gathering information on the giants, searching for their lairs, and aiding in the defense of settlements.
Goals
- Be armed and vigilant against evil.
- Identify evil threats such as secretive power groups and inherently evil creatures.
- Enforce justice.
- Enact retribution against evil actions—do not strike preemptively.
Beliefs
- Faith is the greatest weapon against evil—faith in one’s god, one’s friends, and one’s self.
- Battling evil is an extraordinary task that requires extraordinary strength and bravery.
- Punishing an evil act is just. Punishing an evil thought is not.
Member Traits
The Order of the Gauntlet is a dedicated, tightly knit group of like-minded individuals driven by religious zeal or a finely-honed sense of justice and honor. Friendship and camaraderie are important to members of the order, and they share a trust and a bond normally reserved for siblings. Like highly motivated soldiers, members of the Order of the Gauntlet seek to become the best at what they do and look forward to testing their mettle. There are few, if any, “lone wolves” in this organization.
Ranks
- Chevall (rank 1)
- Marcheon (rank 2)
- Whitehawk (rank 3)
- Vindicator (rank 4)
- Righteous Hand (rank 5)
The Zhentarim (Characters may not be members of the Zhentarim)
The Zhentarim, also known as the Black Network, is an unscrupulous shadow network that seeks to expand its influence and power base throughout the North. Its members crave wealth and personal power, though the public face of the organization appears much more benign, offering the best mercenaries money can buy. Adventurers allied with the Zhentarim are free to profit as they see fit, either by helping or hindering the giants.
The Black Network has spies and operatives in every major northern settlement, and it doesn’t wish to see its footholds destroyed by rampaging giants. As it strives to protect its holdings, the Zhentarim also wants to understand the giants’ motivations. The leaders of the Black Network are open to the possibility of establishing trade relations with the giants or bribing them, if necessary, to ensure their own continued wealth and prosperity. At the same time, the Zhentarim profits by selling the services of mercenaries to those who can’t defend themselves.
Goals
- Amass wealth.
- Look for opportunities to seize power.
- Gain influence over important people and organizations.
- Dominate Faerûn.
Beliefs
- The Zhentarim is your family. You watch out for it, and it watches out for you.
- You are the master of your own destiny. Never be less than what you deserve to be.
- Everything—and everyone—has a price.
Member Traits
A member of the Zhentarim thinks of himself or herself as a member of a large family, and relies on the Black Network for resources and security. However, members are granted enough autonomy to pursue their own interests and gain some measure of personal power or influence. The Black Network is a meritocracy. It promises “the best of the best,” although in truth, the Zhentarim is more interested in spreading its own propaganda and influence than investing in the improvement of its individual members.
Ranks
- Fang (rank 1)
- Wolf (rank 2)
- Viper (rank 3)
- Ardragon (rank 4)
- Dread Lord (rank 5)
From Left to Right: Jarl Storvald, Duke Zalto, and Countess Sansuri
Available Source Books
You may use any most lineage, backgrounds, and class features from the following books:
- Core: Player’s Handbook
- Core: Monster Manual
- Core: Dungeon Master’s Guide
- Supplement: Xanathar’s Guide to Everything
- Supplement: Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything
- Supplement: Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons
- Supplement: Mordenkainen Presents: Monsters of the Multiverse
- Supplement: Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants
- Setting: Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide
- Special: Because I really like the Investigator background and the Rogue Inquisitor subclass, those are both available from Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft, even though none of the other options are.
If an option occurs in more than one book, you must use the most recently published book. For example, both SCAG and MPMM list the Genasi lineages. You must use the MPMM version.
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