Frost Drake

Related to white dragons, Frost Drakes display malice and cruelty rivalling that of their distant relatives. Their innate bloodlust may lead them into suicidal rages, as it is not unheard of for a single one of them to attack a town on its own; reticent to back down even when severely wounded.

Dwelling in frozen wastes, their scales most often take on a hue ranging from white to navy, veins bulging beneath their thin hide may give a Frost Drake a frail appearance, however to underestimate one is most unwise.

As Frost Drakes are accustomed to constant blizzards, they can move through them with expertise, their vision not obscured by snow, their ability to burrow through snowdrifts allowing for setting up nasty traps. Their signature Freezing Mist Breath can ruin anyone's day, with its considerable range and damage, as well as creating a patch of difficult terrain, it becomes quite a tool in harassing players who find themselves either out of position or clustered too close together.

Hook 1 (Max) - Frozen Horror
The blizzard is bearing down on you relentlessly; white clouds of snow obscure your vision, the cold siphons away your strength, and the deafening wind echoes around the gaping chasm below you. The cliffside you traverse would be a nerve-wracking journey even for the most hearty traveler.

Despite the hardships, you plant one foot in front of the other, pushing onward until you trip on something buried beneath the sleet. Upon inspection, it's revealed to be a partially-devoured, ice-covered head. Frozen gore spouts from its left side, while the intact half bears an expression of frozen horror that seems to bore straight into you.

Then you hear it, breaking through howl of the storm. A steady beating of wings, approaching faster by the second. Fear of the soul-tearing shriek is an odd comfort in contrast to the blast of bone-tearing cold that follows.

Hook 2 (Reece) - The Curse of Jurdenhast
The fjords of Jurdenhast are one of the most hostile environs in the world. It's said, far beyond the unforgiving cliffs of Yngrim, that the ancient ruins of a long forgotten people lie untouched and full of treasures long forgotten in the ice. Should you find yourself brave enough, with the proper crew or guide, an expedition into the ruins could be quite fruitful, provided you survive Yngrim's Cursed Guardians.

These Frost Drakes, forever cursed by an ancient Oracle to guard the ruins so long as they live, take to ambushing unsuspecting adventurers from the deep snow banks that cloak the skeletal remains of the once-great city.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - The Edge of the World
The Great Ice Wall At The End Of The World has drawn the attention of mankind for at least as long as writing has existed, and probably far longer.

Sadly, any daredevil insane enough to try scaling the three hundred and thirty-three feet-high structure is swiftly dealt with by the dozens of frost drakes nesting in the wall. The drakes seem unnaturally docile when the wall remains unbothered and stories of them appearing from the other side of the wall with with what appear to be fresh kills only fuel the mystic appeal of whatever lies beyond.

Frost Giant

Frost Giants, like their other giant kin, are just- Really large people.

Sort of.

Generally, they're portrayed as large, tribal, and often barbaric peoples who serve as a Viking or Nord stand-in. This, in my opinion, doesn't do them justice. The most notable thing about the Frost Giant is how many of it skills and abilities can be activated with just a single action. This design choice could lead to some of the most dangerous encounters you could make. Why? **Because any creature can Ready a single action as a two-action activity.** These are intelligent creatures, you should run them as such.

A group of frost giants stumbling across travelling, frost-bitten players could easily make short work of them. Use their plethora of single-action activities to turn the battlefield into a living (icy) hell for your players:

• A player goes to move and ends up adjacent to an ally? That triggers the **ONE ACTION, 15 FOOT CONE** Chill Breath one of the Giants had Readied.
• Try to move away from an ally? That triggers the Throw Rock another giant had saved for just this moment.
• All bunched up or have the giant surrounded? Guess who has a Wide Swing action all Ready to go?

Frost Giants are an opportunity to give your players a chilling reminder that some things are more prepared to take them out than others.

Hook 1 (Nemanja) - The River Beyond The Wall
Should anyone somehow evade or defeat the dozens of frost drakes that guard the ascent to the Land Beyond The Wall, they will find a tribe of unusually civilized Frost Giants. The citizens of this great society all talk in riddles and wear ridiculously long fur togas. Outsiders are taken to lavish feasts and festivities and treated with amicability. Should the outsiders try following the massive river that is born at the very base of the wall, the giants change disposition completely, becoming sadistically violent in an instant.

Hook 2 (Max) - The Cripple
The Cripple, despite his crass moniker provided by the locals, is a fearsome and famed mercenary in these lands. He takes on the most dangerous and lucrative contracts, hoping to gather power and experience to defeat the giant who long ago robbed him of his arm and eye, reclaiming his birthright as the clan leader.

His years on the road have taught him a thing or two. Fighting dirty and pressing any advantage you might posses are things you learn living the mercenary's life. Hence, he's always prepared with a plethora of useful tools, traps and gadgets at his disposal.

Hook 3 (Reece) - The Mithral Lands
The Frostguard Giant Clan and The Dwarven Mithral Mining Co. have been at odds for nearly a hundred years. Skirmishes with The Company in addition to fouling water and dying wildlife have greatly reduced the clan's numbers. Desparate, a single druid among the clan breaks tradition and seeks aid from outsiders. An agreement seems impossible given the incompatibility between the march of progress and the old ways. Helping the giants take back their tundra seems a mortal duty to some; though those who want to help are not only putting themselves at odds with The Company, but all those who rely on them for profit.

And Power. 

Fire Giant

 The emphasis of both law and militarism for the fire giant can be leveraged in a few interesting ways, both mechanically and narratively. As Lawful Evil creatures, they can serve as temporary allies to players against more immediate enemies that threaten the strict interests of the Fire Giant societies. The Fire Giant isn't flashy, as it has many of the same abilities as the other Giants, but it is powerful and thematic, with its flaming stroke that serves as a go-to ability capable of quickly turning a fight against the ill prepared, even if the Fire Giant is outnumbered.

 

Hook 1 (Reece) - Hell Guardian
Deep in the bowels of Mount Gedar lays one of few gateways into the Pits of Hell. The Pact, forged between The Devil Lords of Moch'Mordrin and the Blazing Blade Fire Giant clan, grants access to rare infernal metals not found on the material plane. In exchange, the Fire Giants guard the Hell Gate from unwanted interlopers who might enter, and unlucky souls seeking to escape damnation. A statue lined hallway can provide an interesting challenge for players to surmount as the Fire Giant line attack can easily thrash poorly positioned PCs. In light of outright combat, bargaining with the Devils and the Fire Giants could prove fruitful, as their master craftsmen could provide powerful and exotic treasure.

Hook 2 (Max) - Ghargal The Lonely
According to the local huntsman, there has been very little game in the woods surrounding town as of late. Many travelers and patrols have noted seeing bursts of distant flame in the dark of night. Local or not, the rumors have people afraid of some unspeakable horror lurking deep within the forest; each whisper birthing new life into a creature of nightmare.

The truth, however, is far more prosaic. Gharghal, the lone fire giant serving as source for the commotion, was left to die by his raiding party after being mortally wounded. Not one to give up easily, he unearthed a cave where he could rest and recover. Hungry and alone, his expertise as the party's scout paid dividends. Gharghal set up numerous traps to catch prey, allowing him to survive. At this point he has regained most of his strength and is determined to get his revenge.

The area immediately surrounding the giant's base of operations is laid with rudimentary, albeit effective traps. These can potentially hinder the party's approach. Should the situation become dire, Gharghal can always withdraw to his abode, where he has a great number of trinkets gathered from his raids on the locals

Hook 3 (TJ) - Smithy Squabble
There are growing tensions in the mountain town of Duern-Dwennan. The dwarven patriarch has been long renown as a teacher for legendary craftsman the world over. The pride and joy of his forge, his anvil, has been passed down for generations and is essential to his craft. The local cadre of fire giants, however, have entrenched themselves outside the walls of Duern-Dwennan, demanding that the anvil be returned to them as it is one of their most holy relics. Inquisitive and discerning eyes might be able to find some truth in the giants' claim that the anvil was created from the breastbone of their ancestor, Mul'Garr Ore-Eater. As to who has rightful claim to the anvil? It needs to be decided soon, as the confrontation rapidly careens toward war over the matter.

Hook 4 (Nemanja) - Brazen and The Bold
Brazenholme is a famous tavern notable for two big reasons.

First, it is the last sign of civilization before the massive swath of wilderness known only as the Desolace.

Second, the tavern's owner is a brash young fire giant who occasionally challenges patrons to a fight. Should the patron win, they get to drink and eat for free for a year and a day. Should the barkeep win however, the defeated must give him a piece of their armor, in addition to owing him a favour.

Why do this? He has been secretly planning to one day call each and every one of them together to form a makeshift raiding party that may reclaim his ancestral home in the Desolace from the duergar who now claim it as their own.

Giant Flytrap & Snapping Flytrap

 Getting tired of throwing flesh-and-blood beasts and monsters at your party? Let's try a plant instead! These creatures are not out of place in any discerning gardener's arsenal, and could even occur naturally in your setting. Consider any greenhouse or forest in a humid climate a potential environment for a Flytrap. This well-rounded monster is not difficult to run, it's understandable from a real-world perspective (which just hands you verisimilitude, if you ask me) and is an easy and straight-forward introduction to many game mechanics. With weaknesses (fire), resistances (acid), and the Grab, Swallow Whole, and Rupture mechanics, Flytraps readily showcase what monsters in PF2e have to offer. A standalone Snapping Flytrap could serve as a boss monster as early as level 1! Plenty of plant food for thought.

Hook 1 (TJ) - Hunger for Adventure
Briff Rigglesby, a halfling horticulturist, has gone missing. Convinced of his own sorcerous prowess, he set to exploring an unmarked and unmapped swath of jungle by himself. He is now two weeks overdue for his check-in with the rest of the expedition. Initial scouting reports detail hearing his voice in their heads, beckoning them toward a glade of sun, serenity, and apparent safety in the hostile wilderness. When the ground began to quiver and close up around them, a scout lost his leg to the Giant Flytrap that would have been happy to take more. Fleeing the glade, Briff's voice came to them again, goading their expeditious return; a starving, urgent call.

Hook 2 (Nemanja) - The Trapper's Dance
Trappers, the title for the most respected hunters of the N'guta tribe, are known for the rigorous tests of physical prowess that any upcoming candidates must pass in order to join the elite. One of those tests, meant to measure agility as well as courage and focus, involves snatching a trinket from a massive snapping flytrap's leafy jaws.

Hook 3 (Reece) - The Mouths of Dionaea
To outsiders, the town of Dionaea feels just a little bit... Off. Travelers are warned early and often to stay away from the town's wells. When questioned, the answers the townsfolk provide are anything but consistent. There is a rat problem, the water is rancid, they're cursed or even that they EAT unsuspecting people. With shifty gazes and dodgy answers, those that dig to deep into the town's underground tend to "disappear".

The truth is far darker. Townsfolk feed outsiders that overstay their welcome to a Giant Flytrap named "Gorgroth" and its many smaller mouths located in the humid cave system under the town. They believe the creature brings them power, in addition to the fact that it serves as a convenient means of disposing those the townsfolk dislike or disagree with.

Flesh Golem

Ah, the flesh golem. A classic horror monster used by crazed scientists and necromancers the multiverse over. The stat block notably contains hefty golem resistances. Having a good grasp on what golems are immune to goes a long way in helping them feel imposing and unstoppable. The Flesh Golem (like other golems) is mindless and neutral. Subvert expectations of this quintessential creature by having a benign master, or even giving it a basic level of intelligence. Crowds of townspeople are likely to take offense at its unnatural visage, which could serve a myriad of uses. Serving perhaps as a morbid reminder of their mortality and a perversion of their existence, the Flesh Golem can lend itself as a centerpiece to social encounters as well. When tensions escalate and townspeople try and drive this amalgam of magic and flesh out of town, however, they run the risk of activating its Berserk ability; proving they were right about its nature all along.

Hook 1 (TJ) - The Trawler
Leeside is one of the most prosperous fishing towns in the region, largely thanks to one man, known colloquially as "The Trawler." Very little is known about him, other than that he exclusively takes his boat out by himself at night. Each morning he returns with record-breaking hauls of fish in addition to other more strange and exotic varieties of seafood. Any fishmonger that starts to ask too many questions misses out on doing business with the Trawler as punishment. If only the locals knew the truth. If they ever caught a glimpse of the mer-flesh monstrosities swimming below the surface, dragging the nets between them...

Hook 2 (Reece) - A New "Friend"
The local smith's daughter Teirdre is often found playing on the outskirts of Adarlin, a tiny village of less than one-hundred people. It has long been known that her family has had some level of sorcerous talent that many in the town have been eagerly awaiting to see manifest. One hero from every generation, the town is fond of saying.

As she nears her tenth name day, Teirdre has been speaking of "The Man in the Caves" that she has "play dates" with. As she persists with the tale, her father has become worried that some nefarious entity could be praying on her.

To the surprise of both the village and Teirdre herself, she has unwittingly taken control of a Flesh Golem that was intended to steal her away to The Cult of Melting Flesh. Her new "Friend" is the first sign of the cult's activities near the town, and it may be the only clue as to how to stop them.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Birthright: Prometheus
The shores of Alba Endura, the island retreat for the richest men on Earth, are protected by a nameless legion of Flesh golems crafted from the bodies of the very laymen who built the high-tech facilities on the secret island. While the golems are taken for granted and treated as mindless, recent whispers talk of a golem who has developed a cunning and forceful personality.

As the stories go, the Golem - calling himself Prometheus - will give other golems little bites of his own brain matter, after which they also display signs of having a personality and mind of their own, albeit for a very limited time. For now, his motives remain entirely unclear.

Flame Drake

Flame Drakes, despite being being considerably smaller and less intelligent than their draconic cousins, may still prove a formidable foe, especially for those that underestimate them. They display a fondness for valuables, though they lack the faculties to differ real treasure from mere shiny trinkets. These hoards of theirs tend to be a mixture of junk and riches.

Typically, Flame Drakes seclude themselves to volcanos, though they can nonetheless dwell in other environs; typically forests or the surrounding hills. What they lack in size, intellect and cunning, they make up for in numbers, forming vicious hunting packs. This, combined with their territorial and violent tendencies, can make them a threat to towns and caravans alike.
 
Their abilities grant them considerable mobility and a myriad of possibilities to harass the party. Despite not appearing to be the most dangerous creature for a low to mid-level party, Speed Surge and Fireball Breath can be used to great effect against less mobile players.

Hook 1 (Reece) - The Smokeless Coast
The Smokeless Coast did not earn its name through the hearsay of wandering travelers. Amongst the rocky shores cannons and muskets, cookfires, and even torches might draw the attention of the local fauna. Fire made by other lesser creatures is seen as an affront to these jealous beings. Should the players find themselves traveling by land or sea, keeping fires from being lit can serve as a easy way for those in the know to bypass an encounter entirely. The bold or the stupid might forego safety to instead draw the beasts in and hunt them for valuable materials.

Hook 2 (Max) - The Trio
"The road ain't safe no more, mister" says the old farmer, if questioned as to why their town is in such disarray.

The reason for this soon becomes obvious to anyone investigating the tract; burnt remains of carts and, occasionally, people, litter the path ahead. Should anyone linger for too long, a single, scar-covered drake attacks them, that may shortly be joined by a second. If the resistance proves fierce enough, the beasts quickly withdraw to their nest, where a third lies in wait.

The trio came here a couple months ago, driven from their previous home by an eruption. They found themselves a nice niche to fill, as the local fauna was not accustomed to hunters so ferocious. Both the people and the creatures weren't prepared for the onslaught they brought. As such, the corpses littering the area surrounding the cave they nest in grows ever larger, along with the hoard of trinkets and valuables they steal from any unfortunate travelers they happen upon.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Ol' Ember Eye
Ol' Ember Eye is the closest thing the half dozen magical beasts and monsters calling Cozydale Forrest have to a leader.

A veteran of many fights (most notably the one that left him without his left eye), this venerable flame drake is painfully aware how easily he would be outclassed if trouble ever came to Cozydale. To that end, he has convinced a local tribe of goblins to start bringing him dry wood, coal, lamp oil, and other flammable material as offerings. His lair, though covered with countless minor riches, is now a volatile labyrinth that can erupt into smoke and fire on a moment's notice, should anyone intrude.

Faerie Dragon

Faerie Dragons, though often (not without reason) typecast as good-willed tricksters, offer many thematic lanes of approach. They might...

- Foreshadow the obsessive, narcissistic tendencies of greater dragons,
- Sum up the chaotic, almost maddeningly fickle, attitude of fey.
- They may even serve as a reminder for players that they aren't in Westeros anymore.

Faerie Dragons are distinctly non-humanoid creatures that are statistically predisposed toward a social encounter role; a type of encounter I personally find really enjoyable for immersing new players into the game(s). This offers many different potential options for use.

Hook 1 (Reece) - Tiny Tithe

 
The tiny farming village of Brish hosts a lavender festival in the heart of summer to celebrate the longest day of the year. The players may find themselves starting their adventure here or they might stop by on the way to another location during the holiday. While enjoying the merriment and chaos of the occasion (in addition to partaking in the local refreshments), the local Lord Gittonham has taken it upon himself to collect his "Noble Tithe" while everyone is in one place. A local cat (the Faerie Dragon in disguise!) pipes up to ask the players for their help in putting a stop to the scheme.

Hook 2 (TJ) - A Blissful Rest

Blissful Rest is a bar of sorts on the outskirts of Riddlesborough, widely renown as the most calm "bar" in the area. Guards don't bother patrolling that far, as a bar fight has never broken out. Rumor has it that it's actually impossible to fight within its bounds; the very air itself seems to ooze euphoria. Those who select the all-day care package available also receive a guarantee of the best night's sleep they've ever had. Any questions about the nature of possible enchantment or exactly what goes on in the Blissful Rest gets a knowing, almost draconic, smile from its owner, The Matron.

Hook 3 (Nemanja) - Unlikely Assistant

A group of mercenaries looking for a runaway princess (and heiress apparent to the Golden Kingdom) stumbles upon an unlikely witness - a Faerie Dragon prankster who obsessively collects psychic impressions of his "victims". The mischievous miscreant conveniently claims to have pranked the princess a full two weeks after she was last seen.

Obtaining the information from him, quite naturally as he often notes, involves completing a series of increasingly bizarre and ludicrous tasks.

Hook 4 (Max) - The Emperor

 
According to the locals, you'd do wise to avoid the nearby Emperor's Grove- lest you want to pay him his due.

Setting out into the area, a few things become immediately distinct:

• A myriad of small altars laid with offerings of all kinds (though mostly gold is present)
• Trinkets and baubles seemingly left and forgotten
• Torches set in a circle around a stone pedestal.

Stepping into the circle, you hear a thundering, omnipresent voice that exclaims:

"Who dares enter my domain? Pay your tithe to the grand emperor!"

Should anyone listen to the command and place a gift for the emperor on one of the many altars, the "emperor" speaks again:

"The emperor accepts your offering! Go now in peace."

The visitor finds themselves drowsy thereafter, seemingly content with the emperor's approval.