Open Post - December Release - Beasts of the Frozen Wastes

Tier Release Links

• Loremaster Tier Release
• Acolyte Tier Release
• Adventurer Tier Release
• Apprentice Tier Release

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We're wrapping up 2023 by venturing out into the brutal tundras of the Frozen Waste. Few willingly live in these frigid lands, and those that do are often the apex predators in their food chain. Will you and your table brave the harsh conditions to uncover what secrets lie out in the icy wilderness?

Printable STL

This month brings our latest STL for our Apprentice and Loremaster tiers - the Bruma! This STL file comes presupported by our good friend Nick Porterfield.

**NOTE - STL's are NOT backlogged, so be sure to download it locally this month!**

Encounters

We've got 5 brand new encounters of varying challenge ratings and settings -ready to drop right into your existing campaigns, or can just as easily be used as a springboard into a new adventure.

Take on the challenge of helping a fisherman stop the dire walrus that has been depleting all the fish in the harbor; help a young child who's mother has been inadvertently changed into a dire bear; and track down the megalomagi who has been defiantly opposing the local loggers who have been trespassing in the woods!

Stat Blocks

You get 6 brand new stat blocks of various challenge ratings, centered around the frozen tundra, and our latest monster template - the Dire Template!

We're bringing you everything you need to make your players' blood run cold (get it?)... Check out the hulking megalonyx - the giant sloths that protect their lands without fear; the massive Dire Walrus that destroys fishing ships with ease; and what release would be complete without something cute to warm the hearts of the players? Be sure to introduce them to the Doedicuri, the snowy armadillo-like herbavores that tunnel through the frozen ground.

Items

We've also got 8 new items and 3 new grafts to reward your players with as they whether the frigid cold. Items like the Cloak of the Tar Pit - allowing you to trail sticky tar behind you; the Icicle Bolts - perfect for any ranger or ranged-weapon specialist; and the petraglyph kit - allowing you to carve symbols into stone, as you warn others fluent in the understanding of the runes of the nearby dangers!

And be sure to introduce our latest grafts - giving your players fun, new ways to physically augment themselves as they further customize their Player Characters! Grafts like the Mammoth Tusks, the Flippers, and Arctic Fur are sure to introduce some wild new options (and roleplaying opportunities to boot!)

Spells

December also brings our 5 latest spells: with things like Arctic Protection, Neanderthalis, and our latest Epic Cast spell Ice Age!

Player Options

And you know we can't forget the player options!

This release introduces our latest player race - the Bruma! Bruma are a bestial race that hail from The Frozen Wastes, tracing their ancestry to the region for nearly a millennium. Bruma are well known for their brutal effectiveness in combat ancestral connections, and hardy nature - living in parts of the world that most would view as unlivable.

You'll also get our latest fighter subclass - the Primal Archetype! These fighters turn their back on more advanced and modern weapons, tools and practices, and instead, focus on the ways of old - choosing to use weapons, tools and other survival tactics that may be considered archaic.Primal fighters often abandon society and civilization, and instead live off the land and hunt powerful beasts for survival.

And rounding out the player options are our 7 latest feats and 4 deficiencies to help flesh out your player characters.

Maps

We've also got 7 new subterranean battle maps ready for the included encounters (or just as easily used as standalone maps). These maps are available in both gridded and gridless variants, AND we'll be offering both options going forward (and also working through the backlog as we continue on).

Tokens

And lastly, we are bringing you 8 VTT-ready tokens for all of your online needs!

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Comment below what you're most looking forward to using at your table, and be sure to join the Critical Crafting discord channel to stay in the loop with our growing community and to help us brainstorm new content! The folks of the Hivemind continue to blow us away with their contributions of ideas for spells, items, monsters and more!

We're wrapping up an amazing year, and we're incredibly grateful for all of the love and support throughout 2023. For as much fun as this year has been, we have even bigger and more exciting things in store for 2024, and we're eager to have you all on this journey with us!

- Dillon, Cameron, Connor, Christian and Sarah