#20: Frostfall | A D&D 5e Survival Adventure for 2-3 Players: Complete in 2.5-3 hour adventure for levels 3-4

A dragon is hunting you. You stole something precious. You just don't know it yet.

The airship Skyward Maiden was supposed to be a routine journey. Then the white dragon attacked. Now you're stranded in frozen wilderness with dwindling supplies, brutal cold, and that same dragon circling overhead. It hasn't killed you yet. It's waiting for something.

The only other survivors are Harlen Voss, a charming smuggler with a mysterious backpack he never lets out of his sight; Mira Ashford, a hopeful young woman traveling to reunite with her family; and Galt Fenwick, a nervous merchant who complains constantly but means well. As your group treks toward distant civilization, the cold takes its toll. People start dying. And slowly, terribly, you realize the man you've been trusting has been lying from the start.

FROSTFALL is a survival thriller one-shot that turns the classic dragon encounter on its head. This isn't a story about heroes slaying a monster. It's about discovering you've been traveling with one—and that the dragon might be the victim.

What's Inside This Book:

- Complete 2.5-3 hour adventure for character levels 3-4

- Three fully-developed NPCs with personalities that evolve across each act

- Five detailed battle maps with tactical notes and terrain features

- Multiple endings determined entirely by player choices

- Cold exposure rules that create tension without tedious bookkeeping

- Skill challenges for the dragon attack and blizzard survival

- Four pre-generated characters optimized specifically for this adventure

- Complete stat blocks for all monsters and NPCs

- Contingency guidance for when players go off-script

- DM tips for pacing, NPC portrayal, and building emotional investment

Designed for Small Groups:

Frostfall was built from the ground up for 2-3 players. Not scaled down from a larger adventure. Not "adjustable." The encounter math, the NPC dynamics, the pacing—everything assumes a small table. Your players won't feel like they're running a diminished version of something designed for someone else. This is their adventure.

The Unsung Heroes Philosophy:

This adventure follows Anvil & Ink's signature approach: meaningful choices without epic recognition. Your players won't be celebrated. They won't get parades. They'll make an impossible decision, live with the consequences, and walk into town as strangers. The satisfaction comes from the choice itself—not from being told they're heroes.

Moral Complexity That Matters:

At the climax, players face a choice with no clean answer. Return the stolen dragon egg and let a murderer's victims go unavenged? Fight a grieving mother defending her child? Sacrifice an innocent town to escape? Every option costs something. Every option reveals something about your players. That's the point.

Perfect For:

- DMs running games for 2-3 players who are tired of rebalancing every encounter

- Tables that love moral dilemmas, tough choices, and consequences that stick

- One-shot nights when you want something memorable, not forgettable

- Convention play or new group introductions

- Experienced groups seeking mature themes without gratuitous content

- DMs who want to run something tonight with zero prep time

Content Note: This adventure contains NPC deaths (including sympathetic characters), cold exposure peril, themes of betrayal and moral ambiguity, and a climax with no "correct" answer. Recommended for mature players comfortable with difficult choices.

The dragon isn't evil. The smuggler isn't innocent. And by the end, your players will understand that sometimes the real monster doesn't have claws.

Frostfall is part of The Ready Adventure Series from Anvil & Ink Publishing—complete one-shot adventures designed for small groups and busy DMs.

Read the Review: https://anvilnink.com/frostfall-dd-5e-survival-adventure/

Get the Paperback: https://amzn.to/4c1Vblm