We dived through the polar gate to the North pole after our fighter used a scroll of summoning agent of destruction! We ended up with the Ghost of Hong Kong with a automatic sniper rifle! Aside from being confused, she went right to work against the Glacier Guard Mercenary Company! This session picks up from here on the blog.
The party had about twenty minutes to explain who they were and what the Hell was going on to Mae Ling Chen, the woman who is the Ghost. This was as the fighters put arrows into the hides of the Frost Hobgoblin mercenaries! We made good time against the Hobgoblins as we finished off the last of the Polar Orcs just as a wave of frost rimed our weapons. Heat metal and lots of oil helped to take care of the party's weapons. Another arrow finished off the Orc shaman. The orcs were covering the retreat of the Frost Hobgoblin mercenaries! The party began persuit of the hobgoblin mercenaries back to their fortress!
In Castles & Crusades, Hobgoblins are the disciplined, militaristic counterparts to the chaotic orc. Frost Hobgoblins (often called Winter-Born) are even more formidable, hailing from tundra wastes and glacial fortresses.
They don't just fight; they conquer with cold, calculated efficiency.
The "Glacier Guard" Mercenary Company
These mercenaries are identifiable by their blue-tinted grey skin, white fur capes, and armor etched with hoarfrost. They value gold, but they value contracts and discipline above all else.
1. Frost Hobgoblin Grunt
These are the rank-and-file soldiers. They fight in tight phalanxes using long spears and heavy shields.
HD: 1d8+2 (8 HP)
AC: 16 (Scale mail & Large Shield)
Attacks: Longspear (1d8) or Longsword (1d8)
Move: 30 ft.
Save: Physical
Special: * Darkvision: 60 ft.
Cold Resistance: Take half damage from cold-based attacks.
Light Sensitivity: -1 to hit in bright sunlight.
AL: Lawful Evil
XP: 15 + 1
2. The "Ice-Breakers" (Sergeants)
The NCOs of the horde. They carry heavy morningstars and are trained to break enemy lines.
HD: 3d8+6 (20 HP)
AC: 17 (Banded Mail)
Attacks: Morningstar (1d8+2)
Move: 20 ft. (Heavy Armor)
Save: Physical
Special: * Winter’s Roar: Once per encounter, the sergeant can let out a shout. All allies within 30 ft. gain a +1 bonus to their next AC and Attack roll.
Cold Resistance: Half damage from cold.
AL: Lawful Evil
XP: 70 + 3
3. Rime-Shaman (Spellcaster)
Every company has a Shaman to maintain the cold and conjure obscuring mists.
HD: 4d8 (18 HP)
AC: 13 (Studded Leather)
Attacks: Staff (1d6)
Move: 30 ft.
Save: Mental
Special: * Spells (CL 4): Typically carries Obscuring Mist, Ray of Frost, Hold Person, and Ice Storm (1/day).
Icy Step: They are immune to slipping on grease, ice, or magical slickness.
AL: Lawful Evil
XP: 140 + 4
4. General Kuldar the Merciless
The leader of the horde. He rides a Winter Wolf into battle.
HD: 7d8+14 (45 HP)
AC: 19 (+1 Plate Mail)
Attacks: Greatsword "Frost-Bite" (2d6+3)
Move: 20 ft. (on foot) / 50 ft. (mounted)
Save: Physical & Mental
Special: * Tactical Genius: Allies within 60 ft. who can see Kuldar are immune to Fear effects.
Frost-Bite: His sword deals an extra 1d6 cold damage on a successful hit.
AL: Lawful Evil
XP: 650 + 7
Horde Tactics & Behavior
The Phalanx: Grunts will never fight alone. They stay in groups of 4+, using their spears to keep adventurers at bay while the Sergeants flank.
The Weather Advantage: Shamans will cast Obscuring Mist or Fog Cloud immediately. Frost Hobgoblins are trained to fight by sound and silhouettes, giving them the edge in low visibility.
The Contract: Unlike Orcs, these mercenaries can be reasoned with—if you have more gold than their current employer and a convincing silver tongue.
To make the journey through the frozen wastes feel dangerous and lived-in, use this encounter table. These encounters focus on the Glacier Guard’s logistics, their discipline, and the harsh environment they thrive in.
Frost Hobgoblin Encounter Table (1d8)
| Roll | Encounter | Description |
| 1 | The Toll Booth | 6 Grunts and 1 Sergeant have blocked a mountain pass with a spiked barricade. They demand 10gp per head "passage tax" or a service (clearing out a nearby den of Ice Mephits). |
| 2 | The Scouting Party | 4 Grunts mounted on Winter Wolves. They won't engage immediately; they will attempt to kite the party with shortbows and lead them into a larger ambush. |
| 3 | Cries in the Blizzard | The party finds a wounded Sergeant pinned under a fallen ice shelf. If saved, he will grant the party a "Token of Safe Passage"—but his honor demands the party pay his "debt" later. |
| 4 | The Rime-Shaman’s Ritual | A Shaman and 4 Grunts are sacrificing a polar bear to appease a Frost Giant. The area is covered in a magical Sleet Storm. Disrupting them earns the permanent enmity of the horde. |
| 5 | Supply Train | 10 Grunts guarding three mammoths laden with furs, salted meat, and stolen weapons. A high-value target for players, but heavily guarded. |
| 6 | Frozen Sentinels | The party finds 3 "statues" of ice. They are actually Grunts covered in thick rime, holding their breath. They gain a +4 bonus to surprise checks as they shatter their "shells" to attack. |
| 7 | The Deserter | A lone, starving Frost Hobgoblin. He has fled General Kuldar’s harsh discipline. He can provide a map of the General’s fortress in exchange for food and protection. |
| 8 | Kuldar’s Vanguard | General Kuldar, his Winter Wolf, 2 Sergeants, and 12 Grunts. This is a deadly encounter. They are currently hunting a specific NPC or artifact. |
Environmental Hazard: The Flash Freeze
When fighting the Glacier Guard, the environment is often a weapon.
Mechanical Note: During any combat with the Shaman or in a heavy blizzard, characters must make a Physical Prime (Constitution) Save (CL 2) every 3 rounds. Failure results in 1d4 cold damage and a -2 penalty to Dexterity as fingers and joints stiffen from the supernatural chill.
A Quick Tip for the Castle Keeper (DM)
Frost Hobgoblins are Lawful. They don't break their word once a contract is signed, but they are masters of "malicious compliance." If the party hires them, make sure the players are very specific with their orders, or the Hobgoblins might interpret "clear the village of enemies" as "burn the village to the ground so no enemies can hide there."
The Frost Hobgoblin stronghold is known as Krag-Vallen (The Hanging Fortress). It is carved directly into the face of a sheer glacial cliff, overlooking the primary trade route through the Tundra.
The architecture is brutalist: sharp angles, smooth obsidian-like ice, and heavy iron grates.
Krag-Vallen: The Glacial Fortress
1. The Frozen Maw (Gatehouse)
The only entrance is a bridge of solid ice, only 10 feet wide, spanning a 200-foot deep crevasse.
The Trap (The Slick-Step): The bridge is kept magically slick by the Shamans. Any creature not wearing crampons or having "Icy Step" must make a DEX Save (CL 5) if they take damage or move more than half speed, or slide off the edge.
Defense: Two arrow slits on either side of the gate house 4 Grunts with heavy crossbows.
2. The Hall of Trophies (Barracks)
The main hub of the fortress. It smells of wet fur and ozone.
Layout: High vaulted ceilings with frozen banners of defeated mercenary companies.
Occupants: At any time, 12 Grunts and 2 Sergeants are resting here.
The Alarm: A massive gong made from the shell of a Remorhaz. If struck, the entire fortress is alerted in 2 rounds.
3. The Shaman’s Oubliette (Shrine)
A chamber deep within the ice where the air is so cold it deals 1 point of cold damage per turn to anyone without protection.
The Focus: A hovering shard of "Ever-Ice" (a blue crystal). This shard powers the fortress's localized blizzards.
Defense: The Rime-Shaman and 2 Ice Elementals (Small).
Secret: Behind the shard is a frozen wall that can be melted to reveal the horde's "War Chest" (3,000gp and a Wand of Frost).
4. General Kuldar’s Perch (Command Center)
A balcony at the highest point of the fortress that looks out over the wastes.
The General: Kuldar is usually here planning his next campaign on a map table made of carved bone.
The Mount: His Winter Wolf sleeps at the foot of his stone throne.
Tactical Advantage: From here, Kuldar can pull a lever that releases a massive avalanche onto the bridge (The Frozen Maw), dealing $8d6$ damage to anyone on it and cutting off the fortress from the world.
Defensive Traps of the Horde
| Trap Name | Trigger | Effect |
| The Breath of Winter | Pressure plate in the hallway. | A hidden vent blasts a 15ft cone of supercooled gas. DEX Save (CL 4) or take $3d6$ cold damage and be Slowed for 2 rounds. |
| The Icicle Drop | Tripwire in the ceiling. | A cluster of 4 sharpened ice spikes fall. +5 to hit, deals $1d10$ piercing damage per spike. |
| The False Floor | Stepping on "snow-covered" grates. | Drops the victim into a 10ft pit filled with starving snow-rats. $1d6$ fall damage + $1d4$ bite damage per round. |
Plot Hook: The Breach
The party isn't necessarily here to kill everyone. Perhaps they have been hired by a rival merchant guild to sabotage the Shaman's Ever-Ice shard, which would cause the fortress to begin melting, forcing the mercenaries to evacuate and abandon the pass.
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