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Nerdarchy > Dungeons & Dragons  > Expanding Frost King’s Arctic Hobgoblin Frost Raiders for 5E D&D
5E D&D frost king arctic hobgoblin

Expanding Frost King’s Arctic Hobgoblin Frost Raiders for 5E D&D

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Salutations, nerds! We’re taking a powder to revisit Frost King’s arctic environment for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons. I’ve been thinking a lot about colder places lately and if you remember our vikinglike hobgoblin frost raiders I have new features and traits for you to slot onto these creatures to make your 5E D&D adventurers’ excursion to the frozen tundra more memorable and challenging. Along with these new components you’ll find a couple of other goodies to pair nicely with the myth and magic waiting to be discovered on the frozen tundra. So let’s get cracking.

Alternative Frostraider Hobgoblin trait

Reaction

Shield Wall. When there is another hobgoblin within 5 feet that is also holding a shield they can both use their reaction to raise its shield into formation and gain a +1 bonus to AC for each other hobgoblin in the formation until the start of its next turn.

Hobgoblin Frostraiders and Shieldmaidens understand the critical importance of unit protection and this increases their survival tremendously. It’s worth noting this reaction essentially requires every hobgoblin within 5 feet of another to use their reaction this way simultaneously.

5E D&D arctic monster

The frostweaver is a spider that grew and learned in the frozen arctic. Prey is rather slim in paces without a lot of heat so these arachnids make their nests near natural pockets of heat and can often be found in caves adjacent to hot springs. Although the webs they spin while they are alive are incredibly sticky and difficult to get out of, it is said the last several yards of a dead frostweaver’s web can he extracted and made into a particularly sturdy net.

The frostweaver uses the stat block for a giant spider with the following additions:

Bristles. The frostweaver’s coarse hairs are generally thicker than those of other spiders and harder to cut through to get to the body beneath, raising its Armor Class to 15.

Web of Frost. Whenever the frostweaver makes a successful Web attack the restrained creature must make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or have its speed reduced by 5 feet due to the chilling cold.

Heatseeker. The frostweaver has advantage on Wisdom (Perception and Survival) checks to detect and track creatures within 1000 feet through arctic regions. This feature does not apply to constructs or undead.

Frostweaver Spiders can be coaxed to work alongside humanoids who feed them and understand when to back off and allow them their own space. Frostweaver Spiders are generally stationary creatures but the hobgoblins of the tundra have been known to convince a frostweaver or two to take up residence within their own settlements to keep their stores free of scavenging animals.

5E D&D arctic hobgoblin

Arctic hobgoblins sail the seas of snow across the tundra in longships build with skis. Frostraider hobgoblins serve the Frost King and a rare few granted warlock pacts with the powerful giant. [Art by Nelson Viera]

New 5E D&D potions

Potion of Driving Snow

Potion, very rare

When you drink this potion that looks like a swirling vortex of snow, you become inured to arctic terrain for one hour. You are unaffected by extreme cold temperatures, and the arctic is not considered difficult terrain for you. You also have resistance to cold damage and advantage on saving throws made against spells that deal cold damage.

Frost Coat

Potion, rare

This pale blue oil is cool to the touch and glimmers with ice crystals. The oil can coat one slashing or piercing weapon, or up to 5 pieces of slashing or piercing ammunition. Applying the oil takes 1 minute. For 1 hour, the coated item is magical and when it hits, deals an extra 2d6 cold damage.

Potion of Raider’s Courage

Potion, Common

When you drink this potion, you are immune to the frightened condition for one hour.

If you’re interested in arctic hobgoblins of viking flavor, frost giant warlock patrons and murder mysteries on the frozen tundra I totally recommend you head on over and check out Frost King here! Signing up for Nerdarchy the Newsletter earns you $9.99 in store credit too, so you can add Frost King to your collection and get weekly gaming tips, ways to save money on RPG stuff, opportunities to game with us and more delivered to your inbox every week. You might also incorporate any of these 5E D&D ideas into your ongoing Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden campaign. Of course as always if you use any of this stuff please tell me all about it in the comments below. Stay nerdy!

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Robin Miller

Speculative fiction writer and part-time Dungeon Master Robin Miller lives in southern Ohio where they keep mostly nocturnal hours and enjoys life’s quiet moments. They have a deep love for occult things, antiques, herbalism, big floppy hats and the wonders of the small world (such as insects and arachnids), and they are happy to be owned by the beloved ghost of a black cat. Their fiction, such as The Chronicles of Drasule and the Nimbus Mysteries, can be found on Amazon.

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