The Yeti Warlord

The D&D 5e one shot has been made with 4 level 5 characters in mind. I will be writing about it in terms of this world, but anyone can adapt this one shot and throw an angry yeti at their players. I have labeled descriptive text in bold, and italicized dialogue.

Structure

Exposition

Urukal is well known in the region, he is a cunning and wicked yeti. Those few who survive his attacks swear he was toying with them. Ripping them open, then leaving them to slowly die of exposure or blood loss. Finding people lost in the wilderness and herding them away from salvation. He was horrible, but never more than a nuisance for travelers and explorers. Settlements have always been safe, and well guarded travelers never caught so much as a glimpse of the monster. Plenty went out to slay the yeti, but none succeeded.
The Frosthunter tribe have been a presence in the tundra for a while. Lazy brutes, they tame beasts to do work for them. They have previously been negotiated into peace. Older locals tell of a time when they were more aggressive but thanks to past heroes they have been subdued and no longer attack the locals.

Rising Action

The rising action is the struggle to face Urukal. Bugbear outriders have been spotted and they may show up. If they were not faced on the road, a pair show up now and try to capture the players. Use the tactics in the "Hooks" section.
At the gates of the lair, they see a pair of bugbears and a large, white wolf. The bugbears are wearing fur trimmed hide armor made from mammoth hide, each with a morning star and shield. The wolf's blue eyes are matched by the wisps of blue fog trailing from its nose. However, is wearing strange jewelry such as earrings and a collar, each with runes carved into it. The bugbears are speaking to each other in Goblin, having a casual conversation about all the plunder and loot they'll get once they get a stronger force. They wistfully chat about stealing anything that can carry and torching the rest. The wolf is laying down as if sleeping, but a successful DC15 Perception, Investigation or Insight check reveals that it is fully awake and aware. If the party approaches openly, the bugbears are unwilling to let them in, though they could be "persuaded" (bribed) to look the other way. They want treasure: gold, gems, magic items, those sort of things. Once the bugbears have their bribe, the wolf then sits up and tells the players "Shiny trinkets work on them, but I will not be swayed by such simple distractions. If you do not wish to become my next meal, you will have to give me a part of yourself. Perhaps a strand of hair, or a sentimental item." If given any of these items, the wolf gives a knowing smile and walks off toward the shore. The wolf can also be dealt with by removing its jewelry, which if investigated with a DC 15 arcana check will reveal that it is sustaining a charm upon the wolf. Once freed from the enchantment, the wolf shakes it's head and asks what has happened and where it is. If told, it replies "I have no stake in this hag's schemes. Do as you wish." before walking off.
Once inside the compound, the players find themselves on a short path ending in a large courtyard. Around the courtyard is a series of cages, with a few empty and one clearly big enough for a Large size creature. In the center of this courtyard there are five bugbears wrangling an arctic gryphon. Instead of an eagle and a lion, this gryphon is a combination of a snowy owl and a snow leopard. The five are trying to hold it down with a series of ropes as it struggles to take off. If combat breaks out, the gryphon is aggressive toward anything nearby, be it bugbear or player. A successful DC 20 animal handling check will placate it, and it will walk off to a corner in order to catch its breath. The bugbears however will treat the PCs as intruders and try to knock them out and throw them in cages. The bugbears are not very loyal however, and if seriously injured (10HP or whatever you deem appropriate) will attempt to disengage and run. If they have captured any PCs before multiple bugbears are seriously injured, they may attempt to bargain, offering to free the captured PC in exchange for their lives.
Guarding the fork in the trail to Urudal and Myrtle is a large, armored mammoth with a bugbear riding it. The mammoth wears a series of leather straps weaving their way around the beast like a harness, with glowing runes carved into its tusks. This armor gives the mammoth a +3 to AC. A DC 10 Arcana check reveals the runes to be similar to the ones controlling the Winter Wolf. The rider proudly proclaims "You face Runetusk, Guardian of Urudal! Leave or be crushed beneath his might!" They then crouch down on the mammoth, gaining half cover. When initiative is rolled, the mammoth holds it's action for when a PC gets within 20ft of it. Once the target is 20ft away, it trumpets and runs to the side of the target. It passes 10ft to the side of the player and uses Gore. If the PC is knocked prone from Trampling Charge, it closes and begins stomping on them. If they are not, it keeps running and ends it's turn 20ft away, ready to charge again. While in melee, Runetusk will stand their ground, but if the opportunity presents itself it will try to Trampling Charge. When low on health(40HP or whatever you deem appropriate), Runetusk will Disengage, then back up and try their drive by Gore tactic again. When Runetusk is killed, the rider will sit stunned on the beast for a moment, before running off trying to save it's life.

If the players go down the obvious path, they will reach Urudal. However, if they notice the second path with a DC 20 Perception, Investigation or Survival check, they will be brought down to the coast. There they find "a scarred, bedraggled looking triton woman weakly clutching her trident. She is laying in the shallow water, in apparent pain." This triton is Myrtle in disguise. If the players help her, she spins a tragic story to win their sympathy."I was out on patrol with three others, when we were attacked by a monstrous shark! The fiend ate poor Ravnas whole before we realized it was there. The rest of us fought back, but Mismir and Kargos were ripped to pieces. I barely escaped with my life!" If the players buy the story and want to help, Myrtle tries to send them off on a side quest. "There is a tree nearby, with roots that touch the primal magic of the world. If you can bring me a branch from this tree, I can fashion it into a spear. A spear strong enough to kill that accursed shark! You will find it in the center of a shimmering pond, green despite the frost." With a DC 10 History or Nature check, the players learn that this tree does exist, but with a DC 15 they remember it is sacred to a circle of druids who would not take kindly to the players ripping a branch off their holy tree. If the player at any point either distrust the hag beyond recovery or reveal her for what she is, she drops the illusion and uses Hideous Appearance. As the players are afraid, she dives into the sea and swims away at top speed.

If the players manage to chase her, they will find her fleeing back to a sunken ship that serves as a lair. "Before you lies a broken ship, the faded name "The Siren's Song" barely visible along the sides. Near the prow, a large collection of various aquatic plants grows, reminiscent of a garden. Ancient cannons lie in their holes, most rusted beyond repair or coated in barnacles. From within the large hole in it's side, you see dark shapes moving. You worry what vile monsters such a creature has for bodyguards." If they are seen as they approach, a rusty cannon goes off attacking whoever is closest. Roll an attack at +6 dealing 2d12 bludgeoning damage on a hit. When the players arrive, they find a trio of merrow wielding harpoons menacingly. In Abyssal, they say "You better scram before someone gets hurt". Myrtle is there as well, hiding in the back with a wand in each hand. One is the spine and skull of a fish, glowing with eldritch power(Wand of Magic Missile). The other is a carved piece of driftwood wrapped in sticky seaweed(Wand of Web). If the PCs refuse to leave, the merrow attempt to surround them and attack. Myrtle will do her best to stay out of melee range, firing off her wands. If the PCs are clumped together, she tries to restrain themselves with Web, and she will try to pick off weak or injured PCs with her magic missiles. The merrow will be straight forward brutes, doing their best to keep everything away from their hag mistress. They will fight to the death unless she is killed. If Myrtle gets very injured(20HP or whatever you deem appropriate), or if all her minions die, she will beg for her life, offering her powers to aid the PCs in their quest. "Look what I have done with that simple brute Urudal. I have made him mighty! Imagine how mighty you could be with me at your side." If there are any mages in the party, she tempts them with magic. "I have spent my life collecting magical secrets, secrets I would happily share with you if I was spared." If spared, she gladly allies with the PCs. She views them as pawns in her plots, but dangerous ones, so she will never directly oppose them unless she believes she can either destroy or evade them. In exchange, she will act as an arcane craftsman and apothecary, crafting items for the PCs that will help them, but with small downsides or curses. She could craft them a Circlet of Blasting that burns them when fired, or a cursed Shield of Missile Attraction. She will also share her library with the PCs, giving them advantage on any knowledge checks made while reading. If she is slain, any remaining Merrow will do one last round of attacks and begin to back off. They will use their movement to leave after attacking, then next round they will Dodge if within opportunity attack range or Dash otherwise. The players can then loot her ship freely. She carries the two wands of Magic Missile and Web, and in the prow of the ship she has set up a small workshop. There are a few potions bottled near a cauldron, and some skins laying half worked nearby. Identifying the potions reveals 3 Potions of Healing, a Potion of Animal Friendship and a Potion of Growth. Anyone with an Herbalist's Kit can also gather alchemical ingredients from her garden.

Climax

The climax of the adventure is the confrontation with Urudal. Urudal is a yeti with +2 strength, -2 wisdom and wearing an icy blue Cape of the Mounteback and a Ring of Jumping. He sits on a throne carved from an upright fallen tree with one dragon on either side. When the players enter, the yeti laughs confidently and tells them
"What a treat! Gruldir and Sorith get to hunt something more fun than a simple elk. Come my pets, let us feast!" The dragons roar in response and take flight. As Urudal begins the fight, he activates his ring and literally leaps into combat. While under the spell's effects, Urudal can jump up to 27ft horizontally or 10ft up from standing. With a running start, these numbers increase to 55ft horizontal and 21ft vertical.
Urudal is a mostly a simple brute. He prioritizes his dragons over himself though. If one of the dragons is being attacked by multiple PCs he rushes to their defense, uncaring about opportunity attacks. The wyrmlings themselves will line up their breath weapons, and hit as many PCs as possible from the sky. When their breaths are recharging they pick weak looking targets, such as mages or frail rogues, fly in and bite them repeatedly. When near death (8HP or whatever you deem appropriate), the wyrmlings try to flee, flying away as Urudal shouts "Get back here you overgrown lizard! You're mine! You were supposed to lead army to victory!" Urudal himself is delusional, and will fight to the death all while taunting the PCs. "This is my tundra, and I rule with a frozen grip!" "Kneel before your master!" "You are not the first fools to fall before me, and I promise you will not be the last!"

Resolution

With Urudal defeated, the players have stopped a great evil and saved the surrounding lands from tyranny. The players have Urudal's corpse, and if the wyrmlings did not escape they have those as well. On the yeti, they find a pair of leather bracers. A DC 16 Arcana check or the Identify spell reveals that they will give +2 Strength to a max of 20 but -2 WIS to a minimum of 1. "These bracers made from some thick leather have been either enchanted or cursed depending on your viewpoint. They will enhance the strength of any arm they are put on, at the expense of the wearer's mind." His cloak and ring are also magical. The cloak is a Cape of the Mounteback, but with an icy theme. The ring is a Ring of Jumping, a wooden ring carved with images of leaping fish. Urudal also had a small horde of treasure stolen by his bugbear raiders. The party finds 300 gold in assorted coins, from copper to gold, as well as 400 gold in trade goods.
If Myrtle is still alive, she quickly learns of this unfortunate turn and abandons her scheme.

Components

Goals

The yeti Urukal has been a nuisance for a long time now, but now he has become an actual threat. He has dragooned bugbear beast masters into his service and is raising a pair of white wyrmlings as living weapons. The players must stop the yeti from getting any stronger, and turning into a tyranical warlord. This is their obvious goal, but as fearsome as Urukal is, there is another behind him. A hag named Creaky Myrtle Sludgelurker has imbued the yeti, and several beasts around the lair, with magic and malice. She is the brains behind the yeti's schemes, urging it to greater acts of evil.

Hooks

There are various ways the players can find out about this issue. They could see draconic shapes flying in the distance, before swooping down on some unseen prey.
There could be travelers talking about rumors of bugbears being controlled by a yeti. If they do encounter a traveler, the party finds a well guarded pair of wagons led by a half orc merchant with a large, shaggy beard. He introduces himself as Thran Frostaxe and greets the players, warning them "Be careful along these roads, there's monsters roaming. This region is the hunting grounds of a yeti, known as Urudal." He will gladly exposit about Urudal if asked, giving up the information found in the Exposition section about him. However, a DC 10 Insight check reveals he is holding something back. If convinced with a DC 13 Persuasion check, he will reveal "I don't know this for certain, but I hear the beast is building an army. There's rumors he's pressed a local bugbear tribe into service, and Magra, a guard back in Pinebrook, has sworn she's seen a pair of creatures flying over by his lair."
They could run into a pair of outriders who want to capture them as dragon food. If attacked on the road, the bugbears will try and sneak close once they spot the players. Roll for stealth with the bugbear's modifier. Once the players are within 40ft, they will charge the PCs on their bears and attack, with surprise if they are hidden. They will cry out in Goblin "You are food for the dragons!" as they pounce. Once combat is joined, they will tank it out until seriously wounded(10HP or whatever you deem appropriate). At this point, they will Disengage and run their bear away. If their bears get seriously wounded(15HP or whatever you deem appropriate), the bugbears must make a DC10 Animal Handling check in order to keep control of their bear. If they fail the check or the bear has no handler, it will flee. When one of the riders flees for whatever reason, the second will assess the situation. If it believes it can capture/kill one PC and get away, it will try to do so. Otherwise, it will cover it's partner's escape for a round before retreating itself.

Stakes

If the players fail to stop Urukal, the yeti will gather more minions and the dragons will grow older and stronger. A new power will rise from the north, freezing any who dare stand against it. This immediately includes the small town of Pinebrook but the army will not stop there. Myrtle will also have a powerful new pawn to use in her schemes. Hags thrive on misery and suffering, and a yeti warlord with a pair of dragons could unleash widespread devastation.

Plot type

One Shot

Related Locations

• Noburu