Cover of The Midwinter Bell

The Midwinter Bell

Christmas

A cozy 5E-compatible winter one-shot for 4-5 characters of levels 1-3: on the Longest Night the Ember Heart, clapper of Thistlewick's Midwinter Bell, vanishes and the bell must ring at midnight.

Players and time
4-5 characters, levels 1-3 (written for level 2); one session of 3-4 hours; pillars Social 40% / Exploration 35% / Combat 25%
Pages
37
Format
US Letter + A4
Language
English, Italian (La Campana di Mezzinverno)
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What's in the download

  • 5 parts: The Longest Night, Whispers in the Snow (8-location open investigation), Into the Frostwood, The Stag's Hollow, The Twelfth Stroke
  • Festival games: Snowball Gauntlet, Snow-Sculpture Garden, Firepepper Cider, Lantern Riddle, Sled Pull
  • 6 villagers each with a Want and a Secret
  • d4 Sights of the Festival, d4 Wonders of the Frostwood
  • 3-stage Whiteout Trail exploration challenge
  • Magic items: Ember Charm, Fawnbell, Stagtine; Marigold's Mittens
  • Midnight Clock (30-minute boxes from 7 p.m.)
  • 'Running a Cozy Game' GM advice

This page is safe to share with your players or guests: it does not reveal the culprit, the solution or any answer.

Inside pages

Lines from the book

The characters' footprints fill with faint blue light for a moment after each step, then fade.

nobody may be alone on the Longest Night: a stranger without a table is always given a seat at someone's.

A goat in a knitted scarf has escaped its pen and is eating the snow sculptures. Three children are chasing it, and losing.

ADV 03 The Midwinter Bell

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