Whether you’re visiting Icewind Dale, playing a holiday one-shot, or just starting a cool new character, here are five winter options for PCs.
The cold of winter is a kind of magic all its own. In the darkness of the ice and snow, danger lurks in the background of the psyche. Which is, of course, to say, there’s a whole lotta myth and magic about the things of winter. From wintry witches to frozen monsters – and where there’s mythology, there are D&D character archetypes. And the “person who’s good at cold” is an archetype that has been around a surprisingly long time in D&D. It carries through to today – here are five examples of ice/winter player character options so you can be cool any time of year.
Winter Walker Ranger
The newest kid on the block, the Winter Walker Ranger out of Heroes of Faerun, is a cold-themed Ranger that wields the power of the wintry north. Drawing on the darkness and danger of the frozen wilds, as well as the latent magic that an aurora borealis might inspire, no matter where it’s localized, Winter Walker Rangers fight like a blizzard.
Wielding cold magic and dealing cold damage when they attack, these are a great embodiment of winter itself. And all that’s before you start using your winter powers to freeze enemies in place and slay them like a cruel winter in a year of barren harvests.
Warrior of the Elements Monk
Or go the element-bending route and play a Warrior of the Elements Monk. While you might still need, on occasion, to use one of the other elements in your purview, as a Warrior of the Elements Monk you can blast your enemies with ice and snow wherever you go. You don’t even have to use a Bonus Action – you can just spend a Focus Point and imbue yourself with unarmed strikes that deal cold damage and hit people up to 15 feet away, and you can push or pull them along the ice you create.
As you get more powerful, you can even fly and leave a trail of destructive cold wherever you go. Which works beautifully if you have feats like the new Cold Caster out of Heroes of Faerun.
White/Silver Dragon Sorcerer
Or really go all in on the ice and “embodiment of winter’s fury” and play a Sorcerer with Dragon blood. Specifically White or Silver dragon blood, so you are associated with the ice and snow those dragons live in and draw elemental power from. As a Draconic Sorcerer, you gain power from an element associated with dragons, and you’ll pick Cold, of course.
Eventually, you’ll have draconic wings and can summon a dragon to your aide. But a lot of your power will lie in being a cool dragon guy.
Archfey Warlock
One of the less-represented in popular media, but actually quite fun Warlock Patrons is the Archfey. You draw upon the power of one of the rulers of the Feywild, such as – to quote the book – “the Prince of Frost”. Or pick some other Fey from the Winter Court. Winter faeries are an iconic thing both in D&D and in our own mythology.
Sure, you will have to flavor your Misty Steps to be wintergreen-scented, or whatever, but the flavor – the story elements, the pacts with beings of winter itself are the perfect winter option for a D&D character. Especially when you pick up like Armor of Agathys or other cold-related abilities.
Ice Wizard
Finally, one that doesn’t involve a subclass but an idea popular enough that it’s been copied in various D&D games, including most recently Baldur’s Gate 3. And it is simple: play a Wizard (any school) and pick up ice spells. Things like Ray of Frost and Ice Knife. In Baldur’s Gate 3 there are a number of magic items that play into adding to the damage or freezing effects of a character using ice magic. But if you want to play a Wizard of Winter, all you really have to do is pick the right spells
Happy adventuring!
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