A character caught out in the open during a hailstorm
may suffer damage from being pelted by the rocklike
clumps of ice, but a well-prepared or well-armored character can
often avoid any difficulties. A character who is wearing splint
mail, banded mail, or any other armor with a natural AC
of 4 or better can avoid damage entirely by taking the simple precaution
of squatting or rolling into a ball and covering his head.
(Of course, this makes the character a much easier TARGET to hit in
a combat situation.) A character can also protect himself by
squatting or rolling into a ball and covering himself with a large
shield. Partial or total protection may be afforded by draping a
large skin or canvas over a couple of handy tree branches and
taking refuge beneath this makeshift tent. Other means of protection
may be devised, and the DM should moderate
the benefit (if any) of such attempts.

    A character who is not suitably protected has a 50% chance of
suffering damage on a round-by-round basis, depending on the
type of armor he is wearing and the size of the hailstones:

Table 8: Hailstorm Damage to Characters

                                                                       Size of Hailstones

Type of Armor	Small (up to 1/2")	Medium (up to 1 1/2")	Large (over 1 2/2")
None	1d4	1d6	1d8
Leather or studded	1d3	1d4	1d4
Padded	1d2	1d3	1d3
Scale or chain mail	-	1d2	1d3

The damage figures on the preceding table assume that the
character is doing what he can to protect himself by reducing the
surface area of his body that is exposed to the hailstones. If a
character is unable or unwilling to take such precautions, ld2
points of additional damage should be added for each round in
which damage is taken. The use of a small shield to protect part
of one’s body (while in a protected position) brings damage down
to half of the indicated amount, with a minimum of 1 point of damage
whenever it occurs.

The DM must determine when small, medium, or
large hailstones fall in the course of a storm. A single hailstorm
can produce stones of various sizes at different times, or can be
made up entirely of stones of one size.