| The Effects of Cold | Hotter and Hotter | Weather | Terrain | Events |
| Personal Effects | - | Other Environmental Factors | - | Editor's Note |
| Dragon | - | - | - | Dragon 108 |
Though falling damage in the AD&D®
game has been thoroughly covered
(DRAGON® issues #88, 90, et. al.), there
remains the problem of dealing with other
natural hazards and everyday events. What
are their effects in AD&D game terms?
How can a DM develop the effects of hot
and cold weather, or unusual occurrences
such as earthquakes and storms? The effects
of natural events such as these are expressed
in AD&D gaming only in terms of description,
not quantification.
When we ask people to role-play, we want
them to have their characters treat the game
as if it were reality. Well, reality does not
consist only of fighting and spell-casting, or
of lone, unconnected adventures. When
weather and other effects that pervade our
lives are ignored, it becomes difficult to
treat the campaign realistically. Description
alone cannot force players to react naturally
when their characters encounter freezing
cold, sweltering heat, or unusual events.
In "Weather in the World of Greyhawk"
(originally printed in DRAGON issue #68,
later included in the revised WORLD OF
GREYHAWK Fantasy Game Setting) we
found out about generating types of weather
and some of their effects, but weather alone
is hardly everything a party has to deal
with, and the article itself was not comprehensive
in describing effects. Knowing
exactly what the effects of a particular physical
hazard are makes a DM's life much
simpler and his world more consistent. No
more arguments about damage done or the
special effects of cold, heat, unusual
weather, terrain features, or natural events
such as avalanches. Dealing with extremes
in such locales as the Nine Hells or the
arctic can be as challenging and stimulating
as tangling with dragons. While not strictly
realistic, these rules should encourage players
to deal in a more true-to-life fashion
with temperature extremes and other hazards
of adventuring.
It is a good idea to include only those
rules and effects that fit into the campaign,
since some judges stress play over realism,
and others vice versa. What follows is intended
to improve DMs? control over
events in their games and to provide guidelines
for their own ideas. While this article
cannot be all-inclusive, and must still rely
on description to some extent, the general
guidelines here should be sufficient to get
DMs to set up reasonable limits on the
damaging power of these effects.
Many saving throws described here are
made against against a character?s ability
scores. A save against an ability score (such
as dexterity) is made by rolling 3d6 and
obtaining a number less than or equal to the
ability score. A roll of any number greater
than the ability score is a failed saving
The effects of cold
Heat and cold, while they are opposites,
have a very similar scope. Not only is their
damage dependent upon the degree of heat
or cold present, but they might also affect
only certain parts of the characters. Each
has short-range and long-range effects that
have not been fully explored.
"Weather in the World of Greyhawk"
describes a variety of cold effects, but it fails
to address cold damage. Inflicting such
damage on characters is a good way to get
them (and their players) to treat cold
weather seriously. If the penalties seem
harsh, remember that lesser damage ends
up being a simple annoyance, while the
described effects grab the players? attention
and force them to deal with their environment.
Face it; a lightly clad character may
ignore a descriptive paragraph of cold
weather -- but start taking away his hit
points and he may beg, borrow, or steal to
get winter clothes.
The rules for hot and cold situations
below apply only to natural conditions, not
magical ones. Spells and items already have
their effects described elsewhere and are
beyond the scope of this article.
While it is possible to develop a damage
scheme based on a wind-chill table, it is
easier to figure that an unprotected character
takes 1 hp of damage per hour in a 40°
temperature, plus another 1 hp per hour for
every full increment of 10° below that, plus
1 hp per hour for every 10 mph of wind
velocity at a temperature of 40° or below.
Thus, a character loses 6 hp per hour if he
is in a 20 mph wind and the temperature is
10°. (In this article, the Fahrenheit scale is
used for temperature designations.)
Cold damage should be kept track of separate
from regular damage, since it has
special rates and methods for healing. Cold
damage heals at a rate of 1 hp for every
hour of rest in a temperature of 50º or
higher. (Temperatures above 40º and below
50° do not cause cold damage, but neither
do they contribute to healing cold damage
at the accelerated rate.) Healing potions
and spells cure 3 hp of cold damage for
every point of normal damage they would
normally heal. Cold damage is basically
heat loss and physical stress, which is recovered
fairly quickly compared to combat
damage.
Damage from cold can be lessened by
wearing extra clothing. The base temperature
(the point at which cold damage begins
to accrue) is reduced to 30º for a character
wearing a heavy cloak, while normal winter
clothing reduces it to 20°. Special winter
clothing made by cold-dwelling peoples, or
from a cold-dwelling creature such as a
polar bear, can reduce the base to 10º or
less. Each layer of clothing reduces the base
temperature by 5º, but also lowers dexterity
and hit probability by one for each layer.
While a character in normal clothes loses 4
hp an hour in 30º air with 20-mph winds,
when dressed in winter clothing he loses
only 2 hp an hour. Being a native of a cold
climate also helps; lower the base temperature
for all cold-dwelling folk by 10o. Thus,
a cold-dwelling native wearing a coat of
polar-bear fur only begins losing hit points
when the temperature drops to 0º. At ?
10o, with a 20-mph wind, this character
would lose only 4 hp per hour while a normally
dressed tropics-dweller would lose 8
hp per hour.
Everyone knows that hard work helps
keep you warm in cold weather. Heavy
work or combat takes 10o off the base temperature
of a character or other being in
such an environment.
Once a character has lost at least half of
his HP in cold damage, he should be
allowed to make saving throws against his
constitution in order to halve further natural
cold effects. This shows the body?s resistance
to cold and lessens the overall
deadliness of low temperatures.
Frostbite is another danger in cold
weather. If a character?s hands, feet, or face
are unprotected, every sixth point of cold
damage is considered frostbite and is taken
instead as normal damage. Hand protection,
in the form of thick gloves or wrappings,
will reduce effective dexterity by 1
point in cases where use of the hands is
important (such as for many of a thief's
special abilities), and can also make spellcasting
more difficult (half again the normal
casting time for spells with somatic components).
Cold-weather boots (costing twice
the price of normal boots) will protect the
feet, but if poorly made or ill-fitting they
can slow the wearer?s movement by half. A
character?s face can be protected by a covering
mask or scarf. Animal fat spread over
the hands or face can take the place of
gloves or a mask, but is only effective for
one hour per application.
If a character's face, hands, or feet are
unprotected for longer than an hour in most
cold conditions below 30°, the character
suffers certain penalties in addition to the
normal hit-point loss to frostbite. Coldnumbed
hands force a character to fight at
-2 to hit and have a 1 in 6 chance per
round of dropping any item held. Spells
having somatic components or requiring the
handling of materials require twice the
normal time to complete with stiff and
deadened fingers, and there is a 50%
chance that the spell will be miscast and
wasted in any event. Frosted feet lower the
character?s dexterity by 2 points in situations
requiring quick movement, such as
combat, and reduce his movement rate by
3?. An hour of warming is required to
return cold-damaged extremities to normal.
When normal damage plus cold damage
cause a character to be reduced to zero hit
points, that character is overcome with
fatigue and falls unconscious. If the character
is thereafter reduced to -10 hp, due to
cold or combat, he dies of hypothermia --
freezing to death.
Other effects typical of cold, snowy climates
can be avoided by characters who
take proper precautions. Snowblindness on
a sunny day can be prevented if a visor
(such as most great helms have) is placed
over the eyes, but this increases the character's chance of being surprised
by 1 chance
in 6. Once snowblind, a character cannot
recover until he is out of the sun, and will
then require 1-4 turns to return to normal.
Liquids freeze at a rate of one pint per hour
for each 10º below freezing (assume that a
pint of oil will freeze at 0º), but placing
vials close to the body prevents this. Wearing
boots with high-traction soles allows a
character to move and fight normally on
ice. Anyone not wearing such boots must
save vs. dexterity once per turn while moving
or else slip and fall. In addition, such a
character has a -3 "to hit" penalty, and
must save vs. dexterity or else slip and fall if
he misses a blow in combat.
Water can be hazardous to characters in
the cold. Immersion in cold water, such as
when a character falls into a river, causes 1
hp of cold damage each melee round until
the character is rescued and placed in a
warm, sheltered area. Characters in freezing
water also lose 1 point from their
strength and dexterity scores each round
they are immersed, until either category is
reduced to zero (at which time the character
dies). Note also the dangers of drowning
(described in DRAGON issue #107, in the mariner NPC class).
Cold effects can be halted and offset in
several ways. Shelter, which requires a wall
at least 5? high and completely surrounding
the group, can eliminate wind chill effects.
It takes about four character-hours to build
a 5?-high wall around a 10?-diameter area.
A small fire in the open air can warm two
people standing within 3? of it, and a large
fire (such as a bonfire) can warm anyone
standing within a 5? radius. A small fire
warms the interior of a 10? diameter shelter.
For simplicity, eliminate temperature effects
in warmed areas. Wind chill still affects the
characters around a fire in the open. All
cold effects are suspended for as long as
conditions last by a fire inside a shelter.
Magic can be used to aid survival. Various
wall spells can create shelters, and fire
spells can warm characters. Treat a flametongue
sword as a small tire. A fire elemental
counts as a large fire, but it may refuse
to appear on or move over snow or ice. A
wall of flame serves as both warmth and a
shelter, but it creates a pond of water which
soon turns to ice. A Chariot of Sustarre
keeps everyone in it warm. Adapting to the
cold, such as polymorphing into a colddwelling
creature or using a cube of frost
resistance, is very effective. Characters can
always avoid the cold by going ethereal or
hibernating (feign death, statue, etc.). Of
course, instead of talking about the weather,
they can do something about it with such
spells as control winds and control weather.
Freezing rain is, if anything, worse than
all but the lowest of temperatures. For every
hour in freezing rain, characters take normal
cold damage plus 1d4 hp, and frostbite
damage on every fourth hit point.
Roll for wandering monsters in frozen
wastes as if the party were in desert
terrain (see DMG, p. 47). Many native creatures
have a good chance to surprise (1-3 on d6)
due to their white fur. Some of the more
intelligent creatures also hide in snow drifts
or in hollows, making them even more
difficult to spot. Unless it is snowing and
windy, an adventuring group on the move
will leave tracks that last for days.
In extremes of cold, food is preserved for
virtually any length of time. Every week,
perishables (meat and fruits) have a 20%
chance of going bad in 40º temperatures,
-5% for every 10º below that.
While fire-based attacks have normal
effects, non-flaming heat-based attacks (heat
metal, etc.) lose one from each of their
normal dice of damage in temperatures
below 0º. In extreme cold, such as on certain
planes and caused by certain spells
(control temperature, etc.), when temperatures
(not including wind chill) fall below
-60°, all heat-based attacks do half normal
damage. In these circumstances, a successful
save against the attack negates all damage.
Fire-dwelling creatures in cold regions
such as these are extremely uncomfortable
and twice as difficult to control. Even when
control is usually absolute, such creatures
have a 25% chance to disobey and attempt
to flee.
Hotter and hotter
Now we warm up again, but the characters
are not necessarily going to feel any
better about it. Not only does heat bring on
heatstroke and hallucinations, but discomfort
and burns are also factors that often
amount to more than simple annoyances.
Temperature is not the only determinant
of heat effects. When the temperature is
higher than 75º, roll percentile dice to
determine the relative humidity. Half of this
percentage is added to the temperature to
determine the base ?perceived temperature.
? The discussion of temperature effects
below is based on this perceived temperature.
Adjust relative humidity upward in
wet, foggy areas like marshes and swamps,
and adjust it downward in places like deserts.
Perceived temperature can differ from
one individual to another, as described
below, depending on other factors such as
armor, encumbrance, and general physical
condition.
For every 10o above 100º of perceived
temperature, subtract 1" from a character?s
movement. For every 20º above 100º,
apply a -1 penalty to hit probability in
combat. Environmental temperatures above
160° would not occur naturally except in
volcanic areas or enclosed chambers. These
penalties can be just as useful in the heat of
other planes. Reactions to characters by
NPCs and creatures that are not natives of
hot-weather climates are figured at -5%
for every 10o over 100º. This simulates the
fatigue and discomfort caused by
hot
weather. Use the cold-weather control figures
for attempts to control cold-dwelling
natives in hot weather.
Stress, heavy clothing, and encumbrance
also affect characters in the heat. Heavy
work or combat adds 10o to the perceived
temperature of all characters engaged in
such activity. Thus, while the actual temperature
remains the same, the perceived
temperatures of individual characters
change depending on their clothing and
work. For every step of armor class (counting
actual body armor, not magical bonuses,
protection spells, shields, etc.) better
than AC 10, treat the perceived temperature
as 50 higher for that character. For
every 500 gp carried in addition to armor,
treat the temperature as 10º higher for the
carrying character. Thus, a character wearing
chainmail (AC 5) and carrying the
equivalent of 1000 gp encumbrance in 90°
heat has a perceived temperature of 135º.
Heat does not affect heat-dwelling creatures
and characters unless it is warmer
than is normal for that being?s homeland.
Creatures not affected by tire or heat spells
are not affected by natural heat. Likewise,
tropics-dwellers are inured to these effects.
Characters from hot climes raise their heat
tolerance threshold to 120°, instead of 100º.
Like continued cold, continued heat can
be fatal to characters. Any character with a
personal perceived temperature of higher
than 140° for more than three consecutive
turns must save each turn thereafter against
his constitution, for as long as the condition
persists. Failing the save lowers his effective
constitution by 3 points, while a successful
save lowers it by only 1 point. Salt intake
adds +3 to this save, slowing the effects of
heat. If reduced to a constitution score of 3,
a character acts as though under the influence
of a confusion spell. At 0 constitution,
the character falls unconscious; if not
treated by a cleric and cooled to a perceived
temperature of 100º or less (or protected
from heat by magical means), the character
will die ten minutes after collapsing.
When in high temperatures, characters
have a chance of experiencing several other
effects. Each character must save once per
hour against his wisdom or see a random
hallucination, usually associated with water
or some other desired object. Heat reflected
off flat surfaces distorts vision, and all missile
attacks made while contending with
such shimmering surfaces are at -2 to hit.
Light-colored surfaces, such as sand, reflect
sunlight to such an extent that characters
may suffer the same effects as being
snowblinded.
Characters may cool themselves by several
conventional methods without resorting
to spells. By wearing only light clothes,
while maintaining a cloth shield against the
sun, a character can lower his perceived
temperature by 10o. A reduction of 5º
occurs for each pint of water poured over
the character, to a maximum reduction of
20º. Characters must drink at least one pint
of water per hour for every 20º over 100°,
or else an extra constitution save (in addition
to the normal one above) is required
each hour, with similar loss of 1 or 3 constitution
points.
Certain magical effects can lower temperatures.
Ice created by any cold-based spell
or item (including the proximity of a frostband
sword) cools anyone within 1? by 5º,
with distance and cooling increasing by that
amount per cubic foot of ice, to a maximum
of half the actual temperature in a 10?
radius. Ten cubic feet of ice at 120º cools all
characters within 10? by 50°. However, ice
melts at a rate of one-tenth of its volume per
turn per 20º above freezing (32°). (When
the temperature is 132º, half of the ice
melts in one turn.) Freezing a solid surface
creates an equivalent of one cubic foot of ice
for every 6 hp of damage from the spell.
Any kind of shade, magical or not, brings
temperatures down 10o if it covers at least a
10? by 10? area.
As noted in the section on cold effects, a
character may be protected from heat effects
by using magic to resist the heat or to become
a heat-dwelling creature.
In a desert, lightly dressed characters
may suffer from night cold. Because the
ground gives up its heat quickly, the temperature
can plunge by 20° an hour in such
areas, to a minimum of 50º. Normally this
is not cold enough to cause problems, but
characters acclimated to the heat of the day
may find this to be enough to cause basic
cold damage (1 hp per hour) unless they
take precautions against being chilled.
The chance of perishable food spoiling in
the heat is 30% cumulative per day in a
temperature of 70°, plus another 10% for
every 20º of temperature above 70º. A
piece of raw meat has a 30% chance of
being ruined if it is left out for one day, and
the high temperature for that day was at
least 70º. If the temperature rose to 90°,
the chance of spoiling after one day would
be 40%) and if the meat is left out for two
days of 90° temperatures, there is an 80%
chance that it will be ruined after that time.
The effects of contact with high heat and
fire are primarily manifested as burns.
Burns are not like normal damage. They
heal more slowly, result in more scarring,
and can lead to a variety of diseases. If burn
damage affects a character?s hands or feet, it
can impair the character?s functions. Direct
contact with a large fire that envelops the
victim?s entire body can cause shock, and
may be fatal even if the victim has hit points
remaining after the burn damage is accounted
for; a victim must make a system
shock roll after being enveloped by a large
fire. Failure on this roll means that he becomes
unconscious, and he will lose 10% of
his remaining hit points each turn thereafter
until he receives medical attention (which
will halt the hit-point loss) or until he is
reduced to 0 hit points (after 10 turns) and
dies.
Burn damage, like cold damage, should
be kept track of separate from normal damage.
Burn damage takes twice as long to
heal as normal damage does. For every
20% of the character's hit points lost to
burns, decrease his constitution and charisma
each by one point. Every day, for as
long as burn damage remains, the character
must check to see if he has contracted a
random acute disease (as in the DMG) by
saving against his current constitution
score. Each successful save raises his constitution
by 1 point, and if his constitution
score returns to normal there is no further
chance of getting a disease during healing.
The first time a character fails to save vs.
constitution, he will contract a disease (determined
randomly or by DM selection),
but subsequent failed saves have no effect,
except to extend the character?s recovery
time. Also, unless the character is magically
healed to prevent scarring, he must save vs.
poison once per day to recover charisma
points. Each missed save vs. poison lowers
his charisma score by 1 point permanently,
but does not affect his base constitution
score.
Characters may encounter a variety of
heat-based attacks from natural sources and
creatures. The damage resulting from these
depends mostly on the volume and relative
temperature of the hot matter that strikes
the character, as well as the length of time
the character is in contact with it. In certain
situations, heat attacks should be treated as
immediate death. Characters swamped
under a wave of lava or plunged into boiling
oil will die immediately unless there is a
possibility to avoid the material entirely.
Even being splashed by such superheated
matter can be extremely damaging. While
most kinds of heat attacks can be resisted by
spells and possessed items, those like lava
are at least as hot as dragon breath and
should be treated as such (up to 10-100 hp
of damage per round). Some extremely hot
natural materials, such as lava, can harm
even those creatures normally immune to
heat attacks. Only enchanted creatures such
as fire-dwelling elementals are resistant to
the highest natural heats.
Non-mortal wounds made by hot material
include such situations as being
splashed by it, running through or over it,
or coming within 5? of it. This damage can
vary widely, and is affected by the armor
and clothing worn. Heavy or thick clothing
subtracts one from the saving throw required
against the attack. A shield subtracts
three from the save, while the AC of the
character?s body armor (without magical
bonuses) is subtracted from ten to find out
its value against the attack. Thus, a character
in ring mail, with a shield, and wearing
a heavy, furred cloak has three plusses from
the armor, three from the shield, and one
from the cloak, for a total bonus of + 7
given to his required save. A successful save
halves all damage.
Basic damage caused by various materials
can best be judged by the size of the attack.
Attacks that envelop a character, such as a
river of lava or a cloud of burning ash,
either cause instant death (for materials
such as lava and boiling oil) or 6d8 damage
(for burning ash or steam). A spray of hot
matter causes less damage when it pelts the
character, very hot material doing 5d6
damage and other kinds doing 2d8. Very
hot materials destroy any body part (hands,
feet, arms) with which they come in contact,
while less-heated matter does 2d4 and
makes the extremity unusable for two days
Other types of heated materials include redhot
iron (very hot), boiling water (hot),
items cast into a fire (hot), and burning
items (hot) If a character is within 5? of at
least ten cubic feet of one of the above forms
in an enclosed area, basic damage is 1d4 hp
per round.
This system should not be used when the
hot material is a natural weapon of an
attacking creature (breath weapon, immolation,
etc.), in which case the creature in
question already has attack and damage
figures However, this system can be used if
the material is a secondary result of a creature
?s attack, such as boiling mud splashed
upon a victim by a fire giant?s boulder The
system particularly applies to natural phenomena,
such as lava and boiling mud
pools, steam-filled caverns, and volcanic
ash A successful saving throw (when permitted)
halves hit-point damage and reduces
a death result to the loss of half of all
remaining hit points.
Spell-casting in areas of high temperatures
can be difficult, if not impossible.
Cold-based spells cast in areas hotter than
130° lose one point from each die of damage,
and if the temperature is above 200°
(on other planes, or in volcanic caverns),
they have half normal effect and duration, a
successful saving throw negating any effect
Cold-dwelling creatures summoned to
environments like this are twice as likely to
disobey (25% chance to do so, minimum)
and may attempt to flee instead.
Weather
This topic includes localized and temporary
effects that are dependent on the
present temperature and atmospheric conditions
of the area. Rain, fog, snow, and
storms are types of weather, while temperatures
are actually part of climate. Different
types of weather can moderate or exacerbate
the temperatures that characters experience.
They can also have effects on the
adventure which go beyond the obvious.
Heavy fog and mists have the obvious
effect of halving or even cutting to onequarter
the usual range of vision, including
infravision (since warm or cool mist can
mask the heat of creatures? bodies). These
conditions can also soak characters, damage
unprotected scrolls and books, make fires
hard to start, and make the characters more
susceptible to disease (as per the
DMG).
Such water-laden air can also disrupt electrically
based spells (20% chance of negating
the spell as it is cast), make invisible
creatures easier to hit ( -2 instead of -4 to
hit for an attacker), subtract one from each
die of damage from a fire attack, double the
time it takes gases to dissipate, and make
some surfaces too slippery to climb (-30%
penalty). Many monsters prefer to hunt in
fog, benefiting from the reduced vision of
their prey and the lessened effectiveness of
fire-based attacks; trolls come immediately
to mind.
While fog can only exist in still air, exceptionally
windy conditions can make flying
progressively more difficult (as described in
?Weather in the World of Greyhawk?), can
inflict damage by blowing down or throwing
objects on characters, can halve or
quarter the range of vision (or even blind
characters) if the wind is carrying sand or
dust, and can disrupt spell-casting if material
components are blown away (30%
chance for sufficiently small or light spell
materials to be affected).
Stormy weather combines the effects of
wind with poor visibility. Lightning strikes
(see below) are possible, but the most dangerous
facet of a storm is the advantage it
gives to monsters on the prowl. Wind hides
any sounds the creature?s approach might
make, while rain or darkness hide its form.
The general confusion caused by a storm
contributes to the success of such a hunter?s
tactics. In stormy conditions, it should be at
least twice as likely for the group to have an
encounter with a wandering monster, and
the chances of surprise (on both sides)
should be increased by 50% in stormy
conditions.
Terrain
This subject includes those ground areas
that are unusual, either naturally or by
magical means. Not all terrain crossed by
the party consists of grassy fields or cool
forests. Medieval forests were boggy
and
frequently descended into swamps. Characters
might even travel to more exotic climes,
where rain forests or frozen plains are the
norm. In any case, a variety of ?terrain
encounters,? as opposed to ?creature encounters,
? should also be available to the
Dungeon Master.
As discussed in "Weather in the World of
Greyhawk," quicksand
does not necessarily
swallow all and sundry. Unencumbered
characters wearing scale mail armor or less
will sink 1? per round up to their necks, but
no further unless they thrash around. (Casting
a spell with a somatic component can be
considered ?thrashing around.?) Heavier
characters will sink faster (2? per round)
and farther, and will drown after 2 rounds
of total immersion. However, while they are
sinking they may attempt to remove excess
armor and equipment. Equipment worn or
carried into quicksand and then removed
has a 20% chance (per item) to disappear
forever into the bog. Items tied or fastened
to characters still have a 5% chance (each)
to pull off in quicksand.
Muddy surfaces may cause characters to
slip and fall. Every time the characters walk
through mud (or once per round if they are
doing so for an extended time), each must
save against his dexterity or fall. Falling in
shallow mud (one inch or less) causes no
damage. Falling in deeper mud can result in
the loss of equipment. Such mud must be at
least four inches deep, and any water over it
applies to this depth. Any item that cannot
float or is flat enough to be swallowed by
the depth of mud (such as a sword or dag-
ger) can be lost. The character must save
against his DEX or drop any item in his
hands when he falls in such mud. There is a
base chance of 40% each turn to find any
object, plus 10% for each searcher, but
subtracting 20% for small objects (6 inches
or less in length) or deep mud (1 foot or
more). A roll of less than 10% at any time
during this search indicates failure; the item
is forever lost unless located or recovered by magic.
Heavy undergrowth in wooded areas can
cut the characters? range of vision to half or
less. Such undergrowth can trip the unwary
(save against dexterity once per turn of
movement or round of combat). It also
slows movement by half or more, and can
cause 1 hp damage per turn to any characters
not wearing at least leather armor. Such
heavy undergrowth cannot cover wide
areas, instead forming thick hedges or
patches. A particularly dense forest can
make the ground below as dark as night, at
least in the ancient and enchanted forests so
common in fantasy. Passing through heavy
undergrowth is also a noisy endeavor for
either characters or most monsters (except
for druids, of course).
Mountains offer some of the most challenging
terrain for the party. Of course,
there are chances to fall from mountain
paths, but this does not necessarily mean
that the fall would involve great heights.
Mountainous regions are typically craggy
and broken, so that a fall from a mountain
path might actually mean a drop of only
20?-30?. A convenient way to decide the
distance is to roll 1d6 and multiply by 10?.
On a 5 or 6, roll a second d6 and add that
distance in 10? increments, rolling another
d6 for every 5 or 6 thrown. Such falls do not
have to be vertical, but damage done is
assumed to include rolling down slopes.
Mountain-climbing and flying adventures
also present another hazard: thin air. Lack
of oxygen affects a character the same way
as a confusion spell, halves all movement,
and subtracts two from hit probability.
These effects will begin within a number of
rounds equal to a character?s constitution,
and will last for an equal number of rounds
(at which point the character falls unconscious
and is in danger of dying) or until the
characters return to a lower elevation where
the air is breathable again.
In addition to other problems, underwater
adventures can also spoil food and destroy
valuable items (such as scrolls, maps,
potions, powders, and spell materials).
Food such as dried meat swells in water,
doubling or tripling in size, and becomes
inedible. Leather armor and equipment
stiffens after immersion in water unless
tended to within two hours.
Events
Other natural effects are not part of
general weather or terrain effects. These
can be most aptly called events, and include
volcanoes, tornadoes, falling trees,
avalanches,
mud slides, grass fires, lightning
strikes, and any other localized dangers
which might happen spontaneously or unexpectedly.
These are unusual occurrences
and should appear only occasionally.
Volcanoes are unusual, but can be an
interesting event that may have a connection
to some magic being cast in the area.
They can spring up unexpectedly, creating
the typical cone-shaped formation, or the
effects may issue from active or inactive
cones. The following effects are typical of
volcanoes, but some may be greater or less,
depending on the site. The initial result of a
volcanic eruption is an earthquake, handled
like the cleric spell, within a half-mile radius.
The vibrations can be felt up to two
miles away. An explosive eruption causes
6d10 damage to all creatures within 200
yards of its center. Up to 10? of ash from
such an eruption can settle over areas as far
away as ten miles. A lava eruption can
spray molten rock over a 100? radius, doing
10d10 damage to anyone inside that range.
Lava flows measure up to 100? across and
20? high and can move up to 12" a turn,
losing 1" of speed for every quarter mile
traveled. The heat from a lava flow or
burning ash can set vegetation (or even
creatures) afire within range of the effects.
Tornadoes are cone-shaped whirlwinds
similar to, but larger than, those created by
air elementals. Within a half-mile radius of
the tornado itself, wind speeds range from
40 to 60 mph. These high winds batter
flying creatures and tumble light objects
around, blowing spell materials and scrolls
from hands, extinguishing torches and such
smaller fires, toppling trees, and creating a
roaring noise which cloaks all other sounds
in the area. The tornado itself does 2d20
damage to any creature in the open and
structural damage to all buildings. Any
3d8<>
creatures attempting to move across open
ground, and any vehicle or hollow solid
objects not lashed to the ground, are thrown
10?-100? and take falling damage as if
falling from that height. An air elemental
can negate a tornado, but in so doing it is
itself dispelled.
Floods and fast-moving streams are not
normally dangerous to characters. An attempt
to walk or swim through shallow
flood waters is successful if a save against
the character?s strength is made, with one
roll required for every 30? traveled. Failing
this save results in the character being swept
downstream 10?-100?. Drowning may
come into play unless a second strength save
is made. Success on this second roll indicates
that the character may resume moving
normally in the flood, but downstream from
his old location.
A flash flood can be very dangerous to
characters, who must save against falling (as
above) once for every 10? of travel. If
caught in the initial torrent, characters are
automatically swept downstream and must
make two successful rolls against strength to
keep from drowning. Flash floods are preceded
by a sound like rolling thunder.
A falling tree does damage depending on
its size. For every 10? of its height, a tree
does 1d6 hp of damage to something it hits
when it falls. The toppling of a tree is a
noisy event. The cracking of timber beforehand
gives characters in the path of the
falling tree a chance to save against dexterity
to avoid being hit. Those who do not
save must take the requisite damage and
must also save vs. paralyzation or be pinned
beneath the tree. A character trying to
move a tree larger than 30? long must make
a bend bars/lift gates roll to succeed.
Smaller trees are automatically moved in
one round. Branches of fair size falling from
a tree do 1d4 to 1d10 damage (half that if a
dexterity save is successful).
Avalanches, rockslides, and mudslides
can occur in almost any kind of mountainous
terrain. All of these events require some
trigger to set them off. Snow can become an
avalanche due to a loud, sharp noise, an
explosive spell, or stress on the snowy slope
from a direct spell attack or impact by a
large body. Stones can start a rockslide if
damaged by a spell or other large object.
An earthen. slope can become a mudslide
after a heavy rain or casting of a waterbased
spell. A mudslide can also occur when
a large mass of stone is changed using a
rock to mud spell. Each type of slide does
direct damage and can bury characters and
items.
Avalanches are the largest of slides, attacking characters over a front
one half-mile
across and as long as the height of the hill or
mountain it is on. Rockslides are the most
damaging, but are seldom very large, while
mudslides are only slightly less dangerous.
A snow and ice slide does 2d6 damage and
buries characters who do not save against
dexterity. Such characters must save against
strength (one try only) in order to escape. A
victim can be dug out by companions who
were not buried, but it will take from 1-8
rounds for a single searcher to locate and
free a victim. (Additional searchers beyond
the first will reduce the time required accordingly;
two characters can do two
rounds? worth of searching and digging in
one round of elapsed time.) If a victim is
not located and freed in 4 rounds or less, he
will have suffocated by the time searchers
get to him, unless (10% chance) an air
pocket was formed around him when the
avalanche came down. Any buildings in the
path of an avalanche will suffer 1-10 points
of structural damage.
Rockslides do 5d8 damage and bury
characters who do not save against dexterity.
If a buried victim has at least 10 hit
points left after taking damage from the
rockslide, he can free himself in 1 or 2
rounds by making a bend bars/lift gates roll
(two tries allowed). If he cannot free himself,
he will lose 1 hp per round from shock
and trauma and will die unless rescued by
others within a number of rounds equal to
his remaining hit points. Buildings in the
path of a rockslide will take 3-30 points of
structural damage, and a rockslide will also
kick up thick dust (see below).
Mud does 1d6 damage to living beings
(and 2d6 structural points damage to buildings),
but any buried character must free
himself in one round (bend bars/lift gates
roll) or drown.
Any item held when a slide reaches a
character is torn from his grasp and lost on
a roll of 1-3 on a d6. Such items are destroyed
on a roll of one if a rockslide is
involved. Structures in the path of a slide
also slide down the slope on which they rest
unless they were seated on rock. Any character
caught in a slide is swept 10?-60?
downslope.
Fires are a common danger in dry forests
and grassy plains. Each type (forest fire and
grass fire) does damage as long as characters
are in the burning area, but after burning
for a time, each type tends to exhaust its
fuel. Grass fires do 2d4 damage each round,
but after burning for ten minutes, such
areas turn into bare earth. Forest fires do
2d6 a turn and may burn for up to an entire
day in an area before burning out. While
burning, trees in such fires may topple on
any characters nearby. Note that all areas
adjacent to those burning ? especially
those downwind ? often catch fire as well.
On a windless day, the center of a grass fire
may be burned out while the outer areas
continue to burn. A bare strip of ground
ringing a fire (at least 100? wide) can contain
a fire except on the windiest of days.
Clothing may catch fire, as may flammable
items such as scrolls, oil, and wooden weapons.
Smoke is the most dangerous byproduct
of fires (see below).
Lightning can affect party members ?
especially metal-armored fighters, who are
very efficient lightning rods. Anyone in a
high or exposed location in an electrical
storm may be attacked by nature. Such
natural lightning bolts do between 3d6 and
6d6 damage, depending on the size of the
strike. Characters may make a saving throw
against death magic in order to halve the
damage. Lightning and other similar strong
electrical attacks have several side effects. If
a strike does at least 50% damage to the
character, an electrical attack causes the loss
of one constitution point. This may be
regained by the application of a restoration
or heal spell. Subject to a save vs. paralyzation,
the character is also stunned for 1d4
rounds and suffers effects similar to the
magic-user?s forget spell. Half of the damage
from a lightning bolt is actually burn
damage and may be treated as suggested in
the heat section, above.
is to refer to the cleric spell of the same
name, increasing the area of effect enormously
to encompass hundreds of square
miles. The described effects are those at the
epicenter of the quake, while areas further
away suffer progressively weaker effects
(fewer points lost, etc.).
The easiest way to handle an earthquake
Tidal waves have some obvious effects
that can be expressed in game terms. A
wave that crashes into beachfronts and
moves inland does 2d6 points of damage to
characters (hit points) and buildings (structural
points) for every 10? of the wave?s
height. Creatures and objects caught in the
deluge may be washed inland 10?-60? for
every 10? of wave height, then possibly
dragged back out to sea (10% chance per
item). For every 10? of elevation of the
ground over which it travels or every 100
yards it moves inland, the wave loses 10? of
effective height and damage capability.
Anyone out to sea, either in a boat or underwater,
can tell when such a wave has
passed but takes no damage from it.
Falling walls, ceilings, and other collapsing
structures are almost impossible to
avoid. These situations merit no saving
roles unless the character is close enough to
the edge of the area of effect to avoid the
collapse completely or is standing in a doorway
(doorways typically remain stable when
ceilings or walls collapse). Structures do 1d4
damage for every point of structural damage
which they could absorb, plus 1d4 for
every 10? of height or 1? of thickness of the
wall. Saving throws to avoid these effects
are based on dexterity.
Dust and smoke are normally annoyances
rather than deadly conditions. But, at the
wrong time and place, they can be quite
dangerous. Dust is carried into the air by
various events and weather conditions, but
opening an ancient tomb or entering dry,
unused areas of a dungeon can also raise
clouds of dust. Dust can cause sneezing ( -2
to hit and on saves), coughing ( -1 to hit
and on saves), or blindness for 1-4 rounds.
Of course, the sounds associated with sneezing
and coughing can be fatal when sneaking
through a dragon?s lair. Very heavy
concentrations of dust can be fatal by causing
characters to choke, although this is
extremely unusual even in the worst dust
storms.
Smoke can rise from the burning of almost
any substance. It causes the same
basic reactions as dust, but is more deadly.
Smoke more readily causes choking and
suffocation. Also, certain materials, such as
oil products, create more deadly smoke.
Any large natural fire in an enclosed area
has a chance of resulting in smoke inhalation
(10%), for which a save against death
must be made (at + 2). If the source of the
fire is an oil product, inhalation chances are
doubled and the save is given no bonuses.
In addition to the effects of wind speed on
flying, wind can also affect missiles. For
every 10 mph of wind, subtract one from
medium-range and long-range ?to hit?
chances by material weapons (not magical
attacks). As pointed out in ?Weather in the
World of Greyhawk,? no missile weapon
may be used in winds above 60 mph,
Personal effects
In the interest of realism, many DMs go
to great lengths to make their campaigns
authentic. These measures often far exceed
the scope of the DMG. Some of
the following
effects are useful in combat, where most
odd events and weapons are seized upon by
desperate characters. While it may not be a
good idea to introduce such mundane ailments
as allergies on an everyday basis,
such afflictions can be useful as minor
curses and penalties for poor judgment.
Scattering these relatively innocuous effects
throughout a campaign is much more desirable
than abruptly hitting characters with
them, and some of these effects, if used
sparingly, can add to the enjoyment of the
playing experience.
| Stampedes | ||||
Startling: At the DM's option, startling someone
could improve the chance to surprise him.
Presenting a creature with something it does
not expect, such as a sudden light or scene;
increases the chance to surprise it by 1 in 6
if the startling maneuver is followed up by
an attack in the same round or the immediate
next round. A light spell cast in a dark
dungeon, a torch thrown in an adversary?s
face, or a well-cast illusion can cause momentary
confusion and hesitation. Monsters
may expect to be attacked, but they do not
always expect confusing or unusual sights to
precede an attack.
Getting Into and Out of Armor: How long does it take to put on
or take
off armor? Some players seem to think that
armor works like a pair of shoes ? untie a
couple of straps and it drops off. Their
characters whip off armor in record time
when necessary, such as when the platemailed
fighter falls off the ship and starts to
sink like a stone. But things just aren?t that
easy: It should take an unaided character
4-9 rounds to don leather armor, and half
that amount of time to completely remove
it. For each additional armor class step, the
time required to put it on increases by 2
rounds (and thus, the time needed to remove
it increases by 1 round). With the
help of another individual, a character can
put on or remove armor in half the normal
time, but never less than that.
Light: During the round in which a light spell is
activated in a previously darkened area, or
in which it goes out after being active, the
eyesight of all creatures with normal vision
is affected. Anyone not able to use infravision
or ultravision is partially blind and
fights at -3 to hit for that one round. A
DM may also rule that the detonation of
fire-based spells has a similar effect on
infravision.
Silent Movement: Every DM has had to deal with the party
whose members think they are all thieves.
Such groups sneak around, expecting to
surprise everything they meet, regardless of
their dress and behavior. However, most
types of armor are not conducive to quiet
movement, and non-thieves have little skill
in stealth. To simulate this, each non-thief
character who tries to sneak around should
have to save once per round against his
dexterity, subtracting one from the roll for
every AC step less than 10 (excluding magical
bonuses). Even leather creaks at times,
although thieves normally pad theirs to
prevent this, and chain mail and plate mail
can be exceptionally loud under dungeon
conditions. The surface being walked upon
also affects the chance of moving in silence;
leaves and undergrowth make everyone
pretty noisy (-4 penalty on the save), and
hard boots on a hard surface make stealth
difficult (-2). Jewelry and like items tend
to rustle and clank (-1). If a character
spends a full turn in preparation, wrapping
cloth around loose items and armor, he
receives a +2 bonus to his save needed to
move quietly ? but the save must still be
made once a round. This does not means
that the character can move as silently as a
thief. He can, however, move as quietly as
possible, possibly gaining a minor bonus to
his chance to surprise.
Fear: It is useful to enforce proper character
reactions on occasion. Since the players are
participating in a ?role-playing? game, it is
not unreasonable to expect them to react
realistically now and then. Yet most players
greet each new creature with bare-bladed
glee. Even the DM?s most horrid conjuration
is subjected to a veritable buzzsaw of
characters? weapons and spells; the adventurers
hesitate before attacking the monster
only long enough to decide the best tactics
for beating its brains out. While it is not a
good idea to force realistic reactions in
every encounter, particularly surprising,
horrific, or awesome creatures and scenes
should inspire more than a simple, ?Okay,
let?s go get ?em!? To return some roleplaying
to this aspect of the campaign, a
simple threat comes in handy: Treat the
encounter with some realism or suffer the
consequences. In this case, ?consequences?
are the equivalent of a fear spell. If the
characters do not exhibit some of the fear
and emotion which the encounter deserves,
simply invoke a fear spell, which often has
far greater effects than any simple roleplayed
fear might have. Soon characters are
reacting more realistically, even if it is just
to avoid the alternative.
Infected Wounds: When a party fights a particularly noisome
opponent (undead come most readily
to mind here) or fight in such vile locations
as sewers or refuse-strewn lairs, they should
have increased chances of getting infected
wounds. The base chance for this should be
100%, minus 5% for every constitution
point a character possesses. At the end of
each day after contracting the infection, the
character must save vs. poison or progress
to the next stage of infection. The first day
of an infection results in the character losing
1 hp every 6 hours. The second day, he
becomes confused and feverish, with continued
hit-point losses. The third day, the
character hallucinates and generally becomes
immobile. If the save on the third
day is missed, the character dies from the
infection. Any healing spell removes an
infection during the first two days, but on
the third day only cure disease stops the
infection. Anytime during the first day a
piece of heated metal may be placed on the
infected wound to cauterize it. This causes
1d6 damage, but stops the infection.
Allergies: Simple allergies are useful as minor
curses and to make characters more individualistic,
but when used too often can be
annoying to gamers. Usually, some common
substance (dust, pollen, leather, or
certain types of animals) must be present to
cause the reaction, which includes sneezing
(see dust, above) or itching (-3 to hit and
on saving throws, and 20% chance to disrupt
spell-casting). Extreme allergies (such
as to bee stings) can be fatal. For these
allergies, which are very unusual and
should be treated as major curses, the character
must save vs. poison or die. Even a
successful roll means he is incapacitated for
2d6 turns.
Noisome Lairs: Many of the creature lairs which characters
encounter reek with foul odors, and
many creatures themselves (particularly
undead) fail any cleanliness test one could
name. Nausea is as fearsome a weapon as
any other, as any ghast could affirm. Including
a few disgusting odors in the encounters
adds realism and some unexpected
danger. Each character should save vs.
poison in order to avoid nausea, which
affects characters for 1d4 rounds with a -2
?to hit? penalty. Bonuses and penalties to
saving throws may be called for in some
situations.
Food Poisoning: Food poisoning is another occurrence that
is useful in keeping players on their toes. As
described above, food will spoil within a
certain period of time in some climates. For
the first two days after it has spoiled, a
character must save against his intelligence
or not notice the spoilage. Thereafter, the
smell makes the situation obvious. Two
hours after eating spoiled food, the character
must save vs. poison or be incapacitated
for 1d4 hours thereafter. Eating large
amounts of certain types of spoiled food can
lead to death, but this is unusual since
medieval people would be eating halfspoiled
food constantly and would tend to
build up a tolerance to the toxins.
Darkness: Darkness in the open is not the same as
darkness underground. In the dungeon or a
building, no light can penetrate, resulting in
the usual -4 to hit (and no missile combat)
due to blindness. Outside, however, there is
almost always some light, even in the worst
weather. On a bright, moonlit night, the
attack penalty due to darkness should be
no more than -1, or -2 for missile combat.
On overcast or stormy nights, penalties
can drop to -3 to hit and missile combat
might be impossible. Except on very bright
moonlit nights, most flying creatures avoid
aerial movement after sundown. Darkness
makes flying hazardous to all but the most
keen-sighted of flyers, from the difficulty of
detecting hazards, other creatures, and even
the ground when landing.
Natural Insects: Natural insects can cause problems for
characters. Virtually none have a deadly
poison, but many can cause painful bites
and itching. A swarm of such insects can
affect even fully armored characters, subtracting
2 from their hit probability and
saving throws at their worst for 1d4 hours
(or unless healed), due to itching from the
bites. Some characters might have a deadly
allergic reaction to these pests (see allergies,
above), but otherwise there is little chance
of meeting deadly natural insects.
While fires in an enclosed area do create
smoke, as detailed above, they can also
create deadly gases. This is especially true
when burning oil products, such as those
which light lamps. Any group which sets up
a fire in an enclosed area should have each
guard save against his intelligence to notice
the situation, or else each member of the
group should be required to save vs. poison
after spending a reasonable length of time
in such circumstances. Making the save
means no effect (although other saves may
be called for later); failure on the save
means that the character is in danger of
suffocation. A victim will fall unconscious
and then die in 1d4 turns thereafter unless
the poisonous gas is dissipated or the victim
is removed from its source.
Some poisonous gases, such as methane,
occur naturally. These are usually found in
dungeons, caves, or swamps. Like gases
caused by burning, these gases can smother
or poison characters, and some are explosive
in sufficient quantities. In the latter
case, an ordinary torch burns more brightly
and in a different color if a flammable gas is
present. If a fire-based spell is cast in an
area that contains a critical level of flammable
gas, a 3-dice fireball encompasses the
entire area of the gas.
Editor’s note
It's been said before (in the first full
paragraph on the second page of this article),
but we're going to say it again: The
rule systems presented here are not direct
orders, they are not meant to cover every
situation that could arise in an adventure,
and they are not an absolutely accurate
reflection of reality.
For your own sake, don?t get hung up on
how to handle something that isn?t accounted
for here. Instead of writing us a
letter to ask if a thief can pick a lock with
frostbitten fingers and waiting a few weeks
for us to tell you to do what you want, just
do what you want in the first place. Even as
lengthy and detailed as this article is, it still
represents only a starting point. Where you
take it from here is up to you.
108.12
The Role of Nature
Intro : Read, ignore everything.
Ability checks : roll d20, if under ability, you succeed.
[theory (game school) : the damage is for the first full hour]
COLD
You take 1 hp dmg / hr in a 40°
temperature.
You take 2 hp dmg / hr in a 30°
temperature.
You take 3 hp dmg / hr in a 20°
temperature.
You take 4 hp dmg / hr in a 20°
temperature.
You take 5 hp dmg / hr in a 10°
temperature.
You take 6 hp dmg / hr in a 0°
temperature.
You take 7 hp dmg / hr in a -10°
temperature.
etc.
Add 1 hp of dmg / hr for every 10 mph of wind velocity at a temperature
of 40° or
below.
Track cold damage separately : it heals at 1 hp / hr of rest at 50°
or above.
Healing potions and spells heal 3 hp of cold damage for every 1 hp
they heal.
{remem: a character has 10 hp. he takes a 2 HP bite,
then freezes for 3 HP. he has 5 HP.}
{EZ: deal with the cold first. drop leftover fractions}
COLD \ PROTECTION
[theory] if 40°
or below,
add 10°
if wearing a [heavy cloak]
add 20°
if wearing normal winter clothing
add 30°
if wearing special winter clothing made by cold-dwelling winter peoples
add 30°
if wearing special winter clothing from a cold-dwelling creature such as
a polar bear
add 5°
for each layer of clothing beyond normal clothing (each layer of clothing
= -1 Dex & -1 hit probability)
add 10°if
a native of a cold or subarctic climate
add 10°
if heavy work or combat occured [in that hour]
if cold dmg = 50%+ of [current?] hit points, make a Con save for .5 dmg
FROSTBITE
IF A(NOT)1
THEN B+C
FROSTBITE \ A \ PROTECTION
IF YES for 1, 2, and 3 (eg. 1b+2a+3 = YES)
THEN NO frostbite : A=1
1a. hand protection (thick gloves, wrappings) : reduces effective Dex
by 1 for Open Locks, Remove Traps, etc.
1b. hand protection (thick gloves, wrappings) : 1.5 casting time for
spells with an S
1c. animal fat on hands or face : 1 hour protection
2a. cold-weather boots (x2 price) : if poorly-made or ill-fitting,
then (Move).5
2b. covering mask or scarf
3. animal fat on hands or face : 1 hour protection
FROSTBITE \ B \ DAMAGE
every 6th point of cold dmg is frostbite dmg, if hands, feet, or face
are unprotected
frostbite is taken as normal damage (subtract from normal hit points)
FROSTBITE \ C \ EFFECTS
in cold 30°1
or below :
cold-numbed hands : -2 to hit, and 1 in 6 chance per round of dropping
any item held
cold-numbed hands : x2 casting time for spells with an S + 50% miscast
(wasted spell)
frosted feet : -2 Dex "in situations requiring quick movement, such
as combat", -3" Move
1 hour of warming is required to return cold-numbed extremities to normal
HYPOTHERMIA
if cold damage + normal damage causes a character to be reduced to
0 [or less] hp :
overcome with fatigue, falls unconscious
-10 hp (cold + normal) = death from hypothermia
SNOWBLINDNESS
snowblindness (prevented by a visor : most great helms have this) (however,
a visor increases chances of surprise by 1)
cannot recover until out of the sun, requires 1-4 turns
FREEZING
liquids freeze at the rate of 1 pint per hour for each 10°
below freezing
a pint of oil freezes at 0°
placing vials close to the body prevents this
BALANCE
boots with high-traction soles (allow normal movement and fighting
on ice)
without such boots, every 1 turn, Dex check or slip and fall
without such boots, -3 to hit & Dex check or slip and fall if he
misses a blow in combat
1. original : "most cold conditions
below 30". within 1%?.
"if face, hands, or feet are unprotected
for longer than 1 hour" is edited. 1 minute difference?
0. note : the ex. of the tropics-dweller,
under Cold, might be in error
HEAT
when the temperature is 75+, roll d% to determine humidity. add 1/2
of this to the temperature.
110 = -1", -10 Encounter Reactions
120 = -2", -1 to hit, -20 Encounter Reactions, req. 1 pint per hour
(or extra CON save)
130 = -3", -1 to hit, -30 Encounter Reactions, req. 1 pint per hour
(or extra CON save)
140 = -4", -2 to hit, -40 Encounter Reactions, req. 2 pints per hour
(or extra CON save)
150 = -5", -2 to hit, -50 Encounter Reactions, req. 2 pints per hour
(or extra CON save)
160 = -6", -3 to hit, -60 Encounter Reactions, req. 3 pints per hour
(or extra CON save)
160 or higher generally only occurs in volcanic chambers
+10 temperature if combat or heavy work
+5 temperature for every step of AC better than 10
+10 temperature for 500 gp carried in addition to armor
-20 temperature for characters from hot climes
-10 temperature if light clothes and cloth shield against the sun
-5 temperature for every pint of water poured over the character (to
a maximum of -20)
-5 temperature to anyone within 1 cubic foot of magical ice (incl.
frost brand sword)
-10 temperature if in shade
3 consecutive turns exposed to 140+ = CON save each turn thereafter.
fail lowers CON by 3, success lowers CON by 1.
salt intake adds +3 to this save
at 3 CON the character is affected as per confusion
at 0 CON, the character is unconscious, and dies 10 min after collapsing
(if not treated by a cleric and temperature is reduced to 100 or less)
in high temperatures, make a WIS save once per hour, or hallucinate
heat reflecting off flat surfaces causes a -2 to hit with missile fire
light-colored surfaces (sand) may cause the same effect as snowblindness