It's getting hot in here.
Parched deserts. Blinding blizzards upon the peaks of frozen mountains. A windstorm that knocks you from your feet. Hail, lightning, rain that come with the passage of the year. All of these are brought to life in Arenthyor through a dynamic and persistent system that makes the seasons, climate, and weather an active companion as you navigate the world.
Seasons
There are 4 seasons in Arenthyor:
Spring: Months 3 - 5 (March, April May)
Summer: Months 6 - 8 (June, July, August)
Fall: Months 9 - 11 (September, October, November)
Winter: Months 12 - 2 (December, January, February)
Spring: Months 3 - 5 (March, April May)
Summer: Months 6 - 8 (June, July, August)
Fall: Months 9 - 11 (September, October, November)
Winter: Months 12 - 2 (December, January, February)
Climate
The various geographies within Arenthyor have their own climates. This climate affects the seasonal intensity that your character will feel (summer's heat will be more intense, winter's frost may be more cold or possibly not felt at all due to the climate). These climates might range from moderate, jungle, polar, desert, highland, or more. As you travel the length and breadth of the world, you may find that summer in one part of the world is more tolerable than summer in another part of a world. Or, in some climates (say, a polar climate or desert climate) the weather may prove to very similar the whole year 'round, regardless of the season.
Being watchful of the terrain will give you some sense of how a climate may be set to change. Moving from a flatland to more hilly terrain and then into more mountainous terrain may signal that you may need to prepare for a colder clime. Journeying into a swampy jungle should suggest more tropical effects. What's more, combining the season with the climate can provide you with a sense of the environmental factors you may need to contend with. Delving into the swampy jungle in the middle of summer may prove to be more hazardous than trying it in the fall.
Being watchful of the terrain will give you some sense of how a climate may be set to change. Moving from a flatland to more hilly terrain and then into more mountainous terrain may signal that you may need to prepare for a colder clime. Journeying into a swampy jungle should suggest more tropical effects. What's more, combining the season with the climate can provide you with a sense of the environmental factors you may need to contend with. Delving into the swampy jungle in the middle of summer may prove to be more hazardous than trying it in the fall.
Weather
The weather in a climate is generally dependant upon the season, though there are a few exceptions. Weather includes effects such as wind, rain, snow, hail, or sun. These effects can help or hinder an overland trip if not properly equipped. Fog is also a weather effect that can affect visibility.
In polar climates, the weather is likely to be snowing regardless of the season. In desert climates, it is unlikely to rain.
In rainy weather, lightning storms may strike from the thunderclouds above. The proximity of your character to the location of the strike may result in electrical damage. Windstorms can potentially knock your character off his or her feet. During snowstorms, there's the chance of hailstorms or blizzards.
Additionally, in cold weather, if it is night, snowing, or raining, the intensity of the cold is made worse.
In polar climates, the weather is likely to be snowing regardless of the season. In desert climates, it is unlikely to rain.
In rainy weather, lightning storms may strike from the thunderclouds above. The proximity of your character to the location of the strike may result in electrical damage. Windstorms can potentially knock your character off his or her feet. During snowstorms, there's the chance of hailstorms or blizzards.
Additionally, in cold weather, if it is night, snowing, or raining, the intensity of the cold is made worse.
Preparing for Weather
There are 3 primary considerations that affect how a character is impacted by weather:
- Withstanding: How long can a character withstand the heat or cold?
- Intensity: How hot or cold is a given area at a given time?
- Effects: How does weather affect a character?
Withstanding Weather
Withstanding weather is partially your innate ability and partially how you manage your exposure. There are a few different factors or
Weather Intensity
The ease with which your character is able to avoid the negative effects of weather (such as heatstroke or frostbite) is influenced by the area's heat/cold intensity. A high intensity level means that it will be more difficult to avoid the effects (i.e. the DC of the save attempt is higher). There are things that characters can to do influence this (Personal Intensity Factors), but there are also some envoronmental factors that are beyond the control of the character. There are a number of items in Arenthyor that can help you prepare or otherwise affect your ability to bear inclement weather. Dpending upon the season, these may be helpful or a hindrance.
Personal Intensity Factors
Environmental Intensity Factors
Not all summers or winters are the same. Some places are hot or cold year-round, though the intensity of the heat or cold may vary. Specific weather conditions at any given time also affect the intensity of the weather.
Weather Effects
If your character fails to protect himself (or herself) from adverse weather conditions, there are a variety of temporary negative effects that you might suffer:
Damage: Standing too close to a lightning strike will cause you to suffer electrical damage. Heatstroke and frostbite are also painful conditions.
Physical Effects: A windstorm can knock you down. You may suffer a reduced ability to move. You may become blinded.
Ability Effects: Your strength and dexterity may be sapped by frostbite. Your strength and constitution may be weakened by heatstroke.
- Constitution: Some people are better able to cope with physical discomfort from weather, particularly those with higher constitutions The higher one's constitution, the longer that person is able to withstand cold or heat before suffering its effects. Potions or spell effects that modify one's constitution can also aid in delaying weather effects.
- Water: In hot environments, cool water can help you from becoming dehydrated and fatigued. Provision merchants generally sell canteens that can be filled in many rivers or other water sources. Faction homes also have at least one well in which you can fill your canteen. What's more, there are even special watering holes where the water may have become enhanced with special properties. Do be careful, for there are other sources where the water is diseased.
- Indoors: Moving indoors will begin a process to recover from any weather effects. However, if you are already suffering from heatstroke or frostbite, you may still suffer the effects. Moving indoors does not cure you of those effects, it just prepares your body to go back out there. The damage or effects of weather will remain until separately healed.
- Potions: There are magical elixirs that provide immunity from heat and cold effects
- Spells: Endure Elements, Protection from Elements, Elemental Shield and Resist Elements spells will prevent you from feeling the effects of seasonal heat or cold effects
Weather Intensity
The ease with which your character is able to avoid the negative effects of weather (such as heatstroke or frostbite) is influenced by the area's heat/cold intensity. A high intensity level means that it will be more difficult to avoid the effects (i.e. the DC of the save attempt is higher). There are things that characters can to do influence this (Personal Intensity Factors), but there are also some envoronmental factors that are beyond the control of the character. There are a number of items in Arenthyor that can help you prepare or otherwise affect your ability to bear inclement weather. Dpending upon the season, these may be helpful or a hindrance.
Personal Intensity Factors
- Cloaks: In colder seasons or climates, having a warm cloak to wrap yourself in can help to shield you from the effects of frostbite for a time. There are differing types of cloaks - light cloaks or heavy cloaks. In cold weather, heavy cloaks offer more protection than lighter ones. In warm weather, these cloaks add to discomfort. However, magical cloaks serve to reduce the effects of heat (unlike mundane cloaks) and also protect against cold weather as well as or better than heavy/light cloaks.
- Armor: In cold weather, wearing metal armor makes for more discomfort (chain shirt, scale mail, chainmail, breastplate, splint mail, banded mail, half-plate, or full-plate) as the armor chills and makes the cold more intense. In hot weather, this armor bakes the wearer, causing quicker discomfort.
- Clothing: Wearing special 'Heavy Winter Clothes' or 'Warm Clothes' will keep you warmer during the winter than, say, a robe. In the summer, though, wearing such heavy clothing adds to the intensity of the heat.
- Campfires: Campfire kits in cold environments will help you avoid the endure the cold. The closer you are to the fire, the faster you will warm. In hot environments, though, those campfire kits will actually add to your discomfort.
Environmental Intensity Factors
Not all summers or winters are the same. Some places are hot or cold year-round, though the intensity of the heat or cold may vary. Specific weather conditions at any given time also affect the intensity of the weather.
- Climate zone: The intensity of an area's weather is dependent upon the climate zone of the area. A mountaintop will have colder cold than a highland's cold environment. A highland's heat will be less intense than a swamp's heat. A swamp's heat will be less intense than a desert's heat.
- Season: Depending upon the season as defined above, a climate zone will be warmer or colder than its average.
- Day/Night: Night is cooler than daytime. In hot areas, this could provide relief, by reducing the intensity. In frigid areas, the night-time could spell death.
- Weather: Rain or snow cool an area down. A cold area where it is actually snow will be colder than that same area when it is not snowing. A warm area with rain is cooler than that area under the sun.
Weather Effects
If your character fails to protect himself (or herself) from adverse weather conditions, there are a variety of temporary negative effects that you might suffer:
Damage: Standing too close to a lightning strike will cause you to suffer electrical damage. Heatstroke and frostbite are also painful conditions.
Physical Effects: A windstorm can knock you down. You may suffer a reduced ability to move. You may become blinded.
Ability Effects: Your strength and dexterity may be sapped by frostbite. Your strength and constitution may be weakened by heatstroke.