Note: This was originally posted April 3 2020.
Having missed a couple weeks of blog posts, I decided to do a little trio of weather tables to help improve realism and immersion in your worlds and games. Each table provides 1d8 options/ideas for how to make weather more meaningful.
Cool Zone Weather
Roll | Weather | Effect |
1 | Winter Storm: Dark heavy clouds rapidly cover the sky, as thick snow begins to fall and high winds whip the white flakes into dense opaque squalls. | Perception rolls are made with disadvantage for the duration of the storm, attempts to perceive anything farther than 30 ft are nearly impossible to succeed at. Any creature attempting to travel or rest while exposed to the storm must succeed at a DC15 CON save each hour or suffer one level of exhaustion. |
2 | Calm Before/After The Storm: Dark heavy clouds loom overhead, making the day as dark as dusk, and a blanket of snow muffles the sounds of life. | The normal lighting for the day is low-light. Any perception checks made dealing with sound or listening are made with advantage. Stealth rolls made to hide are also made with advantage. |
3 | Freezing Winds: The sky is void of cloud cover and icy winds chill even the most layered travelers to the bone. | Any creature exposed to wind for an hour, and each hour after that, must succeed on a DC10 CON save or suffer 1d4 cold damage. A creature that suffers cold damage this way also suffers from ‘Frostbite’, a disease effect that causes the victim to have disadvantage on any DEX checks or saves until they finish a long rest somewhere warm and out of the wind. If a creature suffers cold damage this way five or more times, the ‘Frostbite’ disease cannot be cured with a rest. Creatures resistant or immune to cold cannot suffer from ‘Frostbite’. |
4 | Clear Skies: Partially cloudy blue skies, a gentle breeze, a nice day. | No effect. |
5 | Winter Mix: Grey clouds overhead release a mix of snow and rain, causing the ground to grow wet, soggy, and freezing cold. | Terrain under the effects of this weather is to be considered difficult and takes twice as long to traverse. |
6 | Gentle Snowfall: Thin flakes of white drift on gentle but cool winds. | No effect. |
7 | Freezing Rain: From a dark sky comes a harsh battery of frozen droplets that soak into an adventurers gear, clothing, skin, bones, and spirit. | Skill checks made in this weather are made with disadvantage, as spirits are low and skill is hindered. |
8 | Unusually Warm: The sun’s light shines bright, warming the world and it’s inhabitants to the core. | Skill checks made while outside in this weather are made with advantage, as your mood, spirits, and temperature are lifted slightly. |
Temperate Zone Weather
Roll | Weather | Effect |
1 | Thunder and Lightning: Black storm clouds, bright flashes of lightning burst across the sky accompanied by thunderous booms. A torrent of rain descends upon the earth. | While the storm rages there is dim light, and any natural fires outdoors are extinguished and cannot be re-lit normally. Perception checks are made with disadvantage, and stealth checks are made with advantage. Each hour (or each round in combat if you’re feeling lucky) a creature in the storm must roll 1d100, on a roll of a 1 that creature must succeed on a a DC20 Dexterity save or suffer 10d10 lightning damage, or half as much on a success. |
2 | Dour Rainy Day: A dark gloomy day accompanied by large droplets of steady rain sink the spirits of the people. | All charisma skill checks are made with disadvantage for the day. |
3 | Bright Sunshine-y Day: The sun gleams overhead bringing light and life to the world, the spirits of the people are sure to be lifted. | All charisma skill checks are made with advantage for the day. |
4 | Clear Skies: Partially cloudy blue skies, a gentle breeze, a nice day. | No effect. |
5 | Bizarre Occurrence: Weather uncommon to this region has found its way here, it is likely that many will be unsuspecting and possibly unprepared. | By choice, or randomly, roll on either the Cool Zone, or Arid Zone weather table to determine this weather’s effects. |
6 | Warm Rain: Small warm drops fall from the sky on a partly cloudy, but still sunny day, a strange occurrence, but not unpleasant by any means. | No effect. |
7 | Foggy: A low-hanging fog falls upon the world this day, thick enough to be cut with a blade. | All outdoor areas covered with the fog are heavily obscured. Optional Effect: If a character cuts an object out of the fog (e.g. doughnut, torch, hat, crossbow bolt) they may make a DC10 sleight of hand check, if they succeed they manage to slice accurately enough to capture the essence of the object and are granted a ‘Fog’ version of the item they chose. This ‘Fog’ item functions as the normal item would, and is considered to be magical. The item expires when the fog lifts. |
8 | Magic In The Air: Something about today is different, you can’t put your finger on it, but it seems there’s a certain energy to the air, it smells of magic. | The save DC of any spell cast is increased further by the spellcaster’s spellcasting ability modifier. The damage of any spells cast is also increased by this amount. Any other spell effects, such as pushing, blinding, or moving terrain, are doubled in distance, duration, radius or other appropriate manner. Nature and arcana skill checks made in this weather are made with advantage. |
Arid Zone Weather
Roll | Weather | Effect |
1 | Desert Storm: Dusty grey clouds lie above, though you won’t be able to see from the dust/sand/dirt that is being stirred in the air all around you. | While the storm persists, all creatures are considered to be blinded while moving as they shield their eyes from the airborne earth. Perception checks are made with disadvantage, and stealth checks are made with advantage. All attack rolls are made with disadvantage, ranged attacks and spells have their ranges reduced by half. |
2 | Blessed Rain: Heavy dark clouds threaten a storm, but instead much to your surprise, you feel a drop, and another, and another, and soon the skies open and release life-giving water unto the earth. | All creatures except fiends and undead heal for 1d4 for each hour spent in the life-saving water from the sky. |
3 | Scorched Earth: The sun glares overhead, blistering and alone in a cloudless sky. | Any creature exposed to the sun for an hour, and each hour after that, must succeed on a DC10 CON save or suffer 1d4 fire damage. A creature that suffers fire damage this way also suffers from ‘Sunburn’, an effect that causes the victim to have disadvantage on any DEX checks or saves until they finish a long rest out of the sun. If a creature suffers fire damage this way five or more times, the ‘Sunburn’ effect becomes ‘Sunstroke’. A creature suffering from ‘Sunstroke’ must succeed on a DC20 CON save or be reduced to 0 hit points and begin making death saving throws. The ‘Sunstroke’ effect can be ended if the victim suffers cold damage, or is able to submerge themselves in water. Magical healing can bring a creature affected by ‘Sunstroke’ to 1 hit point and stable, but if the affected creature suffers fire damage as a result of the weather they will suffer the effects of ‘Sunstroke’ again. Any creature resistant or immune to fire damage cannot suffer from ‘Sunstroke’. |
4 | Clear Skies: Partially cloudy blue skies, a gentle breeze, a nice day. | No effect. |
5 | Monsoon Rains: Clouds darken quickly and rain begins, wind picks up, and what could’ve been pleasant is now a dangerous gale, turning the earth and sky into enemies of humanity. As the rain saturates the ground, it becomes slick and unpredictable. | Ranged missile attacks are made with disadvantage. Any creature traveling over dust/sand/dirt/loose stone must succeed on a DC12 dexterity save or be restrained. The ground is considered to be difficult terrain. |
6 | Pleasantly Cloudy: Broad medium grey clouds cover much the sky, providing shade and a pleasant breeze to the dry landscape below. | No effect. |
7 | Heat and Haze: The heat of the day causes you to wish for nothing more than the sunset, the haze ahead has burned itself into your vision and your mind is fried. | Any intelligence or wisdom checks are made with disadvantage during this weather. |
8 | Twister!: The winds nearby whip themselves into a vicious spiral torrent of air. | A ‘Twister’ is spawned in a nearby location to the party, and lasts for 2d6 rounds. The twister has a movement speed of 20, and is capable of dashing. A creature who starts its turn within 5/10/15/20ft of the twister must succeed on a DC20/15/10/5 strength save or be sucked into the twister. A creature sucked into the twister must, at the start of each of its turns, make on a DC15 constitution save. On a failed save, the creature suffers 3d8 bludgeoning damage. When the twister ends, any creatures that were sucked in suffer 1d6 bludgeoning damage as they fall back to the earth, and are stunned for one round. |
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