Cold resistence = Endure elements (cold)?

IcyCool · May 27, 2005

So, I've got an Aasimar Paladin in my game (Paladin 3/Fighter 2/Ranger 1/Variant Rogue 1). He was going to be flying (3 days ride on his Dragonnel) across country in the dead of winter. As an Aasimar has cold resistence 5, the question came up as to whether or not he'd suffer the temperature effects. I was unclear, but ruled that it didn't, as that would be a continual Endure Elements (cold) effect. Is there anything in the RAW about this?

Infiniti2000 · May 27, 2005

Cold resistance of less than 6 does not protect you from cold weather. Since the cold weather can cause 1d6 points of nonlethal damage, even if you rule that it's cold damage (it's not explicit, though it's obvious), you would still take some damage after long periods.

Cheiromancer · May 27, 2005

Cold resistance 5 reduces cold damage by 5 points per round. 1d6 damage per hour, turn, or even minute, is much, much less. IcyCool ruled correctly.

Infiniti2000 · May 27, 2005

Good point, that. Still, cold resistance does not keep you from feeling cold.

atom crash · May 27, 2005

Good point, that. Still, cold resistance does not keep you from feeling cold.

You'd feel cold, but you'd be otherwise unaffected by it. I.e. it wouldn't cause you physical harm.

rowport · May 27, 2005

I know this specific question is addressed in Frostburn (and the opposite in Sandstorm), but I cannot remember the details off-hand. Sorry!

Celebrim · May 27, 2005

I'd think that in general, cold resistance of any sort would protect you completely from normal extremes of cold. I don't know if this is in the RAW or not, but it seems obvious. As Cheiromancer point out, damage per minute is much less than damage per round.

The question is, at what point is damage per minute enough to overcome energy resistance? Suppose you only have cold energy resistance 1, and you are out in -20 degree weather? This is up to 10 damage per minute, is this enough to occasionally discomfort you? One way would be to assume that since there are 10 rounds in a minute, that your Energy Resistance to damage per minute is 10 times that of your resistance to damage per round. This means that a character with cold resistance 1, reduces the ammount of damage from normal cold by 10 per minute, which is easily enough to stay out in -20 degree weather as long as you like.

At some point, its -70 below and the wind is howling at 50 mph, cold resistance 5 might not cut it, but the RAW say nothing about that either.

IcyCool · May 27, 2005

rowport said:
I know this specific question is addressed in Frostburn (and the opposite in Sandstorm), but I cannot remember the details off-hand. Sorry!

This is what I was looking for, I'll check that book out. Thanks!

Primitive Screwhead · May 28, 2005

Frostburn...

pg 9 and 10, Frostburn.

Cold Resistance 5 or better is equivilent to a 'protection level' of 3.

This will provide total protection against 'Extreme Cold' {-50 to -20} and partial protection against 'Unearthly Cold' {less than that}
Partially protected means they take damage once every 10 minutes instead of once every minute... {its 1D6 Cold and 1d4 non-lethal, no save... ouch!}

But, you get to apply the damage reduction to both categories, so every 10 minutes you have a 1 in 6 chance of taking a point of damage.

Wear some nice Fur, which boosts your protection level to 4, and you do not suffer any damage.

Your Pali is good to go!

Staffan · May 28, 2005

Cheiromancer said:
Cold resistance 5 reduces cold damage by 5 points per round.

Actually, in 3.5 it's 5 points per instant. If you were hit with the cold equivalent of a Scorching Ray cast at 11th level (3 4d6 rays), each ray would be reduced by 5 points.