Level Up (A5E) Weather

[Morrus]

So, weather tables have always been a little too simulationist for me personally. But I know that many people feel they add a level of verisimilitude and immersion into an environment. So I'm working on something simple which I hope hits the middle ground.

I've talked about Regions before, so I won't go into them in detail again. But each region has a (small) weather entry. For example, Country Shire has an entry like this:

Weather. (1-8) clear; (9-12) overcast; (13-16) rain; (17-19) mist; (20-25) snow.

Some of them are shorter, as the types of weather you'd find there are less varied, and some are longer.

When you travel through a region, the Narrator rolls a d20 (and adds 5 if it's winter). Or just chooses, if they prefer. That's basically it.

Weather vs. Exploration Challenges
So, that weather entry up there has no mechanical effect. It's a way to add flavour; it's a descriptive tool only, and helps the Narrator describe the journey. You won't find tornadoes and blizzards there. That's because extreme weather -- which does affect the adventurers -- is represented by an exploration challenge.

We've mentioned exploration challenges a bunch of times before, so hopefully you know what they basically are. The list includes things like Haze, Blinding Blizzard, Dense Fog, Sandstorm, Tornado, Thunderstorm, and Hail Storm. Exploration challenges -- along with monsters, social encounters, and scenery -- are found in each region's encounter tables.

 

[WarDriveWorley]

If baseline weather doesn't provide a mechanical effect then wouldn't it make more sense to just the types of weather common to that region and let the DM decide then add another, albeit, small table?

 

[Morrus]

If baseline weather doesn't provide a mechanical effect then wouldn't it make more sense to just the types of weather common to that region and let the DM decide then add another, albeit, small table?

I could remove the numbers, but it takes up the same amount of space, and some GMs might like to roll. You can also choose.

 

[WarDriveWorley]

I could remove the numbers, but it takes up the same amount of space, and some GMs might like to roll. You can also choose.

Fair enough. Thank you kindly

 

[Faolyn]

Now I'm curious as to the difference between Mist and Haze.

 

[Stalker0]

I am hoping that levelup does dig in a little bit more into weather than O5E does. O5e has some weird gaps, it covers lots of underwater but doesn't mention what a strong wind does (even though there are spells that produce such effects).

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Now I'm curious as to the difference between Mist and Haze.

See, purple haze all in my brain- lately things just don't seem the same ...

but baby baby baby .... I'm packing my bags for the Misty Mountains where the spirits go now ....

You know; the difference between getting the led out, and getting experienced.

 

[tetrasodium]

Now I'm curious as to the difference between Mist and Haze.

I was curious too so asked google

Spoiler: mist

Mist is a phenomenon caused by small droplets of water suspended in air. ... It can also occur as part of natural weather, when humid air cools rapidly, for example when the air comes into contact with surfaces that are much cooler than the air.
Fog and mist differ by how far you can see through them. Fog is when you can see less than 1,000 meters away, and if you can see further than 1,000 metres, we call it mist.

Spoiler: haze

Haze often occurs when dust and smoke particles accumulate in relatively dry air. When weather conditions block the dispersal of smoke and other pollutants they concentrate and form a usually low-hanging shroud that impairs visibility and may become a respiratory health threat.
Haze is caused when sunlight encounters tiny pollution particles in the air. Some light is absorbed by particles. Other light is scattered away before it reaches an observer. More pollutants mean more absorption and scattering of light, which reduce the clarity and color of what we see.

I had to consult google but having lived in(different) places that have each I can say they are definitely different Mist is kinda between fog & very light sprinkle. The only time I've seen haze was every few years when the everglades were on fire (not really a risk to anyone like california wildfires), but it definitely stings your eyes & has a distinct burning smell. It sounds like people who live in or drive through pollution prone areas likely see a different form at times too.


With the curiosity covered I think that it not having a specific mechanic beyond fluff is probably good. This way I can point to a random player & have them roll the weather if I feel like involving them rather than just picking it & can then use it to adjust the DC for stuff up or down as seems relevant or just ignore it after dropping a it of flavor into the scene

 

[GHench]

If anyone is interested, I posted about my Weather Hex Flower here (Hex Flowers are like a random table but with a 'memory'):

Weather Hex Flower | Random weather generation

Dear Hexplorers I've released a bunch of PWYW Hex Flower tools, and recently realised that perhaps people might just want my weather Hex Flower as a stand-alone work. If that's you, here's the PDF (with worked example), again it's PWYW...

www.enworld.org

Here's the link to get the PDF: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/367072/Weather-Hex-Flow...

Cover image:

 

[turnip_farmer]

I am hoping that levelup does dig in a little bit more into weather than O5E does. O5e has some weird gaps, it covers lots of underwater but doesn't mention what a strong wind does (even though there are spells that produce such effects).

As with most rules people think 5e doesn't have, it's in the DMG.

The rules are brief. Without digging out the book to double check I think the only specified effect is on ranged attacks. But I think that's probably a good thing. Weather effects need to be simple or its too much cognitive load in play.