The effects of snow

[Jack Nimble]

So, I am thinking of a scenario where my players get surprise-dumped into the mountains in winter, and there is significant snow and cold. What should I use as penalties? The scenario is that they would be dressed for winter, but not for sustained cold-weather operations.

Clearly, if they don't find shelter in some amount of time, they should be adversely effected. But how?

This is in 5e.

[Desamir]

Take a look at DMG pg. 109, Wilderness Survival.

[Mr.Moron]

What's the tone of your game. Are you looking have their hearts struck with terror and the unrelenting cruelty of nature? A strike real world simulation approach? Just a kind of interesting debuff to play around on a meta level?

The correct answer here depends on what sort of experience you want to create with this environment.

[Jack Nimble]

What's the tone of your game. Are you looking have their hearts struck with terror and the unrelenting cruelty of nature? A strike real world simulation approach? Just a kind of interesting debuff to play around on a meta level?

The correct answer here depends on what sort of experience you want to create with this environment.

More interesting debuff. Plus the lost in the mountains in the snow thing is going to be a puzzle to solve. A sort of what do we do now sort of thing.