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Pinjata
2016-09-20, 10:58 AM
Hey guys,

I took a module to use it as a base for my new dnd campaign (Neverwinter region, Faerun), but it will take place in the winter. I'd appreciate all hints and thoughts regarding what I should keep an eye on if region is covered in snow and cold as ****. They'll be lvl 3. low magic setting.

Thanks

Yora
2016-09-20, 01:46 PM
Tracking becomes trivially easy unless it has been snowing significantly recently.

On the other hand, heavy snowfall can reduce visibility a lot, just like really heavy fog.

Travel speed is likely to be slow, partly because of high snow on the ground but also because of heavier equipment and winter clothing. Which means you need to pack more food and in some places dry firewood as well.

Coming up with some rules for freezing to death might also come in handy.

Max_Killjoy
2016-09-20, 01:58 PM
Keep in mind that rigorous road-clearing during the snowy reasons is relatively new, especially outside of cities that can afford to have it done by hand/animal power. A big snow can make rural roads impassible for days or even weeks.

In some locations, travel between towns can be impossible for all but the most intrepid, hardy, and skilled for multiple months out of every year.

In fact, how much and how often it snows can, if you're subtle, be used as a way to control the movements of a party.

Ashes
2016-09-20, 02:35 PM
Neverwinter never has winters.
It's situated on a volcanic stream or something. Hence the name.

Pfhagthyeh
2016-09-27, 12:59 AM
Neverwinter never has winters.
It's situated on a volcanic stream or something. Hence the name.

The city itself never freezes over because of the river, but it still can get plenty cold. Just not freezing. The rest of the region, however, is still affected by the winter normally.

Jay R
2016-09-27, 10:31 AM
Bumping into a tall fir can completely bury you in snow.

Ice on the ground means no foot traction at all. This happens after a snow, slight thaw, then deep freeze. (It's not likely after a lot of snow is already on the ground.

The road through a sparse forest is not obvious after a deep snow. It's very easy to get lost.

A marsh with snow on it seems like just icy ground -- until you break through.

Walking through snow, even just a few inches of it, is incredibly tiring. Wading through deep snow is strenuous exercise. A mile a day can be difficult.

Go read the Caradhras chapter of the Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, and the short story "To Build a Fire", by Jack London.

Flickerdart
2016-09-27, 10:41 AM
Hey guys,

I took a module to use it as a base for my new dnd campaign (Neverwinter region, Faerun), but it will take place in the winter. I'd appreciate all hints and thoughts regarding what I should keep an eye on if region is covered in snow and cold as ****. They'll be lvl 3. low magic setting.

Thanks

It really depends on the kind of winter, and the kind of region. Neverwinter is not the Antarctic, so don't present it as such. To a prepared group or town, winter is no threat at all - a sleigh on packed snow actually runs faster than a carriage on a beat-up dirt road. Even when caught outdoors, it's trivial to construct a shelter from packed snow (t's so easy that polar bears can do it, and they don't even have thumbs). People have lived in northern climates for millenia without dying every time it snows.

There are things you can and should abstract away - yes, gloves make you clumsier, but there are no rules for this so we can assume that it's too small a difference to matter.

But if your PCs lose their equipment (for example, they are run out of town without getting a chance to pack up) the real fun begins. Without gloves, you're not going to be doing any fine manipulation with your hands, because they are frozen and shaking. Snow makes its way into your shoes, then melts from your body heat, giving you the obvious nasty consequences of waterlogged shoes in winter. Frostbite sneaks in unexpectedly, and can lead to anything from pain to loss of limbs.

ComaVision
2016-09-27, 11:16 AM
You didn't say what system you're using but the Frostburn supplement for D&D 3.5 has rules for temperature stuff.