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So it's currently Autumn and Raining in the adventure I'm running. So cold, wet adventurers seems like it should have an effect. Any ideas?

Hmm ... well I think in terms of travel you can always use effects such as temporarily Weary or Miserable. In combat you can make the fellowship moderately hindered. In tasks you can raise the TN.

Season already factors into the game when the adventurers do Journeys. It's much tougher to travel during Autumn and Winter than Spring/Summer, as the companions have to make more Fatigue tests. It's also factored in when they fail Fatigue tests, as their Fatigue is raised more in Autumn and Winter than it is in Spring and Summer (one wears heavier gear when one travels during the colder seasons).

It's 110% not-official, but when I wanted to model bad weather with my Storm-raising spell in my magic rules, I did use Severely Hindered and Moderately Hindered as effects applied to the Fatigue tests for bad weather. I think that works well to represent the enviromental effects... travellers with more experience aren't significantly likely to be affected, but those who are just starting out might be get soaked to the bone and have the chills for the rest of the Journey.

zedturtle wrote:. . . I did use Severely Hindered and Moderately Hindered as effects applied to the Fatigue tests for bad weather. I think that works well to represent the enviromental effects... travellers with more experience aren't significantly likely to be affected, but those who are just starting out might be get soaked to the bone and have the chills for the rest of the Journey.

bluejay wrote:Hmm ... well I think in terms of travel you can always use effects such as temporarily Weary or Miserable. In combat you can make the fellowship moderately hindered. In tasks you can raise the TN.

I like both of these suggestions, but my feeling is that temporarily Weary fits the bill best. Temp Miserable, with chance for a bout of madness, seems a bit extreme for being wet/chilly.

Applying a negative modifier to Fatigue tests makes some sense--but I leaves the question of why being wet/cold wouldn't affect, say, combat tasks too. Still, another solid option.

Majestic wrote:Season already factors into the game when the adventurers do Journeys. It's much tougher to travel during Autumn and Winter than Spring/Summer, as the companions have to make more Fatigue tests. It's also factored in when they fail Fatigue tests, as their Fatigue is raised more in Autumn and Winter than it is in Spring and Summer (one wears heavier gear when one travels during the colder seasons).

I think this is true, but it would also be nice to account for extremes/unique events within the season--being caught in a spring rainstorm--pretty bad, but not as bad as traveling in winter perhaps, and definitely not as bad as being caught in a winter storm. I can't imagine it would mess with the math too much, seeing as we have examples of Temp conditions being applied ad lib in the published adventures.

Last thought, there's probably also some neat tie-ins to Rich H's extended travel rules here--i.e. being better or worse prepared.

Good topic OP!

cuthalion wrote:...it would also be nice to account for extremes/unique events within the season--being caught in a spring rainstorm--pretty bad, but not as bad as traveling in winter perhaps, and definitely not as bad as being caught in a winter storm. I can't imagine it would mess with the math too much, seeing as we have examples of Temp conditions being applied ad lib in the published adventures.

Good topic OP!

Perhaps what is needed are more weather-related Hazard episodes such as these ones from Journeys & Maps:

FREE LANDS
Moonless, Starless Night (All Companions – Weariness)
On a moonless, starless night the sounds of unseen wildlife echo in the dark. Away from dangerous predators and wicked creatures, animals dare to get close. The tapping of hooves and the padding of paws prowl the fringes of the company’s campsite. Trees creak and the bracken rustles as crows caw, owls hoot and wolves howl in the distance. The heroes must pass a Travel test or be made temporarily Weary for the length of the journey.

BORDER LANDS
The Road Beneath the Bitter Rain (Guide – Weariness)
Heavy and incessant rain for many days has dampened the company’s spirits, not to mention their clothes! The heroes are soaked to the bone from a lack of adequate shelter in the region but they must continue, for the road goes ever on. The Guide must pass a Travel test as he strives to find a better path to follow. On a failure, the hero becomes temporarily Weary for the length of the journey.

SHADOW LANDS
A Black Look in the Sky (Look-out – Strain)
The weather seems to move against the company with a will of its own. A sudden gust of wind sweeps branches and loose rocks into the air. The Look-out must pass an Awareness test. If the test fails, the hero is struck by flying debris and loses Endurance equal to the result of a Success die. The company must now find shelter or be caught in the open during a severe storm.

DARK LANDS
Cheerless and Uninviting (Guide – Weariness)
Grim and overcast skies have followed the company for days on end. They sleep and wake in darkness with only supper and breakfast to mark the time. Try as they might to search for signs of sun or moon, the Guide can no longer tell day from night. To navigate and determine when the company should stop to rest or make camp, the Guide is pressed to rely on his intuition and the ache in his legs and shoulders. The Guide must make a Travel test to avoid pushing himself to exhaustion or, on a failure, be made temporarily Weary for the length of the journey.

If any Dawn can Pierce these Clouds (All Companions – Despair)
Dark clouds hang over the company and all is dim and grey and cold. Days pass before a fleeting hint of sunlight breaks out from behind the ominous cloud cover and, for a moment, a warming ray of light pierces the gloom. But the clouds soon devour the light and all is dim and grey once more. Each hero must make a Valour test. Whoever fails the test loses 1 point of Hope, or 2 points of Hope on an C as their thoughts turn to hopelessness and despair.

FOROCHEL
We Shall Meet Bitter Cold (Scout – Corruption)
In the vast, frozen wasteland of Forochel, the driving snow and howling winds slow the progress of the company. They steel themselves against the frigid cold and trudge onward for as long as they can, but these bitter winds cut through even the thickest coats. As night begins to fall and the temperature plummets, the Guide directs the Scout to find shelter. The Scout must make an Explore test. If the test fails, he wanders into the ice-bound remains of an ancient fortress. The ruins bear the blight of a great evil from another age of this world; the Scout gains 1 Shadow point, or 2 Shadow points if the failure produced an EYE.

One might also go on to construct a sandstorm Hazard for the region of Harad, for example.

I think it is important to be conscious that, as Majestic and Otaku pointed out, normal bad weather and its implications are already integrated in the game both mechanically (more Fatigue tests -which in turn mean more chances to roll a Hazard-, with a higher Fatigue gain when failed) and narratively (Hazards can be described as tied to the bad weather).

That said, a LM can consider that the weather might be specially bad during a season, like during the Long Winter or if under the effects of some sorcery. That would go beyond the "usual autumn chill". In those cases, you could introduce a general Moderately Hindered or Severly Hindered malus to probably all actions: Fatigue tests, but also combat, tracking enemies, athletic tests,... even social abilities could be more difficult under those extreme situations if the group hasn't rested well before.

Making Fatigue tests more difficult should provoke more failures, more Fatigue gain and, in turn, more chances to make the charactes Weary.

Falenthal wrote:That said, a LM can consider that the weather might be specially bad during a season, like during the Long Winter or if under the effects of some sorcery. That would go beyond the "usual autumn chill". In those cases, you could introduce a general Moderately Hindered or Severly Hindered malus to probably all actions: Fatigue tests, but also combat, tracking enemies, athletic tests,... even social abilities could be more difficult under those extreme situations if the group hasn't rested well before.

Agreed. I guess my question is, what's the difference between modifying tests and ticking Weary (temporarily)? Statistically and mechanically I mean. The latter seems a bit neater to me, practically speaking. But I've never been very statistically minded--does being Weary end up being harsher on the player?

I personally would not bog down too much in mechanics, after all it is the 'atmosphere' that you are aiming to create. But if one needs to understand the maths, a character with a Travel skill of 3 will usually pass a TN 14 and will on average make a TN 16. But if the said character is Weary, then they will have a slightly less than even chance of passing a TN 14 and will struggle to make TN 16. The equation becomes much harder if the characters have a Travel skill of 2, although ironically the impact on them for being Weary is slightly less horrible than if you increase the Fatigue TN by 2.

cheers
Mark

Huh. Interesting. Thanks!