House Rules: Mass Combat - Weather

Weather also can play a major role in a battle. There are general guidelines for factoring this into a battle in Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Ultimate Campaign, but presented below is a table for your reference translating the standard adventuring rules in the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook into battlefield terms, along with special rules for how weather can interact with armies in the field.

The penalties from precipitation, temperation, and wind stack with each other.

Temperature: Different temperature conditions can significantly impact an army's ability to travel and operate. Cold conditions require additional supplies to keep soldiers and beasts warm, such as additional clothing, fuel for sources of warmth, additional shelters. Heat conditions are less severe, but an army still requires additional supplies to keep cool and avoid heat stroke. Units suffer casualties due to different levels of temperatures while being active in the field. Garrisoned units protected from the hardships of the various temperature levels thanks to shelter and supplies.

  • Extreme Cold: Units suffer 3 Casualties to each section every day spent in the field. Units with Cold Gear or at least Energy Resistance (cold) 10 suffer only 2 Casualties to each section. Units with at least Energy Resistance (cold) 20 only suffer 1 Casualty to each section, while units with at least Energy Resistance (cold) 30 or Energy Immunity (cold) suffer no casualties from extreme cold temperatures. Extreme cold also force units to make a Morale check at the current Fatigue DC to avoid becoming fatigued, with a -1 penalty for armies wearing Medium Armor, -2 for those wearing Heavy Armor..
  • Severe Cold: Units suffer 2 Casualties to each section every day spent in the field. Units with Cold Gear or at least Energy Resistance (cold) 10 suffer only 1 Casualty to each section. Units with at least Energy Resistance (cold) 20 or Energy Immunity (cold) suffer no casualties from severe cold temperatures.
  • Cold: Units suffer 1 Casualty to each section every day spent in the field. Units with Cold Gear, at least Energy Resistance (cold) 10, or Energy Immunity (cold) suffer no casualties from cold temperatures.
  • Very Hot: Units suffer 1 Casualty to each section every day spent in the field. Units with Hot Weather Gear, at least Energy Resistance (fire) 10 or Energy Immunity (fire) suffer no casualties in very hot temperatures even with Heavy Armor. Units with Heavy Armor suffer 1 additional Casualty.
  • Severe Heat: Units suffer 2 Casualties to each section every day spent in the field. Units with Hot Weather Gear or at least Energy Resistance (fire) 10 suffer only 1 Casualty to each section, while units with at least Energy Resistance (fire) 20 or Energy Immunity (fire) suffer no casualties in very hot temperatures even with Heavy Armor. Units with Medium or Heavy Armor suffer 1 additional Casualty.
  • Extreme Heat: Units suffer 3 Casualties to each section every day spent in the field. Units with Hot Weather Gear or at least Energy Resistance (fire) 10 suffer only 2 Casualties to each section, while units with at least Energy Resistance (fire) 20 suffer only 1 Casualty to each section. Units with Medium or Heavy Armor suffer 1 additional Casualty. Units with at least Energy Resistance (fire) 30 or Energy Immunity (fire) suffer no casualties in very hot temperatures even with Heavy Armor. Extreme heat also force units to make a Morale check at the current Fatigue DC to avoid becoming fatigued, with a -1 penalty for armies wearing Medium Armor, -2 for those wearing Heavy Armor..

Precipitation: Light rain and snow have a 10% cumulative chance for each Battle phase they continue of causing the battlefield to turn into treacherous terrain (see Terrain) due to the accumulation of snow or the liquefaction of the ground into mud. A rainstorm or snowstorm double this chance. This should be checked at the end of every Rout phase.

Wind: With very high winds, normal ranged attacks become impossible (indicated by the X above); however, siege weapons can still be used, as can magical attacks such as breath weapons or a Magical Barrage command boon. In addition, flying creatures and creatures on board wind-powered ships take double the listed penalties to OM.

Severe Events: Severe events are special combinations of types of precipitations and windstorm-strength winds. Modifiers from severe events only stack with temperature modifiers.

Table: Weather

Temperature Melee Ranged DV Scout/Zone Range Visibility Speed
Cold
Cold, severe -5 ft.
Cold, extreme -1 -1 -10 ft.
Hot
Hot, severe -5 ft.
Hot, extreme -1 -1 -10 ft.
Precipitation Melee Ranged DV Scout Speed
Drizzle
Fog, medium -1 -2 -2; 1 zone away
Fog, heavy -2 -4 -4; current zone only
Fog, light -1 -1
Rain -1 -1 -5 ft.
Rain, heavy -1 -2 -1 -2 -10 ft.
Rain, light
Sleet -2 -3 -1 -2 -15 ft.
Snow, medium -1 -1 -2 -10 ft.
Snow, heavy -1 -2 -2 -4/2 zones away -20 ft.
Snow, light -1 -5 ft.
Wind Melee Ranged DV Scout Speed
Light
Moderate -2
Strong -4 -10 ft. (Medium or larger creatures can move normally)
Severe -1 X/-2 -2 -20 ft. (Large or larger creatures can move normally)
Windstorm -2 X/-4 -4 -30 ft. (Huge or larger creatures can move normally)
Severe Events Melee Ranged DV Scout Speed
Blizzard -6 X/-8 -4 -8/current zone only -50 ft. (Colossal or larger creatures can move normally)
Haboob/Sandstorm -6 X/-8 -4 -8/current zone only -40 ft. (Gargantuan or larger creatures can move normally)
Hail -4 X/-4 -4 -8/current zone only -30 ft. (Gargantuan or larger creatures can move normally)
Hurricane -4 X/-6 -4 -40 ft. (Gargantuan or larger creatures can move normally)
Thundersnow -6 X/-8 -4 -8/current zone only -50 ft. (Gargantuan or larger creatures can move normally)
Thunderstorm -4 X/-6 -4 -8/current zone only -40 ft. (Gargantuan or larger creatures can move normally)
Tornado/Firenado X X/-8 X -8/current zone only -50 ft. (Gargantuan or larger creatures can move normally)
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