Hi folks,
As you may know, I am running Legacy of the Crystal Shard (updated/upgraded for six 3rd-5th level 5e PCs) for my group. The module includes a number of vendors from whom they can purchase various cold weather items. Unfortunately, no prices or effects are provided for this gear. The 5e PHB is no help either.
The 3.5 PHB, however, has a single item: a cold weather outfit, while Frostburn has more, from skis and snowshoes to alchemical salves. I think that I can, for the most part, use the prices and weights and descriptions provided. However, I am unsure how some of the effects would translate into 5e terms.
Rather than post all the items available here, I'll just provide the various effects.
Some items provide a +5 circumstance bonus to Fortitude saves against cold weather effects. I imagine that would translate to advantage on Constitution saves vs exhaustion in 5e.
Other things, however, provide a relatively minor benefit. Crampons, for instance, provide a +2 bonus to Balance checks to avoid slipping on ice, as well as a +2 bonus to climbing, while "winter fullcloth" just grants a +1 bonus to Fort saves vs cold weather. How should I translate those minor bonuses to 5e? Should I bump them up to granting advantage, or double proficiency bonus, or just allow you to use your proficiency bonus, or what?
Meanwhile, snowshoes allow you to treat snow and ice as a "minor impediment", which is defined elsewhere in Frostburn as terrain that costs double to move across. I suppose in 5e terms, that would mean you could treat snow as difficult terrain in combats, although what would you treat it as for someone not wearing snowshoes? In exploration mode, you could probably also make it so snowshoes allow PCs to move at a normal pace rather than a slow pace.
Frostbite salve helps defend against frostbite, while whale grease helps defend against hypothermia. Both effects have rather elaborate rules in Frostburn, which I imagine could just be represented in 5e by the exhaustion track. Frostbite involves a (cumulative?) -2 penalty to your Dex score which you get whenever you take nonlethal cold damage, while hypothermia works much like the exhaustion track already (fatigued, exhausted, disabled).
Anyone got any thoughts on translating some of these effects to the 5e rules?
Thanks in advance,
Jonathan
I think I'm going to rule that snowy or icy terrain (such as arctic tundra in the winter) not only counts as difficult terrain (meaning half speed) but also limits travel pace to slow. Skis allow characters to ignore the difficult terrain aspect of snow and ice and allow them to move at full speed, up to a normal pace on level ground or a fast pace downhill. Skates allow someone proficient in Acrobatics to move at full speed, ignoring the difficult terrain aspect, on ice. Snowshoes allow characters to move at a normal pace on snow, but it still counts as difficult terrain.
Treat small bonuses as allowng you to apply your proficiency bonus to the check, or half your proficiency bonus for very small ones.
Mistwell wrote:
A +1 or +2bonus to an ability check using equipment will not break the game. +3 to +5 advantage is probably better, A +1 fort save becomes +1 con save. Price and weight should be able to be used as is.
With the proper gear, I wouldn't require any saves at all to avoid exhaustion.
autolycus wrote:
I'm with autolycus on this one - if they have the gear, they don't suffer the effects of severe weather which is what the rules of exhaustion are used for (among other applications). But what you could do is have that gear degrade whenever the PCs are hit by an attack. When it takes X number of hits, it no longer provides any protection and needs to be replaced. Someone with proficiency and the right artisan's tools can restore the gear; otherwise, anyone losing their gear will need to find more or start to suffer ill effects from the weather.
IIRC, the playtest only had exhaustion saves come into play when the temperature dropped below freezing. Since the DMG's not out yet, I will go with that. So for the most part, they won't be needing to make saves. It's only if they do something stupid or get unlucky and find themselves without shelter at night or swimming in the icy water without whale blubber that they'll have to make saves.
If your goal is to make worrying about the cold a concern for the players, it needs to have some real game impact in my view. Building on the idea I posed before, consider that either a PC is protected from the cold or is not. The level of protection degrades with each hit. For each piece of cold weather gear a PC uses, he has 2 hit's worth of protection. So if he's got on cold weather clothes, a lined cloak, and some whale grease, that's "cold weather protection 6." If he gets hit 6 times, his cold weather gear needs to be replaced or he starts down the exhaustion track. If the PCs have proficiency in Cobbler's Tools, Leatherworker's Tools, or Weaver's Tools, they can restore 2 hits by expending an hour's worth of effort. If they don't have those skills, provide them a sherpa-like NPC hireling who can do it for them, but who also tends to get in trouble a lot such that it's something of a challenge to keep him alive.
That seems a little too fiddly for my taste. I've never liked tracking damage to equipment. Frostburn has a similar mechanic that counts degrees of protection, as well as a number of temperature bands. I'd be more inclined to go with that.
Nice ideas, iserith. Anything to add another NPC to the hireling train. 
Reason I go with the "no exhaustion" is that cold gear is made for the cold. That's what it's for.
There are peoples who live out on the ice all year round.
If cold weather gear didn't work as intended they would all be dead.
Wait until the dramatic moment when an enemy strips you of your gear and leaves you out on the tundra to die of exposre. That's a good place to start worrying about the effects of the environment.
pukunui wrote:
autolycus wrote:
Here's what I've got:
Alchemical Items
Armor Insulation: Applied to the inside of your armor, this thick, red syrupy mixture grants advantage on Constitution saves vs exhaustion due to exposure to sub-zero temperatures for 24 hours.
Frosbite Salve: A yellow cream that allows you to suppress the effects of one level of exhaustion for 1 hour.
Polar Skin: A white cream that grants resistance to cold damage for 1 hour.
Whale Grease: A foul-smelling grease that grants immunity to gaining levels of exhaustion due to exposure to extremely cold water for 1 hour. It also doubles the range at which creatures with a scent ability can detect you.
Clothing
Cold Weather Outfit: consisting of a wool coat, linen shirt, wool cap, heavy cloak, thick pants or skirt, and boots. This outfit grants you advantage on Constitution saves vs exhaustion due to exposure to sub-zero temperatures.
Fur Clothing: same as cold weather outfit except cheaper, heavier, and can be worn over armor, although it does impose disadvantage on Stealth due to its bulky nature.
Equipment
Crampons: +2 bonus to Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks to avoid slipping on ice. Also +2 bonus to Strength (Athletics) checks to climb icy surfaces, or advantage on such checks if used in conjunction with ice picks. -10 ft speed on terrain other than snow or ice.
Ice Pick: Pick-axe used for ice-climbing. Provides +2 bonus to Strength (Athletics) checks to climb icy surfaces, or advantage on such checks if used in conjunction with crampons.
Skates: Anyone proficient in Dexterity (Acrobatics) can use skates to move at full speed across icy terrain.
Skis: Skis allow characters to travel at full speed across snow or icy terrain (that is, it doesn't count as difficult terrain).
Snow Goggles: Advantage on saves vs being blinded by snow blindness, bright light, and spells that indirectly target vision (eg. sunburst). Also impose disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks based on sight.
Snowshoes: Snowshoes allow a wearer to walk across deep snow.
I'd personally just consolidate it to one tool proficiency: Cold Weather Gear.
With the gear you gain advantage on checks to avoid exhaustion due to cold weather. Extreme cold would give disadvantage without, bringing it to a regular check with.
With proficiency you add your proficiency bonus to any appropriate checks regarding getting around in the cold. I'd rather not start down the path of +2 here +3 there. Just use the system already in play.
Ravenmancer wrote:
Re: EDIT 2 - A sherpa with the tool proficiency that gets into trouble would solve the issue and provide an additional challenge of keeping him from being eaten by yetis or whatever. As long as he's around, the PCs can apply his proficiency bonus and advantage on the check. If he buys the farm, they're on their own.
Ravenmancer wrote:
I'd convert rules found in the 1e Wilderness Survival guide.
If it's a thank you from an alchemist, how about some kind of Oil of Proficiency that, when applied to a tool, magically makes the user proficient for a couple of hours or for x number of rolls.
Then the group gets to worry about rationing it or running out at dramatically appropriate times.
dmgorgon wrote: