Feature Specification: Environment & Weather

[ç i p h é r]

Environment & Weather
This is the combination of a number of disparate features, which are all logically related. I've combined them here for organizational purposes. It includes extreme environment, weather (fog/rain/snow/clear), altitude, and wild/dead magic zones. Some or all of these are implemented in one form or another.

For a short explanation of the feature specification format, visit:
http://www.alandfaraway.org/phpbbforum/ ... hp?t=27229

Functional Requirements
Cold Dangers: Cold and exposure deal nonlethal damage to the victim. This nonlethal damage cannot be recovered until the character gets out of the cold and warms up again. Once a character is rendered unconscious through the accumulation of nonlethal damage, the cold and exposure begins to deal lethal damage at the same rate.

An unprotected character in cold weather (below 40° F) must make a Fortitude save each hour (DC 15, + 1 per previous check) or take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage. A character who has the Survival skill may receive a bonus on this saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well (see the skill Description).

In conditions of severe cold or exposure (below 0° F), an unprotected character must make a Fortitude save once every 10 minutes (DC 15, +1 per previous check), taking 1d6 points of nonlethal damage on each failed save. A character who has the Survival skill may receive a bonus on this saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well (see the skill description). Characters wearing winter clothing only need check once per hour for cold and exposure damage.

A character who takes any nonlethal damage from cold or exposure is beset by frostbite or hypothermia (treat her as fatigued). These penalties end when the character recovers the nonlethal damage she took from the cold and exposure.

Extreme cold (below –20° F) deals 1d6 points of lethal damage per minute (no save). In addition, a character must make a Fortitude save (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Those wearing metal armor or coming into contact with very cold metal are affected as if by a chill metal spell.

Cold weather outfits grant a +5 circumstance bonus on Fortitude saving throws against exposure to cold weather.

Heat Dangers: Heat deals nonlethal damage that cannot be recovered until the character gets cooled off (reaches shade, survives until nightfall, gets doused in water, is targeted by endure elements, and so forth). Once rendered unconscious through the accumulation of nonlethal damage, the character begins to take lethal damage at the same rate.

A character in very hot conditions (above 90° F) must make a Fortitude saving throw each hour (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Characters wearing heavy clothing or armor of any sort take a –4 penalty on their saves. A character with the Survival skill may receive a bonus on this saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well (see the skill description). Characters reduced to unconsciousness begin taking lethal damage (1d4 points per hour).

In severe heat (above 110° F), a character must make a Fortitude save once every 10 minutes (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Characters wearing heavy clothing or armor of any sort take a –4 penalty on their saves. A character with the Survival skill may receive a bonus on this saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well. Characters reduced to unconsciousness begin taking lethal damage (1d4 points per each 10-minute period).

A character who takes any nonlethal damage from heat exposure now suffers from heatstroke and is fatigued. These penalties end when the character recovers the nonlethal damage she took from the heat.

Extreme heat (air temperature over 140° F, fire, boiling water, lava) deals lethal damage. Breathing air in these temperatures deals 1d6 points of damage per minute (no save). In addition, a character must make a Fortitude save every 5 minutes (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. Those wearing heavy clothing or any sort of armor take a –4 penalty on their saves. In addition, those wearing metal armor or coming into contact with very hot metal are affected as if by a heat metal spell.

Boiling water deals 1d6 points of scalding damage, unless the character is fully immersed, in which case it deals 10d6 points of damage per round of exposure.

Players under the protection of Endure Elements do not suffer the effects of extreme environments, but they still take damage from fire and cold as normal. Players with the Endurance feat gain a +4 bonus to their fortitude saves made while in extreme environments.

Altitude: High altitude can be extremely fatiguing—or sometimes deadly—to creatures that aren’t used to it. Cold becomes extreme, and the lack of oxygen in the air can wear down even the most hardy of warriors. Characters can acclimate themselves to high altitudes by living at high altitude for a month. Characters who spend more than two months away from the mountains must reacclimate themselves when they return. In general, mountains present three possible altitude bands:

Low Pass (lower than 5,000 feet): Travelers may find the going difficult in these alpine meadows and forests, but the altitude itself has no game effect.

Low Peak or High Pass (5,000 to 15,000 feet): All nonacclimated creatures labor to breathe in the thin air at this altitude. Characters must succeed on a Fortitude save each hour (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or be fatigued. The fatigue ends when the character descends to an altitude with more air.

Acclimated characters do not have to attempt the Fortitude save.

High Peak (more than 15,000 feet): The highest mountains exceed 20,000 feet in height. At these elevations, creatures are subject to both high altitude fatigue (as described above) and altitude sickness, whether or not they’re acclimated to high altitudes.

Altitude sickness represents long-term oxygen deprivation, and it affects mental and physical ability scores. After each 6-hour period a character spends at an altitude of over 15,000 feet, he must succeed on a Fortitude save (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or take 1 point of damage to all ability scores.

Creatures acclimated to high altitude receive a +4 competence bonus on their saving throws to resist high altitude effects and altitude sickness, but eventually even seasoned mountaineers must abandon these dangerous elevations.

Players will be notified when they are exposed to environmental and weather effects, and when they take damage from it.

Weather:
Per the 3.5 SRD:
http://www.systemreferencedocuments.org ... ml#weather

I'm also including Ronan's post in the general scripting forum as that's the only public information on the subject that I'm aware of:
http://www.alandfaraway.org/phpbbforum/ ... hp?t=24115

Wild Magic
Arcane spells and spell-like abilities are vulnerable to the effects of wild magic zones when cast within a wild magic zone. A failed caster level check on an arcane spell or spell-like ability in a wild magic zone will result in one of the following random effects:

01-10
The spell rebounds on the caster with the same effects. If it cannot affect the caster, it fails.

11-25
The spell affects a random target or area within range of the spell. Spells whose range is personal or touch simply fail.

26-40
Nothing happens but but casting components and spell slots/charges are used up.

41-50
Nothing happens but neither the spell slot/charge nor its casting components are consumed.

51-55
The spell functions as normal but a glitterdust effect appears on the caster for 1d4 rounds with a save DC of 10 + spell level of the spell that was cast.

56-85
The spell functions normally.

86-95
The spell functions normally but neither spell/charge nor casting components are consumed.

96-100
The spell is cast at an increased strength. Saves against the spell are at a -2 penalty and it's effects are Maximized as per the feat.

Wild magic zones can be detected with the use of a detect magic spell.

Dead Magic
Arcane spells and spell-like abilities do not function within a dead magic zone nor can they be used to target creatures in dead magic zones. Arcane spellcasters and creatures with spell-like abilities immediately know when they enter a dead magic zone. Shadow Weave casters are not affected by dead magic zones.

NWN Object Dependencies
Clothing Items (specifics?), Snow/Fog/Rain/Clear/Dead Magic/Wild Magic Waypoints, Extreme Cold/Severe Cold/Cold Waypoints, Extreme Hot/Severe Hot/Hot Waypoints

Local Variables and External Configs
iColdSaveBonus (item), iHeatSaveBonus (item), iEndureElements (player), iTemperature (area), sWeather (area), iHardy

Logging and Debugging (global LOG & DEBUG (on/off) constants)
None

Persistence Requirements
Nonlethal Damage, Character Hit Points, Current Area Temperature, Current Area Weather

Event Dependencies
OnHeartbeat

[ç i p h é r]

I know that some of the current servers have or had some sort of cold weather effects in play. I am going to be part of the building team for the Cold Lands, in particular the Vaasa area, and would like to develop some sort of system for cold and possibly snow effects.

As the majority of Vaasa is a large tundra plain, the effect of cold itself on a day to day basis during the winter months would be at a constant level with the occassional cold snap maybe doubling the cold damage (1 hp/hr to 2 hp/hr). Cold weather gear would eliminate the first type of damage but would not be effective against the second. Lighting a campfire and remaining within its effective radius would also protect the pcs from 1 level of cold damage. This would simulate the effect of having to make camp to protect yourself form the cold weather and would lead to some rather interesting decision making when in the middle of the wilderness.

Lastly the snow effect. I see the snow effect as something that would slow travel. It could occur in a variety of levels; light, medium and heavy snow.
Movement rates would decrease accordingly and it would be nice to use some sort of fatigue system as well, but ALFA has historically not been fond of the fatigue/hunger/thirst systems. Snow shoes would be one means of countering the snow effects and where most of the local fauna would be adapted to be able to get around in heavy snow, the unprepared traveller would be at a great disadvantage.

These are my thoughts on what I would like to use in my little corner of Faerun. If they are not something that are appropriate for the base mod maybe there is another section of the forum that I could bring them up in. The Savage Frontier folks may be interested in a similar system and is anyone is looking to include a desert region, they may have similar concerns.

I expect these environment effects to be covered by this system and available for use by builders. Much of it may already exist today.

[gribo]

Current cold effects (on TFN at least) are per round, not per hour.

desert, hot places, and negative/positive energy affected places should also be added, some of these effects are tied to the day/night cycle, some to other cycles.

[darrenhfx]

So you get hit for 1 hp/round cold damage if not properly clothed on TFN?
Is this how it works/worked on Earthspurs & Whitehorn?

Just curious.

D

[Fionn]

we should have a psuedo-HB for cold/heat/altitude/drown to slow this down. Hourly checks is too long IMO, given our rapid travel due to distance compression, but at 16X16 = [some semi-standard] we should agree what mild/moderate/extreme damage rates are (with corresponding levels of dress/protection lowering you a catagory). We should likely *not* make Amulet of Warmth a common item that wards against all levels, but start with Northman's Amulet that only wards against the first (maybe second) level (10GP).

[Ronan]

Glancing at the SRD, it looks like we could implement 3.5 weather effects and integrate them with ACR weather, minus things like hurricanes and tornados of course. The only thing left up to us then would be to decide what is "unprotected" to the cold. I would guess we could simply look for a local variable on some items with a "warm level" it provides.

I'd prefer to stay with hour/level, since travel speed is conteracted by typing speed, IME.

[Blackwill]

The only thing left up to us then would be to decide what is "unprotected" to the cold.

I guess this all depends on how the armor system will work for NWN2. I would certainly say that winterclothing should be in order when certain temperatures are reached (0°C?), and when cold damage kicks in.

[ç i p h é r]

Why wouldn't we keep the rate adjustable to distinguish between varying degrees of 'extreme', based on the SRD? Cold/Hot, Severe Cold/Hot, Extreme Cold/Hot. I'd prefer we stick to canon unless there's a technical limitation or game play issue at stake. Would we want to use waypoints to flag climates or local variables on the area itself? The former is obviously simpler and error proof for builders.

As far as protection goes, we can break this down into two distinct forms: magical and mundane. Magical protection offers resistance (ie Ring of Warmth), which absorbs cold or fire damage taken. These the game engine already handles so we won't need to do anything more than just create the items with the appropriate elemental resistance. Mundane protection offers a circumstance bonus to saving throws (ie Cold Weather Outfit), which just improves your chances of avoiding damage. These can be stored as local variables on the items as Ronan suggested.

Animal skins would tie in well for crafting outfits which offer mundance protections (ie Winter Wolf pelt).

[ç i p h é r]

Regarding weather...based on the NWN2 trailer, it appears wind will have an in-game visual effect. So, we may be able to simulate storm like effects at least. If they introduce weather related events, that would allow us to do more interesting things.

[Fionn]

I do seriously hope we can do 1/Fire rather than the 5/Fire we're stuck with now. It would be nice to have magic that *didn't* make a difference in combat, and wouldn't stop even the most insane mundane weather.

[ç i p h é r]

If not, anyone know off hand if we can customize the itemprops tables to include them...? Or is this a toolset limitation in not offering a wider parameter range?

[Ronan]

Why wouldn't we keep the rate adjustable to distinguish between varying degrees of 'extreme', based on the SRD? Cold/Hot, Severe Cold/Hot, Extreme Cold/Hot. I'd prefer we stick to canon unless there's a technical limitation or game play issue at stake. Would we want to use waypoints to flag climates or local variables on the area itself? The former is obviously simpler and error proof for builders.

We could do both, but waypoints are more limited. The way my weather works now, areas can have "modifiers" for temperature, so that the global temperature is raised or lowered by a specific amount when inside that area. If we sync it with global weather, we don't have some areas always causing damage all the time, which doesn't make much sense. This would also allow blizzards and severe conditions to cause damage on normal areas when they otherwise would not be able to. I'm hoping changing varaibles across multiple areas will be easier in NWN2, as well.

Waypoints could of course be grandulated into -5, -10, -15, etc. as well.

Any change in temperature level should also give a message to the PC, informing him that he is freezing to death, or is no longer doing so.

As far as protection goes, we can break this down into two distinct forms: magical and mundane. Magical protection offers resistance (ie Ring of Warmth), which absorbs cold or fire damage taken. These the game engine already handles so we won't need to do anything more than just create the items with the appropriate elemental resistance. Mundane protection offers a circumstance bonus to saving throws (ie Cold Weather Outfit), which just improves your chances of avoiding damage. These can be stored as local variables on the items as Ronan suggested.[/quote]
Also, don't forget endure elements.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/endureElements.htm

[ç i p h é r]

Makes sense to me. I'll update the reqs. I especially like the idea of variables as that can be adjusted in-game by a DM. I also think local vars should take precedence over waypoints in the event both make it into a given area.

What elements do we need to control with variables? The current temperature and the current weather condition (rainy, snowy, windy, foggy, etc)? Could everything derive from those two bits of info?

Also, don't forget endure elements:
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/endureElements.htm

Thanks for pointing that out. I thought the spell offered elemental resistance, but reading the SRD again, it doesn't do that at all so we do need to account for this. If a player is protected by that spell, they bypass all temperature based environmental effects.

[Ronan]

What elements do we need to control with variables? The current temperature and the current weather condition (rainy, snowy, windy, foggy, etc)? Could everything derive from those two bits of info?

Well, currently I've got precipitation and temperature. We could add wind, assuming Obsidian gives us the capability to change that in NWN2. Currently the variables can be set on the area in the toolset, by the DM with the Weather Tool, or even with console commands.

[Fionn]

Yea, the HP limit on it makes it pretty useless at 1HP/rd. We may wish to require spell level >= environment level. This would require 3rd level Protection from Elements for the harshest (natural) conditions, while 1rst level Endure Elements would work for mild (extreme) affects.

As long as we're at it, we should allow X/turn (or X/hour) damage and simply limit mundane effects to 1, 2, 3. We may have magically induced cold that exceeds this range.