Do you track/check weather?

Spellslinging Sellsword · April 22, 2015, 11:14:32 PM

Quote from: Christopher Brady;827547Oh neat! Thank you!

No problem.

Baron Opal · April 24, 2015, 01:02:41 PM

Quote from: Christopher Brady;827267Thanks for the various charts, but they're too tied up to the setting they are designed with, doesn't anyone have a setting neutral one to share?

Sure. Give me a couple of days and I'll see if I can find a good place to store it.

RPGPundit · April 30, 2015, 04:54:27 AM

There have been a few times when weather has been very important, but those are few and far between. Usually I don't bother if there's not a good reason to check.

mAcular Chaotic · April 30, 2015, 03:47:05 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;828960There have been a few times when weather has been very important, but those are few and far between. Usually I don't bother if there's not a good reason to check.

I think it can add a lot of ambience, and produce different strategies and fresh problems each day.

Lots of wind and rain, suddenly archery is harder. Lots of snow, now you need somewhere warm. Etc.

Iron_Rain · April 30, 2015, 03:55:06 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;826425In your D&D games, do you regularly/meticulously track the weather?

Or only in those rare occasions where you feel it really matters?

Only in those rare occasions where I feel it really matters. Usually I go by what season of the year it is as my guide.

nDervish · May 01, 2015, 08:02:53 AM

Quote from: mAcular Chaotic;829041I think it can add a lot of ambience, and produce different strategies and fresh problems each day.

Lots of wind and rain, suddenly archery is harder. Lots of snow, now you need somewhere warm. Etc.

Yep. You don't know whether the weather matters or not until you know what the weather is.

This even applies to downtime, not just when the characters are out adventuring. Last fall, I was running a campaign where I'd used software to generate the weather for the entire year and, during one period of downtime, that weather included a tornado hitting the PCs' town. I had no idea that the weather would matter on that day until I saw what the day's weather would be.

Bren · May 01, 2015, 10:59:59 AM

Quote from: nDervish;829155Yep. You don't know whether the weather matters or not until you know what the weather is.

This even applies to downtime, not just when the characters are out adventuring. Last fall, I was running a campaign where I'd used software to generate the weather for the entire year and, during one period of downtime, that weather included a tornado hitting the PCs' town. I had no idea that the weather would matter on that day until I saw what the day's weather would be.

Yeah good point.

Personally I find it odd when people run a sandbox game but ignore weather unless they want to add weather to add drama, to suit a mood or atmosphere, or to create a tactical problem. None of those reasons seem related to running a sandbox. Or to put it another way, it strikes me as flawed to treat the weather as some story game kind of thing when the goal is to treat the rest of the world as a not-a-story kind of thing.

GamingGrl · May 01, 2015, 03:19:51 PM

Most games I have played weather is usually not discussed or tracked too much but now I think it would be awesome to add that in there. Seems like it would add so much to a game!

Simlasa · May 01, 2015, 03:40:21 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;828960There have been a few times when weather has been very important, but those are few and far between. Usually I don't bother if there's not a good reason to check.

A few sessions back our group was in a dungeon that we'd created a back door into. Our new door was down in a canyon and we hadn't really considered the possibilities of rain, a rising river and what would happen when that water found our exit strategy... but I'm glad the GM was paying attention because it was hilarious chaos (and no, I don't think he arbitrarily made it rain just to fuck with us).

RPGPundit · May 02, 2015, 06:50:44 AM

Obviously, one area where I do track weather is if the PC's are on a sea voyage.

Matt · May 02, 2015, 05:52:58 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;826425In your D&D games, do you regularly/meticulously track the weather?

Or only in those rare occasions where you feel it really matters?

Nah, I either start with the weather or base it on what works for the region the characters are in.

Last time we started with an unrelenting downpour forcing the PCs to seek shelter. Great incentive to get things started, especially as they had empty pockets and only the equipment they could carry.

Christopher Brady · May 03, 2015, 02:52:41 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;829283Obviously, one area where I do track weather is if the PC's are on a sea voyage.

Actually, I just realized that every time my players have been at sea, I've done the same. Track the weather.

RPGPundit · May 05, 2015, 02:19:32 AM

Quote from: Christopher Brady;829392Actually, I just realized that every time my players have been at sea, I've done the same. Track the weather.

Well, it makes sense. Other than pirates and sea monsters, which in most seas should not be constant encounters, the biggest challenge at sea is weather-related: wind speed and direction, rain, storms, etc.

Christopher Brady · May 05, 2015, 02:24:46 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;829733Well, it makes sense. Other than pirates and sea monsters, which in most seas should not be constant encounters, the biggest challenge at sea is weather-related: wind speed and direction, rain, storms, etc.

I guess, but I don't normally. I guess you're right. In general rain and wind don't do major things to people in a land based environment until it hit the extremes, like 40mph+ gusts, which will affect aim for archers. Rain, unless it's really hard, doesn't affect visibility much.

But at sea? Both those things, even light, can change the entire course (no pun intended, but laughter accepted) of the adventure or even campaign. And that's not touching things like storms and the like. On land, you've got a lot of chances for protection, caves, overhangs, even trees can lessen it, but on the water? You're only protection is being tossed around like a rubber duck in a 4 year old's tub.

Philotomy Jurament · May 05, 2015, 02:26:57 AM

Quote from: RPGPundit;826425In your D&D games, do you regularly/meticulously track the weather?

Or only in those rare occasions where you feel it really matters?

I use an online weather generator and print out a month or two at a time. If it's important, or if I just want to add a little color to my descriptions, I'll take a glance at my printout.