The Weather

One Horse Town · October 06, 2006, 05:23:50 AM

As it's tipping it down with rain here in blighty at the moment, i thought that a thread about the weather was in order, or more correctly, the weather in RPGs.

Does the weather have a bearing on your game? Is it simply description you go for in a session or does it have a bearing on skill resolution and combat? Do you ever even take account of it in your game world?

I think that it can inspire all kinds of moods at the gaming table if the weather has an impact on the characters and the environment, so is it always sunny and non-descript or is it always thunder & lightning, very, very frightening indeed?

Settembrini · October 06, 2006, 05:25:55 AM

There are tables for weather.

Mood-supporting weather is for romantic-story-whores.

Mood supporting weather takes away my suspension of disbelief.

Weather is and should stay a natural phenomenon following the rules of hard science.

Sosthenes · October 06, 2006, 07:10:21 AM

Well, I think True Scientific Realism is pretty unachievable without a dedicated world-class supercomputer. I certainly don't have the time to make out dedicated climate patterns for every week of play. It generally has to be within the usual limits for the area and time of year.

And mood is relative. So the players arrive at the Keep Of The Undead Overlord. Weather the sunny weather mocks their plight or the dark stormy night enforces the cliche, it all depends how the GM presents the weather.

Balbinus · October 06, 2006, 07:12:29 AM

I throw in descriptions of weather for flavour when the mood takes me, I make no particular attempt to match it to mood in the game as I don't particularly run that kind of game.

The idea of rolling it up on a table I find a tremendous waste of time, I have better things to be doing.

Imperator · October 06, 2006, 07:30:27 AM

Quote from: One Horse TownDoes the weather have a bearing on your game? Is it simply description you go for in a session or does it have a bearing on skill resolution and combat? Do you ever even take account of it in your game world?

I use the weather both to set a challenge or an additional difficulty for the PCs (making a combat more perilous and interesting, and that), and to set a mood.

As I'm no expert in weather, I can't make my descriptions of weather fit with... SCIENCE! And rolling the weather in a table strikes me as dumb. Thinking something like: we're in a moment like X so in my description the weather could be Y is easy and helps the game. Calling the Meteosat for the last weather predictions is not.

hgjs · October 06, 2006, 07:46:25 AM

Quote from: SosthenesWell, I think True Scientific Realism is pretty unachievable without a dedicated world-class supercomputer. I certainly don't have the time to make out dedicated climate patterns for every week of play.

You could spend a long time tweaking a model with dubious results, or you could pick a city in the real world with a similar climate to where the characters are, pick a random year, and look up what the weather was like on the corresponding day. Ta-da!

mattormeg · October 06, 2006, 07:46:30 AM

Color me "story whore". If I'm not using weather to establish a mood or theme, then what is the purpose of even talking about it in-game? Really, if you think about it, using weather as a scientific aspect of the game world is still a mood-setter, because no matter how scientific or accurate you want to get, you as narrator are still telling a story. The game world isn't real, whether the setting is modern day Germany or Talislanta.

One Horse Town · October 06, 2006, 07:53:49 AM

Perhaps i didn't explain that very well.

I don't mean taking the current real world weather into consideration when playing or having a scientifically realistic simulation to hand and operational on a daily basis.

Given it's an important factor in travelling as a whole, how much importance, if any, is attached to it in your game.

Simply, do you ever use weather in your scenarios in the role of hindrance, help or as salad dressing for a mood you are trying to evoke.

Abyssal Maw · October 06, 2006, 08:02:24 AM

I tend to be a bit random about weather when I GM. Just when it strikes me I'll just toss it out there like ".. and.. uhmm.. it's a rainy morning.." or "you wake up, and it's a nice sunny day..."

No particular mood being enforced, but not too scientific or systemized.

Edit: to update what One Horse Town is saying; I absolute use it as a hindrance when it comes up (for example, raining). Like for a battle in the rain- there will be balance checks if you charge, or the wall will be tougher to climb, or it adds some concealment chance to missile attacks.

Sosthenes · October 06, 2006, 08:40:27 AM

Quote from: hgjsYou could spend a long time tweaking a model with dubious results, or you could pick a city in the real world with a similar climate to where the characters are, pick a random year, and look up what the weather was like on the corresponding day. Ta-da!

That's quite a lot of work for a very unrealistic result. I don't need such accurate data considering that the climate conditions are only very roughly equivalent. A general range of temperature and precipitation should be enough, why bother with more? Fantasy characters won't be able to measure it to such a fine detail anyway, and in a hard sci-fi game you're fucked whatever you do.

Sigmund · October 06, 2006, 09:12:51 AM

I think it can be important. I normally don't make a major deal out of the weather unless the PCs are going on a very long journey by land or sea, or I need to inject a certain weather condition for some reason (like if a character uses weather control magic).

Balbinus · October 06, 2006, 09:17:44 AM

Quote from: Abyssal MawI tend to be a bit random about weather when I GM. Just when it strikes me I'll just toss it out there like ".. and.. uhmm.. it's a rainy morning.." or "you wake up, and it's a nice sunny day..."

No particular mood being enforced, but not too scientific or systemized.

Edit: to update what One Horse Town is saying; I absolute use it as a hindrance when it comes up (for example, raining). Like for a battle in the rain- there will be balance checks if you charge, or the wall will be tougher to climb, or it adds some concealment chance to missile attacks.

Pretty much my approach too.

The Yann Waters · October 06, 2006, 09:23:35 AM

The weather is mostly there for mood and flavour. Unless it's raining bullets, of course.

Maddman · October 06, 2006, 09:43:28 AM

There for mood and story, because I'm a romantic-story-whore. If it feels right, I'll put whatever kind of weather in. Heck, I let my players frame scenes when the mood strikes them so I'll let them decide if it's raining or sunny or whatever. Sometimes it's story related too - Sunnydale's Hellmouth causes earthquakes when something's disturbing it, so my midwestern one spawns sudden storms and tornados.

flyingmice · October 06, 2006, 09:52:59 AM

Since my main game lately is set on sailing ships, weather is really vital. Storms have been the source of some exciting roleplaying. Rescuing the crew of Spanish frigate driven onto the reefs took a full session, and the players loved it. It was dangerous as hell, but really rewarding. A dust storm off of the sahara, the Mistral thundering in from Provence, hurricanes in tthe West Indies, all have been wonderful role-playing opportunutues and tests of skill.

-clash