Weather in Dungeons and Dragons

Weather in Dungeons and Dragons is seldom considered when a Dungeon Master designs adventures. But life in medieval times or in a fantasy realm is not without it’s problems. One of the major problems in daily life is the weather. Unlike those who design fantasy worlds the people who live in them must deal with the elements on a daily basis. They do not live in air conditions rooms. Their roofs leak. When they travel they must brave the cold, the rain, the thunder and the lightning. These things can affect combat as well as travel. Even dungeons are not leak proof. If it is raining outside it is very likely that water will be flowing into the underground places of the world.

Terrain Matters

Obviously where a person is in the fantasy world is going to dictate what kinds of weather events might occur. If you are in the hottest part of the desert….do not expect rain. If you are in the frozen wastelands then do not count on a hot spell.

Desert Weather in Dungeons and Dragons

Deserts are harsh places even without weather events causing additional misery. The temperatures are hot. Often they are too hot to even wear armor without causing injury. Sandstorms can cause one to be blinded or worse. In extreme sand storms one’s skin might be flayed from the body by the whirling desert winds and rough sand stripping away skin. One possible table for random weather events in the desert might look like this:

• 01-60 Hot temperatures (over 110 degrees F)
• 61-70 Unbearable temperatures (over 120 degrees F)
• 71-80 Minor Sandstorm (blinding with reduced visibility)
• 81-90 Moderate Sandstorm (zero visibility)
• 91-99 Major Sandstorm (take cover quickly or be flayed alive by the desert sands)
• 00 Desert Cyclone (take cover or be swept into the funnel cloud and torn apart)

Storms at Sea

Storms at sea can be deadly for all those relying on wooden ships for safety. Weather events can strike suddenly and with little or no warning. Whirlpools, tidal waves and sudden thunderstorms can be terrifying to those aboard such craft. A possible table for such events might look like this:

• 01-60 Calm Seas
• 61-70 Choppy seas (waves of 10-15 feet)
• 71-80 Squall (sudden heavy rain and waves of 15-25 feet)
• 81-90 Minor Storm (sustained rain and waves of 15-25 feet lasting for 1-4 hours)
• 91-97 Major Storm (sustained rain and waves of 20-30 feet lasting for 2-5 hours)
• 98 Water Spout (tornado over water)
• 99 Whirlpool (sucks ships under)
• 00 Rogue Tidal wave (capsizes ships)

Mountains

Mountainous terrain can be dangerous enough without weather events. But weather events are common in such places. Heavy snows, avalanches and other conditions can be deadly to those traveling in such places. A possible table for such a place might look like this:

• 01-50 Clear skies but cool weather
• 50-70 Light snow and cold
• 71-80 Moderate snow but good visibility and very cold
• 81-90 Heavy snow and limited visibility and very cold
• 91-99 Blizzard with near zero visibility and extreme cold
• 00 Avalanche causes snow to sweep down the mountain and killing everything in it’s path

Frozen Tundra

Such places exist in the realms where only snow and ice can be seen in any direction. Glaciers cover such places. Food is scarce as animals can find little vegetation to eat and migrate to other places. Predators migrate to find prey. Only foolhardy travelers and reckless barbarians can be found in such places. A possible table for weather might look like:

• 01-60 Extreme cold but clear skies and good visibility
• 61-80 Extreme cold but steady snow and limited visibility
• 81-95 Extreme cold but blizzard like conditions and near zero visibility
• 96-00 Extreme sub-zero conditions with high winds causing wind chills extremely hazardous to human life

Grasslands and Plains

Most realms have a good portion of the land that are plains or grasslands. These lands are open and have lots of vegetation. They may be surrounded by forests and mountains but they are flat. A possible table for weather events might look like this:

• 01-60 Clear weather and sunny
• 61-70 Light rain
• 71-80 Moderate rain and thunderstorm
• 81-90 Heavy rain and thunderstorm
• 91-00 Tornado and thunderstorms

Forests

Forests are commonly found in any fantasy realm. Such places are often filled with dangerous animals and evil humanoids. But dangers also include storms. Rain can cause flooding. Thunderstorms can bring dangerous lightning strikes in the forest. A possible table for weather might include:

• 01-60 Clear weather and sunny skies
• 61-70 Light rain
• 71-80 Moderate rain and thunderstorms
• 81-90 Heavy rain and thunderstorms
• 91-00 Tornado and thunderstorms

Seasons Can Affect Weather Too

Weather in Dungeons and Dragons is not affected only by the terrain. The time of the year may make some events more or less likely to occur. Obviously rain tends to pick up in the spring. Snow is more likely to occur in winter or fall. Hot temperatures tend to be found in summer. What month of the year it is might indicate the season that is encountered. But if you are not keeping specific track of months or seasons a simple table might solve this issue:

• 1 Winter
• 2 Spring
• 3 Summer
• 4 Fall

A roll of a D4 could determine the season and you could modify your tables to adjust for the season. Obviously it is rare (but not impossible) for snow to be encountered in the middle of summer. A drought might be found to occur even in the middle of the spring rainy season. But these events are likely to be extremely rare.

Weather Tables in Dungeons and Dragons

The sample tables that I have given you are only suggestions. Obviously you should prepare a table specific to your terrain and fantasy realm. If travel is likely to occur in such places in your realm you should be prepared to determine weather events occurring during these expeditions. How specific that you get with your events may give you additional adventure opportunities. A snow storm could block a pass and cause your adventurers to take an inadvisable side trek through and cave system nearby. Heavy flooding might cause the delvers to cross a dangerous and unsteady wooden bridge nearby. Weather can force decision making by your adventurers that can lead to entirely unpredictable results.

Magic Can Affect Weather in Dungeons and Dragons

There are many spells which simulate or alter weather in Dungeons and Dragons. Call lightning, summon weather, control weather and other similar spells can cause weather events. Earthquakes can even be summoned. Such events can change the course of a campaign entirely. And your adventurers cannot always predict what might result from using one of these spells. As the Dungeon Master it is up to you to anticipate such things and assign probabilities accordingly. Tables set up in advance can help with such things and bring the decision down to a roll of the dice.

Articles About Weather in Dungeons and Dragons

Fortunately there are many sources of information about weather in Dungeons and Dragons. Some of the articles from the now dead Dragon Magazine discussed weather in great detail. Specifically you can find more information (and many tables) at:

• Dragon Magazine # 108, page 12, “The Role of Nature: Systems for bringing environment into play,” Bruce Humphrey
• Dragon Magazine #15, page 14, “Weather in the wilderness,” David Tillery.
• Dragon Magazine #137, page 34 “Weathering the storms,” Lisa Cabala.

Or You Could Use a Simple Weather Generator Like This One

Donjon Random Weather Generator

Weather In Dungeons and Dragons

Weather events can change the flavor of a campaign. They can make it more realistic. They can even make it a bit terrifying. When the monsters are less dangerous than the elements things can get a little dicey. Fantasy realms are harsh places. They are hard worlds. People are not supposed to be able to get from point A to point B without a few bumps int he road. Some of those bumps are likely to be weather related.