Danip
07-11-2005, 08:19 AM
Also related to my PBeM work in progress, here is a set of houserules to cover winter. With the mouth of the Great Bay icing over during winter, I thought some serious stategic effects were in order.
Bay effect snow. Absolute deluges of snow coat the coast of the Great Bay in winter. Moist bay air rises up over the steeply rising mountainous coast, dropping deep blankets of snow. While less in absolute ferocity than the great frigid blizzards of Dracenward or Thaele, all nations on the Bay in our game can be considered to be affected during the winter season.
travel Travel rates on p 105 of the BRCS should to be considered highly optimistic during the winter. Nearly all provinces in our game are mountainous, and unless a community is located along ice free coast it is typically cut off. However, your regent characters are hardly typical. Overland travel among the mountains during winter is adventerous and not undertaken lightly.
strategic movement All provinces in Kvingmar, Danigau, Wierech, and Dauren are considered to suffer from 'Cold Inclement weather' during the winter season. Inclement weather is defined on page 124 of the BRCS. 'Cold' refers to the DC of 10 instead of 5 on movement.
Inclement weather: Fog and muddy roads caused by rain, sleet, and deep snow make travel difficult and slow. Units that travel in inclement weather must make a morale save against DC 5 (DC 10 in cold weather) or receive a subdual hit. Normal roads become next to useless in inclement weather – units traveling through provinces that do not have paved highways must move using the movement point cost appropriate for trackless terrain. Travel is difficult and visibility – units are only visible to the viewing regent if A) they are in a province claimed by the viewing regent and the regent has a military unit in the province, or B) a unit of scouts is in the province with the hostile units.
Note; Most provinces are Mts without highways. These provinces are impassible during winter (unless a unit can move freely in terrain such as a scout). True Highways are denoted on the realm pages as Rd. We loosely use the word 'road' to denote highway domain assests, but few provinces in our game have true highways. This means much of the area is snowbound during winter. Plan accordingly.
monster activity While temperatures alone are not extremely deadly, the deep snowfall and hindered patrolling tend to bring many dangers out of the mountains. Monsterous humanoids, hungry animals, and all manner of D&D beastie make winter their playground. In lightly settled Dauren this problem is particullarly strong. Many communities, be they up in the mountains or down along the coast, cram into their mines for security. While some mines are at high altitude and have extremely harsh winter conditions, lower settlements are mostly driven underground by monsters, as their climate isnt so different from the more northerly Danigau.
Inland conitions Inland areas, beyond the coastal mountain ranges, see less snowfall and colder temperatures. In our game area this includes Urga-Zai, the Gorgon's Crown, and points west. The temperature alone can kill a man, but tends to have less strategic impact. This is true in general, but deadly blizzards are also more likely than along the coast .
[i]stategic movement Very cold weather: Units cannot perform forced marches during very cold weather. Units that travel in very cold weather must make a morale save against DC 10 or receive a subdual hit.
Ice sheet The northern ocean and the top of the Great Bay are covered by an ice sheet during winter months. Usually the ice sheet manages to cut off sea travel from Starkhundt (in Danigau) on north. Icebergs plague further south, and the ice sheet isnt always consistent. Once every few centuries it can even reach down beyond the Zweilunds, it is then possible to walk between the islands and to the mainland!
Icebergs are a navigation hazard that extend from the ice sheet down to around Dauren's east coast. Danig Arm usually remains free of icebergs.
strategic movement With the mountains snowbound, moving troops by sea is a vital part of many realms defense plans. If a province is snowbound you can still off load troops into it. Where icebergs are a threat movement rates
are at 3/4 normal speed at sea. Naval units must make a morale save against DC 5 or receive a hit. Veteran Brecht units are not that troubled by icebergs, but winter storms remain a real threat.
travel Travel by sea remains practical in some areas during the winter. It is usually your best bet for regent travel, but a sudden winter storm can quickly make an unplanned nautical adventure.
Unusually harsh winter conditions Winter storms, blizzards, ice storms, freakishly low temperatures, whiteout conditions are just the mundane problems of winter. Winter has its own goddess here, so wheter you placate her or curse her, winter is personified and unforgiving.
Bay effect snow. Absolute deluges of snow coat the coast of the Great Bay in winter. Moist bay air rises up over the steeply rising mountainous coast, dropping deep blankets of snow. While less in absolute ferocity than the great frigid blizzards of Dracenward or Thaele, all nations on the Bay in our game can be considered to be affected during the winter season.
travel Travel rates on p 105 of the BRCS should to be considered highly optimistic during the winter. Nearly all provinces in our game are mountainous, and unless a community is located along ice free coast it is typically cut off. However, your regent characters are hardly typical. Overland travel among the mountains during winter is adventerous and not undertaken lightly.
strategic movement All provinces in Kvingmar, Danigau, Wierech, and Dauren are considered to suffer from 'Cold Inclement weather' during the winter season. Inclement weather is defined on page 124 of the BRCS. 'Cold' refers to the DC of 10 instead of 5 on movement.
Inclement weather: Fog and muddy roads caused by rain, sleet, and deep snow make travel difficult and slow. Units that travel in inclement weather must make a morale save against DC 5 (DC 10 in cold weather) or receive a subdual hit. Normal roads become next to useless in inclement weather – units traveling through provinces that do not have paved highways must move using the movement point cost appropriate for trackless terrain. Travel is difficult and visibility – units are only visible to the viewing regent if A) they are in a province claimed by the viewing regent and the regent has a military unit in the province, or B) a unit of scouts is in the province with the hostile units.
Note; Most provinces are Mts without highways. These provinces are impassible during winter (unless a unit can move freely in terrain such as a scout). True Highways are denoted on the realm pages as Rd. We loosely use the word 'road' to denote highway domain assests, but few provinces in our game have true highways. This means much of the area is snowbound during winter. Plan accordingly.
monster activity While temperatures alone are not extremely deadly, the deep snowfall and hindered patrolling tend to bring many dangers out of the mountains. Monsterous humanoids, hungry animals, and all manner of D&D beastie make winter their playground. In lightly settled Dauren this problem is particullarly strong. Many communities, be they up in the mountains or down along the coast, cram into their mines for security. While some mines are at high altitude and have extremely harsh winter conditions, lower settlements are mostly driven underground by monsters, as their climate isnt so different from the more northerly Danigau.
Inland conitions Inland areas, beyond the coastal mountain ranges, see less snowfall and colder temperatures. In our game area this includes Urga-Zai, the Gorgon's Crown, and points west. The temperature alone can kill a man, but tends to have less strategic impact. This is true in general, but deadly blizzards are also more likely than along the coast .
[i]stategic movement Very cold weather: Units cannot perform forced marches during very cold weather. Units that travel in very cold weather must make a morale save against DC 10 or receive a subdual hit.
Ice sheet The northern ocean and the top of the Great Bay are covered by an ice sheet during winter months. Usually the ice sheet manages to cut off sea travel from Starkhundt (in Danigau) on north. Icebergs plague further south, and the ice sheet isnt always consistent. Once every few centuries it can even reach down beyond the Zweilunds, it is then possible to walk between the islands and to the mainland!
Icebergs are a navigation hazard that extend from the ice sheet down to around Dauren's east coast. Danig Arm usually remains free of icebergs.
strategic movement With the mountains snowbound, moving troops by sea is a vital part of many realms defense plans. If a province is snowbound you can still off load troops into it. Where icebergs are a threat movement rates
are at 3/4 normal speed at sea. Naval units must make a morale save against DC 5 or receive a hit. Veteran Brecht units are not that troubled by icebergs, but winter storms remain a real threat.
travel Travel by sea remains practical in some areas during the winter. It is usually your best bet for regent travel, but a sudden winter storm can quickly make an unplanned nautical adventure.
Unusually harsh winter conditions Winter storms, blizzards, ice storms, freakishly low temperatures, whiteout conditions are just the mundane problems of winter. Winter has its own goddess here, so wheter you placate her or curse her, winter is personified and unforgiving.