Supernatural Frostfell Hazards

Supernatural Frostfell Hazards

Frostburn is one of my favorite supplements for D&D 3.5. One section that I have always overlooked is the supernatural weather and terrain. Now that I do not play D&D 3.5 anymore, I will convert these things to GURPS.

WEATHER

Acid Sleet: A squall of this corrosive sleet lasts for 6d seconds, and deals 1 point of corrosion damage per second of exposure. Acid sleetfalls usually leave patches of acid slush (see below).

Blood Snow Blizzard: A poisonous blood snow blizzard only manifests as a brief flurry during the course of otherwise normal snowfalls, lasting for 10d seconds before ending. A blood snow blizzard normally leaves a dusting of blood snow (see below) behind. Each second a creature is caught in a blood snow blizzard takes 1 point of toxic damage if it fails an HT+1 roll. Blood snow is a contact agent. Any creature that lost 1/3 HP to blood snow becomes nauseated (p. B428) until it heals above this threshold.

Death Hail: This black hail is filled with negative energy. If a character is exposed for at least 10 minutes, he must make an HT roll or gain a cumulative -2 penalty to ST and HT for a day. For every additional 10 minutes the character is exposed to continuous death hail, he must make an additional HT roll. A typical death hail storm lasts for 1d×10 minutes.

Howl of the North: At certain times, a moaning wind can be heard sweeping across polar regions. In addition to the wind effects, the Howl of the North causes the additional effects listed in the table below. A typical occurrence of the Howl of the North lasts for 10d seconds. Damage listed in the table is from sonic vibrations, not fire, and is a contact agent.

Wind Speed (mph)	Effect
0-12	-
13-24	Additional -2 penalty to Hearing rolls
25-39	Additional -4 penalty to Hearing rolls
40-63	Additional -8 penalty to Hearing rolls; 1 point of non-incendiary burning damage per second on a failed HT roll
64-73	Hearing rolls are impossible; 1 point of non-incendiary burning damage per second on a failed HT-2 roll
74-103	Hearing rolls are impossible; 1 point of non-incendiary burning damage per second on a failed HT-4 roll
104+	Hearing rolls are impossible; 1 point of non-incendiary burning damage per second

Negation Flurry: Silvery and beautiful, negation snow is the bane of adventurers in the polar regions. A flurry of negation snow typically occurs in the middle of an otherwise mundane snowfall. A character within negation flurry must make a Will roll every minute or have all ongoing magical effects dispelled, excluding enchanted items and other Truly Permanent effects. Negation flurry is considered a low mana area. A negation flurry normally lasts 2d minutes, and may leave behind deposits of negation snow (see below).

Razor Sleet: This storm of supernaturally strong and sharp snowflakes tears the skin of creatures caught in it, dealing 1d-4 points of cutting damage and 1 point of non-incendiary burning damage (from cold)  per second. Normally, razor sleet occurs as a short flurry or downpour in the course of an otherwise normal snowstorm or icestorm. A squall of razor sleet lasts for 6d seconds, and often deposits razor ice (see below).

        

Rust Flurry: Resembling flurries of dirty, gray-black ash, rust flurries are dreaded by travelers. All metal objects within rust flurry take 1 point of corrosion damage per second. A rust flurry normally lasts for 1d6 minutes, and leaves behind deposits of rustsnow (see below).

TERRAIN

Acid Slush: Found most often in cursed frostfell bogs and marshes, acid slush is most dangerous in cold or moderate temperatures—if the temperature is below -20°F, it freezes solid and loses its potency until the weather warms again. Acid slush has a faint green hue, making it difficult to notice except in good light. Spotting an acid slush bog before entering it requires a Survival (Arctic)-2 check.

Acid slush deals 1 point of corrosion damage per second of exposure, or 1d-1 corrosion damage with total immersion. Most acid slush is about 1 foot in depth. It penalizes movement just as normal slush.

Blood Snow: Thankfully rare, blood snow is found atop glaciers created with evil magic or on open snow fields scoured by cursed winds. It is deadly poisonous; any creature coming into contact with blood snow must make a successful HT+1 roll or take 1 point of toxic damage per second while it maintains the contact. Blood snow is a contact agent. Any creature that lost 1/3 HP to blood snow becomes nauseated (p. B428) until it heals above this threshold. Blood snow impedes movement as does normal snow.

Creatures who can distinguish color need not make any check to notice blood snow. Otherwise, spotting blood snow requires a Survival (Arctic) check. Blood snow retains its potency for only 1d-1 days after it falls, and cannot be preserved.

Ebony Ice: Unhallowed glaciers and unholy places in the great ice fields of the north sometimes include expanses of ebony ice, jet-black sheets that gleam with dark energy. Ebony ice impedes movement as does normal ice.

In addition, ebony ice is suffused with negative energy. Undead creatures in an area of ebony ice gain a +1 bonus to HT and Will. Any sighted creature notices ebony ice automatically, provided they can see in the current conditions. Otherwise, spotting ebony ice requires a Survival (Arctic) check.

Faerie Frost: Faerie frost resembles an ice sheet with a faint rosy hue. It impedes movement as does normal ice.

Creatures who remain in a region of faerie frost for 1 minute or more become subject to its deadly hallucinatory curse, and must make a successful Will-3 or begin to hallucinate (p.  B428). Creatures that succeed on this roll are immune to the effect of that patch of faerie frost for 24 hours. Hallucinating creatures remain so indefinitely, but are entitled to a new Will roll once per hour to break free of the faerie frost’s effects. While under the curse’s effect, ensnared characters experience euphoric delusions of warm temperatures and inviting flowery meadows. These characters often sit or lie down on the ice. They remain subject to the normal effects of cold or other existing conditions, remaining completely oblivious as they slowly freeze to death.

Characters who remain in a patch of faerie frost for 24 hours must make a successful HT roll or turn to ice (as the spell Flesh to Ice). If a character succeeds on this roll, he must make a new HT roll once per additional hour at a cumulative -1 penalty. Spotting faerie frost requires a Survival (Arctic) check.

Lightning Pillars: Spectacular and deadly, a lightning pillar is a towering column of brilliant blue-green ice (2d×10 feet high and 2d+2 feet thick) found in an otherwise normal ice sheet. These pillars are composed of magical ice. When a living SM-2 or larger creature comes within 15 yards of a lightning pillar, a bolt of lightning explodes from top of the ice column, targeting a random SM-2 or larger creature in range.

The pillar attacks at ESL 14. The lightning deals 4d burning surge damage. Metallic armor counts as DR 1 against this attack, but nonmetallic armor protects normally. Targets stuck by this attack must make an HT roll, at -1 per 2 points of penetrating damage, or be physically stunned. On subsequent turns, they can roll HT to recover. This lightning behaves unpredictably around conductors; see Lightning (GURPS Magic, p. 196) for more details. After unleashing a lightning bolt, a pillar must then recharge for 24 hours before it generates enough electrical charge to unleash another bolt.

Spotting a lightning pillar is easy. However, recognizing that the pillar poses a threat requires Survival (Arctic)-2 check. Of course, once a character has witnessed a lightning pillar’s effects, he is quite familiar with its danger.

Negation Snow: Negation snow appears much as normal snow, but it has a noticeable silvery or metallic sheen. It impedes movement as does normal snow.  A character in contact with negation snow must make a Will roll every minute or have all ongoing magical effects dispelled, excluding enchanted items and other Truly Permanent effects. Negation flurry is considered a low mana area. Spotting negation snow requires a Survival (Arctic) check.

Razor Ice: Although it resembles normal snow, razor ice is composed of supernaturally strong and sharp snowflakes that shred the skin of those who pass through it, dealing 1d-4 cutting damage and 1 point of non-incendiary burning damage (from cold) per second. Cutting damage stops, if the character does not move. Razor ice also impedes movement as normal snow does. Spotting razor snow requires a Survival (Arctic) check.

Rustsnow: Infused with an elemental power to destroy metal objects, rustsnow is a dark grayish-black powder that sometimes falls alongside normal snowfall in frostfell areas. Rustsnow impedes movement as normal snow. In addition, all metal objects in contact with rust snow take 1 point of corrosion damage per second. Spotting rustsnow requires a Survival (Arctic)+2 check.

Snow Geyser: More often found on extraplanar frostfell areas than on the Material Plane, snow geysers are hidden vortices of cold energy that can spontaneously erupt, damaging anyone nearby. A snow geyser eruption deals 3d crushing damage (random direction of knockback) plus 2d non-incendiary burning damage (from cold) to any creature within 3 yards. When a creature comes within 3 yards of an inert geyser, roll 3d each second – on a roll of 15+ it erupts. Spotting a snow geyser requires a Survival (Arctic) check.