Additional modifiers for extreme cold? - Page 2

Inky · 06-28-2023, 09:01 PM

I'm not sure about any of the following.

Whatever kind of gallon you use, Create Water 40 would produce 10 lbs x 40 x 40 = 16,000 lbs of water, which isn't actually as much as it sounds, it would all fit into a two-metre cube - so you couldn't cover all that large an area at once this way, for instance it would cover an area around 9 metres square 10 centimetres deep, or an area 4 metres square 50 centimetres deep.

(On the other hand, as Curmudgeon says, if the superhuman is able to drop the entire 16,000 lbs from a height on a small group of soldiers, they might be killed just by the weight - you'd think that wouldn't happen, but people can break bones falling from a height into water. You might have to buy that as an Alternate Ability).

"Thermal Shock" specifically says "sudden immersion", and it's talking about rolling once every minute while you're immersed in water, whereas with this they'd be immersed (as opposed to just wet) for very much less than a minute. As Rupert says, if you did allow it, it would only be that once, but after that it would just be ordinary standing-in-a-cold-place-in-wet-clothes, so roll after a minute and then roll every 15 minutes after that.

It seems like the Cold rules leave a bit to be desired in this case, though - if that's the only effect the water has, then it would be 15 minutes before anything happens at all, and they wouldn't be at any penalties until they got down to 1/3 FP, which could take a lot longer.

I'd be inclined to say that having icy water thrown over you should also inflict a sizeable shock penalty even if it doesn't actually inflict any damage. Maybe even a Fright Check the first time (indicating seconds lost working out what had just happened and which way up they were, rather than fright) if they're not expecting this.

Also an increased Malf on their weapons until they can dry them out - I'm not sure exactly how much guns and ammunition would be affected by having water thrown over them (maybe somebody here knows) but it doesn't seem like it would be a good idea.

If you've just dumped eight cubic metres of water over a smallish area of ground on which people are running and fighting, that ground might also become Bad Footing before too many turns are over.

It looks like this would have tremendous nuisance value but would be more use as defence than offence, unless the idea was that other soldiers would be waiting to pick them off - if there was some place that needed to be protected, this would be useful in preventing the enemy from attacking properly and possibly forcing them to retreat to get dry before hypothermia became an issue, but it'd be unlikely to kill anyone - unless he could do what Curmudgeon suggested.

DeadParrot · 06-28-2023, 09:49 PM

To see the effects of water drops, study wildfire water drops from choppers. If it has time to spread due to distance of fall, probably not going to be fatal but injuries would be likely. If the soldier has no warning about the impending drenching, possible equipment might be damaged. Unprotected radios and bags of powder for large artillery for two examples.

Since 'Polar Plunges' are regularly survived by the participants, I doubt the drenching itself would cause much issue. Long term effects will depend on the local weather.

A large surprise water drop of any temp would be a good way to take out a command tent and the related maps and intelligence info plus injure leadership. Or take out the mess facility just before meal time.

06-28-2023, 09:01 PM	#1
Inky Join Date: Sep 2019 Location: UK	Re: Additional modifiers for extreme cold? I'm not sure about any of the following. Whatever kind of gallon you use, Create Water 40 would produce 10 lbs x 40 x 40 = 16,000 lbs of water, which isn't actually as much as it sounds, it would all fit into a two-metre cube - so you couldn't cover all that large an area at once this way, for instance it would cover an area around 9 metres square 10 centimetres deep, or an area 4 metres square 50 centimetres deep. (On the other hand, as Curmudgeon says, if the superhuman is able to drop the entire 16,000 lbs from a height on a small group of soldiers, they might be killed just by the weight - you'd think that wouldn't happen, but people can break bones falling from a height into water. You might have to buy that as an Alternate Ability). "Thermal Shock" specifically says "sudden immersion", and it's talking about rolling once every minute while you're immersed in water, whereas with this they'd be immersed (as opposed to just wet) for very much less than a minute. As Rupert says, if you did allow it, it would only be that once, but after that it would just be ordinary standing-in-a-cold-place-in-wet-clothes, so roll after a minute and then roll every 15 minutes after that. It seems like the Cold rules leave a bit to be desired in this case, though - if that's the only effect the water has, then it would be 15 minutes before anything happens at all, and they wouldn't be at any penalties until they got down to 1/3 FP, which could take a lot longer. I'd be inclined to say that having icy water thrown over you should also inflict a sizeable shock penalty even if it doesn't actually inflict any damage. Maybe even a Fright Check the first time (indicating seconds lost working out what had just happened and which way up they were, rather than fright) if they're not expecting this. Also an increased Malf on their weapons until they can dry them out - I'm not sure exactly how much guns and ammunition would be affected by having water thrown over them (maybe somebody here knows) but it doesn't seem like it would be a good idea. If you've just dumped eight cubic metres of water over a smallish area of ground on which people are running and fighting, that ground might also become Bad Footing before too many turns are over. It looks like this would have tremendous nuisance value but would be more use as defence than offence, unless the idea was that other soldiers would be waiting to pick them off - if there was some place that needed to be protected, this would be useful in preventing the enemy from attacking properly and possibly forcing them to retreat to get dry before hypothermia became an issue, but it'd be unlikely to kill anyone - unless he could do what Curmudgeon suggested. __________________ Looking for online text-based game at a UK-feasible time, anything considered, Roll20 preferred. http://forums.sjgames.com/showthread.php?t=168443 Last edited by Inky; 06-28-2023 at 09:06 PM.

06-28-2023, 09:49 PM	#2
DeadParrot Join Date: Apr 2012	Re: Additional modifiers for extreme cold? To see the effects of water drops, study wildfire water drops from choppers. If it has time to spread due to distance of fall, probably not going to be fatal but injuries would be likely. If the soldier has no warning about the impending drenching, possible equipment might be damaged. Unprotected radios and bags of powder for large artillery for two examples. Since 'Polar Plunges' are regularly survived by the participants, I doubt the drenching itself would cause much issue. Long term effects will depend on the local weather. A large surprise water drop of any temp would be a good way to take out a command tent and the related maps and intelligence info plus injure leadership. Or take out the mess facility just before meal time.