Cold
Cold can be deadly, but only magic or superscience can produce cold quickly enough to cause damage in combat. Armor offers its usual DR against such "instant" cold attacks, but it must be insulated or heated to shield against prolonged exposure to ambient cold.
Make a HT or HT-based Survival (Arctic) roll, whichever is better, every 30 minutes in "normal" freezing weather. For most humans, this means temperatures below 35°F, but see Temperature Tolerance. In light wind (10+ mph), roll every 15 minutes. In strong wind (30+ mph), roll every 10 minutes. Additionally, strong wind can dramatically reduce the effective temperature (the "wind chill factor"). Also see the modifiers below:
| Situation | Modifier to HT Roll |
|---|---|
| Light or no clothing | -5 |
| Ordinary winter clothing | +0 |
| "Arctic" clothing | +5 |
| Heated suit | +10 |
| Wet clothes | additional -5 |
| Every 10° below 0°F effective temperature |
-1 |
Failure costs 1 FP. As usual, once you go below 0 FP, you will start to lose 1 HP per FP. Recovery of FP or HP lost to cold requires adequate shelter and a heat source (flame, electric heat, body warmth, etc.).
Thermal Shock: Sudden immersion in icy waters (e.g., any of Earth's oceans far from the equator) or a cryogenic environment can cause death by thermal shock. Note that impure water (e.g., saltwater oceans) can be below the usual freezing temperature! If you are wearing a completely waterproof "dry suit," you are only affected as per normal freezing. Otherwise, roll against HT once per minute of immersion. Do not modify this for clothing. On a success, you lose 1 FP. On a failure, you lose FP equal to the margin of failure. Don’t forget to check for drowning as well!
Fahrenheit to Celcius Table
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