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 (p. 93). 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:
Modifier to
Situation
HT Roll
Light or no clothing
-5
Ordinary winter clothing
+0
“Arctic” clothing
+5
Heated suit
+10
additional -5
Wet clothes
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 shel-
ter 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 cryo-
genic 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 water-
proof “dry suit,” you are only affected
as per normal freezing. Otherwise, roll
against HT once per minute of immer-
sion. Do not modify this for clothing.
On a success, you lose 1 FP. On a fail-
ure, you lose FP equal to the margin of
failure. Don’t forget to check for
drowning as well!