D&D 3E/3.5 D&D 3.5 Weather: Lightning

[Jon_Dahl]

I have a slight dilemma with weather in my Greyhawk game.

Thunderstorm

In addition to wind and precipitation (usually rain, but sometimes also hail), thunderstorms are accompanied by lightning that can pose a hazard to characters without proper shelter (especially those in metal armor). As a rule of thumb, assume one bolt per minute for a 1-hour period at the center of the storm. Each bolt causes electricity damage equal to 1d10 eight-sided dice. One in ten thunderstorms is accompanied by a tornado (see below).

I don't like this text, because it leaves everything pretty open. So what are your chances of getting struck by a lightning? This guideline above makes it sound really nasty (60 lightning bolts per hour) but on the other hand it gives nothing solid.

D&D talks lot about weather dangers, and lightnings should be pretty high up there. I read somewhere that after floods, lightning is the number one reason in USA for weather-related deaths (please don't ask me to find the source). So relatively, we should give them something more specific than this vague guideline.

So I see three possibilities here:
1. Realistic possibility. Chances of getting struck by a lightning is 1/250,000 or so. So let's forget the whole issue. Lightning storms without a hurricane or severe wind are a joke, no danger to PCs whatsoever.
2. PCs that are disregard standard safety procedures should have some minor chance of getting struck by lightning. If a PC is in the open and has a metal armor, he/she gets the "lightning strikes you!"-roll every hour. Otherwise there's no danger during a thunderstorm. But what would this roll be? One in a thousand? Is there any point?
3. DM makes a hidden roll and sometimes a PC gets struck by a lightning, if DM feels like it. DM refuses to explain mechanics behind the roll.

How do feel about this? IMO lightnings should be dangerous for PCs, but how dangerous exactly? I really tried to dig information, but it's hard to say because nothing relates to a PC wearing metal armor and riding a horse in lightning storm.

 

[Ashtagon]

Realistically, unless you are the tallest object in the area, it's just not going to happen. Even if you stand on a horse on a hill wearing wet copper armour in a severe thunderstorm, you still have to shout out "Pholtus is a fink" to be in with a serious chance of being struck.

As long as PCs take sensible precautions, there should be zero danger. If they don't, I'd allow a 1% chance per hour (which is still higher than is realistic). Damage could be a DC 15 Fort save for 4d6 damage; success converts it all to non-lethal damage.

 

[JamesonCourage]

My mother, when she was around 11, was struck by lightning twice in the same night, while playing in the rain. The lightning exited her fingers and toes, but she had no permanent injuries.

My father was nearly struck by lightning twice when he was young. One bolt split a tree near him in half while he was chopping wood; the other bolt came in through his window and destroyed the family radio during dinner, and only missed because he was under the table looking for a coin his sister dropped).

I suppose I'm luckily I had no close calls. Is it impossible to be struck by lightning? No. Improbable? For sure. Not really sure how you could mimic it mechanically.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Are your PC's wearing metal armor?

Are they holding long metal weapons?

Are they in an open area?

Are they on the highest point of the land around them?

Are they in puddles as a result from rain?

Are they in a body of water?

Have they attracted the wrath of any gods?

Have they attracted the wrath of the DM?

...If any of these are yes, increase the percentage change that the PC is likely to be hit my lightning.

 

[Jimlock]

I suppose I'm luckily I had no close calls.

I suppose you were lucky you were born in the first place!


...wow... through the window? unbelievable....

 

[nijineko]

i've been zapped through a window by a near miss with a lightning bolt.

it didn't help that my one hand was on the metal lip of the window trying to shut it, metal frame too... my other hand was on a floor fan up on a desk, which was plugged in and turned on. i was trying to turn it off. cue lightning bolt right outside my window. not a direct hit, but the nimbus charged my window sill enough to give me quite the stinging zap. in that hand and out the other into the fan.

your source.

 

[Vespucci]

So I see three possibilities here:
1. Realistic possibility. Chances of getting struck by a lightning is 1/250,000 or so. So let's forget the whole issue. Lightning storms without a hurricane or severe wind are a joke, no danger to PCs whatsoever.
2. PCs that are disregard standard safety procedures should have some minor chance of getting struck by lightning. If a PC is in the open and has a metal armor, he/she gets the "lightning strikes you!"-roll every hour. Otherwise there's no danger during a thunderstorm. But what would this roll be? One in a thousand? Is there any point?
3. DM makes a hidden roll and sometimes a PC gets struck by a lightning, if DM feels like it. DM refuses to explain mechanics behind the roll.

How do feel about this? IMO lightnings should be dangerous for PCs, but how dangerous exactly? I really tried to dig information, but it's hard to say because nothing relates to a PC wearing metal armor and riding a horse in lightning storm.

The last thing I'd do is make a hidden roll and make a decision. Lightning already has a bit of a deus ex reputation - if you are using deus ex, at least try to be subtle. Most of the time, if the PCs can handle the wind and the rain, they can handle the lightning: save time and use lightning for special effect. Mad scientist lightning -driven apparatuses are a different story.

An ordinary lightning-driven apparatus will be struck by 50% of the lightning, and explodes if it takes more than 40 damage in a single round. A masterwork lightning-driven apparatus attracts 66% of lightning and only explodes when it takes more than 60 damage. An exploding apparatus deals damage equal to the lightning bolt that destroyed it (half electrical damage, half physical damage), with the damage reduced by 1d8 for every five feet of distance.

You have those things in your game, right?

 

[Ahnehnois]

I read somewhere that after floods, lightning is the number one reason in USA for weather-related deaths

True as that might be, "weather-related deaths" are unlikely events overall. People today die from heart disease and cancer. People in medieval times died mainly from infections and complications thereof.

Lightning is so rare that a 1% chance per hour is high. Most players would feel it unfair to die from a lightning strike unless they stood at the top of a mountain wearing metal armor and shouted for Zeus to strike them down. I'd go with the first ("realistic") option of just ignoring it or maybe the third ("deus ex"). Things like lightning just aren't worth a great deal of effort to model.

 

[Umbran]

I read somewhere that after floods, lightning is the number one reason in USA for weather-related deaths (please don't ask me to find the source).

The US National Weather Service says there are something like 25 million lightning flashes in the US each year, but there are only about 50 lightning deaths. The chances of getting hit and killed are not really worth simulating.

 

[lordxaviar]

I have a slight dilemma with weather in my Greyhawk game.



I don't like this text, because it leaves everything pretty open. So what are your chances of getting struck by a lightning? This guideline above makes it sound really nasty (60 lightning bolts per hour) but on the other hand it gives nothing solid.

D&D talks lot about weather dangers, and lightnings should be pretty high up there. I read somewhere that after floods, lightning is the number one reason in USA for weather-related deaths (please don't ask me to find the source). So relatively, we should give them something more specific than this vague guideline.

So I see three possibilities here:
1. Realistic possibility. Chances of getting struck by a lightning is 1/250,000 or so. So let's forget the whole issue. Lightning storms without a hurricane or severe wind are a joke, no danger to PCs whatsoever.
2. PCs that are disregard standard safety procedures should have some minor chance of getting struck by lightning. If a PC is in the open and has a metal armor, he/she gets the "lightning strikes you!"-roll every hour. Otherwise there's no danger during a thunderstorm. But what would this roll be? One in a thousand? Is there any point?
3. DM makes a hidden roll and sometimes a PC gets struck by a lightning, if DM feels like it. DM refuses to explain mechanics behind the roll.

How do feel about this? IMO lightnings should be dangerous for PCs, but how dangerous exactly? I really tried to dig information, but it's hard to say because nothing relates to a PC wearing metal armor and riding a horse in lightning storm.

glad you brought this up... my pcs (living in tornado alley) do divinations and such before setting out... they avoid bad weather and will even sit things out.. they went though treasure hunt and had no choice on that one...but I didnt even think to add the lighting...that would be evil... have to work that into my 3.5 version... thanx for the addtional evil thoughts...lol