Against the Elements
One element often missing from many sandbox campaigns is the dynamic presence of natural disasters that occur independently of player actions. For example, while Dolmenwood offers a system to determine the daily weather, it doesn't provide a mechanism to escalate those conditions into full-blown disasters. Sure, you might roll a blizzard that temporarily impedes vision and travel, or encounter special seasonal events with unique weather and encounter tables. That system is goodβbut I prefer an approach with even greater impact.
The natural elements are cruel, weather is dangerous, and countless things can go wrong. Disasters need not affect the entire world uniformly; some may be localized, impacting only a small area, while others could escalate to endanger entire regions.
Disasters should be:
- Unpredictable: They can occur at any time.
- Disruptive: They upend plans and create chaos.
- Transformative: They reshape the landscape and open new opportunities.
The Procedure
- Weekly Check: Each week, roll 2d6. On a result of 11 or 12, the fickle natural elements unleash a disaster.
- Select Disaster: Roll 2d6 on the disaster table for the current season.
- Determine Scale: Roll 2d6 again to establish the disaster's impact scale.
- Choose Location: Select or randomly determine where the disaster occurs.
- Decide Impact: Define the immediate and long-term effects on your world.
Natural Disaster Tables
Below are tables for natural disasters. These tables are designed for a landlocked, temperate region that fits my gameβbut feel free to adjust them to fit other settings or climates.
π± - Spring Disasters
| 2d6 | Disaster | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Massive Flooding | Melting snow and heavy rain submerge vast regions, washing away homes. |
| 3 | Thaw-Triggered Landslides | Waterlogged slopes collapse, burying settlements and blocking trade routes. |
| 4 | Hailstorm Destruction | Large hailstones pummel crops, livestock, and structuresβleading to food shortages and injuries. |
| 5 | Raging River Swells | Heavy rainfall turns rivers into torrents, sweeping away bridges. |
| 6 | Mud Season Chaos | Roads and farmland turn to thick sludge, making travel nearly impossible. |
| 7 | Supercell Storms | Unstable atmospheric conditions spawn multiple severe windstorms, toppling trees and homes. |
| 8 | Insect Bloom | Swarms of locusts, mosquitoes, or crop-destroying beetles explode in number. |
| 9 | Unseasonable Frost | A late frost ruins early crops, leading to food shortages. |
| 10 | Violent Thunderstorms | Weeks of storms bring down trees, destroy buildings, and start fires. |
| 11 | River Shifts Course | Heavy flooding reroutes a river, permanently altering the landscape. |
| 12 | Early Heatwave | An unexpected, prolonged heatwave dries up wells and kills livestock. |
βοΈ - Summer Disasters
| 2d6 | Disaster | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Great Drought | No rain for weeks; crops die, wells dry up, and desperation grows. |
| 3 | Widespread Wildfires | Heat and dry winds fuel uncontrollable wildfires that force evacuations. |
| 4 | Deadly Heatwave | Temperatures reach record highs, causing exhaustion, crop failure, and death. |
| 5 | Sweltering Miasma | Extreme humidity and heat spark disease outbreaks and social unrest. |
| 6 | Crop Blight | A fungal or bacterial disease wipes out staple crops. |
| 7 | Thunderstorm Deluge | Massive, daily storms flood fields and render roads impassable. |
| 8 | Insect Swarm Catastrophe | Locusts or other pests swarm, devastating farmlands. |
| 9 | Dry Rot | Drought weakens forests, leading to mass tree die-off and structural collapses; travel becomes dangerous. |
| 10 | Summer Plague Epidemic | Extreme heat and poor sanitation trigger outbreaks of deadly diseases. |
| 11 | Hurricane or Cyclone | A massive storm system devastates an entire region. |
| 12 | Famine Begins | The cumulative damage from summer leads to widespread hunger. |
π - Autumn Disasters
| 2d6 | Disaster | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Torrential Flooding | Weeks of unrelenting rain make roads and fields unusable. |
| 3 | Riverbanks Expand Uncontrollably | Rising water levels cause riverbanks to overflow, turning farmlands into swampy wastelands. |
| 4 | Powerful Windstorms | Intense gales rip through the region, toppling trees, tearing apart homes, and ruining fields. |
| 5 | Vermin Infestation | A surge of rats, insects, and other pests destroys stored food supplies. |
| 6 | Early Frost | A sudden freeze before harvest leads to food shortages. |
| 7 | Rolling Fog | A dense, long-lasting fog slows trade, confuses travelers, and conceals lurking dangers. |
| 8 | Grain Rot | Excess moisture ruins stored grain, raising fears of an impending famine. |
| 9 | Fungal Blight | A crop disease spreads rapidly, wiping out fields. |
| 10 | First Snowfall Chaos | Unexpected early snowfall collapses roofs and freezes rivers. |
| 11 | Harvest Panic | Fearing bad weather, farmers rush to harvest, resulting in mistakes and injuries. |
| 12 | Hard Winter Forecast | Signs point to an approaching brutal winter, forcing people to hoard supplies. |
βοΈ - Winter Disasters
| 2d6 | Disaster | Effects |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Cataclysmic Blizzard | A terrifying blizzard sweeps in, burying everything under deep snow and reshaping the terrain. |
| 3 | Glacial Surge | A glacier expands rapidly, burying forests and valleys in ice. |
| 4 | Deep Freeze | Unseasonably low temperatures freeze water sources, kill crops, and crack stone. |
| 5 | Winter Famine | Supply shortages lead to starvation; desperate measures soon follow. |
| 6 | Avalanche Outbreak | Heavy snowfall triggers avalanches, burying roads and villages. |
| 7 | Endless Snowstorm | A prolonged snowstorm lasts for days, making travel nearly impossible. |
| 8 | Frozen Wells and Rivers | Water sources freeze solid, forcing inhabitants to melt ice for drinking water. |
| 9 | Wild Beast Migration | Starving predators such as wolves and bears venture into populated areas. |
| 10 | Ice Storm | Rain freezes on contact, making travel impossible and causing structural collapses. |
| 11 | Ice Melt | A sudden thaw causes ice dams to break, flooding lowland settlements. |
| 12 | Cold Wave | Record-breaking cold kills livestock, ruins stored crops, and makes survival uncertain. |
Determine Impact Scale
Not every disaster is a global eventβmost will be small, localized incidents. Here are three categories:
- Local: Affects 1β2 hexes (e.g. a single town, valley, or a small section of forest).
- Regional: Affects 3β12 hexes (e.g. multiple villages, an entire river basin, or vast plains).
- Massive: Impacts entire regions and beyond.
Disaster Impact Table
| 2d6 | Scale |
|---|---|
| 2 | Massive |
| 3-4 | Regional |
| 5-9 | Local |
| 10-11 | Regional |
| 12 | Massive |
Choosing a Location
Decide where the disaster occurs based on what best suits your narrative. You might choose a location that maximizes impact on the playersβfor instance, somewhere near where the party is currently adventuring. If your world is divided into distinct regions, consider assigning each region a number (for example, Dolmenwood's 12 regions work perfectly with a 1d12 roll).
Also, tailor your selection to the nature of the disaster. For example, a flood should only occur in areas with bodies of water, so limit your options accordingly.
Decide What Happens
Every disaster brings immediate danger as well as long-term economic and social challenges. The immediate danger might involve physical harm or travel disruption, while the fallout could include resource shortages, shifting power dynamics, or unexpected opportunities.
Consider the following possibilities:
- A disaster might allow a faction of traders to monopolize essential goods, causing prices to skyrocket.
- Those most affected could become desperate, potentially resorting to theft or other drastic measures.
- A town might divert significant resources to rebuilding its defenses, leaving it vulnerable to opportunistic enemies.
- The altered landscape could uncover rare resources, sparking a gold rush and drawing adventurers and new traders.
You don't need to plan every detail in advanceβintroduce these changes gradually to keep your world dynamic and full of surprises. Think about:
- How travel is affected.
- New monster or encounter tables.
- Potential treasure and riches unearthed.
- Fresh quest ideas and narrative hooks.
- Adjustments to faction missions or tasks.
Example - Cliffside Collapse (Dolmenwood)
- Season: Spring
- Location: The Groaning Loch (Hex 1204)
- Impact: Regional
Heavy spring rains weaken the unstable granite cliffs surrounding the Groaning Loch. The saturated rock and loosened soil trigger a sudden landslide along the southern shore.
Immediate Effects
- The collapse destroys the Breath of the Kelpie Inn and renders a section of the Lochsbreath Road unusable.
- The inn is lost.
- Travel to the northern Aldweald region must be rerouted.
- A massive wave generated by the landslide floods parts of Sinkhole Creek.
- Abbey Road is impacted, complicating travel.
- Local kelpies are startled and temporarily flee south.
- The landslide uncovers an underground cave complex inhabited by Crystaloids.
- Rumors of newfound riches begin to spread.
Long-Term Consequences
Merchants may reroute their trade paths through the hazardous fungal woods of Mulchgrove, inadvertently revitalizing the slowly abandoned village of Blackeswell. Increased traffic could spark economic recovery, even as bandits and enemy factionsβsuch as the Nag-Lord's forcesβexploit the chaos to weaken defenses and further their own agendas.
Make it Your Own
Feel free to modify these tables and probabilities to suit your campaign. For example, if you prefer a lower chance of disasters, you might require only a roll of 12 (roughly a 3% chance) instead of 11 or 12 (about an 8% chance). Tweak the odds, adjust the effects, or create new tables that better fit the climate and style of your world. If you enjoy crunching numbers, a quick consultation with your local statistics enthusiast can help fine-tune the probabilities to your liking.
Conclusion
Natural disasters inject a dynamic, unpredictable element into your world. They create immediate challenges and long-term ripple effects, forcing players, factions, and communities to adapt. By embracing these calamities, you enrich your setting and bring your living world to life with fresh narrative hooks and emergent gameplay opportunities. Make it a habit to check for disasters, maybe put it on a calendar!