TW2k13

[Medic]

While the Reflex has rules for extreme weather, people wanting even more accurate rules for extremely cold weather (like nuclear winter) might enjoy this. This is work in progress so suggestions are taken.

Extreme hot and hot weather clothes protect down to +10 degrees centigrade, mild down to +0, cold down to -20 and extreme cold to -35. Weather one grade worse without proper shelter causes the character to get chilly and sleeping properly will be impossible. Inactivity counts as light work, meaning just being does not increase fatigue but won't decrease it either. Weather two grades or more beyond the threshold causes all activity without shelter to be heavy work in terms of fatigue and character accumulates fatigue twice as fast as he normally would (that is, heavy work causes fatigue every 30 minutes).

Upon reaching critical fatigue, the character becomes malignantly hypothermic, causin him to lose consciousness. Unless someone intervenes and brings the character in to a shelter and begins a slow warming up of the character, the character will perish due to the basic functions of the body failing. To warm up a malignantly hypothermic character properly requires a Medicine (COG, TN+2 or TN if character had Intensive Care qualification). Failure causes the character to enter shock and requires resuscitation to keep the character among the living.

Clothing can be layered, however. Two sets of hot weather clothing work as mild, two mild as cold and a set of mild and cold weather clothing as extreme cold weather clothing, but cause a -2 to any check requiring physical action due to stiff joints.

Extreme hot weather rules coming up, once I figure them out. Any comments?

[Cdnwolf]

Originally Posted by Medic

While the Reflex has rules for extreme weather, people wanting even more accurate rules for extremely cold weather (like nuclear winter) might enjoy this. This is work in progress so suggestions are taken.

Extreme hot and hot weather clothes protect down to +10 degrees centigrade, mild down to +0, cold down to -20 and extreme cold to -35. Weather one grade worse without proper shelter causes the character to get chilly and sleeping properly will be impossible. Inactivity counts as light work, meaning just being does not increase fatigue but won't decrease it either. Weather two grades or more beyond the threshold causes all activity without shelter to be heavy work in terms of fatigue and character accumulates fatigue twice as fast as he normally would (that is, heavy work causes fatigue every 30 minutes).

Upon reaching critical fatigue, the character becomes malignantly hypothermic, causin him to lose consciousness. Unless someone intervenes and brings the character in to a shelter and begins a slow warming up of the character, the character will perish due to the basic functions of the body failing. To warm up a malignantly hypothermic character properly requires a Medicine (COG, TN+2 or TN if character had Intensive Care qualification). Failure causes the character to enter shock and requires resuscitation to keep the character among the living.

Clothing can be layered, however. Two sets of hot weather clothing work as mild, two mild as cold and a set of mild and cold weather clothing as extreme cold weather clothing, but cause a -2 to any check requiring physical action due to stiff joints.

Extreme hot weather rules coming up, once I figure them out. Any comments?

What would be the effect of extreme cold on weapons? Also can you do one for high altitude fighting. I am looking to have some battles in the Alp regions.

[Medic]

I would raise the maintenance requirements for a weapon in cold and extreme cold to two- and threefold respectively. It's even worse if the weather changes rapidly - I've seen the Finnish assault rifle freeze over so badly, even the famous AK-style action failed as the whole mechanics had frozen shut. Then again, the wepon had been fired the day before and to ease the cleaning, the weapon had been oiled with gun grease. If a extremely cold weather, a remedy for this ailment is to use lamp petrol for lubrication rather than oil.

As for the high altitude - I'll have to do some research.

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by Medic

I would raise the maintenance requirements for a weapon in cold and extreme cold to two- and threefold respectively. It's even worse if the weather changes rapidly - I've seen the Finnish assault rifle freeze over so badly, even the famous AK-style action failed as the whole mechanics had frozen shut. Then again, the wepon had been fired the day before and to ease the cleaning, the weapon had been oiled with gun grease. If a extremely cold weather, a remedy for this ailment is to use lamp petrol for lubrication rather than oil.

As for the high altitude - I'll have to do some research.

Altitude Sickness has all the same effects as the Flu. It's onset will generally occur in 2 to 3 days after arrival at or above 5K feet (I would subtract CON from 11 and divide by 2 for onset) and CAN be avoided by an Ave:CON roll. Fatigue or wounds will aggravate the onset of Altitude Sickness.

Snow Blindness is a result of not having eye protection on bright snowy environments. You can manufacture a set of snow goggles. this is an easy task for any experienced Mountaineer or Arctic Survival Expert. I would treat snow blindness as a slow loss of vision. Using the Version 2.2 rules; you would start at light level 2 and it would increase by 1 level after each hour. You could resist this with a CON+INT roll. A successful roll would mean NO increase in the light level multiplier. If you reach level 5; Your blind (at least temporarily).

At high altitude, it will take much longer to produce fire, boil water, etc... due to the reduced oxygen content. Explosions will have a reduced Blast or Concussion effect but Frag will travel much further (because of reduced air density). Flamethrowers will have reduced range (due to the altitude's effect on the pressure in the cylinder and fuel stream). Batteries will also be affected. They will produce less power and die sooner (both altitude and cold will cause this due to a slowing of the battery's power producing/storing reaction). Most US equipment is proofed for -25F and will function at altitude.

[Medic]

Swaghauler pretty much nailed it. I suppose, I need to write a more detailed ruleset for diving then, being a recreational diver myself and having done my nursing school thesis on dive related injuries.

[swaghauler]

Nothing like a little "Euphoria of the Deep," or a touch of "The Bends." Open Water Advanced since the early 90's. Did my Cold Weather Mountain Training with the 10th in Upstate Maine. It was F**king COLD too.

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by Cdnwolf

What would be the effect of extreme cold on weapons? Also can you do one for high altitude fighting. I am looking to have some battles in the Alp regions.

In addition to what I posted before; You must consider range effects based on altitude. The thin air will allow an increase in range with most long arms (pistol ammo will not have an appreciable effect in 2013 range band rules). In version 2.2, you should allow 2 meters for pistols, 5 meters for SMGs and shotguns, and 10 meters for rifles. It is for this reason that most world's record shots are at altitude.

Vehicles will suffer a loss of top speed and acceleration above 10K feet. For every 1000 feet in elevation (starting at 10k ft) reduce the vehicle's acceleration and top speed by 10%. Two stroke motors (sorry all you Harley Riders and my fellow truckers) are particularly vulnerable due to the engine needing to compress the fuel for proper ignition. My Pete was breathing really hard when I crossed the Rockies and I was only at about 5500 feet.

You must also consider what happens to the human body at altitudes above 10k feet. The air is so thin at this altitude that you should add 1 level of Fatigue for anyone not acclimated to this altitude. If your fighting in Peru; remember that above 14K feet, you must add another level of Fatigue for anyone not acclimated to the altitude. Above 14K, you are in the "Danger Zone." Prolonged exposure to altitudes above 14k feet can result in all kinds of cardiac and respiratory problems. The UV radiation at this altitude is also very potent. If your fighting on K2; Altitudes above 20K are known as "The Death Zone." You are literally dying from O2 starvation. Every day you are above 20K feet without bottled O2 to breath, make a roll verses your CON. A failed roll equals the loss of 1 point of CON. The difficulty of this roll should be based on your level of exertion. When your CON hits 0, YOU DIE.
Acclimation takes about 2 weeks of exposure to the altitude in question. You cannot acclimate to 20K+ foot altitudes.

[unkated]

Originally Posted by Cdnwolf

What would be the effect of extreme cold on weapons? Also can you do one for high altitude fighting. I am looking to have some battles in the Alp regions.

Not quite. An insignificant difference, perhaps, but I think you'll find the operational characteristics of the M-16 indicate that a bullet will decelerate as much as 40 feet per second per second faster in these climate conditions. It's denser air, you know.

- David Jones, Ice Station Zebra (1968) (re/Arctic combat). Of course, high altitude will counter that.

Slightly higher chance of malfunction due to the cold, especially with weapons with moving parts or springs (like automatic weapons). OTOH, weapons prone to overheating do so less often...

[.45cultist]

Originally Posted by unkated

Not quite. An insignificant difference, perhaps, but I think you'll find the operational characteristics of the M-16 indicate that a bullet will decelerate as much as 40 feet per second per second faster in these climate conditions. It's denser air, you know.

- David Jones, Ice Station Zebra (1968) (re/Arctic combat). Of course, high altitude will counter that.

Slightly higher chance of malfunction due to the cold, especially with weapons with moving parts or springs (like automatic weapons). OTOH, weapons prone to overheating do so less often...

The M1, M14 shine here, when they start to be difficult, one can beat the bolt back with a 2X4.

[Cdnwolf]

Like this

[swaghauler]

Originally Posted by .45cultist

The M1, M14 shine here, when they start to be difficult, one can beat the bolt back with a 2X4.

We had a "confiscated" AK-47 (type 2 no less) that had all of its bluing replaced by rust in Somalia. The bolt rusted shut and we'd just kick it open with the heel of our boot; load a mag and fire it off. It NEVER failed to work. We used motor oil for lubricant on it and would mag dump it until the hand guards smoked. It wasn't very accurate (it had been around since 1951 and who knows how much of that in Africa) and was heavy as h**l; but it shot flawlessly. We had to turn it over to Battalion after about 2 weeks with it. There was talk about NOT telling command about it, but we did the right thing. I really liked that AK's reliability. It was slightly better than my A2 and at least an order of magnitude better than an A1.

[CDAT]

Originally Posted by swaghauler

We had a "confiscated" AK-47 (type 2 no less) that had all of its bluing replaced by rust in Somalia. The bolt rusted shut and we'd just kick it open with the heel of our boot; load a mag and fire it off. It NEVER failed to work. We used motor oil for lubricant on it and would mag dump it until the hand guards smoked. It wasn't very accurate (it had been around since 1951 and who knows how much of that in Africa) and was heavy as h**l; but it shot flawlessly. We had to turn it over to Battalion after about 2 weeks with it. There was talk about NOT telling command about it, but we did the right thing. I really liked that AK's reliability. It was slightly better than my A2 and at least an order of magnitude better than an A1.

I had several Glock 17's and Ak-47 that I got to work on for the Iraqi's Police. In the six months to a year that they had them, they no longer would work, you could not get the bolt on the AK's to open no matter what you hit them with, with or without lubricant and the pistols they had destroyed the barrels. It was due to a total lack of maintenance and using bad ammo.

[Milano]

Cdnwolf Swaghauler and Unkatedif I was browsing through this and I figured that if you would like a pretty good approximation of projectile behavior at altitude and extreme cold you can use my Excel spread sheet.

If you search for my topic Real Life Small Arms and download the file. On the Ballistics Table tab in cells A14 and A15 there is Altitude and Temperature. You can get a general trend of what the climate will do by imputing a few weapons. I have found Wikipedia to be a pretty good resource for such things.

Just my 2 cents (and a plug)