❄️ Surviving the Cold: Rules, Tips & Realism

Behind the Die by Charlie Stayton

When adventurers leave the warmth of taverns and torchlit dungeons to face frozen wildernesses, the cold itself becomes an enemy. Snowfields, icy peaks, and blizzards don’t care about hit points or armor class—they wear you down, frost your lungs, and sap your strength. Whether you’re running a winter campaign or just a single frozen encounter, cold survival rules add tension and realism to the story.

Below, I’ve gathered some mechanics, house rules, and GM advice to bring the chill to your table.

Mechanics of the Cold

Cold Damage & Exposure

• Treat extreme cold as environmental damage: 1d6 cold damage per hour of exposure without proper protection.

• A Constitution save (DC 12, scaling higher for severe cold or storms) can halve or avoid the damage.

• Magical effects like protection from energy (cold) or even a simple prestidigitation flame can stave off frostbite.

Hypothermia & Exhaustion

• After 1 hour in freezing temperatures without gear, call for a Constitution save.

• Failure results in one level of exhaustion. Each additional hour increases the DC and risk.

• Exhaustion stacks fast—players will quickly realize that snowstorms are deadlier than ogres.

Blizzards & Whiteouts

• Vision reduced to 30 feet in heavy snow.

• Ranged attacks beyond that distance are at disadvantage.

• Navigation checks (Survival) at DC 15+ to avoid becoming lost.

Gear & Preparation

Insulating Gear

• Winter cloaks, fur-lined boots, and gloves grant advantage on saves against cold exposure.

• Improvised gear (wrapping rags, animal hides) gives limited protection but deteriorates quickly.

• A pack mule or sled can carry tents, bedrolls, and oil for lamps—making winter camps survivable.

Fire & Shelter

• Require checks (Survival DC 12–15) to start a fire in snow or wind.

• Magical fire solves the problem—but what happens when the caster is unconscious?

• Lean-tos, caves, or magical huts (Leomund’s Tiny Hut) can be the difference between life and death.

GM Toolbox

Use the Cold as a Clock
Cold is an invisible timer. If adventurers dawdle, they pay with exhaustion. This creates urgency in wilderness exploration without needing to chase them with enemies.

Hazards to Layer In

• Thin Ice: Dex save or fall through into freezing water. Hypothermia levels kick in fast.

• Avalanche: Dex save or take bludgeoning + cold damage, plus risk of being buried.

• Frozen Rivers: Slippery surfaces impose disadvantage on Acrobatics and Athletics.

Encounters in the Snow
Cold environments make even normal monsters dangerous. Wolves at night? Now they’re hunting around a dwindling campfire. A giant? Add snowdrifts and slippery terrain. White dragons, frost giants, and yetis already thrive here, but even goblins on snowshoes can become terrifying.

Player Survival Tips

• Don’t Split the Party: Getting lost in a whiteout can separate characters permanently.

• Stay Warm: Double up on tents, rotate watch near the fire, and conserve spells for warmth.

• Pace Yourselves: Sprinting through snow burns stamina. Travel slower but safer.

• Stock Up: Carry oil, rations that won’t freeze, and fire-starting kits. Gold means little in a land of ice without warmth.

Realism vs. Fun

The key is balance: rules should make the cold feel real without bogging the game down in minutiae. Hypothermia checks add drama, but you don’t need to track every degree of temperature drop. Use mechanics to set stakes, then lean into narrative description—the crunch of boots on snow, the sting of wind on skin, the eerie silence of a frozen world.

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Closing Thought

When the cold becomes a character in your campaign, adventurers learn that even heroes can freeze. The blizzard doesn’t bargain. The frost doesn’t care. Survival becomes a story all its own.