Weather
Weather belongs to a region’s climate and changes at most every 6 hours. Outdoors, rain, snow and storms reduce visibility, mask noise and make travel more draining; storms have stronger effects. Clear daylight strengthens light-sensitive mana regeneration. Light and weather also strengthen some elements and weaken others, for every attack outdoors: yours, your enemies’ and traps’. The HUD weather indicator shows the current condition outdoors and hides indoors, where you are sheltered.
Gameplay effects
| Weather | Sight detection | Noise detection | Hunger drain | Fatigue drain | Light-sensitive mana | Elemental damage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clear | — | — | — | — | 50% stronger in daylight | Fire +25%, Frost −25% (daylight only) |
| Clouds | — | — | — | — | — | Poison +25%, Acid −25% |
| Rain | −15 points | −20 points | +25% | — | — | Lightning +25%, Poison −25% |
| Rain Storm | −30 points | −40 points | +75% | +50% | — | Lightning +50%, Poison −50% |
| Snow | −15 points | −20 points | +25% | — | — | Frost +25%, Fire −25% |
| Sand Storm | −30 points | −40 points | +75% | +50% | — | Acid +25%, Lightning −25% |
| Snow Storm | −30 points | −40 points | +75% | +50% | — | Frost +50%, Fire −50% |
Sight and noise values are percentage-point reductions in an enemy’s chance to detect you. Clear daylight strengthens only racial mana regeneration that changes between light and darkness.
Light, darkness and elemental damage
Outdoors, the time of day also changes elemental damage, on top of the weather: in daylight Holy +25%, Necrotic −25%; at night Necrotic +25%, Holy −25%. Night follows the region’s daylight hours (see Time). These changes apply to all damage dealt outdoors, after resistances. Indoors, neither light nor weather changes damage.
City and village streets
Daytime street activity by weather. At night the reduced population remains, even after the weather clears. Nearby NPCs hide or return once they are out of view.
| Weather | Civilians outdoors | Children outdoors |
|---|---|---|
| Clear | 100% | 100% |
| Clouds | 100% | 100% |
| Rain | 50% | 0% |
| Rain Storm | 50% | 0% |
| Snow | 50% | 0% |
| Sand Storm | 50% | 0% |
| Snow Storm | 50% | 0% |
Climates
Winter
City, Village, Winter Forest, High Mountains
| Weather | Share of the time |
|---|---|
| Clear | 23.4% |
| Clouds | 34.7% |
| Rain | 14.2% |
| Rain Storm | 8.8% |
| Snow | 14.6% |
| Snow Storm | 4.4% |
Temperate
City, City, Village, Village, Badlands, Cemetery, Forest, Dead Forest, Meadow, Mountains, Pits, Swamp, Dark Woods, Volcano
| Weather | Share of the time |
|---|---|
| Clear | 41.8% |
| Clouds | 37% |
| Rain | 16.6% |
| Rain Storm | 4.6% |
Desert
| Weather | Share of the time |
|---|---|
| Clear | 40.1% |
| Clouds | 35.8% |
| Sand Storm | 24.1% |
Shares were measured by running the game clock for 40,000 turns (about 140 days) in each climate.
What comes next
| Now | Can turn into | Dims light by |
|---|---|---|
| Clear | Clear 33%, Clouds 33%, Sand Storm 33% | 0% |
| Clouds | Clouds 17%, Clear 33%, Rain 17%, Sand Storm 17%, Snow 17% | 5% |
| Rain | Rain 33%, Rain Storm 33%, Clouds 33% | 10% |
| Rain Storm | Rain Storm 33%, Rain 33%, Clouds 33% | 15% |
| Snow | Snow 33%, Snow Storm 33%, Clouds 33% | 10% |
| Sand Storm | Clear 50%, Clouds 50% | 10% |
| Snow Storm | Snow Storm 33%, Snow 33%, Clouds 33% | 15% |
How it works
Does it matter?
The table above shows how weather changes detection and survival outdoors. Rain and snow help conceal you; storms also make travel more tiring. Shelter blocks these effects. In cities and villages, rain, snow and all storms also keep children indoors and leave roughly half the ordinary civilians on the streets, just like nighttime. Clear or cloudy daylight restores normal crowds. Night and bad weather do not stack this reduction. Nearby people finish their change out of view; indoor NPCs and service providers are unaffected. Clear daylight strengthens only racial mana regeneration modifiers that depend on light, while darkness can make attacks and spells fail.