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So I'm listening to a certain Pathfinder play podcast that's using the real-world 1901 calendar as an analog for their game time. One of the players asked it there was a full moon, and it occurred to me that it would be possible to check.
Wunderground has weather histories going back varying distances into the past. Mexico City, for example, only goes back to 73, but some of it goes to the 40's. Rain, temperature, moon phases, the whole bit.
I think I'll try this in my game. I'll pick a date in history, provide some weather-condition analogs to my campaign world, and let the actual weather decide the weather conditions in-game. Should be fun.
(Provided of course that I never reveal what date I'm using for my guide. That could make the players clairvoyant all of a sudden...)
I like flavor of weather in my games. Heck I even have made survival checks to try and forcast weather to see if it will rain in character. A ranger might have interest in the weather.
I've done this for my current game. I picked a real world analog and visited a website that has historical weather accounts. I jot down the basic info on a calendar (using 2008 as reference for the Golarion calendar's 4708 AR). It's kind of a pain to do a month at a time, but when players balk about the weird weather patterns I can say "Hey! It really happened!" *grin*
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After you've done this a while, come back and post how it went. I'm interested in the outcome.
I just let my mood dictate the weather. That, and monsters. Thunderstoms just happened to pop up when they were fighting undead.
Sounds like a neat idea.
On a side note, did anyone ever use the Greyhawk weather system from Dragon #68?
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That could provide fun flavor for the caravan portions of Jade Regent, finding locations that match up with the kind of location/terrain the PCs are currently traveling through! Might have to swap in some Antarctic locations for the Crown of the World—in which case, remember to offset the date by 6 months.
After you've done this a while, come back and post how it went. I'm interested in the outcome.
I just let my mood dictate the weather. That, and monsters. Thunderstoms just happened to pop up when they were fighting undead.
I've done three months of real-world weather for my homebrew River Kingdoms game (campaign began summer 2010) and it's a fair bit of work for me to do the calendar. Knowing what the weather is going to be is helpful, though, and provides a sense of immersion for the PC's. They can do survival checks to predict the weather and not be subject to my whims, hehe. They have used such knowledge to decide when to travel and when not to.
I've had villains time their attacks on the PC's to coincide with stormy nights, meaning that they attacked according to weather and not geography, which was interesting to me as a DM. I will say that most of the work has gone for nought, though, as the PC's couldn't really care less about the weather when dungeon delving or overland travel unless it's causing them problems. /shrug
That could provide fun flavor for the caravan portions of Jade Regent, finding locations that match up with the kind of location/terrain the PCs are currently traveling through! Might have to swap in some Antarctic locations for the Crown of the World—in which case, remember to offset the date by 6 months.
I think weather is one thing you will be observing in overland travel. In a darklands campaign knowing what the weather is on the surface is the least of your worries.
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Knowing what the weather is going to be is helpful, though, and provides a sense of immersion for the PC's.
That's my hope as well.
I will say that most of the work has gone for nought, though, as the PC's couldn't really care less about the weather when dungeon delving or overland travel unless it's causing them problems. /shrug
That's why I hope the web site makes it easier. :)