Time, Weather, and Ally Rules

Time waits for no man, living or dead. Those who want to fight back against the tragedies that come with the ticking of the clock will have to get creative, utilizing the what, and who, is around them.

Time Clocks

Time clocks are tokens representing the amount of time before a major event occurs in that location. They can be visible or hidden to the party. The amount of time on a clock is hidden by default, though players can reveal this information and ask other relevant questions about clocks via the ‘Scout’ downtime activity. Players also learn the amount of time on any clocks in the area they are currently in, though not necessarily their names or consequences.

Allies

Friendly NPCs can be persuaded to become allies to the party. Allies can be asked to travel to different locations and keep an eye on certain going-ons (though as always, the GM gets the final say on what an ally is and isn’t willing to do).

While an ally is at a location, they provide the information about the amount of time on one clock in that location. They may also choose to pursue certain actions to increase or decrease time on these clocks. In addition, certain allies may have beneficial traits that apply to the location that they are at.

Weather

The days are getting shorter; the nights, colder. The deserts burn with heat and fire. In the apocalypse, even the clouds and the sky itself can bury you.

Some areas and regions can be subjected to extreme weather, especially far North or far South. The GM will let you know if it’s enough to affect you. In general, though uncomfortable, your daily activities are the same… it’s at night the weather comes to hurt you.

Whenever you rest for the day, the GM will inform you if the weather is extreme enough to warrant a save, as well as the DC of the save. You can choose to sleep inside your vehicle instead, idling the engine to run the heater or AC; doing so uses one unit of fuel and negates the need for the save. The save, and the effects for a failure, depend on whether you are combating the heat or the cold.

Cold

The bitter chill and bite in your bones, saving against the cold is a FORT save.

  • 1 degree of failure: The wind settles into your lungs and weighs you down. You take a -1 penalty to all FORT saves for the day.

  • 2 degrees: A hacking, rattling cough. You take a -2 to FORT saves and are fatigued for the day.

  • 3 degrees or more: Frozen, sluggish, miserable. As above, but also move one space down the disease track.

Stinging Cold: True blizzard conditions force your body to work overtime, producing enough heat just to not freeze. If the GM informs you that you are in stinging cold, you must consume double rations of food to receive the benefits of eating for the day.

Heat

The maddening rays of the sun and the residue of salt on your skin, saving against the heat is a WILL save.

  • 1 degree of failure: You toss and turn at night, sleeping fitfully. You take a -1 penalty to all WILL saves for the day.

  • 2 degrees: Rivers of sweat and the rash of sunburns. You take a -2 penalty to WILL saves and begin each combat dazed.

  • 3 degrees or more: Overheated, confused, exhausted. As above, but instead of dazed, you begin each combat stunned.

Scorching Heat: Heat indexes that border on the dangerous can quickly exhaust you of your body's hydration and leave you vulnerable. If the GM informs you that you are in scorching heat, you must consume double rations of water to receive the benefits of drinking water for the day.