The Control Weather discusses a bunch of weather conditions, which don't match up to the DMG version of weather. Does anyone have a sense of how they map?
Arctic Cold -> Extreme Cold
Unbearable Heat -> Extreme Heat
Strong Wind -> Strong Wind? Not sure this is right, the DMG version seems pretty severe. Maybe Gale or Storm is more appropriate?
I think the DMG weather section is more about a "typical weather" and does not go into the extremes on normal days, in general. The DM should take those tables and then adjust weather beyond that to account for any unusual changes - freak storms, spell effects, more etc or for unusual environments like the Arctic, Deserts, Elemental Planes and so on.
The spell allows a player to generate weather far more powerful than typical weather that would be comparable to the typical rollable tables for such.
So yes Arctic Cold = Extreme Cold, Unbearable Heat = Extreme Heat. I think for Wind and Rain it doesn't align so evenly. The Strong Wind = Strong Wind, but the spell can go further to Gale and Storm since those levels of winds are not typical weather for most places and would not be right for the "day to day weather" tables found in DMG.
Ultimately though, I don't think the spell was intended to refer to the DMG weather tables. Those are only for "typical weather" on a general adventure day, with anything bigger like powerful storms or extreme environments being more dependent on unusual locale or DM fiat for story purposes. So, in light of that, when somebody is using the Control Weather spell, I wouldn't bother trying to map it to the tables in DMG at all, and rely only on what the spell says.
Ultimately though, I don't think the spell was intended to refer to the DMG weather tables. Those are only for "typical weather" on a general adventure day, with anything bigger like powerful storms or extreme environments being more dependent on unusual locale or DM fiat for story purposes. So, in light of that, when somebody is using the Control Weather spell, I wouldn't bother trying to map it to the tables in DMG at all, and rely only on what the spell says.
The spell doesn't say what any of those effect levels do, so there's no way to rely on it.
Ultimately though, I don't think the spell was intended to refer to the DMG weather tables. Those are only for "typical weather" on a general adventure day, with anything bigger like powerful storms or extreme environments being more dependent on unusual locale or DM fiat for story purposes. So, in light of that, when somebody is using the Control Weather spell, I wouldn't bother trying to map it to the tables in DMG at all, and rely only on what the spell says.
The spell doesn't say what any of those effect levels do, so there's no way to rely on it.
Which (along with the fact that it takes an average of at least 50 minutes to make the weather actually bad) is why PCs never learn it.
Ultimately though, I don't think the spell was intended to refer to the DMG weather tables. Those are only for "typical weather" on a general adventure day, with anything bigger like powerful storms or extreme environments being more dependent on unusual locale or DM fiat for story purposes. So, in light of that, when somebody is using the Control Weather spell, I wouldn't bother trying to map it to the tables in DMG at all, and rely only on what the spell says.
The spell doesn't say what any of those effect levels do, so there's no way to rely on it.
Which (along with the fact that it takes an average of at least 50 minutes to make the weather actually bad) is why PCs never learn it.
It's got an enormous area, it might have some uses for stopping Evil Armies and the like. Also, NPCs might cast it.
Ultimately though, I don't think the spell was intended to refer to the DMG weather tables. Those are only for "typical weather" on a general adventure day, with anything bigger like powerful storms or extreme environments being more dependent on unusual locale or DM fiat for story purposes. So, in light of that, when somebody is using the Control Weather spell, I wouldn't bother trying to map it to the tables in DMG at all, and rely only on what the spell says.
The spell doesn't say what any of those effect levels do, so there's no way to rely on it.
Which (along with the fact that it takes an average of at least 50 minutes to make the weather actually bad) is why PCs never learn it.
It's got an enormous area, it might have some uses for stopping Evil Armies and the like. Also, NPCs might cast it.
You are right that it might have some uses (if the DM decided it does). And when NPCs cast it, it is all under DM control anyway (just like weather normally is (not saying NPCs never cast it, just that it doesn't change anything for players)).
Need to speed up the siege of a city, need to take down a small outlaw band in the woods, need to slow down the advance of an enemy army, need to distract a lookout post so you can sneak a small force past unnoticed...uses are limited only by your imagination.
It is a strategic spell, not a tactical one. That may seem useless at lower level but at higher level when the party is dealing with armies rather than just the local town thugs? Could be invaluable.
It's an 8th level spell and "strategy" and "tactics" are synonyms so I'm unsure what is meant by "it is a strategic spell, not a tactical one". O.o
It is a strategic spell, not a tactical one. That may seem useless at lower level but at higher level when the party is dealing with armies rather than just the local town thugs? Could be invaluable.
It's an 8th level spell and "strategy" and "tactics" are synonyms so I'm unsure what is meant by "it is a strategic spell, not a tactical one". O.o
I understood what they meant: that it is to be used in preparation of battle, not during battle. But yeah, didn't say it well.
It is a strategic spell, not a tactical one. That may seem useless at lower level but at higher level when the party is dealing with armies rather than just the local town thugs? Could be invaluable.
It's an 8th level spell and "strategy" and "tactics" are synonyms so I'm unsure what is meant by "it is a strategic spell, not a tactical one". O.o
I understood what they meant: that it is to be used in preparation of battle, not during battle. But yeah, didn't say it well.
Or to affect a much larger battle. Or to battle on an economic/regional level.
Tactical skill turns the tide of battles.
Strategic skill turns the tide of wars.
As long as the much larger battle gives you an hour of downtime to cast the spell and make the changes... And the DM actually makes the changes matter...
It is a strategic spell, not a tactical one. That may seem useless at lower level but at higher level when the party is dealing with armies rather than just the local town thugs? Could be invaluable.
It's an 8th level spell and "strategy" and "tactics" are synonyms so I'm unsure what is meant by "it is a strategic spell, not a tactical one". O.o
Strategy is the over-arching plan. Tactics are what you do to implement that plan.
We need to take that castle to control this region is a strategy. We are going to get the cleric close enough to use stone shape to breach the walls of that castle is a tactic.
Or to affect a much larger battle. Or to battle on an economic/regional level.
Tactical skill turns the tide of battles.
Strategic skill turns the tide of wars.
As long as the much larger battle gives you an hour of downtime to cast the spell and make the changes... And the DM actually makes the changes matter...
If you reach the point where you can cast 8th levels spells and the DM is still making everything moment to moment and never giving you even so much as an hour of downtime, well... sounds like a rather silly campaign to me.
And of the DM does not allow the changes to matter, they are likely doing the same for everything you do.
Well very few campaigns make it to level 15 (I've never played above level 10 myself), and not every group is into the kind of gaming where they spend a whole session preparing for a massive battle they have next session.
Also, it is very hard to use weather in a way that does not effect you just as much as it effects the enemy. It would be most effective using it against a traveling army to wear them down before they reach you, but those mechanics (fatigue/moral) are very poorly covered in the rules. A by-the-books DM might have a hard time including a massive battle let alone running it.
The Control Weather discusses a bunch of weather conditions, which don't match up to the DMG version of weather. Does anyone have a sense of how they map?
I think the DMG weather section is more about a "typical weather" and does not go into the extremes on normal days, in general. The DM should take those tables and then adjust weather beyond that to account for any unusual changes - freak storms, spell effects, more etc or for unusual environments like the Arctic, Deserts, Elemental Planes and so on.
The spell allows a player to generate weather far more powerful than typical weather that would be comparable to the typical rollable tables for such.
So yes Arctic Cold = Extreme Cold, Unbearable Heat = Extreme Heat. I think for Wind and Rain it doesn't align so evenly. The Strong Wind = Strong Wind, but the spell can go further to Gale and Storm since those levels of winds are not typical weather for most places and would not be right for the "day to day weather" tables found in DMG.
Ultimately though, I don't think the spell was intended to refer to the DMG weather tables. Those are only for "typical weather" on a general adventure day, with anything bigger like powerful storms or extreme environments being more dependent on unusual locale or DM fiat for story purposes. So, in light of that, when somebody is using the Control Weather spell, I wouldn't bother trying to map it to the tables in DMG at all, and rely only on what the spell says.
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The spell doesn't say what any of those effect levels do, so there's no way to rely on it.
Which (along with the fact that it takes an average of at least 50 minutes to make the weather actually bad) is why PCs never learn it.
It's got an enormous area, it might have some uses for stopping Evil Armies and the like. Also, NPCs might cast it.
You are right that it might have some uses (if the DM decided it does). And when NPCs cast it, it is all under DM control anyway (just like weather normally is (not saying NPCs never cast it, just that it doesn't change anything for players)).
Need to speed up the siege of a city, need to take down a small outlaw band in the woods, need to slow down the advance of an enemy army, need to distract a lookout post so you can sneak a small force past unnoticed...uses are limited only by your imagination.
It's an 8th level spell and "strategy" and "tactics" are synonyms so I'm unsure what is meant by "it is a strategic spell, not a tactical one". O.o
My Homebrew: Races | Subclasses | Backgrounds | Spells | Magic Items | Feats
Need help with Homebrew? Check out this FAQ/Guide thread by IamSposta
See My Youtube Videos for Tips & Tricks using D&D Beyond
I understood what they meant: that it is to be used in preparation of battle, not during battle. But yeah, didn't say it well.
As long as the much larger battle gives you an hour of downtime to cast the spell and make the changes... And the DM actually makes the changes matter...
Strategy is the over-arching plan. Tactics are what you do to implement that plan.
We need to take that castle to control this region is a strategy.
We are going to get the cleric close enough to use stone shape to breach the walls of that castle is a tactic.
Well very few campaigns make it to level 15 (I've never played above level 10 myself), and not every group is into the kind of gaming where they spend a whole session preparing for a massive battle they have next session.
Also, it is very hard to use weather in a way that does not effect you just as much as it effects the enemy. It would be most effective using it against a traveling army to wear them down before they reach you, but those mechanics (fatigue/moral) are very poorly covered in the rules. A by-the-books DM might have a hard time including a massive battle let alone running it.