#Spirit Realm Weather Hazards — The Skies of the Five Hells
Contents
Core reference: Zone Gimmick Catalog (區域仕掛圖鑑)
The Spirit Realm has skies. Each hell has a different sky. A sky where ash falls, a sky where black hail falls, a sky where boiling steam rises. PCs make checks under these skies. Weather is not background. It is a modifier.
#1. Weather Structure
Each hell direction has its own weather system. Weather is rolled with d10. Do not roll every round; roll once when the depth step changes or when the scene shifts.
A weather roll determines the following four things.
- Visual conditions — how far can be seen
- Auditory conditions — what can be heard
- Check modifier — how it affects all checks
- Exposure modifier — how it affects Spirit Realm Exposure increase(03-02)
For each hell's weather table, roll d10 and find the 1~10 result. Weather with the same modifiers may be shared across multiple hells, but sensory description is unique to each hell.
#2. North · Reviving Weather Table
The Reviving sky has an edge. Iron-colored clouds. Instead of stars, blade-like rays of light appear here and there. Wind blows with the sound of passing over a blade.
| d10 | Weather | Sensation | Check Modifier | Exposure Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Still Silver(靜銀) | silver stillness | none | none |
| 2 | Dew | fine dew gathers | none | none |
| 3 | Iron Wind | wind that cuts thinly across the skin | physical -1 | none |
| 4 | Overcast | iron-colored clouds | visibility checks +1 | none |
| 5 | Blade-Light | one sharp beam of light | mental -1 | none |
| 6 | Needle Rain | fine rain falls like needles | physical -1, concentration -1 | +1 |
| 7 | Scar Wind | marks where wounds form in the wind | physical -2 | +1 |
| 8 | Falling Blade(落刀) | rarely, one blade falls from the air | Evasion Target Number 11; on failure, physical harm | +1 |
| 9 | Rainbow of Revival | wounds heal on their own and open again | healing effects reversed | +2 |
| 10 | Crimson Kites(紅鳶) | red kites fill the sky | all checks -2, hallucinations triggered | +2 |
Common theme of Reviving weather: the repetition of "healing, then opening." The sensation that a wound seems to close for a moment and then opens again permeates the entire weather system.
#Reviving Weather Operation Tips
When Crimson Kites(10) appears, the GM describes the whole space turning red. Hundreds of red kites covering the sky becomes one of the most striking scenes in the middle steps of Reviving. This weather appears only at depth 3 or deeper; if 10 is rolled at depth 0~2, adjust it to 9.
#3. Northeast · Black Rope Weather Table
The Black Rope sky is divided by thick lines. Actual black cords hang in the air. They cut through clouds, cut through light, and at times cut through the PCs' vision.
| d10 | Weather | Sensation | Check Modifier | Exposure Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pine-Resin Wind | wind soaked with the smell of pine resin | none | none |
| 2 | Hemp Hue | yellow-brown atmosphere | none | none |
| 3 | Binding Rain | rain falling like cords | movement -1 | none |
| 4 | Binding Fog | fog that grabs ankles | movement rounds +1 | +1 |
| 5 | Vertical Lines | vertical black cords in the air | visibility -1, Evasion -1 | +1 |
| 6 | Knot Clouds | clouds fixed in knot shapes | mental -1 | +1 |
| 7 | Noose Wind | wind with the feeling of a cord around the neck | triggers Mental Save, Target Number 10 | +1 |
| 8 | Black Rope(黑索) | a black rope hanging somewhere in the air | event trigger when discovered | +1 |
| 9 | Bound Stars | stars connected by lines | all checks -1 | +2 |
| 10 | Self-Binding(自結) | the feeling that one's body is bound to itself | physical -2, action restriction for 1 round | +2 |
Black Rope's theme: "being bound by oneself." The sensation of a PC tying their own hands with their own hands is the essence of this hell.
#Black Rope Weather Operation Tips
Noose Wind(7) may focus on only one PC. The GM may ask the players "which PC's neck tightens," or choose the character with the strongest emotional entanglement. On a failed Mental Save, that PC's actions slow for 1 round.
#4. East · Screaming Weather Table
The Screaming sky is always clouded with steam. The upper sky cannot be seen. Sound is wet. The air clings to the skin.
| d10 | Weather | Sensation | Check Modifier | Exposure Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thin Steam | thin vapor | none | none |
| 2 | Lukewarm Heat | tepid air | none | none |
| 3 | Dense Steam | vision narrows | visibility -1 | none |
| 4 | Boiling Road | the ground underfoot is hot | physical -1, movement -1 | +1 |
| 5 | Hot-Droplet Rain | hot water droplets | physical -1 | +1 |
| 6 | Distant Shout(氣喊) | shouting heard from far away | mental -1 | +1 |
| 7 | Rising Water | hot water up to the ankles | movement rounds +1, physical -1 | +1 |
| 8 | Screaming Wind | the wind speaks | mental -2, Mental Save, Target Number 10 | +2 |
| 9 | Boiling | water begins to boil | physical -2 | +2 |
| 10 | Gate of Great Screaming | screams fill the sky | all checks -2, uncheckable segment occurs | +2 |
Screaming's theme: "heat that never cools." Once something begins to boil here, it boils forever.
#Screaming Weather Operation Tips
Do not imitate actual screaming when describing Screaming Wind(8). Instead, use an abstract statement: "the wind speaks like a sentence." Leave what the PC heard to each player's imagination. That interpretive gap increases the density of fear.
#5. South · Scorching Heat Weather Table
The Scorching Heat sky is covered with ash. There is no sun; all light comes from ash. A gray noon, neither bright nor dark.
| d10 | Weather | Sensation | Check Modifier | Exposure Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Drifting Ash | ash drifts lightly | none | none |
| 2 | Dry Air | extremely dry | physical -0, thirst +1 | none |
| 3 | Ash Rain | ash falls like rain | visibility -1 | +1 |
| 4 | Black Hail | black lumps fall | physical -1, Evasion Target Number 10 | +1 |
| 5 | Charcoal Ash(炭灰) | ash mixed with charcoal pieces | Physique check, Target Number 10 | +1 |
| 6 | Heat Pillar | hot pillars in the air | physical -1, detour required | +1 |
| 7 | Sparks(火花) | fragments of flame drift | burn risk | +1 |
| 8 | Black Sky | the whole sky turns black | mental -1, directional disorientation | +2 |
| 9 | Ash Storm | ash surges violently | all checks -1, visibility 0 | +2 |
| 10 | Great Shadow(太陰) | all light disappears | no checks possible, Exposure +2 fixed | +3 |
Scorching Heat's theme: "nothing remains except ash." Not annihilation, but reversion: everything becomes ash.
#Scorching Heat Weather Operation Tips
Black Hail(4) varies in size. The GM describes hail size through sensation: "small black lumps," "fist-sized black lumps," "head-sized black lumps." Evasion Target Number ranges from 10 to 14 depending on size.
Great Shadow(10) appears extremely rarely, and is best placed near a scenario climax. In this state, PCs see nothing, and the GM leads the scene only through sensory description.
#6. West · Avici Weather Table
Avici has no sky. More precisely, it has one, but PCs cannot see it. When they look up, they see a uniform gray surface. No clouds, no stars, no sun.
| d10 | Weather | Sensation | Check Modifier | Exposure Modifier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Windless | no wind | none | +1 |
| 2 | Uniform Gray | uniform gray | mental -1 | +1 |
| 3 | Slow Air | the air moves slowly | movement rounds +1 | +1 |
| 4 | Time Haze | loss of time sense | checks impossible (time-related) | +2 |
| 5 | Soundless | hearing cut off | all auditory checks impossible | +2 |
| 6 | Endless Plain | horizon never ends | mental -2 | +2 |
| 7 | Vanishing Shadow | one's own shadow is gone | Mental Save, Target Number 11 | +2 |
| 8 | Repeating Scenery | the same scenery repeats | directional disorientation | +2 |
| 9 | Infinite Whisper | whispers that cannot be heard | mental -2, hallucinations triggered | +3 |
| 10 | Nothingness(無) | all sensation briefly disappears | no checks possible (1 round) | +3 |
Avici's theme: "no end." The gradual disappearance of sensation is Avici's weather.
#Avici Weather Operation Tips
Avici's baseline Exposure modifier is always +1 or higher. This contrasts with d10=1 in other hells, which means "no modifier." Staying in Avici itself slowly stains the PCs.
When Nothingness(10) appears, the GM remains silent for 1 minute. An actual 1 minute. This silence is Avici's strongest staging tool. The players are unsettled, and that uncertainty is the experience of Avici.
#7. Common Hazards — Apply to All Directions
Separate from the five hells' unique weather, there are common hazards that cover the entire Spirit Realm. Roll d100 once per session to determine whether they occur.
#Spiritual Storm (occurs: d100 01~05)
A massive current that shakes the barrier dome. It affects all zones and depths. Duration: 1~3 rounds.
| Effect | Modifier |
|---|---|
| Barrier Target Number | +4 |
| Movement rounds | +2 |
| Exposure modifier | +3 |
| Incense burn rate | 3 times |
The chance of a spiritual storm is 2 times higher during high tide(d100 01~10). During a great tide period, it is 3 times higher. In a long campaign, spiritual storms are a standard event placed at a season finale.
#Rain of Ash (occurs: d100 06~15)
A rare weather in which ash falls even outside Scorching Heat. For 1 round, weather in every direction receives the "Drifting Ash" effect. Exposure modifier +1.
#Black Hail (occurs: d100 16~20)
A phenomenon in which black hail falls even outside Scorching Heat. Apply the same effect as the "Black Hail" entry in the Scorching Heat weather table to every direction.
#Auditory-Hallucination Fog (occurs: d100 21~35)
The most common common hazard. In the fog, PCs hear sounds that do not exist. Duration: d10 rounds.
Effects:
- Hallucinated sound is mixed into all auditory checks (false information at GM discretion)
- Mental Save, Target Number 10 (once)
- Exposure modifier +1
- No barrier check modifier
The GM improvises the content of the hallucination. Convention: the voice of the dead, the voice of a distant ally, or the PC's own voice. Choose from these three.
#Vortex Current (occurs: d100 36~45)
Energy swirls at one point in the Spirit Realm. Diameter about 10m. A character who enters gains Exposure +1 every 1 round, and all checks -1. It is not visible from outside.
If a PC wanders into it by chance, roll d10; on 5 or less, they can escape by themselves. On 6 or higher, incense or ally help is required.
#Windless Stagnation (occurs: d100 46~55)
The wind stops completely. For 5~10 rounds, incense smoke is fixed in the air. Direction-sensing checks are impossible in this state. PCs do not know which direction they are in.
This stagnation often occurs during deep low tide(chance 2 times higher).
#Rain of Stars (occurs: d100 56~60)
A rare and beautiful hazard. Fragments of pale light fall from the sky. Lasts for 1 round.
Effects:
- Exposure modifier -2 (the only reduction effect)
- Barrier Target Number -1
- Mental Save, Target Number 10 (paradoxically, excessive beauty is frightening)
Rain of Stars is called a "gap in hell" event. It appears rarely, but a PC who encounters it never forgets the scene.
#Remainder (61~100)
Only normal weather operates. No common hazard.
#8. Relationship Between Weather and Depth
Weather tables are adjusted by depth. Extreme weather does not appear at shallow depths, and calm weather is rare at deep depths.
#Adjustments by Depth
| Depth | d10 Adjustment |
|---|---|
| 0 | -2 (minimum result 1) |
| 1 | -1 |
| 2 | baseline |
| 3 | +1 |
| 4 | +2 |
| 5 | +3 (result expands up to 13, 10 or higher uses 10 effect) |
At the Gate(門) of depth 0, the weather table is effectively limited to the 1~8 range. At the Heart(心) of depth 5, 4~10 is the baseline, and extreme weather from 5~10 constantly dominates.
#9. Flow of Weather Checks
#Roll Timing
The GM rolls d10 when one of the following occurs.
- PCs enter a new depth step
- Scene transition (a skip such as "the next morning" during the session)
- Staying 3 rounds or more in one depth step
- Immediately after a common hazard occurs
#Weather Duration
Normal weather lasts until the scene ends. Extreme weather(9~10) may shift to another weather after 1~3 rounds. The GM judges as appropriate.
#Order of Weather Description
When declaring weather, the GM is advised to use this order.
- Sensory description first (sight, sound, smell, touch)
- Then numerical effects (check modifiers, Exposure)
- Last, ask for PC reactions
Sensation should stand before rules.
#10. PC Weather Responses
#Role of Incense
Lighting incense reduces some weather effects.
| Effect | Reduction |
|---|---|
| Exposure modifier | -1 (always) |
| Visibility -1 weather | canceled |
| Auditory check obstacle | canceled |
| Extreme weather(9~10) | apply half the modifier |
The burn time of one stick of incense is 1 round. Therefore, staying for a long time at a depth with bad weather requires an incense reserve.
#Protective Gear
Protective gear corresponding to a specific hell may exist in the campaign. The "Iron Robe(鐵袍)" for Reviving cancels physical check modifiers. Introduce it into a long campaign at GM discretion.
#Evasion and Escape
Immediately after extreme weather is rolled, PCs may attempt a "fall back" check. On a successful Evasion check, Target Number 10, they avoid the weather effect for 1 round. On a failure, it applies normally.
#Staging Tips
#Scent — Before the Weather Roll
Just before rolling d10, the GM describes the incense. The incense smoke shows signs of the weather. If the smoke shoots upward, violent weather; if it flows slowly, calm weather. This description is possible even before the GM knows the roll result; its purpose is to build player tension.
#Law — Weather Application Order
Remember these four steps: weather table roll → depth adjustment → incense and protection effects → final modifier declaration. If depth adjustment is skipped in particular, extreme weather will appear too often at low depths and overload the session.
#Staging Tip — Weather Change
When weather changes within one scene, the GM announces the transition with one sentence: "the wind changes." Briefly describe the sensation of the new weather, then declare the modifier. The sudden change itself can become drama.
#Staging Tip — Value of Weak Weather
Even when d10 rolls 1~3 and the modifier is "none," the GM does not skip sensory description. Do not say "nothing happens"; say "today, the Reviving sky is silver." Explicitly describing calm preserves the hell's overall sensory texture.
#Connection — Resonance With Tides
The combination of high tide + extreme weather creates the session's peak. Conversely, low tide + calm weather becomes a deliberate breathing space. The GM places these two states as rhythm.
#11. Weather Combinations — Overlapping Hazards
When two or more weather phenomena occur at once, the GM applies overlap rules.
#Hell Weather + Common Hazard
The most common overlap. A common hazard is layered onto the result of a hell weather roll. In this case, apply the following.
- Add all modifiers from each effect (cap -5)
- For Exposure modifier, apply the larger value
- If the check modifier exceeds -4, that check automatically fails
Example: Scorching Heat depth 3, "Black Hail"(hell) + "Spiritual Storm"(common) occur at the same time.
- physical -1 (hell) + check -4 component (common storm +2 downward modifier) = total -5
- automatic check failure state; PCs can only endure this segment.
#Hell Weather + Hell Weather (Boundary)
At a direction boundary, the weather of two hells may operate at the same time. In this case, apply only the more unfavorable effect. This is not stacking, but "merging": two hells become one strange weather.
The GM gives this merged weather an improvised name. Examples: "iron-hemp rain" for the Reviving + Black Rope boundary, or "boiling ash" for Screaming + Scorching Heat.
#High Tide + Common Hazard + Hell Weather
Triple overlap should occur only at the campaign climax. This state becomes the central event of that session.
Rules:
- Apply all modifiers (cap -6)
- Exposure modifier automatically +3
- Barrier checks impossible
- PCs need an "endure" check (combined mental + physical) Target Number 13
- On failure, Exposure immediately +2, possible unconsciousness
Triple overlap is the peak of drama. The lives of the PCs may be decided here.
#12. Weather Reversal — Rare Beneficial Weather
Weather is generally unfavorable to PCs, but rarely it can create beneficial effects. "Rain of Stars" above is one example. The following are other beneficial weathers.
#Prayer Fog (occurs: d100 61~63)
In normal time slots, 61~100 means no event, but under certain conditions this range is redefined as "Prayer Fog."
Trigger Condition: A major rite is underway inside the domain. Fog flows across the barrier into the Spirit Realm.
Effects:
- Exposure modifier -2
- Movement rounds -1
- Barrier Target Number -1
This fog is a rare state of harmony between the domain and the Spirit Realm. When PCs meet this fog, they feel that "the domain is still alive."
#Clear Moonlight (occurs: full moon + low tide)
A special time slot when the full moon and low tide overlap. Moonlight shines through the Spirit Realm with unusual clarity.
Effects:
- Visibility checks +1
- Exposure modifier -1
- Target Number for Direction-sensing checks -2
Clear Moonlight is called the "golden hour" of Spirit Realm exploration. Skilled explorers know and use this time.
#First Frost (specific day of a specific month)
The first frost-falling night as autumn turns to winter. Thin frost settles across the entire Spirit Realm.
Effects:
- Movement rounds -1 (all hells, temporary)
- Weather roll modifier -1 (softening)
- Exposure modifier -1
The night of First Frost comes only 1 day per year. Record it on the campaign calendar, and the GM can use this day for a special scenario.
#13. PC Weather Use — Turning It Back
#Using Weather as a Weapon
Some advanced PCs can use certain weather to oppose yoma.
- "Falling Blade" during Reviving weather harms both PCs and yoma. If a yoma is weakened, it can become a decisive blow.
- Scorching Heat's "Heat Pillar" can be used as a weak-point attack against certain yoma(ice types).
- Screaming's "Boiling Road" is an obstacle that blocks land-moving yoma.
The GM allows such turnabouts as creative PC checks. The Target Number is 10~14 depending on the situation.
#Using Weather as an Escape Tool
Unfavorable weather can also be used as an escape tool. In "Auditory-Hallucination Fog," pursuers have trouble finding the PCs. A tactic where PCs deliberately enter the fog to block visibility. Target Number for Tracking checks +3.
During a "dense shadow" event, energy gathers, and PCs may receive -2 to Barrier Target Number itself by using the shade of the shadow.
#Weather and Rites
Some rites have a higher success rate only during specific weather. For example, during "Rainbow of Revival"(Reviving d10=9), a bodily recovery rite has double effect by turning the reversal effect back around. The GM places these cases individually in the scenario.
#14. Long-Term Observation — Learning Weather Patterns
In a long campaign, accumulated weather observations by the PC party become a campaign resource.
#Observation Records
If players record weather roll results during the session (with GM permission), the following become possible.
- Understanding the frequency patterns of a specific hell's weather
- Sensory learning of the correlation between tides and weather
- Inferring occurrence conditions for rare weather, such as Rain of Stars
A party that accumulates 10 or more observation records may gain the title "Spirit Realm Appraiser(鑑定家)" (GM discretion). This title grants the ability to reroll once when rolling weather (1 time per session).
#Limits of Observation
Spirit Realm weather never becomes fully patterned. No matter how much is observed, extremes such as spiritual storms or Nothingness(無) cannot be predicted. This unknowability is also part of the Spirit Realm's essence.
#Staging Tips
#Scent — Before the Weather Roll
Just before rolling d10, the GM describes the incense. The incense smoke shows signs of the weather. If the smoke shoots upward, violent weather; if it flows slowly, calm weather. This description is possible even before the GM knows the roll result; its purpose is to build player tension.
#Law — Weather Application Order
Remember these four steps: weather table roll → depth adjustment → incense and protection effects → final modifier declaration. If depth adjustment is skipped in particular, extreme weather will appear too often at low depths and overload the session.
#Staging Tip — Weather Change
When weather changes within one scene, the GM announces the transition with one sentence: "the wind changes." Briefly describe the sensation of the new weather, then declare the modifier. The sudden change itself can become drama.
#Staging Tip — Value of Weak Weather
Even when d10 rolls 1~3 and the modifier is "none," the GM does not skip sensory description. Do not say "nothing happens"; say "today, the Reviving sky is silver." Explicitly describing calm preserves the hell's overall sensory texture.
#Staging Tip — Weight of Extreme Weather
When d10 rolls extreme weather at 9~10, the GM extends the description time by 2 times. Do not rush to announce only numbers; unfold the scenery fully. Extreme weather is rare, so when it appears it should become the protagonist of the scene.
#Connection — Resonance With Tides
The combination of high tide + extreme weather creates the session's peak. Conversely, low tide + calm weather becomes a deliberate breathing space. The GM places these two states as rhythm.
#Links
- Previous: 03-03 Spirit Realm Tides
- Next: 03-05 Boundary Events
- Travel Rules: 03-02 Travel Rules
- Topology: 03-01 Spirit Realm Topology
- Hell Deepening: 03-06 Hell Guide
- Core Barrier Rules: 05-05 Zone Gimmicks