Meteorology in 2020


If in our time the weather is used to furnish conversations, the climate in 2020 has become a real problem and has a tangible effect on society. Indeed, man has had such an impact on his environment that natural disasters have experienced a major upsurge. The pollution generated by the civilization of consumption has forever transformed ecosystems. Cities produce astronomical quantities of gas and waste, corporations plunder the planet's resources, and industry handles highly toxic products that are otherwise released into nature with impunity. In short, the world of 2020 is disposable and it shows !

It all began in the 1980s. As technology developed exponentially, the planet showed the first signs of significant change. The ozone layer was thinning while the ice cap was melting at a glance. At the same time, earthquakes were more recurrent, cyclones were multiplying, devastating everything in their path. Climate became a matter of concern for governments around the world. So a huge summit meeting was held in 1990 in Copenhagen. Within the framework of the United Nations, the heads of state were tasked with finding a solution to limit man-made pollution. This was of course without counting on the weight of corporate lobbies. Manipulating the negotiations underhand, the countries were unable to reach a conclusive agreement and practiced immobility. Worse, some scientists advocating the fight against global warming mysteriously disappeared. Also, most developing countries as well as industrialized countries such as the USA or the Arab Emirates refused to sign any treaty. Only the European Union unilaterally decided to pursue an environmental policy worthy of the name.

Nevertheless, although the corporations were the big winners of the Copenhagen summit thanks to their intensive propaganda, no one could really ignore the slow deterioration of the climate and the dramatic depletion of fossil resources. As a result, the governments of each nation developed their own space policies to discover new veins in the neighboring planets and perhaps even a new host planet (for the upper classes, of course). In 1991, ESA sent its first space shuttle and a year later began designing its first Massdriver. In the United States, the fall of the American economy in 1994 sounded the death knell for NASA's plans. Faced with riots of rare violence and an unprecedented budget deficit, the White House had no choice but to declare martial law in all states in 1996. Nevertheless, the corporations managed to get away with buying up land and concessions in the poor states. The growing power of these economic/industrial giants increased the ecological disaster, with no state having any real power to fight against their decision. Pollution reached its peak to the point of causing major disasters such as the great drought of 1998, the Los Angeles earthquake of the same year and the great fire of 2000. These disasters were obviously not limited to the USA and countries around the world experienced similar climatic tragedies. Climate studies by NASA and ESA showed that the ozone layer would shrink to a trickle in the next decade. The situation was explosive because if UV rays were able to bombard the earth, the survival of the human species itself was directly threatened. However, it seemed too late to make up for this mistake. Climate change seemed irreversible. All nations agreed to bring together their leading experts to find a common solution as soon as possible.

In 2001, an English scientist by the name of Alan Neyrnan invented what scientists would call "the crystal veil", a polarizing magnetic field capable of absorbing the dangerous emissions of solar radiation. Following this fabulous discovery, governments and corporations raised huge funds to carry out the most audacious project of all time : the "Phaeton" project. This project consisted of sending satellites into the upper atmosphere which, once in orbit, would emit this famous magnetic field, creating a protective shield around the Earth. A few years later, the creation of the satellites was completed but the project was delayed due to incidents between ESA and NASA. In 2010, the space agencies initiated the launch of the satellites, which coordinated perfectly, forming a protective web around the earth. It was a real success and the human race was saved from its own extinction. However, there was an unforeseeable consequence to the success of the "Phaeton" project. Although the population was now protected from UV light, the sun became increasingly scarce. Clouds piled up and soon the rain began to fall almost continuously. The creation of the "crystal veil" had not served as a lesson to the corporations and industrialists who continued to pollute more and more, without any rules being set for them. The abundance of rainfall had repercussions on the way agriculture was practiced and soon some species could only be cultivated artificially through genetics. Toxic emissions from cities and industry changed the climate, and hot, acidic rains came more frequently, to the point where it was sometimes not advisable to leave the house on certain days. Nowadays, it is not uncommon to see people going out with gas masks. Environmental contamination has now become a parameter of daily life.

The following rules make it possible to randomly draw the climate it makes as well as the level of pollution. As a game master, I note a real calendar from day to day. Each draw of the weather is valid for 1D6 days (this avoids having to draw it every day). In order to know the weather, run a 1D100 and then adjust the result according to the modifiers. Then, consult the following table according to the zone in which your players are located (arctic, temperate/oceanic, tropical or dry).

The D100 modifiers :
-10 to the roll if the action takes place in winter
+15 to the roll if the action takes place in summer

Arctic Climate

01-05 : Blizzard (cold, violent wind and very heavy snow) 06-20 : Snowstorm 21-80 : Usual cold

It's cold and mom wants you to go out covered. PCs can stay outside for a number of hours equal to their Body Type outdoors before having to make a Endurance skill roll of difficulty 15 (-1 malus per extra hour). Failure means that PCs are tired and suffer 1D3 damage points (frostbite).

81-95 : Abnormally mild

Temperatures are mild. PCs get a +2 bonus for any Endurance rolls they have to make due to the cold weather.

96-100 : Sun

But it would be almost hot! PCs have a +4 bonus for their Endurance rolls against the cold. On the other hand, beware of thawing (cracking ice pack, melting ice, avalanches, etc... at the GM's discretion).


Temperate/Oceanic climate

01-05 : Snowstorm 06-20 : Storm (high wind and rain/snow) 21-80 : Shitty weather/short sun appearance

It rains, it is gloomy or the sun appears timidly.

81-95 : Thunderstorms 96-100 : Cyclone

Tropical climate

1-15 : Rainstorm 16-75 : Rain/Sun

PCs can tan.

76-95 : Thunderstorm 96-100 : Hurricane

Dry climate (hot desert, reg)

01-05 : Sandstorm 06-20 : Sand wind 21-80 : Sun

It's hot. PCs can walk for a number of hours equal to their Body Type without hydrating. Beyond that time, they must make a Endurance skill roll of difficulty 15 (-1 malus per extra hour). In case of failure, they are tired and suffer 1D6 points of damage.

81-100 : Stifling heat/storms

It's a blazing sun. PCs can walk for a number of hours equal to their Body Type without hydrating. Beyond that time, they must make a Endurance skill roll of difficulty 15 (-1 malus per extra hour). In case of failure, they are tired and suffer 1D6 points of damage. In addition, they may be subject to psychological disorders (mirages, hallucinations, etc).
At the GM's discretion, it may also rain afterwards.


Pollution

To calculate the pollution level, discard 1D10. The duration of the pollution can be calculated randomly (1D3, 1D6 days, etc) or left to the choice of the GM.

Roll modifiers :
-2 if the PCs are in a desert zone
-1 if it's winter
-1 if it blows a strong wind
+1 if the PCs are located in a major city/megalopolis/industrial zone
+1 if it is summer (heat is often the cause of pollution peaks)
+2 if a disaster has occurred (industrial accident, large fire, etc)

1 to 2 : No pollution. The air is completely breathable. Take the opportunity to get some fresh air !

3 to 4 : Slight pollution. The air is a little more polluted but bearable. People who have respiratory problems or who are very weak (because of an illness, BT equivalent to 1 to 3) are still advised to go out with a mask. Otherwise, they can suffer with 10% bad luck 1D3 points of damage.

5 to 6 : Pollution present. The air is loaded with carbon particles and other greenhouse gases. Sensitive people of the lungs or in convalescence can feel a consequent respiratory discomfort. People who are asthmatic, cancerous (of lungs) or who for some reason (illness, convalescence) find themselves with a BT between 1 and 3 must go out with oxygen masks (sold in any good corner pharmacy/supermarket). Otherwise, they are 30% unlucky to suffer 1D3 points of damage.

7 to 8 : First pollution alert threshold. Noxious and dangerous gases circulate in the air and the population must be careful not to inhale too much of them. All people must now wear an oxygen mask or be unlucky (10% for healthy people, 40% for the sick and others) to suffer 1D3 points of damage.

9 : Critical threshold of pollution. At this stage, the air is totally polluted, loaded with toxic particles and extremely irritating for the lungs. In addition, acid rains appear (if it rains of course). It is recommended that people go out with a gas/oxygen mask (otherwise, 30% risk to suffer 1D3 points of damage, 50% for the sick). In addition, in case of rain, PCs must go out covered with acid protection. If they don't have any, for every hour spent outside, they will suffer 1D3 points of damage.

10 : Maximum pollution alert ! The air is saturated with harmful chemicals. Gusts of toxic and corrosive clouds are also sweeping the streets. Clouds are also dumping hot and very acid rain. At this level, the authorities strongly recommend that people do not leave their homes except in case of extreme emergency. People who wish to go out in spite of this must absolutely do so with an airtight protection against acid and an oxygen mask. In case of non-observance of these sanitary instructions, people have a 40% risk of suffering 1D3 points of damage (70% for weak, sick people). In addition, they also suffer 1D6 points of damage due to acid rain for every hour spent outside.