Freezing cold, biting wind, and impenetrable silence characterize the arctic climate of the ice plains. The vast expanses are interrupted only by isolated snowdrifts or ice jags, but they are hardly visible due to the incipient snowfall. Only on clear days, when blue skies spread over the frozen landscape, is it possible to see for miles into the distance and spot predators early. It is not uncommon for ice to hide under the snow cover, which readily gives way under the footsteps of unwary adventurers and becomes a death trap. But the greatest enemy in these climes is the unforgiving cold, which makes survival a bitter fight. However, if you make it here and survive long enough, you will be rewarded with the magical sight of colorful auroras that you will never forget.
condition
Your body core temperature has dropped below healthy levels.
Hypothermia is measured in levels. Whenever you become hypothermic, you gain one level of hypothermia. You suffer the effects of your current level of hypothermia as well as all lower levels. Effects that can reduce a creature's exhaustion level can reduce a creature's hypothermia level by the same amount instead. Once a creature's hypothermia level is reduced below 1, it loses this condition and ends all effects it suffers due to this condition.
Finishing a long rest reduces a creature's hypothermia level by 1, provided the creature was exposed to heat throughout the entire long rest and isn't exhausted.
Level 1. You have disadvantage on Dexterity ability checks and saving throws, and attack rolls using Dexterity as their ability modifier.
Level 2. You have disadvantage on Intelligence and Wisdom ability checks and saving throws, and attack rolls using Intelligence or Wisdom as their ability modifier. Spell save DCs based on your Intelligence or Wisdom score are reduced by 5.
Level 3. You are unable to concentrate, your speed is halved, you cannot take reactions, and you can only either take an action or a bonus action on your turns, not both.
Level 4. You have the paradoxical urge to rid yourself of all sources of warmth, including your clothing. You must spend each of your turns to attempt to cool yourself down.
Level 5. You have the urge to find a place to hide, burrowing a hole in the ground if necessary. You must spend each of your turns looking for such a place, burrowing a hole, or hiding.
Level 6. You die.
arctic biome
These rules are in addition to any rules for extremely cold weather that would apply if characters aren't, for example, wearing appropriate clothing.
If a creature hasn't taken these precautions, any durations of the icy winds trait are reduced by a factor of 10 for the creature, and the creature makes saving throws mentioned in this statblock with disadvantage.
No Fire. The wind and humidity causes open flames to extinguish 10 times faster than usual. For example, normal torches last 6 minutes instead of 1 hour, and a campfire lasts 1 hour.
Icy Winds. At the end of every 4 hours spent in the cold weather without a source of warmth like a campfire, a creature must make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. Creatures with resistance to cold damage make the saving throw with advantage. Creatures immune to cold damage automatically succeed on the saving throw. On a failed save, the creature expends 1 hit die without gaining any benefit. If the creature has no more hit dice, it instead gains one level of hypothermia.
Restless. Resting in the extreme cold is hard, and impossible without preparation.
Short Rest. To gain the benefits of a short rest, a creature must be protected from the direct wind and have a source of warmth like a campfire, and succeed on a DC 12 Constitution saving throw.
With the right materials, it takes 1 hour of work to set up a suitable place to rest for a single creature.
Long Rest. To gain the benefits of a long rest, a creature must be protected from the direct wind and have a source of warmth like a campfire, which must be enclosed so as to not lose the heat too quickly. The creature must also succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw.
With the right materials, it takes 4 hours of work to set up a suitable encampment for a single creature.
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