Winds
Wind can create a stinging spray of dust, sand, or water, fan a large fire, rock an atmospheric transport midflight, and blow gases or vapors away. If powerful enough, it can even interfere with some ranged attacks and knock characters down. Below are the most common wind forces seen on habitable worlds.
| Wind Force | Wind Speed | Ranged Attack Penalty* |
|---|---|---|
| Light | 0–10 mph | — |
| Moderate | 11–20 mph | — |
| Strong | 21–30 mph | –2 |
| Severe | 31–50 mph | –4 |
| Windstorm | 51–74 mph | –4 |
| Hurricane | 75–174 mph | –8 |
| Tornado | 175–300 mph | Impossible |
* This applies only to nonenergy ranged weapons. Larger weapons, such as starship weapons, ignore this penalty.
Source
Core Rulebook pg. 399
A gentle breeze, having little or no game effect. Source Core Rulebook pg. 399 |
A steady wind often extinguishing small, unprotected flames. Source Core Rulebook pg. 399 |
Gusts that automatically put out any unprotected flames. Such gusts impose a –2 penalty to nonenergy ranged weapon attack rolls. Source Core Rulebook pg. 400 |
Nonenergy ranged weapon attack rolls take a –4 penalty. Source Core Rulebook pg. 400 |
Powerful enough to bring down branches, if not whole trees. Nonenergy ranged weapon attack rolls take a –4 penalty, while attacks with archaic ranged weapons are impossible. Perception checks that rely on sound take a –8 penalty due to the howling of the wind. Small characters might be knocked down. Source Core Rulebook pg. 400 |
Nonenergy ranged weapon attack rolls take a –8 penalty, and archaic ranged weapon attacks are impossible. Perception checks based on sound are impossible: all characters can hear is the roaring of the wind. Hurricane-force winds often fell trees. Most characters are knocked down due to the force of these winds. Source Core Rulebook pg. 400 |
All flames are extinguished. All nonenergy ranged weapon attacks are impossible, as are sound-based Perception checks. A creature in close proximity to a tornado that fails a DC 15 Strength check is sucked toward the tornado. All creatures that come into contact with the actual funnel cloud are picked up and whirled around for 1d10 rounds, taking 6d6 bludgeoning damage per round, before being violently expelled in a random direction (falling damage, described below, might apply). While a tornado’s rotational speed can be as great as 300 mph, the funnel itself moves forward at an average of 30 mph (roughly 250 feet per round). A tornado uproots trees, destroys buildings, and causes similar forms of major destruction. Source Core Rulebook pg. 400 |
