🌧️ Weather & Environment
“Night City’s climate used to be ‘temperate’. After decades of climate change and a nuclear blast, ‘unstable’ is a better word.”
Night City weather isn’t just atmosphere — it can ablate your armor, poison you, blind you, and kill you. Between acid rain, radioactive windstorms, and blood rain, the sky itself is a hazard. This page covers how weather affects gameplay and what gear keeps you alive.
⚡ Quick Reference
Weather Hazards At A Glance
Condition Key Effect Protection Acid Rain Ablates all worn armor by 1 SP per minute Umbrella, Waterproof Lining Blood Rain 50% Acid Rain OR 50% Biotoxin per minute Umbrella, Waterproof Lining (+2 resist) Ash Storm Poison + Foreign Object Critical Injury Nasal Filters, Anti-Smog Mask Dust Storm Foreign Object Critical Injury (after 5 min) Nasal Filters, Anti-Smog Mask Inversion Smog Poison (after 1 min) Nasal Filters, Anti-Smog Mask Radioactive Windstorm High-level radiation (2 dmg/turn) Radiation Suit Deadly Thunderstorm 6d6 lightning + flashbang Stay inside Cold Snap Exposure + black ice (−2 penalty) Cold-Weather Jacket Lining Heat Wave Exposure + armor penalty increased by 2 Hot-Weather Jacket Lining Flooding Wading movement rules apply — Blackout No power, no CitiNet, no calls Generator Heavy Rain/Sleet −2 visibility & action penalty — Light Rain/Sleet −1 to actions on slick surfaces —
🌡️ Night City Climate
Night City sits on the Northern California coast. The average temperature ranges from the low 40s°F (4°C) in winter to the low 90s°F (33°C) in summer, but extremes of 30°F or 110°F aren’t uncommon.
The consequences of the 4th Corporate War nuclear blast, rampant pollution, coastal positioning, and decades of drought make the city home to several unusual weather conditions beyond normal rain and fog.
Temperature Effects
| Temperature | Effect |
|---|---|
| Cold (~35–40°F / 2–4°C) | Exposure rules apply if outdoors all day without proper gear (1d6 HP/day, no natural healing). See Damage and Wounds#Exposure. |
| Cool / Warm (~50–70°F / 10–21°C) | Comfortable. No mechanical effects. |
| Hot (~80–90°F / 27–33°C) | Increase any existing armor penalty to REF, DEX, and MOVE by 1. A −2 penalty becomes −3. |
Armor Penalties
Light Armorjack has no penalty normally, so Hot weather doesn’t affect it. But Heavy Armorjack (−2 penalty) becomes −3 in Hot, and −4 in a Heat Wave.
⛈️ Strange Weather Events
These are Night City’s signature hazards — the weather that makes the nightly news.
☢️ Radioactive Windstorm
Strong winds blow radioactive particles from the Hot Zone into the city.
- Treated as high-level radiation: like being Mildly On Fire (2 damage/turn direct to HP)
- Cannot “put out” while in the zone — you must get indoors or leave the area
- Protection: Radiation Suit or similar
- Duration: 1d6 × 10 minutes
🌫️ Ash Storm
Toxic ash and smoke from urban or Badlands fires are blown across the city.
- Anyone exposed for 1+ minutes without Nasal Filters or Anti-Smog Mask:
- Treat as exposed to a Vial of Poison (DV 13 Resist Torture/Drugs; failure = 2d6 HP damage)
- Suffer Foreign Object Critical Injury (no initial Bonus Damage). Can’t be treated until you leave the storm.
- GM may apply −2 penalty to Perception Checks and ranged attacks at distance
- Duration: 1d6 × 10 minutes
Caught in an Ash Storm
Jay the Solo is outside without his mask. The GM calls for a DV 13 Resist Torture/Drugs check (Vial of Poison). Jay rolls poorly — he takes 2d6 = 7 HP damage direct and gains the Foreign Object crit. Until treated, he takes 5 more damage every time he moves 4+ meters in a Turn. And he’s currently running from Bozos.
🩸 Blood Rain
A greasy, pinkish-red precipitation carrying caustic substances and radioactive particles — an aftereffect of the 4th Corporate War.
- Roll 1d6 to determine the type:
- 1–3: Acts like Acid Rain (ablates 1 SP/minute)
- 4–6: Once per minute, treat as exposed to a Vial of Biotoxin (DV 15 Resist Torture/Drugs; failure = 3d6 HP)
- GM may apply −1 penalty to Perception and ranged attacks
- Protection: Umbrella (full protection against acid type; +2 to resist biotoxin type), Waterproof Lining (same as umbrella)
- Duration: 1d6 hours
🧪 Acid Rain
Almost all Night City rain is lightly acidic, but occasionally a storm brings rain that damages in hours instead of years.
- For each full minute in Acid Rain without protection: ablate all worn armor by 1 SP
- Protection: Umbrella negates ablation entirely. Waterproof Jacket Lining negates ablation.
- Duration: 1d6 hours
Your Armor Is at Risk
In a 10-minute exposure, Acid Rain ablates 10 SP from all worn armor. That turns SP 11 into SP 1. Get under cover or pop an umbrella.
⚡ Deadly Thunderstorm
Rare but incredibly destructive.
- Every 10 minutes, GM rolls 1d6:
- 1–3: Lightning strikes far away (atmospheric only)
- 4–6: Lightning strikes the tallest nearby structure, tallest character, or a character holding a two-handed metal weapon
- If someone is struck: 6d6 damage to body + flashbang effect centered on them
- If the struck character is touching another (e.g., Grapple), both are hit
- GM may apply −2 penalty to Perception and ranged attacks
- Duration: 1d6 × 10 minutes
🌪️ Dust Storm
Winds from the drought-ravaged Badlands blow erosion debris into the city.
- After 5 minutes in a Dust Storm without Nasal Filters or Anti-Smog Mask:
- Suffer Foreign Object Critical Injury (no initial Bonus Damage)
- Can’t be treated until removed from the storm
- GM may apply −2 penalty to Perception and ranged attacks
- Duration: 1d6 × 10 minutes
🧊 Cold Snap
Temperature drops below freezing, overriding any Temperature roll.
- Exposure rules apply (1d6 HP/day without proper gear — see Exposure)
- Black ice forms on surfaces: GM may apply −2 penalty to actions on icy surfaces
- Duration: 1d6 days
🔥 Heat Wave
Temperature spikes to 100–110°F+, overriding any Temperature roll.
- Exposure rules apply (1d6 HP/day without proper gear)
- Increase existing armor penalties to REF/DEX/MOVE by 2 (a −2 penalty becomes −4)
- Protection: Hot-Weather Jacket Lining reduces the additional penalty by 1
- Duration: 1d6 days
🌊 Flooding
Ocean water seeps up through cracks in Night City’s fill (destabilized by the 2022 nuclear blast).
- Street level: usually a few inches (nuisance only)
- Below ground (basements, tunnels): can fill fully. Use wading/swimming movement rules (see CRB p.169)
- Duration: 1d6 days
🌑 Blackout
Not weather per se, but extreme conditions knock out power and communications.
- Area: 1d10 blocks/neighborhoods centered on crew’s location
- Effects: Buildings without generators lose electricity. Agents can’t make calls or connect to Data Pool.
- Duration: 1d6 days
🧥 Protective Gear
CRB Gear
The Core Rulebook already provides Nasal Filters (100eb), Anti-Smog Breathing Mask (100eb), and Radiation Suit (1,000eb). The items below are from Interface RED Volume 2.
| Item | Cost | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Umbrella | 10eb (Cheap) | Negates Acid Rain armor ablation. +2 to Resist Torture/Drugs vs. Blood Rain. Keeps you dry. One hand occupied. |
| Cold-Weather Jacket Lining | 500eb (Expensive) | Applied to a jacket. Counts as proper gear against cold Exposure. |
| Hot-Weather Jacket Lining | 500eb (Expensive) | Applied to a jacket. Counts as proper gear against heat Exposure. Reduces additional Heat armor penalty by 1. |
| Waterproof Jacket Lining | 500eb (Expensive) | Applied to a jacket. Negates Acid Rain ablation. +2 to resist Blood Rain effects. |
| Militech Tactical Umbrella | 1,000eb (V. Expensive) | Umbrella + Excellent Quality Exotic Heavy Melee Weapon + Poor Quality Exotic Heavy Pistol (2-round magazine, Basic/Non-Basic ammo). One hand. |
Budget Protection
A 10eb umbrella stops Acid Rain from destroying your armor. That’s the best cost-to-value ratio in Night City. Always carry one.
For respiratory hazards (Ash Storm, Dust Storm, Inversion Smog), 100eb Nasal Filters (cyberware, Mall install, HL 2) are a one-time investment that you’ll never regret.
🎲 Rolling Weather (GM)
For detailed seasonal weather generation tables, see Weather Tables in the GM Handbook. The short version:
- Roll 1d6 on the seasonal table for Temperature
- Roll 1d6 for Current Conditions
- If you rolled a 6 for Conditions → roll on the Strange Weather table (1d10)
Weather is a tool for atmosphere and tactical variety — use it as much or as little as you want.
❓ Quick Answers
Does weather affect combat?
Yes. Heavy rain, ash storms, dust storms, thunderstorms, and inversion smog can apply −1 to −4 penalties to Perception and ranged attacks. Acid rain ablates armor. Heat waves increase armor penalties.
Can I just stay indoors?
Usually. But your target, your fixer, and your ride might not be. Runs don’t wait for good weather.
Where do I buy weather gear?
Umbrellas and jacket linings are available at any general store. The Militech Tactical Umbrella might need a Fixer (1,000eb = Very Expensive).
How common is strange weather?
On any seasonal table, strange weather only happens on a roll of 6 (roughly 17% per day). Most days are normal.
🔗 Related Topics
- Damage and Wounds — Environmental hazards (fire, falling, drowning, exposure, radiation, poison)
- Armor and Cover — How armor ablation works
- Street Life — Street Life hub
- Database — Browse protective gear
(Source: Interface RED Volume 2, “Night City Weather” pp. 15–20; CRB pp. 180–181)