Most of my previous Characters Versus Nature posts have been about ways to present challenges or flavor from nature-related circumstances within the context of an existing adventure. Natural disasters can still be used as part of a framework or back story, but they are also devastating enough to be the focus of an adventure or campaign, especially if the events leading up to the disaster and rescue or clean-up following the disaster are factored in.
Flood, Tsunami, Avalanche, and Mudslide
Water can be dangerous even in more peaceful circumstances. A wall of water, ice, or mud can crumble living spaces and roads. Characters underground could be trapped as the water and its debris rises around them. Modern and futuristic settings that rely on electronics, could find themselves without working systems that require more than just “drying off” to repair.
Cyclone, Hurricane, Tornado, and Typhoon
Major storms may bring risk of floods, but far greater is the threat of powerful winds that can tear down structures and send debris flying through the air. This combines the dangers of the above and wreaks even more havoc.
Drought and Famine
Too much water (especially all at once) is dangerous, but equally problematic is the lack of water. Drought or large swarms of insects can leave an area stripped of plant resources like food or cotton. The starvation in one area could be a burden on other populated regions as they help their neighbors. Drought, in particular, increases issues as it robs citizens of food and water, resulting in dehydration and starvation. Drought carries with it another threat: fire. And without enough water to put out a fire, an area could be ravaged.
Pestilence and Epidemic
I wrote about nature fighting against players with disease on a more personal level in The Little Things, but sometimes those little things spread and affect massive amounts of the populace. Towns and cities suffering from disease may have fewer goods or services to offer. Even areas unaffected might be openly hostile to strangers (the player characters) in the hopes of protecting the citizens from a plague.
Earthquake
Earthquakes can be deadly natural disasters on their own, causing ground ruptures, soil liquification, property damage, as well as loss of life. And, if the destruction caused by an earthquake wasn’t difficult enough to deal with, a single earthquake can breed additional disasters like landslides, fires, and tsunamis. In the context of a campaign it’s advisable to make the earthquake a major plot point/adventure/campaign, rather than as a background or back story event.
Volcano
Volcanoes present problems for nearby inhabitants that no other natural disaster can emulate. Destructive lava flows can ignite additional fires that spread even where the lava isn’t. Volcanoes spew dangerous gasses which can cause suffocation and water contamination. The ash released into the sky can result in a volcanic winter that lasts years, cooling global temperatures, releasing acid rain, and causing widespread famine. Like earthquakes, volcanoes have a level of destruction that should put the natural disaster at the forefront of a session (or more).
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