Baking Conditions

Baking conditions describes a temperature range between 120–129°F. While rare in most inhabited regions, this degree of heat may occur during certain weeks of the year, especially in inland deserts, sun-baked valleys or dry steppe lands during high summer. It is not a permanent climate zone but a temporary event, lasting for hours or a handful of days before dropping to levels that permit more normal activity. The air becomes intensely dry, with heat radiating from the ground and reflecting off hard surfaces, giving a sharp, baking quality to the atmosphere.

Breathing becomes slightly labored with exertion and exposed skin is quickly reddened, even burned, by the strength of the sun. Metal objects left in the open become hot enough to cause pain or injury on contact. Standing in direct sun for prolonged periods can cause disorientation or faintness, particularly while wearing armour or carrying heavy gear. Movement outdoors remains possible for short durations, though it must be carefully paced and limited. Walking in the heat of day can quickly result in dehydration if water is not frequently consumed and the use of shade, head-coverings and light, breathable fabrics is essential.

Creatures during baking conditions behave differently. Many seek shaded places to rest for long hours, emerging only when temperatures drop. Livestock require extra care — water must be supplied more frequently and enclosures must be kept shaded or ventilated. Wildlife becomes still, silent, or fully hidden during the heat, only to reappear at twilight or later. Certain desert-dwelling species are fully adapted to these swings in temperature and may appear only during this window of time. Encounters with reptiles, burrowing creatures and heat-resistant insects become more common, particularly around oases, caves and well-shaded gullies.

Daily Life

Most creatures, including humanoids, alter their schedules to avoid activity during peak hours of solar exposure. Work shifts move to early morning and late evening, while midday hours are reserved for rest or indoor activity. Stone, clay or mud-brick buildings absorb the heat slowly and can remain several degrees cooler than the outside air, particularly if built partly below ground. Thick walls, small windows, shaded courtyards and air openings allow settlements to function despite the harshness of the air outside.

Food preservation practices adapt to this environment without failing entirely. In these conditions, most fresh produce is consumed quickly after harvest, while durable staples such as dates, grains, legumes, hard cheeses and dried meats form the core of the diet. Smoking, salting, air-drying and oil-packing are common methods of keeping food viable for weeks at a time. Water is stored underground or in covered stone cisterns to keep it from becoming too hot to drink. Wines, goat's milk and fermented grains may also serve as safe alternatives when clean water is difficult to keep cool.

Social life slows during heat waves of this intensity, but it does not stop. Community gatherings are rescheduled for dusk or nightfall, when the air becomes survivable again. Trade continues in covered bazaars, shaded alleys or cooled storehouses where goods are packed tightly and insulated against the outer heat. Commerce slows but does not collapse. Temporary conditions do not halt systems, but they alter their rhythm — the town moves as if asleep, shifting all its functions away from the hottest hours of the day. Travelers may be asked to wait indoors or rest in caravanserais during the noontime hours before being allowed entry or service.

Adventuring

Exploration in these conditions is possible, though risky. Adventurers must ration water carefully and avoid overexertion. Equipment made of metal must be covered or carried in cloth, and armour may need to be replaced with padded or leather alternatives to avoid heat stress. Resting in open sunlight is ill-advised. Large stones and cliffs radiate heat hours after sundown. In the open desert, sand and rock can remain hot to the touch well into the night. Shaded ruins or canyons may provide partial relief, but exposure must still be managed with discipline. Marching through these conditions without proper clothing and steady hydration can result in forced Constitution checks or cumulative exhaustion penalties over time.

Dungeons and caves maintain internal temperatures that often contrast with the outside world. A well-insulated underground complex may be far cooler than the outside air, though entrances, passageways near the surface or areas open to daylight may reflect the surface heat. Deeper chambers remain stable and habitable, and in some cases, adventurers may use these locations as safe resting points during the hottest part of the day. Conversely, above-ground ruins, abandoned towers or sunlit corridors become dangerously hot and must be navigated with care. Torches and other heat sources are rarely needed during the day and may be dangerous to use indoors if ventilation is poor.

Baking conditions can occur underground in environments associated with elemental fire, volcanic activity or infernal influence. These temperatures may be sustained through magical heat, the presence of lava vents or the influence of extraplanar forces. Dungeons of this sort remain structurally intact, but the air is thick, dry and oppressive, clinging to skin and equipment alike. Stone radiates heat absorbed from nearby magma flows or from the prolonged presence of fire-dwelling entities. Shafts may carry hot air instead of relief, and the scent of sulfur or scorched minerals often clings to the walls. Metal doors, grates and bars become searing to the touch, requiring cloth or gloves to handle. Spell scrolls, maps and other paper goods must be stored in oilskin or sealed containers, or risk becoming brittle or curling at the edges. Because wooden doors would swell in their frames, they don't exist at all. In many cases, the dungeon itself becomes an environmental hazard, perhaps causing a set amount of damage every twenty or thirty rounds, for those who continue to dwell in it.

See also,
Feverish Conditions
Scorching Conditions
Temperature Grades