Depending on your DM, the weather in DnD during your playing sessions can have a significant impact on combat and playing style. One of the most impactful types is cold weather. Snow, low temperatures, and blizzards can cause all kinds of disadvantages, such as frostbite, limited vision, and less nimble fingers and joints.
Having appropriate cold-weather gear and armor can make all the difference if you have a strict DM and want to survive in cold tundras and desolate deserts of frost and ice. We will rank the best Cold Weather Gear in 5e DnD according to a few factors:
- Effectiveness
- Our experience using it
- How easy it is to obtain
- Cost of obtaining it
- Weight
Best cold weather gear ranked
1. Fur Coat
Starting off our list is the Fur (lined) coat. This item isn’t just a stylish item, but it is also a great way to keep warm. In 5e, there are many animals and creatures that have fur, from the tiny rabbit to the fearsome Yeti, all of which could make a Fur Coat.
This versatility and great way to keep warm while not having to compromise on style and fashion are why we put the Fur Coat at number one. A cheap coat made of easy-to-acquire materials should cost around 50 gold pieces depending on the location and season.
2. Winter Blanket
The winter blanket is a great item to have in your tent or shelter. This blanket made out of wool is great to protect yourself against frostbite while taking a long rest. While I would not advise you to take it with you during travels, it is perfect to keep at your base. This way, you do not need to spend as much on firewood or can rent cheaper rooms in the winter.
A 5 lbs winter blanket should set you back around 4 to 7 silver pieces, which is very affordable.
3. Fur lined coat
Starting off our list is the Fur (lined) coat. This item isn’t just a stylish piece, but it’s also a great way to stay warm. In 5e, many animals and creatures have fur, from the tiny rabbit to the fearsome Yeti, and all of them could make a Fur Coat.
This versatility and practicality, allowing you to keep warm without having to compromise on style and fashion, is why we rank the Fur Coat at number one. A cheap coat made of easy-to-acquire materials should cost around 50 gold pieces, depending on the location and season.
4. Winter Blanket
The Winter Blanket is a great item to have in your tent or shelter. This wool blanket protects against frostbite while taking a long rest. While it’s not advised to carry it with you during travels, it’s perfect to keep at your base, saving you from spending much on firewood or renting expensive rooms in winter.
A 5-pound winter blanket should cost around 4 to 7 silver pieces, which is very affordable.
5. Snowshoes
If you don’t want to lose a lot of movement speed in the snow, then Snowshoes are ideal. Snowshoes provide a bonus to your movement speed or reduce the penalty depending on the terrain. Additionally, snowshoes protect against frost. Unfortunately, good snowshoes require exquisite craftsmanship and cost around 8 to 12 gold pieces.
6. Heated Cloak
The first (and only) magical item on our list is the Heated Cloak. This relatively affordable and effective magical cloak can generate its heat, making it more effective than regular cloaks in extremely cold weather.
It gives resistance to cold damage and an advantage throw when dealing with a cold climate. The cloak only weighs 3 lbs, making it well worth the weight. Your Dungeon Master should set the price of this rare item to around 200 to 600 gold pieces.
7. Winter Face Masks
Winter Face Masks are important to protect your eyes, ears, nose, and lips from the cold. The Winter Face Mask is a heavy mask that provides protection against the cold. Wearing a face mask might give you a disadvantage on persuasion checks. The mask only weighs 1 lb and costs around 4 to 6 gold coins.
8. Snow Goggles
Snow Goggles protect your eyes from the icy winds and snow blindness while traveling through a snowstorm. These items are not magical, but they do require excellent craftsmanship to make. A pair should cost around 10 gold pieces, depending on your location.
9. Cold Weather Tent
If your travel route takes multiple days, a Cold Weather Tent is a must-have. With the extra layers, your party will stay warm and be able to relax after a hard route.
Your DM can give you a small bonus when resting in the tent during cold weather and additional protection against surprise attacks using the cold. A decent-sized tent will weigh around 20 to 25 pounds and cost around 120 gold pieces.
10. Hand Warmers
Protecting your hands and fingers against the cold is vital too. Hand warmers are a cheap and easy-to-carry item that can help you protect against frostbite. Hand warmers can aid your characters by adding a small bonus to cold resistance. You can also give your players a bonus for actions that require their fingers. If they do not have hand protection, your DM can give you a disadvantage.
The weight of hand warmers is negligible and you should expect to pay around one gold piece for them.
11. Ice Picks
An often-forgotten tool is ice picks. These sharp climbing tools are great for going up steeper surfaces and preventing your character from losing balance and falling.
Your DM should give you a bonus when climbing on icy, slippery surfaces, as well as a bonus for your balance checks. Conversely, if you do not have these, your DM should give your characters a disadvantage.
Ice picks should cost around 1 to 2 silver pieces each, and you will need at least two per party member.
12. Winter Boots
A good alternative to snow boots are winter boots. When protection against the cold takes priority over movement speed, winter boots are the preferred option. These regular, common items are quite heavy, weighing 4lbs for a pair.
Depending on the material used and the type of fur used to make the boots, they will cost around 8 to 20 gold pieces.
13. Snow Shovel
Another tool you should consider bringing on a journey through a snowy landscape is the snow shovel. This shovel can be used to quickly create cover and fortifications to gain an advantage in fighting in snowy terrain or make traps.
The snow shovel can also be used to dig a clear path or to remove snow in front of your tent. This item will weigh around 10 lbs and cost around 4 to 7 gold pieces.
Cold weather gear 5e options: Budget, Mid-tier, and expensive
Money can be tight at the starting levels and winter gear can be heavy at any point in the campaign. Odds are that the gear you will need for a cold climate are only going to be needed a few playing sessions.
Not spending too much gold on gear you will have to throw away or resell at a loss is thus advised. However, if you are not strapped for cash or are spending a prolonged period in the harsh tundra of the north, you might want to splurge a bit.
Budget 5e cold weather gear
Our first fit is a budget cold weather gear outfit that will set you back just 27 to 33 gold coins.
- Warm Hat: A simple wool hat is all you need to protect yourself from medium cold weather. This will cost you about 1 to 3 gold coins.
- Wool Coat: The most expensive – and crucial – part of the outfit is the wool coat. This will protect you against harsh weather and will insulate warmth. Expect to pay about 15 gold coins.
- Fur-Lined Boots: If you don’t want to have frostbite, then good boots are essential. A good pair would cost around 10 gold coins.
- Wool gloves: Keep your fingers warm with a good pair of gloves. This will set you back around 2 to 4 gold coins.
Mid-tier cold gear
While budget gear will be okay for short periods outside and moderately cold weather, in extreme cold weather, you will need to step up your game. This outfit will set you back around 100 GP.
- Padded Coat: A padded coat is more cold-resistant and helps to protect against the wind. It should cost around 23 to 26 gold pieces.
- Insulated Boots: Keeping your feet warm in a blizzard and extremely cold weather is important. These are pretty expensive as there is a bit of craftsmanship involved in making them. Expect to spend 25 GP.
- Fleece-lined Hat: These hats are a warmer option and keep out the harsh winter wind. They cost around 10 gold pieces each.
- Insulated Gloves: The insulated gloves are sure to keep your fingers warm enough to hold your sword or bow and arrow. Unfortunately, due to the detailed work and expensive materials, they cost around 15 GP.
Expensive cold gear
If you want to have the best possible gear and have gold in abundance, then this gear is just what you need. This outfit will cost around 550 gold pieces and offers fantastic protection against the cold. Do keep in mind that the resale value will be lower. Of course, you can make this gear even more effective and expensive by adding magical items.
- Arctic-rated boots: The Arctic-rated boots are perfect for prolonged travel in extreme weather conditions. These will cost around 150 Gold Pieces.
- High-end insulated gloves: To make sure you can use your hands optimally, you should invest in insulated gloves made of the best possible materials. These will protect you against ice, snow, water, and wind. Expect to spend over 50 gold.
- Fur-lined hat with ear protection: A step up from the regular fleece-lined hat is one with ear protection. These will cost you about 50 gold pieces if you go for high-end craftsmanship and the best materials.
- Down-filled Parka: The most expensive part of the outfit is the Down-Filled Parka. This extremely effective cold weather gear is expensive as well. This item requires a lot of rarer materials, a ton of labor, and a good craftsman. Expect to pay up to 300 gold pieces.
Final thoughts
If your DM enjoys realistic campaigns where the weather matters, you should prepare by obtaining the right gear. This article gives you plenty of options to choose from to keep warm and survive harsh weather.
No matter the budget, there is gear that will help you out and minimize the disadvantages you might have when fighting in the cold and snow. We hope this article has given you as a player plenty of options, and you as a DM, a ton of inspiration for your next campaign.