Table of Contents
Freezing
A Frozen creature has limited capabilities (due to being so cold), and fights
poorly as a result. Freezing is a condition, not a wound. It persists from round to
round, inflicts fatigue each round, and lasts until the creature thaws or the battle
ends.
Effects
Each round, while Frozen
Fatigue
- 2d6 (2 to 12) cold fatigue
- this figure gets halved (rounded up) with 5 Cold Resistance or more
Penalties
- attacks take twice as long to recharge
- combat Action Points halved
- -3 Attack Skill
The unit panel displays these as Frozen: -3 and Frozen: -half.
Slowed is a separate condition with its own -2 to each skill. A creature can have both, and the penalties stack.
Becoming Frozen
Cold attacks can freeze on the same terms that fire attacks can burn: 4% per point of damage, divided by 3 if the attack inflicts Fatigue rather than damage. At 25 points or more the chance reaches 100%.
The damage used for this check is the amount remaining after Cold Resistance, measured before the damage roll and before the protection roll. The attack must also wound: an attack fully absorbed by Protection cannot freeze.
If a single attack inflicts both fire and cold damage, burning is checked first and takes precedence. A creature ignited by such an attack does not receive a freeze check.
Immunities
A creature cannot be frozen if any of the following applies:
- 10 Cold Resistance or more
- the Breath of Winter enchantment
- a hardcoded trait: innate heat
Innate heat is a unit trait, not an aura value, but the unit sheet does not distinguish between the two. It cannot be given through items, spells nor modding.
A unit with innate heat has a built-in Heat Aura of 3, so it displays a heat value just as a unit with a listed aura does, and Fire magic increases both. Only the source of the aura affects freezing. Salamanders, Ifrits and Marids have listed aura values of 6, 4 and 5 respectively and can be frozen normally, as can Abysia's sacred Burning One with a listed 6.
The following units cannot be frozen:
| Type | Units |
|---|---|
| Abysia's soldiers and leaders | Abysian Infantry, Lava Warrior, Lava-born, Lava-born Commander, War Master, Warlord, Beast Trainer, Rage Lord |
| Abysia's mages and priests | Warlock, Warlock Apprentice, Great Warlock, Demonbred, Misbred, Anathemant, Anathemant Salamander, Anathemant Dragon, Anathemant Warlock, Sanguine Anathemant, Anointed of Rhuax |
| Abysia's assassins | Slayer, Slayer Worm, Slayer Anathemant, Slayer Sanguine, Slayer Dragon |
| Devils and demons | Devil, Arch Devil, Moloch, Hell Spawn, Hannya, Demon of Heavenly Fires |
| Beings and beasts of living fire | Phoenix, Summer Lion, Magma Child, Fire Snake, Smoulderghost, Guardian of the Pyre, Hinn, Khalkotauros, Calydonian Boar |
| The desert dead of Hidden in Sand | Dust King, Dust Priest, Dust Warrior, Dust Walker |
| Miscellaneous | Gloso, Turan Sorcerer |
The Anointed of Rhuax has both: a listed value of 6 on top of the built-in 3, for a total Heat Aura of 9.
Five units share the name Hell Spawn. Two have innate heat and cannot be frozen; the other three have a listed aura of 6 and can.
Ethereal does not grant immunity in Dominions 6, despite the manual's claim.
Other sources
Two Alteration spells apply the condition directly rather than rolling for it. Both are Water magic:
| Spell | Path | Research | Targets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freeze | | Alteration 3 | a small area |
| Winter's Chill | | Alteration 5 | a large area |
The Encase in Ice spells do not apply the Frozen condition. They immobilise their target through a separate effect, can only be cast underwater, and inflict none of the fatigue or penalties described above.
A creature standing in a frost cloud may also be frozen. Frost cloud damage is normally capped at 1 point, but the cap does not apply to a target that is already Frozen.
Thawing
A Frozen creature rolls to thaw each round:
| Source | Effect on the chance |
|---|---|
| base | 25% |
| | +5% |
| each point of Cold Resistance | +1% |
| minimum | 1% |
Cold scales count as negative Heat, and
Elemental Vulnerability counts as negative Cold Resistance.
Fatigue is applied before the thaw roll, so a frozen creature always suffers at least one 2d6 before it can escape. The condition also ends when the battle does.
