Climate Effects
From D20advanced
What follows are suggestions for how to handle different climate effects in the game. These are only suggestions for ways that the GM can handle these effects: if the GM chooses to use something like Drain to represent oxygen deprivation from thin atmosphere instead of an Inflict (Condition) FX, this is not a violation of the rules in any sense. Rather, that is how the GM felt was most thematically appropriate to handle the effect in a particular situation.
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Weather Effects
While moving through various types of terrain, the player characters also must deal with the effects of weather. They shouldn’t face a storm or blizzard every time they step outside, but introducing different weather conditions lends a sense of realism to the game.
Combat in Darkness
Darkness presents a daunting challenge for the characters, as they typically lack the ability to see without light. In caves, dungeons, catacombs, and other subterranean vistas, darkness is as deadly as an enormous cave spider or a pit trap.
Some characters or monsters might be able to see in the dark, while others are blinded. For purposes of this section, a blinded creature is one who simply can’t see through the surrounding darkness.
Finding and Attacking Targets
Creatures blinded by darkness lose the ability to deal extra damage due to precision (for example, a sneak attack). All opponents have total concealment from a blinded creature, so the blinded creature has a -5 penalty to attacks in combat. A blinded creature must first pinpoint the location of an opponent in order to attack the right square. If the blinded creature launches an attack without pinpointing its foe, it attacks a random square within its reach. For ranged attacks or spell methods against a foe whose location is not pinpointed, roll to determine which adjacent square the blinded creature is facing; its attack is directed at the closest target in that direction.
If an unseen foe strikes a blinded creature, the blinded character pinpoints the location of the creature that struck him (until the unseen creature moves, of course). The only exception is if the unseen creature has a reach greater than 5 feet (in which case the blinded character knows the location of the unseen opponent, but has not pinpointed him) or uses a ranged attack (in which case the blinded character knows the general direction of the foe, but not his location).
A blinded creature loses its active bonus to defense. It suffers a –5 penalty on Perception checks and most Strength- and Dexterity-based skill checks, including any with an armor check penalty. A creature blinded by darkness automatically fails any skill check relying on vision. Creatures blinded by darkness cannot use gaze attacks and are immune to them.
Locating by Sound
A creature blinded by darkness can make a Perception check as a free action each round to locate a foe (with a Difficulty Class equal to his opponent's Infiltration check). A successful check lets a blinded character hear an unseen creature "over there somewhere." It's almost impossible to pinpoint the location of an unseen creature. A perception check that beats the DC by 20 reveals the unseen creature's square, but the unseen creature still has total concealment from the blinded creature.
Even if a blinded character can hear two creatures fighting, he can't be sure which is a friend and which is a foe. A character may have to guess or call out to a friend to determine a creature's identity.
Locating by Touch
A blinded character can grope about to find unseen creatures. A character can make a touch attack with his hands or a weapon into two adjacent squares using a standard action. If an unseen target is in the designated square, the attack has a -5 penalty. If the attack succeeds, the groping character deals no damage but pinpoints the unseen creature's current location. If the unseen creature moves, its location again becomes unknown.
Locating by Smell
A creature with the scent ability automatically pinpoints unseen creatures within 5 feet of its location.
Moving in the Dark
Characters blinded by darkness stumble about, paying double the normal movement cost to enter each square as they walk, unsure and unsteady on their feet. In addition, they must navigate by sound. In most cases, these Difficulty Classes are trivially low.
When moving, a blinded creature risks veering off its intended course. A Perception check (DC 15) determines whether the creature can maintain a straight line. If this check fails, the creature becomes slightly disoriented and might make a wrong turn halfway through its intended movement.
The creature randomly turns either left or right. The creature continues in this direction until it uses its intended movement or hits an obstacle. In the latter case, its movement immediately ends.
A character fumbling about in darkness suffers a –5 penalty to all resistances against hazards that are difficult to notice without sight. For example, a blinded character could stumble into a pit that is normally easy to spot.
Running Encounters
Part of the challenge of fighting in the dark lies in the characters’ inability to locate their enemies. The use of a map grid and miniatures undermines this drawback by plainly showing where each combatant stands. As an optional rule, you can remove the grid and miniatures from play. Since the characters can’t see the area around them, the players lose access to the visual representation of the battlefield.
In this case, you have two options. If you have a piece of graph paper or a similar small grid that you can keep hidden from the players, you can chart each character’s movement yourself. Alternatively, you can label the columns on your battle grid using an X and Y axis. This allows you to chart the exact location of the characters by tracking the X and Y values of the squares each combatant occupies. In other words, label the horizontal and vertical rows of squares with numbers. For example, square 1 – 1 would be the square that falls in vertical row 1 and horizontal row 1.
With this system, the players must make their best guess of which direction to move during an encounter. Since they can't use miniatures to determine the relative location of their friends and enemies, they must grope in the dark.
Combat in Outer Space
It’s entirely possible that some games may take characters beyond the bounds of Earth, out into the great beyond. The following rules are useful for adjudicating different atmospheres and gravity conditions that could exist on other worlds.
Normal Gravity
The force gravity exerts on a person determines their ability to perform certain actions. In addition, gravity affects the amount of damage a character takes from falling. Gravity may vary considerably from one environment to the next. For ease of play these rules present four simplified gravity environments: normal gravity, low gravity, high gravity, and zero gravity (0 G). The following sections summarize the game effects for each type of environment.
"Normal gravity" equates to gravity on Earth. Environments with normal gravity impose no special modifiers on a character’s ability scores, attack rolls, or skill checks. Likewise, normal gravity does not modify a creature’s speed, carrying capacity, or the amount of damage it takes from a fall.
Low-Gravity
In a low-gravity environment, the pull of gravity is significantly less than we experience on Earth. Although an object’s mass doesn’t change, it becomes effectively lighter. This means creatures bounce when they walk. It becomes easier to move and lift heavy objects as well as perform Strength-related tasks. In addition, creatures take less damage from falling.
- Speed: A creature’s speed increases by +5 feet in a low-gravity environment. This bonus applies to all of the creature’s modes of movement.
- Checks: All creatures are treated as if their strength was 5 points higher than usual for all skill checks.
- Movement: Creatures in a low-gravity environment gain an effective +10 bonus to acrobatics checks for jumping.
- Attack Roll Penalty: Creatures take a –2 penalty on attack rolls in a low-gravity environment unless they are native to that environment or have the Environmental Adaptation feat.
- Damage from Falling: Creatures do not fall as quickly in a low-gravity environment as they do in a normal- or high-gravity environment. Falling damage is halved.
- Long-Term Effects: Long-term exposure to low-gravity conditions can cause serious problems when returning to normal gravity. A creature that spends 120 hours or more in a low-gravity environment takes 1 point of temporary Strength damage upon returning to normal gravity, which recovers at a rate of 1 point per day.
High-Gravity
In a high-gravity environment, the pull of gravity is significantly greater than we experience on Earth. Although an object’s mass doesn’t change, it becomes effectively heavier. It becomes harder to move and carry heavy objects as well as perform Strength-related tasks. In addition, creatures take more damage from falling. Even the simple task of walking or lifting one’s arms feels more laborious.
- Speed: A creature's speed is halved in a high-gravity environment. This penalty applies to all of the creature's modes of movement.
- Checks: Characters suffer a -5 penalty to Strength-related checks in a high-gravity environment.
- Movement: Creatures in a high-gravity environment take a –5 penalty to acrobatics for jumping.
- Attack Roll Penalty: Creatures take a –2 penalty on attack rolls in a high-gravity environment unless they are native to that environment or have the Environmental Adaptation feat.
- Damage from Falling: Creatures fall more quickly in a high-gravity environment than they do in a normal- or low-gravity environment. Falling damage is increased 50% in a high-gravity environment.
- Long-Term Effects: Long-term exposure to high-gravity conditions can cause serious problems when returning to normal gravity. A creature that spends 120 hours or more in a heavy-gravity environment takes 1 points of temporary Dexterity damage upon returning to normal gravity, which recovers at a rate of 1 point per day.
Zero Gravity
Creatures in a zero gravity environment can move enormously heavy objects. As movement in zero gravity requires only the ability to grab onto or push away from larger objects, climbing and jumping no longer apply. Most creatures find zero gravity environments disorienting, taking penalties on their attack rolls and suffering the effects of Space Adaptation Syndrome (space sickness). In addition, creatures in zero gravity are easier to rush than in other gravity environments.
- Space Adaptation Syndrome: A creature exposed to weightlessness must make an Endurance check (DC 15) to avoid the effects of space sickness. Those who fail the check suffer a -2 penalty to attack rolls and all non-combat, non-resistance skill checks. Those who fail the check by 5 or more suffer a -5 penalty to attacks and all non-combat, non-resistance skill checks. The effects persist for 8 hours. A new check is required every 8 hours the creature remains in a zero-g environment. Creatures with the Environmental Adaptation feat do not suffer the effects of space sickness.
- Speed: While in a zero-gravity environment, a creature gains a "flying" speed equal to its base land speed, or it retains its normal flying speed (whichever is greater). However, this "flying" movement is limited to straight lines only; a creature can change course only by pushing away from larger objects.
- Checks: Creatures gain a +10 bonus to Strength checks in a zero gravity environment.
- Attack Roll Penalty: Creatures take a –5 penalty on attack rolls and skill checks while operating in a zero-gravity environment unless they are native to that environment or have the Environmental Adaptation feat.
- Knockback: All attacks which deal damage in zero gravity will knock characters back.
- Long-Term Effects: Long-term exposure to zero gravity conditions can cause serious problems when returning to normal gravity. A creature that spends 120 hours or more in a zero gravity environment takes 4 points of temporary Strength damage upon returning to normal gravity, which recovers at a rate of 1 point per day.
Atmospheric Conditions
As with variants in gravity, a change in atmospheric conditions can cause problems for characters. Unfortunately, not every planet has the same atmospheric density or chemical composition as Earth, meaning worlds otherwise hospitable to human life may not be ideal for humans born and raised on Earth. Various atmospheric conditions (and their effects) are presented here.
Corrosive Atmosphere
Some atmospheres (breathable or not) contain corrosive chemicals and gases. Corrosive atmospheres slowly eat away at foreign equipment and can cause significant equipment failure. The corrosion can be particularly troublesome in atmospheres that demand special survival gear, as any breach in a protective environmental suit renders it useless. Unprotected equipment exposed to a corrosive atmosphere loses 1 point of Toughness per hour of exposure. Creatures not wearing protective gear in a corrosive atmosphere suffer +1 lethal damage with the Poison modifier per round of exposure.
Thin Atmosphere
Planets with thin atmospheres have less oxygen than the standard Earth atmosphere. Many thin atmospheres are the equivalent of being at a high elevation on Earth, such as on top of a mountain or in the upper atmosphere. When dealing with thin atmosphere conditions, the character must make an Endurance check to see if he suffers any ill effects. Being under such conditions can be disorienting and can cause a character to become sluggish, slowly whittling the character down as the brain is deprived of normal levels of oxygen. Characters suffering from oxygen deprivation take a -2 penalty to attacks and all non-combat, non-resistance skills.
Thick Atmosphere
Thick atmospheres are those containing a more dense concentration of certain elements, like nitrogen, oxygen, or even carbon dioxide, than the standard Earth atmosphere. These dense atmospheres sometimes contain a different balance of elements, while others simply contain a higher number of gas particles in each breath. Regardless of the form, a thick atmosphere can be just as dangerous as a thin atmosphere over a long period of time. Though atmospheres that are slightly thicker than normal do not have as significant an effect as slightly thinner atmospheres, remaining in a thicker atmosphere causes the same drain on the body.
Toxic Atmosphere
Some atmospheres (breathable or not) contain toxic gases that are debilitating or lethal to some or all forms of life. The atmosphere is treated as always containing a type of inhaled poison.
Vacuum
The primary hazards of the vacuum of space are lack of air and exposure to unfiltered ionizing radiation. On the third round of exposure to vacuum, a creature must succeed on an Endurance check (DC 25) each round or suffer from aeroembolism ("the bends"). A failed save means excruciating pain as small air bubbles form in the creature's bloodstream; the creature is dazed and loses one action each round. If the character fails by 5 or more, the character is unable to take any actions, and remains stunned until returned to normal atmospheric pressure. A failure by 10 or more also causes unconsciousness.
The real danger of vacuum comes from suffocation, though holding one's breath in vacuum damages the lungs. A character who attempts to hold his breath must make an Endurance check (DC 20) every round; the DC increases by 1 each round, and on a successful check the character takes 1 point of Constitution damage (from the pressure on the linings of his lungs).
If the check fails, or when the character simply stops holding his breath, he begins to suffocate. In the next round, he becomes unconscious. The following round, he's dying. On the third round, he dies.
Unfiltered radiation bombards any character trapped in the vacuum of space without protective gear. A creature exposed to this ionizing radiation suffers from the effects of radiation exposure.
Miscellaneous Climate and Environmental Effects
Falling Damage
Characters may suffer damage from falls of 10 feet or more. Characters with the Acrobatics skill can fall greater distances without risk of damage (see Acrobatics, page 40). Falls have a damage bonus of +1 per 10 feet fallen. So the Toughness save against a fall of 50 feet would be DC 20 (15 + 1 per 10 feet fallen). The maximum damage bonus of a fall is +20 (at 200 feet) for a DC of 35. After that point the character reaches terminal velocity and doesn't fall any faster. Falling into or onto a dangerous surface may cause additional damage, at the GM's discretion.
Catching a falling person or object requires a Reflex check (DC 10). Taking 10 on the check ensures success for most characters. If you successfully catch a falling object, subtract your Might modifier (if any) from the falling damage. Both you and the object suffer any remaining falling damage. So if a character with Might +6 catches someone falling 120 feet (a +12 damage bonus), subtract 6 from 12, and both characters suffer +6 damage. If the catcher is using a FX—such as Flight or Move Object to catch the falling object, the FX's rank can be substituted for Strength bonus at the GM's discretion.
Falling Into Water
Falls into water are handled somewhat differently. If the water is at least 10 feet deep, the first 20 feet of falling deal no damage. The next 20 feet together deal only +1 damage. Beyond that, falling damage is treated normally.
Characters who deliberately dive into water take no damage on a successful Athletics check (DC 15) or Acrobatics check (DC 15), as long as the water is at least 10 feet deep for every 30 feet fallen. However, the Difficulty Class of the check increases by 5 for every 50 feet of the dive.
Falling Objects
Just as characters take damage when they fall more than 10 feet, so too do they take damage when falling objects hit them. Objects that fall on characters deal damage based on their weight and the distance fallen. Use your discretion as the GM for situations not covered by the following rules.
For each 200 lbs. of an object's weight, the object deals +1 damage, provided it falls at least 10 feet. Distance also comes into play, adding an extra +1 damage for every 10-foot increment it falls beyond the first (to a maximum of +20 points of damage).
Objects smaller than 200 lbs. also deal damage when dropped, but they must fall farther to deal the same damage. Use the table below to see how far an object of a given weight must drop to deal +1 points of damage.
| TABLE 8.2: FALLING OBJECTS | |
| Object Weight | Falling Distance |
| 1–5 lbs. | 70 feet |
| 6–10 lbs. | 60 feet |
| 11–30 lbs. | 50 feet |
| 31–50 lbs. | 40 feet |
| 51–100 lbs. | 30 feet |
| 101–200 lbs. | 20 feet |
For each additional increment an object falls, it deals an extra +1 damage.
Objects weighing less than 1 lb. deal no damage to those they land upon, no matter how far they have fallen.
Starvation and Thirst
Heroes can go without water for a day. After this, they need to make an Endurance check (DC 10, +1 per previous save) each hour to avoid suffering 1 point of temporary Constitution damage. Heroes can go without food for three days. After this, they must make an Endurance check (DC 10, +1 per previous save) each day to avoid suffering 1 point of temporary Constitution damage. Those suffering Constitution damage due to starvation and/or thirst are fatigued and cannot recover until they regain all lost Constitution. Characters who have lost half or more of their Con score are exhausted, while those with a Con score of less than -4 are unconscious.
Characters with Con -5 are dying. Lost Constitution returns at a rate of 1 point per day. The character cannot recover until he gets water or food.
Characters with Immunity to Starvation can go an unlimited time without food or water.
Sleep
In general, characters need about 8 hours of sleep every day. Characters who are unable to get the required sleep or who can't sleep in a comfortable environment may suffer from fatigue. Every 12 hours that a character fails to get sufficient sleep after the first 24, the character must make a DC 10 Endurance check or suffer a -2 penalty to Strength and Constitution checks. If the character fails his check by 5 or more, the penalties increase to -5. If he fails by 10 or more, then the character cannot stay awake and falls unconscious. For each subsequent 12-hour period that the character is unable to sleep, the Endurance save DC increases by +1.
Poison
A deadly toxin introduced through a scratch, or even in the air, may be able to fell the strongest hero. Poisons generally have one of several FX: Damage, Drain, or Inflict (Condition). Some poisons may have multiple linked FX. A poison FX has the Poison modifier. Heroes with the Immunity to Poison feat are completely unaffected by poisons. A Science skill check for medicine can substitute for a saving throw against poison if the skill check result is higher.
Disease
When heroes come into contact with a disease they must make a Fortitude saving throw against 10 + the disease's rank to avoid becoming infected. The method of infection depends on the disease: some are airborne while others require physical contact. Diseases generally have one of several effects: Damage, Drain, or Inflict (Condition). Some diseases may have multiple linked FX. A disease FX has the Disease modifier.
Heroes with Immunity to Disease automatically succeed on saving throws against disease. A Science skill check for medicine can substitute for a saving throw against disease.
Radiation
Radiation in fiction often causes mutations or triggers latent powers in those exposed to it rather than simply causing radiation sickness. Exposure to radiation (especially exotic or alien radiation) may be an opportunity for a complication. Otherwise the Gamemaster can treat radiation exposure like a disease. The environment uses the raditaion's intensity rank to overcome the character's Fortitude resistance. If successful, radiation drains all of an afflicted character's ability scores. At the GM's discretion, radiation exposure can lead to other effects, such as damage to a character's FX ranks (causing a temporary decrease in powers).
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| Chapter VII: Combat | Combat Sequence | Combat Statistics | Actions | Action Descriptions | Damage | Tactical Movement and Options | Maneuvers | |
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| Chapter VIII: Environments | Zones | Terrain Effects | Climate Effects | Conditions | |
| Chapter IX: Dramatic Interactions | Dramatic Interaction | Interaction Types | Reputation | Mental Strain | Taint | Examples of Taint | |
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