Terrain Effects

From D20advanced

This section presents a variety of basic terrain types, such as desert and forest, along with some sample zones that correspond to the terrain types.

Use this section as an encounter area toolbox. It provides dressing that you can use to spice up your game and make encounters more fun than two mobs of warriors lining up and smashing each other with their weapons.

Contents 1 Generic Terrain 1.1 Berm 1.2 Fences 1.3 Rubble, Dense 1.4 Rubble, Light 1.5 Trench 1.6 Wall, Low 2 Aquatic Terrain 2.1 Underwater Combat 2.2 Flowing Water 2.3 Nonflowing Water 3 Arctic Terrain 3.1 Ice Sheet 3.2 Iced-Over Lake 3.3 Snow 3.4 Arcane Terrain 3.5 Sealed Chambers 4 Forest Terrain 4.1 Trees 4.2 Undergrowth 5 Desert Terrain 5.1 Sand Dunes 6 Marsh Terrain 6.1 Bogs 6.2 Hedgerows 7 Mountain and Hill Terrain 7.1 Rock Wall 7.2 Scree 7.3 Slope, Gradual 7.4 Slope, Steep 8 Urban and Interior Terrain 8.1 Furnishings and Other Objects 8.2 Banister 8.3 Barrel 8.4 Chair 8.5 Chandelier 8.6 Table 8.7 Tapestry/Curtain 9 Mobile Terrain 9.1 Mobile Terrain in Combat

Generic Terrain

The following terrain features can be found anywhere.

Berm

A common defensive structure, a berm is a low earthen wall that slows movement and provides a measure of cover. Put a berm on the map by drawing two adjacent rows of steep slope (described in “Mountain and Hill Terrain”) that meet in the middle. Thus, a character crossing a two-square berm will travel uphill for one square, and then downhill for one square. Two-square berms provide cover as low walls for anyone standing behind them.

Larger berms provide the low wall benefit for anyone standing one square downhill from the top of the berm.

Fences

Wooden fences generally contain livestock or impede oncoming soldiers. Chain-link fences It costs an extra square of movement to cross a wooden fence. A stone fence provides a measure of cover as well, functioning as a low wall. Mounted characters can cross a fence without slowing their movement if they succeed at a Vehicles check to control their mounts. If the check fails, the steed crosses the fence, but the rider falls out of the saddle.

Rubble, Dense

The ground is covered with rocks of all sizes. It costs two squares of movement to enter a square with dense rubble. The Difficulty Class of Acrobatics checks on dense rubble increase by 5, and the DC of Infiltration checks to remain stealthy increase by 2.

Rubble, Light

Small rocks are strewn across the ground, making nimble movement more difficult. The Difficulty Class of Acrobatics checks increases by 2.

Trench

Often dug before a battle to protect soldiers, a trench functions as a low wall, except that it provides no cover against adjacent foes. It costs two squares of movement to leave a trench, but it costs nothing extra to enter one. Creatures outside a trench who make a melee attack against a creature inside the trench gain Combat Advantage on the attack because they have higher ground. Trenches might serve as irrigation ditches as well. These rules also cover gulleys, deep gutters, and so on.

Wall, Low

This wall is 3 or 4 feet tall, high to provide cover for a Medium character. Larger creatures receive no benefit from the wall, while smaller ones gain complete cover from it. A Medium creature can cross a low wall by spending two squares of movement, while larger creatures pass it without penalty. Smaller creatures must scale the wall (Athletics, DC 10) to cross it.

You can map the effects of a low wall to walls of different size by applying their effects to different size categories. For example, a low wall is "low" relative to a Medium character. For a low wall relative to a Large creature, replace "Medium" with "Large" in the previous paragraph. In this way, you can create walls of various heights.

Aquatic Terrain

The aquatic terrain rules apply to adventures on the high seas and encounters on or near streams, rivers, and ponds. Any character can wade in relatively calm water that isn’t over her head, with no check required. Similarly, swimming in calm water only requires Athletics skill checks with a Difficulty Class of 10. Trained swimmers can just take 10.

Underwater Combat

Land-based creatures can have considerable difficulty when fighting in water. Water affects a creature's defense, attack rolls, damage, and movement. In some cases, a creature's opponents may get a bonus on attacks.

These modifiers apply whenever a character is swimming, walking in chest-deep water, or walking along the bottom of a body of water.

• Ranged Attacks Underwater: Thrown weapons prove ineffective underwater, even when launched from land. Attacks with other ranged weapons are made against characters in their threatened area as if they had partial cover. Attacks with other ranged weapons made against character in deep water (10+ feet), or who are outside of the normal reach of the attacker, are made as if the swimmer had improved cover.
• Attacks From Land: Characters swimming, floating, treading water on the surface, or wading in water at least chest deep have improved cover, imposing a -5 penalty on attack rolls from opponents on land. FX are unaffected except for those that require attack rolls (which are treated like any other attacks) and fire FX.
• Fire: Nonmagical fire does not burn underwater. FX with the fire descriptor are ineffective underwater unless the character makes a successful power check (DC 20). If the check succeeds, the FX creates a bubble of steam instead of its usual fiery effect, but otherwise the FX works as described. The surface of a body of water blocks line of effect for any fire FX. If the caster has made a power check to render the fire FX usable underwater, the surface still blocks the spell's line of effect.

Flowing Water

Large, placid rivers move at only a few miles per hour, so they function as still water for most purposes. But some rivers and streams are swifter; anything floating in them moves downstream at a speed of 10 to 40 feet per round. The fastest rapids can send swimmers bobbing downstream with a Move Object FX. Fast rivers are always at least rough water (Athletics, DC 15), and whitewater rapids are stormy water (Athletics, DC 20). If a character is in moving water, move her downstream the indicated distance at the end of her turn. A character trying to maintain her position relative to the riverbank can spend some or all of her turn swimming upstream.

SWEPT AWAY		Eevent Zone, 5 EP

Move Object 5 (Flaws: Athletics check opposes)

Characters swept away by a fast-moving river must make Athletics checks (DC 20) every round to avoid going under. If a character gets a check result of 5 or more over the minimum result necessary, he stops his motion by catching a rock, tree limb, or bottom snag, and he's no longer being carried along by the flow of the water. Escaping the rapids by reaching the bank requires three Athletics checks (DC 20) in a row. Characters arrested by a rock, limb, or snag can't escape under their own power unless they strike out into the water and attempt to swim their way clear. Other characters can rescue them as if they were trapped in quicksand.

Nonflowing Water

Lakes and oceans simply require a swim speed or successful Athletics checks to move through them (DC 10 in calm water, DC 15 in rough water, and DC 20 in stormy water). Characters need a way to breathe if they're underwater or they risk drowning. When underwater, characters can move in any direction as if they were flying with perfect maneuverability.

WATER DROWNING		Condition Zone, 4 EP

Drain 1 (Physical Ability Scores; Extras: No Resistance)

It is possible to drown in substances other than water, such as sand, quicksand, fine dust, and silos full of grain.

Arctic Terrain

The forbidding climates of the far north or far south, along with the frigid upper regions of tall mountains, provide dangerous sites for adventures.

Ice Sheet

The ground is covered with slippery ice. It costs two squares of movement to enter a square covered by an ice sheet, and the Difficulty Class of Acrobatics checks there increases by 5. An Acrobatics check (DC 10) to balance is required to run or charge across an ice sheet. This use of Acrobatics does not suffer the increased DC.

Iced-Over Lake

Most open bodies of water freeze over in arctic conditions, but the ice might not be strong enough to support a creature. Use the rules given for the ice sheet above. In addition, the following triggered event zone applies to the encounter.

THIN ICE		Event Zone, 9 EP

Damage 2 (Extras: Alternate Resistance (Fortitude), Linked (Drain), Sustained Duration; Flaws: Additional Resistance (Reflex); Power Feats: Triggered (when a character steps on a square of thin ice)); Drain 1 (Physical Ability Scores; Extras: Linked, No Resistance)

On a failed save Reflex check, the character creates a hole in the ice big enough to cover his space. In addition to the normal effects of attempting to swim and drowning, a character in freezing cold water suffers 2 Damage each round. The bitter cold of the water damages the character if it overcomes his Fortitude Resistance instead of his Toughness. He also must make a Perception check (DC 10) to find the hole in the ice if he sinks below the water’s surface.

Snow

When using snow in an encounter, give it a size rating similar to a creature’s size category. The rating determines how deep the snow is compared to a creature. A creature with the same size category as the snow stands thigh-deep in it. It costs twice the normal movement allowance to move into a square that is covered with snow equal to your size. Smaller creatures must pay quadruple the normal movement cost, while larger creatures can move as normal.

Arcane Terrain

This category covers anything not normally found in the mundane world but likely present in a strange ruin, magical location, dreaded sorcerer’s laboratory, or similar place.

ACID POOL		Condition Zone, 36 EP

Damage 10 (Extras: Concentration Duration, Linked Drain; Flaws: Limited (Submerged Characters, 9 ranks)); Drain 10 (Extras: Concentration Duration, Linked Damage; Flaws: Limited (Submerged Characters, 9 ranks))

Inflict (Condition) 2 (Penalize Attacks, Penalize Fortitude; Fortitude Resists; Extras: Touch Perception Range, Additional Affliction)

Corrosive acid deals 1 acid damage per round of exposure except in the case of total immersion (such as into a vat of acid), which deals 10 damage per round. The acid also eats away at a character's defenses, draining their toughness if the acid overcomes their Fortitude. The fumes from most acids are toxic if inhaled, which can sicken anyone adjacent to the acid pool. Creatures with any sort of acid resistance or immunity ignore this effect. Creatures immune to acid's caustic properties might still drown in it if totally immersed.

ALTAR OF EVIL		Event Zone, 17 EP

Inflict (Condition) 6 (Penalize Attacks, Penalize Non-Combat Non-Resistance Checks; Extras: Additional Affliction; Flaws: Full-Round Action; Drawbacks: Action 2 (5 rounds)); Enhanced (Trait) (Charisma 20 (Flaws: Inspire Only), Inspire 2 (Undead))

BOILING WATER		Condition Zone, 6 EP

Damage 5 (Extras: Concentration Duration; Flaws: Limited (Submerged Characters, 4 ranks))

Boiling water deals 1 fire damage per round of exposure, unless the character is fully immersed, in which case it deals 5 damage per round of exposure.

LAVA		Condition Zone, 21 EP

Damage 14 (Extras: Concentration Duration, Secondary FX (Half Ranks); Flaws: Limited (Submerged Characters, 10 ranks))

Lava or magma deals 5 fire damage per round of exposure, except in the case of total immersion (such as when a character falls into the crater of an active volcano), which deals 15 damage per round. Damage from magma continues for an additional round after exposure ceases, but this additional damage is only half of that dealt during actual contact or submersion.

An immunity or resistance to fire serves as an immunity or resistance to lava or magma, too. However, a creature immune to fire might still drown if completely immersed in lava.

Sealed Chambers

A Medium character can breathe easily for six hours in a sealed chamber measuring 10 feet on a side. After that time, the character begins to suffocate. Each additional Medium character or significant fire source (a torch, for example) proportionally reduces the time the air will last. Small characters consume half as much air as Medium characters. A larger volume of air, of course, lasts for a longer time.

SMOKE CLOUD		Condition Zone, 15 EP

Drain 5 (Physical Ability Scores; Extras: Linked) Obscure 5 (Olfactory, Visual Senses; Flaws: Partial Concealment, Touch Range)

VACUUM		Condition Zone, 20 EP

Drain 5 (Physical Ability Scores; Extras: Linked, No Resistance)

Forest Terrain

A dark, mysterious forest is the perfect venue for adventures in the wilderness. The thick trees prevent the player characters from seeing far ahead, while deadly monsters can attack from the branches above. Forest terrain also mixes well with almost every other terrain type. A swampy forest consists of watery bogs dotted with trees, while a forest can thrive in hilly and mountainous terrain.

Trees

A creature standing in the same square as a tree gains a +5 bonus to defense due to cover. The presence of a tree doesn't otherwise affect a creature's fighting space, because it’s assumed that the creature is using the tree to its advantage when it can. The trunk of a typical tree has Toughness 7. An Athletics check (DC 15) is sufficient to climb a tree. Medium and dense forests have massive trees as well. These trees take up an entire square and provide cover to anyone behind them. They have Toughness 12. As with their smaller counterparts, it takes a Athletics check (DC 15) to climb them. Trees might provide the following action zones:

DIVING BRANCH ATTACK		Reusable Action Zone, 1 EP

Boost 1 (Damaging Mighty or Unarmed Attack; Flaws: Acrobatics Check Required)

You can climb a tree and launch yourself down upon a foe. Any Mighty or unarmed attack you use as part of the attack deals +1 damage. You suffer half the normal falling damage.

TOPPLING TREE		Nonreusable Action Zone, 6 EP

Damage 6 (Extras: Ranged, Burst Area; Flaws: Unreliable 2 (One Use))

You can use a Might check (DC 15) against a dying, dead, or otherwise unsteady tree to send it crashing into your enemies. The tree covers a line up to its height (in this case 60 feet long and 5 feet wide). This line must start from the square it occupies, but it can extend in any direction you wish. Creatures caught in the falling tree's area suffer 6 damage.

Undergrowth

Vines, roots, and short bushes cover much of the ground in a forest. A space covered with light undergrowth costs two squares of movement to move into, and it provides partial concealment with a 20 percent miss chance.

Undergrowth increases the Difficulty Class of Acrobatics and Infiltration checks by 2 because the leaves and branches get in the way.

Heavy undergrowth increases the Difficulty Class of Acrobatics and Infiltration checks by 5. Running and charging are impossible.

Squares with undergrowth are often clustered together. Undergrowth and trees aren't mutually exclusive; it’s common for a 5-foot square to have both a tree and undergrowth.

Desert Terrain

With its intense heat and shifting sands, the desert is a dangerous place even under the best conditions.

Sand Dunes

Created by the action of the wind, sand dunes function as hills that move. If the wind is strong and consistent, a sand dune can move several hundred feet in a week’s time. Sand dunes can cover hundreds of squares. They always have a gentle slope pointing in the direction of the prevailing wind and a steep slope on the leeward side. Use the rules for slopes in “Mountain and Hill Terrain”.

SANDSTORM		Condition Zone, 11 EP

Damage 1; Obscure 5 (Visual)

Driving sand creeps penetrates all but the most secure seals and seams, chafing skin and contaminating gear.

Marsh Terrain

Swamps have a justifiably sinister reputation. They are a haven for insects, disease, and predatory creatures. From an alligator that lurks just below the water's surface to the feral pygmies that snipe at adventurers with their poisoned arrows, the marsh provides a daunting challenge for any character.

SWARM OF FLIES		Condition Zone, 10 EP

Inflict (Condition) 5 (Penalize Attacks, penalize Fortitude; Extras: Additional Affliction)

This condition zone represents a large swarm of mosquitoes and other biting insects. These bugs are too small to inflict damage on a character, but their relentless bites prove distracting. The penalty represents the bugs' itching and painful bites. More serious conditions could represent catching a fast-acting disease from the insects.

Bogs

If a square is part of a shallow bog, it has deep mud or standing water of about 1 foot in depth. It costs double the normal movement to move into a square with a shallow bog, and the Difficulty Class of Acrobatics checks in such a square increases by 2. A square that is part of a deep bog has roughly 4 feet of standing water. It costs Medium or larger creatures quadruple the normal movement to move into a square with a deep bog, or they can swim if they wish. Small or smaller creatures must swim to move through a deep bog. Acrobatics check DCs increase by 5 in a deep bog,

The water in a deep bog provides cover for Medium or larger creatures. Smaller creatures gain improved cover. Medium or larger creatures can crouch for one action to gain this improved cover. Creatures with such improved cover take a –5 penalty on attacks against creatures that aren’t underwater.

Both shallow and deep bogs impose a –2 penalty on all Infiltration checks to remain unseen.

Hedgerows

Common in moors, hedgerows are tangles of stones, soil, and thorny bushes. Narrow hedgerows function as low walls, and it takes three squares of movement to cross them. Wide hedgerows are more than 5 feet tall and take up entire squares. They provide total cover, just as a wall does. It takes four squares of movement to move through a square with a wide hedgerow; creatures that succeed at a Athletics check (DC 10) need to spend only two squares of movement to move through the square.

QUICKSAND		Condition Zone, 30 EP

Inflict (Condition) 5 (Penalize Strength, Penalize Constitution; Extras: Concentration Duration, Linked to Drain; Flaws: Limited to creatures attempting Athletics checks); Drain 2 (Physical Ability Scores; Extras: Linked, No Resistance)

Patches of quicksand present a deceptively solid appearance (looking like undergrowth or open land) that may trap careless adventurers. A character approaching a patch of quicksand at a normal pace is entitled to a Survival check (DC 10) to spot the danger before stepping in, but charging or running characters don't have a chance to detect the patch first. A typical patch of quicksand is 20 feet in diameter; the momentum of a charging or running character carries her 1 square into the quicksand.

Characters in quicksand must make an Athletics check (DC 10) every round to simply tread in place, or a check (DC 15) to move 5 feet in whatever direction they desire. If a trapped character fails this check by 5 or more, she sinks below the surface and begins to drown whenever she can no longer hold her breath. Characters below the surface of quicksand may swim back up with a successful Athletics check (DC 15 on the first round, +1 for each consecutive round spent under the surface).

Rescue: Pulling out a character trapped in quicksand can be difficult. A rescuer needs a branch, spear haft, rope, or similar tool that enables him to reach the victim with one end of it. Then he must make a Strength check (DC 15) to successfully pull the victim, and the victim must make a Might check (DC 10) to hold onto the branch, pole, or rope. If both checks succeed, the victim is pulled one square closer to safety. If the victim fails to hold on, she must make an Athletics check (DC 15) to stay above the surface.

Mountain and Hill Terrain

Difficult to traverse and often rife with dangers, hills and mountains provide a daunting physical barrier to civilization’s outward expansion.

Rock Wall

A vertical plane of stone requires an Athletics check (DC 25) to ascend. A typical rock wall is 20 to 80 feet tall in rugged mountains and 10 to 160 feet tall in forbidding mountains. Rock walls are drawn on the edges of squares, not in the squares themselves.

Scree

A field of shifting gravel, scree doesn't affect speed, but it can be treacherous on a slope. The Difficulty Class of Acrobatics checks increases by 2 for scree on a gradual slope and by 5 for scree on a steep slope. If the scree is on a slope of any kind, characters suffer a –2 penalty to all Infiltration checks. Especially daring characters may attempt to move quickly down a slope in a controlled fall using a scree:

RIDING THE SCREE		Action Zone, 1 EP

Enhanced (Trait) 2 (All-Out Attack, Power Attack; Flaws: Side Effect (Grant enemy Combat Advantage on a failed Acrobatics check)

Slope, Gradual

A gradual slope is 30 degrees or less up or down. This incline isn’t steep enough to affect movement, but characters gain a +1 bonus on melee attacks against foes downhill from them.

ROLLING BOULDER		Action Zone, 3 EP

Damage 8 (Extras: Line Area; Flaws: Full-Round Action, Strength Check Required, Unreliable 2 (One Use); Power Feats: Mighty)

With a Strength check at a cost of two actions, you can send a boulder rolling down a slope to smash into your enemies. Make a Strength check. Creatures suffer half damage from the stone if they make Reflex saves.

Slope, Steep

A steep slope is defined as sharper than 30 degrees but shallow enough that characters don’t need to use the Athletics check to ascend. Characters moving uphill (to an adjacent square of higher elevation) must spend two squares of movement to enter each square of steep slope. Characters running or charging downhill (moving to an adjacent square of lower elevation) must succeed at an Acrobatics check (DC 10) upon entering the first steep slope square. Mounted characters make a Vehicles check (DC 10) instead. Characters who fail this check stumble and must end their movement 1 square later. Characters who fail by 5 or more fall prone in the square where they end their movement. A steep slope increases the Difficulty Class of Acrobatics checks by 2.

Urban and Interior Terrain

Even in the relative safety of a city or town, the characters must watch out for assassins, robbers, thugs, and other threats. Some monsters are at home when hidden among the vast mass of humanity.

Urban zones cover some of the unique features that the characters must cope with in a city.

CROWD		Condition Zone, 2 EP

Inflict (Condition) 4 (Penalize Movement, Might Resists; Extras: Concentration Duration; Flaws: Minimal Effect, Touch Range)

This condition zone represents a large crowd, such as an audience gathered to hear a speech or watch a concert. A crowd counts as difficult terrain that blocks line of sight. You can attack only adjacent opponents. The crowd does not block line of effect.

FALLING OBJECTS		Timed Event Zone, 4 EP

Damage 2 (Flaws: Unreliable; Power Feats: Accurate 3)

Falling objects are a potential hazard in a city, especially if the characters fight near an occupied building. A old masonry, garbage, and other materials could pose a threat. In addition to the standard rules for damage, the following effects fit with an urban encounter.

FALLING GARBAGE		Timed Event Zone, 5 EP

Inflict (Condition) 2 (Penalize Attacks, Penalize Fortitude; Flaws: Unreliable; Power Feats: Accurate 3)

Something putrid this way comes.

RIOT		Condition Zone, 6 EP

Inflict (Condition) 6 (Penalize Movement, Might Resists; Extras: Concentration Duration, Wracking; Flaws: Minimal Effect, Touch Range)

This condition zone represents a general state of violence, rioting, and chaos. It simulates a packed crowd of panicked people who move and swarm along the streets seemingly at random. If caught up in the riot, you risk being mobbed and possibly trampled. You must make a Reflex Save and a Strength check. Moving in the same direction as the riot adds a +5 bonus to the check. If the check succeeds, you can take your action.

Furnishings and Other Objects

The concept of terrain inside a building may seem strange, but a table or an enormous keg of beer has an effect on a battle, just like a pit or a fence. The characters can use such things as cover, and they make excellent candidates for action zones. This section gives you basic rules for a variety of common furnishings, with an eye toward making them more interesting and useful than just pieces of cover.

Of course, this section can't present every possible furnishing or accoutrement found in a building. Hopefully, the list is extensive enough to help you with other obstacles or items that you add to your game. Almost any action-adventure movie provides plenty of ideas for creative use of background elements.

Banister

This wide, smooth guardrail runs the length of the stairs.

SLIDE DOWN		Reusable Action Zone, 1 EP

Enhanced (Trait) 2 (All-Out Attack, Power Attack; Flaws: Side Effect (Combat Advantage on a failed Acrobatics check))

Barrel

A barrel fills the square it occupies. You can step on top of one with an Acrobatics check (DC 5).

BARREL ROLL		Reusable Action Zone, 4 EP

Damage 6 (Extras: Line Area; Flaws: Full-Round Action, Might Check Required; Power Feats: Mighty)

You can kick a barrel onto its side and roll it toward your opponents, knocking them to the ground as the barrel careens over them. The barrel lands at the end of the line.

Chair

A chair turns the square it occupies into difficult terrain. You gain a +2 bonus to any Acrobatics checks made to jump out of the chair's square, as you step onto it before leaping to provide you with an extra boost.

Chandelier

In most cases, a chandelier has no effect on combat. Its main value lies in the quick, safe passage it can afford you across a brawl.

CHANDELIER SWING		Reusable Action Zone, 1 EP

Enhanced Movement 2 (Swinging; Flaws: Acrobatics Check Required; Power Feats: All-Out Attack, Power Attack)

You leap through the air, grab hold of the chandelier, and use it to swing across the room. The swing also affords you certain advantages for attacking a foe in melee.

Additionally, a Chandelier Crash makes a good "alternate FX" for a Chandelier Swing.

CHANDELIER CRASH		Nonreusable Action Zone, 1 EP

Damage 8 (Extras: Burst Area; Flaws: Check Required (Break Chain (Toughness 5, Defense 10), Unreliable 2 (One Use))

The squares hit by a chandelier crash now count as difficult terrain. Obviously, once you destroy the chandelier, it's useless.

Table

A table provides an excellent refuge from a fight for anyone who ducks under it, while a table pushed onto its side offers cover against archers and other ranged attackers. You can duck under a table by squatting down and paying double the normal movement cost to enter the table's square. While under a table, you gain a +2 bonus to all Infiltration checks to hide, as many combatants forget to look low when scanning an area for enemies. You gain cover against melee attacks made by opponents adjacent to the table. Moving out of a table's area costs double the normal movement cost, as you must wiggle out and stand as you exit. A creature can fit under any table that is designed for creatures of its size or larger. Most tavern tables come with two benches. You can climb atop a table with an Acrobatics check (DC 5). While on the table, you gain Combat Advantage for being higher than your opponents.

TABLE AS COVER		Reusable Action Zone, 3 EP

Create Objects 1 (Extras: Continuous Duration; Flaws: Might Check Required) With a Might check (DC 15) and one action, you flip a table over. The table covers the same squares as before, but one side of that space now counts as a low wall. You can switch the side that the wall runs along with another Might check (DC 15) as one action.

Additionally, a Bench Toss makes a good "alternate FX" for a Table as Cover.

BENCH TOSS		Reusable Action Zone, 3 EP

Damage 2 (Flaws: Might Check Required; Power Feats: Mighty, Thrown)

You can pick up and throw a bench with a successful Might check (DC 10). This attack has a range of 10 feet and can target up to three adjacent squares. Make a ranged attack roll against each target in the area. A successful hit deals 2 points of damage.

Tapestry/Curtain

A tapestry or curtain provides either cover or partial concealment, depending on its thickness. A heavy curtain deflects shots and blows, providing cover, while a light one allows such attacks to pass through but makes it difficult to perceive who or what stands behind them. In either case, you can hide behind a tapestry if it blocks sight.

TAPESTY SWIRL		Reusable Action Zone, 4 EP

Inflict (Condition) 2 (Penalize Movement; Extras: Gain Combat Advantage). You wrap a foe up in a tapestry or curtain.

Both the Tapestry Collapse and Tapestry Rappel make good "alternate FX" for a Tapestry Swirl.

TAPESTRY COLLAPSE		Nonreusable Action Zone, 4 EP

Inflict (Condition) 2 (Penalize Movement; Extras: Gain Combat Advantage; Flaws: Might Check Required)

By ripping down a tapestry or curtain, you can get more fabric to attempt to trip an enemy up with.

TAPESTRY RAPPEL		Reusable Action Zone, 1 EP

Enhanced Movement (Slow Fall; Flaws: Attack roll required (DC 15))

You stab a piercing weapon into a tapestry or similar object and then hang from the weapon. As it slices down the tapestry, you ride it safely to the floor.

Mobile Terrain

A raft floats downstream, carrying a party toward its destination. A group of headhunters, noticing the raft, moves to attack. Some of the headhunters fire darts from the banks, but others swim toward the raft. The party must fight off the attackers, but luckily, the raft carries them away from danger.

Mobile terrain adds interesting wrinkles to an encounter. It can cause unexpected—and perhaps unwanted—changes to the positions of the characters or their opponents. If the characters don’t know where or when a section of terrain or a feature will move, they might end up in a sticky situation. By the same token, a distant monster might suddenly bear down on the party with help from the terrain. For example, the characters might spot a gang of goblins at the far end of a mine tunnel. The mine-cart tracks the PCs have been following are old and rusty, making it quite a surprise when the goblins come screaming down the passage toward them on an ancient mining cart. The players may have counted on a few rounds to cast spells and prepare for combat. Instead, their enemies are upon them.

Mobile Terrain in Combat

The key consideration with mobile terrain is timing. If a platform in the middle of a battlefield is spinning around, what happens when a character jumps onto it? Does he immediately move with the platform, or does he have a chance to take an action and complete his movement? A rogue might jump onto the platform, ride it for a few seconds, and jump off to land next to an opponent. A hunter might want to take a few steps on it to reach his foe, but if the platform moves him as soon as he touches it, he can’t reach her. Over the course of a six-second round, everyone is assumed to act almost simultaneously, but if the platform moves on every character or monster’s action, the results may seem strange.

For instance, Pharius leaps onto the spinning platform on his initiative count of 23. After his action, the GM resolves the platform’s movement. If four other people jumped onto the platform, you’d expect that Pharius also would move with it those four other times. On the other hand, if the platform moves only once per round, monsters and characters can cross it, move onto and off of it, and otherwise treat it as static terrain. Only characters who remain on the platform when it moves have to deal with it. Unless the moving terrain is enormous or the characters must spend time on it during the encounter, you lose the feel of a dynamic battlefield.

The easiest way to get around this pitfall is to treat terrain that’s in motion as more difficult to handle than regular ground. After all, it’s only logical that taking a step on a fastmoving platform is risky. When you step onto moving terrain, you need to maintain your balance in order to continue moving as normal. If you’re fast and agile, you can hop onto it, make a short move, and hop off. A slower, lumbering character might fall over or become frozen in place, unable to continue moving.

When you enter moving terrain, make a Acrobatics check with a Difficulty Class determined by the terrain’s speed. If you fail this check, your movement immediately ends, and you suffer a –2 penalty to attacks and checks due to your unsteady footing.

If you want to keep moving, you must use another action to move. Before doing so, you must make another Acrobatics check with a DC that’s 5 higher than that of the previous check.

Should this check fail, you fall prone in your current space and your movement ends. If you have an extra action, you can stand and attempt another Balance check to keep moving.

If your Acrobatics check succeeds, you can continue to move and act as normal. You do not suffer the penalty to attacks and checks. In either case, moving terrain is difficult ground due to the speed of its movement and unsteady footing.

Moving terrain also makes you a more difficult target. You gain a passive defense bonus against anyone who’s not on the moving terrain. This bonus takes into account your speed, plus the chance that as you move you might gain cover from the attacker.

When dealing with moving terrain, roll for its initiative with a +0 modifier. On its action, the terrain moves anyone standing on it a distance determined by its speed. Anyone on the terrain moves the listed distance along its path.

d20 Advanced: Part II
Chapter VII: Combat	Combat Sequence | Combat Statistics | Actions | Action Descriptions | Damage | Tactical Movement and Options | Maneuvers
Chapter VIII: Environments	Zones | Terrain Effects | Climate Effects | Conditions
Chapter IX: Dramatic Interactions	Dramatic Interaction | Interaction Types | Reputation | Mental Strain | Taint | Examples of Taint
Part I: Characters | Part II: Action | Part III: Running the Game