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Hazards

Hazards are natural obstacles for the players to interact with. The most pervasive hazards are weather events which can scale from mild to extreme. Interacting with hazards leads to characters receiving statuses and conditions relevant to the hazard. For instance running from a forest fire may cause burning or the falling ash could cause exhaustion. Characters should always be given a chance to roll to avoid these statuses and conditions but the difficulty of the roll will vary based on the hazard. Trying to walk to the mouth of a volcano expelling ash will require high difficulty exhaustion checks where as walking through a small snow storm would require a pretty easy check to avoid freezing.

Extreme Cold

Exposure to temperature below 0 degrees Fahrenheit threatens creatures not adapted to the cold. The hazard is generally continual.

Trigger

This hazard begins when a creature is exposed to extreme cold for at least 1 hour. A creature avoids exposure if it is resistant or immune to cold damage, if it has natural adaptations to cold climates, or it is wearing clothing that provides resistance to cold climates.

Effects

After the first hour, an exposed creature must make an 06 🔵 Exhaustion check. The creature must repeat this check at the end of each hour of continued exposure. Creatures vulnerable to cold damage, wearing clothing not suited for winter conditions, wearing armor with cold vulnerability properties, or are wet.

Resolution

This hazard ends once a creature leaves the affected area, environmental conditions significantly change, or they avoid exposure for one hour.

Extreme Heat

Exposure to temperatures above 100 degrees Fahrenheit threatens creatures not adapted to the heat. The hazard is generally continuous.

Trigger

This hazard begins when a creature is exposed to extreme heat for at least 1 hour. A creature avoids exposure if it is resistant or immune to fire damage, if it has natural adaptation to hot climates, or if it has access to twice its daily amount of required drinking water.

Effects

After the first hour, an exposed creature must make an Exhaustion check. The creature must repeat this check at the end of each hour of continued exposure. Creatures have disadvantage on these checks if they are vulnerable to fire damage, wearing metal armor, or wearing clothing not designed for hot environments.

Resolution

This hazard ends once a creature leaves the affected area, environmental conditions significantly change, or they avoid exposure for one hour.

Gale Winds

Heavy gusting winds can appear with little warning, battering the weak and impairing many activities. Gale winds disperse fog, extinguish open flames, and make movement difficult for small and flying creatures. As a weather hazard, it usually only lasts a few minutes, though in canyons or mountain regions, it can be continual.

Trigger

This hazard begins when a creature enters an area affected by gale winds.

Effects

Gale winds impose disadvantage on ranged attacks and checks that rely on hearing. Small and Tiny creatures must succeed on a DV 12 Strength save or fall prone at the start of each of their turns while in the area. A flying creature must land at the end of each turn spent in the area or make a DV 12 Strength save. On a failure, the creature falls to the ground instantly and takes falling damage.

Resolution

An affected creature must find shelter or leave the area.

Torrential Precipitation

Precipitation such as heavy rain or snowfall causes a variety of problems. It can last from minutes to days.

Trigger

This hazard begins when a creature enters an area affected by torrential precipitation.

Effects

Everything within the area is considered lightly obscured. A creature that starts its turn within torrential precipitation has disadvantage on Perception checks. All ranged attacks are made with disadvantage. If the torrential precipitation is heavy rain, it extinguishes open flame. If it is heavy snowfall, the ground is difficult terrain.

Resolution

An affected creature must find shelter or leave the area.

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06 🔵 Traps