Terrain Features (Combat)
Terrain Features make moving around in combat more difficult.
Contents
Difficult Terrain
Difficult Terrain refers to anything that can slow a character down simply by moving through it, but is unlikely to cause them to lose their balance in the same way that Poor Footing is.
When a character moves through Difficult Terrain, they increase cost in Move Points of moving through that terrain. For example, moving through open terrain costs 1 Move Point per 5 feet. Moving up a steep, lightly wooded hill would cost an additional 2 points per 5 feet for a total of 3 Move Points per tile.
Note, these modifiers only apply specifically to tiles or situations where the character would suffer the effects of the terrain feature. For instance, the above character would not suffer the Steep Slope modifier if the hill had evened out or the Light Brush modifier if they entered a clearing. If the character found a smooth road in the middle of these woods, they would suffer neither modifier.
| Difficult Terrain | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vegetation | Move Point Cost Modifier | |||||||||
| Light Brush or Forest | +1 | |||||||||
| Heavy Brush or Thicket | +2 | |||||||||
| Impenetrable Brush or Wall of Vegetation | +4 | |||||||||
| Slope or Uneven Ground | Move Point Cost Modifier | |||||||||
| Ladder (within 2 Size Categories of Character)* | +1 | |||||||||
| Stairs | +0 | |||||||||
| Stairs (2 Size Categories Larger)* | +1 | |||||||||
| Steep Slope (20% or More; 10 to 60) | +1 | |||||||||
| Rough or Broken Ground | +1 | |||||||||
| Depth of Soft Sand, Soft Snow or Water | Move Point Cost Modifier | |||||||||
| Knee Deep | +1 | |||||||||
| Waist Deep | +2 | |||||||||
| Shoulder Deep | +3 | |||||||||
| Buried (1/2 Height or Less) | +5** | |||||||||
| Buried (More than 1/2 Height) | Immobile** | |||||||||
| Depth of Heavy Liquid | Move Point Cost Modifier | |||||||||
| Knee Deep | +2 | |||||||||
| Waist Deep | +3 | |||||||||
| Shoulder Deep | +5 | |||||||||
| Completely Submerged | Immobile** | |||||||||
*Beyond this, character needs a Climb Roll to navigate Stairs or Ladders.
**Does not preclude Swimming - this only effects Land Move, such as if a character is walking on a surface in this liquid. If a character's feet do not touch a solid surface, they cannot walk.
Forcing Through Difficult Terrain
A character may outright ignore Difficult Terrain by making a Skill check.
The character may make a Hard Strength Feat or Dexterity Feat check. Alternatively, the Character may make an Athletics Check instead - doing so lowers the effective difficulty by one step.
If the character has gained a multiplier to Full Move, double it and add that as a penalty; Running, for instance, increases Move by x2. As a result, running adds a -4 to the check.
If the character succeeds on this check, they reduce the Move Point cost for all tiles they move through by 1 for every 2 points they succeeded by. This has no effect on Encumbrance and Poor Footing or other modifiers - only Difficult Terrain. To ignore Poor Footing the character must also be Moving Riskily.
If a character fails, they lose 1 Move Point per 2 points of failure as they try and fail to forge forward. If this would put them below 0, they are Dazed for 1 round.
If a character wanted to move through ground that included a tile that was considered Thicket on a Steep Slope, this would increase the cost of moving through that tile by 5. The character would have to make a Hard Strength check with a -6 penalty to navigate any path that included it. They succeed by 5, reducing all penalties by 2 points. This means that the cost for moving through the area of Thicket and Steep Slope 2 has dropped from 4 points to 2.
Poor Footing
Poor Footing comes from areas where the terrain is slippery and a character may risk falling over. Areas coated by the Grease spell, covered with ice or slippery with wet mud. Even moving in total darkness can make the character likely to trip or slip over.
Every effect in the area increases the level of Poor Footing by 1; trying to move across a surface of ice in pitch darkness is hard enough but made worse when a wizard casts Grease over it.
The maximum number of levels of Poor Footing a tile can have is 5.
Moving Safely
A character can move safely through an area of Poor Footing providing they take their time. This is reflected in an alteration to the Move Point cost of moving through such tiles.
Furthermore, any saves against being Knocked Down made whilst in an area of Poor Footing, including against those provoked by Poor Footing, suffer a penalty.
| Poor Footing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Move Point Cost Modifier | Knock Down Save Penalty | ||||||||
| 1 | +1 | -1 | ||||||||
| 2 | +2 | -2 | ||||||||
| 3 | +4 | -4 | ||||||||
| 4 | +7 | -7 | ||||||||
| 5 | +10 | -10 | ||||||||
If a character becomes unable to spend Move Points on negotiating an area of Poor Footing, they must make an immediate Save vs. Paralyzation with the above penalty or else be Knocked Down.
Moving Riskily
A character can move across a number of tiles of Poor Footing whilst ignoring the Movement Cost modifiers for Poor Footing by moving riskily.
The character may make a Hard Dexterity Feat check. Alternatively, the Character may make an Balance Check instead - doing so lowers the effective difficulty by one step.
The character applies a penalty to this check equal to the level of Poor Footing on each tile they intend to cross. Halve this penalty for each Size Category the character has above Medium.
If the character succeeds, they ignore the Poor Footing Move Point modifier entirely and do not risk falling over from moving across the terrain.
If a character fails, they ignore the Poor Footing Move Point modifier entirely but, after moving a random number of tiles across the area of Poor Footing, they must make a Reflex Saving Throw vs. Paralyzation with the worst Save penalty from Poor Footing they crossed before this point.
On a Failure, they are Knocked Down and move 1d3 tiles in a random direction. Increase the dice size by one step for every size above Medium. On a Glancing Hit, they are Knocked Down on the tile they last moved to OR move move in a random direction as above - usually this is the DM's choice but they may offer it to the player. On a Successful save, they remain on the tile they were last on. In any case, if a Save is made, the character loses their remaining Move Points.
For example, a character wishes to cross 5 tiles of ice with Poor Footing 1 and one tile of greased ice with Poor Footing 2. This imposes a -7 penalty. They fail by 3 and, half way across the ice, must make a Reflex Save vs. Paralyzation with a -1 penalty - they didn't reach the greased portion yet. The gain a Glancing Hit and decide to keep on their feet - so they slide 4 tiles away, back the way they came.
Steep Slopes
A Slope is any Terrain Feature that is less than 60 Degrees.
A Steep Slope is any Slope of more than 10 Degrees or a 20% Slope. This means for every 100 feet on the Slope, it rises by 20 feet. For every 10% the Slope rises above 50%, increase the Poor Footing of the Slope by one step.
