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General Tabletop Discussion
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The right use of hazards
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<blockquote data-quote="Ath-kethin" data-source="post: 7117745" data-attributes="member: 6798775"><p>I see hazards as being environmental challenges, which can grossly increase the lethality of any creatures capable of exploiting them. What is the use? They give environments character and make them more memorable. </p><p></p><p>Your players may not remember Generic Swamp #321, but they will sure as hell remember "that swamp with the flame spouts and quicksand and giant rats." Also, hazards can be clues to a place's origin (maybe the insane warlock built her tower here because she knew the razorvine and slippery ice - both detailed in the DMG - would prevent casual visitors from disturbing her volumes on apocalypse rituals). Or clues to a place's fate - maybe the old fortress was abandoned because it turns out that brown mold, which feeds off warmth, is hard to keep in check when you build your stronghold inside an active volcano. </p><p></p><p>Quicksand is a wilderness hazard in the <em>DMG</em>, and is a pretty nasty one at that. But it gets a lot nastier when a band of brigands (or goblins, or whatevers) sets up an ambush site near the quicksand pool; now, players have to deal not only with sinking into the ground, but doing so while under attack. </p><p></p><p>Similarly, a pool of frigid water (same page as quicksand) presents a multidimensional challenge for PCs, especially if it is deep (say, 100') and they need something at the bottom of it (say, the contents of a treasure chest). Add in white dragon wyrmlings, which are immune to cold and can swim, and you have a real problem. Obviously, bigger dragons mean even more trouble. It doesn't even need to be dragons; constructs and undead are immune to exhaustion, so a group of gargoyles or ghouls in a flooded chamber makes for a nightmarish encounter. </p><p></p><p>There was an EN5ider article a bit ago with new dungeon hazards, which included some different mosses that affected magic, made a surface incredibly slippery, created illusions of safety, or got people really high (I'm sorry, "euphoric"). Any of those combined with creatures either immune to the effects or able to exploit them can make any encounter far trickier. </p><p></p><p>How is it "fun" for players? I would argue that anything out of the ordinary becomes fun, unless it becomes a drag. Hazards add background and life to an area, and can reinforce the sense of danger and wonder in a new place. But requiring a Dexterity check every 10 feet to avoid quicksand or a flame spout or whatever becomes really tiresome really quickly. Maybe the PCs can notice a popping noise preceding each gout of flame? That way they can avoid being lit on fire but still have an adventure to reminisce about 30 years later.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ath-kethin, post: 7117745, member: 6798775"] I see hazards as being environmental challenges, which can grossly increase the lethality of any creatures capable of exploiting them. What is the use? They give environments character and make them more memorable. Your players may not remember Generic Swamp #321, but they will sure as hell remember "that swamp with the flame spouts and quicksand and giant rats." Also, hazards can be clues to a place's origin (maybe the insane warlock built her tower here because she knew the razorvine and slippery ice - both detailed in the DMG - would prevent casual visitors from disturbing her volumes on apocalypse rituals). Or clues to a place's fate - maybe the old fortress was abandoned because it turns out that brown mold, which feeds off warmth, is hard to keep in check when you build your stronghold inside an active volcano. Quicksand is a wilderness hazard in the [I]DMG[/I], and is a pretty nasty one at that. But it gets a lot nastier when a band of brigands (or goblins, or whatevers) sets up an ambush site near the quicksand pool; now, players have to deal not only with sinking into the ground, but doing so while under attack. Similarly, a pool of frigid water (same page as quicksand) presents a multidimensional challenge for PCs, especially if it is deep (say, 100') and they need something at the bottom of it (say, the contents of a treasure chest). Add in white dragon wyrmlings, which are immune to cold and can swim, and you have a real problem. Obviously, bigger dragons mean even more trouble. It doesn't even need to be dragons; constructs and undead are immune to exhaustion, so a group of gargoyles or ghouls in a flooded chamber makes for a nightmarish encounter. There was an EN5ider article a bit ago with new dungeon hazards, which included some different mosses that affected magic, made a surface incredibly slippery, created illusions of safety, or got people really high (I'm sorry, "euphoric"). Any of those combined with creatures either immune to the effects or able to exploit them can make any encounter far trickier. How is it "fun" for players? I would argue that anything out of the ordinary becomes fun, unless it becomes a drag. Hazards add background and life to an area, and can reinforce the sense of danger and wonder in a new place. But requiring a Dexterity check every 10 feet to avoid quicksand or a flame spout or whatever becomes really tiresome really quickly. Maybe the PCs can notice a popping noise preceding each gout of flame? That way they can avoid being lit on fire but still have an adventure to reminisce about 30 years later. [/QUOTE]
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