100 Simple flavorful battlefield effects

[falcarrion]

Stampede
during the battle a storm rolls in. with the wind blowing and lightning flashing, the local wildlife starts running around. once the lighting strike starts a fire the wildlife panics and start a stampede.

round one
the wind starts blowing up dust, blinding and consealing some. -1 to atk.

round two
lightning starts flashing the thunder booms wildlife starts scattering. -1 square movement.

round three
the lightning strikes the ground starting a fire one one side of the battle field. The wildlife panics and start a stampede right through the middle of the battle field. -3 to mele and ranged atks. on a roll of 1 on a attack you hit a random creature that turns on you and attacks. Movement is reduced by 4 squares.

 

[Allegro]

The very ground you fight on is alive. All corpses or stationary creatures are consumed into the living earth after 3 rounds. When a corpse is gone, all chances of loot are gone with it.

A strong updraft lifts all flying creature 1 square every other round.

A strong river rushes through the battle area. All prone creatures drift 2 squares down stream at the beginning turn. Movement is doubled downstream and halved going upstream.

The forest floor is alive with bugs. Any square with melee becomes slick and difficult terrain as the bugs are squished into a smear.

Two orc mercenary enter the battle area and offer their services to the higher bidder. They will wait one round, and fight for whichever side bids higher; if neither sides bid; they will depart.

 

[Rechan]

An explosion blows through one of the room's surfaces. All creature within 3 squares of the explosion are pushed 2 away from the explosion, but their path and final destination square is up to the creature.

 

[blargney the second]

A portal opens to the abyssal plane of hockey. Pucks fall, everybody dies.

 

[buddhafrog]

Solar eclipse occurs, distracting those who fail a saving throw. The sudden distraction and darkness allow those who made a successful saving throw to take one movement and a stealth check if desired.

 

[Hussar]

A rancid smell spreads over the battlefield. Something truly putrid has been uncovered here. Anyone standing in the source of the smell (marked square(s)) suffers a -1 to attacks.

Spending time uncovering the source of the smell reveals ---- something (determined by the DM).

 

[darjr]

The rising mist idea's mechanics could apply to a host of things. A late autumn fight in a densely packed forest causes the seasons last dry leaves to fall, obscuring the battlefield. A heavy snow fall or rain.

 

[darjr]

I wanted to post about a tube like tunnel that the fight was happening in, when the tube began to roll. I'm a bit at a loss to how to represent it.

Probably have those in the tube have to move in the direction of movement or risk being carried up and over. Maybe represent it by having three or four rectangular dungeon tiles and every round take the first one and move it to the third position carrying it's cargo of PC's and monsters, those that are on it get dumped prone into one of the other tiles? A big enough tunnel and they might take falling damage.

 

[Longtooth Studios]

Combat scene irritates a nest of hornets, or suitable fantasy replacement like nickel pinchers, or flaming flies. Characters engaged in melee attract attacks from the swarm, or certain zones on the battlefield become swarming terrain. 1d2 points of damage per round while in the area.
Combat scene frightens a skunk or suitable fantasy replacement like a giant stink bug, or reekflower. Certain zones are filled with nauseating clouds of funk that force a save or become sickened for one round.
Combat scene is an ancient battlefield or burial site. Violent energies manifest in the surrounding area as various effects like grabbing undead arms that thrust from the ground, or gaseous spirits attempting to posses the combatants.
The combat scene is magically reactive. Spells cast create lingering effects like fields of flame, or electrical fields that damage anyone who move through the zone.
Battleground is home to a powerful earth elemental spirit who causes terrain features to change. Rocks explode from the ground creating tactical potential. Sink holes make the ground unstable or difficult to move through. Surfaces become sharp and spiky causing damage to combatants.
I was using this as a warm-up for my own writing today. Feel free to refine and expand on the ideas. I know these are pretty rough.

 

[darjr]

The battle takes place in a hunting ground familiar to the PC's. There are flocks of birds hidden in the grass. Throwing something or some area affect that hits those flocks causes them to erupt violently into the air causing blindness for a round to those in the affected squares or even adjacent.