Easy Terrain

[Jester David]

Once, during a 4th edition game, I ran an encounter on the slope of a steep hill. It was difficult terrain to move uphill but normal movement down or from side to side.

As an odd thought while suffering insomnia I mused: if there's difficult terrain why not easy terrain that you can quickly move through? Such as down a hill, down a flight of stairs, across rolling floor, on slick icy or greasy floor, etc.

It'd likely work best as part of the tactical rules module, but still might be interesting.
Thoughts?

 

[slobo777]

Lots of boardgames (including older D&D for overland speeds, or simply to justify feet <-> yards when outside) give a bonus for especially flat surfaces such as roads.

For "easy terrain" as a general combat game concept, it could make for finer-grained details, but I'm not sure if it will be worth it.

First, you'd have to design the movement points/cost so that a character moving across easy then normal then difficult terrain on the map would know how their movement was being spent.

Second, as well as designating "difficult" terrain on any map, the DM would have to designate "easy" terrain, either with consistent rulings, or by spending more prep time marking up the map.

I'd prefer to see movement bonuses as situational or skill/power based. E.g. a skilled ice skater could do quite well on an icy surface, i'd be fine for them to get +10 feet/action and advantage in movement-based contests versus characters not specially equipped to travel on ice.

 

[I'm A Banana]

Sounds like a good idea to me!

 

[Zustiur]

I kind of like the concept, but I'm a bit stumped for examples. Other than 'downhill', 'travelator' and 'escalators' I can't think of too many surfaces that are easier to walk across than a nice flat dungeon floor.

I'd be more interested in the other effect you alluded to - difficult terrain that is only difficult in one direction. Uphill slopes, fortifications/barricades. Also difficult terrain that is only difficult for certain creatures in much the same way that a 5' gap is difficult for an ogre to squeeze through. These things I might actually see in my games (unlike escalators ).

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Interesting idea, but I am not sure the terrain is really "easy".
Going downhill can allow you to go faster - but you can also more easily lose your step. Maybe this is a special type of "challenging" terrain (to use a 4E term).

Ways to handle it: When you move downhill, you can choose to treat all movement downhill as only half the actual distance, but you must make a Dexterity check after the first 10 ft you effectively moved this way - If you fail, you drop prone, otherwise, you can continue at that pace.

For stuff like roads, I think this would mostly affect overland movement, but not more fine-grained movement like in combat. If you start counting in yards or hundreds of meters, you will probably want to know if you're on a road or on a grassy plain, but in combat, the obstacles the road avoids but the grassy plain features will probably be seen on the battlemap or however you visualize the situation, so you don't need an abstract modifier.

 

[Viking Bastard]

Would double speed for easy terrain be problematic?

Interesting idea, but I am not sure the terrain is really "easy".
Going downhill can allow you to go faster - but you can also more easily lose your step. Maybe this is a special type of "challenging" terrain (to use a 4E term).

Ways to handle it: When you move downhill, you can choose to treat all movement downhill as only half the actual distance, but you must make a Dexterity check after the first 10 ft you effectively moved this way - If you fail, you drop prone, otherwise, you can continue at that pace.

I've done that. Battle took place in a giant bowl: difficult terrain upwards, normal to the sides and the option of double speed downwards, but then you needed to do a DEX save or tumble down the slope.

 

[The Red King]

I kind of like the concept, but I'm a bit stumped for examples. Other than 'downhill', 'travelator' and 'escalators' I can't think of too many surfaces that are easier to walk across than a nice flat dungeon floor.

I'd be more interested in the other effect you alluded to - difficult terrain that is only difficult in one direction. Uphill slopes, fortifications/barricades. Also difficult terrain that is only difficult for certain creatures in much the same way that a 5' gap is difficult for an ogre to squeeze through. These things I might actually see in my games (unlike escalators ).

But imagine the look in the barbarian's face when he sees magic moving stairs! He needs to go to the top, but doesnt like the idea of giving these things his feet to eat.

(He can find out later that they are mechanical, and powered by a water turbine, or animals or whatever...)

 

[the Jester]

I've done this, and in fact am running a (homebrewed) adventure right now that has what amounts to an escalator from the Far Realms in it at one point.

It's fun to change things up. Another cool one is the "hop from log to log across a river" thing, when all the logs are moving too.

 

[ComradeGnull]

Interesting idea, but I am not sure the terrain is really "easy".
Going downhill can allow you to go faster - but you can also more easily lose your step. Maybe this is a special type of "challenging" terrain (to use a 4E term).

That was my thought too- all of the terrains that have been mentioned are either 1) no easier to walk on while you're on them, or 2) actually harder (slick, moving, downhill, etc.)

For a moving sidewalk-type terrain, while you are on it it is just like a regular floor. You move faster relative to someone who isn't on it, but then you have the potential to faceplant when you get on or off. If the surface is moving fast enough (like the top of a semi trailer or a train) you have a pretty good chance of falling due to the wind and vibration. Yes you move faster than someone on stationary ground, but if your move is five, you can cross only five squares of moving sidewalk- it's just that the terrain itself has also moved a few squares while you are doing it!

I've done this, and in fact am running a (homebrewed) adventure right now that has what amounts to an escalator from the Far Realms in it at one point.

It's fun to change things up. Another cool one is the "hop from log to log across a river" thing, when all the logs are moving too.

You had to cross a busy highway before jumping on the logs, I presume?