Environmental hazards and features in cities?

[hailstop]

Does anyone have any ideas for good environmental hazards or features that could be used in city combat encounters (ie in the streets?).

In particular the city I'm having to deal with is Stormreach in Eberron, but while there seem to be good examples for wilderness or dungeons there don't seem to be many good ones for cities.

 

[malcolm_n]

I'm not familiar with that city in particular, but here are some ideas to get you rolling.

- Open man-hole into the sewers
- billowing smoke from rooftops (roof top chase, perhaps?)
- Carriages or other large obstacles passing by
- rain/ice slicked roads (if paved)

 

[Sanzuo]

Throng of Beggars - Level 5 Obstacle
Trap - 50xp

You realize you are surrounded by smelly beggars all begging for change!

Trap: A 5x5 zone hidden in the normal crowds of a big city. Creatures caught in the zone are immobilized and may be forced to give up their coin just to get rid of the filthy buggers.

Perception

• DC 17: To notice the beggars amongst the crowd of normal people.

Trigger

The trap activates when a creature with money on them enters the zone.

Attack
Opportunity Action - Melee
Target: Any creature that enters or starts his turn in the area of the trap.
Attack: +8 vs. Will
Hit: The target is immobilized (save ends) and loses 1d6 + 4 coins of a denomination of the target's choice.

Countermeasures

• A character immobilized by the trap can attempt another saving throw by attempting to placate the mob with another 1d6 + 4 coins as a move action.
• A character can distract the mob for one round with a successful DC 17 Bluff check or a DC 12 Streetwise check as a standard action. If successful the mob cannot attack until the end of it's next turn.
• Alternatively the character can simply start killing beggars. They offer no resistance and will flee at the first sign of violence.

Tactics
The Throng of Beggars will typically position themselves in well-traveled choke-points within the city so people will have to go well out of their way to avoid them.

 

[sfedi]

• Pile of stuff to drop on PCs (stacked boxes/cargo on the side of a street, or on a wagon or cart)
• A tent to drop on PCs, ensaring and blocking line of effect/sight.
• Horses tied to poles.
• Dogs that get excited and start to bark and cross pathways.
• Mud pools.
• A "piano been lifted" kind of hazard.
• People transporting a glass or other fragile/unstable thing (basket of fruits that become difficult terarin).
• Crowds moving by
• A parade
• A traffic jam
• Someone important been escorted, the bodyguards keep close to the VIP, but PCs getting near get attacked
• Narrow street with lots of clothes hanging

Then you have lots of terrain features.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Yeah, and you could watch any number of action movies to find more There could be ladders, balconies, awnings you can fall on, panicked animals, etc. A stack of barrels could be interesting. There could even be a pit (construction or location of a demolished building).

 

[the Jester]

Pot holes, trash heaps (-1 to attacks within 3 squares of it from stench), condemned buildings ready to fall down, a fountain, garbage (difficult terrain), a pillory (with a criminal in it or empty), a pack of hungry stray dogs, someone emptying a chamber pot from above.

This thread rocks.