Hills Terrain
A hill can exist in most other types of terrain, but hills can also dominate the landscape. Hills terrain is divided into two categories: gentle hills and rugged hills.
Hills terrain often serves as a transition zone between rugged terrain such as mountains and flat terrain such as plains.
| Feature | Gentle Hills | Rugged Hills |
|---|---|---|
| Gradual slope | 75% | 40% |
| Steep slope | 20% | 50% |
| Cliff | 5% | 10% |
| Light undergrowth | 15% | 15% |
- Gradual Slope: This incline isn’t steep enough to affect movement, but characters gain a +1 bonus on melee attacks against foes downhill from them.
- Steep Slope: Characters moving uphill (to an adjacent square of higher elevation) must spend 2 squares of movement to enter each square of steep slope. Characters running or charging downhill (moving to an adjacent square of lower elevation) must succeed on a DC 10 Acrobatics check upon entering the first steep slope square. Mounted characters make a DC 10 Ride check instead. Characters who fail this check stumble and must end their movement 1d2 × 5 feet later. Characters who fail by 5 or more fall prone in the square where they end their movement. A steep slope increases the DC of Acrobatics checks by 2.
- Cliff: A cliff typically requires a DC 15 Climb check to scale and is 1d4 × 10 feet tall, although the needs of your map might mandate a taller cliff. A cliff isn’t perfectly vertical, taking up 5-foot squares if it’s less than 30 feet tall and 10-foot squares if it’s 30 feet or taller.
- Light Undergrowth: Sagebrush and other scrubby bushes grow on hills, although they rarely cover the landscape. Light undergrowth provides Concealment and increases the DC of Acrobatics and Stealth checks by 2.
Hills Hazards
Bad Weather
Bad Weather can range from minor precipitation to a serious storm. The Weather can include lightning strikes and cause floods, landslides, and other natural hazards.Blight
Whether from a lack of water, a plague, or hostile magic, the plants and wildlife in the area are suffering. a blight lasts for 1d4+2 weeks. During a blight, Survival DCs to get along in the wild increase by +5.Dust Devil
A dust devil is a whirlwind not associated with a storm, particularly in a region with little or no topsoil. Treat a dust devil as a duststorm, sandstorm, or tornado.Grass Fire
Grass fires are often caused by lightning or careless camp fires. A grass fire is similar to a forest fire, but often less severe due to lower vegetation. A grass fire can be spotted from as far away as 4d6 × 100 feet by a character who makes a Perception check, treating the fire as a Colossal creature (reducing the DC by 16). If all characters fail their Perception checks, the fire moves closer to them. They automatically see it when it closes to half the original distance. With proper elevation, the smoke from a grass fire can be spotted as far as 10 miles away. Characters who are blinded or otherwise unable to make Perception checks can feel the heat of the fire (and thus automatically “spot” it) when it is 100 feet away. The leading edge of a fire (the downwind side) can advance faster than a Human can run (assume 120 feet per round for winds of moderate strength). Once a particular portion of the grass is ablaze, it remains so for 1d4 × 10 minutes before dying to a smoking wasteland. Characters overtaken by a grass fire might find the leading edge of the fire advancing away from them faster than they can keep up, trapping them deeper and deeper within its grasp. Within the bounds of a fire, a character faces three dangers: heat damage, catching on fire, and smoke inhalation.- Heat Damage: Getting caught within a fire is even worse than being exposed to extreme heat (see Heat Dangers in Environmental Rules). Breathing the air causes a character to take 1d6 points of fire damage per round (no save). In addition, a character must make a Fortitude Save every minute (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or take 1d4 points of nonlethal damage. A character who holds their breath can avoid the lethal damage, but not the nonlethal damage. Those wearing heavy clothing or any sort of armor take a –4 penalty on their Saving Throws. Those wearing metal armor or who come into contact with very hot metal are affected as if by a Heat Metal spell.
- Catching on Fire: Characters engulfed in a fire are at risk of Catching On Fire when the leading edge of the fire overtakes them, and continue to be at risk once per minute thereafter.
- Smoke Inhalation: Fires naturally produce a great deal of smoke. A character who breathes heavy smoke must make a Fortitude Save each round (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or spend that round choking and coughing. A character who chokes for 2 consecutive rounds takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage. Smoke also provides Concealment to characters within it.
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