Plains Terrain
Plains come in three categories: farms, grasslands, and battlefields. Farms are common in settled areas, while grasslands represent untamed plains. The battlefields where large armies clash are temporary places, usually reclaimed by natural vegetation or the farmer’s plow. Battlefields represent a third terrain category because adventurers tend to spend a lot of time there, not because they’re particularly prevalent.
The table below shows the proportions of terrain elements in the different categories of plains. On a farm, light undergrowth represents most mature grain crops, so farms growing vegetable crops will have less light undergrowth, as will all farms during the time between harvest and a few months after planting.
The terrain elements in the table below are mutually exclusive.
| Feature | Farm | Grassland | Battlefield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light undergrowth | 40% | 20% | 10% |
| Heavy undergrowth | — | 10% | — |
| Light rubble | — | — | 10% |
| Trench | 5% | — | 5% |
| Berm | — | — | 5% |
- Undergrowth: Whether they’re crops or natural vegetation, the tall grasses of the plains cover the landscape. Light undergrowth provides Concealment and increases the DC of Acrobatics and Stealth checks by 2.
- Light Rubble: On the battlefield, light rubble usually represents something that was destroyed: the ruins of a building or the scattered remnants of a stone wall, for example. Light rubble makes nimble movement more difficult. The DC of Acrobatics checks increases by 2.
- Trench: Often dug before a battle to protect soldiers, a trench functions as a low wall, except that it provides no Cover against adjacent foes. It costs 2 squares of movement to leave a trench, but it costs nothing extra to enter one. Creatures outside a trench who make a melee attack against a creature inside the trench gain a +1 bonus on melee attacks because they have higher ground. In farm terrain, trenches are generally irrigation ditches.
- Berm: A common defensive structure, a berm is a low, earthen wall that slows movement and provides a measure of cover. Put a berm on the map by drawing two adjacent rows of steep slope with the edges of the berm on the downhill side. Thus, a character crossing a 2-square berm will travel uphill for 1 square, then downhill for 1 square. Two square berms provide Cover as low walls for anyone standing behind them. Larger berms provide the low wall benefit for anyone standing 1 square downhill from the top of the berm.
- Fences: Wooden fences are generally used to contain livestock or impede oncoming soldiers. It costs an extra square of movement to cross a wooden fence. A stone fence provides a measure of cover as well, functioning as low walls. Mounted characters can cross a fence without slowing their movement if they succeed on a DC 15 Ride check. If the check fails, the steed crosses the fence, but the rider falls out of the saddle.
Plains 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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