Future (4e Sourcebook)/Terrain

Different types of terrain for building encounters in Future campaigns.

General

Difficult Terrain

Rubble, shallow water, thick undergrowth, broken ground
Entering costs 1 extra movement.

Blocking Terrain

Walls, doors, big trees or pillars, opaque force fields
Prevents movement and blocks line of sight.

Challenging Terrain

Ice, deep water, thick mud, narrow walkway
When entering, character must succeed an easy or moderate skill check. Often also difficult terrain.

Hindering Terrain

Crater, deep water, lava, toxic chemical spill
Prevents or punishes movement, or harms creatures that enter.

Lightly Obscured

Dim light, fog
Target in square has concealment: -2 penalty to attack rolls

Heavily Obscured

Darkness, thick foilage
Target in square has total concealment unless adjacent to attacker: -5 penalty to attack rolls

Cover

Barricades, small trees, low walls
Target is around a corner or protected by terrain: -2 penalty to attack rolls.

Superior Cover

Small window, grate, slit
Target is almost entirely protected by terrain: -5 penalty to attack rolls.

Technology

Cryogenic Mist

(Hindering) Whenever a creature enters or ends its turn in a square of cryogenic mist, it is slowed (save ends). Creatures that are immune or resist thermal damage ignore this effect.

Exposed Cables

(Challenging) Whenever a creature enters a square with exposed cables, it takes 5 electric damage unless it passes a moderate Acrobatics check.

Gravity Plate

(Hindering) Whenever a creature enters a square containing a gravity plate, it immediately stops moving (losing any movement left in that action). Leaving the square costs 1 extra square of movement.

Induction Field

Some technology uses wireless power stations to recharge their power cells. Squares permeated with such an induction field have clearly demarked metal plates in the floor accompanied with a low hum. Characters using a power with the electric keyword gain a +5 bonus to the damage roll.

Power Conduits

(Obstructing) If a creature adjacent to a power conduit is missed with a melee or ranged attack, they make a saving throw. On a fail, the conduit is ruptured and the creature takes 5 electric damage.

Nukage

(Difficult, Challenging) The dangerous liquid radioactive waste that is the byproduct of some Future manufacturing process. Whenever a creature enters a square of nukage, it must succeed on a moderate Athletics check or become immobilized until the start of its next turn. Any creature that starts in nukage takes 5 toxic and 5 ion damage.

Flora and Fauna

Grab Grass

(Hindering) A creature in a square of grab grass must pass a moderate Athletics check to stand up.

Psigrass

This pink-leaved extraterrestrial plant eminates a positive psychic aura. A character using a Psi Techniques gains a +2 bonus to their overcharge roll whilst stood on a square of psigrass.

Environment

Low gravity

Characters take no damage from falling, and do not land prone if they jumped or hopped down. Characters gain a +10 bonus to Athletics checks made to jump.

Zero Gravity

Movement and combat in zero gravity becomes interesting:

• Characters in freefall cannot fall or make Athletics checks to jump.
• All creatures effectively have spiderclimb at their normal climb speed.
• If you do not have magnetic boots or similar, you can only move normally by climbing.
• Making an attack with a weapon with the physical keyword can throw a character off balance. After such an attack is resolved, make a saving throw. If this fails, the character falls prone. If the character is tethered, is wearing magnetic boots, or is otherwise braced, they gain a +5 bonus to this saving throw.
• A character can move its speed to a surface at a different angle to the surface it is currently occupying - for example the relative ceiling or walls of a room. This requires a DC 10 Acrobatics check to avoid falling prone.

Particulate Haze

(Obscured) Asbestos, volcanic soot and mineral dust are all dangerous to breathing creatures or filters on machines. Squares of particulate haze are lightly obscured and creatures within cannot regain hit points by any means.

Brane Rift

A rupture in the hyperdimensional surface on which the universe sits. A creature entering a square of this terrain is removed from play. While out of play, it can't see or be seen by any other creature and can't take actions. At the start of its next turn, it appears in any unoccupied square within 5 squares of the rift.