3e SRD:Environment

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The Environment

Acid Effects

Corrosive acids deals 1d6 points of damage per round of exposure except in the case of total immersion (such as into a vat of acid), which deals 10d6 points of damage per round. An attack with acid, such as from a hurled vial or a monster’s spittle, counts as a round of exposure.

The fumes from most acids are inhalant poisons. Those who come close enough to a large body of acid to dunk a creature in it must make a [[3e SRD:Fortitude Save|Fortitude]] save (DC 13) or take 1 point of temporary Constitution damage. All such characters must make a second save 1 minute later or take another 1d4 points of temporary Constitution damage.

Creatures immune to acid’s caustic properties might still drown in it if they are totally immersed.

Cold Dangers

Cold and exposure deal subdual damage to the victim. This subdual damage cannot be recovered until the character gets out of the cold and warms up again. Once a character is rendered unconscious through the accumulation of subdual damage, the cold and exposure begins to deal normal damage at the same rate.

An unprotected character in cold weather (below 40° F) must make a Fortitude saving throw each hour (DC 15, + 1 per previous check) or sustain 1d6 points of subdual damage. A character who has the Wilderness Lore skill may receive a bonus to this saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well.

In conditions of extreme cold or exposure (below 0° F), an unprotected character must make a Fortitude save once every 10 minutes (DC 15, +1 per previous check), taking 1d6 points of subdual damage on each failed save. A character who has the Wilderness Lore skill may receive a bonus to this saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well. Characters wearing winter clothing only need check once per hour for cold and exposure damage.

A character who sustains any subdual damage from cold or exposure suffers from frostbite or hypothermia and is fatigued. These penalties end when the character recovers the subdual damage she took from the cold and exposure.

Ice Effects

Characters walking on ice must make Balance checks (DC 15) to avoid slipping and falling. Over long distances, a character must make a check each minute. Characters in prolonged contact with ice may run the risk of cold damage.

Heat Dangers

Heat deals subdual damage that cannot be recovered until the character gets cooled off. Once rendered unconscious through the accumulation of subdual damage, the character begins to take normal damage at the same rate.

A character in very hot conditions (above 90° F) must make a Fortitude saving throw each hour (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) or sustain 1d4 points of subdual damage. Characters wearing heavy clothing or armor of any sort have a –4 penalty to their saves. A character with the Wilderness Lore skill may receive a bonus to this saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well. Characters reduced to unconsciousness begin taking normal damage (1d4 points per hour).

In extreme heat (above 110° F), a character must make a Fortitude save once every 10 minutes (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) or sustain 1d4 points of subdual damage. Characters wearing heavy clothing or armor of any sort have a –4 penalty to their saving throws. A character with the Wilderness Lore skill may receive a bonus to this saving throw and may be able to apply this bonus to other characters as well. Characters reduced to unconsciousness begin taking normal damage (1d4 points per each 10-minute period).

A character who sustains any subdual damage from heat exposure now suffers from heatstroke and is fatigued. These penalties end when the character recovers the subdual damage she took from the heat.

Abysmal heat (air temperature over 140° F, fire, boiling water, lava) deals normal damage. Breathing air in these temperatures deals 1d6 points of damage per minute (no save). In addition, a character must make a Fortitude save every 5 minutes (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or sustain 1d4 points of subdual damage. Those wearing heavy clothing or any sort of armor have a –4 penalty to their saving throws. In addition, those wearing metal armor or coming into contact with very hot metal are affected as if by a heat metal spell.

Boiling water deals 1d6 points of scalding damage, unless the character is fully immersed, in which case it deals 10d6 points of damage per round of exposure.

Catching on Fire

Characters at risk of catching fire are allowed a Reflex saving throw (DC 15) to avoid this fate. If a character’s clothes or hair catch fire, he takes 1d6 points of damage immediately. In each subsequent round, the burning character must make another Reflex saving throw. Failure means he takes another 1d6 points of damage that round. Success means that the fire has gone out. (That is, once he succeeds at his saving throw, he’s no longer on fire.)

A character on fire may automatically extinguish the flames by jumping into enough water to douse himself. If no body of water is at hand, rolling on the ground or smothering the fire with cloaks or the like permits the character another save with a +4 bonus.

Those unlucky enough to have their clothes or equipment catch fire must make Reflex saving throws (DC 15) for each item. Flammable items that fail sustain the same amount of damage as the character.

Lava Effects

Lava or magma deals 2d6 points of damage per round of exposure, except in the case of total immersion (such as when a character falls into the crater of an active volcano), which deals 20d6 points of damage per round. Damage from magma continues for 1d3 rounds after exposure ceases, but this additional damage is only half of that dealt during actual contact (that is, 1d6 or 10d6 points per round).

An immunity or resistance to heat or fire serves as an immunity to lava or magma. However, a creature immune to heat might still drown if completely immersed in lava.

Smoke Effects

A character who breathes heavy smoke must make a Fortitude saving throw each round (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or spend that round choking and coughing. A character who chokes for two consecutive rounds takes 1d6 points of subdual damage.

Smoke obscures vision, giving one-half concealment (20% miss chance) to characters within it.

Starvation and Thirst

In normal climates, Medium-size characters need at least a gallon of fluids and about a pound of decent food per day to avoid starvation. (Small characters need half as much.) In very hot climates, characters need two or three times as much water to avoid dehydration.

A character can go without water for 1 day plus a number of hours equal to his Constitution score. After this time, the character must make a Constitution check each hour (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or sustain 1d6 points of subdual damage.

A character can go without food for 3 days, in growing discomfort. After this time, the character must make a Constitution check each day (DC 10, +1 for each previous check) or sustain 1d6 points of subdual damage.

Characters who have taken subdual damage from lack of food or water are fatigued. subdual damage from thirst or starvation cannot be recovered until the character gets food or water, as needed—not even magic that restores hit points heals this damage.

Suffocation

A character who has no air to breathe can hold her breath for 2 rounds per point of Constitution. After this period of time, the character must make a Constitution check (DC 10) in order to continue holding her breath. The save must be repeated each round, with the DC increasing by +1 for each previous success.

When the character fails one of these Constitution checks, she begins to suffocate. In the first round, she falls unconscious (0 hp). In the following round, she drops to –1 hit points and is dying. In the third round, she suffocates.

Slow Suffocation

A Medium-size character can breathe easily for 6 hours in a sealed chamber measuring 10 feet on a side. After that time, the character takes 1d6 points of subdual damage every 15 minutes. Each additional Medium-size character or significant fire source (a torch, for example) proportionally reduces the time the air will last. Thus, two people can last for 3 hours, after which they each take 1d6 points per 15 minutes. If they have a torch (equivalent to another Medium-size character in terms of the air it uses), the air runs out in only 2 hours.

Small characters consume half as much air as Medium-size characters. A larger volume of air, of course, lasts for a longer time. So, for instance, if two humans and a gnome are in a sealed chamber measuring 20 feet by 20 feet by 10 feet, and they have a torch, the air will last almost 7 hours (6 hours/3.5 people and torches x 4 10-ft. cubes = 6.86 hours).

Lack of Air/High Altitude

Characters in conditions of low oxygen, such as on top of a mountain, must roll a Fortitude saving throw each hour (DC 15, +1 per previous check), taking 1d6 points of subdual damage each time they fail.

A character who sustains any subdual damage from lack of oxygen is automatically fatigued. These penalties end when the character recovers the subdual damage he took from low oxygen.

Altitude Sickness

Long-term oxygen deprivation due to high altitude affects mental and physical ability scores. After each 6-hour period a character spends at an altitude of over 20,000 feet, he must make a Fortitude save (DC 15, +1 per previous check) or take 1 point of temporary damage to all ability scores.

Water Dangers

Any character can wade in relatively calm water that isn’t over his head, no check required.

Swimming in calm water only requires skill checks with a DC of 10. Trained swimmers can just take 10.

Fast-moving water is much more dangerous. On a successful Swim or Strength check (DC 15), it deals 1d3 points of subdual damage per round (1d6 points of normal damage if flowing over rocks and cascades). On a failed check, the character must make another check that round to avoid going under. If the character goes under, the character is drowning.

Very deep water is not only generally pitch black, posing a navigational hazard, but worse, it deals water pressure damage of 1d6 points per minute for every 100 feet the character is below the surface. A successful Fortitude saving throw (DC 15, +1 for each previous check) means the diver takes no damage in that minute.

Very cold water deals 1d6 points of subdual damage from hypothermia per minute of exposure.

Drowning

Any character can hold her breath for a number of rounds equal to twice her Constitution score. After this period of time, the character must make a Constitution check (DC 10) every round in order to continue holding her breath. Each round, the DC increases by 1.

When the character finally fails her Constitution check, she begins to drown. In the first round, she falls unconscious (0 hp). In the following round, she drops to –1 hit points and is dying. In the third round, she dies.

It is possible to drown in substances other than water, such as sand, quicksand, fine dust, and silos full of grain.

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