Environmental Hazards
This Bestiary is a semi-IC document containing ideas and mechanics for various Environmental Hazards, Weather Modifiers, Traps, etc, that have been encountered or are encounterable in the world of Planetfall. It is safe to assume information here is IC available for your perusal thanks to the Zeitgeist Research Department. Anyone is free to edit this information and add Effects of their own creation
Environmental Modifiers
When using an Environmental Modifier, be sure to make sure the Players and Monsters both know how this affects them for the encounter.
Low Gravity
- Gravity is lower in this area.
- Everyone takes STRIKEDOWN as a 10m PUSH.
- PUSH now pushes you for 20m.
High Gravity
- Gravity is much higher here.
- When you take a STRIKEDOWN, you must stay on the ground for 5s before you can get up (or you must kneel for 10s if you pick that option).
Ocean Encounter
- The Encounter takes place on a boat - mark out an area on which the players can move freely which is the “boat”.
- If players move off the boat then they fall in the water.
- While in water, players must move at a walking pace.
- To get back on the boat, they must take 10s of appropriate roleplaying getting back on, or 5s with someone on the boat helping them.
Dust Storm
- Visibility is reduced.
- All ranged weapons have a range of 5m instead of 10m.
Blizzard
- It is very cold and windy.
- The duration of SLOW is doubled.
- BURN counts as BREAK.
Thunderstorm
- A lightning storm is occurring.
- Keep a GM or Monster free - periodically make a thunderous rumbling and then call YOU LOT: ZAP from your position 10s later.
- (Yes this isn't how thunder and lightning really works but lightning without warning isn't particularly fun).
Depressurisation
- This encounter takes place on the edge of space.
- Mark a line over which characters will find themselves in the vacuum.
- While in the vacuum, characters are under the effect of SLOW.
Quicksand
- This encounter takes place on Quicksand.
- It takes 5 seconds longer to recover from STRIKEDOWN.
Underwater
- This encounter takes place underwater.
- You can only walk at a slow pace.
- If you have unmodified breathing apparatus, whenever you suffer a BREAK you take 1 damage every 10s until you spend 10s fixing your gear.
- If you do not, you may only swim for 60s before drowning (by default).
Freezing Cold Water
- While underwater, unprepared characters will slowly freeze.
- After 10s in the freezing cold take an ongoing SLOW until you next spend 10s warming yourself up out of the water or take an EFFECT: WARM.
- BURN in this state counts as 4 damage.
Traps
Trip Wire
- Lay some rope out
- If a character steps on the rope, call YOU: BLAST at them.
Saw Blade
- Move a long weapon in a predictable pattern
- If you hit a player, call BREAK
Motion Turret
- Rotate on the spot
- If you detect movement, call YOU: PEW five times in a row at the target.
- Yes, this is Red Light Green Light
Explosive Fireballs
- Fireballs launched from afar toward a target.
- Run toward a target making a “wheeeeeeee” falling sound
- Upon landing or (being hit with a call other than PUSH, PULL or SLOW) call MASS STRIKEDOWN.
- Respond to PUSH, PULL or SLOW as normal.
Live Electrical Wire
- Take a long weapon or swords and hold them stationary across the width of the trap corridor, such that the players need to limbo under them / contort around them.
- Call ZAP then STRIKEDOWN on anyone who touches the weapon as they are thoroughly electrocuted.
Coral Tendrils (Underwater)
- These are razor-sharp coral tendrils that all call BREAK if you touch the player. Move slowly and wave gently.
Heat Vent (Underwater)
- Periodically call YOU LOT: BURN in the direction you’re facing.
Pleasant Heat Vent (Underwater)
- Periodically call YOU LOT: EFFECT WARM in the direction you're facing.
Kylal Flora
Entangler Plant (Trap)
A knotty and viney plant found in the deeper tunnels.
- 1 x short melee weapon
- Call PULL on every hit
- Static: Take STRIKEDOWN, PUSH, or PULL as BREAK
Acid Plant (Trap)
A fleshy plant filled with burning acid found in the deeper tunnels.
- 1 x short melee weapon
- Call BURN on every hit
- Static: Take STRIKEDOWN, PUSH, or PULL as BREAK
Mushroom (Trap)
The deep caves are home to numerous types of mushroom.
- 10 hits
- No weapons
- Static: Take STRIKEDOWN, PUSH, or PULL as BREAK
- Since you are unarmed, effectively you ignore these calls
- Whenever you take a hit or are otherwise interacted with (e.g. probed with scientific equipment), call your designated effect call. Note that this is always the same call for any given mushroom, though multiple mushrooms of different kinds may happily co-exist. Example effect calls:
- MASS EFFECT: ITCHY
- MASS SLOW
- MASS PUSH
- MASS ZAP
- YOU: CURSE on the damage dealer
Fungal Growth
- 10 hits
- No weapons
- Static
- Whenever you take a hit or are otherwise interacted with (e.g. probed with scientific equipment), call MASS EFFECT: COUGHING.
- Do this if someone bumps into you, or something loud happens near you.
- If you yourself hit someone with this effect 3 times, call YOU: CURSE.