Environment Features: Exotic Terrain:

Early on in the development of the game and posting information on this blog we touched on Environmental Features.  Today we're going to revisit that part of world generation with some detail on exotic terrain.

Blessed Ground is an area blessed by a higher powered being to gain +2 on any attack using their granted powers and +1 to any attack not granted from them that still falls under their domains.  Typically this is an area where one of their champions have served them greatly in the past.  It will be put as Blessed Ground: Higher Powered Name or Title, when listing it in official maps for reference, though a GM may put it however they wish in their notes.

A Cold Spot is an area that has had death in it, and is weakened against ectoplasmic rift travel.  Ordinarily when a soul arrives or leaves one of the realms it makes the area a little colder, but this dissipates rather quickly.  However, when either a very big creature has died or many have died there it perpetually feels cold, as ghostly echos try to cross over into the realm.  The larger and older the cold spot, the harder it is to prevent ghosts from doing as they please, and the harder it is to remove.  Some cold spots may have ectoplasmic goo in or around them depending on the type of specters that roam around them.

Cracklestone is a type of rock that is extremely conductive and capacitive, absorbing lightning and electric attacks with only 1 EP damage per 5 electric damage dealt them, but dealing 5 electric damage to the dealer per 1 EP dealt through any other means within its square or an adjacent square to the dealer and any adjacent squares.

A Cobwebbed area will slow movement by 1 speed per tier of webbing as well as restrict observation by 10% per tier, and trigger any response from someone with Arachnophobia if they fail their courage check.  They are highly flammable, but burning them may backfire as they float while burning or burn whatever they are attached to.  Additionally, if the tier is high enough, one may find that the creature that left the webbing may find it returning due to the noise intruders make trying to escape.  Fresher webs that aren't cobwebs may find this happening as well but they are usually guarded in a more obvious manner.

Cursed Ground is an area cursed by a higher powered being to gain -2 on any attack using their granted powers and -1 to any attack not granted them that still falls under their domains.  This tends to be where one of their champions have failed or tried to betray them and as a result all future champions of their domain will struggle to prove their worth.  If they succeed, they may humbly ask their higher powered being to lift the curse on the area, possibly making it neutral or blessed if their higher powered being is pleased enough to grant such a request.  It will be put as Cursed Ground: Higher Powered Name or Title, when listing it in official maps for reference, though a GM may put it however they wish in their notes.

A Diffusing Pillar is a crystal or glass pillar that has been faceted in a special way to absorb light related attacks to cause it to faintly glow, diminishing their strength by 2, but splitting them to hit a curve opposite the attacker with that lower attack each.  Some will utilize these for defensive purposes as a result, but the forewarned individual knows that the pillar allows these attacks from any direction.

A Dimensional Rift is a tear in space that shows another realm and may allow travel between them, however as it is not an intentionally stabilized doorway, it may dump travelers randomly within 50 blocks of the rift on the other end, and deals 1 HP Damage as a result of traveling through it regardless of any protection.

Everburn Slime is a sticky substance that some creatures leave trails of, being a sign of either prior or current infestation as it clings to many substances but dust and cobwebs dissolve in it, keeping its outer surface still glistening after decades until it hardens.  This slime is extremely flammable with a long burn time, hence its name, and well worth collecting for use in torches or other lighting instruments, though best done with some manner of ventilation, as it produces a non-toxic but noxious dark red smoke.

A Faerie Circle is a circle of mushrooms or darker grass that has the power of protection against wild magical creatures and magic attacks entering it without permission of those within it, though non-magical creatures and attacks will still penetrate its bounds with ease.  Anytime within a Faerie Circle will allow one to entreat one of the Higher Powered Beings in Tirae to allow passage to it, though it is not always granted, and one may instead find themselves rejected or deposited to a different Faerie Circle if one is within 50 blocks.

Freezing Mist is a concentrated spray of cold mist that chills to the bone doing +1 Ice and +1 Water damage per square that one passes through if they are not properly garbed or immune to one or both.  This is typically the result of the meeting of extreme heat and cold making steam rise up to chill along frozen walls, but sometimes is created through other means.  While this can occur naturally, if the freezing mist still exists in a location more than a century old, it is most likely magical in nature.

A Fungal Choke is an area heavily infested with fungus and spores, making most creatures find it hard to breath within, dealing +1 Blood Damage per square passed through, and reducing respiration by 10% unless immune.  Some crafty individuals may intentionally create one of these to guard something, while others may cause it from neglect and letting nature take its course.

Mirage Wall is a type of permanent illusion that makes the appearance of a solid surface which may otherwise cover a secret door, passage or small inset to an otherwise ordinary wall.  It makes those that fall for its effect see what they believe they will see there, which is typically a solid wall befitting the ordinary surroundings, but may also appear to be a pit, flames or other illusion.  Those that can see through illusions will see through its effect, though those that do not will either have to use an ability to see if it exists and what it conceals, or will react as though it was not an illusion.  Touching it will dispel the illusion to those that see this being done.  Sometimes they are one-way illusions, making them useful for concealing traps and creatures that may attack at any given moment.

Mirrorzone is an area where one's actions are mimicked by an illusion double and any attempt to destroy it makes an individual trapped within it until released by a summoning out of it via magic or other means, being unable to free themselves from within it unless a method of transport is visible both in the mirrorzone and normal realm.  If, for example, a mirrorzone is covered by a curtain and a lever is pulled, its duplicate will not be pulled, and a door may remain shut if both need to be pulled, but some individuals may intentionally make it so that it will not open if both or neither are pulled, creating a simple logic gate for conditionals.  If one does travel into the mirrorzone, their double is gone until they are back outside of it.  One can travel from one mirrored surface to another within a mirrorzone, but cannot leave the room itself to explore other parts of the structure as it is merely a pocket dimension, not the entire structure.  Traveling in and out of it, or storing powerful objects within a mirrorzone may also draw the attention of high ordered beings, so one should be careful with their application.

A Nanite Cloud is an area filled with nanites that hum softly as they work to stay aloft, most often protecting something of high value such as their power source or controller.  If set to actively protect instead of in a standby mode, they will not leave their area, but will deal 1 Physical Damage to any that are in their square, plus 1 Damage of a stationary or rotating type of their chosen sub-types (Electric, Fire, Ice, Metal, or Slime/Ink).  If in standby, they will not deal any damage until they are attacked or the thing they are protecting is either moved or attacked.

A Nexus is an area that focuses magic, psionics, ectoplasm, temporal or dimensional forces together from various locations into a concentrated aura.  They may be concentrated to one or more of the particular forces to cause +2 damage from them specifically while within the nexus, or conversely, they may cause a +2 boost in any abilities used that correspond to the nexus's strongest forces.  A nexus may also be used to travel between realms, points in time, communicate with others across great distances near leylines or other places of power, or reach to the minds of those one has a high relationship with in order to communicate mentally if able.  They are potentially dangerous to be within even if beneficial, as they bleed into The Forgotten Prison of Pral, and High Chaotic Beings may be able to have influence or start to cross over into the nexus and any point that it connects.

A Stasis Field is an area that slows all movement inside as to those inside it time does not pass for them, but all movement outside is blurred.  There are six tiers of stasis fields:  1) For every second, 1 hour passes outside it.  2) For every second, 1 day passed outside it.  3) For every second, 1 week passed outside it.  4) For every second, 1 month passed outside it.  5) For every second, 1 year passed outside it.  6) For every second, 1 decade passed outside it.  Anything entering the stasis field will be allowed 2 squares of movement before becoming affected, and they are best avoided if possible.  Everything inside it looks blued while looking in, and everything outside if looks more orange while inside it.  Within it, everything within the field appears to be its own normal color.

A Strong Magnetic Bubble is an area that will either draw or repel any metal object within 5 squares of it, being powerful enough to affect normally non-magnetic metals if they are not immune to all magnetic fields.  It is best not to allow anything with circuitry in it anywhere near these as if improperly shielded they may become useless.

Tangleweed is a long grass that grows easily on land or in water, grabbing anything that brushes against it tightly, eventually decomposing victims become nutrients that make it stronger and let it spread faster.  Best avoided unless harvesting it for defensive use in one's own homes in strategic locations.

A Time Loop is an area that has everything within it repeating over and over within the amount of time it takes to pass from one edge to the other, keeping whatever is inside on a perpetual loop, usually unaware that any time has passed outside.  It is not possible to turn it off from outside it, but the amount of time to pass from one end to the other is the maximum number of turns available to try to find and turn off whatever is generating the time loop or to counteract it to gain freedom.  Those outside it will find that any attack from outside it to go within it will only deflect back at them, unless they too enter it.  Entering it will cause the time loop to continue but with the individuals inside able to interact, which may cause delay in the outsider's plans if they get interrupted.

Quicksand is a mixture of sand, clay and mud that is extremely difficult to move through, dropping one's speed down by 75% of their current speed per foot of depth one is stuck in it.  Due to its displacement due to density, one will not sink to cover up their head if standing upright regardless of their size but may still find it impossible to escape before they tire too much, having sunk back to gain no progress.  If one does find themselves falling into it and have no one else to assist, it is best to lay flat on one's back and basically backstroke out, as the surface displacement will make it take longer to sink, and moving in such a manner might let them escape before they sink enough to be stuck facing upward, plus if they do rest they have less to struggle out of.  However, quicksand or even normal sand if poured onto someone is different as they are caught and it keeps rising, potentially crushing them under its weight or suffocating them from lack of respiration.  If at all possible, it is best to simply avoid such areas.