Hazards Collection.pdf

Wonders of Thedas Hazards Collection Minor Hazards FALLING OBJECTS  This is a catch-all to refer to a small amount of debris or items falling on the heroes. This can represent falling stalactites, icicles, unstable ceilings, or even a large stack of books falling from a shelf. The falling objects deal 1d6 damage. If the victim makes a ​TN 11 Dexterity (Acrobatics) ​test they take half damage.

FREEZING WATER  Though this body of water isn’t completely frozen over, it still presents a great danger to the unwary. Wading through this water deals 1d6 penetrating damage each round of exposure. A TN 12 Constitution (Stamina)​ test halves this damage. Once out of the water, the victim will need to get dry soon or face exposure (see blow).

DANGEROUS GASES  Smoke or harmful gases fill the air, blocking sight and filling lungs. Breathing victims in the area of the gases take 1d6 penetrating damage and spend twice as much movement to move through the gases, as the gases obscure their vision. A ​TN 9 Constitution (Stamina)​ test halves the damage. Using an Activate action to cover one’s mouth and nose with a piece of cloth gives the victim a +2 bonus on the Constitution (Stamina) test. Combat in an area covered by the gases count as having the defenders in light cover, imposing a -2 penalty to attack rolls.

SHARP UNDERBRUSH  The hero has stumbled into a large bramble patch or through a cluster of natural thorns. The thorns deal 1d6 damage to a victim who steps into a space occupied by the thorns, and another 1d6 damage for each space they move through beyond the first. This damage is not cumulative, but the thorns slow the hero down, costing twice as many yards to move through, unless they make a ​TN 11 Strength (Might)​ test to push through them. A victim needs to only roll this Strength (Might) test once per round, not once per space.

SHORT FALL  The hero takes a hard fall, either being pushed off another object like a table or fallen down a

short flight of stairs. Usually this isn’t more than about 2 yards, but gravity still deals the victim 1d6 penetrating damage. A ​TN 11 Dexterity (Acrobatics)​ test halves the damage.

SMALL FIRE  Falling into a campfire or fireplace is not only embarrassing, but painful. Entering a fire’s space deals 1d6 damage to the victim. Assuming the victim has something flammable on their person (this usually includes hair or cloth), they take 1d6 damage until they put out the fire by either using enough water, smothering the fire, or a ​TN 9 Dexterity (Acrobatics)​ test as a Major action.

Moderate Hazards ANDRASTE’S EMBRACE TRAP  This devious trap was concocted by hateful Tevinters to target southern worshippers of the Maker. A heavy statue of Andraste stands as a shrine to the Maker’s bride, welcoming those who pass it to make an offering and offer prayers. A pressure plate is hidden under a large pillow where would-be worshippers might kneel or sit. This plate can be noticed with a ​TN 15 Perception (Searching) ​test. The gears wait for a short while before a mechanism pushes the statue down on the worshipper, dealing 2d6 penetrating damage and pinning them under the statue. A ​TN 13 Dexterity (Acrobatics)​ test can get the victim out of the way, or a ​TN 14 Strength (Might) ​test can catch the statue instead. If the statue lands on the victim, it must be removed with a ​TN 14 Strength (Might)​ test or the victim takes 2d6 more penetrating damage each round they are crushed by Andraste’s embrace. Once the trap has been sprung, the statue may be pushed back into place and the mechanism can be reset with a minute of work.

EXPOSURE  This hazard refers to both hypothermia (the body becoming too cold) and hyperthermia (the body becoming to hot). For each hour of traveling in cold or hot environments, victims must make a ​TN 13 Constitution (Stamina) ​test. Failure results in 2d6 penetrating damage that cannot be healed without a long rest in a more comfortable setting. *

FISTS OF THE ANCESTORS TRAP  These traps are occasionally stumbled upon in abandoned thiags, and some high-born dwarves like to use these traps to protect their assets. A pressure plate that can be spotted with a ​TN 14 Perception (Seeing) or a TN 12 Perception (Searching)​ test. A victim who steps on the plate is struck by a large stone battering ram that is propelled from the wall or floor. The victim takes 2d6 damage from the trap, and is pushed 6 yards in a direction

depending on the trap-maker’s designation. If the trap flings the victim into a wall they take 2d6 more damage, although this could be more when flung against things like spiked walls or a cauldron of acids or boiling water.

GREASE FIRE  Cooking oils have been set ablaze, or oils have been purposefully set on fire to create a dangerous field of fire. Anyone in the area of the fire takes 2d6 damage when they begin their turn. Falling prone in the grease fire gets the sticky flames on the victim, and they continue to burn for 2d6 damage once they leave the are of the flames. Unlike a normal fire, water only makes the fire more dangerous, and splashing water on the victim only causes 1d6 damage to anyone adjacent to them. This fire must be smothered with a large blanket or a cloak as a Major action.

POISONOUS SWARM  A dangerous swarm of poisonous insects surge from hiding to drink blood. The victims can make a ​TN 13 Perception (Hearing) ​test to hear the buzzing or scurrying of the swarm. Those who succeed get one round to act before the swarm is upon them from its hiding place. The swarm can move 10 yards per round in any direction (depending on whether the swarm flies or crawls or even swims) and it 6 yards wide. The swarm may change its shape as long as it doesn’t break itself into smaller pieces. Anyone who the swarm touches on the swarm’s turn takes 2d6 damage. Anyone who takes damage from the swarm must make a ​TN 14 Constitution (Stamina)​ test or become poisoned, taking a -2 penalty to Constitution tests until the target receives a Heal action with a Dragon Die result of 4 or higher, a magical healing spell, or after a long rest.

Major Hazards HALL OF SWINGING BLADES  A popular and stylish addition to a dragon’s creche or a trapped tomb, when other traps have been set off within the building, this mechanism makes passing through a long hallway a dangerous ordeal, as large sharpened blades swing back and forth. Passing through this hallway is an ​Advanced TN 15 Constitution (Running) or Dexterity (Acrobatics)​ test with a ​Success Threshold of 15​. Succeeding on the test allows one to advance down the hall. Failure means that the victim takes 3d6 damage and is knocked prone, taking a -2 to their next test towards escaping this hallway.

FADE RIFT  While this hazard represents a much greater problem than simple bodily harm, the symptoms are still quite deadly by themselves. This rip in the Veil creates instability in the waking world, and allows demons to cross over as well! They are difficult to close without specific magical assistance, and should generally be given a wide berth, but they can be contained for a time. A Fade Rift attracts the attention of a number of demons that prey on their surroundings but usually don’t venture too far from the Rift itself unless they have a host to possess. In addition, on every odd numbered round in combats that take place near Fade Rifts, the malignant intention of the demons nearby begins to assert itself on the waking world. Anyone not from the Fade who are standing within 16 yards of the Rift must make a ​TN 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) or TN 17 Willpower (Any)​ test to resist this burst of angry energy. Those who fail take 3d6 damage and are knocked prone. Those who succeed take half damage and do not fall prone. The Rift can only be sealed properly when the demons that have walked through the rift have been defeated, and the Rift opens itself. Until then the Rift is closed. While it is closed, a hero may make either a ​TN 21 Magic (Spirit) or TN 13 Willpower (The Mark REQUIRED)​ test as two Major actions that must be taken on consecutive rounds to create a burst of magical feedback that stuns the demons for a number of rounds equal to the ability used to create the feedback burst (Magic or Willpower, respectively). While stunned, the demons can only take Minor actions to Move. Some Fade Rifts have already attracted additional demons, but they only come out when the current wave of demons have been defeated. Once the first wave is defeated, the demons of the next wave begin to materialize in the waking world, taking one full round to do so. These demons can be disrupted and sent back to the Fade if a spell like Dispel Magic, Anti-Magic Burst, or a Templar’s Master degree power is used on the point they are materializing in. Exactly how many waves of demons await on the other side of the Rift is subject to GM’s discretion. Once the demons are defeated, the Rift can be closed with a ​TN 25 Magic (Spirit) or TN 15 Willpower (The Mark REQUIRED) ​test, sealing the area off from the Fade. Using Magic (Spirit) may not be a permanent fix, but can be used to seal the Rift for a time.

HEAVY EXPOSURE  Some environments are truly unforgiving, like the depths of the Hissing Wastes or the highest peaks of the Frostback Mountains. This hazard refers to both hypothermia (the body becoming too cold) and hyperthermia (the body becoming to hot). For each hour of traveling in very cold or very hot environments, victims must make a ​TN 15 Constitution (Stamina) test. Failure results in 3d6 penetrating damage that cannot be healed without a long rest in a more comfortable setting.

LONG FALL  This hazard can represent falling from a watch tower, from the third story of a building, or off the battlements of a moderately sized fortification. Usually this isn’t more than about 8 yards, but gravity still deals the victim 3d6 penetrating damage. A ​TN 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics)​ test halves the damage.

POISONOUS GAS VENT  In the Deep Roads, some vents expose the heroes to toxic gases that can kill them if they don’t reach breathable air. A hero who begins their turn in the area of the gases takes 3d6 penetrating damage. A ​TN 15 Constitution (Stamina) ​test halves this damage. If a hero reaches the Dying state while in the gas clouds, they only have one round to be healed or dragged from the cloud, or they die.

Arduous Hazards CAVE-IN  One of the greatest dangers of the Deep Roads is the tons upon tons of rock and soil above one’s head. Should something cause the caves to collapse, all victims in the area of the collapse take 4d6 penetrating damage from the crushing weight of the ceiling, and are pinned beneath the debris. Anyone who makes a ​TN 16 Constitution (Running) or Dexterity (Acrobatics)​ take half damage and are not buried. Victims who are buried take 4d6 penetrating damage each minute from the slow crush of the weight and the diminishing oxygen supply. Buried victims who don’t need to breathe take 3d6 penetrating damage each minute instead. A victim can be dug out of the collapse with an ​Advanced TN 15 Constitution (Stamina) or Strength (Might) ​test with a ​Success Threshold of 13​. This Advanced Test must be completed for each individual buried victim. Note:​ This hazard can also be used for things like avalanches, mudslides, large collapsing buildings, or other such hazards.

HALL OF BURNING BLADES  A even more stylish addition to a dragon’s creche or a trapped tomb, when other traps have been set off within the building, this mechanism makes passing through a long hallway a dangerous ordeal, as large sharpened blades covered in self-igniting pitch swing back and forth. Passing through this hallway is an ​Advanced TN 15 Constitution (Running) or Dexterity (Acrobatics)​ test with a ​Success Threshold of 17​. Succeeding on the test allows one to advance down the hall. Failure means that the victim takes 4d6 damage and is knocked prone, taking a -2 to their next test towards escaping this hallway. If the test-taker

failed their test and rolled a 1 on their Dragon Die, they take the damage as usual but also catch fire themselves, taking 3d6 damage each round from the sticky burning pitch.

DEMONIC HAUNTING  The Veil is dangerously thin here. You can’t see them, you can hear them, or even feel the demons reaching to your mind, and then your flesh. Anyone in the area can hear slight whispering in the air and around dark corners, beckoning them. If a hero can make a ​TN 16 Cunning (Arcane Lore)​ can know for certain that there are demons nearby, and if they tell their companions, they and their companions gain a bonus to tests against this hazard equal to half the Dragon Die result of the Cunning (Arcane Lore) test. Each minute, have the victims in the area that the demons influence make a ​TN 19 Willpower (Self-Discipline)​ test to resist listening to the demons. If the victim fails this test, have them make a ​TN 9 Perception (Hearing) ​test to see how much they heard. The victim takes 4d6+the Dragon Die result penetrating damage from not only psychological assault, but from cuts and bruises that appear on the victim’s skin. Sometimes the wounds spell out messages. If a victim dies to this hazard, they rise the next round as a Devouring Corpse or an Enraged Corpse (whichever feels more appropriate to the GM), but with all the gear that the hero was wearing still equipped and useable by the possessed corpse. Only strengthening the Veil can remove this hazard, but that kind of knowledge is not easy to come by, much less use.

Harrowing Hazards DROWNING  If an air-breathing hero has spent too much time underwater, they must hurry to reach the surface or face a watery doom. Once a hero can no longer hold their breath (GM’s discretion), they must make a ​TN 17 Constitution (Stamina)​ test each round. Failure means they take 5d6 penetrating damage as they begin to swallow water and their lungs strain to hold out, while success halves this damage. Each round after the first increases the Target Number by +1. If they do manage to reach breathable air, this damage heals quickly, and any Heal actions, spells that restore Health, or even just a breather restore twice the amount of Health as normal, but only damage taken from this hazard.

GREAT FALL  This hazard can represent falling from a tall tower, from the fifth story of a building, or off the battlements of an impressive fortification. Usually this isn’t more than about 16 yards, but gravity still deals the victim 5d6 penetrating damage. A ​TN 17 Dexterity (Acrobatics)​ test halves the damage.

Murderous Hazards CRUSHING CEILING TRAP  A deadly mechanical trap found in expensive tombs and ancient thaigs in the Deep Roads, and in more modern settings like a Dragon’s Creche or the home of a wealthy noble who wants to leave nothing of their intruder behind. In a simple, featureless room or hallway, a pressure plate on the floor can be found with either a ​TN 19 Perception (Seeing or Touching) or a TN 17 Perception (Searching)​ test. If this pressure plate is not found and is activated, the doors to the room slam shut, and the ceiling either falls heavily on the intruder to kill them quickly, or slowly to draw out their doom. Some of these mechanisms can still be stopped once they are triggered with either a ​TN 17 Dexterity (Traps) or a TN 17 Cunning (Engineering)​ test to jam the mechanism or even reverse they have a Dragon Die result of 6 or higher. Otherwise, the victim succumbs to the trap in two possible ways: ● If the trap is a Swift Crushing Ceiling trap, the victim takes 6d6 damage as the ceiling falls on them. Until the mechanism is reset and the ceiling is lifted, the victim takes 3d6 additional damage each round they are underneath the fallen ceiling. If one of the victims performs a ​TN 19 Strength (Might) t​ est to catch the falling ceiling, they are the only one damaged by the trap. If multiple victims succeed on this test they split the damage as evenly as possible. They must make this test each round to keep the ceiling held, and must perform both the Strength (Might) test and can only move half speed while holding the ceiling up. ● If the trap is a Slow Crushing Ceiling trap, the mechanics of the trap don’t simply drop the ceiling so much as push it down. Victims may make a ​TN 19 Strength (Might)​ test every round they can reach the ceiling to keep it at bay, but they are the ones who take the damage. On the first round the trap does 1d6 damage to all applicable targets. On the second round, the damage increases to 2d6, and so on until round six, where the trap continues to do 6d6 damage each round until it is deactivated, reset, or until two minutes pass and the ceiling resets itself.

LAVA  Glowing melted rock oozes out of a volcano or other opening, and destroys everything in its path. Simply being near the lava is challenging enough with the heat it generates. Anything within 4 yards of the lava must make a ​TN 18 Constitution (Stamina) ​test or take 4d6 damage from the heat every round it remains. Anything that is unfortunate enough to fall into the lava takes 6d6 penetrating damage every round from the incredible temperatures. If a target does manage to escape the lava, unless the lava is cooled or scraped off quickly, the victim takes 4d6 penetrating damage every round.