Terrain Modifiers

Post/Author/DateTimePost
#1

squidfur-

Feb 04, 2009 0:09:53		Currently, the DS rules are strangely lacking in information pertaining to movement within half of the given athasian terrains.

Athasian terrain types include: "Forests, Jagged Cliffs, Swamp, Mountains, Verdant Belts, Stony Barrens, Sandy Wastes, Rocky Badlands, Mud Flats, Boulder Fields, Salt Flats, Obsidian Wastes, Ocean and the Sea of Silt"

However, the only terrain modifiers given are for Rocky Badlands, Obsidian Plains, Salt Flats, and Stony Barrens. Forests, Swamp, and Mountains are found in the DMG, as is the Desert terrain (which would seem to apply to Sandy Wastes and Stony Barrens, but not entirely certain).

I, myself, am particularly interested in the rules regarding movement through the Sea of Silt.

Also, do terrain modifiers apply to vehicle movement (ie. would a silt skimmer's given speed suffer from a silt terrain modifier)?

And on a related note, are athasian giants supposed to have a swim speed, and if so, why only beasthead and plains giants (seems more probable that desert giants, as they live on islands within the Sea of Silt, would have this over there plains giant brethren)? Or is this simply a typo?
#2

Kamelion

Feb 04, 2009 2:57:39
Currently, the DS rules are strangely lacking in information pertaining to movement within half of the given athasian terrains.

Athasian terrain types include: "Forests, Jagged Cliffs, Swamp, Mountains, Verdant Belts, Stony Barrens, Sandy Wastes, Rocky Badlands, Mud Flats, Boulder Fields, Salt Flats, Obsidian Wastes, Ocean and the Sea of Silt"

However, the only terrain modifiers given are for Rocky Badlands, Obsidian Plains, Salt Flats, and Stony Barrens. Forests, Swamp, and Mountains are found in the DMG, as is the Desert terrain (which would seem to apply to Sandy Wastes and Stony Barrens, but not entirely certain).

I use the following modifiers in my home games:
Boulder Fields are the same as Stony Barrens and Forests. Verdant Belts (and Scrub Plains) are the same as Obsidian Plains. Mud Flats are the same as Swamp. I haven't bothered with modifiers for Jagged Cliffs, but I do also use Hills and Jungle from the DMG where appropriate.

Looking back at the 2e material, though, I'd say that Boulder Fields needs to be tougher. In 2e it was twice as hard to move through as Stony Barrens, so it might be worth giving it a terrain modifier the same as Jungle or even Mountain.

I, myself, am particularly interested in the rules regarding movement through the Sea of Silt.

Also, do terrain modifiers apply to vehicle movement (ie. would a silt skimmer's given speed suffer from a silt terrain modifier)?

For silt skimmers I just use the speeds listed in Athasian Emporium and the sailing/wind rules from Stormwrack. I don't bother with a Silt terrain modifier, as it would almost always be the same. 2e did differentiate between "rolling" and "calm" sea of silt, though, so you could apply a 3/4 speed modifier when it is rolling, I suppose (or even 1/2 if you liked).

For those who enter the silt itself, I use a couple of the terrains from Sandstorm: softsand for shallow silt that has been compacted slightly (giving a character a small chance to get to safety) and slipsand for deeper, finer silt (where the character just sinks like a stone).

And on a related note, are athasian giants supposed to have a swim speed, and if so, why only beasthead and plains giants (seems more probable that desert giants, as they live on islands within the Sea of Silt, would have this over there plains giant brethren)? Or is this simply a typo?

Hmm, I'd say on reflection that they shouldn't have a swim speed at all! I'm not sure what conceptual hiccup made us put those in there, lol. Giants can walk through the deeper silt, but there's nothing that suggests that they can swim through it. I'd say ditch the swim speeds entirely.