Environmental Hazards
While exploring with Hexploration, characters might come across complications other than mountains and risky paths. The following are some typical hazards adventurers might find on their path of exploration.
Rations
Food and Water
Characters who don’t eat or drink suffer levels of Exhaustion (see Conditions). Exhaustion caused by lack of food or water can’t be removed until the character eats and drinks the full required amount.
Food
A character can go without food for a number of days equal to 3 + their Constitution modifier (minimum 1). At the end of each day beyond that limit, a character automatically suffers one level of Exhaustion.
A normal day of eating resets the count of days without food to zero.
Water
A character needs one gallon of water per day, or two gallons per day if the weather is hot. A character who drinks only half that much water must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or suffer one level of Exhaustion at the end of the day. A character with access to even less water automatically suffers two levels of Exhaustion at the end of the day, instead of rolling.
Falling
A fall from a great height is one of the most common hazards facing an adventurer. At the end of a fall, a creature takes 1d8 Bludgeoning damage for every 10 feet it fell, to a maximum of 30d8. The creature lands Prone, unless it avoids taking damage from the fall.
Suffocation
Creatures can hold their breathe for a number of minutes equal to 1 + their Constitution modifier (minimum of 30 seconds), after which they begin suffocating. Until it regains oxygen, the creature's maximum hit points are reduced by 10 each round they go without oxygen. If the creature's hit points are reduced to 0 by this effect, it can’t regain hit points or be stabilized until it can breathe again.
This reduction lasts until the creature completes a short or long rest.
Surfaces
Acid
When a creature enters an area of acid for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it takes 1d8 Acid damage. If it is submerged in acid, it instead takes 3d8 Acid damage.
If a creature is wearing any armor, the armor gains a -1 to its AC every round until it leaves the Acid. If it reaches -5, the armor is destroyed.
If it is wielding a weapon, it gains a -1 to its attack and damage rolls every round until it leaves the zone. If it reaches -5, the weapon is destroyed.
Fire
When a creature touches, enters open flame for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it takes 4d10 Fire damage, and must make a DC 16 Constitution saving throw or begin Burning (see Conditions). The burn ends 3 turns after the creature leaves the hellfire, and resets if it touches a source of flame again.
Fire is put out by a significant amount of water, or if it is deprived of oxygen and/or fuel. Otherwise, it lasts for 10 minutes, or until it runs out of fuel. This duration resets if given additional fuel.
Hellfire
When a creature touches, enters open hellfire for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it takes 5d10 Fire damage, and must make a DC 18 Constitution saving throw or begin Burning (see Conditions). The burn ends 3 turns after the creature leaves the hellfire, and resets if it touches a source of flame again.
Hellfire lasts for 1 hour, and can't be put out by water or lack of oxygen.
Lava
A creature takes 6d10 Fire damage when it enters lava for the first time on a turn or when it ends its turn there. If it is submerged in lava, it instead takes 8d10 Fire damage.
When a creature exits the lava, it begins Burning for 3 turns (see Conditions).
Statically-Charged Surface
If a creature deals Lightning damage on this surface, all creatures in the surface take 2d8 Lightning damage, and the surface disappears.
Toxic Fumes
When a creature starts their turn in this zone or enters it for the first time on a turn, they must succeed a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 2d8 Poison damage and become Poisoned for 1 hour.
Toxic Water
If a creature drinks toxic water, whether purposefully or by drowning, it takes 3d6 Poison damage and becomes Poisoned for 1 hour.
Weather
Some terrain characters travel through may be inherently dangerous to their travel, directly opposing their exploration and potentially more. You can pick basic weather conditions to fit your campaign, or roll on the Weather table to determine the weather for a given day, adjusting for the terrain and season as appropriate.
Tables - Weather
| d20 | Temperature |
|---|---|
| 1-4 | Normal for the season |
| 15-17 | Colder than normal |
| 18-20 | Hotter than normal |
| d20 | Wind |
|---|---|
| 1-12 | Normal for the season |
| 13-17 | Light |
| 18-20 | Strong |
| d20 | Precipitation |
|---|---|
| 1-12 | None |
| 13-17 | Light rain or snowfall |
| 18-20 | Heavy rain or snowfall |
Extreme Cold
Creature exposed to exceedingly cold areas must succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw at the end of each hour or gain one level of exhaustion. Creatures with resistance or immunity to Cold damage automatically succeed on the save, as do creatures wearing cold weather gear (thick coats, gloves, and the like) and creatures naturally adapted to cold climates (Such as a Yeti).
Extreme Heat
For each hour creatures spend exposed to exceedingly hot areas without access to drinkable water, they must succeed on a Constitution saving throw at the end of each hour or gain one level of exhaustion. The DC is 5 for the first hour, and increases by 1 for each additional hour spent in the region. Creatures wearing medium or heavy armor, or who are clad in heavy clothing, have disadvantage on the saving throw. Creatures with resistance or immunity to Fire damage automatically succeed on the saving throw, as do creatures naturally adapted to hot climates (such as a Blue Dragon).
Extreme Winds
Extremely strong winds impose disadvantage on ranged attack rolls and Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. A strong wind also extinguishes open flames, disperses fog, and makes flying by nonmagical means nearly impossible.
A flying creature in a strong wind must land at the end of its turn or fall.
A strong wind in a desert can create a sandstorm that also imposes disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Heavy Precipitation
Everything within an area of heavy rain or heavy snowfall is lightly obscured, and creatures in the area have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight or hearing. Heavy rain also extinguishes open flames.
High Altitude
Traveling at altitudes of 10,000 feet or higher above sea level is taxing for a creature that needs to breathe, because of the reduced amount of oxygen in the air. Travel time is doubled at high altitudes, as if it were difficult terrain, and creatures can hold their breath for half the normal time.
Breathing creatures can become acclimated to a high altitude by completing a long rest at this elevation, but must complete a long rest below 10,000 feet to reacclimate to normal oxygen levels. Breathing creatures can't become acclimated to elevations above 20,000 feet unless they are native to such environments.
Exotic Environments
Descecrated Land
Within a desecrated land, spells such as Animate Dead don't require a corpse to be cast. When cast without a corpse, the spell creates a Skeleton or Zombie (chosen by the caster.)
Additionally, Undead summoned by spells in this zone are always summoned at full health.
Wild Magic Zone
When a creature casts a spell within a wild magic zone, roll 1d20. On a 1, a Wild Magic Surge occurs.