5e:Hazard
[1] Hazards are mentioned in the SRD-OGL v5.1, but not defined. See:
- Compulsion - fire, pit
- Ranger - thorns, spines
- Circle of the Land - thorns, spines
Hazards are dangers that are from the environment or non-sentient creatures.[2] The Dungeon Master's Guide (5e) lists the following hazards as examples:
Dungeon Hazards
[3] Hazards are described as environmental damages.
Detecting Hazards
[3] Unless hidden, no ability check is needed to detect a hazard. Hazards that are hidden (naturally blend with the environment or appear to be something harmless) can be detected and identified with a Nature check. (see DMG5e for appropriate DC guidelines)
Hazard Severity
[3] When a GM determines how deadly a hazard should be included in an adventure, compare damage dealt by the hazard or how hard it is to overcome the resulting condition. (see DMG5e chapter 8)
List of Hazards
Brown Mold
[3] Brown mold is an inanimate ooze-like plant (fungus) that absorbs heat from its surroundings. It typically covers a 10-foot diameter patch. A creature within 5 feet of it takes cold damage (Constitution save to reduce damage). The mold is immune to fire damage, and even spreads if subjected to it. Ironically, it can be destroyed by magical cold damage.
Green Slime
[3] Green slime is another inanimate ooze-like fungus (plant). It is bright green and moist. It is often found on walls or ceilings. Patches of green slime are usually about 5 feet in diameter. It does not have sight, but can detect creatures below it, and voluntarily fall on them (Dexterity save to avoid).
Contact with the slime causes acid damage to flesh and other organic material, as well as to metal. The slime continues to damage creatures and objects until it is scraped off or destroyed.
Green slime can be destroyed by sunlight; cold, fire, or radiant damage; or by magic that cures disease.
Rapture Weed
[4] Rapture weed is a plant that grows deep underwater, on shelves of trenches. Touching rapture weed causes the poisoned condition for a quarter of a day. Those poisoned often experience hallucinations and euphoria.
If consumed, it has a chance of causing the incapacitated condition (experiencing terrifying hallucinations) while poisoned. After recovering from being incapacitated, the ingesting creature must succeed on a Wisdom save or be afflicted with long-term madness.
Webs
[3] Webs are long, sticky treads woven by creatures (such as a giant spider), usually encountered (as a hazard) covering an area of ground or blocking a passage. Creatures that attempts to go through a webbed area must attempt a Dexterity save or become restrained. A restrained creature may attempt to free itself by succeeding on an Athletics or Acrobatics check.
A 10-foot cube of webs have the following characteristics: AC 10; 15 HP; vulnerability to fire damage; immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and psychic damage.
Yellow Mold
[3] Yellow mold is another inanimate ooze-like fungus (plant). Typical patches have a 5-foot diameter. When touched it projects a cloud of spores in a 10-foot cube. Creatures that contact the cloud of spores take poison damage and become poisoned (Constitution save to avoid). If poisoned, a creature continues to take poison damage until it succeeds. Sunlight or fire damage will destroy a patch of yellow mold.
Weather
[5] Weather can also be a hazard.
| Weather [5] | |
|---|---|
| d20 | Temperature |
| 1-14 | Normal for the season |
| 15-17 | 1d4 x 10 degrees Fahrenheit colder than normal |
| 18- 20 | 1d4 x 10 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than normal |
| d20 | Wind |
| 1-12 | None |
| 13-17 | Light |
| 18-20 | Strong |
| d20 | Precipitation |
| 1-12 | None |
| 13-17 | Light rain or light snowfall |
| 18-20 | Heavy rain or heavy snowfall |
Extreme Cold
[5] Cold below 0 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of time requires a Constitution save to avoid gaining a level of exhaustion. Wearing cold weather gear can negate the need for a save, and creatures with immunity to cold or adapted to cold climates automatically save.
Extreme Heat
[5] Heat above 100 degrees Fahrenheit for a period of time, without water to drink, requires a Constitution save to avoid gaining a level of exhaustion. The save get harder to succeed with continued exposure, armor (medium or heavy), or heavy clothing. Creatures immune to fire damage or adapted to hot climes automatically succeed the saves.
Strong Wind
[5] Strong with can cause a number of effects:
- Disadvantage on Ranged Weapon Attacks
- Disadvantage on Perception checks that rely on hearing.
- May extinguish small fires and disperse fog or other clouds
- Make it difficult to fly
- If it picks up sand, dust, or debris cause disadvantage on Perception checks that rely on sight.
Heavy Precipitation
[5] 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. Heavy rain also extinguishes open flames and imposes disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing.
High Altitude
[5] 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. Each hour such a creature spends traveling at high altitude counts as 2 hours for the purpose of determining how long that creature can travel.
Breathing creatures can become acclimated to a high altitude by spending 30 days or more at this elevation. Breathing creatures can't become acclimated to elevations above 20,000 feet unless they are native to such environments. [6]
Wilderness Hazards
[7] This section describes a few examples of hazards that adventurers might encounter in the wilderness.
Some hazards, such as slippery ice and razorvine, require no ability check to spot. Others, such as defiled ground, are undetectable by normal senses. The other hazards presented here can be identified with a successful Intelligence (Nature) check. Use the guidelines in chapter 8 to set an appropriate DC for any check made to spot or recognize a hazard.
Desecrated Ground
[7] Some cemeteries and catacombs are imbued with the unseen traces of ancient evil. An area of desecrated ground can be any size, and a detect evil and good spell cast within range reveals its presence.
Undead standing on desecrated ground have advantage on all saving throws.
A vial of holy water purifies a 10-foot-square area of desecrated ground when sprinkled on it, and a hallow spell purifies desecrated ground within its area.
Frigid Water
[7] A creature can be immersed in frigid water for a number of minutes equal to its Constitution score before suffering any ill effects. Each additional minute spent in frigid water requires the creature to succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw or gain one level of exhaustion. Creatures with resistance or immunity to cold damage automatically succeed on the saving throw. as do creatures that are naturally adapted to living in ice-cold water.
Quicksand
[7] A quicksand pit covers the ground in roughly a 10-footsquare area and is usually 10 feet deep. When a creature enters the area, it sinks ld4 + 1 feet into the quicksand and becomes restrained. At the start of each of the creature's turns, it sinks another 1d4 feet. As long as the creature isn't completely submerged in quicksand, it can escape by using its action and succeeding on a Strength check. The DCis 10 plus the number of feet the creature has sunk into the quicksand. A creature that is completely submerged in quicksand can't breathe (see the suffocation rules in the Player's Handbook).
A creature can pull another creature within its reach out of a quicksand pit by using its action and succeeding on a Strength check. The DC is 5 plus the number of feet the target creature has sunk into the quicksand.
Razorvine
[7] Razorvine is a plant that grows in wild tangles and hedges. It also clings to the sides of buildings and other surfaces as ivy does. A 10-foot-high, 10-foot-wide, 5-foot-thick wall or hedge of razorvine has AC 11, 25 hit points, and immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and psychic damage.
When a creature comes into direct contact with razorvine for the first time on a turn, the creature must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity saving throw or take 5 (1d10) slashing damage from the razorvine's bladelike thorns.
Slippery Ice
[7] Slippery ice is difficult terrain. When a creature moves onto slippery ice for the first time on a turn, it must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check or fall prone.
Thin Ice
[7] Thin ice has a weight tolerance of 3d10 x 10 pounds per 10-foot-square area. Whenever the total weight on an area of thin ice exceeds its tolerance, the ice in that area breaks. All creatures on broken ice fall through.
Sources and Notes
- SRD5:
- Wizards RPG Team. SRD-OGL v5.1 (5e 2014) (2015.05.06). Wizards of the Coast. Licensed: OGL.
- Wizards RPG Team. SRD-CC v5.1 (5e 2014) (2024-05-09). Wizards of the Coast. Licensed: CC-BY.
- User description ↑
- Wizards RPG Team. Dungeon Master's Guide (5e) (5e 2014) (December 2014). Wizards of the Coast. p. 105. Licensed: © Wizards of the Coast (used under 'fair use' clause) (summarized). ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6
- Mike Mearis. Ghosts of Saltmarsh (5e 2014) (2019). Wizards of the Coast. p. 126. (The Final Enemy (5e)) Licensed: © Wizards of the Coast (used under 'fair use' clause) (summarized). ↑
- DMG5 p.109-110 ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6
- DMG5 p.110 ↑
- DMG5e p.110-111 ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6
Back to Main Page → DnD → 5x → 5e (2014) → Environment
- Varied Licenses
Varied
Licenses
This is article is covered by varying licenses, rather than the Creative Commons Attribution Sharealike License. Please see the Sources section for individual sources and licenses.