Special Environments in Nightmare Dawning

[Aaron Ramsby]

Special Environments ~

- War Torn Sludge
This vile, black poison is a magical run off from some unknown time. This substance infects all liquids it touches. This substance floats on the top of any liquids it resides on. A combination of burnt flesh, tar and brimstone can be smelled from several feet away. Vegetation tends to die when exposed over a long period, and undead hurt by sunlight can hide under the sludge during the day with no ill affects.

• Contact - DC 15 (Fort) if failed, 1D6 in Con damage occurs.

• Contact second time in a 24 hour period. DC save of 15 vs. Cha, if failed, the character foams at the mouth and attacks the closest creature for 1D4 rounds. (The creature attacked does not have to be alive to qualify for being attacked.

- Shade Haunts
Some would call these shadows of the past, others would say they are emotional damage recorded in the earth. What ever the cause, it is clear that these creations are reactions of an earlier time. Some of these recreations are nothing but shadowy concepts of memories, sounds, images you can see through, or even just tastes in the air. The strongest of these things, the memories can be real enough to be flesh and blood constructs. The only real danger to shadow haunts is the fact that they are like smoke in the wind. Here one moment, and gone the next. There are rumors that others have been trapped in shade haunts by believing in them too vividly. One thing common to all shade haunts though, what ever the time gap is, things will constantly repeat them selves. No shade haunt previously known of has gone for more then a week at a time before repeating its self.

- Star Chambers
Hidden through out the world are huge rooms that plot distant stars and planes of existence. Could these be forgotten temples or churches to forgotten gods? If they are, they lack the characteristic icons that all shrines normally cater too. Magical stone tablets written in Infernal are found in these cavernous chambers, normally bolted to the walls. Magic exudes from the walls where you can see the stars and planes pass by. Other then these massive constructs, there has only ever been mundane items found with in these forgotten places. One important thing should be noted though, there has never been an item found such as a desk or a chair. The reasoning for this is unknown, but it raises more questions that plague these depths.

- Astral Fields
There are natural areas where no life will grow, but the land is fertile. Creatures stalk this land, but they are undead creations not aware of their situation. These undead are not evil creations but actually neutrally aligned. Oddly enough the only allowed undead are the animals that are already in these areas, undead found here by the animals are attacked with out malice. This does not mean intelligent undead do not find ways to hide in these areas.

On the astral plane, all the plants that should be growing on the material plane flourish. Any undead animal life has a counter part on the astral plane here, this is were they continue their life as if they were in the natural world. Some speculate that the animals are not even aware of their dual situation. All plant life here has a bluish tint, animal life has a white tint to it while all other undead are cast in a black mist. There seems to be more to these colors then we know of at the moment but prolonged research should prove several theories.

* It should be noted that in these areas, any natural areas are look lifeless and dead, except for the undead animals acting out a life they still believe they have. This will include trees or other large plants that survive long past their deaths will still be standing but appear dead.

- Arlanti Lands
These lands are a true mystery to outsiders. Territory is marked with long thin poles of wood that has been placed in the ground, tied to those poles are the remains and or skins of races that have defiled their lands. A lot of mystery surrounds these lands that encompass an entire mountain. On windless, quiet nights, strange yells and odd shrieks are heard coming from deep in the depths of the forests that blanket this dark place.

[realmsofchaos]

I have actually created 30 such items myself (item/environment additions). I'm not sure which ones Nightmare Dawning could use but here they are.

1: Loft rock: This brilliant, violet stone lifts against gravity. Veins are normally around 10 by 20 feet but smaller and larger ones are nowhere near unknown. When found in the ground, it fights to get out. Any checks made to pry it out have their DCs halved and some patches are volatile enough to be triggered by weight. Some creatures have learned to stay away from them and think of them as natural traps. Creatures mining them either need the ability to climb (making it common among creatures with a climb speed) or simply set up nets along the ground to catch it as it rises. Any weapon made from it costs 200 more GP, has it’s weight halved, and suffers a –1 penalty to attack rolls due to its tug upward (this penalty is doubled for double weapons or two handed weapons). Any armor made from it adds their armor penalty bonus to jump and climb checks rather than subtracting it and double that amount to swim checks made to stay afloat (although they receive double the normal penalty on swim checks meant to go beneath water). Anyone who carries their weight or more in loft rock items is lifted up as if by a reverse gravity spell.
2: Creeping slime: This pale grey slime actively seeks out targets. It doesn’t do this out of intelligence or instinct but of its very design. When is detects heat, it moves towards its source at a rate of 40 ft. per round. When it finds the source, it starts burning it away with its acidic composition by entering its space. This deals 1d6 damage but it can only damage organic material. If it is dealt at least 1 hit point of damage, it collapses into a pile of useless sludge. Creeping slime sometimes runs rampant in natural dungeons but intelligent undead (who are incapable of attracting its attention due to their lack of body heat) sometimes collect them as garbage disposals or traps.
3: Black Lotus: This large black flower is the source from which black lotus extract is… extracted. When touched or ingested by a creature, that creature must save against Black lotus extract (although its save DC is increased by 5). Black Lotuses can grow just about anywhere where ample moisture exists, making them prized crops among evil outsiders and undead, as well as the few others depraved enough to make a profit selling it to one of the former. Unfortunately, if root systems of two many Black Lotuses interact, they send out spores. If 5 or more black lotuses are within 30 feet of each other, they exhale a cloud of spores that spreads in a 30 foot radius, forcing all who breathe in the area to make a save each round to avoid poisoning.
4: Sleep root: This special herb is valued by the few botanists who can find them as a surefire cure for insomnia. Anyone who eats a sleeproot must make a dc 10 will save or fall deeply asleep (they may voluntarily choose to fail this save). This sleep lasts for 8 hours although they can be awakened as normal. While asleep, their natural healing speeds up to twice the normal rate.
5: Name stones: these oddities can only be found deep under mountains and in the elemental plane of earth. Each one is the basic size and shape of a normal geode. When cracked, however, it splits in 2, revealing the name of someone who was, is, or will be on one half. If anyone finds and claims possession of the one with their name inscribed on it, they receive a +2 luck bonus on all saving throws. These stones are normally found in small pockets of 3d4 called libraries.
6: Soundstone. This cursed rock can only be mined on Pandemonium where large tunnels made of it exist. They constantly repeat noises that have been made within 60 feet of them. The noises may be thousands of years old or an imitation of something just said. A DC 20 will save allows someone to recognize that a generated noise is not genuine. Due to their origin, most Soundstone spends much time replaying the unbearable sound of the wind, imitating all of its mind-debilitating effects.
7: Sinkstone: more than anything else, sinkstone is a trap waiting to happen. When submerged in any amount of water, sinkstone doubles in mass and its weight is multiplied by 8. Each pound of sinkstone carried by a creature gives them a –1 penalty on swim checks made to swim through water.
8: Tangleweed: This weed has an unimpressive appearance but it’s not what’s seen that matters. Underneath the ground, tangleweed produces a mile wide radius of roots that can bury as far as 1 mile deep and grow at an amazing rate, 10 feet per day. Whenever a character steps within 60 feet of tangleweed, the ground gives away due to the immense series of tunnels underneath. The character must make DC 15 reflex save or fall 20 feet down and become entangled by the roots. For reasons unknown to botanists thus far, the roots of Tangleweed never interfere with any other root system, occupying every free space instead.
9: Stulian water: Named after the adventurer that first discovered it, Stulian water provides nourishment in addition to hydration. Drinking 1 gallon of Stulian water provides enough nourishment to last a medium creature for one day. Stulian water is quite rare and is only found naturally in a few places in the world where it bubbles up to the surface to form wells.
10: Humming stone: This small, polished rock lazily floats through the air noiselessly. When snatched, it starts orbiting around the snatcher as soon as it is released. Although it may appear to be an ioun stone, it provides no bonuses. Actually, it orbits so quickly that it constantly hums, providing a –5 penalty to move silently and hide checks. After it starts orbiting, catching it requires a dc 16 strength check and it will continue spinning as soon as it is released once more.
11: Shadow matter: in the deepest and darkest subterranean dungeons as well as on the plane of shadows, the darkened shadows sometimes create tangible forms. These forms may just be tools or weapons, or random shapes but they could just as easily be a creature or tree. Despite the form that shadow matter may take, it always appears warped (keeping it from ever being masterwork) and it can never be magical, denying creation of a magic item and denying any created creatures from having any spell-like abilities. If any shadow matter is brought either into daylight or into complete darkness, it is utterly obliterated. A creature created by this spell is always considered to be true neutral and is aware that light and darkness can destroy it (even if it is in the form of a mindless creature).
12. Groven: This small bulb grows deep in caves among moist fungus. When eaten, it extends the adaptability of a creature to temperature. The creature is protected as if by an endure element spell for 24 hours. In addition, that creature also gains fire and cold resistance 1 for the same duration.
13. Brown Sludge: This strange, thick sludge does not hamper movement as much as slow it. Anyone walking through the sludge can only proceed on one direction by 5 ft. and sinks by 5 ft. Unlike most forms of sludge, this is mostly solid but changes its shape at a very slow rate. As such, it is possible to actually climb or burrow your way out of the sludge but not swim in it. To climb up required a dc15 climb check for each 5 ft. that they wish to climb. Because they only start to shrink after they move onto it, a character can make their first movement onto the sludge at their full speed, possibly passing the entire thing.
14. Heart Rock: This rough, fist-sized rock is prized for its ability to bolster endurance and heal small wounds. Anyone who crushes one in their hands (with a dc 15 strength check) regains hit points as if they had rested for a night. In addition, they gain a +2 bonus to their constitution for 1 hour.
15. Blood Sludge: This Necromantically-charged sludge is created from half-coagulated blood of tortured victims. It shares the same consistency as water and anyone can swim through it or drown in it just as easily. The sludge, however, pulls down on anyone who possesses a wound and any living creature with less then full hit points finds that the dcs of swim checks increases by 2. The Blood Sludge is, however, very harmful to living beings. Anyone who comes into physical conflict with Blood Sludge takes 1d6 constitution damage, anyone who drinks it takes 2d6 constitution damage, and anyone who submerges themselves in it (such as swimming through it or bathing in it) takes 3d6 constitution damage per round (DC 20 fortitude save halves this damage in all 3 cases). As such, Blood Sludge can be applied to a weapon like poison, risking exposure as normal but dealing an extra point of constitution damage with a successful attack (a dc 20 fortitude save negates). Any Spellcaster who submerges themselves in Blood Sludge (taking normal damage for doing so) casts necromancy spells at +1 caster level for 24 hours. Lastly, the first time that an undead comes into contact with blood water, it gains an extra hit point for each HD that it possesses. Later exposure heals that undead by the same amount.
16. Heat Stone: This Unique form of stone stores any heat indefinitely, even sunlight absorbed millennia ago. As such, they are blazingly hot. These stones are rarely found on their own, in 40x20 foot patches and they occasionally create entire caverns, especially common on the elemental plane of fire (from which some sages guess all heat stone originated). Walking in an area covered in Heat Stone or flying under 20 over the Heat Stone results in 5d6 fire damage. In addition, all metal held on the creature is heated as if through a heat metal spell (although it only starts to cool down 3 rounds after the creature leaves the Heat Stone.
17. Echoing Winds: This supernatural winds echo anything said to an enormous degree. Anything said in the midst of the wind is repeated 1 round later and can be heard clearly by anyone within 100 feet and can be understood by anyone within that range, regardless of the language in which it is spoken. The wind is incorporeal and carries sound through solid objects and (amazingly) force. Anyone who would be able to hear the sound from further away can still do so.
18. Acidroot: This subterranean plant grows a large root system that reaches up to the surface, creating a patch of roots. Anyone who enters these roots must make a grapple check against the Acidroot as their roots move to entrap potential food (the roots’ grapple bonus is +8). On following rounds, they continue grappling and secrete an acid from their roots that deals 1d4 acid damage each round. The damage only stops when the character escapes the grapple and leaves the area of the roots.
19. Sogram: This Common grass grows only in underground caverns and passageways. It provides proper nutrition to support herbivorous or carnivorous life without anything else to supplement their diet. Subsisting off of Sogram is bad for a creature’s eyesight, however. After subsisting off of Sogram for at least a week, they gain life sensitivity, becoming dazed whenever they are exposed to bright light. This lasts until they go for a month without eating Sogram
20: Airlock Fungus: This purple fungus grows thickly in a 5x5 ft. square. It secretes a slightly acidic coat that deals 1 damage to anyone who steps in the square. In addition, whenever anyone steps into its square or deals at least one damage to it, it secretes special spores in a 10 ft. radius cloud that lasts for 10 minutes. Anyone who inhales the cloud must make a DC 25 fortitude save or lose the ability to breathe for 10 minutes.
21. Tellpath: This unique moss appears in most circumstances to be mundane. If pressure is actively applied to it, it glows with the approximate strength of a candle for 1 hour. Among other uses, this can be used to mark a path (hence its name).
22. Soa: This pearly white stone is taken from planes with the positive energy trait. As long as a living creature is in contact with Soa, it gains fast healing 1 (an undead creature takes 1 damage each round). If a living creature is ever at full health while in contact with Soa, they must make a dc 20 fortitude save each round or explode from positive energy, healing all adjacent living creatures by 1d8 (and damaging undead by the same amount).
23. Kao: This pith-black stone is taken from planes with the negative energy trait. As long as an undead creature is in contact with Koa, it gains fast healing 1 (a living creature takes 1 damage each round). If an undead creature is ever at full health while in contact with Kao, they must make a dc20 Will save each round or explode from negative energy, healing all adjacent undead creatures by 1d8 (and damaging living creatures by the same amount)
24. Deepbreath: this rare seaweed is indigenous to the Elemental Plane of Water. They process carbon dioxide into water incredibly quickly. When picked and inserted into someone’s mouth, it continues to process carbon dioxide into oxygen for the next 30 minutes, allowing him to survive in an airless environment for that time.
25. Elvarian Clover: A practical joke of more powerful fey, this magical clover is often left in the middle of an open pasture to grow. An Elvarian Clover never ages, wilts, dies, or reproduced. If picked by a mortal, it instantly disappears and the mortal has their innermost wish granted, in the worst possible way. From that point on, the mortal ages at twice the normal rate. If an immortal creature picks it, it disappears and appears elsewhere without granting a wish.
26. Whisper Gates: Despite its name, Whisper Gates are no form of portal. Rather, they are areas where low voices can always be heard whispering. Each creature to listen hears different voices whispering. The nature of the whispering creatures and the exact subject of the whispers is random. Although a creature can sleep normally in this area, they gain none of the benefits normally associated with sleep. In addition, each hour that a character stays in a Whisper Gate, the whispers seem to intensify requiring that the subject makes a will save (DC 15+the number of hours spent in the Whisper Gate) or go insane (as the insanity spell, cast by a 20th level caster).
27. True-Mirror: This rare, reflective element has a bad habit of appearing on almost any plane (although it is rumored to have originated on the legendary plane of mirrors). When anyone looks into it, they see a reflection of their true self. As long as a creature carries at least 1 pound of True-Mirror on their person, they gain a +2 insight bonus on will saves. In addition, if anyone under the effects of a charm or compulsion spell looks into at least one pound of True-Mirror, they gain a single second will save to break free of the effect at the same DC (this effect doesn’t stack with the bonus save provided by the slippery mind class feature).
28. Summon-bane crystal: The bane of summoners and most fiends, any creature summoned within 100 feet of this crystal is permanently summoned and breaks control of its summoner over it.
29. Sonicbane: this crystal is delicate in form and vibrates at the slightest noise. Whenever it would take even a single point of sonic damage, it shatters and deals 3d6 damage to each creature within 10 feet (DC 15 reflex save for half)
30. Forlasion Springs: These strange, magical springs seem to erupt from anywhere at any time, including from thin air or on the elemental plane of fire. The water that it produces does not naturally evaporate but the springs rarely last long. Anyone who drinks from the well benefits from the effects of a random potion (each creature may get different results). Water from a Forlasion Spring can be bottled away but the water loses its magical properties 24 hours later. Each spring typically lasts just long enough to produce 5d4 doses of potion, although some produce less and there are a couple select few that have simply never sealed up, constantly producing more potion.

[Aaron Ramsby]

Wonderful, it all fits into the idea of magic run wild. When wild things are out there, only the truely brave explore knowing the risks.