Khamaseen are capable of swallowing whole towns, uncovering ancient ruins, and scouring skin from the bones of anyone foolish enough to be trapped in one. These blasts of hot wind can last days, sweeping across the desert and carrying the dunes before them until the land is changed beyond recognition. Powerful desert storms are known as khamaseen. Treat a dust devil as a duststorm, sandstorm, or tornado. Dust DevilĪ dust devil is a whirlwind not associated with a storm, particularly in a region with little or no topsoil. Otherwise, they must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save or take 1d4 points of Constitution damage and be nauseated for 10 minutes.
In a desert, PCs can attempt a DC 15 Perception check to notice potentially deadly or dangerous fumes before coming to harm. During a blight, Survival DCs to get along in the wild increase by +5. Whether from a lack of water, a plague, or hostile magic, the plants and wildlife in the area are suffering. The weather can include lightning strikes and cause floods, landslides, and other natural hazards. Common Desert Hazardsīad weather can range from minor precipitation to a serious storm. The scarcity of undergrowth or other elements that offer concealment or cover makes using Stealth more difficult. The presence of dunes in sandy deserts limits spotting distance to 6d6 × 10 feet. Stealth and Detection in the Desert: In general, the maximum distance in desert terrain at which a Perception check for detecting the nearby presence of others can succeed is 6d6 × 20 feet beyond this distance, elevation changes and heat distortion in warm deserts makes sight-based Perception impossible. All desert terrain is crisscrossed with dry streambeds (treat as trenches 5 to 15 feet wide) that fill with water on the rare occasions when rain falls. Sandy deserts sometimes have quicksand this functions as described in Marsh Terrain, although desert quicksand is a waterless mixture of fine sand and dust. Rocky deserts have towers and mesas consisting of flat ground surrounded on all sides by cliffs and steep slopes (as described in Mountain Terrain). Other Desert Terrain Features: Tundra is sometimes bordered by forests, and the occasional tree isn’t out of place in the cold wastes. They always have a gentle slope pointing in the direction of the prevailing wind and a steep slope on the leeward side. Sand dunes can cover hundreds of squares. If the wind is strong and consistent, a sand dune can move several hundred feet in a week’s time. Sand Dunes: Created by the action of wind on sand, dunes function as hills that move. The DC of Acrobatics checks increases by 5, and the DC of Stealth checks increases by 2. It costs 2 squares of movement to enter a square with dense rubble. The DC of Acrobatics checks increases by 2.ĭense Rubble: This terrain feature consists of more and larger stones. Light Rubble: Small rocks are strewn across the ground, making nimble movement more difficult. A DC 10 Acrobatics check is required to run or charge across an ice sheet. It costs 2 squares of movement to enter a square covered by an ice sheet, and the DC of Acrobatics checks there increases by 5. Ice Sheet: The ground is covered with slippery ice. Light Undergrowth: Consisting of scrubby, hardy bushes and cacti, light undergrowth functions as described for other terrain types. The terrain elements on this table are mutually exclusive for instance, a square of tundra might contain either light undergrowth or an ice sheet, but not both. The table below describes terrain elements found in each of the three desert categories. The muddy tundra affects movement and skill use as the shallow bogs described in Marsh Terrain, although there’s little standing water. During the height of summer, the permafrost thaws to a depth of a foot or so, turning the landscape into a vast field of mud. Because snow and ice cover much of the landscape, it’s easy to find water. Tundra differs from the other desert categories in two important ways. The three categories of desert terrain are tundra (cold desert), rocky deserts (often temperate), and sandy deserts (often warm). Desert terrain exists in warm, temperate, and cold climates, but all deserts share one common trait: little rain.
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