Battles are rarely fought on even terrain. Most battlefields are riddled with obstacles and hazards that affect combatants and influence the outcome of the fight. To create interesting combat, some Zones should have one or more of the following Environmental Traits. Environmental Traits affect an entire Zone.
Barrier
A Barrier is anything that impedes movement between Zones, such as a sealed door, a force-field, or fallen debris. Barriers typically occur at natural choke points between Zones, such as doorways, but it is possible for a large Barrier to cover a much broader area. To bypass a Barrier, you must use an Action to make a Test determined by the GM. This may be a Tech (Security) Test to deactivate a force- field, or an Athletics (Climbing) Test to clamber over fallen debris, or anything else deemed appropriate. If you succeed on the Test, you get past the Barrier and make it to the Zone you were trying to reach. If you fail, you remain in your current Zone. Regardless of whether you succeed or fail, your turn immediately ends.
Cover
Fallen statues, large munitorum containers, and shattered ruins can provide cover, granting some protection against incoming ballistics. There are three types of cover: Light Cover, Medium Cover and Heavy Cover. A target can only benefit from one type of cover at a time.
- Light Cover is usually about chest-high, and is large enough for a character to crouch behind to cover most of their body. Light Cover grants +2 Armour to all Hit Locations for ranged attacks.
- Medium Cover can protect most of a character's body, but still leaves some areas exposed. Medium Cover grants +4 Armour to all Hit Locations for ranged attacks.
- Heavy Cover can protect a character’s entire body, and is large enough to comfortably stand behind. Heavy Cover grants +6 Armour to all Hit Locations for ranged attacks.
If you start your turn in a Zone with the Cover Trait, you can use your Move to get into cover and immediately gain its benefit. If you enter a Zone with the Cover Trait, you must use the Take Cover Action to gain its benefit this turn.
At the GM’s discretion, Light Cover may only grant Armour to certain areas, like a low wall only providing Armour to the legs.
Dark
Forbidding ruins in the dead of night, or an abandoned manufactorum are both Dark. Travelling in darkness can greatly impede your abilities — or aid clandestine pursuits. A Dark Zone has the following effects:
- While in the Zone, you can use the environmental conditions to Hide and have Advantage on Stealth (Hide) Tests.
- Awareness (Sight) Tests to see creatures, objects, or details only succeed on a 01–05.
- Ranged Tests to target anyone in the Zone only succeed on a 01–05.
You have Disadvantage on Dexterity, Melee, Reflexes, and Tech Tests, or any Tests that would be affected by the absence of light. An area in shadow but with some illumination is Poorly Lit instead of Dark.
You can still shoot out of the Zone into an illuminated Zone with no penalty.
Difficult Terrain
The Imperium is filled with shattered landscapes that are difficult to traverse. Heavy snow, crowded streets, and sludge-filled swamps all make movement more difficult.While in Difficult Terrain, you suffer the following:
- When you begin your turn in an area of Difficult Terrain, your Speed is reduced one step, to a minimum of Slow.
- Athletics (Running) and Reflexes (Dodge) Tests are made at Disadvantage.
Moving into an area of Difficult Terrain uses any remaining movement you have. You reach your destination, but you must use the Run Action to
move further, such as to an adjacent Zone.
Feature
Features are objects and environmental details that you can interact with, such as doors, cogitators, containers, vats of corpse-starch, tables to flip for cover, and so on.
Features do not have an effect themselves, but using them might trigger or remove other Environmental Traits. Turning a valve might cause steam to vent and fill the area, making it Heavily Obscured; using a cogitator might open a sealed bulkhead, removing a Barrier; or using a flamer on a promethium container might cause it to erupt, creating a Major Hazard.
As a GM, adding Features to a combat encounter can be a great way to get players to engage with the environment and think creatively. Try adding one or two to each battlefield — you don’t even need to know what they do, your players will probably think of something!
Hazard
Hazards are dangerous environmental effects. Burning buildings, poisonous spores, or pools of corrosive acid are all Hazards. There are three types of Hazards: Minor Hazards, Major Hazards, and Deadly Hazards.
- Minor Hazards cause small wounds or discomfort. Examples include thorny branches or a small fire. When you enter the Hazard or start your turn there, you suffer 5 Damage.
- Major Hazards cause serious injury. Examples include poisonous spores or a promethium fire. When you enter the Hazard or start your turn there, you suffer 10 Damage.
- Deadly Hazards cause near fatal injury. Examples include molten metal or a plasma leak. When a you enter the Hazard or start your turn there, you suffer 15 Damage.
Obscured
Heavy rain, thick smoke, and other environmental effects can affect your vision, making it hard to gauge your surroundings or even see your allies. Zones can be either Lightly Obscured or Heavily Obscured.
A Zone filled with mist, steam, or light rain is Lightly Obscured. A Lightly Obscured Zone has the following effects:
- You can use the environmental conditions to Hide, and have Advantage on Stealth (Hide) Tests.
- You have Disadvantage on Awareness (Sight) Tests and Ranged Tests.
Creatures outside your Zone have Disadvantage on Awareness (Sight) Tests to see into the Zone, and on Ranged Tests to target anyone in the Zone.
A Zone covered in thick smoke, heavy smog, or torrential rain is Heavily Obscured. A Heavily Obscured Zone has the following effects:
- You are Blinded.
- Creatures outside your Zone can’t see into the Zone at all, and can’t target anyone in the Zone with ranged attacks.
Though they can still target your Zone with grenades and other explosives.
Poorly Lit
Shadowy alcoves, habs illuminated by the faint light of a glow-globe, or a cathedrum lit by flickering candles are all Poorly Lit. A Poorly Lit Zone has the following effects:
- While in the Zone, you can use the environmental conditions to Hide.
- Awareness (Sight) Tests to see creatures, objects, or details in the Zone are made at Disadvantage.
- Ranged Tests to target anyone in the Zone are made at Disadvantage.
Warp-Touched
A Warp-touched environment bears the lasting corruption of the Warp, and the veil that holds back the immaterium is thin here. A Warp-touched Zone has the following effects:
All Psychic Power Tests are made with Advantage.
Psychic Powers generate additional Warp Charge equal to the SL, regardless of if they succeed or fail.
This Zone is a source of Minor Exposure. When you end your turn in the Zone, you must make an Routine (+20) Fortitude Test (at the GM’s discretion) or gain 1 Corruption. Additionally, to represent the area’s unnatural state, the GM can choose to roll on the Psychic Phenomena Table and apply the result to this environment.