I want to figure out how to make cool terrain and environment effects for my players as their characters travel the world.
But outside of random tables in XGTE, certain Ranger features, some vague DMG options, and obvious flavor, what are some of the clear differences between the different terrains?
Ideally, if I'm getting the mechanics established, I'd like to explain those mechanics in a flavorful way rather than just "Well, it's been an hour in-game, so roll for survival to not get lost or eaten by wyrms in these here hills".
Having a reference to describe the difference between a hill terrain from a mountain terrain and a grassland terrain would be good. And having a clear idea of how each terrain brings its own challenges(other than the monsters in them) would be great to have on hand.
As a DM, the two most important, consistent, change due to Terrain are Monster types and Encounter Distance. You do not find sharks in the Mountains. You do not find Awakened Trees in a desert.
If you are in a swamp your bow may be useless, all the monsters will appear 20 ft or less. In an arctic or desert area with clear weather? You may not need a melee weapon at all, you see everything not hidden from extremely far away.
For the most part, you can use your practical experience with those terrains in real life to inform you about the mechanics of the terrain. For areas where you don't have much practical experience, you can check out movies and TV shows to help fill in the gaps.
Also, keep in mind that even though an area might have a dominate terrain feature, there may be some variety present in many circumstances. How often that happens in game will be up to you.
Something that can have a significant impact on a terrain is the humidity. In a humid area, moving from sunshine to shade may not make a significant difference in temperature, particularly when dealing with heat. In an arid area, moving from sunshine to shade can make a noticeable difference in the temperature. And in a body of water and the temperature can drop even more. A feature like a waterfall in a shaded area can make it feel chilly particularly within 15-20 feet of the spray.
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I want to figure out how to make cool terrain and environment effects for my players as their characters travel the world.
But outside of random tables in XGTE, certain Ranger features, some vague DMG options, and obvious flavor, what are some of the clear differences between the different terrains?
Do you mean in mechanical terms, or just describing them?
Both.
Ideally, if I'm getting the mechanics established, I'd like to explain those mechanics in a flavorful way rather than just "Well, it's been an hour in-game, so roll for survival to not get lost or eaten by wyrms in these here hills".
Having a reference to describe the difference between a hill terrain from a mountain terrain and a grassland terrain would be good. And having a clear idea of how each terrain brings its own challenges(other than the monsters in them) would be great to have on hand.
As a DM, the two most important, consistent, change due to Terrain are Monster types and Encounter Distance. You do not find sharks in the Mountains. You do not find Awakened Trees in a desert.
If you are in a swamp your bow may be useless, all the monsters will appear 20 ft or less. In an arctic or desert area with clear weather? You may not need a melee weapon at all, you see everything not hidden from extremely far away.
Also what types of terrain hazards you run into.
For the most part, you can use your practical experience with those terrains in real life to inform you about the mechanics of the terrain. For areas where you don't have much practical experience, you can check out movies and TV shows to help fill in the gaps.
Also, keep in mind that even though an area might have a dominate terrain feature, there may be some variety present in many circumstances. How often that happens in game will be up to you.
Something that can have a significant impact on a terrain is the humidity. In a humid area, moving from sunshine to shade may not make a significant difference in temperature, particularly when dealing with heat. In an arid area, moving from sunshine to shade can make a noticeable difference in the temperature. And in a body of water and the temperature can drop even more. A feature like a waterfall in a shaded area can make it feel chilly particularly within 15-20 feet of the spray.