2.10.0 Falling and Other Hazards

Some perils occur with some regularity for adventurers. A few of the most common are detailed here.

Falling: Most creatures will take 1d6 damage per 10 full feet they fall, up to 20d6 maximum. Spikes or other hazardous terrain at the bottom will add at least 1d6 to the total. A creature that intentionally leaps or skids down in a controlled way may make a Dex or Str/Exert skill check at a difficulty of 7 + 1 for every 10 full feet; on a success, the effective distance fallen is halved.

Suffocation: Creatures can fight or act normally without air for one round per point of Constitution, or 10 rounds for most NPCs. If they don’t move, they can quadruple this time. Once they run out of air, they must make a Physical save each round or take 1 hit point of damage per HD or level they have.

Poisons: Typical dungeon poisons found crusted on needle traps force a Physical save or a loss of half the victim’s maximum hit points. Very potent ones might kill a victim outright. Those who die due to poison damage usually take at least 1d6 minutes to actually expire, but are helpless in the meanwhile. An antidote applied during this time can revive them with 1 hit point. A skilled healer can try to counteract the toxin with an Int/Heal skill check at a difficult of at least 10 for most poisons, or 12 or more for truly fearsome ones.

Aside from any hit point damage a poison does, many also have lingering side effects, such as penalties to hit rolls or skill checks, or the loss of Move actions for a certain period of time. Some also add System Strain to the victim due to the stress they put on their bodies. A victim forced above their maximum System Strain will collapse and die in minutes if the poison is not neutralized.