Editing DnD Desert Raiders Campaign Natural Hazards

=== SAND AND WIND ===
Winds in The waste can be violem or even deadly. Worse still, winds laden with grit-whether volcanic ash, sand, blowing soil, dust, powdered charcoal or bone, or even tiny chips of precious gems-pose a variety of hazards,
More information about the hazards in this section, including durations of typical storms, can be found on pages 93-95 of the Dungeon Master's Guide, If Ihe needs of the campaign dictate it, the DM can decide that a storm in the Waste lasts for even longer than the normal maximum time.


==== Sandstorms ====
Severe and stronger winds pose a far graver danger than winds of equal velocity within landscapes that support a ground covering of grasses. sedges, and other terrain features that preclude instantaneous erosion. In waste areas covered by sand, loose earth, or grit, high winds are always accompanied by dustscorms or sands storms. The stronger the wind is in such regions, the more severe the effect.
Contrary to popular belief, nonmagic duscstorms and sandstorms do not bury people alive. The accumulation does not occur so quickly as to prevent escape or digging, but a sandstorm can suffocate and kill victims by burying them under the accumulation. The heaps of debris left behind might be deep enough to cover small buildings, though, and the landscape is drastically reshaped after a major storm, which could remove landmarks and cause a party co become lost.
Table 1-5: Sandstorm and Wind Effects integrates the wind effects rules as presented in the Dungeon Master's Guide with complementary sandstorm effects rules, described here.
'''Duststorm:''' Duststorms arise in waste areas when the wind speed rises above 30 miles per hour. A duststorm blows fine grains of sand that reduce visibility, smother unprotected flames, and even choke protected flames, such as a lantern’s light (50% chance). A duststorm leaves behind a deposit of 1d6 inches of sand.
Visibility in a duststorm is reduced; so all creatures within a duststorm take a -2 penalty on Search and Spot checks.
'''Sandstorm:''' Sandstorms arise in waste areas when che wind speed rises above 50 miles per hour. Sandstorms reduce visibility to brownout conditions (see below), smother unprotected flames, and choke protected flames, such as a lantern’s light (75% chance). Moreover, sandstorms deal 1d3 points of nonlethal damage each round to anyone caught out in the open without shelter and pose a suffocation hazard (see the Suffocation in a Sandstorm sidebar). A sandstorm leaves 2d3-1 feet of fine sand in its wake.
'''Brownout:''' Sandstorms create brownout conditions. Swirling grit obscures che horizon and makes it nearly impossible to get one's bearings. Any character in brownout conditions caused by a sandstorm takes a -4 penalty on Dexterity-based skill checks, as well as Search checks, Spot checks, and any other checks that rely on vision. These effects end when the character leaves the brownout area or enters a protected shelter.
'''Sandstorm, Flensing:''' Flensing sandstorms arise in waste areas when the wind speed rises above 74 miles per hour (flensing sandstorm conditions can also occur during a tornado in a waste setting). Flensing sandstorms reduce visibility to severe brownout conditions (see below), smother unprotected flames, and choke protected flames (100% chance). Moreover, flensing sandstorms deal 1d3 points of lethal damage each round to anyone caught out in the open without shelter and pose a suffocation hazard (see the Suffocation in a Sandstorm sidebar). A flensing sandstorm leaves 4d6 feet of sand in its wake.
'''Severe Brownout:''' Even more severe brownout conditions apply during a flensing sandstorm than during a regular sandstorm. Swirling grit obscures the horizon and makes it nearly impossible to get one's bearings. A character in brownout conditions caused by a flensing sandstorm takes a -6 penalty on Dexterity-based skill checks, as well as Search, Spot, and any other checks that rely on vision. These effects end when the character leaves the brownout area or enters a protected shelter.


==== Whirlwinds ====
The baking ground of the waste heats air above it very quickly, producing spinning winds of varying intensity).
When the weather is clear, the rapidly rising hot air forms a dust devil. This resembles a tornado but is smaller and relatively weak, with winds rarely exceeding 60 miles per hour. Still, winds that reach severe or windstorm speed are strong enough to deal damage (see Table 3-24: Wind Effects, page 95 of the Dungeon Master's Guide). At ground level, visibility is reduced to practically nothing, granting total concealment to creatures within.
A tornado is the most violent kind of mundane whirlwind, with winds that can exceed 200 miles per hour. It is very localized though - the widest tornado is less than a mile across, and most have a diameter of only a few hundred feet Tornadoes move relatively slowly across the landscape but can make sudden, erratic turns that are impossible to predict. They occur most often at the boundaries between waste environments and more temperate areas. A whirlwind spawned at the edge of a desert can move into the temperate region, or into the deep waste.
The most severe thunderstorms (roughly one in ten) also generate tornadoes. Even so, fewer than half of those whirlwinds pack winds above hurricane strength (75 to 174 miles per hour). For game purposes, assume one thunderstorm in twenty generates a tornado-force wind. In the heart of such a violent storm, visibility is reduced to zero (total concealment), and Spot, Search, and Listen checks are impossible, as are ranged weapon attacks, Refer to Storms, page 94 of the Dungeon Master's Guide for more information on these hazards.


==== SIDEBAR - SUFFOCATION IN A SANDSTORM ====
Exposed characters might begin to choke if their noses and mouths are not covered. A sufficiently large cloth expertly worn (Survival DC 15) or a filter mask (see page 100) negates the effects of suffocation from dust and sand. An inexpertly worn cloth across the nose and mouth protects a character from the potential of suffocation for a number of rounds equal to 10x her Constitution score. An unprotected character faces potential suffocation after a number rounds equal to twice her Constitution score. Once the grace period ends, the character must make a successful Constitution check (DC 10, +1 per previous check) each round or begin suffocating on the encroaching sand. In the first round after suffocation begins, the character falls unconscious (0 hp). In the following round, she drops to -1 hit points and is dying. In the third round, she suffocates to death.


==== Sand Dunes ====
Most people immediately think of sand dunes when they imagine a desert, but in fact many kinds of waste have no dunes at all. Winds carry away soil, sand, and even light pebbles, leaving behind a thin "pavement" of larger stones. Dried lake beds are plains of cracked mud crusted with salt. Lava flows cover the land with humped, rough stone. Still, hardy grasses and undergrowth do exist in some parts of the waste, catching grains of sand and holding them in place long enough for immense “waves" to grow.
Sand dunes are wandering things, although the mundane variety travels no more than a couple of hundred feet in a year. This is enough to eventually overrun farmland and choke out forests, but it is not an immediate hazard to roost creatures. However, the constant action of wind on sand produces potentially hazardous situations.
'''Collapse:''' A sand dune has a long, shallow back slope shaped by the wind and a sharp leading edge with a steep drop on the lee side. This edge is precarious, with the pull of gravity just balanced by the tendency of sand grains to stick together. Coarser sand or lighter gravity produces higher and steeper dunes, while fine grains or heavier gravity produces low dunes with gentler slopes. However, the wind can swiftly shift the balance, blowing sand off the edge and triggering a sudden collapse. A collapsing dune is every bit as dangerous as an avalanche and follows the same rules (as described on page 90 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide).
'''Blowout:''' A change in wind direction can produce a blowout, hollowing out the center of a dune and leaving a large cavity. This cavity is not always visible, and a thin layer of safe-looking sand might cover a vast tomb that swallows people and animals without a trace. The crust covering a blowout is too weak to support any creature larger than Tiny. Noticing a blowout requires a successful DC 10 Survival check; however, charging or running characters are not entitled to a check. Characters enveloped by the sand begin to take damage and suffocate as though trapped by an avalanche. A blowout hides in one out of every one hundred sand dunes (1% chance).
Sand dunes that have been stabilized by grasses or shrubby trees are much less likely to collapse. Still, even such a place can hide a blowout if the undergrowth in the area is thin.


==== Quicksand ====
Quicksand can’t occur without water. Saturated sand is surrounded and buoyed up by the surrounding liquid, forming a suspension that unwary travelers can mistake for normal sand. While an oasis or the edge of a salt lake might contain the conditions for quicksand to occur, it is not likely - and there is no chance of encountering quicksand in the dry waste. Supernatural hazards, though, such as slipsand (see page 25), are sometimes mistakenly referred to as "quicksand," and such places give rise to terrible stories.


==== Sand Travel ====
Fields of deep sand can impede the movement of creatures that cannot fly, float, or otherwise stay off the ground when traveling. Most creatures do not automatically sink all the way into deep sand. A hard crust of dried mud or salt can make the surface hard enough to support some weight. Sand that has been stabilized by desert growth is generally safe to walk on.
The following new terrain features are provided ro supplement those found under Desert Terrain on page 91 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide.
Shallow Sand: Shallow sand is much more common in desert areas than deep sand. Areas covered by this terrain feature have a layer of loose sand about 1 foot deep. It costs 2 squares of movement co move into a square with shallow sand, and the DC of Tumble checks in such a square increases by 2.
Deep Sand: Deep sand is most often found in deep deserts near areas of rolling dunes and fierce storms. Many creatures unfamiliar with desert terrain mistake deep sand for quicksand, although deep sand is not nearly as deadly. Areas covered by this terrain feature have a layer of loose sand up to 3 feet deep. It costs Medium or larger creatures 3 squares of movement to move into a square with deep sand. It costs Small or smaller creatures 4 squares of movement to move into a square with deep sand. Tumbling is impossible in deep sand.
Sand Crust: A sand crust appears as normal solid ground. Usually formed from a hardened crust of dried mud or salt, sand crusts sometimes cover areas of shallow sand (or, very rarely, deep sand). If a creature weighing more than 100 pounds (including equipment carried) enters a square covered with a sand crust, it breaks through to the sand below. The creature treats the square as shallow sand or deep sand, whichever lies below that square of sand crust, and it must deal with the effects of the sand on movement as described above. Creatures moving through an area of sand crust leave a trail in their wake, turning the sand cruse they pass through into shallow sand or deep sand squares as applicable. Creatures weighing 100 pounds or less can treat sand crust as normal terrain.



=== SUN DANGERS ===
In the clear, dry air of the waste, nothing blocks the sun's rays, which can pose dangers of their own.


==== Glare ====
The sun can be extremely dangerous to unprotected eyes, drying and irritating the tissue. Areas of white sand, salt, gypsum, or similarly light-colored material reflect the sun's glare into the eyes even when not looked at directly. Sun glare is doubly dangerous during winter months, when the sun is low on the horizon and thus difficult to avoid looking at.
Characters traveling in such conditions must cover their eyes with a veil, dark lenses, or a similar eye covering. Those whose eyes are unprotected in such conditions are automatically dazzled. Such characters take a -1 penalty on attack rolls, Search checks, and Spot checks. These penalties are doubled for creatures that have light sensitivity (such as drow or orcs). Characters who take the precaution of covering or shielding their eyes automatically eliminate the risk of being dazzled by sun glare and take no penalties.
Glare-induced blindness lasts as long as characters remain in an area of sun glare and for td4 hours thereafter, or for 1 hour thereafter if the character enters a shadowed or enclosed area. The dazzling effect of sun glare can be negated by a remove blindness spell, but an unprotected character still in an area of sun glare immediately becomes dazzled again when the spell's duration expires.


==== Sunburn ====
Sunburn is a serious hazard when traveling in the waste. A mild sunburn is merely distracting, but more severe burns can be life-threatening.
Avoiding sunburn requires covering up exposed skin, wearing hats or robes, or carrying a parasol. Protective lotions also keep the skin safe, and beings native to torrid climates have developed dark skin pigmentation to protect against the sun. Of course, wearing heavy clothing carries its own risks (increasing the likelihood of succumbing to heatstroke), and sunlight reflected from light-colored surfaces can still reach beneath a hat or shade.
Characters who take even minimal care to protect their skin from direct sunlight (a hat, a cloak, or other body-covering garment will do) are not subject to sunburn. Wearing the desert outfit described on page 101 is sufficient to prevent sunburn, In addition, several other items described in Chapter 4 can protect against the effects of sunburn.
If a character is caught out in the sun and completely unprotected, serious consequences can result, After 3 hours of such exposure, the character is mildly sunburned and takes 1 point of nonlethal damage. After 3 hours more exposure, the character develops severe sunburn and immediately takes 2d6 points of nonlethal damage and a -2 penalty on Fortitude saves to avoid damage or fatigue from heat dangers until the nonlethal damage is healed.
Characters or creatures with naturally dark (or tanned) skin pigmentation are naturally resistant to sunburn. Such individuals can remain in the sun unprotected for 6 hours before becoming mildly sunburned, and for 12 hours before becoming severely sunburned.



=== OTHER DANGERS ===
Even without the threat of dehydration, heatstroke, or sandstorms, waste terrain can be deadly.


==== Flash Floods ====
Storms or spring runoff from nearby mountains can send deadly walls of water through ravines or along low desert gullies. A flash flood can suddenly raise the water level of an area, filling a dry gulch to the top of its walls. A flood raises the water level by 1d10+10 feet within a matter of minutes. Water washes through affected squares, traveling at a speed of 60 feet or more, unless impeded by slopes or solid barriers. Treat a flash flood as stormy water (Swim DC 20 to avoid being swept away). An additional DC 20 Swim check is required each round to keep the head above water. Characters who stay below the surface might drown (as described on page 304 of the Dungeon Master's Guide), See Aquatic Terrain, page 92 of The Dungeon Master’s Guide, for more about the effects of being swept away.
Along with the hazards of fast-flowing water, the flow uproots trees and rolls enormous boulders with deadly impact. Characters struck by a wall of water during a flash flood must make a successful DC 15 Reflex save or take 3d6 points of bludgeoning damage. A flash flood passes through an area in 3d4 hours.


==== Mirages ====
As air heats up over the desert floor, shimmering convection currents appear. These currents blur and distort features behind them and can even produce optical illusions called mirages. A mirage is formed at the boundary between hot air at ground level and a cooler layer higher up, which acts as a lens to refract light and reflect images of more distant objects. Mirages can disorient travelers in the waste by obscuring landmarks or making distances seem shorter than they actually are.
One can reduce the effect of a mirage by getting to higher elevation, which minimizes the amount of refraction. Of course, this requires not only a place to climb (or a fly spell) but also the ability to recognize what you are looking at. An observer can make a DC 12 will save to disbelieve the apparent image. A character who suspects a mirage gets a +4 circumstance bonus on this save. Once the existence of a mirage is revealed, disbelief is automatic.


==== Getting Lost ====
As discussed in Wilderness Adventures in Chapter 3 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide, adventurers might become lost when traversing various sorts of terrain. Refer to that chapter for more information regarding the chances and effects of becoming lost as well as regaining one's bearings,
Additionally, sandstorms, steam clouds, mirages, trackless lava flows, and glaring sand can easily confuse and disorient characters. Disorientation or even hallucinations from heatstroke can also cause a character to become lost.


==== TABLE 1-6: SURVIVAL DC’s TO AVOID GETTINC LOST ====
Terrain	Survival Check DC
* Badlands 12
* Barren waste 12
* Evaporated sea 10
* Glass sea 15
* Petrified forest 17


==== TABLE 1-7: SURVIVAL DC MODIFERS TO AVOID GETTINC LOST ====
Condition	Survival Check DC Modifier
* Duststorm +4
* Sandstorm +6
* Map -4
* Mist or steam	+2
* Heat shimmer +2
* Glare +2
* Mirage +4
* Trackless* +2
*See Overland Movement, page 164 of the Player's Handbook.


==== Steam and Mist ====
Although the waste is usually dry, circumstances can combine to produce thick clouds of mist or even steam. Some creatures living in such regions adapt and become able recover the precious moisture from the atmosphere.
Deserts that border coastal areas do not themselves receive much precipitation, but when cooler, moist ocean air encounters the superheated air over the land, water condenses out into a thick mist. During the day, this mist is uncomfortably hot, while al night it is more tolerably warm until it is dispersed by strong winds that kick up as the land cools. In active volcanic regions, hot springs and fissures vent scalding stearn. Lava flowing into a body of water throws up huge clouds of hot mist, as well as showers of stone fragments and ash.
Areas of hot mist increase the effective temperature band by one (see Table 1-1, page 12), as humidity combines with high temperature to keep the body from cooling during the day and conversely moderates the cold of the desert night.
Steam erupting directly from a hot spring, lava flow, or other fiery source is much more dangerous, dealing 1d6 points of lethal damage per round to a creature within (no save). Such steam does cool rapidly in the air, however, and only deals such damage within a 30-foot radius of its fiery source. Beyond 30 feet from the source, the steam is just a warm mist.
Mist or steam obscures vision, providing concealment. If it contains dust, powdered salt, and similar noxious substances, mist also poses the risk of suffocation (see page 304 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide), Toxic vapors mixed with fog acts as an inhaled poison.



=== SIDEBAR - MAGICAL DESSICATION DAMAGE ===
Sandstorm introduces desiccation damage, a new category of damage that spells, and in some cases, the attacks of creatures, can deal. Desiccation is not an energy type, but certain spells and effects can provide enhanced protection against desiccation damage. Plants and elemental creatures of the water subtype are especially vulnerable to desiccation damage, and they often take extra damage from such effects.

Sometimes, but not always, spells that deal desiccation damage can render a victim dehydrated (a new condition; see above). Other spells and special abililles can render a creature dehydrated without dealing magical desiccation damage. Essentially, dealing magical desiccation damage does not automatically make a creature dehydrated, and becoming dehydrated does not mean a creature automatically lakes desiccation damage.

The magical defenses against desiccation damage described in this book apply to the effects of the horrid willing spell.