One of the best ways to make every battle more dynamic and memorable is by adding an environmental effect. Too often, combat takes place in a featureless space where the only thing changing is hit points. Instead, we can use the environment to create engaging, unique encounters that force players to think tactically and interact with the world around them. Let’s look at how simple environmental effects can make a big difference.
Why Bother?
Adding an environmental effect does three key things:
- Encourages Creativity. Players have more to engage with beyond just rolling dice. They start using the environment to their advantage.
- Makes Every Battle Unique. Instead of another 30×30 stone room, fights feel different and stand out in memory.
- Deepens Storytelling. The battlefield itself tells part of the story. A battle in a burning tavern or amid shifting illusions reinforces the world’s depth.
How to Do It
When prepping a fight, ask yourself: What’s going on in this place besides the combat itself? You don’t need to overcomplicate it—just add one simple environmental feature. Here are a few easy ideas:
- Hazards: Traps, lava flows, electrified water.
- Interactive Elements: Levers, destructible cover, unstable bridges, portals.
- Ongoing Conditions: Magical surges, time distortions, planar disruptions.
Make it something the players can react to, use, or work around. The best environmental effects aren’t just hazards; they create interesting decisions.
What Happens When Someone Enters a Hazard?
Most hazards have a clear effect when a creature enters, starts their turn in, or passes through them. Typically, this involves making a saving throw. On a failure, the creature suffers a consequence—damage, a condition, or a movement penalty. Some hazards may simply create difficult terrain or obscure vision without requiring a save.
Common hazard effects include:
- Difficult Terrain: The area slows movement but doesn’t require a save.
- Obscured Vision: Creatures in the area may be blinded or have disadvantage on attacks.
- Forced Movement: A strong wind or shifting terrain moves creatures against their will.
- Saving Throws: Creatures must roll to resist an effect, like avoiding a tripwire or resisting magical confusion.
Use the table below to determine the appropriate save DC or attack bonus for environmental effects:
Trap and Effect Difficulty
| Trap Danger | Save DC | Attack Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Setback | 10 – 11 | +3 to +5 |
| Dangerous | 12 – 15 | +6 to +8 |
| Deadly | 16 – 20 | +9 to +12 |
Damage and Conditions
Damage is the easiest effect to apply. Use the table below to determine how much damage an environmental hazard should deal to players or enemies. This method is simple, effective, and will be your go-to for many hazards.
Damage by Character Level
| Character Level | Setback | Dangerous | Deadly |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st – 4th | 5 (1d10) | 11 (2d10) | 22 (4d10) |
| 5th – 10th | 11 (2d10) | 22 (4d10) | 55 (10d10) |
| 11-16th | 22 (4d10) | 55 (10d10) | 99 (18d10) |
| 17th – 20th | 55 (10d10) | 99 (18d10) | 132 (24d10) |
Besides damage, hazards can also impose conditions. One of the most common is prone, but you can also use:
- Restrained: Vines wrap around a creature’s legs, or they get stuck in mud.
- Blinded: A thick cloud of dust or smoke fills the area.
- Frightened: A supernatural presence causes terror in those nearby.
If you’re looking to spice up your combats, make sure they all include an environmental effect!
This work includes material taken from the Lazy GM’s Resource Document by Michael E. Shea of SlyFlourish.com, available under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
