TEXT: 1
  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Fantastic Terrain
  AA  ccoolllleeccttiioonn  ooff  eennvviirroonnmmeennttaall  eeffffeeccttss  ttoo  
  hheellpp  aanndd  hhiinnddeerr  yyoouurr  hheerrooeess!!
  
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  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  FANTASTIC TERRAIN
  PRODUCED BY: JUSTIN HANDLIN
  LAYOUT
  JUSTIN HANDLIN
  @CRITACADEMY
  EDITING
  JVC PARRY
  COVER ARTIST
  METAHANBAHADIR 
  INTERNAL ARTISTS:
  DM'S GUILD CONTENT RESOURCES
  DARRIN SCOTT
  PATRICK E. PULLEN
  SHUTTERSTOCK
  writers:
  justin handlin
  brian white
  Ian Wood
  A COLLECTION OF ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS TO HELP OR HINDER YOUR HEROES IN 
  THE WORLD'S GREATEST ROLEPLAYING GAME!
  DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, Wizards of the Coast, Forgotten Realms, the dragon ampersand, 
  Player�s Handbook, Monster Manual, Dungeon Master�s Guide, D&D Adventurers League, all other 
  Wizards of the Coast product names, and their respective logos are trademarks of Wizards of the 
  Coast in the USA and other countries. All characters and their distinctive likenesses are property of 
  Wizards of the Coast. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of 
  America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is 
  prohibited 
  without 
  the 
  express 
  written 
  permission 
  of 
  Wizards 
  of 
  the 
  Coast.
  
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  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  INTRODUCTION .............................................4
  FANTASTIC TERRAIN IN THE REALMS .......4
  Scaling Terrain..................................................5
  WHY HIT DICE?...............................................6
  FANTASTIC
  TERRAIN.....................................8
  Angelic Lantern.................................................8
  Alchemic Combustibles...................................9
  Antimagic Zone...............................................10
  Astral Spiral....................................................10
  Blast Cloud......................................................11
  Blood Midge Cloud.........................................12
  Blood Rock.....................................................13
  Brainswell Nebula...........................................14
  Cave Slime.....................................................15
  Choke Frost....................................................16
  Cloudspore......................................................16
  Confused Gravity............................................18
  Conjurors� Bemoan.........................................19
  Desecrated Ground........................................19
  Dimensional Turbulence.................................20
  Doomlight Crystal...........................................20
  Dragon�s Final Rest........................................21
  Eldritch Influx..................................................22
  Ember Moss...................................................22
  Elemental Font of Power................................22
  Eye of Beshaba..............................................23
  Fey Circle........................................................23
  Feywild Transpose..........................................24
  Grab Grass.....................................................24
  Grasping Slime...............................................25
  Hallowed Ground...........................................25
  Horrifying Visions...........................................26
  Ice Twister......................................................26
  Icicle Spears...................................................27
  Icy Gale..........................................................27
  Infernal Fumes...............................................28
  Jade Flame....................................................28
  Leyline Node..................................................29
  Loadstone..................................................29
  Memory Lapse...............................................29
  Negative Energy Zone...................................30
  Pendragon Endowment.................................30
  Phase Mist......................................................31
  Pillar of Life....................................................31
  Quick Sear......................................................31
  Razorvine.......................................................32
  Restoration Pods............................................33
  Rust Swarm....................................................33
  Sacred Circle..................................................34
  Shadowfell Despair........................................35
  Shadow Motes...............................................36
  Sultan�s Decree..............................................36
  Temporal Distortion........................................37
  Touch of the Far Realm..................................38
  Thunder Shards.............................................39
  Unhallowed Ground.......................................39
  TABLE OF CONTENTS
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  INTRODUCTION
  T
  his book is a product of the Crit Academy 
  Podcast. A Dungeons & Dragons discussion 
  podcast designed to provide guidance and 
  inspiration to both Players and Dungeon Masters. 
  In every episode we hope to inspire you with
  creative content to bring with you on your next 
  adventure. We do our best to strike a balance 
  between information and entertainment… 
  honestly though, we are unsure if we hit that 
  mark or not. I guess you’ll have to listen to find 
  out. You can visit us as www.critacademy.com. 
  Much of this content is adapted from from 
  previous editions, and you can find a few more 
  options in the Dungeon Master’s Guide on page 
  105. Huge shout out to our loyal patrons who 
  have made our show and this product possible. 
  Thank you.  Now, that’s enough house cleaning, 
  onto the stuff you’re actually here for… a 
  collection of terrain that you can bring to your 
  table to the delight, or potential misery, of your
  players!
  FANTASTIC TERRAIN IN THE 
  REALMS
  The world of Dungeons & Dragons is full of 
  magic, monsters, and divine power. These 
  wondrous sources of energy infuse the land,
  leaving their mark on locales throughout the 
  realms. In these areas fantastic events occur. 
  Chaotic power suffuses the air where a powerful 
  planar portal opened, sending random bursts of 
  uncontrolled magic in all directions when the 
  weave is accessed. Powerful ritual sites enhance 
  the effect dark magic cast by an evil wizard. 
  Sacrificial circles tainted with the blood of 
  warriors cause creatures to succumb to blood 
  curdling rage. These examples of fantastic terrain 
  can become powerful boons, or harrowing 
  burdens if approached recklessly.
  The examples of fantastic terrain in this 
  book most closely resemble hazards, but as 
  many have beneficial effects, we call them 
  fantastic terrain. Detecting fantastic terrain 
  doesn’t require an ability check  unless it is 
  hidden in some way. This doesn’t necessarily 
  mean that characters instantly recognise what 
  the terrain is, or what secrets it hides, but they 
  should be able to tell that something magical is 
  afoot. As DM, you choose to allow appropriate 
  skill checks to determine how much information 
  about the terrain the characters know.
  
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  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Scaling Terrain
  The terrain within this book can be easily 
  adjusted to challenge a party of any level. While 
  in some cases the description of the terrain 
  mentions a rough estimate of size, the terrain’s 
  area can vary depending on the DM’s needs, 
  from as little as a five-foot square, to the size of 
  an entire caverne. You decide what best fits the 
  situation. Smaller areas are great for terrain that 
  generates a boon, such as an elemental font of 
  power, as they become a powerful resource for 
  both enemies and characters to fight over. 
  Larger areas are great for effects that 
  hinder creatures, forcing movement, spells, 
  and other resources to be expended in an 
  attempt to avoid the damaging effects of the 
  terrain. An example of this would be an encounter 
  in which monsters immune to cold damage 
  grapple characters, and drag them through large 
  areas of choke frost. If the area is very large, 
  characters may struggle to find a safe place to 
  engage in combat, disarm traps, or attempt 
  ability checks. In cases like this, position 
  becomes extremely important to the success of 
  the encounter, or at the very least, punishes 
  adventurers who don’t respond to threats 
  accordingly.
  We have included DCs and Damage 
  values from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything for 
  reference to allow easy scaling of the terrain for 
  all party levels.
  Danger
  Save/Check DC
  Attack Bonus
  Moderate
  +10
  + 5
  Dangerous
  +12
  + 8
  Deadly
  +12
  +12
  Tier
  Character 
  Level
  Moderate
  Dangerous
  Deadly
  1
  1-4
  5 (1d10)
  11 (2d10)
  22 (4d10)
  2
  5-10
  11 (2d10)
  22 (4d10)
  55 (10d10)
  3
  11-16
  22 (4d10)
  55 (10d10)
  99 (18d10)
  4
  17-20
  55 (10d10)
  99 (18d10)
  132 (24d10)
  DC'S AND ATTACK BONUSES
  DAMAGE AND SEVERITY BY LEVEL
  
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  Why Hit Dice?
  Hit Dice are an amazing resource to sap in your 
  game. Players often don’t realize how much they 
  rely on short rests to recover from combat. While 
  hit points represent a character’s resilience in 
  battle, their Hit Dice represent their vitality and 
  ability to recover over time. Unlike taking damage,
  which directly affects how long a character can 
  survive in single combat, removing Hit Dice 
  affects the characters’ ability to recover from 
  those encounters. This begins to impact them 
  much more as the adventuring day continues, but 
  doesn’t necessarily immediately impact the 
  encounter.  
  Remember, during a long rest, a PC 
  only recovers half of their Hit Die.  If a creature 
  is forced to lose a Hit Die, but doesn�t have 
  any, they begin to suffer levels of exhaustion.
  FANTASTIC 
  TERRAIN
  
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  Angelic Lantern
  Angelic lanterns are small collections of pulsating 
  orbs of golden light; a manifestation of divine will. 
  It is said that these lanterns are found in 
  locations where an angel has fallen and lost its 
  connection to its deity, leaving behind a remnant 
  of divine power on the material plane. 
  Three lights hover 5 feet from the ground 
  and occupy a 5-foot square. They wander 
  aimlessly in a 20-foot radius circle at a speed of 
  15 ft on initiative 10. They shed bright light in a 
  30-foot radius and dim light for an additional 30
  feet.
  Any creature in the area can use a bonus 
  action to attempt to harness the divine light by 
  making a DC 15 Intelligence (Religion) check. 
  On a success, the next time the creature hits a 
  target with a melee weapon attack, the weapon 
  flares with a shimmering golden intensity, and 
  the attack deals an extra 7 (2d6) radiant damage 
  to the target, and causes the target to ignite in 
  divine flames. At the start of each of its turns, the 
  target must make a DC 15 Constitution saving 
  throw. On a failed save it takes 7 (2d6) radiant 
  damage. On a successful save, the effect ends. If 
  the target or a creature within 5 feet of it uses an 
  action to put out the flames, or if some other 
  effect douses the flames (such as the target 
  being submerged in water), the effect ends.
  This effect can be used a total of three 
  times before the power is completely depleted. 
  With each use of the lantern’s power, the radius 
  of its light is reduced by 10 feet. A creature with 
  an evil alignment cannot benefit from this 
  terrain’s effect.
  Usage: Angelic lanterns are fantastic for 
  incorporating in a battle against a powerful 
  undead enemy, such as a lich, which might 
  otherwise overpower the adventurers. Maybe 
  consider having an angelic creature such as a 
  deva join the party as an NPC and die during the 
  battle, leaving behind their power for the PCs to 
  harness. The beauty of terrains that provide 
  boons are that they become a resource for 
  players and enemies to fight over.
  amage. On a successful save, the effect ends. If 
  he target or a creature within 5 feet of it uses an
  "He was sort of a dick at times, but we had no idea
  our group wizard Pordo Greyhat was evil. That is 
  until he attempted to examine a divine charged 
  lantern made from a lawful good angel and it 
  exploded in his face. We called him Blackhat after
  that. I guess him talking about the strengths of 
  necromancy and why it's actually a good thing should
  have been our first clue. Surprised our thief Shifty
  wasn't the one to trip it actually."
  - Lars Larson
  
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  Alchemic Combustibles
  Mixing reagents to create brews both foul and fair 
  is a common practice throughout the Realms, 
  undertaken by a range of folk from the lowly town 
  herbalist, to the most powerful archmages. These 
  practitioners work in rooms filled with shelf upon 
  shelf of volatile concoctions. Battle in these sorts 
  of environments can sometimes have explosive 
  results… or worse. 
  When a creature in an area of alchemic 
  combustibles misses on an attack roll by 5 or 
  more, they accidentally smash or knock down a 
  collection of combustibles in the area. Roll on the 
  Alchemic Combustibles table below to determine 
  the result.
  Usage: This terrain is a great addition to any 
  herbalist’s shop, mage's quarters, or laboratory. 
  Its uniqueness adds a bit of randomness to any 
  encounter, potentially granting either side of the 
  battle with a tactical advantage. Consider 
  allowing a PC trained with the herbalism kit or 
  alchemist’s supplies a bit of knowledge on some 
  of the effects. This rewards characters with 
  proficiency in those tools.
  COMBUSTIBLES
  D6
  Event
  1
  A large glass containers topples and breaks, freeing the faerie dragon(MM) trapped inside.
  2
  A rancid stench erupts from a broken jar containing the head of a troglodyte, and lingers for 
  1 minute. Each creature within 10 feet of the jar must succeed on a DC 12 Constitution 
  saving throw or be poisoned until the start of their next turn.
  3
  A box of black ashes is scattered across the room, creating a cloud of dust that fills a 10-
  foot radius sphere. The sphere spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. 
  The cloud lasts for 1 minute.
  4
  Two vials of unknown chemicals labelled with lightning bolts crack, causing their contents to 
  mix, and starting a chain reaction. Each creature within 5 feet of the vials must succeed on 
  a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or take 1d8 lightning damage. A creature that takes this 
  damage can�t take reactions until the start of its next turn.
  5
  A vial filled with yellow and orange liquid is smashed, releasing tongues of flame.  Each 
  creature within 10 feet of the vials must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or 
  take 2d8 fire damage. A flammable object in the area ignites if it isn't being worn or carried.
  6
  A wooden bowl filled with grasping weeds and vines shatters to the floor. Each creature in a 
  10-foot square around the bowl must succeed a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be 
  restrained by the vines for 1 minute. A creature restrained by the plants can use its action to 
  make a DC 12 Strength check, freeing itself on a success.
  a 
  the 
  ine 
  tory.
  any
  of the effe
  proficiency in those tools.
  Wanted: 
  An assistant for a lab where chemical and 
  magical experiments are frequently conducted. 
  Must be willing to handle dangerous materials, 
  creatures and have enough common sense to 
  understand that mix carefully does NOT mean 
  pour the two ingredients into a bottle and shake. 
  The bottom half of the last apprentice was 
  easily to find at least.
  - Granblim Oakenstaff
  
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  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Antimagic Zone
  An antimagic zone is an area that has been 
  severed from the magical energy that permeates 
  the multiverse. While not confirmed, it is said 
  that areas such as these are the result of a 
  territory war between powerful beholders. In most 
  cases, adventurers stumble upon the areas by 
  accident, oftentimes not realizing it until they’re 
  already deep within the area. Antimagic zones 
  vary in size, but are rarely larger than a 100-foot 
  sphere. The only visual evidence is a slight 
  distortion in the area much like the air above a 
  burning campfire.
  Within an anti-magic zone spells can’t be 
  cast, summoned creatures disappear, and even 
  magic items become mundane. Spells and other 
  magical effects, except those created by an 
  artifact or a deity, are suppressed in the area and 
  can’t protrude into it. A slot expended to cast a 
  suppressed spell is consumed. While an effect is 
  suppressed, it doesn’t function, but the time it 
  spends suppressed counts against its duration. 
  Spells and other magical effects, such as magic 
  missile and charm person, that target a creature 
  or an object in the area have no effect on that 
  target.
  While the antimagic zone can’t be 
  completely dispelled, it can be suppressed by the 
  dispel magic spell. A creature that casts  dispel 
  magic must succeed on a DC 19 ability check 
  using their spellcasting ability. On a success, a 
  15-foot cube area of the antimagic zone is
  suppressed for the spell’s duration.
  Usage. This is a great tool for forcing higher level 
  characters to achieve their goals through more 
  mundane methods. Scaling a towering cliff isn’t 
  much of a challenge for a wizard who can cast fly, 
  but toss the cliff in an antimagic zone and 
  instantly that trivial encounter becomes a greater 
  challenge. 
  Also consider using an antimagic field as a trap. 
  The villain could lay a trap, luring the PCs into an 
  area full of foes who don’t use magic, putting the 
  PCs at a heavy disadvantage, all because they 
  made no effort to hide their tactics from the 
  villain.
  Astral Spiral
  The astral sea contains numerous gateways that 
  lead from the Astral Plane to other planes. They 
  appear as dimensional pools of rippling colors. 
  When two of these gateways collide, and astral 
  spiral is formed.
  The spiral appears as two swirling orbs of colorful 
  light that travel in a corkscrew, descending and 
  ascending in a 15-foot square.
  When a creature enters the area for the 
  first time on a turn or starts its turn there, that 
  creature must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution 
  saving throw. On a failed save, the creature’s 
  astral body is pushed into the Astral Plane. The 
  material body that is left behind is unconscious 
  and in a state of suspended animation; it doesn’t 
  need food or air and doesn’t age. The creature’s 
  astral body resembles that of their mortal form in 
  almost every way, including carried possessions. 
  The principal difference is the addition of a 
  silvery cord that extends from between the 
  shoulder blades and trails behind the creature, 
  fading to invisibility after 1 foot. This cord tethers 
  the astral body to the material body, as long as 
  the tether remains intact, the creature can find 
  its way back to its body in 1d20 minutes. 
  If the cord is cut - something that can 
  happen only when an effect specifically states 
  that it does - the character’s soul and body are 
  separated. Creatures in this state have 24 hours 
  to reconnect to their bodies before attracting 
  beings of the Astral Plane that wish to devour 
  their astral bodies. A creature that fails to return 
  to their body dies.
  Usage: Astral spirals are a great tool for lower 
  level players to experience the astral sea. 
  Introduction of the githzerai and githyanki would 
  be a great tool to hook the players into traveling 
  to the astral sea, and seeking out a rare astral 
  spiral phenomena to chase them after they 
  retreat into the Astral Plane.
  Clever characters might use this as a tool 
  to incapacitate a much stronger opponent 
  temporarily, as the foe will be trapped until they 
  can find their way back to their body.
  
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  Blast Cloud
  Some flowers have a special affinity for magic in 
  the weave. Much like sunlight, they end up 
  absorbing some of the weave’s power and 
  releasing it in their pollen. The pollen drifts about 
  and can end up filling an area, making it overly 
  sensitive to magical effects and causing them to 
  expand beyond their normal reach. This is known 
  as a blast cloud.
  The blast cloud covers a 30-foot cube that 
  is filled with a scintillating cloud of  pollen that 
  lightly obscures the area. Each blast cloud is in
  tune with a different damage type; cold, fire, 
  lightning, or poison. When an area of effect spell 
  is cast in the blast cloud that deals damage of 
  the matching type, the blast cloud amplifies the 
  magic, doubling the dimensions of the spell’s 
  effect.
  Usage: An area containing a blast cloud 
  encourages creatures to spread out and keep
  from clustering up within the empowered spell 
  areas, meaning that characters might become 
  isolated, and easy to surround.. The blast cloud 
  could also be used in conjunction with a trap to 
  extend its range, such an explosive glyph of 
  warding.
  
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  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Blood Midge Cloud
  Blood midges are tiny insects, not dissimilar to 
  mosquitos, that have a voracious appetite for 
  humanoid blood. They group together in vast 
  swarms that can drain the blood of an individual 
  in minutes. 
  The massive, devouring swarm fills a 20-
  foot-radius sphere. The blood midge cloud 
  spreads around corners, and its area is heavily 
  obscured and is considered difficult terrain. On 
  initiative 20, 15, 10 and 5, if no creature is in the 
  cloud, it moves up to 15 feet and attempts to 
  cover as many living creatures a possible. When 
  a creature enters the area for the first time or 
  ends its turn there, it must make a DC 12 
  Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 5 
  (1d10) piercing damage and loses a hit die on a 
  failed save, or half as much damage on a 
  successful one and doesn’t lose a hit die.
  An area of blood midge exposed to any 
  area effect that deals magical damage is 
  instantly destroyed, shrinking the cloud’s area by 
  a minimum of 5-foot.
  Usage:
  This is a great terrain as it is a mobile hazard that 
  seeks out creatures to devour. The cloud doesn’t 
  particularly care who the creatures are, thus if 
  the players or enemies figure out they are 
  attracted to large groups, they could use forced 
  movement and tactics to their advantage. 
  Destroying the area is also an option, but care 
  needs to be taken. Some magical effects, such as 
  those that cast in a line, could cause the cloud to 
  split into two different areas that move 
  independently of each other.
  en 
  a
  byy 
  independently of each other.
  "If you think your day sucks you have not been 
  stuck in a cloud of bloodsucking insects that 
  suddenly appears, while you are in the middle of a
  fight. At least we managed to ditch the group of
  goblins in the swarm, including their shaman, who 
  attempted to clear it by dropping a Fireball spell
  into it. To his credit he did clear the swarm but
  torched the entire group. What an idgit".
   -Buford McGinny
  
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  Blood Rock
  This blood-covered rocky outcropping is the site
  of brutal ritualistic combat. Barbarians of 
  different clans meet here to engage in 
  ceremonial fights that soak the sands beneath 
  their feet with rage-infused sweat and blood. The 
  bloody area has an aura of power that seethes up 
  from it causing those nearby to go mad with 
  rage. 
  A creature who enters or starts its turn on 
  an area of blood rock must succeed a DC 14 
  Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the creature 
  tosses aside all concern for defense to attack 
  with fierce desperation. The creature must use its 
  action to make a weapon attack. The creature 
  has advantage on melee weapon attack rolls, but 
  attack rolls against them have advantage while 
  they are in an area of blood rock. At the 
  beginning of each of its turns, an affected 
  creature in the area of blood rock can repeat the 
  saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a 
  success. If a creature leaves the blood rock, the 
  effect ends without having to make a save.
  Usage: This a great option for head on battles 
  with many combat brutes with high hit points. You 
  needn’t worry about the combatants falling 
  quickly due to enemies having advantage against 
  them as well. Consider using creatures who can 
  dash or disengage as a bonus action such as 
  spies(MM) or goblins(MM) who can get into the
  zone to attack, and out of it again before being 
  attacked back. It can also be used to offset 
  weaknesses such as sunlight sensitivity, or 
  debuff spells such as bane.
  
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  Brainswell Nebula
  Drifting through the Astral Sea are vast, village-
  sized blue-black cloud formations that 
  resemble something akin to a pulsating brain.. 
  These clouds appear most prominently in 
  areas occupied by the Githyank, whose pirates 
  are well aware of the brainswell nebula�s 
  power to interrupt and weaken spellcasting. 
  The area within a brainswell nebula is lightly 
  obscured.
  Any creature that casts a spell of first 
  level or higher while in an area of brainswell 
  nebula must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution 
  saving throw or take 16 (3d10) psychic damage,
  and the caster must expend an additional spell 
  slot of the same level or higher to finish casting 
  the spell. If the caster is unable to, or chooses 
  not to pay the cost, the spell fails and has no 
  effect. On a success, the creature takes half as 
  much damage and the spell is cast as normal.
  Usage: Battles on the savage Astral Sea are few
  and far between. Thus, when they do happen 
  you’re going to want to make them as exciting as
  possible. An inclusion of a brainswell nebula is a 
  great way to add terrain to an otherwise open 
  space. This can greatly benefit any creature that 
  understands the nebula’s function. You can of 
  course call for an arcana check for a PC to 
  discover its purpose, but if they have not studied 
  the astral sea or been there, it’s likely they won’t 
  be able to leverage its use until after they have 
  experienced it first hand. This terrain works very 
  well in large battles with astral sea ships, 
  draining caster’s resources and forcing them to 
  approach combat in a different way.
  "We chased a Gith pirate's ship into this 
  strange cloud of darkness. We attempted 
  to press our advantage when our sorcerer 
  and cleric suddenly found themselves 
  having to not only exert more effort into 
  their spells but were even hurting 
  themselves in the process. The Gith 
  attempted to counterattack at their new 
  found advantage and nearly succeeded. 
  It was a costly bounty."
  - Capt. Barnabas Kane
  
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  Cave Slime
  This thin blue slime is harmless but extremely 
  slick, and has a nearly frictionless surface. 
  Rumour has it that these slime patches are the 
  remnants of the prey of gelatinous cubes.
  A creature who enters or starts its turn on 
  the cave slime must make a DC 17 Dexterity 
  (Acrobatics) check. On a success, the creature’s 
  remaining movement is doubled while moving on 
  the cave slime. On a failure the creature falls 
  prone.
  Usage: Cave slime is great for areas where large 
  pits or canyons can be found. Traversing small 
  walkways and steep inclines can usually become 
  pretty trivial, especially for a dexterous characters 
  such as rogues. Cave slime can add a new level 
  of danger to these non-combat encounters, as a 
  failure could cause the characters to plummet 
  into a spike-filled gorge or bottomless pit. Cave 
  slime also works well in encounters where 
  enemies don’t use the ground, either those who 
  can hover, fly, or walk on walls with spider climb. 
  Alternatively, the addition of the speed boost can 
  be a boon in combat where mobility is crucial.
  pretty trivial, especially for a de
  such as rogues. Cave slime can add a new level 
  "We were travlin along der narrow ledge
  when we came across dis shiny liquid along
  the ground we codna step aroond. Steppin 
  carefooly a good chunk o da party made it
  by save for that per sap that fell on his 
  arse and slid into the chasm. We dent even
  ear em hit bottom".
  - Banhilm Craggybeard
  
  16
  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Choke Frost
  This deadly frost is found in icy caves upon the 
  Spine of the World or in the lair of powerful 
  creatures who shroud themselves in the chill of 
  winter’s breeze, such as yetis, ice devils, ice 
  elementals or white dragons. This white mist 
  hardens into an icy, crystal-like form and saps the 
  strength of creatures who stand upon its surface, 
  slowly turning their flesh icy blue as it drains 
  away their warmth. 
  Each time a creature enters an area of 
  choke frost, or ends its turn there, it must 
  succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw 
  or lose 1 Hit Die. The area is difficult terrain. A 
  creature who has resistance to cold damage has 
  advantage on the check. Creatures with immunity 
  to cold damage ignore this effect.
  Usage: Choke frost is a great tool to drain the 
  character’s resources over time without the use 
  of combat. Putting choke frost throughout a 
  dungeon can impact the characters in an 
  unexpected way. Setting up combat challenges 
  after they have traversed this terrain prevents
  them from recovering additional hit points from
  short rests between encounters. Going into a 
  boss battle without full hit points can be a 
  terrifying experience for any adventurer.
  Cloudspore
  Often found in dark damp caves and littering the 
  Underdark, these blue and purple mushrooms 
  release a cloud of spores as a defense 
  mechanism when a creature touches them. 
  The purple spores fill the air in a thick 
  cloud in a 20-foot-radius sphere. The sphere 
  spreads around corners and its area is heavily 
  obscured. It lasts for 10 minutes or until a wind 
  of moderate or greater speed (at least 10 miles 
  per hour) disperses it.
  Usage: Cloudspore is a great tool for inhibiting 
  the sight of characters, even those with 
  darkvision in caves and subterranean 
  environments. Combining this effect with 
  monsters that have the keen senses feature, or 
  some other sense like tremorsense or blindsight 
  allows them to engage in combat without the 
  negative effects of the cloudspore hampering 
  their attacks.
  16
  Crirt Ac
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  17
  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  
  18
  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Confused Gravity
  Gravity is one of nature's most powerful allies. It
  keeps everything grounded, not just in the 
  material realm but others as well. It’s one of the 
  few constants in the multiverse. There are many 
  wizards who have mastered many aspects of the 
  weave when it comes to defying this powerful
  force. They learn the art of ignoring its effects
  with spells such as levitate or fly, but there are
  some wizards who wanted to control this force in
  its entirety. This was a difficult task filled with 
  many failures. During the development and 
  mastering of the reverse gravity spell many areas 
  were tainted with chaotic magic that left gravity in 
  complete disarray. Gravity constantly shifts 
  directions in these areas, causing creatures and 
  objects to fall in the wrong direction, and making 
  for extremely treacherous territory.
  An area of confused gravity is often a 150-
  foot-radius sphere, but can be as big or as small 
  as needed. Its direction changes erratically and
  frequently; sometimes the force is in one 
  direction for a few minutes, other times it 
  changes in seconds. Use the tables below to 
  determine the frequency of the gravity change 
  and determine the direction the force is pulling 
  randomly. All creatures and objects that aren’t 
  anchored to the ground in the area fall the 
  determined direction. A creature can make a DC 
  14 Dexterity saving throw to grab onto a fixed 
  project it can reach, thus avoiding the fall.
  If some solid object (such as a boulder, 
  ceiling, or wall) is encountered in this fall, falling 
  objects and creatures strike it just as they would 
  during a normal downward fall. If an object or 
  creature reaches the top of the area without 
  striking anything, it remains there, oscillating 
  slightly, for the duration.
  Usage: Confused gravity can really throw the PCs
  for a loop. The constant shifting and changing of 
  gravity can make normal travel difficult and 
  dangerous. Introducing monsters that won’t be 
  affected by the change in gravity as much should 
  further challenge the characters. Oozes are a 
  great example, as a collection of these being
  tossed around right into PCs could make for 
  sticky fun. Adding creatures with a flying speed 
  and the ability to hover, such as the banshee, can
  also make for a fantastic encounter as they won’t 
  take fall damage at all, and damage from flying 
  objects is reduced by half due to their 
  resistances. Lastly, including an area full of 
  boulders and debris could further torment the 
  characters. When falling debris is included, have 
  all creatures make a Dexterity saving throw to 
  avoid them when the gravity changes. 
  D100
  DURATION
  90-100
  5 Minutes
  70-89
  3 Minutes
  60-69
  1 Minute
  10-59
  30 Seconds or 5 Rounds
  1-9
  Initiative Count 10
  D6
  DIRECTION
  1
  North
  2
  East
  3
  South
  4
  West
  5
  Up
  6
  Down
  
  19
  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Conjuror's Bemoan
  Conjurors’ Bemoan is an area were once-
  powerful mages failed in casting the Gate spell. 
  Rather than jumping to a new plane, the spell 
  created a powerful arcane backlash, killing the 
  caster and infusing the area with energy that 
  enhances conjuration magic. 
  An area of conjurors’ bemoan can be any size up 
  to a 50-foot-radius sphere. When a creature casts 
  a conjuration spell of first level or higher in the 
  area, the effect is empowered as if the spell was 
  cast one level higher than the spell slot used, up 
  to 9th level, and increases the spell save DC by 1.
  Usage: Conjurors’ bemoan is a superb terrain to 
  couple with a villain or character that loves to 
  summon creatures, as it will empower those 
  spells. You could paint the area as a place of 
  pilgrimage for spellcasters who wish to master 
  the art of summoning magic.
  Desecrated Ground
  Some cemeteries and catacombs are imbued 
  with the unseen traces of ancient evil that defend 
  and guide the undead. An area of desecrated 
  ground can be any size, and a detect evil and 
  good spell cast within range reveals its presence.
  Undead standing on desecrated ground have 
  advantage on all saving throws and attack rolls.
  A vial of holy water purifies a 10-foot-square area 
  of desecrated ground when sprinkled on it, and 
  the hallow spell purifies desecrated ground within 
  its area.
  -Dungeon Masters Guide-
  Usage: Using desecrated ground is a great way to 
  enhance encounters with the undead, including  
  those raised as minions by the PCs. This creates 
  an opportunity to delve into the Religion skill to 
  learn its lore and discover how to apply that 
  knowledge in a unique way, using tools and spells 
  such as holy water, and the hallow spell. Simple 
  terrain like this can also up the challenge of 
  otherwise mundane skeletons or zombies, 
  making their attacks more dangerous, and 
  improving their undead fortitude feature.
  
  20
  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Doomlight Crystal
  These beautifully glowing intricate rock 
  formations are most commonly found in clusters 
  in the Underdark, but have been discovered in a 
  few locations in surface caves. The light that 
  emanates from these crystals is caused by a 
  violet gas trapped within them. Characters can 
  break the crystals from the ground and use them 
  as light sources. Once broken from the ground, a 
  crystal holds its light for 1d10 days. The smaller, 
  fist-sized crystals can be used in place of torches 
  as they spread dim violet light in a 10-foot radius. 
  While the smaller doomlight crystals aren’t too
  dangerous, as they grow in size their inherent risk 
  becomes apparent. These rocks can be as big as 
  boulders 5-foot-cube in size. At this size their dim 
  light reaches out to a 50-foot radius.
  If a doomlight crystal is hit with any attack 
  that deals more than 5 points of damage, they
  explode instantly. Each creature in a 15-foot cube 
  originating from the crystal must succeed a DC 
  13 Dexterity saving throw or take 7 (2d6) 
  piercing damage, or half as much on a failed 
  save. The area then becomes difficult terrain.
  Usage: This terrain is great for a multitude of
  "James said to take half the survivors and he would 
  bring the other. Now James is dead along with 
  those he wanted to save because the bloody son of an 
  orc couldn't wait 2 seconds! And I have been 
  arrested for causing all those people's deaths! No 
  one now using transportation magic near the castle 
  are in peril."
  -Lance Campelld
  Dimensional Turbulence
  Transportation magic is a powerful, and in most 
  cases very reliable, source of transportation. 
  However, in  rare instances two wizards are 
  caught casting two teleportation spells to the 
  same location simultaneously, causing an 
  instability in the fabric of a plane, and making 
  teleportation in the area difficult and inaccurate. 
  The resulting distortion is known as dimensional
  turbulence. An area of dimensional turbulence is 
  visible as a faint rippling of space with flashes of 
  twinkling of purple light. 
  Any creature who teleports while in 
  dimensional turbulence is transported to a 
  random space within 50 feet of the target 
  location.
  Usage: This is a great area for spellcasters and 
  monks who find teleportation magic such as 
  misty step to be a favorite ability as the effects 
  become much for random. Surrounding the area 
  with ravorvine, cliffs, lava, fire, or some other 
  hazard can make a normally reliable ability 
  unpredictably dangerous. 
  
  21
  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  reasons. First, it can create a chain reaction of 
  explosions, depending on the size of the clusters. 
  Keep this in mind when creating clusters, as to 
  not accidentally TPK (total party kill) the PCs. 
  Second, this terrain also gives the PCs or villains 
  an opportunity to set a trap, allowing the 
  conquering of more powerful foes. The area is 
  extremely dangerous to those who carelessly use 
  area of effect spells such as fireball, or who use 
  the crystals for cover. If your PCs don’t think 
  through their combat strategy in an area of 
  doomlight crystals, they may not make it out 
  alive.
  Dragon's Final Rest
  Dragon bodies and bones are often left behind 
  by lazy adventurers who only seek glory, and 
  fail to respect the strength of a dragon�s will. 
  When a dragon dies, it�s deteriorating body 
  infuses the land with a combination of magic 
  and rotting flesh. This is often due to a strong 
  will to get revenge in some way for its demise. 
  When creatures take a long rest in 
  within 1 mile of a dragon�s corpse, they must 
  make a DC 15 Constitution saving throw. On a 
  failed save, the creature's blood begins to burn. 
  Sweat beads and rolls down their body and they 
  find it difficult to rest due to the pain. The 
  creature gains one level of exhaustion and 
  doesn’t gain the benefit of a long rest while in an 
  area affected by the dragon’s final rest.
  Usage: In a world full of dungeons and dragons, 
  our heroes don’t often actually engage with 
  dragons, as they are powerful beasts. This 
  doesn’t mean they don’t feel the effects of their 
  presence. The Monster Manual gives many 
  examples of regional effects for us to use as a 
  tool to remind the players that the world is full of 
  living dragons. This terrain reminds them of the 
  ones that have been vanquished. 
  Dragon’s Final Rest is an amazing plot 
  hook for an adventuring party, as they must 
  uncover the secret to a town’s suffering under 
  this plight. It could also be the result of the PCs 
  themselves. After slaying a dragon they must 
  return after a time to investigate the plague, only 
  to learn that their deeds resulted in the suffering 
  of innocents. In either case, PCs required to 
  battle and investigate in an area where they get 
  weaker after a long rest instead of stronger is a 
  big motivator to finish quickly, and can lead to 
  challenging encounters that they would otherwise 
  find trivial.
  demy Presents:
  make a DC 1
  big 
  challengin
  find trivia
  "I had informed the priestess of 
  the danger fighting near so many 
  doomlights. She didn't care, for 
  she thought if she stood near the 
  edge she could avoid catastrophy 
  herself. Little did she know the 
  crystals wrap underneath. To her 
  doom, she fell as the rock cracked 
  and buckled after several. 
  crystals exploded. My squad is 
  all that would return to 
  Menzoberranzan."
  -Colac of the fourth housen
  21
  ntastic Terrain
  
  22
  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Eldritch Influx
  An area of eldritch influx is a tear in the weave 
  where magical energy seeps into the air 
  approximately the size of a caravan wheel. This
  effect resembles a small collection of stars. A 
  creature that enters the 5-foot cube area of 
  eldritch influx can feel the power flowing in and 
  around them, causing a faint hum to ring in their 
  ears. This magical pool is left behind by the 
  expenditure of a powerful magical item’s energy. 
  A creature can use their action to attempt 
  to draw in some of the influx’s energy into a 
  magical item. The creature must make a DC 17 
  Intelligence (Arcana) check. On a success the 
  creature can choose a magic item with expended 
  charges and restore up to its maximum charge 
  capacity. On a failed check the magical item 
  experiences a backlash from influx of eldritch
  energy The character must roll a d20. On a 1 the 
  item turns to ash and is destroyed. In either case, 
  the power is expended and cannot be used again.
  Usage: This terrain should appear in areas 
  infused with magic, like a wizard’s tower, or the 
  bowels of a magical cult’s lair. Eldritch influxes 
  can be used to give characters a helping hand 
  before extremely difficult encounters, as 
  recharging a powerful magic item can be the 
  difference between success and failure.
  Ember Moss
  This moss is found abundantly in the Underdark. 
  Ember moss is extremely flammable, making it a 
  favored material for creating torches as they will 
  burn indefinitely. Its nature to burn hot and bright 
  can make it treacherous terrain. 
  A creature who takes fire damage while 
  standing in an area with ember moss takes an 
  extra 5 (1d10) fire damage and has disadvantage 
  on saving throws against fire damage. The fire 
  ignites the area of ember moss and flammable 
  objects in the area that aren’t being worn or 
  carried. A creature who enters or starts its turn in 
  the ember moss flame takes 5 (1d10) fire 
  damage.
  Usage: This is a devious little terrain; not only is it 
  great for enhancing spells such as firebolt, but it 
  is great for creatures without magic such as
  kobolds and goblins, who can just drop torches 
  on the characters after luring them down a dark 
  corridor full of ember moss, turning it into a 
  potential death-trap.
  Elemental Font of Power
  Sparks of lightning, tongues of flame, cracks of
  thunder, or flakes of snow, all can be found in 
  areas where surges of powerful planar energies 
  filter into the material world, empowering
  elemental effects.
  Each font is attuned to either lightning,
  fire, thunder, or cold. If a creature casts a spell of 
  first level or higher while standing in an area with
  the elemental font of power of a matching
  element, the effect is empowered by the planar
  energies, increasing  the effect of the spell as if it 
  was cast one level higher than the spell slot used,
  up to 9th level, and increasing the spell save DC 
  by 1. 
  Usage: This is another great terrain to have in 
  limited amounts, maybe 5-foot square, though it 
  can be any size you want. The terrain will 
  inevitably become a resource for both PCs and 
  monsters to try and take advantage of. This can 
  be a great way to encourage PCs to use spells of 
  a variety that they don’t generally use.
  
  23
  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Eye of Beshaba
  These large columns depict the Lady of Doom 
  Beshaba in a seductive form with a hint of a 
  mischievous smile. The marble columns are 
  created by her most devoted followers, and some 
  say that Beshaba herself blesses the massive 
  idols. The square carved structure stands 20 feet 
  tall and 5 feet wide. 
  A creature who stands within 30 feet of 
  the Eye of Beshaba and casts an illusion spell of 
  first level or higher has the effect empowered as 
  if the spell was cast at one level higher than the 
  spell slot used, up to 9th level, and increases the 
  spell save DC by 1. 
  Usage: This is a powerful tool to enhance the PCs
  and monsters illusions, and could also allude to
  the fact that what they see may not be real. This 
  should cause paranoia among the characters, 
  putting them in a situation where they are
  constantly questioning everything that happens. 
  Including this terrain in an area full of 
  hallucinatory terrain and monsters who specialize 
  in illusions and disorientation effects such as the
  faerie dragon’s(MM) Euphoria Breath can help
  create an amazing encounter.
  Fey Circle
  Fey circles frequently appear as tangled vines
  and large toadstools twisted into the form of a
  beautiful round wreath in a 5-foot square area. 
  The area is imbued with the extraordinary power 
  of the Feywild. 
  A creature standing in the area can use a 
  bonus action to harness the power of the fey
  circle. The creature makes a DC 15 Intelligence 
  (Nature) check. On a success they cast the misty 
  step spell as normal, on a failed save their 
  destination is decided randomly by the DM.
  Usage: Adding a few of these into your encounter 
  area can really spotlight movement and 
  positioning. Using the fey circles allows 
  movement to different heights or across difficult
  terrain. To get the most out of them, consider 
  adding hazards such as razorvine, quicksand, or 
  cliffs to potentially punish those who fail the 
  check and end up misty stepping into danger.
  23
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  "We walked into an old temple of 
  Lady Doom herself at the behest of 
  the villagers. They indicated strange 
  happenings lately. Strange noises, 
  disappearing objects and shadows at 
  the edge of our vision. Great horrors 
  seemed to come out of nowhere to 
  ambush us, then disappear as 
  quickly as the Appeared..."
  -Filgrad Branihow
  
  24
  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Feywild Transpose
  Colors in the feywild are usually the purest that 
  are ever seen; bright and lively beyond 
  imagination. Yet in some locations, the practical 
  jokes of pixies sometimes go a bit too far. Trees 
  are blue and red, the grass is orange, the sky is 
  even green. 
  Creatures that enter this area for the first 
  time must make a DC 13 Constitution saving 
  throw. On a success their equipment changes to 
  various vibrant colors. On a failure, the creature’s 
  gender is switched. This effect lasts for 1d4 days 
  and the creature is under the effects of the 
  charm person spell as if cast by the first
  humanoid creature that they see. For one day the 
  creature first seen by the charmed is viewed as 
  that creature’s true love.
  This effect can end with the dispel magic spell.
  Usage: This terrain is meant to fly on the pixies’
  playful nature. Something that can add 
  interesting roleplay beyond the current 
  encounters. While there isn’t much in the way of
  combat effectiveness, the roleplay generated by 
  the feywild transpose is absolutely hilarious.
  Grab Grass
  Grab grass is a thick, tough, tendril-like dark blue 
  and green plant found in the forests of the 
  Feywild or areas that are heavily influenced by 
  the Feywild’s magic. 
  A Large or smaller creature that is 
  knocked prone while in the area is restrained 
  until it is freed. The grab grass has no effect on 
  creatures that are formless, or creatures that are 
  Huge or larger. A creature can use its action to 
  make a DC 15 Strength check, freeing itself or 
  another creature within its reach on a success. 
  The area counts as difficult terrain.
  Usage: Grab grass is great because it can be 
  easily utilized as there are a number of ways to 
  knock a target prone. The easiest way is using 
  the Shove action. This can really affect the action 
  economy of an encounter as it takes an action of 
  a creature to break. Additionally, being prone 
  grants advantage to melee attacks increasing hit 
  chance as well as imposing disadvantage when 
  attacking from prone. Creatures as simple as a 
  boar(MM), elk(MM) or lions(MM) become much
  more of a challenge without any alterations while 
  in this terrain. Likewise, PCs who utilize this 
  terrain begins to quickly find that using the 
  environment can be just as useful as swinging an 
  axe.
  4
  Crirt Ac
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  the feywild transpose is absolutely hilarious.
  more of a challeng
  in this terrain. Like
  terrain begins to q
  environment can b
  axe.
  
  25
  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Grasping Slime
  This black, viscous goo feeds on small critters 
  and insects by capturing them in its highly 
  adhesive body when they wander too close, 
  slowly digesting them while they’re still alive.
  While deadly to smaller critters, this clinging 
  substance is more bothersome to larger 
  creatures as they can become stuck in it. 
  A creature who enters the area of 
  grasping slime, or starts its turn there must 
  succeed on a DC 14 Strength saving throw or 
  their movement speed becomes 0. A creature 
  can make the saving throw again at the start of 
  its turn. This area is difficult terrain.
  Usage: Unlike grab grass, the graspling slime 
  brings movement to a halt. To get the most out of 
  this terrain, consider using creatures who don’t 
  rely on contact with the ground to fight; spiders 
  and flying creatures can make for a challenging
  encounter. This makes for a great trap from 
  kobolds(MM) or goblins(MM) and other weaker 
  creatures who can engage hit and run tactics. 
  The barbarian who charges in is going to be in for 
  a surprise when they are locked down and being 
  turned into a pin cushion by arrows and spears.
  Hallowed Ground
  This is the site of a devout priests and powerful 
  rituals, and ceremonies to a specific deity and 
  has been infused with holy energy. The scent of 
  oils and incense fills the area, attracting beautiful 
  creatures such as butterflies, song birds and 
  other adorable critters of nature. 
  A creature who stands in an area of 
  hallowed ground and casts a spell of first level or 
  higher that restores hit points to a creature, the 
  effect is empowered as if the spell was cast at 
  one level higher than the spell slot used, up to 
  9th level, and increases the spell save DC by 1.
  Usage: The hallowed ground allows you to throw 
  slightly more difficult encounters at your PCs as 
  they have a way to boost their healing abilities. 
  This terrain can make positioning and kill priority 
  important to the encounter if the area is smaller, 
  as it is likely that healers will place themselves 
  within it.
  25
  Crirt Ac
  A ademy Pre
  r ses ntst : Fa
  F ntat stic TeT rr
  r a
  r in
  eat trap from
  and other weaker
  and run tactics.
  is going to be in for
  d down and being
  rows and spears.
  within it.
  
  26
  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Horrifying Visions
  Oftentimes locations of scenes of horrible torture 
  have their pain and suffering magically burned 
  into the material world by making deals with 
  monstrous fiends. Their prayers of anger, sorrow, 
  and revenge lead them to pleading for their 
  tormentors to suffer as they did. Devils and 
  demons and other monstrous fiends agree to end 
  their pain, so long as they agree to inflict pain on 
  others in their place. Upon agreeing their souls
  are used to curse the area, tormenting all who 
  enter with horrible nightmarish visions, leading 
  some to go mad.
  A creature who enters the area for the first 
  time sees horrifying visions and must succeed on 
  a DC 13 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, the 
  creature must roll on the short-term madness 
  table (DMG pg 259). If they fail the check by 5 or 
  more they instead roll on the long-term madness 
  table and suffer one level of exhaustion. A 
  creature that remains in the horrifying visions 
  must make another check every 10 minutes. A 
  creature that fails the check twice in a row must 
  roll on the Indefinite madness table. 
  Madness effects can be suppressed by 
  calm emotion or similar effects. Spells and 
  effects such as lesser restoration can rid a
  creature of short-term or long-term madness. A 
  greater restoration spell or more powerful magic 
  is required to rid a character of indefinite 
  madness.
  Usage: Fighting through a horror-themed
  adventure or campaign can really allow this 
  feature to shine. Generating new flaws for the 
  characters in and out of combat can lead to 
  some fantastic roleplaying moments. What 
  makes this interesting is the result is 
  randomized, so different creatures will be 
  affected in different ways. Tying the visions to 
  events that have played out at the table 
  previously, or the characters’ backstories, will 
  really enhance your players’ experience.
  Ice Twister
  A funnel of rock-hard ice and wind spins in a
  violent vortex in a 10-foot-radius, 40-foot-high 
  cylinder. The twister moves up to 20 feet in a 
  random direction on initiative 10. Each creature 
  that enters or starts its turn in the cylinder must 
  make a DC 13 Dexterity saving throw, taking 9 
  (2d8) bludgeoning damage, and 13 (4d6) cold 
  damage on a failed save, or half as much 
  damage on a successful one. Any ranged attacks 
  that pass through the twister’s area have 
  disadvantage.
  Usage: Another terrain feature that puts a priority 
  on mobility, but also can alter the style of combat. 
  Ranged attackers are going to have to take a 
  different approach to combat than they normally 
  would,while avoiding the moving hazard. This can 
  really allow the barbarian to shine, as they can 
  grapple enemies and simply stand in the twister. 
  While raging they take significantly less damage 
  compared to their enemies. Additionally, features, 
  spells, and items that hinder movement play a 
  much larger part in the combat.
  
  27
  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Icicle Spears
  Caves high in the arctic mountains are always 
  chock full of large, frozen icicles that hang from 
  the cavern ceiling like a frozen hangman's axe 
  waiting to send creatures to the afterlife. With 
  clever tactics and a good aim, the hazards can 
  become a powerful weapon used against 
  enemies.
  A creature can make a ranged attack to 
  hit an icicle spear. The icicle spear has an AC of 
  15, 10 hit points, and a damage threshold of 7. If 
  the icicle spear’s hit points reaches 0 it falls from 
  the ceiling straight down. Each creature located 
  in a 5-foot radius of where the spear lands must 
  succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or 
  take 10 (3d6) cold damage.
  Roll a d20, on a 10 or higher the icicle 
  spear remains in place as a broken icy cone 
  piercing the ground that is 5 feet high and 5 feet
  wide.
  Usage: The icicle spears are an example of an
  effect that is not only a danger, but which also 
  alters the terrain as the encounter progresses. It 
  creates a tool for the characters and monsters to 
  manipulate as well as potentially creating a 
  plethora of places to take cover if they don’t 
  smash on impact.
  Icy Gale
  A strong icy gale imposes disadvantage on 
  ranged weapon attack rolls and Wisdom 
  (Perception) checks that rely on hearing. An icy 
  gale also extinguishes open flames, disperses 
  fog, and makes flying by nonmagical means 
  nearly impossible.  A flying creature in icy wind 
  must land at the end of its turn or fall. A creature 
  that spends 1 minute in an area of icy gale must 
  succeed a DC 12 Constitution saving throw or 
  lose 1 Hit Die. The creature must make this
  saving throw again every hour they spend in the 
  icy gale. A creature that has no Hit Die remaining 
  suffers a level of exhaustion.
  Icy Wind in an area covered in snow can 
  create a snowstorm that imposes disadvantage 
  on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight 
  and causes creatures to lose two hit die instead 
  of one on a failed save.
  Usage: The icy gale is a take on the high winds
  with a bit of cold temperature added. This not 
  only prevents flying and ranged attacks from
  being effective, but also taxes the PCs ability to 
  recover the longer they spend in the frigid wind. 
  This can weaken the PCs when they do finally 
  arrive at their destination, leading them to enter 
  a scenario at less than full capacity. It’s possible 
  that if no action is taken while engulfed in an icy 
  gale, a PC may die from exhaustion. This puts a 
  priority on preparation and utility, either through
  preparing the appropriate spells and features, or 
  succeeding on skill checks to get through and 
  survive the gale.
  
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  Infernal Fumes
  While infernal fumes are most common in the 
  Nine Hells, they can also be found on the 
  material plane in areas of extreme heat, such as 
  a volcanic mountain or caverns that lead deep 
  into the core of the world. These massive clouds
  of gray smoke glow red with an inner heat. While 
  these aren’t sentient in the traditional sense, 
  many that have come across them believe the 
  fumes to be a living creature. This is due to the 
  fact that they frequently drift about seeking 
  creatures to choke and burn in their hellish cloud.
  Infernal Fumes fill a 15-foot radius sphere, 
  which is heavily obscured. The Infernal Fumes 
  can move up to 30 feet in a round, acting on 
  initiative 10. A creature that enters the infernal 
  fumes, or starts its turn there must make a DC 
  16 Constitution saving throw taking 22 (5d8) 
  fire damage on a failed save, and begins to 
  suffocate (see Suffocating in PHB pg 183). On a 
  success they take half damage and do not 
  suffocate. 
  Usage: The infernal fumes is another terrain 
  feature that can be used to encourage lots of 
  movement during the encounter. While it 
  presents a challenge to both monsters and PCs, 
  it does come with some advantages. The area is 
  heavily obscured, so it protects those inside from 
  outside attackers, and allows them to easily hide 
  during combat. Hopefully, this allows them to 
  gain an edge in battle.
  Jade Flame
  The jade flame is normally a small column that is 
  5-foot wide and 5-foot tall made of vibrant green 
  flame that burns everything that comes in
  contact with it. The chaotic nature of the power is 
  intriguing in many ways. While a creature or 
  object burns under its green dancing flame, it 
  cannot be harmed by other sources of heat.
  A creature that enters an area of jade flame for 
  the first time or ends there is immune to fire 
  damage while in the hazard and must make a DC
  12 Dexterity saving throw taking 8 (2d6) radiant 
  damage on a failed save, or half as much 
  damage on a successful one. On a failed save,
  the target also burns for 1 minute. The burning 
  target sheds bright light in a 20-foot radius and
  dim light for an additional 20 feet. At the end of 
  each of its turns, the creature repeats the saving 
  throw. It takes 8 (2d6) radiant damage on a failed 
  save, and the effect ends on a successful one. 
  These magical flames can’t be extinguished by 
  non magical means. 
  If damage from this effect kills a target, 
  the target is turned to ash.
  Usage: This is a great terrain to include in an 
  encounter with an enemy with a powerful fire 
  based attack or an environmental effect such as
  crossing a lava chamber. In either case, the PCs
  must decide if taking a small amount of damage 
  from the jade flame is worth gaining the fire 
  immunity. This is great for encounters where the 
  villain has a powerful effect on recharge as the 
  attack won’t come every turn, putting the PCs in a 
  tough position to choose whether to stay in the 
  jade flame or not.
  
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  Leyline Node
  An leyline node is a natural formation that has a 
  special affinity for magical power. The area can 
  be seen shimmering with energy, and any 
  creature who stands in an energy node instantly 
  feels the touch of power. Those with spellcasting 
  can attempt to draw that energy into themselves.
  A creature can use an action to make a 
  DC 17 Intelligence (Arcana) Check. On a 
  success the creature can choose expended spell 
  slots to recover. The spell slots can have a 
  combined level that is equal to or less than four. 
  On a failed save, the creature suffers the
  backlash from influx of eldritch energy and 
  suffers a level of exhaustion.
  Usage: During long adventuring days some of the 
  PCs can end up running low on spell slots. Having 
  a leyline node somewhere during the encounter 
  can give the PCs an opportunity to recover some 
  of those expended resources, but it comes with a 
  level of risk. Exhaustion is a powerful incentive to 
  not overuse the leyline nodes, but when the PCs 
  are completely out of spell slots, and are closing 
  in on the big bad, they may choose to take the
  risk, as entering a battle with a big bad with no 
  power could spell certain doom.
  Loadstone
  This strange ivory colored stone drastically 
  increases the weight of all objects within 20 feet. 
  An area covered in loadstone counts as difficult 
  terrain, which also applies to jumping or flying. 
  Any ranged attacks that have line of sight through 
  the area have their normal and maximum range 
  reduced by half and have disadvantage on attack 
  rolls.
  Usage: Loadstone is a great tool for defensive 
  areas such as towers and castles. It can be used 
  as a way to protect certain areas from ranged 
  attackers, forcing them to move in close and 
  engage in a melee brawl. Some caverns and 
  mountains can be found with loadstone 
  embedded into them making encounters against 
  flying creatures significantly more challenging 
  and forcing PCs to take a different approach. 
  Loadstone can also be used to lure an enemy 
  into a trap. If set as a barrier, the creature must 
  move through the area to get away from its 
  effects.
  Memory Lapse
  On rare occasions the creation of a homunculus 
  can go awry. During the ritual, powerful magic is
  used to sculpt and form not only the bodies, but 
  also the memories and personality of the
  homunculus. When the ritual caster fails in its 
  creation, the magic used to shift and modify the 
  memory to fit the caster’s desire often lashes out 
  and affects the terrain around the ritual location.
  The only indication of this hazardous area is clay,
  ash, mandrake root, and blood; the remnants of 
  components that were used in the ritual. The 
  hazardous area is 50-foot sphere centered on the
  ritual area. 
  A creature that casts a spell of 1st level or 
  higher while within area must succeed on a DC 
  17 Intelligence saving throw. On a failed save,
  the creature no longer has that spell prepared.
  Usage: Using an area such as this has an 
  interesting twist on the game. PCs generally 
  aren’t used to losing access to their resources. 
  What happens when a spellcaster learns that if 
  they use spells, they may lose the ability to cast 
  them temporarily? It forces characters to put a lot 
  more thought into the spells they choose to use. 
  This is great for putting PCs in a situation where
  they need to think outside the box. This terrain is 
  best used in combat with enemies that don’t use
  magic, as they will be unaffected. It is also a 
  powerful tool to let the PCs without magic shine.
  "The dragon's breath had killed most of my 
  companions. The few that had yet to perish, had 
  slipped into unconsiousness.I had stumbled into a 
  jade torrent of flames in my haste to escape, 
  setting my soul alight. The beast breathed a 
  deep breath to engulf me, but its heat did not 
  reach me. Then I was able to slay the beast!
  - Sir Aladin
  
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  Negative Energy Zone
  When a death tyrant(MM) is born, the negative 
  energy that is released during its birth leaves 
  behind a residual negative energy zone. The area 
  is normally a 150-foot-radius sphere centered on 
  the location where the death tyrant was birthed. 
  Any creature in the negative energy zone 
  can’t regain hit points. Any humanoid that dies 
  there becomes a mindless zombie(MM) with the
  urge to feed. The dead humanoid retains its place
  in the initiative order and animates at the start of 
  its next turn, provided that its body hasn’t been
  completely destroyed.
  Usage: The negative energy zone is an 
  interesting terrain as it prevents healing. This 
  creates an interesting challenge for any PC, as 
  they are used to being able to charge into battle
  then recover after an encounter or two. By using 
  a Negative Energy Zone, the characters will have 
  to be more conscious of their hit points as a 
  resource that cannot be so easily refreshed. The 
  characters will  have to think about every 
  decision; set traps, lure out foes, sneak around, 
  bribe or find some other way to deal with 
  enemies. If they don’t, they may not make it to 
  their destination
  Pendragon Endowment
  The world is full of lore of great heroes of the 
  past, many of which died in climactic battles, 
  sacrificing themselves for the good of the world. 
  Others go on to retire in secret away from the 
  enemies they’ve made and the eyes of the public 
  in order to live out their life in peace. When a 
  great hero passes, the place of their burial
  sometimes becomes a focal point of power and a 
  place of hope. Adventurers may make
  pilgrimages to these locations before or after 
  overcoming a difficult challenge.
  Small purple and pink flowers cover an 
  entire grove, seeming to shine with an eternal
  light. These groves are commonly found deep in 
  forests, where it is said that legendary kings and 
  heroes had met their end, leaving a gift for those 
  that take up their quests. 
  Each creature that takes a short or long 
  rest in this 20-foot radius area gains temporary
  hit points equal to their level + their Constitution 
  modifier. This effect also removes a level of 
  exhaustion. The magical boon lasts for up to 24 
  hours. Creatures can not gain this benefit again 
  until one year has passed.
  Usage: To make best use of this terrain, you 
  should tie it to the backstory of a PC. It could be 
  "Very interesting. If my research is correct, which it is. It appears 
  that on rare occasions, a beholder's sleeping mind drifts to places beyond 
  its normal madness, imagining a reality in which it exists beyond death. It 
  appears that when such dreams take hold, a beholder is transformed, its 
  flesh sloughing away to leave a death tyrant behind. So it would seem 
  that the entire area is effected by this transformation, raising any who 
  die as undead. Absolutely fascinating! Tis a shame what happened to that 
  group of adventurers though. While I appreciate their assistance in this 
  complex study, there was no way to know how the area would be 
  effected. I suppose that will teach adventurers to rely too much on 
  magical recovery. Now what to do with their mindless forms?”.
  - Erkel Copplepot
  
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  the barrow or tomb of an ancient ancestor, or the
  site of an historic triumph over evil. The terrain 
  serves as a serious combat boost before fighting 
  a big bad, where the odds might be stacked 
  against the heroes. This is also a neat way to 
  reward characters who roleplay devotion to a 
  deity.
  Phase Mist
  Phase mist is a hazy cloud of swirling colors not 
  unlike those found on the Astral Sea. This 
  phenomenon is an exceedingly rare occurrence. 
  Phase mist often creates confusion among those 
  who wander into it, transporting them to an area 
  between dimensions. Those who have entered 
  experience a fog-bound dimension overlapping 
  with the material plane. The effect is sporadic 
  even after the creature leaves the mist, causing 
  them to bounce between the ethereal realm and 
  the material plane randomly. 
  Phase mist is a 10-foot radius sphere. A 
  creature who enters the area must succeed on a 
  DC 17 Charisma saving throw or be under the 
  effects of the blink spell.
  Usage: This is a fantastic terrain that will add a 
  lot of surprise and chaos to an encounter. Placing 
  these in an area full of horror stories of
  ghosts(MM) and other ethereal creatures should 
  allow the characters to chase the undead back to 
  their native plane. Adding the terrain to any 
  encounter can make for fantastic combat, even
  without the theming, especially if the PCs aren’t 
  aware of its existence, but the enemy is. This 
  allows the foes to sneak around and monitor the
  characters.
  Pillar of Life
  This tall obelisk or tree is inscribed with deep 
  glyphs and overflows with nature’s life energy. 
  The power seeps into an area within a 10 foot
  radius of the obelisk. Plants grow and bloom here 
  year round, regardless of the weather.
  A creature who starts its turn within 10 
  feet of the obelisk can use a bonus action to 
  make a DC 15 Intelligence (Nature) check. On a 
  success the creature can spend one Hit Die and 
  gain a number of temporary hit points equal to 
  the number rolled.
  Usage: This life giving terrain is an interesting 
  feature on any battlefield. Any creature can tap 
  into its power, making for a difficult encounter on 
  both sides of the battle. PCs or monsters who 
  utilize this may have to fight over the territory, 
  making use of features or spells that keep the 
  enemy out of its area. Creatures attempting to 
  use the area are likely to cluster together, making 
  them ideal targets for area of effect spells, such 
  as sleep or fireball. 
  Quick Sear
  This metallic green ooze-like substance is a 
  mixture of acid and quicksilver. Quick sear is 
  usually found in small puddles no larger than a 5-
  foot radius circle. 
  A creature who enters an area of quick 
  sear for the first time or ends their turn there 
  gains resistance to lightning damage and makes 
  a DC 12 Constitution saving throw taking 11 
  (2d10) acid damage on a failed save, or half as 
  much damage on a successful one.
  Usage: Another terrain that, while hazardous, 
  also grants a boon to those who stand in its area. 
  While you could just have this substance laying 
  around on a dungeon floor, tossing it into a jar 
  that can be knocked over during combat can 
  create environment interaction. Another 
  interesting placement would be at the top of a 
  ramp or staircase, where it could slowly run down 
  toward the PCs.
  
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  Razorvine
  Razorvine is a plant that grows in wild tangles 
  and hedges. It also clings to the sides of 
  buildings and other surfaces as ivy does. A 10-
  foot-high, 10-foot-wide, 5-foot-thick wall or hedge 
  of razorvine has AC 11, 25 hit points, and 
  immunity to bludgeoning, piercing, and psychic 
  damage.
  When a creature comes into direct contact 
  with razorvine for the first time on a turn, the 
  creature must succeed on a DC 10 Dexterity 
  saving throw or take 5 (1d10) slashing damage
  from the razorvine's bladelike thorns.
  -Dungeon Master’s Guide-
  Usage: The razorvine is a must have in any hedge 
  maze or forest adventure. Combining it with
  creatures who like to grapple enemies or push 
  enemies into the hazard makes for fun dynamic 
  combat. A grappler can actually drag the enemy 
  through multiple areas of the terrain inflicting
  multiple levels of damage on the target by moving 
  them in and out of it.
  
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  Restoration Pods 
  These large, egg-like pods are used to rest by 
  mind flayers, and are commonly found in illithid 
  lairs. They are formed of curved glass panes on 
  the front, encased by burnished, iridescent metal. 
  Opening one takes an action.
  A creature can use an action to step into 
  the pod close it. Needles pierce the flesh of the 
  creature, pumping restoration fluid into them. 
  The creature must make a Constitution saving 
  throw. The DC equals 10 + the number of times 
  the creature has used a pod in the last 24 
  hours. On a successful save, the creature gains 
  the benefits of a Long Rest. On a failed save, the 
  creature gains a level of exhaustion. Either way, 
  the process takes 1 minute. 
  -Call from the Deep-
  Usage: Some PCs frequently try to take long rests 
  even in the middle of dungeons. Obviously, in 
  some cases, this shouldn’t be possible, and can 
  be prevented by utilising random encounters, 
  traps, or other mechanisms. That being said, 
  sometimes you want the battle to reach a climax 
  with the PCs at full health and with all their 
  abilities replenished. In order to get the players
  fully invested in the encounter you may need a 
  way to allow them to regain some of their 
  resources. Luckily the illithid got you covered; 
  these little restoration pods from the amazing 
  “Call from the Deep” are a good risk vs reward 
  option for your characters, as well as their 
  enemies.
  Rust Swarm
  Rust Swarms are groups of insects who, through 
  magical means and selective breeding, have 
  become a cross between locusts and rust 
  monsters. The insects were originally created by 
  a radical cult of druids who worship goddess of 
  forests, Mielikki. The cultists believe that the 
  creations of mortals are destroying her beautiful 
  forests and, in order to protect them, they created 
  these swarms that devour the metal machines of 
  mortals. While individually it could take them 
  weeks to devour a single dagger, in a swarm of 
  tens of thousands, the weapon and armor upon a 
  soldiers back will be gone in moments.
  The massive devouring swarm fills a 20-
  foot-radius sphere. The rust swarm spreads 
  around corners and its area is heavily obscured. 
  The area within the rust swarm turns into difficult
  terrain. On initiative 20, 15, 10 and 5, if no
  creatures are in the swarm, it moves up to 15 
  feet and attempts to cover as many creatures 
  wearing metal as possible.
  When a creature enters the area for the first time 
  or ends its turn there, metal objects inside begin 
  to corrode. If the object isn’t being worn or 
  carried, the swarm destroys a 1-foot cube of it. 
  If the object is being worn or carried by a 
  create, the creature can make a DC 15 Dexterity 
  saving throw to try and avoid allowing the rust 
  swarm to devour the metal. If the object touched 
  by the swarm is either metal armor or a metal 
  shield being worn or carried, it takes a 
  permanent and cumulative -1 penalty to the AC it 
  offers. Armor reduced to an AC of 10 or a shield
  that drops to a +0 bonus is destroyed. If the 
  object touched by the swarm is a held 
  
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  nonmagical metal weapon, and hits a creature 
  while in the rust swarm it begins to corrode. After 
  dealing damage, the weapon takes a permanent 
  and cumulative -1 penalty to damage rolls. If its 
  penalty drops to -5, the weapon is destroyed. 
  Nonmagical ammunition made of metal that hits 
  a creature in the swarm is destroyed after dealing 
  damage.
  An area of rust swarm exposed to any 
  area of effect that deals magical damage is
  instantly destroyed, shrinking the swarm area by 
  a minimum of 5-foot area.
  Usage: The rust swarm is a fantastic encounter 
  that can totally freak out the PCs. Having a 
  moving hazard that chases them around wishing
  to devour their armor, weapons, and all things 
  metal is bound to get them on the run. This is a 
  great encounter to pair with enemies and 
  monsters that are entirely natural and won’t be 
  hindered by the rust swarm. 
  Sacred Circle
  Sacred circles are formed when deities from the 
  Upper Planes descend to the material plane to 
  walk the earth. The touch of the divine body 
  imbues the area with a trace of heavenly power 
  and blesses the area. These locations often 
  become to site of temples or monuments, such 
  as the devout followers of the deity come to pay 
  homage to their memory, or to ask that they visit 
  the realm once more. 
  Any creature standing within the 5-foot radius 
  sacred circle begins to glow faintly with a golden 
  aura. Whenever the creature makes an attack roll
  or a saving throw, they can roll a d4 and add the 
  number rolled to the attack roll or saving throw.
  Usage: Sacred circles are likely to be harshly 
  fought over within an encounter because of their 
  magical boon. PCs and monsters will chop 
  through one another to get this buff, making it a 
  great terrain to add to your encounters. If you tie 
  it to a specific deity, maybe consider giving a 
  follower of that deity a slightly stronger buff,
  perhaps from a d4 to a d6. If you know the
  characters are going to encounter a foe with a 
  high AC, this terrain should make it easier for 
  them to hit.
  demy Pre
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  ed by the rust swarm
  pe
  characters a
  high AC, this terrain sh
  them to hit.
  "It was a dark day when a Nightwood 
  Cult decided ter attack our mountain 
  home. We dwarves were ready te fight 
  and confident in er defenses. However 
  chaos ensued when they released insect 
  swarms into er home that swarmed us 
  and consumed anythin metal, cludin 
  our armor, weapons and other tools. 
  The panic dat day caused more deaths 
  of our brothers and sisters den anythin."
  - Gromel Bronzebeard
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  Shadowfell Despair
  Similar to the Feywild, the Shadowfell overlaps 
  the Material Plane, but unlike the colorful plane 
  of the Feywild, the Shadowfell is entirely devoid of 
  color and life. Aside from the bleak landscape it 
  is a near replica of the Material Plane. The 
  Shadowfell is filled with a melancholic 
  atmosphere, and on occasion some of that 
  darkness seeps into the Material Plane, stealing 
  its color and sending creatures in the area into 
  despair. It is said that the entire great city of 
  Baldur’s Gate was once captured under this 
  effect. Some believe that the Shadowfell Despair 
  is the reason the city has become a haven for 
  criminal activity.
  When you deem it appropriate, though 
  usually not more than once per day, you can
  require a creature in this hazardous terrain to 
  make a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw. On a 
  success, increase the DC on the next save 
  against this effect by 1. On a failure, the 
  character is affected by despair. Roll a d6 to 
  determine the effects, using the Shadowfell 
  Despair table. You can substitute different 
  despair effects of your own creation.
  If a creature is already suffering a despair 
  effect and fails the saving throw, the new despair 
  effect replaces the old one. After finishing a long 
  rest, a creature can attempt to overcome despair 
  effect with a DC 15 Wisdom saving throw. On a
  successful save, the despair effect ends for that 
  creature. 
  A calm emotions spell removes despair, as 
  does any spell or other magical effect that 
  removes a curse.
  D6
  EFFECT
    1-2
  Apathy. The creature has disadvantage on death saving throws and on Dexterity checks for 
  initiative, and gains the following flaw: �I don�t believe I can make a difference to anyone or 
  anything.�
  3
  Dread. The creature has disadvantage on all saving throws and gains the following flaw: �I 
  am convinced that I am going to die in this place.�
  4
  Hallucination. The creature has disadvantage on ability checks and saving throws that use 
  Intelligence or Wisdom, and gains the following flaw: �I can�t tell what�s real anymore.�
  5
  Paranoia. The creature has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks that use 
  Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, and gains the following flaw: �I am convinced that 
  powerful enemies are hunting me, and their agents are everywhere I go. I am sure they're 
  watching me all the time."
  6
  Madness. The creature rolls on the Long-Term Madness table in the (DMG pg 260) and 
  gains the following flaw: �There�s only one person I can trust, and only I can see this special 
  friend.� 
  
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  Shadow Motes
  These orbs of darkness are often mistaken for 
  creatures such as a ghosts or other spooks. 
  However, they are in fact a manifestation of the 
  aberrant necrotic energy that has bled over from 
  the Far Realm. These small black and purple 
  floating spheres dart around randomly as if 
  carried upon invisible gusts of wind, sometimes 
  converging on sleeping or incapacitated 
  enemies. 
  The floating motes each occupy a 5-foot 
  square area hovering just above the ground. Any 
  creature standing in the area of a shadow mote 
  must make a DC 15 Dexterity saving throw or 
  take 16 (3d10) necrotic damage. A creature 
  whose hit points drop to 0 while in the area 
  becomes cursed, haunted by half-remembered 
  nightmares of aberrant creatures from the Far 
  Realm. The visions appear as phantasms in the 
  creatures peripheral vision, causing paranoia and 
  fear. All attacks against the creature have 
  advantage and the creature moves at half speed 
  until the effect is removed by the remove curse 
  spell or a similar effect. 
  Usage: Aside from introducing a moving, 
  damaging area of effect, Shadow Motes punishes 
  characters who are knocked unconscious. Not 
  only does it trigger death saves, but it forces the
  other PCs to act in a protective manner, changing 
  priority in combat to rescuing the ally. On top of 
  that, once they are restored or protected, they are 
  hindered by a curse that affects them until it can 
  be removed, turning the PC into liability.
  Sultan's Decree
  Somewhere, out in the harshest deserts of the 
  Material Plane, is a place where the endless 
  sands dissipate to reveal a throne room filled 
  with thrumming crystals the size of wagons.. The 
  crystals very in color and texture, and their 
  constant humming, which sounded intriguing 
  from the outside, takes on a terrifying tombre 
  within the chamber.. 
  A creature that enters the area for the first 
  time, or ends their turn within 30 feet of the 
  crystals must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom 
  saving throw, or be under the effects of the 
  command spell. They follow the next one-word 
  command issued in a language they understand. 
  On a success the creature becomes immune to 
  the effect of the sultan’s decree again for 24
  hours.
  Usage: Due to the nature of roleplay, we never 
  know what is going to take place at a table, or 
  what will be said. The sultan’s decree is 
  interesting for a number of different reasons. If 
  you choose to include a villian in the encounter
  who understands the area’s effect, they could 
  give commands that could potentially affect the 
  entire party all at once.If nobody else is present, 
  there is no telling what command will come out of 
  normal conversation between the PCs or NPCs,
  making this an absolutely disruptive terrain in any 
  encounter.
  U
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  Temporal Distortion
  Time is said to be relative to those who perceive 
  it. Being a creation of mortals as a way to track 
  their lives, there are some places in the world 
  where time moves differently. In popular faiths it 
  is said that these small pockets of temporal 
  distortion are where a god was born into the 
  world. These small areas of focused power are
  often no larger than 5-foot radius sphere. These 
  areas provide a unique perspective of the world 
  while under their influence.
  Haste Distortion. In a haste distortion it 
  seems as though the world slows down around 
  the creature that stands in its area of effect. A 
  creature who enters this area for the first time or 
  starts their turn there gains the following benefits 
  while they remain in the area; their speed is 
  doubled, they gain a +2 bonus to AC, they have 
  advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and they 
  gain an additional action on each of its turns. 
  That action can be used only to take the Attack 
  (one weapon attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide,
  or Use an object action.
  Slow Distortion. In a slow distortion it 
  seems as though the world speeds up around the
  creature that stands in its area of effect. A 
  creature who enters this area for the first time, or 
  starts their turn there gains the following effects; 
  their speed is halved, they take a -2 penalty to AC
  and Dexterity saving throws, and can’t use 
  reactions. On their turn, they can use either an
  action or a bonus action, not both. Regardless of 
  the creature’s abilities or magic items, they can’t 
  make more than one melee or ranged attack 
  during their turn. 
  If the creature attempts to cast a spell 
  with a casting time of 1 action, roll a d20. On  an 
  11 or higher, the spell doesn’t take effect until 
  the creature’s next turn, and the creature must 
  use its action on that turn to complete the spell. 
  If it can’t, the spell is wasted.
  Usage: This is one of the few terrains with 
  different effects depending on the DM’s needs. 
  You can pick or choose whichever fits your 
  encounter better, or even have it alternate every
  few rounds. In either case, the PCs can use this 
  to their advantage, either speeding up their 
  killing effectiveness or slowing down enemies to 
  a crawl. Both sides of the fight will get a lot of 
  tactical advantage out of this, and make it a 
  resource worth battling for.
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  starts their turn there gains the following effects;
  
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  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  Touch of the Far Realm
  In areas where stray energies from the Far Realm 
  touch the material plane, matter is warped and
  twisted into disgusting forms. These areas often
  contain a tear in the fabric of space that 
  emanates sickly green colors. These 50-foot cube 
  areas around the tear become far touched, and 
  are mutated into disgusting visages. 
  A creature entering the area for the first time or 
  that starts its turn there must succeed on a DC
  16 Constitution saving throw or take 7 (2d6) 
  psychic damage and suffer an effect on the
  mutation table (see below). A creature within 10 
  feet of the tear has disadvantage on the saving 
  throw.  
  The mutation lasts 3d10 days. The effects 
  are cumulative, meaning it is possible to have 
  more than one effect at a time. While under the
  D6
  Mutation Effect
  1
  Boils and Sores. The creature�s body is covered in painful and irritating boils and sores that 
  leak fluids and are prone to infection. Whenever the creature takes damage they take an 
  extra 3 (1d6) slashing damage and the creature has disadvantage against all saving throws 
  against poison effects.
  2
  Tentacles. The creature�s arms turn into slimy grey tentacles. As an action, the creature can 
  use one of them to try to grapple a creature. Each one is also a natural weapon, which can 
  be used to make an unarmed strike and has a reach of 10 feet.. If the creature hits with it, 
  the target takes bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + Strength modifier. Immediately after 
  hitting, the creature can try to grapple the target as a bonus action. These appendages can�t 
  precisely manipulate anything and can�t wield weapons, magic items, or other specialized 
  equipment.
  3
  Barbed Carapace. The creature�s body begins to harden and become disfigured, looking 
  similar to a carapace. While not wearing armor their AC is increased by 1. At the start of 
  each of their turns, the carapace deals 3 (1d6) piercing damage to any creature grappled by 
  or grappling the creature.
  4
  One Eye. The creature�s eyes move to the center of their forehead and merge into a single 
  eye. This causes poor depth perception. The creature has disadvantage on any attack roll 
  against a target more than 20 feet away.
  5
  Rubber Body.  The creature�s body becomes soft and rubbery, making it difficult to stand up 
  straight and use its muscles properly. It�s speed is halved,it has disadvantage on strength 
  checks, and it doesn�t add its strength or dexterity modifier to weapon damage. It gains 
  immunity to bludgeoning damage and takes half damage from falls. The creature can also 
  squeeze into tight spaces providing its equipment can fit.
  6
  Hemophilia. The creature�s skin turns black and blue as if bruised. It�s blood is altered and 
  lacks coagulating agents, meaning that  any cuts continue to bleed until the wound is 
  closed. If the creature is hit with an attack that deals slashing or piercing damage, they must 
  succeed on a DC 13 Constitution saving throw, losing 1 Hit Die on a failure. They must 
  make the save again every hour until the wound is healed completely by a magical effect, or 
  a DC 15 Wisdom (Medicine) check. If the creature doesn�t have any Hit Die, it suffers one 
  level of exhaustion.
  
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  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  mutation effect, the creature has disadvantage 
  on all Charisma checks. The mutations can be 
  removed with greater restoration or similar 
  magical effects.
  Usage: The Far Realm is an area full of mystery 
  and the unknown; an alien power that few
  understand. Including this feature adds a new
  roleplaying aspect to encounters as it causes the 
  PCs physical appearance to change in frightening 
  ways.. As the effects are cumulative, a characters 
  might become a truly hideous aberration. Some 
  of the effects do grant boons, but generally at a 
  cost. This is a great way to introduce monster 
  variants to your game. A group of monsters may 
  already be under the effects of some or all of the 
  effects, making for a terrifying encounter
  mutation effect, the creature has disadvantage
  on all Charisma checks. The mutations can be
  might become a truly hideous aberration. Some
  of the effects do grant boons, but generally at a
  
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  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
  .
  Thunder Shards
  These light blue crystalline shards with white 
  web-like veins are solidified thunder energy. They 
  resonate with the sound of a distant 
  thunderstorm, shuddering from the energy 
  hidden within. Most creatures who have 
  knowledge of these shards often do their best to 
  avoid them. Others though, such as orcs and 
  hobgoblins, are well aware of their danger, as 
  well as their battlefield advantage. They 
  sometimes place their camps or fortresses near 
  them, using them as defensive fortifications or 
  alarms.
  An area of thunder shards is difficult 
  terrain. If a creature makes a ranged or melee 
  attack against a target standing near the shards 
  and misses by 5 or more, the shards in the area 
  explode with a thunderous wave of energy. Each 
  creature in a 10-foot cube centered on the 
  missed creature must make a DC 12 
  Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a 
  creature takes 9 (2d8) thunder damage per tier 
  and is pushed 10 feet away from the creature. On 
  a successful save, the creature takes half as 
  much damage and isn’t pushed.
  In addition, unsecured objects that are 
  completely within the area of effect are
  automatically pushed 10 feet away from the
  centered origin by the shard’s effect, and they 
  emit a thunderous boom audible out to 300 feet.
  Usage: Thunder shards make perfect traps set 
  for PCs, or a useful alarm system to alert 
  enemies. Since the thunder shards have a
  pushback effect, placing them at the sides of 
  ravines or platforms can make for a surprisingly 
  dangerous terrain feature.
  Unhallowed Ground
  This is the site of a dark necromancer’s powerful 
  ritual, or an area of ceremonial sacrifice. The 
  stench of death fills the bloody area, which can 
  be any size, attracting spirits of the dead.
  Necromancy spells of first level or higher cast 
  while within the area are empowered as if the
  spell was cast one level higher than the spell slot
  used, up to 9th level, and the spell save DC is 
  increased by 1.
  A vial of holy water purifies a 10-foot-
  square area of unhallowed ground when
  sprinkled on it, and a hallow spell purifies the 
  unhallowed ground within its area.
  Usage: Another terrain used to enhance the 
  effect of a specific school of magic. This is a 
  great addition when your villain is a necromancer, 
  or you want to let your necromancer PC really 
  shine. Including this area could also be the key to
  defeating an enemy. PCs with holy water or spells 
  like hallow can enjoy the use of their niche skills.
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  much damage and isn’t pushed
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  much damage and isn t pushed.
  In addition, unsecured objb ects that are
  completely within the area of effect are
  automatically pushed 10 feet away from the
  centered origin by the shard’s effect, and they
  emit a thunderous boom audible out to 300 feet.
  Usage: Thunder shards make perfect traps set
  for PCs, or a useful alarm system to alert
  enemies. Since the thunder shards have a
  pushback effect, placing them at the sides of
  ravines or platforms can make for a surprisingly
  dangerous terrain feature.
  
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  Crit Academy Presents: Fantastic Terrain
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