Complex Hazards

Complex hazards roll initiative and act on their turn.

Eternal Flame

HAZARD 7

Traits: complex, haunt

Stealth +18 (expert)

Description A raging spectral inferno arises out of thin air, strengthening all undead creatures within its area. This haunt most often arises from the charred remains of a group of three people who burned to death, whether in a terrible accident or a deliberate execution, and their unavenged souls burn with rage.

Disable DC 27 Diplomacy (expert) to temporarily calm the rage of one of the three spirits, or DC 30 Religion (trained) to exorcise one of the spirits; three total successes are required to disable the haunt

Searing Agony ↩ (divination, mental) Trigger A living creature approaches within 10 feet of the remains of a victim of the original fire; Effect Memories of the pain suffered by the fire’s past victims assault the triggering creature’s mind. The creature must attempt a DC 25 Will save, and the haunt then rolls initiative.

Critical Success The creature is unaffected.

Success The creature is sickened 1.

Failure The creature is sickened 2.

Critical Failure The creature is sickened 3, and it is flat-footed for as long as it remains within the haunt’s area and for 3 rounds thereafter.

Routine (1 action) Phantom flames rage across the haunted area, dealing 4d6 fire damage to each living creature within the area (DC 23 basic Will save). Undead creatures in the area are infused with flames for the following round. They gain the fire trait and immunity to fire, and all their attacks deal an additional 1d6 fire damage. Objects in the area are unaffected.

Reset The flames cease 1 minute after all living creatures leave the area, but after 1 hour, the anger and pain simmer up and the haunt is ready to trigger again.

Confounding Betrayal

HAZARD 8

Traits: complex, haunt

Stealth +21 (expert)

Description Allies appear to shed their disguises and reveal themselves to be malevolent monsters.

Disable DC 28 Deception (expert) twice to confound the haunt with your own deceptions, or DC 28 Occultism (trained) twice to create a ward against the haunt’s mental influence

Unmask ↩ (illusion, occult) Trigger Two or more creatures enter the haunt’s area; Effect Each creature sees the forms of nearby creatures shift and change, appearing to transform into fiendish or aberrant beings with a thirst for blood. Each creature in the area must attempt a DC 30 Will save.

Critical Success The creature sees through the illusions entirely and is temporarily immune to the haunt’s routine for 1 minute.

Success The creature is unaffected by the strange images.

Failure The creature believes the illusions to be true; if they become confused by the haunt’s routine, they can’t attempt flat checks to end the confused condition when they take damage.

Critical Failure As failure, but the creature is left with a lingering suspicion of others and can’t benefit from Aid reactions for 24 hours.

Routine (1 action; illusion, incapacitation, occult) The haunt continues to confound victims’ senses and inspire them to commit violence against each other. Each creature in the haunt’s area must attempt a DC 26 Will save.

Critical Success The creature is unaffected and temporarily immune for 1 minute.

Success The creature is unaffected.

Failure The creature is confused for 1 round.

Critical Failure The creature is confused for 1 minute.

Reset The haunt deactivates 1 minute after all creatures leave the area but resets immediately thereafter.

Perilous Flash Flood

HAZARD 10

Traits: complex, environmental

Stealth +22 (expert)

Description Whether made up of water rushing through the streets that sweeps up dangerous debris along the way or a less natural substance bursting free of its container, this relentless flood batters everything in its path.

Disable three DC 35 Athletics, Crafting, or Survival checks to move or construct barricades strong enough to create a shelter from the flood. While this creates a safe place to stand, creatures outside of the barricaded area may still be in danger depending on the nature and the source of the flood.

Burst Free ↩ Trigger A creature or effect breaks the flood’s containment; Effect The hazard rolls initiative as the flood surges forth.

Routine (1 action) The flood advances forward 60 feet, crashing into all creatures within its area. Each creature must attempt a DC 30 Fortitude save as the floodwaters pummel them and pull them downstream. The amount and type of damage dealt are based on the nature of the flood, and certain types of floods impose additional effects. The turbulent waters mean creatures within the area of the flood must attempt a DC 20 Athletics check to Swim in order to move, and those who do not succeed at a check to Swim each round may drown.

Critical Success The creature takes no damage.

Success The creature takes half damage.

Failure The creature takes full damage and is moved 10 feet along with the water.

Critical Failure The creature takes double damage and is moved 20 feet along with the water.

• Acidic Runoff This caustic flood dissolves flesh as it moves, dealing 1d12 bludgeoning damage and 1d12+8 acid damage. Additionally, it deals 2d6 persistent acid damage to creatures who critically fail their Fortitude saves.
• Battering Waves This flood of rushing water deals 2d12+10 bludgeoning damage.
• Repulsive Refuse This flood has picked up tainted or disease-ridden objects like sewer runoff or rotting food. It deals 2d12+8 bludgeoning damage. Each creature exposed to the flood must attempt a DC 29 Fortitude save, becoming sickened 1 on a failure or sickened 2 on a critical failure. Additionally, creatures who come into contact with the flood waters are exposed to filth fever (DC 20 Fortitude, Bestiary 258).
• Sharp Debris The waters have picked up various objects, some of which are particularly sharp. The flood deals 1d12 bludgeoning damage and 1d12+12 piercing damage.
• Sticky Goo The substance is particularly sticky. It deals 2d12+6 bludgeoning damage. Additionally, each creature in the flood must attempt a DC 29 Reflex save at the beginning of their turn each round. On a failed saving throw, they take a –10-foot circumstance penalty to all their Speeds for 1 round. On a critical failure, they are instead immobilized for 1 round.

Flensing Blades

HAZARD 12

Traits: complex, haunt

Stealth +25 (expert)

Description A whirling tornado of spectrally propelled glass and steel slices whatever it touches to ribbons.

Disable DC 35 Thievery (master) to precisely adjust the blades so that they destroy each other, or DC 38 Religion (expert) to weaken the haunt; four successes are required to disable it

AC 33; Fort +27, Ref +25, Will +22

Hardness 20; HP 100 (BT 50); Immunities critical hits, object immunities, precision damage; Weaknesses positive 15

Whirling Blades ↩ Trigger Three or more creatures enter the area of the haunt; Effect sharp fragments lift up from the ground and begin to spin in rapid circles taking up one 5-foot square. The haunt rolls initiative.

Routine (3 actions) The tornado of blades uses 3 actions to move, traveling up to 30 feet with each action and dealing 2d10+10 slashing damage. Each creature in its path must attempt a DC 33 Reflex save.

Critical Success The creature is unaffected.

Success The creature takes half damage.

Failure The creature takes full damage plus 1d10 persistent bleed damage.

Critical Failure The creature takes double damage and 1d10 persistent bleed damage. It also becomes wounded 1 (or increases its wounded value by 1, if it is already wounded). Each successful check to disable this hazard reduces the haunt’s movement by 30 feet, and the fourth success disables it completely.

Reset The haunt draws jagged shards back into its area over the course of an hour, after which it can trigger again.

Dance of Death

HAZARD 16

Traits: complex, haunt

Stealth +32 (master)

Description An eerie orchestra compels all who hear it to dance until they collapse from exhaustion.

Disable DC 42 Intimidation (expert) three times to frighten dancers and spectral musicians alike away from participating in the deadly performance, DC 40 Performance (master) twice to produce a tune discordant enough to disrupt the compulsion, or DC 42 Religion (master) three times to banish the spirits with prayers

Prelude ↩ (auditory, enchantment, incapacitation, occult)

Trigger A creature approaches within 30 feet of the orchestra; Effect The orchestra compels all creatures that can hear it to begin dancing. Each creature must attempt a DC 41 Will save, with the following effects.

Critical Success The creature is unaffected.

Success The creature is flat-footed and cannot use reactions. Additionally, it must spend 1 of its actions each round dancing. Dancing is a move action that allows the creature to Stride up to half its Speed.

Failure As success, except the creature must spend 2 of its actions each round dancing.

Critical Failure As failure, except the creature must spend 3 of its actions each round dancing.

Routine (1 action; auditory, enchantment, incapacitation, occult) The orchestra performs a raucous tune, compelling all creatures that can hear it to spend actions dancing. Each round, creature must attempt a DC 37 Will save; the results of this save modify the number of actions that the creature must spend dancing each round. If this would cause the creature to spend more actions dancing than it can use on its turn, the creature takes 10d6 damage (or double that on a critical failure) from moving faster than its body can manage.

Critical Success The creature decreases the number of actions it must spend dancing by 1.

Success No effect.

Failure The creature increases the actions it must spend dancing by 1.

Critical Failure The creature increases the actions it must spend dancing by 2.

Reset The eerie orchestra spends an hour retuning its phantasmal instruments, after which it is ready to begin its routine again.