Page 105 - Dungeon Master's Guide

In subterranean settlements, even races that have When a creature moves to within 5 feet of the mold
darkvision use fire for warmth, cooking, and defense. for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it
But many creatures have no need of warmth or light. must make a DC 12 Constitution saving throw, taking
Adventurers must bring their own sources of light into 22 (4d10) cold damage on a failed save, or half as much
usty tombs where only undead stand guard, abandoned damage on a successful one.
;uins teeming with predatory monsters and oozes, and Brown mold is immune to fire, and any source of fire
natural caverns where sightless creatures hunt. brought within 5 feet of a patch causes it to instantly
The light of a torch or lantern helps a character expand outward in the direction of the fire, covering a
: e over a short distance, but other creatures can 10-foot-square area (with the source of the fire at the
: e that light source from far away. Bright light in an center of that area). A patch of brown mold exposed to
environment of total darkness can be visible for miles, an effect that deals cold damage is instantly destroyed.
j]ough a clear line of sight over such a distance is rare
underground. Even so, adventurers using light sources GREEN SLIME
JJ a dungeon often attract monsters, just as dungeon This acidic slime devours flesh, organic material, and
•eatures that shed light (from phosphorescent fungi metal on contact. Bright green, wet, and sticky, it clings
-o the glow of magical portals) can draw adventurers' to walls, floors, and ceilings in patches.
anention. A patch of green slime covers a 5-foot square, has
blindsight out to a range of 30 feet, and drops from
_UR QUALITY walls and ceilings when it detects movement below it.
ubterranean tunnels and aboveground ruins are often Beyond that, it has no ability to move. A creature aware
enclosed spaces with little airflow. Though it's rare for of the slime's presence can avoid being struck by it with
a dungeon to be sealed so tightly that adventurers have a successful DC 10 Dexterity saving throw. Otherwise,
ouble breathing, the atmosphere is often stifling and the slime can't be avoided as it drops.
oppressive. What's more, odors linger in a dungeon and A creature that comes into contact with green slime
can be magnified by the stillness of the atmosphere. takes 5 (1d10) acid damage. The creature takes the
damage again at the start of each of its turns until the
OUNDS slime is scraped off or destroyed. Against wood or
A dungeon's enclosed geography helps channel sound. metal, green slime deals 11 (2d10) acid damage each
The groaning creak of an opening door can echo down round, and any nonmagical wood or metal weapon or
hundreds of feet of passageway. Louder·noises such tool used to scrape off the slime is effectively destroyed.
a the clanging hammers of a forge or the din of battle Sunlight, any effect that cures disease, and any effect
can reverberate through an entire dungeon. Many that deals cold, fire, or radiant damage destroys a patch
creatures that live underground use such sounds as a of green slime.
"';'\ay of locating prey, or go on alert at any sound of an
adventuring party's intrusion. WEBS
Giant spiders weave thick, sticky webs across passages
DUNGEON HAZARDS and at the bottom of pits to snare prey. These web-filled
areas are difficult terrain. Moreover, a creature entering
The hazards described here are but a few examples of
a webbed area for the first time on a turn or starting its
the environmental dangers found underground and in
other dark places. Dungeon hazards are functionally turn there must succeed on a DC 12 Dexterity saving
imilar to traps, which are described at the end of throw or become restrained by the webs. A restrained
this chapter. creature can use its action to try to escape, doing
Detecting a Hazard. No ability check is required so with a successful DC 12 Strength (Athletics) or
to spot a hazard unless it is hidden. A hazard that Dexterity (Acrobatics) check.
resembles something benign, such as a patch of slime Each 10-foot cube of giant webs has AC 10, 15
or mold, can be correctly identified with a successful hit points, vulnerability to fire, and immunity to
Intelligence (Nature) check. Use the guidelines in bludgeoning, piercing, and psychic damage.
chapter 8 to set an appropriate DC for any check made
YELLOW MOLD
to spot or recognize a hazard.
Yellow mold grows in dark places, and one patch covers
Hazard Severity. To determine a hazard's deadliness
a 5-foot square. If touched, the mold ejects a cloud of
relative to the characters, think of the hazard as a trap
spores that fills a 10-foot cube originating from the
and compare the damage it deals with the party's level
mold. Any creature in the area must succeed on a DC
using the Damage Severity by Level table later in the
15 Constitution saving throw or take 11 (2d10) poison
chapter (the table also appears in chapter 8).
damage and become poisoned for 1 minute. While
poisoned in this way, the creature takes 5 (1d10) poison
BROWN MOLD
damage at the start of each of its turns. The creature
Brown mold feeds on warmth, drawing heat from
can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its
anything around it. A patch of brown mold typically
turns, ending the effect on itself on a successful save.
covers a 10-foot square, and the temperature within 30
feet of it is always frigid. Sunlight or any amount of fire damage instantly
destroys one patch of yellow mold.
CHAPTER 5 I ADVENTURE ENVIRONMENTS
105