Nowhere Land's domains manifest every conceivable environment—and many inconceivable ones. From scorching deserts that remember ancient wars to frozen peaks where time itself crystallizes, the terrain is as much an adversary as any creature. These rules govern survival, shelter, and the harsh reality of traveling through hostile lands.
Environmental Zones Overview
Every domain contains environmental zones—distinct regions with their own climate, terrain, and hazards. Understanding these zones is essential for planning expeditions and keeping your party alive.
Zone Categories
Temperate Zones: Forest, plains, hills, coastlines. Standard survival difficulty.
Extreme Zones: Desert, tundra, volcanic, deep ocean. Require specialized preparation.
Hostile Zones: Domains that actively resist travelers. Environment itself attacks.
Impossible Zones: Reality-warped regions. Normal survival rules may not apply.
Climate Systems
Climate determines the baseline conditions travelers face. Each climate has a Severity Levelthat modifies survival checks and resource consumption.
Climate Severity Table
| Climate | Severity | Water Needs | Shelter Needs | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temperate | 0 | 1 ration/day | Optional | — |
| Arid/Hot | +1 | 2 rations/day | Midday shade required | Heatstroke risk |
| Cold | +1 | 1.5 rations/day | Nightly required | Frostbite risk |
| Frozen/Tundra | +2 | 2 rations/day | Always required | Exposure = 1 Wound/hour |
| Desert | +2 | 3 rations/day | Shade essential | Night cold, day heat |
| Tropical/Jungle | +1 | 2 rations/day | Dry shelter needed | Disease, parasites |
| Volcanic/Infernal | +3 | 3 rations/day | Heat-resistant only | 1 Wound/10 min unprotected |
| High Altitude | +2 | 1.5 rations/day | Required | Altitude sickness, thin air |
Terrain Types
Each terrain type presents unique challenges for movement, combat, and survival. Terrain modifiers stack with climate severity.
🏜️ Desert
Desert Terrain
Movement: Half speed through soft sand. Normal on hardpan.
Visibility: Excellent (2+ miles) except during sandstorms.
Navigation: +2 difficulty—landmarks shift, mirages deceive.
Resources: Water sources extremely rare. Oases guarded by creatures or Partisans.
❄️ Tundra & Frozen Wastes
Frozen Terrain
Movement: Normal on packed snow. Half speed in deep snow. Ice requires Athletics checks.
Visibility: Whiteout conditions during blizzards. Snow glare causes -1 to perception.
Navigation: +2 difficulty—all landmarks look the same.
Resources: Fuel for fire is critical. Ice can be melted for water (1 ration fuel per day).
🌧️ Rainforest & Jungle
Jungle Terrain
Movement: Half speed through dense vegetation. Machete or Survival skill to clear paths.
Visibility: 30-50 feet in canopy. Above canopy, excellent.
Navigation: +1 difficulty—canopy blocks sky, paths twist.
Resources: Water abundant but must be purified. Food plentiful for skilled foragers.
🏔️ Mountains & High Altitude
Mountain Terrain
Movement: Vertical climbs require Athletics. Trails at normal speed.
Visibility: Excellent from peaks. Valleys and passes obscured by fog.
Navigation: +1 difficulty—passes are limited, weather changes rapidly.
Resources: Water from streams. Food scarce at altitude. Fuel (wood) rare above treeline.
🏖️ Coastline & Beach
Coastal Terrain
Movement: Normal on hard sand. Reduced on soft sand or rocks.
Visibility: Excellent seaward. Fog common at dawn.
Navigation: Easy along coast. +2 difficulty inland from unfamiliar beaches.
Resources: Salt water must be desalinated. Fishing provides food. Driftwood for fuel.
🌾 Plains & Grasslands
Plains Terrain
Movement: Normal or fast (1.5x) on open ground.
Visibility: Miles in every direction. No concealment.
Navigation: Easy—landmarks visible from far away.
Resources: Streams for water. Hunting required for food. Grass for fuel (burns fast).
🕳️ Caverns & Grottos
Subterranean Terrain
Movement: Varies wildly. Some passages require crawling or climbing.
Visibility: Zero without light source. Echoes distort sound.
Navigation: +3 difficulty—all passages look alike. Mapping essential.
Resources: Underground water often available. No food without specialized skills. No fuel.
🔥 Volcanic & Fiery Landscapes
Volcanic Terrain
Movement: Careful movement required. Running risks falls into lava cracks.
Visibility: Smoke and ash reduce to 100 feet. Gas vents create dead zones.
Navigation: +2 difficulty—terrain reshapes with eruptions.
Resources: No water. No food. No fuel needed—it's already too hot.
⚡ Quicksand & Treacherous Ground
Quicksand Rules
Detection: Anima + Survival TN 10 to spot before stepping in.
Sinking: Each round, sink one stage: Ankle → Knee → Waist → Chest → Submerged.
Escape: Forma + Athletics TN 12 per stage. Struggling adds +2 to TN.
Rescue: Rope + assistance reduces TN by 4. Pulling directly risks helper sinking too.
Death: Submerged = Begin drowning. 5 rounds to rescue before death.
Weather Phenomena
Weather in Nowhere Land is rarely mundane. Roll on these tables when traveling through unstable domains, or when the narrative demands environmental drama.
Natural Weather (d12)
- 1-2. Clear: Perfect conditions. +1 to navigation, morale.
- 3-4. Overcast: No modifiers. Comfortable travel.
- 5. Light Rain: -1 to ranged attacks. Tracks wash away in 1 hour.
- 6. Heavy Rain: Visibility 100 feet. Streams may flood.
- 7. Thunderstorm: -2 to stealth (noise). Lightning strikes metal.
- 8. Fog: Visibility 30 feet. +2 to stealth, +2 to ambush checks.
- 9. Wind: Ranged attacks -2. Flying impossible. Fires spread.
- 10. Hail: 1 Wound/hour exposure. Tents and light structures damaged.
- 11. Extreme: Roll on Climate Severity—blizzard, sandstorm, monsoon.
- 12. Supernatural: Roll on Domain Weather table.
Domain Weather (d12)
- 1. Memory Rain: Flashbacks to past events. -1 to new actions.
- 2. Probability Fog: Dice explode on 5+ but botch on 1-2.
- 3. Echo Wind: Voices of the dead whisper secrets (or lies).
- 4. Rust Storm: Metal degrades. Weapons lose 1 damage tier.
- 5. Time Drizzle: Age 1 year per hour exposed.
- 6. Silence Snow: No sound possible. Speech fails.
- 7. Emotion Haze: Feelings amplified. +1 empathy, -1 logic.
- 8. Reality Hail: Fragments of other domains fall. 1 Wound/hour.
- 9. Gravity Shift: Direction changes randomly each hour.
- 10. Threshold Thunder: Portals flicker open with each crack.
- 11. Ink Clouds: Visibility 10 feet. Everything stains black.
- 12. The Watching: The Count's attention increases. +1 Debt.
Camping & Rest
Rest is essential for survival. A proper camp restores health, allows crafting, and provides safety from environmental hazards. An improper camp can be worse than no camp at all.
Establishing Camp
Camp Setup
Time Required: 1 hour for basic camp, 2 hours for fortified camp.
Site Selection: Anima + Survival TN 8 to find a good site. Failure means exposed or dangerous location.
Components:
- Shelter: Tent, lean-to, or natural cover. Required in extreme climates.
- Fire: Provides warmth, cooking, light. Requires fuel (1 unit/night).
- Watch: Rotating guard duty prevents ambush. Unguarded camps are vulnerable.
- Wards: Optional magical/mundane protections against domain creatures.
Camp Quality Levels
| Quality | Requirements | Benefits | Risks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Desperate | Nothing—sleeping on ground | 2 hours rest = 1 hour normal | Full exposure to elements, easy ambush |
| Basic | Shelter OR fire | Normal rest rate | Partial exposure, -2 to ambush detection |
| Comfortable | Shelter AND fire | +1 Wound healed per long rest | Standard watch rotation |
| Fortified | Shelter, fire, wards, watch | +2 Wounds healed, +2 morale | Attackers at disadvantage |
| Bastion | Permanent structure | Full recovery, crafting, research | See Bastion Management rules |
Camp Activities
What You Can Do While Camping
During a long rest (8 hours), characters can perform one camp activity in addition to sleeping:
- Cook: Prepare rations. Hot food grants +1 morale next day.
- Craft: Work on equipment, potions, or repairs (see Crafting rules).
- Forage: Survival check to find 1d4 rations or useful materials.
- Scout: Map the surrounding area. +2 to navigation next day.
- Tend Wounds: Medicine check to heal +1 additional Wound for a patient.
- Stand Watch: Full watch duty. No rest benefit but +4 to detecting ambush.
- Study: Research domain lore, Partisan texts, or spell preparation.
- Commune: Attempt to contact domain spirits or Geniuses.
Resting Rules
Rest Types
Short Rest (1 hour)
- Catch breath, eat a snack, tend minor wounds
- Recover 1 Essence point (player's choice which)
- No Wound recovery without medical treatment
Long Rest (8 hours, 6 sleeping)
- Requires Basic camp or better
- Recover all Essence points
- Heal 1 Wound naturally (more with Comfortable+ camp)
- Perform one camp activity
Extended Rest (24+ hours)
- Requires Comfortable camp or better
- Heal 2 Wounds per day
- Recover from diseases and poisons with checks
- Perform major crafting projects
Harsh Conditions
When the environment turns deadly, standard rules apply pressure. These conditions can stack, creating genuinely dangerous situations.
Exposure
Exposure occurs when characters lack adequate protection from extreme temperatures.
Cold Exposure: Without shelter/fire in freezing conditions, make Forma check TN 10 each hour. Failure: 1 Wound from hypothermia. Three failures: Frostbite (permanent -1 to affected limb until treated).
Heat Exposure: Without shade/water in scorching conditions, make Forma check TN 10 each hour. Failure: 1 Wound from heatstroke. Also lose 1 additional water ration.
Toxic Exposure: In volcanic gas, chemical zones, or corrupted areas. Forma check TN 12 per 10 minutes. Failure: 1 Wound and -1 to mental checks until fresh air.
Starvation & Dehydration
Without Food:
- Day 1-3: No effect (body reserves)
- Day 4+: -1 to all physical checks per day
- Day 7+: 1 Wound per day from starvation
- Recovery: 3 full meals to remove penalties
Without Water:
- Day 1: -1 to all checks
- Day 2: -2 to all checks, 1 Wound
- Day 3: -3 to all checks, 2 Wounds
- Day 4: Death without intervention
- Hot climates: Halve all timers
Exhaustion
Exhaustion accumulates from forced marches, missed sleep, and extreme exertion.
Gaining Exhaustion:
- Forced march (8+ hours travel): +1 Exhaustion
- Missed long rest: +1 Exhaustion
- Swimming/climbing for hours: +1 Exhaustion
- Desperate camp rest: +1 Exhaustion
Effects:
- 1-2 Exhaustion: -1 to all checks
- 3-4 Exhaustion: -2 to all checks, half movement
- 5 Exhaustion: -3 to all checks, cannot run
- 6+ Exhaustion: Collapse. Unconscious until rest.
Recovery: Long rest removes 1 Exhaustion. Comfortable+ camp removes 2.
Survival Checks
The Survival skill governs finding resources, navigating wilderness, and enduring harsh conditions.
Survival Check Reference
| Task | TN | Modifiers |
|---|---|---|
| Find water (temperate) | 8 | +2 desert, +4 volcanic |
| Forage for food | 10 | +2 barren terrain, -2 abundant |
| Find suitable camp site | 8 | +2 hostile terrain |
| Build shelter (no supplies) | 12 | +4 if no materials nearby |
| Start fire (no tools) | 12 | +4 wet conditions, -4 with tinderbox |
| Navigate unfamiliar terrain | 10 | +2 per climate severity |
| Predict weather (next 12 hours) | 10 | +4 in unstable domains |
| Track creature | 10 | +2 per day old, -4 in rain/snow |
| Identify safe food/water | 8 | +4 in corrupted domains |
| Avoid natural hazard | 12 | Quicksand, avalanche, etc. |