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realistic environmental conditions

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
jesterjeff
Dec 01, 2004 10:21:00 Ok for dark sun, we have the food, water adventures, hell I've played three weeks straight and had the time of my life and all we were doing was hunting and attempting to travel to another city state. The dangers of the world of Athas is in itself a cashe of great adventures and plot seeds. but there is 1 problem. Quicksand. a few of us have run into this event during a game, but it can't happen on Athas. I realized this a week ago while watching mythbusters on the Discovery channel. In order to have quicksand deep enough and strong enough to pull someone under you'd need something that athas doesn't have enough of. Water.

Quicksand occurs when loose sand is thoroughly mixed in many hundreds of gallons of subterranean water pumping up from deep within the earth. If there were quicksand areas in Athas, when they were fund they would have towns growing up around them to siphon the water out. Then there's the fact the quicksand is so dense that the human body floats like a cork. 10 feet of quicksand and we float that the waste unable to go under. lie back and you float better than at the dead sea.

Athas' Silt Sea is a different story but it's really just a massive sea bed filled with sand and ash...
#2
jon_oracle_of_athas
Dec 01, 2004 15:53:11 Maybe there could be dust pits, either naturally formed or created by druids or huntsmen.
#3
jesterjeff
Dec 01, 2004 17:47:27 Natural dust pits would work just fine, but they're pretty much 1 time only threats as the dust would settle around the 1st thing to fall in them.....

Now as a magical trap, either arcane or divine you could have them remain stable and still pull folks into them...
#4
zombiegleemax
Dec 02, 2004 10:09:11 Or stick with the quicksand, but make them crazy evil water elementals...
#5
zombiegleemax
Dec 06, 2004 0:53:16 silt traps need not be one shot deals.

consider a silt trap in the badlands- sure, when one critter steps in there is some condensing. Fast forward 3 months- some weird vegetation has now planted itself either close to- or on top of- the silt trap. 1 wind storm later enough sand and debris has been caught in the root system to fool even the wisest tracker into thinking the ground ahead is solid.

the silt trap is suitable for any region because silt, carried by the wind, can accumulate in just about any niche.

Or, as Jon suggested, they could be intentional traps set, disguised, and maintained by slave tribes, hermits, or whatever.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 jesterjeff Dec 01, 2004 10:21:00	Ok for dark sun, we have the food, water adventures, hell I've played three weeks straight and had the time of my life and all we were doing was hunting and attempting to travel to another city state. The dangers of the world of Athas is in itself a cashe of great adventures and plot seeds. but there is 1 problem. Quicksand. a few of us have run into this event during a game, but it can't happen on Athas. I realized this a week ago while watching mythbusters on the Discovery channel. In order to have quicksand deep enough and strong enough to pull someone under you'd need something that athas doesn't have enough of. Water. Quicksand occurs when loose sand is thoroughly mixed in many hundreds of gallons of subterranean water pumping up from deep within the earth. If there were quicksand areas in Athas, when they were fund they would have towns growing up around them to siphon the water out. Then there's the fact the quicksand is so dense that the human body floats like a cork. 10 feet of quicksand and we float that the waste unable to go under. lie back and you float better than at the dead sea. Athas' Silt Sea is a different story but it's really just a massive sea bed filled with sand and ash...
#2 jon_oracle_of_athas Dec 01, 2004 15:53:11	Maybe there could be dust pits, either naturally formed or created by druids or huntsmen.
#3 jesterjeff Dec 01, 2004 17:47:27	Natural dust pits would work just fine, but they're pretty much 1 time only threats as the dust would settle around the 1st thing to fall in them..... Now as a magical trap, either arcane or divine you could have them remain stable and still pull folks into them...
#4 zombiegleemax Dec 02, 2004 10:09:11	Or stick with the quicksand, but make them crazy evil water elementals...
#5 zombiegleemax Dec 06, 2004 0:53:16	silt traps need not be one shot deals. consider a silt trap in the badlands- sure, when one critter steps in there is some condensing. Fast forward 3 months- some weird vegetation has now planted itself either close to- or on top of- the silt trap. 1 wind storm later enough sand and debris has been caught in the root system to fool even the wisest tracker into thinking the ground ahead is solid. the silt trap is suitable for any region because silt, carried by the wind, can accumulate in just about any niche. Or, as Jon suggested, they could be intentional traps set, disguised, and maintained by slave tribes, hermits, or whatever.