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Terrain Types, Terrain Features and Terrain Traits

by Håvard

In BECMI, Terrain Types are detailed in the hex maps and many of them are referenced in the rulesbooks.

Terrain Types include

• Mountains
• Woods
• Plains
• Hills

etc.

I am not sure if I have found the best term for what I want to discuss here, but in my search for categorizing and labelling things I wonder if trait can be a good term. So each area (hex or other) can have a terrain type and one or more traits.

Examples of traits can be:

• Poisonous - these lands have been contaminated somehow.
• Consecrated (Law, Neutrality, Chaos) - Holy ground. Undead cannot rise here. Vampires cannot enter. The process is unclear, but may involve the bless spell.
• Desecrated - Unholy ground.
• Cursed - area is affected by a curse that may afflict anyone entering
• Enchanted - area is affected by a magical effect or spell

Terrain traits should not be confused with terrain features

Features can be:

• Castle, Keep, Tower, temple etc.
• Characteristic terrain: A unique mountain, tree, hill etc.
• Good or bad magic point

Do you think organizing terrain in this way? What could be other terrain traits or features?