Area Effects

Burning (Minor to Major)

Flames lick at the walls and floor and rise higher and higher for every moment the characters spend in the Area.
If the characters remain in the Burning Area for more than a single round, the Complication’s value increases from Minor to Moderate. In subsequent rounds this increases from Moderate to Major. This Complication applies to all actions taken in the Area, unless the character has immunity to fire or environmental conditions.
If not bought off, character risks a Status Effect, taking damage, or permanent damage to their items and equipment.

Crowded (Minor)

Bodies press in on all sides as a sea of humanity moves back and forth through limited space.
Apply this Complication to any attack actions and any rolled movement actions, unless the character can fly or has otherwise unerring aim. In an Influence scene, apply this Complication to all Social actions involving speech, unless the character has a way to communicate directly or nonverbally (such as using sign language or telepathy).
If not bought off on a movement action, the character risks getting lost, turned around, or pushed into another range band rather than their desired destination. If not bought off on an attack action, the results of any purchased Tricks are applied to a target or piece of scenery chosen by the Director in the same range band.
If not bought off, someone important overhears the conversation, the target gets the right idea but misinterprets important aspects, or the intended target can’t hear at all — the Director chooses another character in the scene to be the target of the social action instead.

Darkness (Minor)

The Area is pitch-black. This might simply be happening in a darkened room, a device might have obscured vision, or a magical effect could plunge everything into darkness if you’re looking at the fantasy genre.
Apply this Complication to any actions involving movement (such as sprinting) or determining range (such as Ranged Combat attacks), unless the character is unaffected by darkness. In an investigation scene, apply this Complication to attempts to search for clues.
If not bought off, the character takes an Injury, falls prone, or strikes a different target than the one they declared.
If not bought off, the character receives one piece of misinformation (in addition to any genuine clues they may have located).

Demolished (Moderate)

The very ground is shattered, broken, and strewn with debris. It may be broken earth, the rubble of a ruin, fallen trees, or something arcane. Traversing the area is dangerous, and sightlines are obscured.
Apply this Complication to all Ranged Combat and move actions. Move actions that would not normally require a roll use Athletics + Cunning or Might at difficulty 0.
If not bought off, the character falls prone, cannot take a move action on their next turn, hits the terrain instead of their target, or suffers an injury. If the demolished terrain absorbs 10 Injuries, this area effect resolves.

Dizzying Height (Moderate)

The Area sits high above the ground, a vast expanse between the characters’ feet and the safety of solid earth. This might be at the edge of a cliff, or a clash taking place upon a rope bridge spanning a chasm.
The Complication applies to all attack actions as well as movement actions requiring a roll, unless the character has nerves of steel or an immunity to fear.
If not bought off, the character risks moving back a range band as they scramble away from the Area’s edges, or suffering a +1 increase in difficulty to their next action after being shaken from a fear of heights.

Extreme Temperature (Major)

Whether the frigid lands of the Arctic or the intense heat of a student theater without air conditioning, the Area suffers from temperatures to the extreme. When applying this to an Area, choose Heat or Cold, as appropriate.
This Complication affects all physical actions taken in the Area, unless the characters have taken specific Survival-based precautions, have protective gear, or have some kind of immunity.
If not bought off, it inflicts a temperature-appropriate debilitating Status Effect (such as frostbite or dehydration) which imposes +2 difficulty to physical actions and resolves when treated with Medicine.

Extreme Weather (Major)

Be it high winds, driving rain, or a blinding blizzard, the Area is immersed in a weather event that makes actions difficult to perform.
This Complication applies to all ranged attack actions, Pilot actions during chase sequences, and movement actions requiring a roll, unless the character has immunity to reduced visibility or environmental conditions, but also includes close combat attacks, and can be ignored if the character has specific immunities or abilities.
If not bought off, characters who complete a rolled movement action or Pilot actions risk being unable to take another move action, being knocked prone, falling, or being pushed into another range band as they have been knocked off balance or must hunker down. Characters also risk gaining weather-related Status Effects. Characters risk their ranged attack or projectile targeting another character or object in the Area, rather than their intended target.

Flooding (Major)

Water (or magma, or acid, or slime, or sand, or the worst: fanboys) pours in from all sides of the Area, filling every available inch and rushing higher and higher with every minute that passes. Characters must stop the flooding or flee the Area before becoming completely submerged.
This Complication applies to all physical actions (including attacks) as well as Science or Technology actions to shore up the source of the flooding.
Characters who do not buy off this Complication risk gaining appropriate Status Effect or Injuries, losing important weapons, equipment, or other items, or facing increased difficulty as they must now contend with an area full of liquid.

Fortified (Moderate)

The Area has sturdy, defensible structures, granting an advantage to defenders and making life difficult for the attackers. Fortified might also cover an Area strewn with a large amount of cover or other obstructing terrain.
This Complication applies to all ranged attack actions or demolitions actions using Science or Technology.
Failing to buy off this Complication results in ranged attack actions targeting the scenery in addition to (or instead of) the character they intended to target. Failing to do so on a demolition action risks the shockwave of the explosion backfiring on the user, resulting in appropriate Injuries.

Gas Cloud (Major)

A choking gas fills the field. This could be smoke from a fire, noxious fumes, poison gas, or an opponent’s breath weapon.
Characters suffer the Complication on all actions taken while in the Field. Unless a character doesn’t have to breath, they are affected by this Complication, holding your breath while in it may stave off poison, but doing so still makes it difficult to act.
Failure to buy off the Complication could lead to an Injury Condition, an increase Difficulty towards actions requiring speech, an increase Difficulty in actions due to wracking coughing, or gaining the Poisoned Condition at a rating based on the Storyguide’s discretion.

High Winds (Moderate)

Separate from Extreme Weather, high winds make it difficult to stand or move within a Field.
If the characters are in flight in this Field, increase the Complication to 3. Characters suffer the Complication when making a move action.
Failure to buy off the Complication results in the character falling prone, or if the character is in flight being knocked wildly off course.

Locked Down (Moderate)

The information the character seeks is on heavy lockdown; trapped in a vault or hidden away in secret library stacks. It might also be encoded or encrypted into something physical: such as sewn into the fabric of clothing, hidden in the pattern of a hairstyle, or written in miniscule print around the margins of a book’s page.
This Complication applies to the analysis, searching an archive, and research actions.
If not bought off, the character risks further access being cut off for future actions as they destroy the evidence, alert someone to their presence, or otherwise lock themselves out of the secured area. Additionally, they may risk getting caught, or leaving behind evidence of their attempts at investigation.

Loud (Moderate)

Music, industrial noises, or ear-splitting racket fills the Field. Characters suffer the Complication when attempting to take social actions in the Field. Failure to buy it off risks severe miscommunication, someone overhearing the conversation, of the intended target not hearing it at all — the Storyguide picks a new target for the social action. Additionally, this counts as a negative atmosphere for intrigue play.

Overgrowth (Minor)

Floral growth chokes the area, making movement or observation extremely difficult. This flora might be the result of natural progression or may have been accelerated by scientific experiments gone awry.
Apply this Complication to ranged combat actions, sensing actions involving line of sight, or movement actions requiring a roll.
If not bought off, the character risks becoming entangled in vines, being unable to make additional movement actions or attack actions after completing an otherwise successful action. Characters might also risk illness or poison Status Effects from being exposed to toxic spores or poison from the plantlife.

Overstimulating (Moderate)

An overstimulating space creates a constant barrage of stimulation that is distracting. It could be a crowd of loud people, the roar of an underground waterfall, the incessant noise of a droning insect, or the visual assault of too bright colors or lights. Any place that creates distraction from easy conversation qualifies.
This Complication applies to actions requiring concentration or communication.
If not bought off during an influence scene, important information may get lost in the background as the character struggles to process information. In an investigation scene, a character may be unable to acquire additional clues, as they are too overwhelmed to notice. In an action scene, characters might become distracted or overstimulated, causing the character to drop their weapon or aim at an incorrect target.

Quaking (Moderate)

The ground is shaking, and rocks crash down from the cavern ceiling above. The area your character is in is under the effects of an earthquake, ground shake, or creation of a fissure that makes the world unstable.
This Complication applies to any attempt to movement actions that require a roll and combat actions made in the area.
If not bought off, the character risks taking damage, falling prone, or not being able to make additional move actions after successfully completing their action.

Ruined (Moderate)

The Area is in absolute disrepair — whether from age, intentional destruction, or other reasons. Any information present in the scene is incomplete or partially destroyed, making the task of piecing together clues or tracking details an uphill struggle.
This Complication applies to all investigation actions to discern details or follow clues.
If not bought off, characters can’t use evidence as Enhancement toward finding the next lead. They might also find red herrings, or other data that leads to places other than their intended direction. This can potentially uncover more than the searching character bargained for.
The Area is in absolute disrepair — whether from age, intentional destruction, or other reasons. Any information present in the scene is incomplete or partially destroyed, making the task of piecing together clues or tracking details an uphill struggle.
This Complication applies to all investigation actions to discern details or follow clues.
If not bought off, characters can’t use evidence as Enhancement toward finding the next lead. They might also find red herrings, or other data that leads to places other than their intended direction. This can potentially uncover more than the searching character bargained for.

Sinking (Major)

Whether trapped in quicksand, thick mud, tar, or a vessel plunging into the depths of the ocean, the Area is rapidly submerging, and the characters must struggle to escape. Failure to do so means certain doom!
This Complication applies to all actions involving physical activity (including attacks) as well as Pilot actions to control a vehicle or mount moving through sinking terrain or to try to salvage a sinking vehicle or mount.
If not bought off, characters risk being unable to move or make additional attacks after completing an otherwise successful movement or attack action, losing important equipment or items into the sinking Area, or gaining an appropriate Status Effect.

Slick (Major)

Something saturates the Field making it slick. It could be ice, oil, water from heavy rains, or some kind of magical material.
Characters suffer the Complication when making move actions
Fall Prone

Social Code (Minor)

From a cultish covenant meeting to a meeting of the leaders of a government or secret agency, characters in the scene are expected to behave a certain way.
This Complication applies to social actions made in the Area, unless the character is a member of the group and understands the social code.
If not bought off, the character makes a faux pas or otherwise reveals himself as an outsider, resulting in a negative shift in Attitude. If this would reveal the character as an infiltrator (and not simply just an outsider), characters in the scene may become outright hostile.

Suffocating (Moderate)

The Area fills with smoke, acidic fog, or some choking substance that suffocates you.
This Complication applies to all attack actions or any other actions involving strenuous physical movement, unless the character does not need to breathe or can hold their breath for an extraordinary amount of time. It also applies to all spoken influence actions, unless the character can communicate without speech (such as through telepathy) or chooses to write, instead.
If not bought off, the character risks +2 difficulty increase to their next action as they are wracked with a coughing fit. They also risk gaining other appropriate Status Effects due to exposure to noxious gas.
Alternate Social Consequence: If not bought off, the character risks +2 difficulty increase to their next action as they cough or choke on the suffocating air.

Tight (Moderate)

The Area has little to no room to move, making flashy moves and big weapons nearly impossible to use. Characters tangling in an action sequence fight practically on top of each other.
This Complication applies to attack actions made with weapons (ranged and close combat, unless the weapon has the Concealable tag)
If not bought off, characters risk an Injury, losing or breaking their weapon, damage to the scenery or another character in the scene, or striking another target in addition to their original.
Taking on a Draconic Form immediately causes an Injury Condition. Characters suffer the Complication on all movement actions while in the Field. Failure to buy it off may lead to an Injury Condition, losing an item or piece of gear, or the loss of their next action.

Underwater (Major)

The Area is underwater in the upper reaches of a body like a sea or ocean. Characters cannot breathe and can move no faster than a brisk walk.
This complication applies to most physical actions while performed underwater.
If not bought off, she risks taking an Injury due to drowning. If she runs out of air, she will drown without some apparatus or magic to survive. If deep underwater and not in a pressurized environment, she also suffers crushing damage, which is Continuous (round).

Unstable (Major)

The Field’s ground is unstable and threatens to fall out from under the character’s feet. You might be on a rubble strewn street, a collapsing building, or attempting to stand on a rockslide.
Characters suffer the Complication on attack or movement actions that require balance.
Failure to buy it off may lead to the character destroying the part of the terrain they were standing on, falling prone, suffering an Injury Condition, or moving a range band in a direction of the Storyguide’s choosing.

Weightless (Moderate)

The Field is non-standard, either in a Terra Incognita, or the characters might be in free fall. Characters attempting to make any move action must roll Athletics + Dexterity, and suffer the Complication.
Failure to buy off the Complication results in moving too far or too little, getting turned around, or engaging with the wrong target. Characters with the ability to fly can ignore this Complication.