Originally Posted by Shaki
Originally Posted by Gyson


I disagree with that. In reality it removes an option. When an opponent ignites or poisons an area around (and including) your character there's a few options available. Running out of the impacted area should be one of those options, but instead it's the worst move you can make because it inflicts the most damage. Standing perfectly still inside the impacted area is actually a more desirable option, which tactically makes no sense.


Yeah, you can stay, in fire and smoke, and be useless. Or you can run, taking a lot of dmg. Or you can think about some way to remove damaging surface. Or use teleport to get out.

With your proposed change, there would be only one "desirable" option - run. And you could just ignore surfaces when trying to reach enemies. "Go around? Meh, I'd rather take 20 dmg goin through fire, who cares?"


Not true in the slightest. Running does not become the only desirable option at that point, it just creates *an* option which previously didn't exist. If movement will trigger attacks of opportunity against you, or force you to move to a location that is far less useful, the better option may be to remain in place and deal with the dangerous surface in some other manner (using rain to extinguish a burning field, for example). You do not *have* to run, but removing yourself from the dangerous surface should at least be an option.

Environmental fields are not supposed to be the end-all be-all of this game. If a character wants to move through one at the cost of taking some damage, there is nothing wrong with that, and it's a tactical choice. The picture you paint is one where poison and flaming fields riddle the battleground with "no trespassing" zones. If anything that dumbs the gameplay down and makes elemental surfaces far too deadly and useful in a game that already focuses on the elements a little too heavily (compared to everything else in combat).