Environments

Quick reference

Environment or event	Default resolution
Airless	Roll the once per turn when entering or beginning an activation within the area. Blank causes 1 damage.
Decompression	Resolve once when it occurs. If no area is defined, use the Blast Template centered on the Breach.
Breach	A source of Decompression, Airless conditions, or an Environmental Hazard. It may be sealed with a Special Action.
Environmental Hazard	Roll the once per turn when entering or beginning an activation within the area. Blank causes 1 damage by default.
Darkness	Line of Sight is limited to 4 inches unless another rule changes or ignores that limit.
Disabled Power	A mission parameter with no additional default effect.

A scenario may replace a default rule or limit it to a specific room, compartment, Area Template, terrain feature, or other bounded area. Unless stated otherwise, a Unit makes no more than one roll for the same Environment during a turn.

Environment Rules and Special Rules

Equipment and Special Rules may protect a Unit from an Environment, allow a reroll, or ignore an Environment effect. The Environment determines when a roll is made and the result of that roll. The equipment or Special Rule determines how it modifies that resolution.

• SEALED applies to rolls caused by Airless and Environmental Hazard environments as stated in that Special Rule.
• RUGGED LINER applies when an Environment produces an effect covered by that Special Rule.

Airless

An Airless area has no safe, breathable atmosphere. Vacuum, atmosphere loss, and an area exposed to space are all Airless unless a scenario states otherwise.

A Unit rolls the once per turn when it enters an Airless area or begins its activation within an Airless area.

Success

The Unit suffers no effect.

Blank

The Unit suffers 1 damage.

A scenario may replace the default damage with another effect.

An Airless area remains Airless until a rule or scenario effect restores its atmosphere. Sealing a Breach prevents further exposure through that Breach but does not automatically restore atmosphere unless the scenario states that it does.

Decompression

Decompression is an immediate event, not a persistent Environment.

1. Identify the Breach or other point causing the Decompression.
   • If the scenario defines the affected area, use that area.
   • If no affected area is defined, place the Blast Template centered on the Breach location. The area covered by the Blast Template is affected. Do not roll for scatter and do not make an attack roll.
2. Each Unit in the affected area rolls the .
   • On a Success, the Unit remains in place.
   • On a Blank, move the Unit up to 3 inches directly toward the Breach and then place it Prone.
3. Forced movement caused by Decompression may enter Control Zones.
4. Resolve Decompression only once when it occurs unless a scenario specifically causes it again.
5. After resolving Decompression, the affected area becomes Airless unless the scenario states otherwise.

Breach

A Breach is a point where a structure, hull, ventilation system, sealed room, containment system, or similar feature has been opened or damaged.

• Place a Breach marker at its location.
• Resolve Decompression if the Breach connects the affected area to an Airless area.
• If the Breach releases gas, contamination, or another environmental danger, it creates an Environmental Hazard instead.
• If no affected area is defined for the Environmental Hazard, place the Blast Template centered on the Breach location. The area covered by the Blast Template becomes an Environmental Hazard. Do not roll for scatter and do not make an attack roll.
• A scenario may define the Breach as an Entry Point or give it additional effects.

Sealing a Breach

A Character in base contact with a Breach may perform a Special Action and roll the :

Success

Remove the Breach marker.

Blank

The Breach remains.

Equipment or mission effects may seal a Breach automatically or modify this roll.

Sealing a Breach ends any ongoing effect generated by that Breach. It does not reverse damage, forced movement, or other effects already resolved. An affected area only stops being Airless or an Environmental Hazard when the applicable rule or scenario effect restores it.

Environmental Hazard

Environmental Hazard is the general Environment for gas, airborne contamination, biological contamination, quarantine failure, radiation, chemical leaks, and similar dangers.

A Unit rolls the once per turn when it enters an Environmental Hazard or begins its activation within an Environmental Hazard.

Success

The Unit suffers no effect.

Blank

The Unit suffers 1 damage.

Only one default Environmental Hazard roll is made per Unit per turn, even if the Unit enters or occupies overlapping Environmental Hazard areas.

A scenario may replace the default damage with a specified Condition or another effect. The scenario-defined effect replaces the default 1 damage unless stated otherwise.

Quarantine

Quarantine is not a separate Environment. A quarantined area only counts as an Environmental Hazard when a rule or scenario states that containment has failed or the area is contaminated.

Darkness

Line of Sight is limited to 4 inches within Darkness.

A Unit cannot draw Line of Sight to a point or target more than 4 inches away through Darkness. A scenario may define a different maximum Line of Sight distance. Equipment, terrain, or Special Rules may allow a Unit to ignore Darkness within a stated distance.

Disabled Power

Disabled Power is a mission parameter rather than a default Environment. The scenario defines which systems, doors, lights, objectives, or other features are affected.

Disabled Power may cause Darkness or another Environment, but it has no additional default effect of its own.

Fire and Smoke

Burning Terrain, Fire Tokens, the Burning Condition, and Smoke Areas use the Fire & Burning rules. Their placement, size, cover, persistence, and removal are not redefined here.

Fire or Smoke only counts as an Environmental Hazard when a rule or scenario explicitly says so. Do not make an additional Environmental Hazard roll merely because a Unit is within Burning Terrain or a Smoke Area.

Scenario Overrides

A scenario may:

• Define a different affected area or Area Template.
• Replace a default result.
• Change the damage or apply a Condition.
• Cause an Environment to expand, move, or end.
• Allow equipment, objectives, or mission effects to remove or suppress an Environment.
• State that a sealed Breach immediately restores the affected area.

When a scenario replaces a default, use the scenario rule instead of resolving both effects.