Change Environment: requiring a roll vs. penalties only

[Chris Goodwin]

Hi Steve, I'm discovering that I may have some confusion about Change Environment.    

 

One of the classic uses for Change Environment is making a slippery spot, per the Ice Sheet example in 6e1; characters entering the ice sheet area on foot have to make a DEX Roll at the appropriate penalty or fall, slip, slide in a straight line, or similar.  

 

However, there's another use for Change Environment, which is simply applying penalties without necessarily requiring a roll.  For instance, using Change Environment on a lock to provide a penalty to a character's Lockpicking Skill, or using Change Environment to create a "low mana" area (-5 penalty to all Magic Skill rolls in the area), or creating a foggy area (-3 Sight Group PER penalties).

 

My question is this:  is there a difference, build-wise, between the former (forcing a roll) and the latter (providing a penalty without necessarily forcing a roll)?  

 

Thanks!  

[Steve Long]

No. As noted in the CE rules, "If applicable, the combat effect includes forcing an affected character to make at least one Characteristic, Skill, or PER Roll." That's just not always applicable, as in a couple of the examples you cite.