Elevation and Visibility

One of the key aspects of wilderness geography is being able to assess the lay of the land. Usually, the main obstacle to seeing faraway landforms-- besides atmospheric interference like fog or rain-- is the curvature of the planet.

A consequence of this is that the viewer's altitude is a key factor in how far they can see. For an average, medium-sized creature, this puts the limit of the horizon at around 3 miles. In Sharum Mal'Kari, a standard hex is 6 miles, which means when a standard-sized creature is standing in the center of a standard hex, they can see up to the perimeter of that hex.

However, as you navigate through higher and lower levels of elevation, the limit of the horizon varies:

• Low elevation (swamp, jungle) - 1/2 visibility (1/2 Black Hex)
• Flat terrain (plains, desert) - Standard visibility (Black Hex)
• Moderate elevation (hills, treetops) - Double visibility (Grey Hexes)
• High elevation (mountain peak) - Triple visibility (White Hexes)