The Battle Environment in DBU represents the very land you stand on and other influences to Battlefields beyond just the weather (for which, see — Battle Weather). In most cases, combat will occur within a Standard Environment, but there are many cases in this galaxy- and universe-hopping setting in which Characters may have to fight in more strange or dangerous locales.

Entering and Leaving Environments. Environments may cover an entire Battlefield, but they also may not. For example, a Battlefield may have both land (Standard Environment) and water (Underwater Environment). If a Character enters any Squares that are designated as the Underwater Environment, they will therefore enter that Environment.

Soar Maneuver and Environments. While not in a High Environment, the Soar Maneuver can be used to enter the Low Sky Environment (see — High Environments, below).

While in the High Environment, the Soar Maneuver can be used to move up/down 1 rank of High Environment, or (if in the Low Sky Environment) to leave the High Environment and enter the Battle Environment of the Square they would be occupying.

Vertical Launch. While not in a High Environment, if you would move a Character 8+ Squares, you may halve that movement to move them into the Low Sky Environment (see — High Environments, below).

While in a High Environment, if you would move a Character 8+ squares, you may halve that movement to force that Character up/down 1 rank of High Environment, or (if in the Low Sky Environment) to leave the High Environment and enter the Battle Environment of the Square they would be occupying (this causes Collision Damage with that Square).

Hardness Rank. Each Battle Environment has a Hardness Rank, representing the Damage you receive from Collision Damage with a Square of that Hardness Value (for more information, see — Battlefields).

Unbreathable Environment. Upon entering an Unbreathable Environment, make a Survival Skill Check (unless you are Unnatural or otherwise unable to gain the Suffocating Combat Condition). For every Difficulty you exceed with this Dice Score, gain a stack of Held Breath. At the end of each Combat Round and each time you are knocked through a Health Threshold, you lose a stack of Held Breath. While you are in an Unbreathable Environment and have no stacks of Held Breath, you suffer from the Suffocating Combat Condition (this Combat Condition cannot be removed through any means except leaving the Unbreathable Environment, as explained below).

Lose all stacks of Held Breath and the Suffocating Combat Condition (if it was gained through the rules on Unbreathable Environments) upon leaving an Unbreathable Environment for a Battle Environment that is not Unbreathable.

Battle Environments

Standard Environment: The typical environment that most DBU fights will take place in, representing a solid floor .
–Hardness Rank: 1~5 (decided by the ARC)
–Effects: N/A

Soft Environment: An environment where the ground is soft and pliable, making it difficult to quickly get back up. Often used to represent an environment with deep sand or snow.
–Hardness Rank: 0
–Effects: If a Character collides with a square of this Battle Environment, they are knocked Prone.

Bog Environment: A harsh environment where the ground is a bog, sapping the strength from anyone who finds themselves caught in it.
–Hardness Rank: 0~1 (decided by the ARC)
–Effects: While in this Battle Environment, reduce all of your Combat Rolls by 1(bT) and halve your Speed.

Lava Environment: A harsh environment where the ground is molten and excessively hot, but not enough to be completely submerged.
–Hardness Rank: 3
–Effects: This Battle Environment has multiple effects:

• This Environment possesses the Aflame Environmental Quality.
• If you end your Turn in this Battle Environment, gain a stack of the Broken Combat Condition until the start of your next turn.

Underwater Environment: A harsh environment where the water is deep enough to even submerge an Oozaru and where holding one’s breath is a necessity for most.
–Hardness Rank: 0
–Effects: This Battle Environment has multiple effects:

• This is an Unbreathable Environment.
• While in this Battle Environment, halve your Normal Speed.

Magma Environment: A harsh environment with deep pools of underground molten rock, where the amount is enough to submerge even a giant.
–Hardness Rank: 4
–Effects: This Battle Environment has multiple effects:

• This is an Unbreathable Environment. 
• This Environment possesses the Aflame Environmental Quality.
• If you end your Turn in this Battle Environment, gain 2 stacks of the Broken Combat Condition until the start of your next turn.

Environmental Qualities

Sometimes, a Square is modified by another factor or a certain Environment has elements that apply to every space. Either way, Qualities are applied on a Square-by-Square basis and ultimately decided by the ARC unless an effect directly allows you to apply them.

Below is a list of Environmental Qualities:

• Bouncy: If you would Collide with this Square, halve the amount of Collision Damage you would receive and then you may move a number of Squares in any direction up to the Hardness Rank of this Square.
• Dangerous: Double any Collision Damage you receive from this Environment.
• Aflame: If you start or end your Turn in this Battle Environment, reduce your Life Points by 2(bT). Increase this reduction by 1(bT) for every stack of the Broken Combat Condition you’re suffering from.
• Electrified: If you start or end your Turn in this Battle Environment, reduce your Life Points by 2(bT). If you end your turn in this Battle Environment, gain the Impediment Combat Condition until the start of your next turn.
• Frozen: If you start or end your Turn in this Battle Environment, reduce your Ki Points by 4(bT). If you use the Movement Maneuver, either halve your Speed for the duration of that Maneuver or make an Acrobatics Skill Check with a Difficulty of Qualified. If you succeed, nothing happens. If you fail, you are knocked Prone instead (regain the Action and any Ki Points spent on this Maneuver).
• Poisonous: If you end your Turn in this Battle Environment, gain the Poisoned Combat Condition.
• Metallic: This Square is made of metal. It must have a Hardness Rank of 3+.

High Environment

High Environments are a unique set of Battle Environments that represent the sky and above. They are layered above the usual Battle Environments in the case of the first 3 ranks, while the 4th rank functions differently. They are split into 4 ranks:

• Low Sky (1). This rank represents the general level that you see most airborne fights in the Dragon Universe.
• High Sky (2). This rank represents the rare instances when battles can occur past the cloud level; this rank is used to represent battles approaching the edge of space.
• Local Space (3). This rank represents battles that are in space, but still around a planet.
• Deep Space (4). This rank represents battles that occur in the depth of space.

Falling. At the start of the Combat Round, if you do not possess at least 1 Skill Rank in the Flight Skill, descend 1 rank of the High Environment. If you were in the Low Sky Environment, you must exit the Low Sky Environment and enter the non-High Battle Environment of the Square below. If you do, make an Acrobatics Skill Check (Qualified). If you succeed, nothing happens. If you fail, take Collision Damage from colliding with the Square you now occupy.

Height and Range. For every difference in rank of High Environment, for which normal Battle Environments are considered to be Rank 0, treat the Opponent as if they are 8 additional Squares away from you.

Square Occupation. If a Character is not in the same rank of High Environment as you, or not in a High Environment at all, they can occupy the same square as you.

Lacking Collision. Due to being filled with air or vacuum, you cannot suffer from Collision Damage with the Squares in a High Environment (you may still Collide with Features), due to there being nothing to collide with. Instead, you would simply sink to a lower rank (see — Vertical Launch, above).

Deep Space Combat. The 4th rank of the High Environment cannot be entered or left without ARC Permission, as there must be a nearby planet to leave the Deep Space High Environment and to enter it requires the ability to leave the planet and travel much further into space, which most combatants simply cannot and thus it would be closer to trying to escape a Combat Encounter (see — Hide & Seek).

AoEs and High Environments. AoEs may have difficulty targeting characters of a different rank of High Environment. If an AoE is of the Minor or Standard Magnitude, it can only target characters on the same rank of High Environment. If the AoE is of a higher Magnitude, it can target any character within 1 rank of High Environment (higher or lower) than the rank it was used on.

AoEs on another rank of High Environment can never target a character who is in the Deep Space Environment.

High Battle Environments

Low Sky Environment: High above the landscape, where nothing interferes with the battle.
–Hardness Rank: N/A
–Effects: N/A

High Sky Environment: Above the clouds, with space hanging above.
–Hardness Rank: N/A
–Effects: Battle Weather cannot exist in this Battle Environment.

Local Space Environment: Battles above a nearby planet.
–Hardness Rank: N/A
–Effects: This Battle Environment has multiple effects:

• This is an Unbreathable Environment
• Battle Weather cannot exist in this Battle Environment.
• All Attacking Maneuvers possess the Knockback Advantage in this Environment. If an Attacking Maneuver already possesses the Knockback Advantage, increase your Might by 1(bT) for the Might Clash initiated by the Knockback Advantage and for calculating the number of Squares the target(s) of that Attacking Maneuver are moved.

Deep Space Environment: No air. No Battle Weather. Final destination.
–Hardness Rank: N/A
–Effects: This Battle Environment has multiple effects:

• This is an Unbreathable Environment.
• Battle Weather cannot exist in this Battle Environment.
• All Attacking Maneuvers possess the Knockback Advantage in this Environment. If an Attacking Maneuver already possesses the Knockback Advantage, increase your Might by 2(bT) for the Might Clash initiated by the Knockback Advantage and for calculating the number of Squares the target(s) of that Attacking Maneuver are moved.