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This article appeared in Quake  

A Hazard is an environmental threat that can hurt either the player or the denizens of Quake. Unlike Monsters, Hazards cannot always be dispatched. Instead, they must be carefully avoided.

Explosions

Ephemeral spheres that damage whatever is inside of them. Damage often is determined by closeness to the center of the explosive radius, even the entity that caused the explosion can be injured if they are in close proximity. A Radioactive Container is a Hazard that explodes if enough shots connect with the container. Some Weapons are explosive, such as the Grenade Launcher or Rocket Launcher. A Rocket Jump or Grenade Jump is an exploit whereby the player can propel themselves to another location through the usage of explosive weaponry. Certain Monsters can also cause explosions; an Ogre wields a Grenade Launcher similar to the player's, while the Vore summons an explosive pod that causes an explosion upon connecting with the player. The greatest danger of the Spawn is that they explode upon death, meaning that a player should try to destroy them on sight to avoid risking death themselves as the Spawn attempts to collide with the player. Chthon uses a modified Lavaball of an explosive nature, meaning they detonate upon connection with any surface.

Fluids

Many substances exist in Quake that can be entered by Ranger or his Enemies. All fluids and liquids allow a player to swim upwards and downwards as well as the traditional forwards/backwards and left/right movement. Water is generally safe though can become hazardous if a Thunderbolt is used or the player remains underwater for too long. Slime causes injury on contact, though can be endured for a short period of time if used in combination with Armor. Lava is the most lethal of the fluids, often diminishing a player's health at a rather rapid rate, meaning any crossing should be met with consideration. Lavaballs tend to leap out of the pools of Lava, meaning dangers can exist even when traversing above it. A Biosuit is a Powerup designed with the sole purpose to protect the player from fluids, negating drowning damage by Water, making it safe to cross a lake of Slime, and decelerates the rate that a player gets injured in Lava.

Transportation

Some Hazards are designed with the sole purpose of taking Ranger or his Enemies from one location to another in a level. Traveling from the first to second location is near instantaneous in most cases, meaning that a Moving Platform or Water is not considered a form of transportation. At the end of each level is a Level Exit that is similar to the transportation seen in Quake, though with the difference that the former takes the player to another level while the latter takes the player to another location in the level. A Teleporter is the most frequently encountered mode of transportation, they allow for instantaneous travel between two locations. While not generally a danger, unlike most Hazards, any entity standing at the exit point can be instantly killed in an occurrence commonly referred to as a Telefrag. A Spiked Sphere is found in the final level, Shub-Niggurath's Pit, and is used as a guiding point for a nearby Teleporter to allow the player to telefrag Shub-Niggurath. Unlike the other two methods of transportation, the Wind Tunnel is not instantaneous but does accelerate the player to rapid speeds to thrust them from one location to another. A Wind Tunnel is not generally dangerous, though the player can take fall damage if the drop is too great.

Traps

Not all Hazards in Quake are highly visible, some can be rather dangerous to the unaware or uninitiated. Traps are designed with the intention to be concealed until Ranger activates them by the usage of a trigger such as proximity or a Button. A Nail Trap is a small hole that fires projectiles similar to those seen in the Nailgun, while a Laser Trap fires a projectile similar to an Enforcer's weaponry. A Movable Wall is a general name applied to any surface, such as a wall or floor, that can move. Sometimes the dangerous nature of the Movable Wall is quite visible, a Spiked Wall can often be noticed by the wary player beforehand due to the protruding spikes. Sometimes a Movable Wall can be designed to crush a player, while at other times it can be an Elevator or Shootable Wall that can cause injury if the player is standing in an unsafe location. A Falling Spike is a spike generally concealed that is designed to impale, push, or crush the player. A Guillotine is similar to the Falling Spike, though is much more rapid and therefore more lethal. The Electric Terminal is a unique trap to E1M7: The House of Chthon, unlike most other Hazards it is designed to kill Chthon and cannot cause injury to a player.

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