Gladiator Mini-Game - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Gladiator Mini-Game

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Apr 27, 2004 14:50:22 In preparation for my dark sun campaign, I bought the Freedom! series of dark sun modules for conversion. As was mentioned in another thread, Freedom!, despite its name, is railroaded. But, as a way to take a break from the adventure, and let the players forgive me for it, I wanted to make a one-shot mini game to insert into the arena scene in the latter part of the adventrue.

Basically, here are my rules (rough draft):

Each player (i have four) will be competing in the arena. Success will not be determined by who survives; instead, who can earn the most "points". These points represent how much the crowd (which will be played by me :D ) enjoys your character's performance.

Standard points will be awarded as follows:

Dealing any amount of subdual damage: 1 point
Dealing 1-5 points of damage: 1 point
Dealing 6-10 points of damage: 2 points
Dealing 11-15 points of damage: 3 points
Dealing 16-20 points of damage: 4 points
Dealing 21-up points of damage: 5 points
Dealing a Critical hit: x2 points
Felling an opponent: 5 points
Killing an opponent: 7 points

Manuvers
Successful Charge: 2 points
Successful Bull Rush: 3 points
Successful Disarm: 3 points
Successful Feint: 3 points
Grappling: 2 points/round spent grappling (both gladiators)
Successful Pin: 4 points
Successful Sunder: 3 points

There are two kinds of characters in the arena. Gladiators and Prisoners. Special rules for them are below.

Gladiators
Gladiators are expensive, and crowds like to see their favorite gladiators fight again. Therefore, there are some unspoken rules for gladiators.

-About half the damage a gladiator does should be subdual, rather than real.
-Gladiators are not inclined to do subdual damage to prisoners.
-Gladiators can make perform checks during combat, as long as they have some way of substantiating the check. Saying catch phrases, egging on his opponent, or other self-aggrandizement.

Perform
DC 10- 1 point
DC 15- 2 points
DC 20- 3 points
DC 25- 4 points
DC 30- 5 points

Prisoners
Prisoners have commited some crime, and have been forced to fight in Kalak's arena as a form of execution.

-Prisoners only seek to survive, and do not -necessarily- seek to enter combat
-Prisoners are not inclined to do subdual damage to anyone.
-Prisoners are not supposed to survive the tournament

Not doing what is wanted
-sometimes a gladiator or prisoner doesn't do what the arena master wants. Those that break the rules do not go unpunished. Characters "breaking the rules" are targeted by a hidden slave armed with a blowgun with poisoned needles and paralytic poison (Fort DC 18, paralyzation 1d4 rounds).

The Characters
there are 8 characters passed out to each player. Each player receives 1 Gladiator and 1 Slave. The battle is a free for all.

Gladiators:

Grom, Mul Gladiator
Special: Grom is owned by house Khalas of Tyr. He was told by his stablemaster that he will get better food if he kills Vashara, another mul gladiator owned by house Styke. There is apparently some kind of hidden rivalry between the two houses, but Grom is foggy on the details.

Vashara, Mul Gladiator
Special: Vashara is owned by house Styke of Tyr. She was told by her stablemaster that she will get better food so long as she makes sure that Grom, another mul gladiator owned by house Khalas, doesn't get killed. Apparently there is some kind of political alliance trying to be pushed by house Styke, though Vashara is foggy on the details.

Edit: typo in Vashara's description.

Burgo, Half-Giant Gladiator
Special: Burgo is under orders to kill anyone who is hit by paralytic poison.

Crazy Irni, Dwarven Gladiator
Special: Crazy Irni is, indeed, crazy. He has made his life focus to kill everyone in the arena. He does real damage to prisoners and gladiators alike, and if he is not the last gladiator standing, he will rise as a banshee, and continue to fight.

Prisoners:

Myzon, Human Defiler
Special: Myzon has been given a poison that will stop his heart in 10 rounds. Fortunately, Myzon has a trick up his sleeve: he has a couple spells left prepared, and he intends to use them; to take as many people down with him when he does die.

Niddler, Aarakocra Commoner
Special: If niddler dies by slashing damage, he continues to fight in the arena with his head cut off for 1d4 rounds. The first round he attacks his attacker, then he moves in a random direction (roll 1d8) 30 feet, and attacks anything in his path. If niddler is attacked during this period, he falls down and stops moving. He loses all bonuses to dexterity during this period.

Tuka te Tuka, Halfling Brute
Special: Tuka isn't really sure what's going on. He gets 5 points for feasting on his dead opponents while in the arena, as the crowd shudders from his brutality. (feasting is a full round action that provokes an attack of opportunity.)

Baazrag, Baazrag Brute
Special: He has been pulling carts throughout Tyr for so long, he thinks his name is Stupid Baazrag. He has an unusual fear of halflings (he will flee from them) and, like most baazrags, are easily intimidated by displays of magic.

Any criticism is welcomed. ;)
#2
zombiegleemax
Apr 27, 2004 17:42:34 I would consider getting rid of points for normal damage, as it would eliminate a lot of bookkeeping. Perhaps only award points for damage when dealing a critical hit.

I'd also eliminate points for grappling for similar reasons, or perhaps only give points for a successful grapple check.

Downing/killing another gladiator should be worth more then doing the same to a prisoner.

What would breaking the rules be?

Interesting idea overall.
#3
zombiegleemax
Apr 27, 2004 21:28:49 The doing damage idea is mainly there for the idea that the crowd, as much as it acts otherwise, wants to see blood. *shrug* Perhaps there is a better way of doing it, but if theyre playing for points, i would rather there were a point to doing real damage...

I agree on downing a gladiator... that should be played off as a surprise.

Breaking the rules means doing what the arena masters don't want you to do.

For instance, they won't let a prisoner get too close to wining the match. If it looks like the gladiator might die, *fwip* poison.

Grom has a job to do. If it looks like he's not going to kill vashara (they figure out theyve been duped) *fwip fwip*

If someone tries to get to the crowd, or assault the arena assistants (too much) they get poisoned.

Basically if they do anything that the arena masters don't like, theyre likely to get poisoned.
#4
zombiegleemax
Apr 28, 2004 16:05:44 You may also want to check out an earlier version of Dragon magazine that featured gladiatorial games in it. It even included a cool poster mat with an arena! Kinda small but it could work.

I forget what issue it was though, damn!
#5
zombiegleemax
Apr 28, 2004 19:00:09
Originally posted by Tembo-Pie
You may also want to check out an earlier version of Dragon magazine that featured gladiatorial games in it. It even included a cool poster mat with an arena! Kinda small but it could work.

I forget what issue it was though, damn!

Dragon 303. Hehe, I had it sitting right in front of me. I'm adapting it for a game I'm playing right now.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Apr 27, 2004 14:50:22	In preparation for my dark sun campaign, I bought the Freedom! series of dark sun modules for conversion. As was mentioned in another thread, Freedom!, despite its name, is railroaded. But, as a way to take a break from the adventure, and let the players forgive me for it, I wanted to make a one-shot mini game to insert into the arena scene in the latter part of the adventrue. Basically, here are my rules (rough draft): Each player (i have four) will be competing in the arena. Success will not be determined by who survives; instead, who can earn the most "points". These points represent how much the crowd (which will be played by me :D ) enjoys your character's performance. Standard points will be awarded as follows: Dealing any amount of subdual damage: 1 point Dealing 1-5 points of damage: 1 point Dealing 6-10 points of damage: 2 points Dealing 11-15 points of damage: 3 points Dealing 16-20 points of damage: 4 points Dealing 21-up points of damage: 5 points Dealing a Critical hit: x2 points Felling an opponent: 5 points Killing an opponent: 7 points Manuvers Successful Charge: 2 points Successful Bull Rush: 3 points Successful Disarm: 3 points Successful Feint: 3 points Grappling: 2 points/round spent grappling (both gladiators) Successful Pin: 4 points Successful Sunder: 3 points There are two kinds of characters in the arena. Gladiators and Prisoners. Special rules for them are below. Gladiators Gladiators are expensive, and crowds like to see their favorite gladiators fight again. Therefore, there are some unspoken rules for gladiators. -About half the damage a gladiator does should be subdual, rather than real. -Gladiators are not inclined to do subdual damage to prisoners. -Gladiators can make perform checks during combat, as long as they have some way of substantiating the check. Saying catch phrases, egging on his opponent, or other self-aggrandizement. Perform DC 10- 1 point DC 15- 2 points DC 20- 3 points DC 25- 4 points DC 30- 5 points Prisoners Prisoners have commited some crime, and have been forced to fight in Kalak's arena as a form of execution. -Prisoners only seek to survive, and do not -necessarily- seek to enter combat -Prisoners are not inclined to do subdual damage to anyone. -Prisoners are not supposed to survive the tournament Not doing what is wanted -sometimes a gladiator or prisoner doesn't do what the arena master wants. Those that break the rules do not go unpunished. Characters "breaking the rules" are targeted by a hidden slave armed with a blowgun with poisoned needles and paralytic poison (Fort DC 18, paralyzation 1d4 rounds). The Characters there are 8 characters passed out to each player. Each player receives 1 Gladiator and 1 Slave. The battle is a free for all. Gladiators: Grom, Mul Gladiator Special: Grom is owned by house Khalas of Tyr. He was told by his stablemaster that he will get better food if he kills Vashara, another mul gladiator owned by house Styke. There is apparently some kind of hidden rivalry between the two houses, but Grom is foggy on the details. Vashara, Mul Gladiator Special: Vashara is owned by house Styke of Tyr. She was told by her stablemaster that she will get better food so long as she makes sure that Grom, another mul gladiator owned by house Khalas, doesn't get killed. Apparently there is some kind of political alliance trying to be pushed by house Styke, though Vashara is foggy on the details. Edit: typo in Vashara's description. Burgo, Half-Giant Gladiator Special: Burgo is under orders to kill anyone who is hit by paralytic poison. Crazy Irni, Dwarven Gladiator Special: Crazy Irni is, indeed, crazy. He has made his life focus to kill everyone in the arena. He does real damage to prisoners and gladiators alike, and if he is not the last gladiator standing, he will rise as a banshee, and continue to fight. Prisoners: Myzon, Human Defiler Special: Myzon has been given a poison that will stop his heart in 10 rounds. Fortunately, Myzon has a trick up his sleeve: he has a couple spells left prepared, and he intends to use them; to take as many people down with him when he does die. Niddler, Aarakocra Commoner Special: If niddler dies by slashing damage, he continues to fight in the arena with his head cut off for 1d4 rounds. The first round he attacks his attacker, then he moves in a random direction (roll 1d8) 30 feet, and attacks anything in his path. If niddler is attacked during this period, he falls down and stops moving. He loses all bonuses to dexterity during this period. Tuka te Tuka, Halfling Brute Special: Tuka isn't really sure what's going on. He gets 5 points for feasting on his dead opponents while in the arena, as the crowd shudders from his brutality. (feasting is a full round action that provokes an attack of opportunity.) Baazrag, Baazrag Brute Special: He has been pulling carts throughout Tyr for so long, he thinks his name is Stupid Baazrag. He has an unusual fear of halflings (he will flee from them) and, like most baazrags, are easily intimidated by displays of magic. Any criticism is welcomed. ;)
#2 zombiegleemax Apr 27, 2004 17:42:34	I would consider getting rid of points for normal damage, as it would eliminate a lot of bookkeeping. Perhaps only award points for damage when dealing a critical hit. I'd also eliminate points for grappling for similar reasons, or perhaps only give points for a successful grapple check. Downing/killing another gladiator should be worth more then doing the same to a prisoner. What would breaking the rules be? Interesting idea overall.
#3 zombiegleemax Apr 27, 2004 21:28:49	The doing damage idea is mainly there for the idea that the crowd, as much as it acts otherwise, wants to see blood. shrug Perhaps there is a better way of doing it, but if theyre playing for points, i would rather there were a point to doing real damage... I agree on downing a gladiator... that should be played off as a surprise. Breaking the rules means doing what the arena masters don't want you to do. For instance, they won't let a prisoner get too close to wining the match. If it looks like the gladiator might die, fwip poison. Grom has a job to do. If it looks like he's not going to kill vashara (they figure out theyve been duped) fwip fwip If someone tries to get to the crowd, or assault the arena assistants (too much) they get poisoned. Basically if they do anything that the arena masters don't like, theyre likely to get poisoned.
#4 zombiegleemax Apr 28, 2004 16:05:44	You may also want to check out an earlier version of Dragon magazine that featured gladiatorial games in it. It even included a cool poster mat with an arena! Kinda small but it could work. I forget what issue it was though, damn!
#5 zombiegleemax Apr 28, 2004 19:00:09	Originally posted by Tembo-Pie You may also want to check out an earlier version of Dragon magazine that featured gladiatorial games in it. It even included a cool poster mat with an arena! Kinda small but it could work. I forget what issue it was though, damn! Dragon 303. Hehe, I had it sitting right in front of me. I'm adapting it for a game I'm playing right now.