III. Gladiator!
(Roll20 Virtual Tabletop)

A series of gladiatorial contests held in the Unseelie Colosseum beneath each Full Moon.

The Next Games: Saturday, 25th May at 1pm (Mountain Standard Time) and Sunday, 26th May at 8pm (Mountain Standard Time).

The Unseelie Colosseum has seen many thousands of gladiators come and go. Some are slaves, others are criminals, still others are freemen, soldiers and mercenaries and yet upon the bloody sands of the Colosseum they are all just: Gladiator!

A gladiator rarely knows what they will face when next they step onto the sands. Will they be fighting criminals sentenced to death? Or a chained wyvern? Will they be fighting alone? Or will they be placed as part of a team? Will the arena be empty sands? Or will it be rigged with mechanical and magical traps? Will the gladiator even be armed? Or will they be expected to improvise?

And the most important question of all? Will the gladiator survive to fight again?

The following pre-generated gladiators are available for anyone to pick up and play without laboring over character creation: The Captain, Drusilla the Unblooded, Smith Khalid, Reka the Snake and Rikard the Bull.

The Rules of the Sand

Gladiatorial matches may be fought between two individual gladiators or between two or more teams of two or more combatants. These matches are no weapons barred, magical or mundane, it is simply bring-your-own-arms-and-armor.

Spell-casting and magic item use is also permitted and unrestricted during the bout but no magic may be prepared beforehand and all participants are screened by the King’s Templar’s before entering the arena.

Gladiators must remain within the confines of the arena (or no more than 40 feet above it), but no rules infringe upon the combat itself.

A match ends when any gladiator cries “Quarter” of their own free will. An entire team, or a matched pair will lose if just a single member of their team surrenders. Gladiators may fight to the death, if they choose.

The winner, or each member of the winning team, may choose any single item from the loser, or any member of the losing team. This might be a weapon, item, armor, magical or mundane, or they might claim the loser’s money pouch.

Pit Traps: Gladiators should be aware that pit traps are a regular feature of the arena. Any number of pits, with a variety of surprises are a crowd favorite used to spice up the sands. When a gladiator steps on a trap (or is forced into an open pit) they must succeed at a Reflex check (DC 20) to avoid falling in. When multiple matches are held in a single day, pit traps are usually left exposed from one match to the next and only reset at the beginning of another Game Day.

Between Matches: Free gladiators who wish to take part in multiple matches during a given day are responsible for their own healing between matches. Gladiators who belong to a slave owner’s stable may be taken care – or not – at the whim of their owner.

Gladiator! Character Creation

Races: Please select your race from the following list: Alabast, Bugbear, Centaur, Derro, Dwarf, Elf, Ettin, Faen, Fey-Kissed, Giant, Gnoll, Gnome, Goblin, Halfling, Hobgoblin, Human, Kobold, Litorian, Lizard Folk, Locothah, Lycanthrope, Merfolk, Minotaur, Ogre, Orc, Sahaugin, Satyr, Scorpus, Sibeccai, Troglodyte, Verrik or Walrusman.

Level: Any level.

Class: Please select your Class from the following list: Akashic, Barbarian, Bard, Champion, Fighter, Greenbond, Mage Blade, Magister, Monk, Oathsworn, Ritual Warrior, Rogue, Runethane, Sorcerer, Totem Warrior, Unfettered, Warmain, Witch or Wizard.

Ability Scores: Please use the Non-standard Point Buy System (see your DMG 3.0 or 3.5) to generate your ability scores. Your character may spend 52 points, but remember that your character gained an extra ability point at 4th and again at 8th, if you are beginning play at a higher level.

Feats and Talents: The following books may be used for selecting feats: The Player’s Handbook, Monte Cook’s Arcana Evolved, Transcendence, The Complete Book of Eldritch Might, The Book of Hallowed Might, The Book of Iron Might, The Book of Roguish Luck, Faeries and Anger of Angels. Please do not include any feats or talents from any other source.

Arms & Equipment: You may equip your character accordingly, using the above books, but be aware! In almost all Gladiatorial Contests arms and equipment are assigned according the whims of Colosseum Templars and it would be a foolish gladiator who expected to carry their own equipment onto the sands.

Backstory: Gladiator! takes place in Ishtaduk during the First Age. Gladiator! begins in the weeks between the events of Genesis: Season Two and Season Three (which you can read under the Adventure Log tab).

Your character’s backstory should concede to the fact that they are a Gladiator whose sole motivation is to survive their next melee on the sands. A gladiator might be a freebooter, who chooses to test his luck in combat, perhaps earning an income from gambling upon the results. A gladiator might be a criminal, accused rightfully or wrongly and sentenced to death; method of execution? The Sand King’s Colosseum. Many gladiators are slaves, like the up and coming Drusilla, owned by powerful Fairy aristocrats who use them as toys and play things in a sand-pit. Off-duty templars and soldiers often try their luck when they are dangerously bored.

Note: This game will be played at the virtual tabletop in real time. Gladiator is designed to be a handy little excuse to throw the dice and get used to the virtual table. It is intended to be a tactical, role-playing light game.