Scissor

Patiar uri, vinciri, verberari ferroque necari. 

I will endure to be burned, to be bound, to be beaten, and to be killed by the sword. 

.                            - Gladiator's Oath 

 

Scissor (Arbelas)

The Scissor (pl. Scissores) is a gladiatorial type about which we know very little. In fact, much of the conjecture regarding this type comes from reliefs found in excavations of ancient Roman sites in the East - Greece and Turkey. We don't even know the real name for this type of gladiator, and there's considerable debate around naming them "Scissor." 

The common belief in the academic community is that this gladiator was called Arbelas in the Eastern Roman empire. That taken from the name being used once in a list of gladiator types in a book about dreams. But the word arbelos is used for a cobbler's tool that looks just like the knife end of a Scissor's left hand weapon. That's the Greek name at least. The term "scissor" pops up once on a sort of inventory from a ludus in Rome around 117 CE and does nothing to tell us what a Scissor was. The Latin word which Scissor comes from does mean "cutter," and that leads us to what the Scissor was intended to be in the arena.

A quick note, the reason the Scissor is included in this series of gladiator types for D&D 5e is, frankly, because they are too interesting to be left out. The armature of the Scissor is distinct and unique, and the look is pretty epic. 

- Contraretiarius, the Secutor

One thing most academics can agree on is what the Scissor's role is in the arena. The first clue is his helmet which is the same as the helmets of the Secutores - an egg-shqped, featureless thing with two tiny holes for eyes.That helmet is designed so it won't be snagged by the net of a Retiarius.

Then it starts to come together, this gladiator is an evolution of the Secutor. That weapon on his left hand, part shield and part cutting implement, could shred a net with ease, or hook onto it to disarm a Retiarius.

The Secutor type itself is an evolution born out of gladiators having trouble with the Retiarii. Not replacing them completely, the Secutor was a fix for the problems Murmillones were having with the net, mainly wearing a helmet on which a net snags easily. And you can't just replace that Murmillo helmet. They're an iconic part of the games, a mainstay.

So the Murmillo is now relegated to fighting Thraex and Hoplomachus. Everybody's happy. Well you still have that huge scutum shield on the Secutor, easily snaggable. So evolution time again and we get the Scissor.

There is something of an arms race going on with editors (wealthy games sponsors) and lanistae trying to find the perfect counter to the Retiarii - to keep their games interesting. They may have found the match in the Scissor (Arbelas) type. That's what the name Contraretiarius means, "anti-Retiarius" or the shortened contrarete which means "anti-net." 

- The Fishiness

Both the Secutor and the Scissor are supposed to look like fish - something that is supposedly reflected in the style of their helmet. Maybe if you squint. There's a better argument for the Scissor here with their scale mail armor (lorica squamata), making them resemble any shiny Mediterranean fish. There's that obviously fish inspired fin along the top of their helmet, maybe that's it.

So, of course the underlying plot of the fight between Scissor and Retiarius is man versus fish, man versus nature, Neptune versus Dagon, fire versus water. All of these things are calculated when a new gladiator type debuts. The average Roman  immediately picks up on the subnarrative of the new type's armature and costuming, immersing themselves in the fiction woven around this bloodsport. Gladiatorial contests are, after all, elaborate theatre.

- Arms and Armor

The Scissor wears the distinctive and iconic Secutor-style helmet, like something out of a nightmare. They have a strange implement on their left arm that works like a shield, has a fierce cutting blade (scissor or arbelos), and extends the gladiator's reach perhaps by a foot. And, as already mentioned, the Scissor enjoys a full tunic of scale mail. No other gladiator type comes close to this type of protection except the Crupellarius. 

The Scissor likely wears subligaculum (a Roman loincloth) beneath their armor held up by a balteus (wide leather belt). They wear greaves called ocrea that cover the space from the ankle to the shin and are worn over quilted cloth padding called fasciae. Fasciae appears again, most commonly, on the gladiator's sword arm with a manica (cured leather, banded mail or chain mail over fasciae or by itself) worn to cover the arm from hand and wrist to shoulder.

Finally, the Scissor's main weapon is the gladius (the Roman shortsword) and that's the only part of this armature anyone would consider common. Of course they're also going to be using a pugio (the ubiquitous Roman dagger) sheathed at their waist and perhaps weaeing some sandals or soft boots (caliga or calcei) though they may go barefoot on the sands of the arena.

Note: You should make a custom entry on your character sheet's inventory section labeled Scissor Armor. Make the price 50 gp and the weight 20 pounds. Also, you can rename any weapon you use as its Roman equivalent, i.e. gladius for shortsword, spatha for longsword, arcus for a bow, sagitta for arrows, etc.

- Tactics

Here's where much guessing and some creative license will come into play. The tactics of the Scissor must, we assume, mimic the style we see in the Secutor based on the weight of their armor, the helmet, and the common foe these two styles almost always face.

The goal for the Scissor is to make the contest as short as possible. The longer they are out there chasing the Retiarius around, the greater is the likelihood that they will suffer from exhaustion and lose the match. If it's a battle of endurance, the Retiarius wins.

Going in at a charge, cutting the Retiarius' net, getting inside the melee reach of their trident, attacking in a frenzy, these are the obvious strategies for a Scissor win. Going after their opponent's legs and reducing their mobility is an obvious strategy as well.

- The Adventurer's Road

As you prepare to take your Scissor out on the road to Adventure, what role will you play in your party? With their potent mix of armor and weaponry, the Scissor may be the most balanced gladiator type. They can go tank to damage dealer in the blink of an eye. 

As an apparently free and apparently former gladiator, what are your motivations? Are you ready to retire to the sun-soaked coast to laze about and be idle? To just count your gold? Are you free or did you escape your ludus? We're you given a rudis and do you still carry it with you?

It's time to put all that training to the test. You've fought plenty of other gladiators; how hard can a hobgoblin be? An orc? A zombie? You can't underestimate anything though. You've seen hobgoblins and orcs in the arena, but can they really match your skill level?  

Here's to the road, and here's to finding out soon enough!

Scissor Skills

- The Archetype 

When you accept this archetype at 3rd level, you gain access to certain features and maneuvers that take advantage of the Scissor's unique weapons and armor - things that suit their fighting style and enhance it.

Charging Attack (Emvestida): The primary offensive move for the Scissor is a bull rush with weapons extended and head down. You'll need to roll to hit. If successful, your opponent must make a DC 13 STR saving throw or be knocked prone after taking 3d6 + STR modifier damage. You must be more than 10 feet away from your opponent at the beginning of your turn to initiate this attack. The action is a combination of your weapons and your helmet hitting your opponent at your full speed. That should be bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage in one attack. Choose your damage type if it becomes necessary to know or split your damage, allocating a third to each damage type. The DC for the saving throw becomes 15 at level 7, 17 at level 10, 19 at level 15, and 21 at level 18. The damage scales to 4d6 at level 7, 5d6 at level 10, 6d6 at level 15, and 7d6 at level 18. This feature can be attempted a number of times per long rest equal to your STR modifier. 

Parry and Stab (Eludere et Confodere): You learn this maneuver from old bait and switch attacks. When an opponent lands a blow on you, before damage is rolled, you can elect to attempt this move as a reaction up to three times per long rest. If you make a successful roll to hit, you parry your opponent's attack with your scissor arm and stab with your gladius. You negate your opponent's attack and score a critical hit to the ribs on them, doing 2d6 + STR modifier piercing damage that scales with level, doing 4d6 + STR at 7th level, 6d6 + STR at 10th level, 8d6 + STR at 15th level, and 10d6 + STR at 18th level. If the opponent makes a DC 17 DEX saving throw, their damage is halved.

Tornado Attack (Turbo Impetum): You learn a maneuver where you make a full spin with your body, your scissor extended, crashing it into your opponent's shield arm. A successful attack causes 2d6 + STR modifier slashing damage and your opponent must make a DC 13 STR saving throw or they can't hold their arm up to use their shield or weapon, whichever is in their left hand. This damage scales to 3d6 at 10th level and 4d6 at 18th level. The saving throw DC scales normally going up to 21 at 18th level. This action may be attempted up to a number of times equal to your STR modifier per long rest.

Thigh Slice (Femur Segmentum): You have perfected a maneuver where you act like you're attempting to go over your opponent's shield with your gladius only to use the distraction to slice their exposed thigh with your scissor. If your attack is successful, they take 2d6 + STR modifier slashing damage and lose half their movement speed until they are healed. If you make a second successful attack of the same type they take damage in their other leg and the it is such that they are forced to go prone until they can have a healing spell cast on them. Everything they do until then is at disadvantage until they are healed or die. Damage for this action scales to 4d6 + STR modifier at 10th level. This maneuver may be attempted a number of times equal to your STR modifier per long rest.

- Acrobatics and Athletics 

You gain proficiency in the Dexterity (Acrobatics) and Strength (Athletics) skills if you don't already have them. 

- Improved Critical 

Your range for making critical hits has improved by five percent. You now score a critical hit on a roll of a natural 19 or 20. This feature scales with level being 18-20 at 7th level and 17 -20 at 15th level. 

Scissor Armor and Weapons

- Scissor Armor and Weapons

At 3rd level you begin wearing Scissor Armor and using Scissor weapons. If you are wearing other than Scissor armor or using different weapons, none of your feature abilities can be attempted.

Armor: Your armor consists of your Secutor-style helmet, shin coverings over quilted cloth padding (ocrea over fasciae), an arm covering (manica) of or over fasciae, the covering being made of cured leather, banded mail, scale, or chain mail and worn on your main weapon arm, a tunic of scale mail or chain mail (lorica squamata), a loincloth and belt (subligaculum and beltae) to hold it up underneath your tunic, Roman hobnail military sandals (caligae), and possibly a shoulder protector (galerus).

The Scissor's armor is much heavier than that of other gladiators and you start out with a base AC of 16. Your full DEX modifier applies despite scale mail being a medium armor type because of the extensive training you've endured in full gear. The AC scales to a base of 18 at 10th level and 20 at 15th level.

Restrictions: You may use magical pieces of Scissor armor if your DM is nice enough to make them available. You may also use any type of magic or magic item to enhance your AC score that doesn't replace a piece of Scissor armor, i.e. Ring of Protection, Cloak of Protection, amulets, potions, spells. A Scissor would not be able to wear magical belts, gauntlets, shields, helmets, or normal armor such as chain mail that isn't specifically designed for a Scissor.

Weapons: Your weaponry is minimal, but features the gladius (Roman shortsword) as your primary weapon, the scissor which is a specialized weapon to be described in more detail below, and a pugio (Roman dagger). You may research and add other weapons but, again, you lose access to your special features while so equipped. Some popular additions are the arcus (Roman composite shortbow), the spatha (a Roman longsword), and the malleus (a Roman maul).

The Scissor: The Scissor is the name of the gladiator type, the scissor (lower case) is that gladiator's secondary weapon. It does 1d6 + STR modifier slashing or piercing damage on a hit and is used as a bonus attack offhand weapon. It's assumed you've taken the two-weapon fighting style at level 2. It's necessary, and needs to be done retroactively if you took another style. The scissor's damage goes to 2d6 at 10th level.

The scissor is a metal tube that goes on the gladiator's arm and goes up to the elbow. It has a handle inside allowing the gladiator to better manipulate it and keep it in place. The actual scissor that gives everything the name is a crescent shaped blade attached to the end of the metal tube. It's approximately six inches wide and is a very effective slashing and piercing weapon that can be used as a hook as well.

It's important to note that the scissor is both weapon and armor, the metal tube taking the place of a shield. To use this implement the Scissor has to be highly trained, the thing being as awkward and cumbersome as it is effective. The amount of training and the cost to equip a Scissor with a special weapon and full armor is likely the reason they faded from gladiator history the way they did.

Support Skill

- Support Skill Expertise 

At 3rd level, and at 10rh level, you get to choose expertise in a support skill to benefit you and your party. 

Alchemist's Supplies

You have expertise with Alchemist's Supplies.

Animal Handling

You gain expertise in Animal Handling.

Cartographer's Tools

You have expertise with Cartographer's Tools.

Cook's Utensils

You have expertise with Cook's Utensils.

Herbalism Kit

You have expertise with the Herbalism Kit.

History

You have expertise in History. 

Jeweler's Tools

You have expertise with Jeweler's Tools. 

Leatherworker's Tools

You have expertise with Leatherworker's Tools. 

Medicine

You have expertise in Medicine.

Nature

You have expertise in Nature.

Poisoner's Kit

You have expertise with a Poisoner's Kit.

Religion

You have expertise in Religion.

Smith's Tools

You have expertise with Smith's Tools.

Tinker's Tools

You have expertise with Tinker's Tools.

Ability Bonuses

- Ability Bonuses 

At 7th level, you get bonuses to STR and DEX related skills. You get advantage on skill checks and ability checks with both and you get a +2 bonus to saving throws for both. 

You now have twice proficiency in your  Dexterity (Acrobatics) and Strength (Athletics) skills. 

You have a +2 bonus to your initiative rolls. You get ability score increases of +1 in both Strength and Dexterity.

Lastly, you get a +2 bonus to hit on your melee attacks.

Scissor Bash (Scissoris Fragore)

- Scissoris Fragore 

At 10th level, you can use your scissor arm as a club, smashing it into your opponent's head and face and doing 4d6 + STR modifier bludgeoning damage (6d6 at 15rh level, and 8d6 at 18th level), potentially stunning your opponent for 1d4 rounds. You can use this feature three times per long rest.

The attack is a made with a -5 penalty to hit and the opponent can roll a DC 17 CON (scales with level) saving throw to avoid being stunned. They may roll the saving throw at the beginning of each subsequent turn.

- Improved AC

At 10th level, your base armor class goes from 16 to 18.

- Improved Damage

At 10th level, you can start adding an extra d6 to all of your damage rolls. The damage is typed as force but is actually whatever type of the weapon you use in an attack. 

Frenzy Attack (Furor Impetus)

- Furor Impetus 

At 15th level, you've come upon the perfect method for ending a fight quickly, expending a lot of energy and rage in a full-frontal assault on your opponent, giving them no chance to react, counter, or compose themselves. This "frenzy attack," or "furor impetus," is a high risk, high reward maneuver that can go well in your favor or well against it. 

Starting at least 10 feet away from your opponent, you get a running start at them, leading with your scissor and swinging your gladius wildly. Regardless of the outcome of this attack, attacks against you in the next round are at advantage.

When you charge your opponent, you make a standard attack roll. If the attack hits, your foe takes two simultaneous blows to the chest and abdomen for 6d6 + STR modifier piercing damage. They also continue to bleed at the rate of 2d8 hit points blood loss per round in subsequent rounds unless a healing spell is cast on them. Any type of healing spell with stop the bleeding as can someone proficient with and in possession of a healer's kit.

They must further make a DC 19 DEX saving throw to avoid being knocked prone and to be stunned for 1d4 rounds. These numbers, DC and damage dice, scale to 21 and 8d6 at 18th level. 

Whatever the attack or saving throw results are, your opponent cannot make an attack on you in this round unless you roll a natural one for the initial attack.

When this attack ends, you suffer one level of exhaustion. 

You can use this feature up to three times per long rest.

- Armor Class Increase 

At 15th level, your base AC increases to 19 from 17.

Killing Blow (Perimo)

- Perimo

You've learned that the direct method is sometimes the best. To that end, on a successful attack roll made at -5 to hit, you've gained the ability to use pure Strength to run your scissor into your opponent's gut and disembowel them if they fail a DC 15 CON saving throw. Whether they save or not, they take 8d6 + STR modifier piercing damage. If they are disemboweled, they die in the next round unless a Heal spell is cast on them.

This feature can only be attempted twice per long rest. Most of these gladiator features assume a humanoid opponent. If the opponent is other than humanoid, discuss with your DM to which creatures this feature can apply.