I’m making a coliseum dedicated to a kings dead son who was an awesome warrior.
It allows people to fight in there to entertain thousands of people watching. I want to make a system where you get points and might be able to purchase magic items.
Should I just do it based on level or rank in the faction?
Im also going to be offering training for 10 weeks to get a feat. Does that seem OP? The feat is Weapon Master which I don’t think is to broken.
I did something similar in my campaign, although characters were already around level 10-12 when this became part of it.
I set up a "chit" system, whereby the fighters can earn a chit by taking part in pit fights of different kinds (loosely based on some historical gladiatorial games with a few extra fantasy types thrown in for good measure - but things like fighting with identical weapons and no armour, using nets and spears only, fighting a monster in the ring etc.) The number of chits are then used to denote the rank of the fighter and open up different types of fights with increasing prizes to win.
At the top tier, where audiences get big, I added a crowd effect aspect, where actions taking can win appeal or draw ire from the crowd - which can trigger effects similar to a bardic inspiration die ( positive or negative)
One of the characters did train a feat with a camp of gladiators as part of that - but it was a feat as part of level progression - I think adding feats beyond the existing ones could unbalance things if only some characters have interest in that type of training.
Ok thanks! I have a question with the chit system. Was it like after you gain certain number, you get this reward? Or was it like a currency? I think I’ll just roll some tables to determine items for purchase and things like that.
Any tips for how the crowd thing would work. Etc a crit makes the crowd affect trigger? Or maybe doing something lame like a dodge action would activate it?
I don't know if your arena is a intended to be always lethal or generally nonlethal, but you may want to check out the non lethal Pit Fighting in XGtE. At minimum you might dig the complications table. If you're table really wants to play out every fight, this may be too abstract for them, but playing out a lot of fights might also become a grind.
I have had occasional "dueling" events in my games, where it's presumed the duel is non lethal and HP lost in the match is the target getting "winded" from the match. One thing I'd toy with this or your arena is the pro wrestling concept of faces and heels and they're differing ways of working the crowd. The face is supposed to be gaining all the glory, so some circumstances should reward his performance via advantages or bonus rewards, the heel is supposed to gain the ire of the crowd so could get awards for cowardice or dirty trickery or laying flat a popular face, etc.
Another thing to think about is how often characters would be in fights. The Pit Fighting table presumes the bout takes one work week, it's unclear how plausible a character grinding out bouts week after week may be. If you're going for a more heroic fantasy mode, like the Kirk Douglas Spartacus, sure you're gladiators can fight every day, maybe a few times a day. If you're more in something gritty and real, like the Andy Whitfield Spartacus (ok a lot of that was unreal, but it was sure gritty), you may want to space things out. Gladiators arguably are probably one of the earliest forms of professional athletes in Europe we may have data on, so some research could determine how often fighters fought, but generally pro athletes space out their matches in almost all sports for a reason (trying to lean on this so if you have a non fighter character you can have that one take on a healer role and get involved in the area's back stage intrigue).
It’s definitely a non lethal arena. And I have read that, but my party really likes to play out combat. I think spellcasting would fit in very nicely. The arena is a collection of floating battlefields with multiple battles happening at a time and one big one being projected using illousion magic on a screen everyone can see.
I do like the idea of involving a rival party that would face the group in battles. Do you think that’s ok? They aren’t antagonists but like just a less friendly rivalry. Do you think they would go as far to sabotage the party outside or would that be offensive to players
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I’m making a coliseum dedicated to a kings dead son who was an awesome warrior.
It allows people to fight in there to entertain thousands of people watching. I want to make a system where you get points and might be able to purchase magic items.
Should I just do it based on level or rank in the faction?
Im also going to be offering training for 10 weeks to get a feat. Does that seem OP? The feat is Weapon Master which I don’t think is to broken.
I did something similar in my campaign, although characters were already around level 10-12 when this became part of it.
I set up a "chit" system, whereby the fighters can earn a chit by taking part in pit fights of different kinds (loosely based on some historical gladiatorial games with a few extra fantasy types thrown in for good measure - but things like fighting with identical weapons and no armour, using nets and spears only, fighting a monster in the ring etc.) The number of chits are then used to denote the rank of the fighter and open up different types of fights with increasing prizes to win.
At the top tier, where audiences get big, I added a crowd effect aspect, where actions taking can win appeal or draw ire from the crowd - which can trigger effects similar to a bardic inspiration die ( positive or negative)
One of the characters did train a feat with a camp of gladiators as part of that - but it was a feat as part of level progression - I think adding feats beyond the existing ones could unbalance things if only some characters have interest in that type of training.
Ok thanks! I have a question with the chit system. Was it like after you gain certain number, you get this reward? Or was it like a currency?
I think I’ll just roll some tables to determine items for purchase and things like that.
Any tips for how the crowd thing would work. Etc a crit makes the crowd affect trigger? Or maybe doing something lame like a dodge action would activate it?
I don't know if your arena is a intended to be always lethal or generally nonlethal, but you may want to check out the non lethal Pit Fighting in XGtE. At minimum you might dig the complications table. If you're table really wants to play out every fight, this may be too abstract for them, but playing out a lot of fights might also become a grind.
I have had occasional "dueling" events in my games, where it's presumed the duel is non lethal and HP lost in the match is the target getting "winded" from the match. One thing I'd toy with this or your arena is the pro wrestling concept of faces and heels and they're differing ways of working the crowd. The face is supposed to be gaining all the glory, so some circumstances should reward his performance via advantages or bonus rewards, the heel is supposed to gain the ire of the crowd so could get awards for cowardice or dirty trickery or laying flat a popular face, etc.
Another thing to think about is how often characters would be in fights. The Pit Fighting table presumes the bout takes one work week, it's unclear how plausible a character grinding out bouts week after week may be. If you're going for a more heroic fantasy mode, like the Kirk Douglas Spartacus, sure you're gladiators can fight every day, maybe a few times a day. If you're more in something gritty and real, like the Andy Whitfield Spartacus (ok a lot of that was unreal, but it was sure gritty), you may want to space things out. Gladiators arguably are probably one of the earliest forms of professional athletes in Europe we may have data on, so some research could determine how often fighters fought, but generally pro athletes space out their matches in almost all sports for a reason (trying to lean on this so if you have a non fighter character you can have that one take on a healer role and get involved in the area's back stage intrigue).
How's spell casting going to fit into your arena?
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
It’s definitely a non lethal arena. And I have read that, but my party really likes to play out combat. I think spellcasting would fit in very nicely. The arena is a collection of floating battlefields with multiple battles happening at a time and one big one being projected using illousion magic on a screen everyone can see.
I do like the idea of involving a rival party that would face the group in battles. Do you think that’s ok? They aren’t antagonists but like just a less friendly rivalry. Do you think they would go as far to sabotage the party outside or would that be offensive to players