Far to the East, beyond the great empire, stands a gladiatorial arena, perhaps only apocryphal. Musty, leather bound tomes in the Great City’s library tell of ancient granite blocks rising up 100 feet in a ring. Stone benches look down upon a circle of dusty earth where gladiators of all types once fought nearly every day for 100,000 years. Marks on the outer walls count more than 500 million dead.
As one walks towards the area, down the Avenue of the Greatest, stone stelae announce the most successful gladiators of all time, organized by race and class specialty. All were slaves taken by the turbaned Illdrak who once hunted relentlessly into western lands and were eventually exterminated many forgotten ages ago.
The grand mansions and gardens of that battle-obsessed race lie in ruins, but the arena remains. It echoes in the dreams of western people, a lingering fear of the dreadful slave masters and their thirst for blood.
Who eliminated the Illdrak, and how? It is yet unknown. Expeditions into this empty land are now forbidden by decree of kings reaching a hundred generations. Aluxudra’s final historical epic, A Journey of Blood and Wine, contains a brief description of each stele, as summarized below.
An-hal the Daring – HUMAN THIEF Level 3 Age 22 (STR:13 INT:5 DEX:18 WIS:18 CON:13 CHA:17) HP:12 AC:16 AB: 2 Saves (13,14,13,16,15) Two-Handed Sword +2 DAM:2-11 longbow +4 DAM:1-8 Armor: leather XP:4498 GP:30
Garnyamax the Ravenous – HUMAN FIGHTER Level 5 Age 18 (STR:18 INT:14 DEX:13 WIS:13 CON:14 CHA:13) HP:37 AC:17 AB: 4 Saves (13,14,15,16,18) Longsword +4 DAM:4-11 longbow +2 DAM:1-8 Armor: chainmail & Shield XP:24452 GP:170
Adelcarchard the Warped – HUMAN MAGE Level 4 Age 36 (STR:12 INT:17 DEX:16 WIS:17 CON:18 CHA:14) HP:14 AC:13 AB: 2 Saves (13,14,13,16,15) Dagger +1 DAM:1-4 dagger +3 DAM:1-4 Armor: robes XP:12236 GP:60 Spells: Sleep
Mandlorne of High Rock– ELF MAGE Level 4 Age 669 (STR:9 INT:16 DEX:6 WIS:15 CON:10 CHA:17) HP:14 AC:10 AB: 2 Saves (13,12,12,16,13) Dagger +1 DAM:1-4 dagger +0 DAM:1-4 Armor: robes XP:10275 GP:70 Spells: Sleep
Alnas – ELF FIGHTER Level 4 Age 170 (STR:18 INT:13 DEX:9 WIS:13 CON:13 CHA:14) HP:23 AC:16 AB: 3 Saves (13,12,14,16,16) Longsword +4 DAM:4-11 longbow +1 DAM:1-8 Armor: chainmail & Shield XP:9815 GP:120
Thaldrelras the Poisoner – ELF THIEF Level 3 Age 141 (STR:9 INT:13 DEX:17 WIS:15 CON:16 CHA:16) HP:14 AC:15 AB: 2 Saves (13,12,12,16,13) Two-Handed Sword +1 DAM:1-10 longbow +3 DAM:1-8 Armor: leather XP:3078 GP:30
Rethdiel the Broken – ELF MAGE-THIEF Level 4 Age 804 (STR:8 INT:17 DEX:9 WIS:14 CON:13 CHA:18) HP:13 AC:16 AB: 2 Saves (13,12,12,16,13) Two-Handed Sword +0 DAM:1-9 longbow +1 DAM:1-8 Armor: chainmail & Shield XP:16760 GP:80 Spells: Sleep
Rondrionrandir Clawface – ELF FIGHTER-MAGE Level 4 Age 368 (STR:9 INT:15 DEX:5 WIS:10 CON:17 CHA:16) HP:15 AC:14 AB: 3 Saves (13,12,14,16,16) Longsword +1 DAM:1-8 longbow +-1 DAM:1-8 Armor: chainmail & Shield XP:21275 GP:140 Spells: Sleep
Freatrarg of Sogogda – HALFLING THIEF Level 2 Age 42 (STR:9 INT:14 DEX:16 WIS:11 CON:13 CHA:16) HP:8 AC:15 AB: 1 Saves (9,10,9,13,12) Longsword +1 DAM:1-8 shortbow +4 DAM:1-6 Armor: leather XP:1619 GP:40
Thebar Busgor – HALFLING FIGHTER Level 3 Age 26 (STR:17 INT:16 DEX:9 WIS:16 CON:18 CHA:10) HP:19 AC:16 AB: 2 Saves (9,10,11,13,15) Short Sword +3 DAM:3-8 shortbow +2 DAM:1-6 Armor: chainmail & Shield XP:4091 GP:130
Rarangi the Horrid – DWARF FIGHTER Level 5 Age 58 (STR:18 INT:13 DEX:9 WIS:11 CON:13 CHA:16) HP:37 AC:16 AB: 4 Saves (9,10,11,13,15) Battle Axe +4 DAM:4-11 heavy crossbow +1 DAM:1-8 Armor: chainmail & Shield XP:17843 GP:110
Berinlak of Glathligogoth – DWARF THIEF Level 3 Age 51 (STR:9 INT:13 DEX:16 WIS:12 CON:14 CHA:16) HP:9 AC:15 AB: 2 Saves (9,10,9,13,12) Great Axe +1 DAM:1-10 heavy crossbow +3 DAM:1-8 Armor: leather XP:2874 GP:160
These stats are really out of a arena simulator I wrote that makes 1st level characters and makes them fight opponents with matching hit dice. Because it doesn’t match the story of the game world, I didn’t include the human cleric:
HUMAN CLERIC Level 3 Age 19 (STR:16 INT:9 DEX:16 WIS:17 CON:16 CHA:13) HP:17 AC:18 AB: 2 Saves (10,11,13,15,14) Mace +3 DAM:3-10 sling +3 DAM:1-4 Armor: chainmail & Shield XP:5754 GP:80
I really did run 500m simulated battles. These characters are the ones who survived the longest in terms of XP earned. Thieves and halflings suck. Fighters rule. Mages who know sleep do better.
The battles begin with the character facing a monster (animal, humanoid or human) a random distance from each other. Only the character has a ranged attack. Both opponents move at their maximum rate towards each other with hand weapons when they get next to each other. Monsters make morale checks after going below 50% hp and surrender if they fail the check. Characters also may surrender after 50% hp based on the better of int or wis. Animals never accept surrender. Others must be convinced with a reaction role that includes the cha bonus.
After a battle, a winning character gets xp for the monster plus an entertainment bonus scaled by ego (sum of int, wis, cha). This maxes out at an additional 300%. This helps mages and clerics survive and is the best idea I had to model some idea of how a smarter character might find a way to survive and learn faster. Characters who surrender don’t get xp for the monster but do get xp for the performance.