Battleground Games & Hobbies - Abington
The Arena: General Rules
Date: 1st Saturday of every month. (Staring in August)
Time: Registration begins at 1 PM. All characters must be ready to roll promptly at 2 PM (please create your characters well in advance of the event!)
Entrance Fee: $5.00
Over the years, Battleground Games & Hobbies has often held events using the various Dungeons & Dragons rules systems to simulate gladiatorial arena matches. The 2nd and 4th Saturday of every month (check our calendar for details), we’ll be continuing that tradition with a variety of gladiatorial matches in Battleground's magnificent "miniature" 4' x 6' arena.
Each event will have a specific theme and rules to go along with it. Details for each event will be posted at the beginning of the month.
RULES FOR THE ARENA
RULEBOOKS:
Pathfinder Core Rulebook. ONLY the Pathfinder Core Rulebook can be used to create a character – NO EXCEPTIONS! Unless otherwise specified for an event. Pre-generated characters will be available as options to anyone unable or not interested in creating their own character.
LEVEL:
ALL Gladiators must be Level 3 unless otherwise stated in the event.
ABILITY SCORES:
All Gladiators MUST use the High Fantasy rules for 20 Point Buy for their Ability Scores which can be found on pages 15-16 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook.
RACES:
Your Gladiator may be any race in the Core Rulebook.
CLASSES:
Each Arena event will specify what classes will be available from the Core Rulebook to choose from for that event.
NO MULTICLASSING will be allowed for the event.
HIT POINTS:
Determine your maximum possible Hit Points for your character at first level, and then add [+6/barbarian or +5/fighter/ranger or +4/bard/cleric/druid/monk/paladin/sorcerer/rogue/wizard] + CON Bonus for each additional level after the first.
ANIMAL COMPANIONS:
Not allowed. This includes the purchasing of animals from the "Equipment" section like horses or dogs.
ALIGNMENT
Any.
EQUIPMENT:
Each character begins with 200 gp with which to buy items from the Core Rule Book Equipment section. Absolutely NO magic items will be allowed. The list of Legal Weapons and Armor for this event are listed below. Weapons and armor not on the list are not allowed in the arena.
LEGAL WEAPONS:
Battleaxe
Bolas
Boomerang
Chain, Spiked
Club
Crossbow, Light
Dagger
Dagger, Punching
Flail
Flail, Heavy
Gauntlet
Gauntlet, Spiked
Glaive
Greatclub
Hammer, Light
Handaxe
Javelin
Kukri
Lasso
Longspear
Mace, Light + Heavy
Man Catcher
Morningstar
Net
Rapier
Shield, Light
Short Sword
Shortbow
Shortspear
Sling
Spear
Spiked Armor
Spiked Light Shield
Sword Breaker Dagger
Throwing Axe
Trident
Warhammer
Whip
LEGAL ARMOR:
Light and Medium Armor ONLY
NO Heavy Armor will be allowed
Wooden Shields
HOW THE BATTLE WILL WORK:
All Gladiators will be placed around the approximately 4’ x 6’ arena at Battleground. Here is the arena for reference:
INITIATIVE:
Initiative will be determined and the battle will ensue. All gladiators are expected to immediately move toward another gladiator and begin their attack, or use a missile weapon to do so. The crowd watching the fight dislikes it when gladiators stall or stay out of the fray, and their mood can have a strong influence on the success or failure of a gladiator’s performance. Each round that a gladiator does not make an attack against another gladiator will result in an adjustment on the sliding performance scale.
1st Round without making an attack: Crowd takes notice and shouts a few jeers. Combatant takes a -1 on all attack rolls, combat maneuvers, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws.
2nd Round without making an attack: Crowd begins to shout and taunt the stalling gladiator. Combatant takes a -2 on all attack rolls, combat maneuvers, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws.
3rd Round without making an attack: Crowd becomes very hostile and chants relentlessly about the gladiator’s cowardice and begins to throw rotten vegetables (purchased by conveniently located vendors) at the gladiator. Combatant takes a -4 on all attack rolls, combat maneuvers, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws.
4th Round without making an attack: Crowd is enraged. The emperor’s court wizards, in order to maintain order in the stands, begins to fire magic missiles at the stalling gladiator. Subsequent rounds will continue with these penalties in place.
Gladiators must work their way back up the ladder in order to remove accrued penalties.
Conversely, gladiators who show great bravado will be rewarded in similar ways.
Every time an opponent is slain in the arena, the gladiator dealing the killing blow will receive a +1 bonus on all attack rolls, combat maneuvers, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws (if a gladiator is in the negatives when he receives this bonus it brings him up one further on the scale). This bonus will remain for as long as the gladiator continues to relentlessly assault his opponents. If at any time the gladiator fails to attack an opponent in a given round the bonus will be affected as noted above.
A gladiator that delivers a critical hit also gains a +1 bonus on all attack rolls, combat maneuvers, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws.
A gladiator cannot under any circumstances accrue a bonus higher than +3 in this way.
EXPECT THE REFEREE TO MAKE ON THE SPOT JUDGEMENTS TO DETERMINE IF A GLADIATOR IS GUILTY OF DELAY INFRACTIONS!
Also, Gladiators will NOT have the option of delaying or readying actions. In the heat of battle, a Gladiator would immediately react to dangers presented in the arena, since they are fighting for their life.
PRIZES:
The full amount of entrance fees will be used to generate prizes for the top placing team. A second and third place prize will be added if attendance is high.
PRO TIP!
Watch out for alliances and disrupt them when you can!
Good luck gladiators. Strength and honor!
Address:
1501 Bedford Street
Abington MA 02351
781.261.9669
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