Smine will tell you that shifting sands means that there will be small pits of quicksand. All weapons are legal.
You make your preparations and then make your way back to face Helkit. The Arena of Aroden and Tymon as a whole use numerous rules to maintain the integrity of the arena, and a few in particular apply to the your combat. Participants may cast preparatory spells before entering the arena but otherwise cannot use magic, activate items, or drink potions until the combat officially begins; in the case of You Have What You Hold, this translates to 10 minutes of time checking in with the arena manager, suiting up, reviewing the rules, and verbally acknowledging these rules before stepping out into the fighting space. Magical flght and climbing the walls and columns is permitted, but only to the level of the grandstands (25 feet above the floor). Going any higher is considered unsporting, presents a risk to the spectators, and is grounds for disqualification. Violators receive a single warning and slow count to three (over the course of 1 round) before being disqualified. The combat conditions established by Helkit allow either team to give up should any participant declare that he yields. Doing so grants victory to the opposing team. The combat is not, strictly speaking, a death match, but participants are not held accountable for killing their opponents.
Your match against Helkit headlines a long day of battle. In the late morning, a handful of naked, convicted criminals “fight” a gelatinous cube, warming the crowd for more brawls to come. After herding the skeleton filled cube off stage, numerous one-on-one matches fill out the schedule as up-and-coming gladiators face off
By the time your match rolls around, the crowd is rabid with excitement.
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Taliesin looks slightly nervous as she prepares for the match.
"I have never done anything like this! And I bet she's upset with me...I got a little out of hand with my insults."
The only spell the bard prepares beforehand is a silent image of a warrior dressed in full plate, which she maintains concentration on as the moments until the battle pass.
As the challengers, you enter first through the western gate. "And introducing first, representing the Pathfinder Society! The Trukinator! Tali the deadly diva! Deadeye Morvius! And Lajas the investigator!!!"
With the final introduction, the crowd’s cheers reach a crescendo, demonstrating that the citizens of Tymon are impartial in their favoritism so long as bloodshed is imminent. As the opposing gate opens, Helkit and her Slayers do not emerge. Instead, part of the arena’s flor begins to lower as the master of ceremonies continues shouting. “Despite their achievements, it would be a sad event to just drop anyone into the arena cold against one of the bloodied! It’s only fair they be given a chance to warm up first, don’t you agree?” Supportive as always, the crowd’s cheering drowns out anything else the announcer attempts to say for a moment. “Then let’s bring out our favorite pet! She’s been aching for a hardier challenge, and I think our friends here are just the thing! Introducing Shocrote the mauler!”
Out of the opposite gate, a dragon-winged lion with a spiked tail emerges.
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As the introductions are made, Las shakes his head in annoyance.
"Las the investigator?? That does not exactly inspire fear or awe. Las the Spitting Web Mouth, or Las the Conqueror of Worlds, or even Las, friend of Truk would have been preferable."
As the group emerges from their alcove, Las tries to identify the monstrosity before them.
After sharing what he knows, Las quips, "This may be a tactic by Helkit to burn through our short duration buffs. Let us not use anything that does not last more than 10 minutes."
Las draws his light crossbow and coats a bolt with greenblood oil.
Frequency 1/round for 4 rounds
Effect 1 Con damage; Cure 1 save
Morvius lands a devastating shot on the beast. In turn she flies up into the air and lets loose a volley of spikes from her tail.
It is a manticore. You get 2 facts.
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... or even Las, friend of Truk would have been preferable."
The big orc stops posing and dives protectively in front of Morvius. "I think you got its attention. Keep it up!"
If you are wearing medium or heavy armor and are adjacent to an ally who also has this feat, as a free action, you may give your ally a circumstance bonus to her AC equal to half the armor bonus provided by your armor. This bonus lasts for 1 round. During this round, you gain no bonus to your AC from your armor.
No immunities or resistances. It has two claws and a bite. Shocrote likes teal.
Both Morvius and Tali land a shot on the beast. Truk does his best to defend the archer while Las throws down a smoke stick to give Morvius some cover.
Shocrote angrily launches more tail spikes.
Morvius fires off another arrow and the manticore comes crashing down to the ground. After the monster's defeat, the arena staff call you back to the gate. You are give a minute to heal before the next fight. However they tell you that any other spells that are not healing related are prohibited.
The crowd roars in favor of this new team who defeated a long time favorite.
After a minute the master of ceremonies gives another grand introduction. “Now, Tymons, here’s the match you’ve waited for! It’s been years since she earned her status as one of our finest, but she’s lost none of her skill or style with an axe. Let her know how glad you are to see her fighting again—you certainly don’t want to be on her bad side! Helkit! Silverbane!”
The eastern gate opens, and Helkit leads a group onto the floor. She wears a patchwork assortment of armor, scuffed and showing signs of many battles. Nevertheless, it is clearly custom-fitted and in excellent repair. She holds a chain, attached to the collar of a pony sized beast resembling a cross between a wolf and a tiger. Completing her team are a number of men and women clad in oiled armor and tabards of silver and crimson. They come to a halt. Helkit unchains her pet, then brandishes her greataxe aloft to the vocal pleasure of the crowd.
Any time a combatant performs one of the following actions, he or she earns the team one Crowd Point. As a swift action as part of any action that would earn a Crowd Point, the combatant may attempt a DC 19 Perform (act), (dance), or (oratory) check to increase the total points earned by 1. When a team has a number of Crowd Points equal to or greater than the number of combatants on the team, all team members gain a +1 morale bonus on attack rolls, combat maneuver checks, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws. If a team has twice as many Crowd Points as members, increase the bonus to +2. Should a team’s Crowd Points total drop below 0, team members suffer a –1 penalty on attack rolls, combat maneuver checks, ability checks, skill checks, and saving throws. If a team has a negative Crowd Point total equal to or greater than the number of team members (for example, –5 points for a 5-person team), increase this penalty to –2.
Score a critical hit +1
Hit more than once per round +1 per additional hit
Deal the first damage of the encounter +1
Successfully perform a combat maneuver +1
Perform a charge action and hit the target +1
Use a spell, ability, or item that heals damage –1 per target healed (max–3)
Roll a natural 1 on an attack or saving throw –1
Use the withdraw action and end the turn not adjacent to an enemy –1
Fall into a shifting sands hazard –1
Attack a foe who has yielded –10
Morvius is able to spot an L shaped patch near him. He also lands a shot on one of the Slayers. Both move up drawing javelins before throwing them at Morvius.
It is a thylacine. A marsupial that has powerful jaws that threaten a crit on 19-20.
But both javelins end up in the sand before you.
Las finds another patch of quicksand near him but not in his way. Helkit confident in her slayers, drinks a potion and she grows in size. She commands her pet to heel and he does so.
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Taliesin addresses the crowd directly in a way intended to inspire both the crowd and her companions.
"Greetings, folks! You have come here today for some excitement! Let me assure you: you won't leave disappointed!!!" she exclaims in full dramatic fashion, then blows the crowd a kiss.
The bard begins to clap her hands, hoping the crowd will also participate.
"Do you want to see some action?!?" she calls out, and places a hand to her ear to await the crowd's response.
"Go get 'em, boys!" she says to her companions.
Taliesin addresses the crowd directly in a way intended to inspire both the crowd and her companions.
"Greetings, folks! You have come here today for some excitement! Let me assure you: you won't leave disappointed!!!" she exclaims in full dramatic fashion, then blows the crowd a kiss.
The bard begins to clap her hands, hoping the crowd will also participate.
"Do you want to see some action?!?" she calls out, and places a hand to her ear to await the crowd's response.
"Go get 'em, boys!" she says to her companions.
[dice=perform]1d20+15
Morvius scores with another shot dropping his target to the ground. Tali gets the crowd pumping with and cheering for the party as she continues to focus on her illusion.
The remaining slayer will move and toss another javelin, this time at the illusory warrior.
The weapon bounces off its illusory armor.
Helkit moves forward barking a command. "Pincer Manuever!" Her pet Brimstone moves up.
Morvius lands a shot on the slayer while Tali sends her illusory warrior towards him.
The slayer notices that the warrior's blade passes right through him. "Hey this one is a fake!" He yells charging through the illusion.