DUNGEONATORS! Season 1 (Inactive)

Game Master W Canepa

Welcome, gladiators, to your chance at freedom from The Dungeon Arena!

It doesn't matter whether you were born here, forced here, or entered on contract, your fates are all entwined now...

You may train your abilities in any class listed as allowed up to level 5, and start with 12,000 gp in starting wealth. Do not get too attached to your character.

You will fight increasingly difficult battles, with brief respites to recoup and plan your strategies. Once you win a total of 15 team matches, you will have a chance to battle the current Champion for your ticket to freedom. Each match will have different objectives and rules.

If you should fall, your team may replace you with a new gladiator equal to your current level -1. You will level up every 3 successful battles.

Allowed Races:
20-pt races: gnome, goblin, half-elf, half-orc, halfling, human, kobold

15-pt races: aasimar, catfolk, dhampir, drow, dwarf, duergar, elf, fetchling, grippli, hobgoblin, ifrit, orc, oread, ratfolk, suli, sylph, tengu, tiefling, undine, vanara, vishkanya

Allowed Classes: Antipaladin, Barbarian, Cavalier, Fighter, Monk, Ninja, Paladin, Ranger, Rogue, Samurai (As usual, variant classes do not stack with core classes. Alignment is relatively trivial.)

Other character generation rules:
-Max HP per level
-No traits.
-No middle/old age categories.
-No templates.
-No racial variants/favored class options from the APG.
-No Prestige Classes
-Mounts/Companions/Pets must have full stats on your profile.
-No Item Creation feats or Craft skill usage.
-No spellcasting. Any classes with spellcasting, such as ranger, must use a class archetype that replaces it.
-Allowed Books: Core Rule book, Advanced Player's Guide, Ultimate Combat
-You can purchase any item up to 12,000 gp. Including trained animals, mounts, and hirelings (Any such creature must have full stats on your profile, and hirelings cost 10x the listed price, per match. You cannot hire spellcasters, as the game's producers are evil fiends who want to see you all die to boost ratings.).
-No Attacks of Opportunity. Abilities and feats such as Combat Reflexes, therefore, no longer exist, or will need to be modified on a case-by-case basis.
-Clever use of terrain, equipment, skills, unorthodox tactics, etc., will be rewarded, not punished, as long as it's viable and not outright silly.
-I'm not hand-holding; you need to be able to build a character by the rules without too many screw-ups. Check your HP, skills, favored class bonuses (either +1 skill rank or +1 HP per level), keep track of ammunition and consumables, get your saves, BAB, CMB/CMD correct, etc.

Deadline for Submissions:
I will be accepting submissions until 10pm, January 5th, EST. I am looking for 6-8 gladiators.

Flavor and personality is nice, but crunch is what will get you through this alive. PvP is possible, but will not win you any allies. Alignment is trivial, as you're all trying to just survive.

Each match will have strange foes, daunting terrain, and will be a veritable death trap for both sides. Rules will be outlined at the start of each match, as well as a map and general terrain details.

Do you have what it takes?

And you all need to come up for a name of the gladiatorial team you all belong to.

Examples of some of the more popular teams you may face are:

The Warblers
The Lord's Horde
Direct Connect
The Fire Brigade
Nature's Folly
The Knights of Woe
The Red Queens
Team Ogresmash!
The Guild

This sounds fun! A barbarian I shall roll. How're you doing stats?

I am interested but I have a few questions...

1. Are you allowing any PrC's?*
2. Is there a reason you gave point costs?

*I know this isn't really relavent yet but it will be later(maybe...if we survive long enough)

I'm thinking either a Orc fighter, Orc Barbarian, or Catfolk rogue are going to be my submission for this.

GM: Define " brief respites" please. Will we be fighting players or monsters?

Players: For rangers that means the trapper archetype must be taken. Just a heads up.

I suggest that everyone choose the 20 point races. None of those 15 point races are worth a 5 point loss if you are just looking for power which it seems like we will need.

Also, how is hp per level determined? Max? PFS rules? Rolling?

"Brief respites" will be non-combat downtime between matches. Ample time for roleplay and strategizing, spending your victory winnings (losers get a small cut, too, if they survive, as it still boosts ratings), and interaction with NPCs (handlers, trainers, rival teams, etc.). Their time will vary by relevance to the campaign.

Abilities are listed above. 15- and 20-pt buy, depending on race. I differientiated the point-buys based on what my experience with these races in gladiatorial real-life play has been with 12 different players over the course of a few months. I've not playtested the Bestiary 3 races, so I'm unfairly lumping them in with the 15-pt buy races. Deal with it, sorry. Races who get a single +2, and small races tend to do, "less well" in this campaign. I'll be regurgitating a lot of arenas/scenarios/NPC teams from my home game version of this, with some slight revision.

-No Prestige Classes.

This was inspired by a PDF/article thing I read a while back called The Dungeon Reality Show, or something similar, as well as the old Dungeon/Dragon magazine articles depicting gladiatorial campaigns. I need to look it up again, but I like the gladiator+Mojoworld concept, and it went over well with my friends this last year.

Skirmisher ranger archetype from the APG also replaces spellcasting.

As for submissions, I'd like a lot of crunch, and a sprinkling of fluff. Show me your gladiator, and give me a brief description, their name, and why they are in the Arena (this is a demiplane). A battle cry, signature move, etc. would be nice to throw in if you like.

Max HP/level. Thanks for catching that.

Updated: Max HP/level, no PrCs

Oh, and just so you all don't cry shenanigans once the game begins, you very well may go up against opponents with supernatural and spell-like abilities, flighted creatures, and even gladiators with spellcasting levels (though they will rarely exceed half their level, to be fair).

The roster of NPC gladiators you will go up against, and the type of match will be determined randomly.

The Network is not always fair, and as the Producer, I answer to their board, ultimately. :)

It's all about the ratings, folks.

I was not complaining about the 15 pb thing. I just wanted any potential partners to get the best build. :)

potential partners:I am suggesting 1 or 2 of you specialize in UMD and get cure light wounds wands.

If not then I will do it. <---This assumes they are for sale.

potential partners:I am suggesting 1 or 2 of you specialize in UMD and get cure light wounds wands.

If not then I will do it. <---This assumes they are for sale.

Everything is for sale, yes. You can buy magic, just no inherent spellcasting. Supernatural and spell-like abilities are fine.

Just got word from the network, something about divine intervention:

Paladins and Antipaladins may retain their spells or they may take the Trapper or Skirmisher ranger archetype to replace it, their choice.

I think we can all work with that.

I present to you, in the left corner, Jhock! The Reaper!

He comes to the Dungeon Arena, to be the Reaper, to bring his opponents their fate, decreed by Pharasma!

I'm intrigued!

Regarding UMD optimization, is there much beyond Magical Aptitude + Skill Focus?

Wand of Haste is only 11,250 gold ;)

Actually, I was suggesting that as a joke, to make a character that spent all their money on a single wand, cast haste, then used their nonmagical club or whatever for the rest of the battle...

But I had another thought: are a team of gladiators allowed to go in on an item together? Because with that many melee characters, haste would be pretty rad!

Also, is pre-battle buffing allowed?

Very interested I love tactical fighting
Best thing is to build the characters together, Teamwork feats and weapon specialization could go far if optimized with the group.

May I ask why not AoO? I have a pretty build, fighter with polearm, that is about trip and crowd control. No AoO would drastically cut his efficiency.

I wondered the same question. It kind of limits a few options.

No AoO will speed up combats, especially in PbP. Plus, it is easier for the Gm keep control without having to go back fix post after post. At least those are the reasons I have seen in the past for dropping AoOs.

But I had another thought: are a team of gladiators allowed to go in on an item together? Because with that many melee characters, haste would be pretty rad!

Also, is pre-battle buffing allowed?

Any one character can spend their money on anything up their starting wealth. They may not pool resources to buy more expensive items with other team members.

Some fights will allow buffing time beforehand, some will not. It depends on the match's rules. Each one is different.

Once a match has begun, sharing items is okay if the rules allow it. Sometimes there is free sharing, sometimes it is "loot the corpse," sometimes it's "don't use anything non-terrain that you didn't bring in with you."

>As for AoOs, Bilbo is on the right track. Combats can get bogged down, or devolve into an AoO free-for-all. Same reason spellcasters aren't allowed as classes for this.

However, I'd be willing to consider crafting a feat that allows an Attack of Opportunity with reach weapons, as aI can see the dislike over their getting nerfed with the rules change.

For everyone's consideration:

Attack of Opportunity
You can take advantage of your weapon's reach to attack foes who get too close.
Prerequisite Intelligence 11, Dexterity 13
Benefit Whenever you wield a two-handed melee weapon that you are proficient with (not a one-handed weapon wielded in two hands), you gain a single Attack of Opportunity per round, as per the normal Pathfinder combat rules. You gain a +2 bonus to attack on this attack of opportunity.

not to be a stick in the mud or to ruin anyone's fun but...2 handed weapons don't get reach...

*dodges all the dice the other players are no doubt throwing at him*

I'll have a character up some time later...thinking invulnerable rager orc.

Yes, the network is well aware of that. However, since your gladiators are controlled remotely by humans from Earth, we assumed that a compromise between real-world combat and the abstract combat system you will be using was acceptable.

Gladiators wielding non-reach polearms, greatswords, etc., will be allowed to make attacks of opportunity within 5 feet of them (assuming that is their threatened area) if they have this feat. This should allow for some more versatility of character builds. The wording was intentional. We had even considered adding finesse weapons to the list, such as rapiers, but decided against it for simplicity.

Also, players, do not feel discouraged if more than one of you come up with similar gladiator builds. In this campaign, that can still be a viable option. Don't bow out on that alone, as I've seen others do on other recruitment threads.

Dotting for later when I come home from work. I'm considering an archer of some sort, either ranger or fighter. Will ranged attacks still provoke AoO from our foes?

For example a 5th level fighter with a reach weapon, combat patrol, combat reflexes and improved trip can set up a wide area where each opponent must think twice before moving.
Think two of them, with gang up and they would be lethal.

I suppose such build is going to be unmanageable

I submit for the networks approval Yark Flayschildren.

The other information(fluff) is going to be added later.

There will be no Attacks of Opportunity, at all, without that feat.

So, if you shoot bow adjacent to a melee foe, and they don't have that feat, no AoO.

Combat Reflexes, and similar feats/abilities will not exist. If there are feats that have secondary effects, I'll alter them as needed.

And we now have two submissions, both invulnerable ragers.

Submissions will be taken until 10 pm, January 5th, unless we can get a full team sooner.

"That's right folks, you heard it here first! The first two viable gladiators are both barbarians, with the same archetype! I wonder if they'll be trendsetters this season?"

"The orc, Yark Flayschildren.. (what a gruesome name)... and half-orc, Jhok "The Reaper" seem to be hankering to get to the arena. I wonder how the fans will react to them?"

Make sure to list your rage/non-rage stats, not just one or the other.

I'll post the new stats here with the rage increases here soon. Also going to replace great cleave with the AoO feat.

I'll be honest. When I first saw this thread, that barbarian build was my first idea. The second was a dwarf two- weapon fighter using a shield. But they are a 15-point race, probably because the negative stat is in charisma.

Character sheet has been added to this profile. Both sets of stats(raging and non-raging) have been listed. For ease of use I only listed the things that changed when listing out my raging stats

Yark looks at Jhok and seems very unimpressed. "I know the network has been getting desperate but...adding half breeds is a new low."

The skull faced half-orc looks at Yark, snorting a little as he shrugs his shoulders. "We be both judged fairly under the eye of Lady Death. No matter what kind of blood we spill."

Another question.
Will Performance combat rules be used?

"Alas, Performance Combat will not be used this season. It's being considered for future seasons, though!"

"Additionally, the network would like to inform you that both the Producer and I have updated our profiles with relevant rules and the like, as well as the Arena/Match Generator that will be used by the Arena Lords to generate each match. Feel free to experiment with the combinations and speculate as to their meanings. Each season is a little different..."

"The ratings indicate a favorable audience reaction to a brute-themed team, but be wary that many of your rivals have varied tactics, or unique gimmicks."

This season, we also have new rules governing death to try with the play by post format. If you die, you are resurrected with no reward (if your team wins, it does not count as a win for you toward leveling up). The network brings you back to life twice. once you die a third time, your soul is left to its fate, and your corpse reanimated as a zombie for the games.

ok, if brute is the fashion this season, I'm thinking half-orc/orc
Maybe Cavalier-Beastrider

since it seams we will be a fighting team, anybody who wants to take teamwork feats?

Here's a rough draft, I'll flesh it out later. Not sure if going rogue all the way is the best, or just a rogue dip to get UMD as a class skill. If I did Rogue/Barbarian we could have an all barbarian team!

Dumb Karl
Half-elf rogue 5
Karl was born into a family of wizards, but was far too stupid to follow in his parents footsteps and was a real disappointment to the family. As a child he earned the hurtful (if unimaginative) nickname of "Dumb Karl" (to distinguish him from Smart Karl, a neighbor child possessing a vastly superior intellect and the same name). Since then, Dumb Karl has embraced his stupidity (and his nickname) and gains great joy from defeating spell casters with his speed and strength, as well as his unexpected aptitude for activating magical devices.

"Ooohhh! Dumb Karl is just priceless! The network worries he's not politically correct enough, but the ratings panel indicate he's a fan favorite. We're all looking forward to seeing who else shows for the casting call."

"Wardrobe!"

Karl is 200 gp over his starting wealth! Karl's missing skills, it seems. Even with a 7 Int, he should have 30 skill ranks base, should he not? 8 - 2 = 6/level. Skills like Acrobatics, Climb, and Swim are valuable, Bluff to feint in combat, Intimidate to demoralize foes, Perception to better be aware, Stealth to hide, etc.

"Dumb Karl, indeed. There's still time to get everything in order, so don't fret... yet. Everyone, pretty please, make sure you've got your ducks in a row."

"Jhock, baby, I'm not sure if you got the memo, but we aren't using piecemeal armor this year. The network's not ready to embrace it yet. Hope you'll understand"

"aaand Jhock? You've not spent all your wealth as far as we can tell. And what in the Nine Hells is a reaping scythe, anyway? Our accountants have you pegged at spending 3,005 gp on your gear, assuming your piecemeal armor was not masterwork, and excluding whatever you may have spent on your reaping scythe. Saving wealth for later is fine, but it needs to be notated."

Oops. Sorry, haven't use Herolab all that much, just recently got it. The scythe is a +1 keen scythe. I'll update that on the sheet. And no piecemeal? No problem, can change it. It'll be updated in Profile shortly.

"Yark... you're next. It seems you've spent 11,662 gp, not taking into account whatever vital guard means as a descriptor on your armor. Please clarify this, list any remaining gold on your profile, and get back to us. Luckily it's still early, so we have time to fix it, but the closer to the deadline, the less forgiving we'll have to be with applicants."

"Jhock, don't apologize, dear, just fix it. You're in the big leagues now. The +1 keen scythe would put your wealth spent at 12,005 gp. You're 5 gold pieces over. The Arena Lords consider that cheating, fair warning."

"Intern! where's my pesh latte?!?"

*smacks a groveling blue goblin upside the head on his way to the dressing rooms*

I would love to roll up a character for this game, I was actually thinking of doing something similar but it seems you beat me to it haha. I'm away for christmas, but as soon as I get home I will certainly look through the plethora of allowed materials and post a concept and crunch.

"If by "plethora," you mean "parts of 5 books," then go ahead. We're still casting for this season."

Jhock grunts, tossing the 'extra' longbow he had aside. "No need to puny bow. I got bigger bow!" Hefts his composite longbow.

Fixxed I beleive! Should reduce the cost spend by 75g.

"Thanks Jhock. Feel free to keep helping to form a team here, or head over to the Backstage lounge (The discussion forum). Once the team's assembled, We'll have you all head over there for orientation."

Jhock looks at the few contenders already forming. "Me think so far, if we are team, we smash things hard and fast, more shooty types be good for annoying flying pests. Now against each other..." Peers at each one, sizing everyone up. [/b]...We see who be seeing Lady Death first."[/b]

Dumb Karl no good at math! Try again now.

The Announcer pats Dumb Karl on the back and hands him a mug of ale.

"See, that wasn't so hard. Feel free to stick around to help recruit your team, or pop into the backstage lounge to relax."

"Even gladiators who don't make this season's team are welcome to hang out in the lounge, as they can always be alternates later on."

Dumb Karl profile updated—using the Thug archetype from APG, switched disable device for intimidate and switched improved initiative for dazzling display.

Two small arrows fly out of a dark corner to land near Dumb Karl's feet.

"Hey, pretty one! Distract monsters with your kissy face while the two ugly ones grind them up. I'll shoot the rest."

The little goblin smiles. "Then we can burn them with fire!"

Will we gain gold during this game or reset our ammo? If not, I'll need to change my sheet to buy extra ammo. I can make a thrower type who does damage with Strength if everyone thinks that necessary. A barbarian hurler or something like that.