Since I'm running Champion's Belt and there's no conversion supplement for A Gathering of Winds yet I've decided to slow the campaign down (yet again).
The easiest way for me to do this is to extend the gladiator games. I've decided to allow my players to play a round with their own warband; this round will have no impact on the outcome of their PC party (Team 'Diamond Lake Freelancers').
The round is competetive. Players can team up but there can only be one winner. We have 7 players but only 4 will be able to show for this event (due to the holiday) which is perfect. Everyone who attends gets 500 xp and gp. In addition, third place gets an extra 500 xp and gp, second place gets 1000 xp and gp and first place gets 2500 xp and gp. This is awarded to their normal character; it reflects their observation of the match and gambling earnings.
Players can build a warband with the following ECL:
ONE 10th level character OR
ONE 9th level character and FOUR 3rd level characters OR
ONE 8th level character and FIVE 4th level characters OR
TWO 8th level characters OR
THREE 7th level characters OR
FOUR 6th level characters OR
FIVE 5th level characters OR
SEVEN 4th level characters
The characters must be humanoids from any 3.5 WotC supplement excluding FR but including Eberron.
Each player has 50,000 gp to spend on their band but no more than 1000 gp can go towards expendable items (it is only the first round after all).
One player has already said they want to run a kalashtar duo: a psion and a soulknife (8th lvl). Others haven't decided, so I'm giving them the opportunity to choose one of these Eberron themed builds:
Battering Ram
Team 'Battering Ram'
Male personality warforged fighter 5/warforged juggernaut 4
N Medium construct (living construct)
Init +6, Senses Listen +2, Spot +0
Languages Common
--------------------------------------
AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 20
hp 94 (10 HD)
Immune critical hits, mind-affecting, death effects, necromancy, ability drain/damage
Fort +11, Ref +4, Will +2
--------------------------------------
Spd 20 ft.
Melee +1 shocking battleaxe +13/+8 (1d8+6 and 1d6 electricity and 1d6 fire and 1d6 cold/x3)
Melee spiked armor +12/+7 (1d8+3)
Base Atk +9/+4; Grp +12
Atk Options Power Attack, Cleave, Powerful Charge, Superior Bull Rush
Combat Gear oil of repair moderate damage, potion of fly
--------------------------------------
Abilities Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 6
Feats Adamantine Body, Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Power Attack, Powerful Charge, Weapon Focus (battleaxe), Weapon Specialization (battleaxe), Extended Charge (class), Expert Bull Rush (class), Charge Bonus (class), Superior Bull Rush (class), Greater Powerful Charge (class)
Skills Bluff -6, Climb +3, Diplomacy -6, Gather Information -6, Intimidate +11, Jump -4, Listen +2, Sense Motive -4
Possessions +1 SR/PR 15 armor enhancement (16,000 gp), swordbond with +1 flaming frosting shocking battleaxe (33,000 gp), oil of repair moderate damage (300 gp), potion of fly (750 gp)
Shanno Furieshide
Team 'The Beast'
Male shifter fighter 1/barbarian 5/frenzied berserker 4
CN Medium humanoid (shifter)
Init +1, Senses Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages Common
--------------------------------------
AC 21, touch 11, flat-footed 20
hp 128 (10 HD)
Fort +21, Ref +8, Will +8
--------------------------------------
Spd 30 ft.
Melee +1 flaming shocking vicious greataxe +13/8 (1d12+3 and 1d6 fire and 1d6 electricity and 2d6 vicious/x3)
Base Atk +10/+5; Grp +12
Atk Options Power Attack, Cleave, Shift (1/day), Rage (2/day), Frenzy (2/day)
Combat Gear potion of fly
--------------------------------------
Abilities Str 14, Dex 12, Con 22, Int 8, Wis 12, Cha 8
Feats Shifting (race), Longtooth (race), Power Attack, Cleave, Destructive Rage, Intimidating Rage, Shifter Savagry
Skills Intimidate +12
Possessions +1 vicious greataxe (8,000 gp), +1 mithral full plate (12,000 gp), cloak of resistance +5 (25,000 gp), amulet of health +2 (4,000 gp), potion of fly (750 gp)
--------------------------------------
When Shifting:
Melee +1 flaming shocking vicious greataxe +14/+9 (1d12+4 and 2d6 vicious/x3)
Grp +13
Abilities Str 16
--------------------------------------
When Shifting and Raging:
AC 19, touch 9, flat-footed 18
hp 148 (10 HD)
Fort +23, Will +10
Melee +1 flaming shocking vicious greataxe +16/+11 (1d12+9 and 2d6 vicious/x3)
and bite +11 (2d6+5)
Grp +15
Abilities Str 20, Con 26
--------------------------------------
When Shifting and Raging and Frenzied:
AC 15, touch 5, flat-footed 14
hp 148 (10 HD)
Fort +23, Will +10
Melee +1 flaming shocking vicious greataxe +19/+19/+14 (1d12+12 and 2d6 vicious/x3)
and bite +14 (2d6+8)
Grp +18
Abilities Str 26, Con 26
Dox, Lam and Ot
Team "The Arcane Three"
Changeling rogue 7
CN Medium Humanoid (changeling)
Init +4, Senses Listen +1, Spot +1
Languages Common
--------------------------------------
AC 19, touch 14, flat-footed 15
hp 34 (7 HD)
Fort +3, Ref +9, Will +3
--------------------------------------
Spd 30 ft.
Melee +1 dagger +8/+8 (1d4)
Ranged +1 shocking crossbow +10 (1d8 and 1d6 electricity)
Base Atk +5; Grp +5
Atk Options Sneak Attack (+4d6)
Combat Gear scroll of earth lock
--------------------------------------
Abilities Str 10, Dex 18, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 12
Feats Weapon Finesse, Two Weapon Fighting, Point Blank Shot
Skills Bluff +11, Diplomacy +13, Escape Artist +14, Intimidate +13, Sense Motive +14, Sleight of Hand +16, Tumble +11, Use Magic Device +11
Possessions +1 shocking crossbow (8500 gp), +1 dagger (2500 gp), +1 dagger (2500 gp), scroll of earth lock (300 gp), +1 chain shirt (1200 gp)
In addition, I also fleshed out the article's warbands to give them an Eberron feel. During the dinner I plan to spend at least an hour roleplaying these encounters. They won't know who they're going up against, but at least they'll meet the competition:
Team Name / Rnd with Players / EL / Rank
-Fighters
-Sponsor
Arcane Auriga 1 10 6
-Rennida, female elf arcane archer
-4 Female Elf Archers
-Expelled from Aerenal for violence and misuse of magic
Sapphire Squad 1 9 5
-Korush, male janni swashbuckler
-3 Male Human Fighter
-House Lyrandor sponsor, from Xen'drik city
Badlands Revenge 1 9 5
-Joren, half-orc barbarian/druid
-3 Gnoll Fighters (halberd)
-Brotherhood of Droamm, half-orc of Shadow Marshes
--------------------------------------------
Auric's Warband 3 12 9
-Khellek, male human wizard
-Auric, male human fighter
-Stone Golems
Final Phoenix - 7 3
-Trius, human sorcerer
-Half-elf hexblades
-Sponsored by Lan Hazal, Blood of Vol in Graywall
Guttuggers - 8 4
-Plon, Cleric of Dol Dorn
-Human fighters
-Stormreach, ir'Xenera
Iron Hill Monkeys - 5 3
-Gonfolah, awakened monkey swashbuckler
-Hadozee rogues
-Marfa, small island off coast of Breland
--------------------------------------------
Pitch Blade 2 12 8
-Drusfal and Pharbol, male dwarf barbarians
-Greywall clan
-managed by Orakal, arena captain
Chuko's Ravens - 7 4
-Crah, kenku sorcerer
-Kenku rogues
-Sponsor is Blescar, Guild of Starlight and Shadows
Draconic Brood - 11 7
-Meepo, Kobold dragon disciple
-7 kobolds
-Q'barra, Sebo ir'Kesslan of Nethrone
Drunken Devilry - 6 3
-Raac, Half-orc barbarian
-Cyran Refugee fighters
-Owner of Redblade's, Deathgate's Guild
--------------------------------------------
Night Owls - 4 2
-Suma, Raptoran ranger
-4 Raptoran rangers
-Marlin ir' Toran, Skyway aristocrat
One of Us - 4 2
-Ro, human commoner
-3 human warriors
-Pertone, governor mayor of newly rich Steaming Springs
Roth's Knights - 6 3
-Merck, Paladin of the Silver Flame
-6 human fighters
-Roth, Thrane emissary
Snow Leopards - 9 4
-Bluetop, uldra druid from Frostfell
-3 neanderthal barbarians
-Miloray, female aristocrat from Mithral Tower
--------------------------------------------
Teeth of the Devourer - 5 3
-Samwa, sahuagin cleric
-5 sahuagin fighters
The Crazy Eight - 6 4
-7 talenta halfling fighters
-Velociraptor
-Mabu, talenta trader
The Fisthammers - 8 4
-5 warforged fighters
-warforged scouts/artificer
-warforged charger
-called by number, no patron, paid for license
The Gravediggers - 8 3
-Shag, shifter druid
-3 shifter barbarians
-North Market, Leara, Bear's Rest
--------------------------------------------
Skull of Murq - 9 5
-Hu'raac, hobgoblin fighter
-Bugbear barbarian
-4 goblin rogues
-Malleon's Gate
The Lightbringers - 7 4
-Pliot, half-giant psychic warrior
-3 human psions
-Inspired from Riedra, Hellion
The Woodchucker - 3 1
-Nameless One, human axefighter
-from Eldeen Reaches, paid in full
Varmint Patrol - 5 2
-Red, human fighter
-Jo, human cleric
-2 human warriors
-Gore of the Clifftop Adventurers Guild
Feel free to add more bands here.