Hi Jason and everyone else out there in the forum!
Greetings from Germany! I really enjoyed the M.A.U.L. battles so far!! What a great idea with so much potential!!
In some Youtube comment I read, that you plan to give out a pdf about how to play monster battles. I‘ve got some ideas. Maybe they are interesting for you.
You inspired me, to do a M.A.U.L. with D&D 5e. I‘m currently playing this with my nephews.
I came up with some additional rules, to insure, that the battle flows without having a DM at the table.
I think the same rules can be applied for Pathfinder 2e.
The following rules, are homebrew rules for D&D 5e. They might need some adjustment, especially in the conditions section, so they work for Pathfinder 2e.
Also in Pathfinder we have problems like: If someone chooses to play basilisk in the arena this would cause serious problems for the fight. That's why in our rules the condition „petrified“ is not allowed, because it would make a boring fight. See my section to „allowed conditions“. Conditions that make you incapacitated or petrified are not allowed.
Another easy idea to solve the problem would be, to publish a pdf which tells me what monsters or NPCs are allowed (taken from the allready published monster books or the game masters guide).
If paizo would come up with something like this it would be great!!
Here are my rules for D&D 5e.
RULES FOR ARENA COMBAT IN D&D 5e.
a) No Dungeon Master:
It‘s a tournament without a DM. There are no battle techniques allowed that involve roleplaying. You can only use techniques that are clearly written down and don‘t need any decision by a game master.
Example: You can use a Kenku in combat. But the fact, that the Kenku can immitate voices is irrelevant. You can‘t use it in the fight.
Example 2: You can‘t try to hit the flagpole up in the audience with your crossbow, hoping in might fall down on the Ogre.
(In-Game-Explanation: „The audience wants to see a clean fight without too many fancy tricks“)
b) Magic:
Magic is allowed, if it works without a DM.
Spells have to be combat-spells or need to belong to the battlefield (e.g. healing is allowed).
Example: To cast illusions is not allowed, since you need a DM to decide about the effect of the illusion. Etc.
c) No hiding, no perception, no stealth:
There are no rolls on hiding, perception, stealth. Theres is no surprise or sneak attack. Because generally you need a DM to run this issue properly.
(In-Game-Explanation: „Everything and everyone in the arena is in sight. Even if there are little walls (etc.) that give you different types of cover. You can always be spotted. Especially by the help of the cheering audience.“)
d) Conditions:
All conditions that don‘t make an exciting combat, are not allowed. All conditions that make you incapacitated or petrified are not allowed (e.g.: you are not allowed to use a basilisk). You need at least the ability to defend you in form of fighting, although you might have disadvantage or some effect holds you at a certain spot, both circumstances are allowed. If you can fight on in some way, it‘s OK.
Generally you can use monsters that can create not-allowed-conditions, but they are not allowed to use this effect.
(In-Game-Explanation: The audience doesn‘t want to be bored. They want an exciting combat.“)
Remember, the folowing conditions are all D&D 5e conditions. They need to be "translated" into Pathfinder 2e!!
1.) Conditions, that are not allowed:
- charmed
- incapacitated
- invisible (not allowed, because you need a DM to check the movement, otherwise the other player can easily be tricked)
- paralyzed
- petrified
- unconscious (as a result of one single/sudden effect)
2.) Conditions, that are allowed:
- blinded
- frightened
- grappled
- poisoned
- exhausted
- unconscious (as a result of a number of hits)
- prone
- restrained
- stunned
3.) Irrelevant condition, since perception (etc.) is not allowed:
- deafened
e) Setting:
- XP-Mode: Set a certain number of allowed XP per team.
Set a certain number of maximum creatures per team. Every player is free to choose its own team.
(e.g.: 900 XP, maximum of creatures: 9)
- Same-Team-Mode: Each Player has exactly the same Monsters/NPC in its team. For example a fighter, a healer, a magician (trained in war magic) and a certain monster. It‘s totally fair. Now it‘s just about the right tactics and the dice.
- Give your team a name.
- Give each player of your team a name (if you play online), so it‘s easier to talk about who is getting attacked (etc.).
- Create a tournament mode, if you want. Build a bracket or any other kind of tournament structure.
f) Creatures:
- You can use any monster of the published books, or any NPC of the published books.
They fight with the weapons and gear, that is written down in the stat blocks of the books.
- Discuss with the others players if you want to use mounts.
- If someone uses a flying creature, I suggest to give a maximum height of the arena. For example 15 feet (4,50 meter). (In game explanation: there might be a net above the fighters, or some magic barrier)
- Darkness:
You can use monsters that don‘t like the sunlight.
The fights happen in the late evening or at night. Light comes from torches and maybe some magic source.
Director of Game Design
