[Mechanics] Gladiator Creation [First Stop - After Read Me First]

[Vallesh]

We will be adopting & adapting the Character creation rules used in Kyrid Arena. Credit to ArchEva00 for the majority found bellow:

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City of Endless Arenas In the Third Age the land of Kamora was covered in strife. The land was divided by various lords trying to rule their patch of earth while monsters plagued the lands. Hordes of Orcs and goblins came down from the mountains pillaging the small kingdoms easily. Undead rose and feasted on unsuspecting villages with little resources to defend themselves while kobolds looted any caravans that tried to venture on any of the trading routes. It wasn’t until a charismatic leader King Dreslyn was able to unify the lands that they were able to drive the hordes back and secure the lands. The unified kingdoms brought an unbreakable front to the beasts of all the lands and soon all lived in peace and harmony. King Dreslyn however was clever fellow and knew that they could not remain content. The King was worried about two things, his warriors becoming soft and unpracticed in a time of peace and most importantly he was concerned about in fighting among the great lords he had brought together. It was then that King Dreslyn founded the city of Bloodfall a city that would be bathed in blood in the name of peace. The King invited each lord to build a grand arena in the city to their own specifications. Warriors of each land were recruited to fight in the arenas, membership as a gladiator made you eligible to fight in any given arena each week. Slaves fought side by side with knights and prisoners trying to earn their freedom. The arena had no prejudice it thirsts for everyone’s blood equally. That was 300 years ago. King Dreslyn is now known as the Great King and Bloodfall has a developed beyond anyone’s expectations. Great warriors come to join the ranks of Gladiators and slave master's gamble the lives of their slaves in the grand competitions. The Lords of the arenas have made their battles more inventive and hostile with every generation considering a great battle a work of pristine art. Factions of Gladiators now compete for dominance some as lethal killers other as leaders who keep their comrades in the battle. Every flavor and style of Gladiator fights in the arena and it welcomes all. The Lords of the Arenas challenge you… will you answer their call?

Joining the Game: We are always looking for new players who can post regularly (except for the weekends being 6PM Friday to 6 PM Sunday in the timezone of the DM running that arenaweekends). "Regularly" meaning most player posts should be within 60 hours of the last DM post. All we require from you to join is your finished character sheet and, if you wish, some background and other descriptions of your character so others can get to know your gladiator better. Once that is done, you would post the link to your character sheet and background in the The Gladiators thread, and announce your gladiator in the OOC Thread (CoEA) so it can be checked by one of the DMs. Once approved you may start posting in the Bleeder’s Haven Tavern, or enter a fight if there are any openings. If you happen to create your PC in the middle of the current set of fights, we do apologize but we ask that you stick to roleplaying in the tavern until the next round of fights come around.

About the Arenas of Bloodfall Anyone and everyone is welcome here, even if you're completely new to D&D and play-by-post. If you are uncomfortable with being new to 5e, there is an entire forum on this site where you can try out a loner character to learn a system’s game mechanics. Almost every match here is a team event that requires a combined, focused effort. You should absolutely build your character in whatever way looks fun for you, but remember that teamwork and communication are important to the CoEA community - and to RPGX. Role-playing and letting your fellow gladiators know what you are planning is essential, and helps build relationships among characters of similar levels. Again, people who are new to D&D 5e are welcome, and the DMs will work with you to enjoy the arena.

Useful Links:
Link to download D&D 5th Edition Free Basic Rules
Link to D&D 5th Edition PHB Errata
Link to Free Elemental Evil Player’s Companion
Links to Unearthed Arcana (this is a monthly series of articles dating back to early 2015,so be sure to click all the way through in case there's something buried in the archive that interests you. Some features were later updated in later versions of UA or in print.)
Psionics and the Mystic – Take Two,
Link to The City of Endless Arenas' Arena Rules
Link to The City of Endless Arenas' Battle Rules

Optional 5th Edition Rules Optional Rules: Climb Onto a Bigger Creature, Disarm, Mark, Overrun, Shove Aside, and Tumble. (pgs 271 – 272 DMG) Cleaving Through Creatures. (pg 271 DMG) Flanking (pg 251, DMG) Diagonals (pg 252, DMG) Variant Human (pg 31, PHB) Optional Feats (pg 161, PHB) Ability Score Increases - see Appendix I in Adventure League season 10 Rules - Racial trait stat increases can be applied to the stat of your choice

Character Creation:
Name:
Class:
Race:
Alignment: Any
Free or Slave:
Level: 1
Stats: 27 Point Buy.
HP: Max for first level. Thereafter, you may roll or use the average hit die value, rounded upaverage hit point method from the PHB

Ability Point Cost
Can be found in the PHB, pg 13, or Player’s Basic Rules PDF, pg 10 ("Customize Ability Scores")

Equipment:
You do not get any starting gold or starting equipment from your class/background, instead you get a set of starting equipment which your character must be proficient with and which has to fall in one of the classifications given below:
Either: Any single melee weapon(ex: greataxe)
Or: Any melee weapon with the light property and a shield(ex: mace and shield)
Or: Any two light melee weapons (ex: shortswords)
Or: Any one projectile weapon and ammo for it (ex: bow and quiver of 20 arrows)
Or: Any two identical thrown weapons that can be used in melee without penalties (ex: two spears)
Or: Any five identical thrown-only weapons (ex: darts)

Primary casters also get a spell component pouch, wizards also get their spellbook and divine casters their divine focus. You do not start with anything else except a set of poor clothing, meaning you do not begin the game with armor. More equipment can be bought at the Market once you've earned some money.

In addition to all this, the total value of your chosen weapons may not exceed two-hundred gold pieces(200GP), using the PHB item prices. They must be mundane.

Slaves and The Free explained:
Free Gladiators fight of their own free will, and as such keep all of their financial gains for themselves. Slaves are forced to fight, like it or not. As an overhead for purchasing a slave, and cost of ownership, Slave owners take 25% of the gold slaves earn in a fight. The rest the slaves can use towards the purchase of better equipment. As a trade-off however, Slaves receive special training between fights. As such they get a 10% bonus to experience earned in combat. Once a slave has reached level 5, he has bought his freedom. He can continue to fight as a Free gladiator, or may chose to remain a slave. If remaining a slave, the gold/exp trade-off no longer exists, your status is simply for RP flair at that point.

Sources Allowed:
All of the currently released 5th Edition Content will probably be allowed. If you have a question about something, just ask.

PHB Backgrounds
As you have gathered from the above, the PHB Backgrounds, while fine, may not give you the needed flair for this game. Many of the features will not come into play for this game since the entirety of the ‘campaign’ will be revolving around fighting in the arena and spending time in the market between fights (although periodically there are 'special events' where a PC might use a non-arena skill to win an unknown prize). You may take those backgrounds, of course, but feel free to change things for flavor. Keep in mind, many of the skills and proficiencies won’t be as heavily used (if at all) in a game like this, so feel free to swap out proficiencies as you see fit for your character. Or if you’re feeling particularly creative, feel free to come up with an entirely new background.

Keep in mind that a created (Or changed) background will always have:
2 Skill Proficiencies (Skills likely to be used in this setting: Athletics, Acrobatics, and Intimidation...though Performance, Perception, or Stealth sometimes make an appearance)
2 Languages or Tool Proficiencies
2 Personality Traits, 1 ideal, 1 bond, and 1 flaw.
A feature (A Feature does not mechanically change the game in any way)

Examples:

 

Gladiator
You fight against other men and beasts for the entertainment of the people.

Skill Proficiency: Strength (Athletics) OR Dexterity (Acrobatics); Charisma (Performance)
Languages: Pick any two.

Speciality: Your background before becoming a gladiator varied:

Captured slave
Criminal
Politician seeking warrior pedigree
Ex-soldier
Desperate man
Thrill seeking upper-class patrician

Feature:
As a gladiator, you are considered a hero and have many adoring fans. Bigger fans may shower you with praise or small trinkets of their appreciation. Bigger fans may try to accommodate any requests you may ask of them.

Suggested Characteristics

Personality

1. By Jupiter's low-hanging c*&k, I love to put a colorful fist full of words that fall from my mouth like s&*t from ass into a knotted ear!
2. I'm just a simple gladiator trying to make his way against the whim of the gods, the politicians, the miscreants. So often you can't tell one from the other.
3. There is no greater thing than standing victorious in the arena.
4. Death comes to us all. Press me again, and you shall find yours.
5. There is always a choice.
6. I am beset by misfortune, one again gods spread the cheeks to ram c&*k in f*#&ing ass!
7. I was sprung from my mother with sword in hand. The ways of battle are second nature, passed down from father to son.
8. You had me at whores!

Ideal

1. Freedom: Those who seek to place heel on the throat of Liberty will fall to the cry of Freedom. (Chaotic)
2. Ceremony: The dead must be honored and this is why I must fight. (Lawful)
3. Wealth: Show me the money! (Unaligned)
4. Victory: Winning is the only thing that matters. (Evil)
5. Equality: In the arena, none of us are slaves. (Good)
6. Vengeance: Blood demands blood. (Evil)

Bond

1. I have an endorsement deal with a popular guild, and am bound by contract to certain terms.
2. I gave my word, blood and honor, to return to my wife. The gods themselves will not keep me from returning.
3. My gladiators are my brothers and I live for them. Either to increase their rights or to protect their lives.
4. I still have a close relationship with the Ludis that trained me.With the owners, trainers, and gladiators -- I represent them publicly.
5. You cannot stay long in one place, you are bound to wanderlust, travelling in whatever direction and desire wills your feet.
6. Your trainer is the only person you wish to please.

Flaw

1. I was once a slave and for some reason, never managed to get that cleared up before I took off.
2. I killed my patron and led a slave uprising, and now there are a group of people who want me dead for what they see as very good reasons.
3. I have a wound that never healed correctly, that acts up at inopportune times.
4. I am extremely popular with members of the opposite sex, and frequently run into problems caused by my sexual mystique.
5. Freedom is not a stick of wood to be presented as a bone to obedient dog. It is a thing all men deserve. I will not tolerate slavery.
6. For some reason, the odds never seem to favor you.

 

Swashbuckler

You are a no, not the rogue subclass swashbuckling come from one of the more advanced regions of the campaign setting, where heavy armor has been in decline and real men (or courageous women) wield a fencing blade with pride.

You might have been a paid duelist lending his blade to meek merchants to protect them and their honor against ruffians, a member of a military organization (like the King's Musketeers or an Elvish sword-slinger regiment), or simply a noblewoman dedicating her spare time to the art of fencing. Even foppish wizards and sorcerers sometimes pick up the lifestyle of the dashing swashbuckler.

Skill Proficiencies: Acrobatics, Athletics
Language: Choose 2.

Feature: Flourish
Whenever you finish off an opponent in melee, you may add a flourish to it to add insult to injury, like carving your initials into your opponent’s clothes, or delivering the coup the grace with a backhand slap. Any commoner witnessing that will consider you a skilled fencer who doesn't even have to try to win.

Personality:
1. I am a mischievous devil who takes glee in showing off versus weaker enemies and having the last laugh.
2. Everything has to be done with proper panache. Why a squalid meal of stew and water when this inn has mutton and wine? Why walk through the door to face the villain when there is a window to crash through?
3. I am but temporary a swordsman. My actual interest lies in another more serious thing, and I will return to it someday.
4. If you want me to do something, tell me that is too difficult and dangerous for someone like me.
5. I am a true sportsman. I prefer to deal with things out in the open, without dirty tricks and with all proper rules of conduct kept up.
6. I am a thrill-seeker who constantly seeks out adventure and danger. Standing still and thinking isn't exactly my forte.

Ideal:
1. Romance: I fight to impress the ladies (and/or lads). (any)
2. Honour: No one shall tarnish my reputation as a gentlefolk. (Lawful)
3. Responsibility: If I don't draw my sword to defend the little man on the street, no one else will. (Good)
4. Self-Perfection: I want to become the greatest dashing swordsman of all time - les arts martiaux pour les arts martiaux. (Any)
5. Glory: I want to be known as the greatest swordsman of all times. (any)
6. Freedom: Who needs kingdoms, palaces or noble wedlock? I prefer to stay adrift and a-roaming. (Chaotic)

Bond:
1. I seek the six-fingered man who has killed my father.
2. I have won every duel but for that versus the one-eyed man, whose servants have backstabbed me. I will find him and show him who would win in a proper duel.
3. There is this beautiful lady (or lad) who had witnessed my duel, but vanished in the crowd before I could talk to them.
4. This bully has picked on me and sullied my honour. That was when I have picked up the sword and trained to be ready to fight him, only for him to vanish. I will find him and restore my honour.
5. I was wrongly accused of a crime I didn't commit, forcing me to flee in shame from my home country. I will find evidence of my innocence and then face my accuser.
6. My regiment/noble house/country means the world to me. One for all and all for one!

Flaw:
1. Hedonism: I am easily distracted by the promise of wine, card games and carnal pleasure.
2. Chip on the Shoulder: I am quick to take offense and pick up fights, sometimes against any better judgement.
3. White-Knight-Syndrome: I have always been a mark for sob stories and damsels in distress.
4. Arrogant: I have little respect for anyone who isn't as accomplished at swordplay as myself.
5. Martyr: "Do with me anything that you want, but let the damsel go!" - "Run! I will buy you time for your escape!"
6. Dandy: I am always wasting my money on the latest fashion.

Your backgrounds don’t have to be as detailed as the two above. You may pick and choose from pre-existing lists of traits, flaws, bonds, and ideals, or just make them up without creating entire lists. The bottom line is, you get 2 skills, 2 languages or tool proficiencies, and some sort of feature that you can make related to the arena. The rest can be fleshed out as you play your character.