Which DnD culture is the most likely to do this?

[Creamsteak]

I'm thinking about having an underground gladiatorial coliseum where slaves and captive warriors from other races are brought to fight caged monsters, summoned demons, and each other for the entertainment of the masses. What I can't decide on, though, is what race best fits the roll as the dominant species to host such events. They need to be evil, comfortable living underground, willing to keep slaves, and most of all bloodthirst and appreciative of carnage.

So, what races fit the bill? I've been thinking on drow, duergar, goblinoids, orcs, humans, and even mind-flayers. I really can't come up with a deciding ideal race, though.

The function in the campaign is to link a couple "offshoot" characters that have been playing solo games in the same setting. Once the offshoot characters are about the same level as the main group, I'd like them to meet under some circumstances related to a gladiatorial competition. Whether as slaves, to free the slaves, to barter with the race, or to find something else, they can be brought together against a common foe and I can play around with some other ideas as well.

The group will be approximately 4th level, and there are going to be 5 total characters. What race would races would likely make sense for the above?

 

[morbiczer]

They had this scenario in Baldur's Gate II where the "establishment" was run by illithids.

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Probably not much help but there's been a few modules out there with drow running this but your best bet might be a little bit of everything.

I know that the City of the Spider Queen had such an establishment that catered to all the races, or basically anyone who had the coins to place the bet.

As for race, all of them you mentioned where they’re but mostly goblinoids and drow.

 

[francisca]

Evil Dwarves. They present an honest, well intentioned facade to the day-lighters, but in reality, they are a Rome-gone-even-crazier lot of slavers.

That, or a race of half-troll Kua-Toa.

 

[MarauderX]

I would use mind-flayers, with drow or duergar as a sub-species to them that could enjoy the 'public' fights between peons while the summoned demon vs. captured beast might be a closed event.

Though for your adventurer's level they might be a bit much unless their goal was to escape or otherwise not try to openly fight them.

 

[res]

I'd go with drugear for a few reasons.

1) Mind Flayers are too powerful for a 4th-5th level party to deal with en mass. Even one mind flayer with a bunch of unlucky saves would fall to a basic mind flayer.

2) Drow are overused. Every one thinks of them as the typical underdark bad guy.

Using the drugar, you could have an ambitous drugar who decided to set up this place for all the races to come and place bets. That way you could still have some of these other races in the background.

 

[iwatt]

I'd go with drugear for a few reasons.

1) Mind Flayers are too powerful for a 4th-5th level party to deal with en mass. Even one mind flayer with a bunch of unlucky saves would fall to a basic mind flayer.

2) Drow are overused. Every one thinks of them as the typical underdark bad guy.

Using the drugar, you could have an ambitous drugar who decided to set up this place for all the races to come and place bets. That way you could still have some of these other races in the background.

NOt core, but in races of Faerun they stress the fact that duergar are dour and hate "fun". They basically live to work (what a disgusting thought )

Basically, remmeber that the roman circus was developed as a way for the masses to be entertained and kept from mobbing up and presenting their displeasure (great simplification of history but don't flame me). So what you's have to look for would be some race whith a a small nobility, a large amount of cannon fodder/common people. If they ever unite they could cause chaos, so the nobility keeps them happy with gladiatorial matches. You could probably go Orogs (also races of Faerun) who rule over their Orc minions. I like Orogs, they're smart Orcs.

 

[Rokonin]

I'd go with duergar.

 

[krichaiushii]

Duergar, hobgoblins, and/or ogre magi.

All three could use the arena(s) as training for an otherwise cannon-fodder army, or to train their own troops for an upcoming war with other races.

And I agree with the earlier posts about Drow being overused.

 

[babomb]

Just to be different, I'll say troglodytes...or, um, kobolds.