Which DnD culture is the most likely to do this?

[haiiro]

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

Vicious, templated kobolds -- that's the way to go.

It'll certainly come as a surprise, particularly if you build up their reputation and have NPCs speak their names in tones of dread...leading up to the PCs seeing that they're kobolds.

 

[Nuclear Platypus]

Halflings. What better way to hide evil than in plain sight?

"I shall call him... Mini Me."

 

[res]

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

Cause there is nothing more embarassing than being enslaved by a bunch of Kobolds.

Try it though, I bet it would turn out fun

 

[blargney the second]

Try Thieves Quarter by The Game Mechanics. The Chaos Pit is exactly what you are looking for, and it's run by the local thieves' guild.

(On top of that, the whole rest of the book simply rawks!)
-blarg

 

[Sejs]

Actually, to think about it somewhat...


So Drow are just Elves + Underdark.

Duergar are Dwarves + Underdark.

Svirfneblin are Gnomes + Underdark.

Orog are Orcs + Underdark...


I would really be interested to see what Kobolds + Underdark came out to be. I mean they've got the whole lawful evil, mechanically inclined (traps, natch), fast movement, sorcery-inclined thing going for them already...

 

[Henry Hankovich]

They need to be evil, comfortable living underground, willing to keep slaves, and most of all bloodthirst and appreciative of carnage.

Except for the "underground" part, you could just go with humans and call it good.

 

[LostSoul]

I'd have something controlling things behind the scene. Maybe it is using the fights to bring down whoever is "running" them. Or something. So the guy behind the scenes is actually against the guys who run the fights because he wants to stir up trouble between groups who enjoy the fights. Maybe he'll get a local king, or some important child of prophecy, or something, into the pit and kill 'em. Then chaos breaks out, and the evil guys begin to fight again.

I guess I'm thinking about a Devil. He might enlist the PCs in his plans and use them to his own ends.

 

[Connorsrpg]

Mind Flayer Entertainment.

Although they are overused the drow still seem a good option. I like the idea of illithid even more though. I could just see them using their mind powers on their champions in the arena and the mind games that would go on amongst them come game day.

A race with some sort of structure needs to be in charge and with enough fear/punch to keep the gladiators/slaves repressed.

But you have the problem of level. hmmmmm.

How about illithids run the show (and take the profits), but they have orc (or even a few orog) flunkies like a brutal enforcement squad - they guard the money, slaves, competitors, force the monsters into the ring, even a few fight in the ring for the illithids enjoyment. I picture orcs as being easily manipulated and quite easy to use mind control powers upon. Nice heavies for the few illithid houses.

But I also love the previous ideas of using kobolds, so throw them in too as another servitor race. These little critters are scampering everywhere doing little chores for their masters. I can see them getting in the way all over the coleseum: removing bodies & parts, devising and opperating the traps of the arena, running messages for their overseer illithids, feeding them, even selling food in the public arena "displacer-beast ears, osquip noses, roasted kou-toa stakes" (but no boiled illithid calamari of course).

Wow, you have a cool concept here. Underdark coleseum...something to consider.

(evil DM laugh - like doc Evil's of course)

Love to hear what you go with here.

Cheers, Connors

 

[LostSoul]

Aboleths are pretty cool. You can give the boss some levels of Wizard or Sorcerer to buff it up if you need to.

 

[arscott]

Except for the "underground" part, you could just go with humans and call it good.

I second that. Why do you really need some villainous race with strange colored skin? Just ditch the evil humanoids and go with evil humans. Besides, I'd say that something like a gladitorial arena is actually more human-like than anything else. Most of the other races are either too stupid to pull it off or too smart to enjoy it.