Game Show from Hell

[Hairy Minotaur]

So I’m running a one-shot at a local convention at the end of this month, and my idea is to do a Game Show from Hell game. I have 10 players and they will each create a 7th level D&D 3.5 character using WOTC books, plus 20,000 gold to outfit themselves as they see fit.

Then they will each chose a creature whose CR/ECL is 6 or less to use as their playing piece for the game, any creature they want from the PHB, DMG, MM1 I’ll get to why in a sec.

There will be 3 rounds. Round 1 will be Q&A style with all the answers found in the 3 core books. Round 2 will be physical skill challenges for their chosen creatures (climb, jump, bluff, diplomacy, listen, appraise etc...) Round 3 will be a battle royal with all contestants with the player and their creature as a team.

After every correct answer in round 1, the player will get an item, a template, gold, or swap their creature with another player’s creature. This will be done “Let’s make a deal style” although the players can bribe the host to found out what is behind a particular door. The items can be used to outfit the player or the creature.

In round 2 the winners will be determined by the highest modified roll, ties will dice off.

Finally in round 3 the teams face off against each other in a 100’ X 100’ square room with obstacles and cover, to determine the overall winner.

I realize it’s a short description, does this sound too complicated? Too….. Something? Are there any suggestions to make it better?

Thanks in advance
H.M.

 

[Bad Paper]

That sounds great. I would love to see details (though after the fact, I suppose, so as not to spoil).

 

[dog45]

That sounds pretty cool.

Monsters that come to mind first are 5 headed cryo/pyro Hydras, or just a plain 7 headed Hydra. There is also the will-o-wisp at CR 6. And the Gauth (beholder lite).

 

[Deuce Traveler]

I really like the idea. When I read the title, I imagined something more devilish, like putting them through a fantasy version of the movie "The Running Man".

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

I really like the idea. When I read the title, I imagined something more devilish, like putting them through a fantasy version of the movie "The Running Man".

Originally I was going to eliminate players each round, but with a small con if your slot ends early there is absolutely nothing to do. So, I restructered it so that all 10 players will be able to remain throughout the game.

I'm hoping someone takes a CR 1 creature, just to give another player the shaft if/when they swap creatures.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

I really like the idea. When I read the title, I imagined something more devilish, like putting them through a fantasy version of the movie "The Running Man".

That was exactly what I thought about. Go Running Man!

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

That was exactly what I thought about. Go Running Man!

I may do round 2 like this, although I wouldn't want to eliminate any players, maybe for a bigger CON that had a dealer's room it would be fine in.

Or maybe even have 4 rounds with a "Running Man" type round added in?

 

[Nonlethal Force]

Well, you could have round 3 as the round which determines the start orde and opponents for round four. Each team leaves the starting gate so many rounds ahead of the rest with the goal being to find a hidden circle of teleportation. Once each team is in the maze, the "fiends" are released. Each fiend is looking for a particular one (easiest goes to the winner of round 3, hardest goes to the loser of round 3) ... but the fiends will certainly not be against killing other teams it isn't specifically looking for.

 

[Nareau]

You might want to specify some additional limits:

I have 10 players and they will each create a 7th level D&D 3.5 character using WOTC books

Can they make ECL 7th level characters too?

plus 20,000 gold to outfit themselves as they see fit.

You might want to put a limit of "a maximum 9,000 gold can be spent on any particular item".

Then they will each chose a creature whose CR/ECL is 6 or less to use as their playing piece for the game, any creature they want from the PHB, DMG, MM1 I’ll get to why in a sec.

I don't understand...will you have miniatures for every creature? Can they have a creature that's advanced, or has a template on it?

Round 2 will be physical skill challenges for their chosen creatures (climb, jump, bluff, diplomacy, listen, appraise etc...)

Will creative solutions to skill challenges be honored? IE, would you let a creature that can naturally fly automatically beat a minotaur in the jumping competition?

Finally in round 3 the teams face off against each other in a 100’ X 100’ square room with obstacles and cover, to determine the overall winner.

What will be the winning conditions for this battle? Is there a time limit on the battle? Can creatures Planeshift, teleport, or otherwise leave the battlefield in any way?

Sounds like a lot of fun! If I were you, I'd test it out with your regular gaming group, or better yet test it out as a PBP on the boards. You know as well as I do how damnably creative gamers can be, and chances are someone's going to find a loophole to exploit.

Nareau

 

[Hairy Minotaur]

The CR/ECL limit is 6 so they could make a 2nd level Half-dragon/Kobold fighter.

We'll have plenty of miniatures from metal to plastic if it's not exact it'll be really close.

Creative solutions we be welcomed, the game currently has 4 people who DM on a weekly basis so I expect some out of the box stuff.

They won't be able to leave the battlefield, but could dimension door, turn ethreal, invisible, shadow jump etc...

The winning conditions are you're the last team standing at the end of that particular round.

The gp limit on the equipment is a good idea, I'll have to implement that.