Gladiator Adventure need help/advice: Pandeomium in the Veins #96 by Frank Brunner

[Emirikol]

All:

I'm planning on running "Pandemonium in the Veins" by Frank Brunner in my CONAN home campaign. It appeared in DUNGEON #96 and is paired with DRAGON#303. There is a map for under the arena in Dungeon and one for the actual arena in Dragon.

I've never run a gladiator-style session before. Anybody got any tips on this scenario or how to keep the action diverse and moving in the arena?

Also, my party will be APL 11 and the scenario is for 5th level characters. Although the scaling lists up to 9th, I know theres a lot of difference between 9th and 11th. Any ideas for scaling?

Thanks!

jh

 

[Emirikol]

I was also thinking of doing a point system for things like:
Number of non-damage actions used (still assign some damage or combat will take forever)

Monster combat

Team combat

Anti-magic zone

Crappy weapons combat

Chariot combat

Obstacle course combat

Sheer number of opponents killed

Lions on chains flank the PC's constantly (like in Gladiator)

Reduced HP rounds (all PC's at 10 hps or less)

Defend the weak combat (commoners tied up and coup de grace by a couple bad guys until dead)

Flooded arena/swimming combat

Grease zone combats

Mounted combat (tigers, camels, elephants)

Chained together combats

Random poisoned combats (lose 3d4 to a random str/con/ordex) before combat

Cursed weapon combat (50% backbiter)

Whips and trips only score points combat

Swinging from ropes combat

Chasm bridge combat (with spiked pit of course)

Blind combat

Save-me Stabilization combat (one to two of your party are blugeoned to unconsciousness and you have to save them before they die) OTher players can't say whether or not they've stabilized.

Sunder combat (to break the other's weapon)

Others?

jh

 

[jgbrowning]

"Have you ever seen a man naked, Timmy?"

joe b.

 

[Imperialus]

I'd throw some... for lack of a better term "slavepen politics" into it. If the crowd really likes them and they are drawing the attention of the owner perhaps the slave who is currently "on top" might decide to do away with his competition by doing something like the poisoned combats idea.

One question I would like to ask though. How are people manageing to enslave and control an 11th level party? Is it for an audiance of Dragons? Tennari? Some other evil bastard race with a rediculously high CR? I mean in all honesty an 11th level barbarian could probably slaughter almost every 1st level warrior serveing as guards in the joint and walk out as soon as they put a weapon in his hand, nevermind what an entire party could do.

 

[Emirikol]

One question I would like to ask though. How are people manageing to enslave and control an 11th level party? Is it for an audiance of Dragons? Tennari? Some other evil bastard race with a rediculously high CR? I mean in all honesty an 11th level barbarian could probably slaughter almost every 1st level warrior serveing as guards in the joint and walk out as soon as they put a weapon in his hand, nevermind what an entire party could do.

Setting is Hyboria:

The party needs to get into the pits to be able to compete, thus offering themselves as free-men. They'll be stripped of all gear of course. They're recovering one of the Flame Rubies that go into a sword to kill a dragon and will have to win wagers to do it. The ruby was lost to a Nemedian noble who frequents the arena in Belverus.

The killing you mention will be part of the adventure too I've not read the scenario yet, so there will be some other politics involved with getting wagers with nobles. They don't just wager with ANYONE you know

jh

 

[Emirikol]

Pandemonium in the Veins is a pretty skeletal adventure, considering the content. I've just re-read it before tonight's adventure and am going to find it pretty easy to add to the content. For those of you running Gladiator adventures, I'd advise you to add some WWE-style to the game and have good guys, bad guys, good managers, evil managers, hot babes, beer drinking, crowd riling, and classic moves.

It made me think of the wrestling scene from Shrek.

One thing that bugs me about the adventure is the setting (D&D). Logically it takes into account that there are Raise Dead spells available, but this really takes away from the fear that can exist when a person is about to die!

Anybody else read this adventure?

jh

 

[diaglo]

i loaned my copy to JoeBlank.

he ran it for his group.

 

[Emirikol]

asdf

i loaned my copy to JoeBlank.

he ran it for his group.

Get him on here man! I need that info for tonight

jh

 

[barsoomcore]

I ran a distorted version of it in Barsoom (everything in Barsoom is distorted).

It worked great, and the adventure really does cover crowd politics and stuff rather well. We did a pyramid fight, a tank fight and the final conflagration was lots of fun.

It's a good, fun adventure. You should have a blast.

 

[Emirikol]

I've got a gladiator game coming up soon in my world of Conan D&D game. The PC's are 12th level characters infiltrating the Arena at Belverus, Nemedia to find out who has been murdering gladiators outside the ring. During all this they will be sent into the pits.

Here's my issue:
One of the combats is as follows:

(5) 12th level PC's without armor or weapons vs. Tigers(CR4) and/or Lions(CR3)

Group:
Rogue/Shadowdancer (total 11 levels)
Barbarian (11th)
Barbarian/Bear-Lord (total 12 levels)
Fighter (12th)
Ranger (10th)
Monk/Psionist (7th/5th)

How many tigers or lions should I use to make it an APL = EL fight? How should I figure the modifiers to APL?

I am thinking 8 tigers will be enough.

Jh