Monsters to use in a "bear baiting" game?

[Oryan77]

Ok, in more seriousness, this is a monster vs. monster, not a monster vs. PC situation?

Yep, it's a monster vs monster situation where the PCs would gamble and bet on the winner rather than participate in the fight. It's just for flavor, so I don't even need to roll attacks and actually play out a fight. If it is an even CR, I can roll a 50% chance to determine the winner and just quickly describe the fight for effect. I could let the players run each monster and they could fight each other themselves to determine the winner. They may enjoy that. But really, the simpler the better.

Dannyalcatraz mentioned zombies. Mindless undead like that will even work. I'm pretty much just looking for a weird version of a bear vs lion fight. I'm interested in specific monsters to pit against each other. I'm hoping people will come up with suggestions that I would not think of myself.

If any Planescape fans care, this is for the Bear-Baiting Pit in Fortune's Wheel in Sigil.

 

[Belzbet]

. I'm interested in specific monsters to pit against each other. I'm hoping people will come up with suggestions that I would not think of myself.

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I might help if you give us an idea of what you have so far. Really im looking through the books and there is seemingly countless cool and interesting fights. I dont know what you want or what your looking.

The is a warped dire bear in MM3 (pg. 84) called "Ironclad Mauler"

In MM5 (pg. 202) there is a powerful fey entity called "Master of the Hunt" He delights in hunting some of the most powerful creatures in existence (im sure he would want to join in an arena type situation to fight strong opponents; even though he may not get his moon bonuses in the arena if he fights in the day...).

In MM4 (pg 34) Concordant Killer is another being that hunts powerful entities for fun.

Master of the hunt vs Concordant Killer (powerful entities that are intelligent, so maybe not what you were looking for but)

In MM4 spawns of tiamat are varied and cool looking.

A Chimera vs a Hydra would be cool.

A gelatinous cube (or ooze of your choosing) VS a small group of mindless undead that rival the cube in power

In MM3 the Mivilorn is a weird looking doglike beast.

There are many species of cool looking canine and feline type creatures throughout the MM books (hellhoud, hellcat, shadow mastiff, thyrm hound (MM5), Guulvorg (MM5), blink dog, displacer beasts, Charnel hound (MM3)...).

 

[Greenfield]

The traditional game wasn't an arena sport or huge spectacle. It pitted hunting dogs, which practically every wealthy man had, against the kind of prey that said wealthy man might hunt.

The bets were made not on one opponent or the other. It was on how many dogs died before the bear went down. So yeah, pack animals were called for.

A variation on the game was to put the bear on a long chain attached to a stake. It left him with a circle he could move in. He was fitted with a collar that had gold coins dangling from it. Peasants were invited to try and snatch a coin or two. The "sport" was to see which ones were quick enough and which ones got mauled by the angry/hungry bear. Peasants were considered about as expendable as dogs. Moreso in many place, since the dogs had to be trained and the peasants more or less came that way.

Then there was Bull Bating, which was done in an arena like pit. Again dogs were used. In fact, that's where the specific breed, the Bulldog, was bred for. It's also where the very specific breed the pit bull, came from. They were bred for the bull pit.

So while there are a lot of monsters out there, they have to be things that the sponsor of the event can top, in terms of CR. You don't want things with a fly or burrow speed, nor one with any kind of ranged attack.

So base it on the general EL of the setting. Start with black bears, as an example. Advance to Brown/Grizzly then Polar/Kodiak bears. Work your way up in that line for a while.

And remember, if it flies, it flies away. If it can burrow, it will. If it has an area effect or ranged attack it will use it not only on the "hounds" (whatever you use in that role), but on spectators as well.

If you want long lasting fun (for debatable values of "fun"), use Trolls. You can "kill" them over and over again, and not have to replace them.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Displacer Beast Vs. Blink Dog.

Those guys HATE each other.

 

[Belzbet]

So while there are a lot of monsters out there, they have to be things that the sponsor of the event can top, in terms of CR. You don't want things with a fly or burrow speed, nor one with any kind of ranged attack.

i understand what you mean but i sort of disagree. This is Sigil one of the biggest cities in the multiverse, where devils walk the streets and the lady of pain rules with no mercy. I am sure there are strong enough wizards or fighters to wrangle a few creatures with burrow or fly speeds, or with ranged attacks. heck if the lady of pain is involved she can just maze whatever creature she wants in the arena, then get them when she wants (tarrasque vs Great Wyrm Dragon anyone). Also, intelligent creatures can join the arena on their own volition (i am sure some pit fiend or dragon would be willing join).

 

[Oryan77]

So while there are a lot of monsters out there, they have to be things that the sponsor of the event can top, in terms of CR. You don't want things with a fly or burrow speed, nor one with any kind of ranged attack.

So what creatures would you suggest? Name a few that you would pit against each other. Something other than bears, or dogs. I wouldn't ask for help if all I was going to come up with were real world animals. Those are obvious choices.

I do like the Troll idea.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

where will this event take place?
Who is the audience?
Who is hosting?

I made a "Hunger Games" inspired arena that pitted PC against PC in a maze arena. Divination spells combined with Illusion spells allowed Wizards to scry on the participants and project the image of what was happening like a camera and large screen TV. This method would allow the spectators to be at a safe distance.

 

[Greenfield]

I guess my point was to ask: Are you running an arena, such as the ones put on in the colluseum in Rome? If you're modelling this on that, it's quite different from bear baiting.

And I'll maintain that if you deal with unintelligent creatures that can fly or burrow, they will. You need the chain and stake for them, not the pit.

 

[Oryan77]

This pit is a 20-ft radius, 20-ft deep, with a 10-ft high dome cage above it. Spectators can huddle around the outside of the cage and look in. It's located in a back room, indoors, to a large casino in Sigil. It's a planar location, so the stranger the creatures, the better.

If you don't understand what sort of monsters I want, then just start naming any 2 that you think would be interesting to see fight each other. I prefer they be the same CR, or a group CR vs a single monster with the same CR as the group.

I'm trying to get 2 matches each from CR 1 up to CR 10. Here is what I have so far:

(CR1) - Baatezu, Lemure vs Tanar'ri, Mane
(CR1) - x2 Zombie, Human Commoners vs Ghoul
(CR3) - Mephit, Fire vs Mephit, Ice
(CR3) - Grick vs Violet Fungus
(CR4) - Owlbear vs Otyugh
(CR7) - x4 Worgs vs Dire, Bear

 

[Grogg of the North]

Rust Monster vs. Iron Golem.

Digester vs. Pretty much anything (Digesters love to eat!)

Pit some giant vermin against each other

Also, because no one has posted it yet:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2ehZt4wa3k