clockworkjoe
First Post
Semester's winding down for me, and I want to make up for the last GoD I tried to run. This one is simpler to run (no hordes of followers) and is aimed at being more dramatic and fun. 
ENworld Game of Death:
Battle Royale of the GAWDS
Introduction
The gawds of Mount Olympus are bored. Very, very bored. So, they have decided to take a bunch of the most powerful and interesting mortals and pit
them against each other in a gladitoral combat. So, 5 minutes later and throwing a bit of divine magic around, 10 or so powerful adventurers in the
multiverse are staring at each other across an arena while millions of angels, demons, and spirits of all kinds are watching and cheering them on.
Zeus appears above the arena and smirks at the shocked mortals. Only a few moments ago, they were meditating, fighting, making love, sleeping,
researching, insulting kings, tricking demon lords, or searching for treasure. Now they are all fully healed, rested, equipped, and ready to fight.
Zeus bellows out "Let the games...BEGIN!"
Setup:
Each player creates a level 15 character to fight in a gladitoral battle watched by the very gawds. The winner is the player or team with the most points
when the game ends. The game ends when there is only one team or player standing or when the Gawds get too bored. Characters can not only get points
by killing other characters, but by pleasing the crowd and entertaining the gawds. Characters can also form teams to fight together, but loners
will receive more points for whatever they do. The Gawds are very easily bored and will constantly use their divine powers to shake things up for
the adventurers.
How this works:
Anyone who wants to play sends me a character. Once at least 10 characters are sent in, I will post the map, character positions, and a website that will
mirror all updates to the fight. I roll initative and post it.
Then each player has 24 hours to send in their turn.
I run the game, round by round, until 1 team or player is left. Points are calculated and the winner is declared, who receives a special victory trophy.
All time points are added to the lifetime Game of Death totals.
Teams:
Players may choose to create teams to help protect themselves. The advantage of this is that they have fewer threats to worry about this. The disadvantage
to this is that the team receives fewer points for their actions than loners and characters can always betray their team for a big entertainment bonus.
Alignment is not a factor in teams except that some characters like paladins can not associate with evil characters, obviously.
Teams must be created at the start of the game.
Teams can not have more than 5 members.
The Gawds:
I will use Greek mythology for ease of reference. 9 Gawds will interact with the Arena. All religious characters must choose one of these gawds as
their patron and choose domains appropriately (use good judgment here).
Zeus CG
Athena LG
DemeterNG
Hera LN
Hephaestus N
Artemis CN
Hades LE
Hecate NE
Ares CE
Advantages:
Each player can choose a single advantage for his character. These advantages are kept hidden from the other players and add an element that no player
can design around.
Advantage list:
1. Fandom: The player has a devoted fandom in the crowd. Each round, the player receives a morale bonus. This bonus is added to ONE of the following
a. All attack and damage rolls for that round.
b. All spell penetration rolls for that round.
c. The save DC for ONE spell.
d. All skill checks for a single skill (can be different from round to round).
The size of the morale bonus will be generated by me. Charisma increases the bonus and it is never greater than +6. This bonus can never denied to the
player.
2. Artificer: The player receives an additional 5,000 experience points to create magical items.
3. Stand by me. The player must take the leadership feat. The player creates a cohort as per the leadership rules in the DMG. The cohort appears next to the
player when the game starts and is run by the player. The cohort has standard wealth for an NPC of his level and may receive additional equipment from
the player. The cohort follows the same character creation rules the player does.
4. My gawd likes me: Player receives a minor boon from the gawd every round and will NEVER be attacked by servants of his gawd, such as outsiders
of that alignment.
5. Help in the corner:. The player must take the leadership feat. The player creates a cohort as stated above. However, this cohort is in the stands of
the arena. Anytime the player is next to the edge of the arena, the cohort may reach and touch him for the purposes of spells. The cohort may also use
bardic music to affect the player or his enemies. The cohort may also cast offensive spells or use ranged weapons against someone currently attacking
the player. The cohort can not enter the arena. The cohort can not be harmed by other players. The cohort may hand off small items to the player like
potions or scrolls.
6. Bonus Feat: The character receives one bonus feat.
7. Bonus Wealth: The character receives an additional 50,000 gold pieces.
8. Word on the Street: The character learns one secret about each other player. The player may use a standard action to make a gather information check
to learn something about a single other character.
9. Astounding Background: The character has an incredible history, even for an adventurer. This can be used in 1 of 3 ways.
a. The character qualifies for any Prestige class that requires a special roleplaying background such as contacting an outsider, finding a secret treasure
etc.
b. The character may select a creature template. The ECL of the template will be based on Dragon 293 and whatever WOTC says.
c. The character can buy spell scroll of 8th and 9th level.
Pleasing the crowd and scoring points
20 points for killing a player.
X points for killing a CR X NPC/monster
100 points for being last man standing.
100 * x points for a team with X members being the last one around.
5+ points for wowing the crowd. This can include making a spectacular show of arms, skill, or magic, using intimidate or performance skills on the crowd,
and creative acts of daring that impress the Gawds.
Teams pool their points together.
Loners receive a point multipler equal to .75 * X where X equals the number of members in the most populous team.
Acts of Gawds
Every single round, one or more of the 9 gawds will do something to the arena. This may include summoning hostile or neutral monsters, creating terrain,
destroying terrain, or teleporting players around.
Current game rules:
Books used: Core books, WOTC class splat books, Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, Magic of Faerun, Manual of the Planes,
Monster Manual 1 and 2, Psionics Book, Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, All WOTC web enhancements for these books.
Character Creation
Battle Location: Arena of the Greek Gods
Point Buy:: 36
Experience: 106,000
Races: Core Books, FRCS, MM (case by case basis)
Prestige Classes: Any prestige class from applicable source book
Feats: From any applicable book
Hit Point: Max for Players: 1/2 for NPCs, including cohorts.
Alignment Restriction: All allowed.
Spell Modifications
Harm has a fort save for 6d6 +1 per caster level damage.
Summon Spells summon only those creatures listed in the PHB. Player’s choice of creature within 1 alignment shift of player’s alignment.
All polymorph spells: Require: 2 preselected selection choices. These must be available options based on the level of the spell level the caster can use.
These will be the only allowed shapes the caster is allowed.
With the exception of wild shaping. Wild shaping druids must send in 4 preselected animals following the polymorph self rules with size dependant on wild
shape sizes. These will be the only allowed shapes for the druid during these combats.
Wish and Limited Wish will be interpreted in the most twisted way possible. No metagaming language (I wish my fortitude save had a permanent +20 inherent
bonus) is allowed.
Magic Items
Starting Wealth: 200,000 GP for PCs.
Item Creation: Standard experience and gold cost.
Purchasing Items: Players may not purchase scrolls that cast spells higher than level 7.
Wands and other charged items: no partially charged items.
Potions: Potions and scrolls available are only those described in sourcebooks available. Any others must be made with item creation feats.
Other: All players are freely allowed to communicate with one another in private via email or whatever. Unfortunately, I can't think of a way to hide the map
that won't make running the game a huge pain in the butt so all players will be visible on the both levels on the map, except for hidden/invisible characters
as usual.
ENworld Game of Death:
Battle Royale of the GAWDS
Introduction
The gawds of Mount Olympus are bored. Very, very bored. So, they have decided to take a bunch of the most powerful and interesting mortals and pit
them against each other in a gladitoral combat. So, 5 minutes later and throwing a bit of divine magic around, 10 or so powerful adventurers in the
multiverse are staring at each other across an arena while millions of angels, demons, and spirits of all kinds are watching and cheering them on.
Zeus appears above the arena and smirks at the shocked mortals. Only a few moments ago, they were meditating, fighting, making love, sleeping,
researching, insulting kings, tricking demon lords, or searching for treasure. Now they are all fully healed, rested, equipped, and ready to fight.
Zeus bellows out "Let the games...BEGIN!"
Setup:
Each player creates a level 15 character to fight in a gladitoral battle watched by the very gawds. The winner is the player or team with the most points
when the game ends. The game ends when there is only one team or player standing or when the Gawds get too bored. Characters can not only get points
by killing other characters, but by pleasing the crowd and entertaining the gawds. Characters can also form teams to fight together, but loners
will receive more points for whatever they do. The Gawds are very easily bored and will constantly use their divine powers to shake things up for
the adventurers.
How this works:
Anyone who wants to play sends me a character. Once at least 10 characters are sent in, I will post the map, character positions, and a website that will
mirror all updates to the fight. I roll initative and post it.
Then each player has 24 hours to send in their turn.
I run the game, round by round, until 1 team or player is left. Points are calculated and the winner is declared, who receives a special victory trophy.
All time points are added to the lifetime Game of Death totals.
Teams:
Players may choose to create teams to help protect themselves. The advantage of this is that they have fewer threats to worry about this. The disadvantage
to this is that the team receives fewer points for their actions than loners and characters can always betray their team for a big entertainment bonus.
Alignment is not a factor in teams except that some characters like paladins can not associate with evil characters, obviously.
Teams must be created at the start of the game.
Teams can not have more than 5 members.
The Gawds:
I will use Greek mythology for ease of reference. 9 Gawds will interact with the Arena. All religious characters must choose one of these gawds as
their patron and choose domains appropriately (use good judgment here).
Zeus CG
Athena LG
DemeterNG
Hera LN
Hephaestus N
Artemis CN
Hades LE
Hecate NE
Ares CE
Advantages:
Each player can choose a single advantage for his character. These advantages are kept hidden from the other players and add an element that no player
can design around.
Advantage list:
1. Fandom: The player has a devoted fandom in the crowd. Each round, the player receives a morale bonus. This bonus is added to ONE of the following
a. All attack and damage rolls for that round.
b. All spell penetration rolls for that round.
c. The save DC for ONE spell.
d. All skill checks for a single skill (can be different from round to round).
The size of the morale bonus will be generated by me. Charisma increases the bonus and it is never greater than +6. This bonus can never denied to the
player.
2. Artificer: The player receives an additional 5,000 experience points to create magical items.
3. Stand by me. The player must take the leadership feat. The player creates a cohort as per the leadership rules in the DMG. The cohort appears next to the
player when the game starts and is run by the player. The cohort has standard wealth for an NPC of his level and may receive additional equipment from
the player. The cohort follows the same character creation rules the player does.
4. My gawd likes me: Player receives a minor boon from the gawd every round and will NEVER be attacked by servants of his gawd, such as outsiders
of that alignment.
5. Help in the corner:. The player must take the leadership feat. The player creates a cohort as stated above. However, this cohort is in the stands of
the arena. Anytime the player is next to the edge of the arena, the cohort may reach and touch him for the purposes of spells. The cohort may also use
bardic music to affect the player or his enemies. The cohort may also cast offensive spells or use ranged weapons against someone currently attacking
the player. The cohort can not enter the arena. The cohort can not be harmed by other players. The cohort may hand off small items to the player like
potions or scrolls.
6. Bonus Feat: The character receives one bonus feat.
7. Bonus Wealth: The character receives an additional 50,000 gold pieces.
8. Word on the Street: The character learns one secret about each other player. The player may use a standard action to make a gather information check
to learn something about a single other character.
9. Astounding Background: The character has an incredible history, even for an adventurer. This can be used in 1 of 3 ways.
a. The character qualifies for any Prestige class that requires a special roleplaying background such as contacting an outsider, finding a secret treasure
etc.
b. The character may select a creature template. The ECL of the template will be based on Dragon 293 and whatever WOTC says.
c. The character can buy spell scroll of 8th and 9th level.
Pleasing the crowd and scoring points
20 points for killing a player.
X points for killing a CR X NPC/monster
100 points for being last man standing.
100 * x points for a team with X members being the last one around.
5+ points for wowing the crowd. This can include making a spectacular show of arms, skill, or magic, using intimidate or performance skills on the crowd,
and creative acts of daring that impress the Gawds.
Teams pool their points together.
Loners receive a point multipler equal to .75 * X where X equals the number of members in the most populous team.
Acts of Gawds
Every single round, one or more of the 9 gawds will do something to the arena. This may include summoning hostile or neutral monsters, creating terrain,
destroying terrain, or teleporting players around.
Current game rules:
Books used: Core books, WOTC class splat books, Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, Magic of Faerun, Manual of the Planes,
Monster Manual 1 and 2, Psionics Book, Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, All WOTC web enhancements for these books.
Character Creation
Battle Location: Arena of the Greek Gods
Point Buy:: 36
Experience: 106,000
Races: Core Books, FRCS, MM (case by case basis)
Prestige Classes: Any prestige class from applicable source book
Feats: From any applicable book
Hit Point: Max for Players: 1/2 for NPCs, including cohorts.
Alignment Restriction: All allowed.
Spell Modifications
Harm has a fort save for 6d6 +1 per caster level damage.
Summon Spells summon only those creatures listed in the PHB. Player’s choice of creature within 1 alignment shift of player’s alignment.
All polymorph spells: Require: 2 preselected selection choices. These must be available options based on the level of the spell level the caster can use.
These will be the only allowed shapes the caster is allowed.
With the exception of wild shaping. Wild shaping druids must send in 4 preselected animals following the polymorph self rules with size dependant on wild
shape sizes. These will be the only allowed shapes for the druid during these combats.
Wish and Limited Wish will be interpreted in the most twisted way possible. No metagaming language (I wish my fortitude save had a permanent +20 inherent
bonus) is allowed.
Magic Items
Starting Wealth: 200,000 GP for PCs.
Item Creation: Standard experience and gold cost.
Purchasing Items: Players may not purchase scrolls that cast spells higher than level 7.
Wands and other charged items: no partially charged items.
Potions: Potions and scrolls available are only those described in sourcebooks available. Any others must be made with item creation feats.
Other: All players are freely allowed to communicate with one another in private via email or whatever. Unfortunately, I can't think of a way to hide the map
that won't make running the game a huge pain in the butt so all players will be visible on the both levels on the map, except for hidden/invisible characters
as usual.
