Oathbound: Arena

[Ghostwind]

The vast red desert domain of Arena sprawls south and westward from the nurturing plains of Penance. Spurred onward by the ancient promise of gold buried beneath the sands, massive armies of brutal warriors rumble across the scarred and wasted terrain. For the fortunate few, the ultimate dream of Arena still comes true - immeasurable riches, supreme command, and decades of extravagant and luxurious living atop the Queen's pedestal of pleasure. For most however, whatever dreams they may harbor are soundly crushed under years of backbreaking labor, constant battle, exhausting marches, gruesome butchery, and an infinity of accursed crimson sand. Oathbound: Arena provides a new entry point into the world of the Forge. This is the Domain of Barbello, the Mask of Fury, the invincible mistress of rage, pain, warfare, and death. Who amongst you can withstand her test?

Within Oathbound: Arena you'll find:

A detailed overview of the domain of Arena, home of savage warlords and their armies
5 new player-character races
3 new prestige classes
6 new prestige races
A system for mass combat between the armies of Arena
War machines, massive weapons that deal terrible destruction on opposing warlords
New monsters, skills, spells, and magic items -- all compatible with version 3.5!
A 16-page adventure that takes your players from Penance to the war-torn red sands

 

[trancejeremy]

Oathbound finally leaves Penance. The world of the Oathbound setting (The Forge) is divided up into 7 basic regions each ruled by an imprisoned angel (aka "Feathered Fowl"), and up to now, all the products have focused on Penance, the domain of Israfel. Which is not surprising, as that's basically the New York of the Forge.

This details the domain of Barbello, as well as includes basic rules for mass combat and "Doom Striders", which are basically magical mecha (and their effects in and out of the mass combat system). Why the focus on war? As the daughter of Israfel and the god imprisoned in the land of Oathbound, she's kind of in an angry, rebellious teen-aged stage of her life. As such, she really likes violence. Really really likes violence.

So instead of starting up her own football league (presumably she learned the lesson of the XFL), she created a region in which people must fight over key resources to survive. Most notably gold (a lot of it), but also oases. And she's seeded this region with a lot of belligerent people. So they constantly war.

Of course bear in mind, each domain of the Forge is designed to ultimately produce someone powerful enough to defeat the ruler of the region, so they can take the rulers place (and so the ruler can be free). They have different methods - for instance, in Penance, you have to be a master of intrigue and politics. In another, you have to be a great thief. Here, in Arena, you have to be a great warlord (and warrior).

The first part of the book describes Arena in moderate amount of detail. The major places and the major players. Like Penance, there are definite good guys and bad guys, with a few in between.

The most interesting warlord is a yoda like goblin enchanter. Other notables include a really tough Dragori from the Bluffside setting (the joys of open content), and a really really old wizard/assassin called "The Shadow Mage" (not really a warlord, though).

The detail of Arena is probably on par with the level of detail given about Penance in the main Oathbound book. That is, enough to get you started, but you'll have to do a lot more work to flesh it out (or perhaps Bastion will do so, like they did with Penance). For the most part it's very interesting, and varied, but I really have to wonder about the effects of inflation. Because there is so much gold, I would think it would drive the value of it down.

About 60 pages of the book is devoted to describing the Arena, and life in it. The next 60 pages or so are devoted to rules material.

If you thought some of the Oathbound races were strange, well, they've gotten a bit stranger. Enter the Trusk, who are basically intelligent walruses (it worked for Star Wars, if not Bloom County). Fortunately for them, there are no penguin people to war with, so they stay in their part of the ocean fairly peaceably. But they have schemes, much like all walruses.

Also in that same vein is the Vogel, which is basically a human sized sparrow (except with an additional pair of hands). That's also a more warlike version of the Valcos (a goat like species) called "War Valcos", which are more like Rams. (Only hopefully they have a better head coach.)

There are a couple more human-centric races. Ferrin, apparently metallic humans. Not robots, just human like people that happen to be made out of metal (or eat it). Kinda like the Silver from the main Oathbound book. On a curious note, while they're not jazz singers, they can apparently crossbreed with humans.

Less strange, but also not quite human, are the Valkyries. Like the name implies, these are humanoid women who like to fight. Unlike the mythological ones, which just rode winged horses, these actually have wings, like angels or stewardesses. Also like stewardesses, they can mate with just about any male in order to reproduce.

For the most part, the races are pretty well balanced. The exception might be the Valkyrie - they are fairly average in all regards except that they can fly. Flight is quite probably worth more in the long run than a +1 level adjustment, but it really depends on the game.

There's also a new selection of prestige races, classes & gifts. Prestige races are slight misnomers, they're more like extra powers you can get by spending xp. There are 6 new prestige classes, including one for me, the Focus of the Odd.

There are basic rules for mass combat (about 10 pages worth). Apparently it's a greatly expanded version of the rules included in AEG's War. Or at least, seems inspired by them - the ones in War are very very vague, this are somewhat akin to the rules from the old Companion D&D rules, but some of the things are the same (like the unit types). Basically, an army is divided up into units, which have stats somewhat like characters (including levels). They then duke it out in battle, much like regular d20 combat.

Unit types are treated like character classes, complete with levels. There is Archer, Arcane Spellcaster, Cavalry, Footman, Skirmishers, Divine Spellcaster. Units can even multi-class, but this is not explained very well, so I'm not sure how that would work. Units have ratings for Base Attack Bonus, Defense Rating (somewhat like AC), and most importantly, damage dice.

Combat is pretty simple. A unit attacks, and rolls a d20 and adds its BAB, just like characters. The result is compared to the unit being attacked's defense rating. Now here is where it gets different from d20. Instead of seeing if the attack hit, you determine how much damage it did. You subtract the defense rating from the attack roll, and compare it to a chart, which modifies the number of damage dice inflicted. The result is the literal number of casualties. That is, if you roll x on the damage dice, x members of the defending unit are casualties. For every 100 casualties, the effectiveness of the unit goes down by 1 damage dice (that they can inflict).

All units have 1000 members in it (though you can probably tinker with this), so that's the amount of casualties they can take before being destroyed. Though they'll probably flee before that. And needless to say, you have to do a lot of dice rolling. But after playing around with it for a bit, it's actually a pretty clever little system.

Various unit types have different ratings from level to level, and certain units (like spellcasters) have special abilities.

Though it's a chapter later, there are also rules for all sorts of siege machines and how they fit into the mass combat system.. But even better, are rules for mecha like things, called "Doom Striders". I had seen "Doom Striders" in the Bastion catalog, but I was expecting something more akin to the walking machines of H.G. Well's Martians. But apparently I was mistaken, they're pretty much mecha. They also about 10 pages here, enough for basic designs, along with rules on how to use them in the mass combat system.

They remind me of the Voltron sort of mecha. Not that they're made up of 5 lions that combine into one big robot guy, but that they can wield great big swords and other melee weapons. They do have pilots, usually just one, but possibly more depending on the design.

It's not quite a mecha, though. The pilot is in something of a symbiosis with the Doom Strider. The Doom Strider's hit points are a multiple of the pilots, and when the 'Strider takes damage, so does the pilot.

The main drawback of them is that they need a lot of magical energy to operate. Basically, each action takes energy points. There are a variety of 'gas' tank sizes to fuel them, but they all require spell levels from a arcane magic user. (Not unlike how the magic bi-planes worked in D&D's Top Ballista). Basically, the level of the spell translates into energy points - a 6th level spell is worth 6 energy points, and so on. The gas tanks are quite small, the biggest is only 30 pts, so they will have to be refilled in battle a number of times.

There's going to be an entire book on them later this year (December is the plan, I think), but this does give you enough to make them & use them in your game.

Lastly, there is a 30 page adventure. Like most of the adventures included in Oathbound books, this seems to be part of a greater plot or story arc. It is meant to introduce characters to the Arena portion of the Forge, on a mission for Lord Belus (of course!). While I don't want to give spoilers, it involves them hunting down a relic of sorts, and along the way they will have to storm a stronghold (using the mass combat system).

The layout is generally excellent, with the outer margin containing the chapter number, and the top margin having the chapter name and section. Which makes finding things easy. I wish all companies would do this. There is also a 2 page index and a table of contents.

The art is generally pretty good, but nothing particularly striking.

The rules for mass combat seem to be pretty decent in my quick try out, though I think they need to be fleshed out more (and clarified a bit, at least on multiclassing units), and the Doom Striders are fascinating. However, I would have liked more information on the strategic level of warfare. Building up your cities and strongholds, as opposed to just army units. Also, the Oathbound setting features Airships (from Bastion's own book, the excellent "Airships"), it seems to me that they could be a very big part of mass combat as well. So I would have liked to have seen rules for integrating them (maybe in a web supplement).

It's also a nice change of pace for PCs. In past Oathbound products, it seemed liked the PCs were merely lackeys, mostly to Lord Belus, who seems to be the Elminster of Oathbound (though less annoying and much less cliched). Here they still seem tied to a more powerful NPC's will (and again, Lord Belus's in the adventure in the book), but they have more freedom to create their own domain.

So, it's a pretty good book, (call it a solid B) but I think it tries to do too much, and in trying to do so much, it doesn't do any of the subjects it covers justice. For instance, while the mass combat rules are fairly nice, if you want to run a game where your PCs are in fact warlords, you'll probably need to pick up one of the recent books on the subject for d20, for the non-mass combat aspects of warfare. (Empire from AEG, Fields of War from Eden, Dynasties & Strongholds from Mongoose. None of which I have, but all I hope to someday buy, though probably not anytime soon, 2005 from the looks of my bank account). While Bastion tried to give you all the tools, they only gave you the bare bones. Still, it's a fascinating look into another aspect of the Forge.

 

[Messageboard Golem]

By John Grigsby, Staff Reviewer d20 Magazine Rack

Initiative Round
Oathbound: Arena is a Dungeons & Dragons supplement for the Oathbound campaign setting from Bastion Press. This 160-page softcover is the work of Kevin W. Melka and Todd R. Laing and features cover art by Christopher Pickrell depicting a warrior squaring off against Barbello, the Mask of Fury herself! Interior artwork from Alexander Leonard, Ben Eargle, Brannon Hall, C. Michael Erickson, Christopher Pickrell, Ginger Kubic, Jeremy McHugh, Jesse Mohn, and Michael Orwick round it out nicely. Oathbound: Arena retails for $27.95.

Arena, largest domain on the world that is the Forge. No, this isn’t a supplement or adventure about gladiatorial combat in Oathbound, it’s a domain book for that setting. Arena is the largest of the seven domains that make up the Forge, as well as the most dangerous. The lands of Arena are vast stretches of red sand, dotted with lush oases and spent gold mines. It is a land ruled by vast armies commanded by strong warlords, and its savage mistress is the feathered Barbello, the Mask of Fury!

Oathbound: Arena begins with an overview of the Forge itself, the world of which Arena is a part. This is important, for without understanding the Forge and how Arena fits into the world around it, one cannot truly understand the intricacies of the setting. It’s best, of course, if you already have a copy of Oathbound, but if you don’t then this chapter will provide you enough information to make use of the product until you can get your copy (you were planning on getting a copy, right?). Even if you have your copy, you should skim through this chapter, paying particular attention to the last few pages, for these describe how one finds themselves in Arena. The Forge isn’t like many worlds, where one travels at will. Instead, one is chosen by one of the “Feathered Flock,” the seven godlike beings that originally created it. And once you’re there, the only escape may be through death.

Next is an overview of the lands of Arena, including a black & white map of the region (keyed with points of interest), cultures, geography, and all that good stuff. Each of the major cities is described, along with the warlord that rules over them. It is here as well that the reader will learn of the Shadow Mage, a mythical assassin of immense power and stature whose true motives are unknown.

Like many of the realms of the Forge, Arena has its own ecology and ecosphere, and there’s a wealth of information on that as well (along with six delightful new diseases with which to further torment your players’ characters). The climate ranges wildly from swelteringly hot to bitterly cold, and each of the four most commonly encountered terrain types is detailed in its own section in this chapter; jungle, desert, ocean, and oases. This information doesn’t merely repeat the info that is already available in the DUNGEON MASTER’S Guide, it expands on it, and some of this info will even be useful to GMs running campaigns not set in Oathbound (such as sinkholes in the desert). Even the diseases, with a few minor changes, would be suitable for use in nearly any fantasy setting.

Arena has one big draw that few other places in the Forge can claim—gold. In fact, most that venture into Arena do so in search of this precious metal. It is commonly believed that there is an abundance of gold in Arena, and while this may be partially true, only the very lucky of the very skilled will have their share of it. Some take up the mercenary craft in service of a warlord, but those who truly want to revel in the riches that Arena offers must choose the more difficult course and become a warlord themselves. Chapter 4 gives all the necessary information to stake your claim and make your name in Arena. Of course, not everyone is going to be happy with your newfound fortune.

Chapter 5, Lords of the Land, begins by introducing the one lord that matters; Barbello—Mask of Fury. The lord is unmasked, so to speak, with complete details given of her avatar, of she often interacts with those in her realm. Details of other warlords of note ay also be found in this chapter, including the Grand Asherake, Siviss Nexx, Minos Spar, Ossian, Hateni, Varan Trinovant, Aryis (Lord of the Wind), and Regan Severn. Game statistics, background, assets, allegiance, forces, and the capital city of the warlord’s realm (where appropriate) are provided with each entry such that these NPCs can be dropped into the game as needed, with a minimum of preparation. In addition, several minor warlords are also named and detailed in brief.

Water is life, particularly in the vast wastes that are the deserts of Arena, and Chapter Six describes in great detail the oceans that encircle the domain. This chapter is fairly short, little more than a gazetteer that lists the important sites and provides a few brief facts and figures, but it serves its purpose. Chapter Seven expands on the connections of Arena to the rest of the Forge by examining how the other domains view Arena and the status of trade (or other interactions) between them.

Arena, like so many other recent d20 System supplements, offer a mass combat resolution system. On the whole, Arena’s system is not very much different from the others. It offers a quick and fairly simple resolution, rather than long and drawn-out, though the mechanics are fairly original. It’s already pretty simplified in Arena, but I’ll see if I can break it down just a little more.

Combat occurs between groups of soldiers called units. A unit initially consists of 1,000 troops, the average level of which is equal to 1/5 that of their commanding warlord. In many ways, units resemble a character class, based on type. A unit has a base attack bonus, determined by training and level. A unit has troops, which function much like hit points. Units have saving throws and defense ratings (determined by armor and training), and they have special abilities. It is possible to have a mixed unit, much like multi-classing.

When a unit attacks, it makes a single attack roll against the defending unit’s Defense Rating. Since all attacks are assumed to cause some damage, the Damage Mitigation table is consulted to determine how much damage was done. Generally, the higher the attack roll, the better, but even a roll which does not defeat the opposing unit’s Defense Rating may cause some casualties. The damage is then calculated based on the type of unit, the result being the number of enemy troops killed or too badly wounded to continue the battle.

That’s about as simple as I can make it, without presenting the rules right here for you, but I think it’s enough to get the picture. The special abilities of some units, such as spellcasting, ambush, and override, can help turn the tide of battle. Of all the d20 System mass combat resolution systems I’ve yet seen, I like this one the best, I think. It isn’t starkly realistic (spellcasting, for example, is very abstract), but it’s functional and quick.

If it’s new prestige classes and such that you’re after, Arena won’t leave you in the lurch. The ravager is a warrior that has learned to tap the innate magical power of the Forge and channel it into a force for destruction, the Seeker is a warrior mage that is trained to locate ore, water, and riches below the battlefields of Arena, and the sovereign is a fearsome leader on the battlefield. Beyond these three new prestige classes, there are five new races, some new arrival and earned gifts, and six new prestige races (Focus of the Arid Wastes, Focus of the Brawler, Focus of the Fury, Focus of the Odd, Focus of Warfare, and Focus of the Wave).

One exciting new concept is the war machine, weapons of mass destruction. While catapults and ballistae are fine for felling walls, many warlords want something a bit more impressive. From the caltrop spreader to the vacuum bolt to the acid mine, the tools of war in Arena are as brutal as their masters, but few are as impressive as the doom strider, a towering, 100-foot tall behemoth in the form of a man, magically connected to the captain that rides inside and commands it!

Finally, Arena finishes with a 16-page adventure, “Sands of Change,” wherein a group of mid-level characters search for artifacts that bring warlords to conflict. “Sands of Change” ties loosely into “Black on Black” (from Oathbound: Wrack & Ruin), and may even be undertaken by the same characters from that adventure. As may be expected, this adventure features not only the chance for the PCs to do what they do best, but also to lead a mighty army into battle, showcasing the new mass combat rules.

Appendix A contains all the NPCs for the adventure and Appendix B offers five new feats (developed strictly for mass combat), three new skills (more correctly, a new language and two new subskills), and a new spell. In Appendix C details six new magical items, including two new artifacts. Finally, in Appendix D there are six new monsters.

Critical Hit
The spotlight in Arena shines on the mass battle rules, as far as I am concerned. They’re elegant without being slavishly detailed, and they keep the game moving without requiring too much fuss over tactical positioning and other minutia that better suit a wargame than a role-playing game. In an RPG, unless the focus of the adventure is the battle itself, the mass combat should be a blend of ease and enjoyment, and Bastion hit the nail on the head in this category.

I was very happy to see that this product included both a table of contents and a good index, and that it has been formatted to be compatible with D&D, version 3.5.

John’s Hot Pick
The Grand Asherake. He wears a coat made from the tanned faces of his most challenging enemies, and the picture of him by Jeremy McHugh on page 46 really does him justice! That’s one cool NPC. Now if only the picture had been in full color!

Critical Fumble
As a resource for Oathbound, Arena was not quite as enjoyable to me as the previous books had been, though it is still a worthy effort and a fine addition to the setting. The page margins are average for the Oathbound line, though I might argue that they could be reduced a tiny bit (say, about a quarter-inch). The artwork varies, but most of the pieces are well-done and relevant to the text. The weak points are that it is very much set in the Oathbound campaign setting, which makes conversion to other settings and arduous task (but why would you want to?). The only significant problem I came across was the some of the NPCs reference prestige classes not found in the Oathbound campaign guide, or Arena. If you’re going to reference another work, it’s nice if you provide a note telling us where we can find these references, but it would be even nicer to reprint them or not use them.

I would like to know though, what happened to the color artwork? Oathbound: Plains of Penance was a softcover, but still had beautiful, full-color artwork. Suddenly, with Wrack & Ruin and Arena, it’s back to standard-quality paper and black & white art. Please bring back the color, it really enhanced the product and made it more enjoyable. If it costs a little more, so be it, but I’d love to see the color come back!

Coup de Grace
If you’re running an Oathbound campaign, I’d say that Arena is a worthwhile investment, if for the mass battle rules alone. If you don’t run Oathbound, you might be able to make use of it, but it’s going to take some work on your part. All mechanics, and some of the descriptive text has been designated as Open Game Content in Arena.

Final Grade: B+