Urgent!

[skinnydwarf]

Well, this may not be as outlandish or cool as some of the other suggestions, but I had a rather good time in a fight where I fought an enemy on a platform complex.

Here is my idea: There is a set of small wooden platforms elevated above the ground (maybe with lava or something else painful below) at varying levels. Maybe you could have like small rods jutting out of some of the lower platforms for those who fall from above to grab onto. Each team starts on one corner, and they need to jump from platform to platform. Only thing is, each platform can only hold 1-3 humanoids. There will be many opportunities for bullrushing, etc.

You could spice things up even more by making the contest something like "king of the hill," except here the hill consists of a bunch of platforms arranged like a pyramid.

(Edit: I wrote this before seeing Rykion's post- I'm not stealing your idea. No Todd Goldman, I. Not that ideas are copyrightable, anyway)

 

[Tharen the Damned]

A series of wooden Towers with rope bridges in between on more than one level.
Every Tower has a "price" the Gladiators must secure (like a flag or so).


The arena has a labyrinth of trenches. Walls of fire shoot up and go down at random.

A Labyrinth of shifting walls (mechanics wise the walls have an initiative). This might split the group or suddenly and a fight.

 

[TheYeti1775]

Foot Bridges over water.
Dex checks for balance as they are the fun swaying types.

 

[Rykion]

An arena with a blindfolded dragon in the center. The dragon randomly spins around and unleashes its breath weapon every few rounds.

 

[crazy_monkey1956]

Situate each team on the back of a colossal flying creature. The riders don't have control of the creature's movements so getting back and forth between beasties has to be carefully coordinated...not too mention the danger of falling if the jump check fails.

Inside a cage-like structure the walls of which are coated with sovereign glue or something similiar. Or, to make it more hazardous, the cage itself is animated and tosses the combatants around every so often.

In addition to the four teams, place a ravenous beastie or three in the arena with them. The creature simply attacks whoever's at hand regardless of team affiliation.

Hope these help.

Quentin

 

[Waylander the Slayer]

The arena floor consists of numerous columns which shoot up and down randomly causing the combatants to have to make balance checks, fall or radically changing the battle. Alternatively, you can have lava gysers errupting as well, creating little lava flow rivulets.

 

[Echohawk]

Hidden patches of quicksand scattered across the arena floor.

 

[AGFlynn]

Inpenatrable darkness.

I attack the impenetrable darkness!

 

[theredrobedwizard]

Empty circle, eh? I think your best bet is to mix the "gotta keep moving" idea with the "everybody dies" idea.

Meanwhile, I've attached a crude drawing that I whipped up in MS Paint in like 4 minutes. The Brown rectangles are ramps leading from the floor of the arena up to narrow rope and plank bridges (approx 2' wide, requiring balance checks to cross) which connect to the central structure. This central structure (and the bridges leading to it) are the only places in the arena where combatants don't take 1d4 fire damage per round from the excessively oppressive heat.

The goal is to be the last team standing; occupying the central structure helps, but isn't necessary.

Also, the grey parts are pits. Also, also, the roundy things are towers for archers. Hopefully archers that like not standing in one place for too long.

Just a suggestion.

-TRRW

(Ninja Edit: You there, Dalek Rykion, I have several varieties of Sonic Screwdrivers and Left-Handed Lazer Spaners with your name on them.)

 

[Aeric]

Inspired by the TV show MXC: The arena floor is divided into multiple rooms and corridors with no celings, similar to a rat maze. Studded throughout this maze are doors, some real, some not. Some doors lead to other parts of the maze, some are booby-trapped, some lead to closets containing monsters, etc.

If you're running The Champion's Belt, maybe throw in a pit trap filled with thousands of squirming little green worms. Not those little green worms, of course, but the players don't need to know that.