The Circle of Punishment (IRC Gladiator Game Reborn)

[Xathan]

I think it is going to be Pathfinder only for simplicity and balance.

Also, it's worth looking at these rules, since it's gladiator oriented and I like them. performance combat rules

Also, everyone can pick up one of these without needing to pick up Dazzling display first.

[Kindling]

How many traits do we get, if any? I'm thinking of rolling up a barbarian later today.

[Xathan]

2 traits, only basic or race ones.

[Kindling]

KRAZNAR SON OF KRAZGELD

Level 5 Dwarf Barbarian (Invulnerable Rager archetype)

STR 16 +3
DEX 14 +2
CON 19 +4
INT 10 +0
WIS 12 +1
CHA 8 -1

Max HP: 55
Current HP: 55

BAB +5 (+6 vs orcs/goblinoids)
AC 12 (16 vs giants)
DR 2/-

CMB +8
CMD 20 (24 vs bull rush/trip)

FORT +8
REF +1
WILL +2

Speed: 30ft. (20ft. in heavy armour)
Carrying capacity: 76/77-153/154-230

Skills:
Acrobatics 7 (+2 DEX)
Appraise 0 (+2 valuing precious metals/gemstones)
Climb 7 (+3 STR)
Perception 7 (+2 examining stonework)
Survival 7
Swim 7 (+3 STR)

Traits:
Ruthless: +1 on attack rolls to confirm critical hits
Zest for Battle: When receiving a morale bonus to attacks, also gain +1 damage

Class features:

Rage: +4 STR and CON, +2 WILL, -2 AC, +10 HP for up to 8 rounds, then become Fatigued for 2 rounds per round spent Raging
Trap Sense: +1 to Reflex saves and AC vs traps
Extreme Endurance: Gain effects of Endure Elements vs cold weather
Roused Anger: May Rage when Fatigued, immune to Fatigue while Raging, become Exhausted after this Rage for 10 minutes per round spent Raging

Feats:
Cleave: -2 AC for additional attack against adjacent opponent on a successful hit
Great Cleave: May make multiple additional Cleave attacks
Power Attack: Trade -2 attack for +4 damage

[ic=A life of bloodletting...]
A thousand years ago the Four Shields clan resembled any other dwarves. They mined the depths beneath their mountains, they praised their ancestors, they worked their forges. Perhaps their isolation made them a little bleaker than others of their kind, but for all that their hearth-fire of order in the heart of so many leagues of wilderness burned bright against the darkness.
The darkness, however, had other ideas.
In those days there came to the badlands that surrounded the Four Shields a migrating tribe of orcs called the Eaters-of-Fire. These orcs were reavers from the far south, sword-wielding wolves whose king, Sutekh Iron-Heart, was said to be as strong as an ogre, as tough as a troll and as terrible as a midnight gale.
Sutekh wasted no time in confronting the many goblinoid tribes of the region and binding them to his banner through force and threats. The bugbear king Groxnoller the Proud was the last to resist him, and Sutekh beat him to death with his bare fists before taking his eight daughters as wives to bind Groxnoller's tribe to his cause.
So it came to pass that the Four Shields found their many enemies suddenly united against them with a single purpose, spearheaded by the fearsome Eaters-of-Fire.
From then on the dwarves knew no respite, no forgiveness - there was only war. Proud longbeards and shield-maidens stood resolute time and again against Sutekh Iron-Heart's massed horde, but no matter how red the ruin they made of their foes, more of the monstrous humanoids came against them, and in battle after battle, over hundreds of years, their territories shrank and their wealth faded. Sutekh's sons, and grandsons, and great-grandsons continued the grim war as more dwarven holds were lost, more great warriors fell.
The Four Shields realised that they fought now for their very survival, and they abandoned their mines, worked their forges only to repair sundered arms, and called on their ancestors on the battlefield rather than in their deep shrines. In time, necessity made the dwarves as savage and axebitten as the Eaters-of-Fire they fought.
It was into this bloody world of grinding, barbaric warfare that Kraznar was born, and there was no time for him to learn the ancient dwarven arts, to try his hand at forging armour or working wondrous jewellery. Instead his first memory was of swinging an axe. His father, Krazgeld Black-Eyes, was a mighty warrior and a captain of the Four Shields and taught him from the first to kill and to endure.
Songs were no longer sung by Kraznar's time, unless they were funereal dirges for the battle-slain. Mead was no longer brewed, the dwarf-maids no longer laughed. The only joy the young warrior knew was that of battle, the beautiful red killing-joy that came when he dirtied his blade with the gore of his enemies. Those times, the times when he worked death, were when he could finally laugh, finally see to the heart of things, the terrible joke that was life.
But no matter how hard Kraznar and his kin fought, their days were numbered. By the time he reached his full maturity at 50 a thousand years of bloodshed had passed, and only one final, mighty keep remained in dwarven hands. Sutekh XVI was raising a new horde for the killing-blow.
The final stand of the Four Shields was as bloody a battle as any in history. Kraznar himself slew a score of foes upon the barricades and saw his father cut down defending a breach single-handed against a company of hobgoblins.
Kraznar and the other survivors were forced to fall back to the deeps beneath their citadel, until they were finally surrounded in the musty shrines they had so long neglected. The goblinoids came at them, howling through the hallowed tunnels, and died as the dwarves fought back with fanatic desperation.
Eventually they fell back and Kraznar saw a new enemy approach; orcs, the very Eaters-of-Fire themselves, sent in for the kill.
The remainder of the Four Shields, exhausted, did their best, but nonetheless fell one by one to the wicked orcish swords. Finally, only Kraznar remained, surrounded on all sides, wounded, defiant. He sent a dozen Eaters-of-Fire to their graves then, until they feared to approach him, but then Sutekh XVI himself came, tall, broad-shouldered, cast in the mould of his conquering ancestor.
Kraznar cannot remember what happened next, only the orc-king's eyes, eyes that mocked and laughed as he was overcome and denied even the honour of a heroic death. Instead he was taken captive, a slave of his mortal enemies, forced to entertain them with his feats of arms in pit-fights against the beasts of the wilderlands until finally his value was measured higher in gold than in entertainment and he was sold to wicked men who took him south, to new arenas, and new battles.[/ic]

PS. Are we using alignment?

[sparkletwist]

I'm interested, but I have no idea what to do for a character. I'm a bit clueless when it comes to Pathfinder.

[LD]

Weren't you the one who linked to the pathfinder character creator webpage? :D

Also: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/

[sparkletwist]

Weren't you the one who linked to the pathfinder character creator webpage? :D

Also: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/

Yes. I stumbled across that when I was trying to find an easier way to juggle all of the things involved in Pathfinder character creation. :P
Thanks for the link to the SRD, but I already found that one too. :)

[Xathan]

Kranzar sounds and looks awesome, can't wait to put him in the pits.

Other than Sparkle, is there still any other interest in this game? Hard to do a game like this with only two players. :P

[SabrWolf]

Would it be possible to play a Gnome Alchemist who is an arsonist? Cuz I would totally be in on this if I could do that. I rarely get to flex my inner "crazy" when playing at normal table top games and this kind of game presents an interesting opportunity to do something more in line with a "Chaotic Asshole" character. lol

[Xathan]

That would totally work. Just make sure your character is someone who it is possible to relate to - Chaotic Asshole is fine, but "Asshole to My Party" is gonna not go so well.

[Steerpike]

I will get a character up at some point very soon.  Considering a goblin fighter/rogue.

[Kindling]

I will get a character up at some point very soon.  Considering a goblin fighter/rogue.

Oh my. Kraz is gonna love your guy.

[Xathan]

Hahaha, this is shaping up to be an interesting team!

[Steerpike]

I'm going to be playing a Knife Master, which has the "Hidden Blade" ability to help conceal a light weapon.  Is it possible that in addition to the usual equipment provided I could smuggle in my trusty Dogslicer if I make a successful check?

[Xathan]

Hmmm...since that's a relevant class ability, I'll allow it same way I do bound items, so yes. :)