GRIMDARK GLADIATORS - Intro/Rules/Rosters

[sparkletwist]

GRIMDARK GLADIATORS
In the grim darkness of the far future there is only war... STREAMED TO YOU LIVE 24/7!

[ic=The Games]
Beneath the mile-high black gothic spires of the Imperial Ecumenopolis, hundreds of thousands of cheering spectators pack into a gigantic stadium, but, of course, they are but a tiny fraction of the audience of this grand event, as millions upon millions more view it from every corner of the Imperium via holovision and neurolink. The object of all of those probing eyes, all those adoring screams, is, of course, the 112th annual Grand Gladiator Games, the culmination of an entire year of battles, tournaments, and bloodshed; a decadent orgy of violence and carnage unmatched in splendor and horror... and it pretty much has to be, to get the attention of a population this jaded.

The Imperium fancies itself a shining jewel-- and perhaps it even was once that-- but it has become a festering cancer. The skies of the core worlds grow ever-more choked by pollution by the year, leading the Imperium to expand ever-outward, its borders bleeding outward even while its center stagnates. Everything worthwhile has already been invented, say the scholars, so innovation rots and the complacent grow fat on vat-grown meat and synthesized swill. And what keeps the unwashed, uneducated throngs of people from rising up and overthrowing their masters? Bread and circuses. Their own small piece of the good life. This society calls itself post-scarcity, even though freedom, dignity, and truth are scarcer than ever. But what do they care? They have the Games.

It's certainly true that you could make a hundred fortunes in the Games before you sold one book as a revolutionary. (Who reads books any more, anyway?) That's not to say it's easy. You're not going to make it to the Grand Games overnight, that's for sure. But, hey, there is a local tournament next month, and I know a few guys who would love to fight for you if the price is right...
[/ic]

Grimdark Gladiators is a game in which players take the part of gladiatorial managers in a decadent and corrupt futuristic (and yet, oddly anachronistic) society that resembles a sci-fantasy Greco-Roman civilization. It was inspired by a conversation on IRC how creating characters in many systems is often as much (or maybe more?) fun than playing them. So... why not make this a central theme of the game? Players will create their ideal gladiator of choice (or hire one from a list of pregenerated contenders!), book matches, talk trash, form teams, and, of course, send their team into the arena to battle it out. Winners reap the spoils: fame and cash prizes, while losers... well, there usually isn't too much left of the losers, but between cyberware, biografting, regeneration, and cloning, it's hard to keep a good gladiator down.

My problem with a lot of forum games has been that they require a fairly consistent long-term time commitment; this has made me shy of them for quite some time, so it may strike some people as odd to see me running one. However, what I hope for with Grimdark Gladiators is to create something with a bit less ironclad of a schedule and no dreaded (or much-awaited!) weekly update. Essentially, there will be no firm timetable-- matches occur when players want them and the GM is able to adjudicate, but there is no need for large and comprehensive global updates. At least, that's the idea. I also hope that, given the fact that the matches are very much supposed to be a public spectacle, being able to post match results in the open will result in the game being more enjoyable and accessible to everyone. I do not want large portions of the game's content hidden behind spoiler tags.

While PvP will certainly be a theme, and players are certainly more than welcome to pit their combatants against each other (and the screaming fans will love it!) I will also provide NPC opposition, as well as special events for teams of gladiators to engage in, such as fighting robots, strange beasts, and eldritch abominations. I'm sure the crafty managers will no doubt come up with their own crazy ideas for opponents and events to show off their gladiators and enrich themselves, too. Such creativity is, of course, encouraged!

I'm opting for a fairly detailed approach with the rules, although players shouldn't be too intimidated, as I will handle the actual mechanics; I just want to provide enough crunchy options that character building, which is at the heart of this game, is a fun and satisfying experience. However, I am quite sure that I won't be able to create a balanced game out of nothing. A certain amount of tweaking will almost inevitably be necessary, although I hope it will not be too disruptive to the game or too egregious to anyone's character building choices.

Inspirations include Warhammer 40K (but also Blood Bowl, of course!), Pokemon, League of Legends, Unreal Tournament, Mortal Kombat, The Hunger Games, The Running Man, and so on. Pro wrestling probably figures in here, too, somewhere. Games like Underdeep and City of the Chosen certainly also count as inspirations.

If you are interested, feel free to post comments in the Discussion Thread, but please reserve this thread for posting actual gladiator character sheets.
The actual game thread is located here.

[sparkletwist]

Gladiators
The core of Grimdark Gladiators, is, of course, the gladiators themselves.

Each gladiator has the following four stats:
Brutality is a gladiator's raw strength and power. Gladiators who specialize in Brutality use big and loud weapons, reducing their opponents to a red mist with their sheer ferocity.
Style is a gladiator's grace and pizazz. Gladiators who specialize in Style dispatch their opponents in a stunning dance of blades or with flashy pyrotechnics, all the while showing off for the cameras.
Mind is a gladiator's intellect and perceptiveness. Gladiators who specialize in Mind fight smarter rather than harder, using trickery, gadgets, or psionic powers.
Weird is a gladiator's connection to the supernatural. Gladiators who specialize in Weird utilize dark powers or call upon malicious extradimensional entities the rest of the universe forgot.

A gladiator has 15 points to distribute among the four stats, but the highest stat cannot be more than five higher than the lowest. That means that (4, 4, 4, 3), (5, 5, 5, 0) and (7, 3, 3, 2) are all valid arrays.

A gladiator's moves frequently reference one of the four core stats directly. Additionally, a gladiator has an Active Stat (AS) which is set to one of the four stats, and are used for moves that are not bound to any specific stat. Initially, the AS is set to whatever the manager chooses, or, by default, the gladiator's strongest stat.

Gladiators get 20 + Mind ability points. Abilities are more specialized, and represent specialized training or innate talents that the gladiator has beyond the simple four stats. Some abilities are all-or-nothing, while others have a level associated with them.

Gladiators also have Fame, reflecting how much prestige they have in the world of gladiatorial combat. A gladiator's fame usually starts at 0 and rises through fighting (and especially winning) matches.

During each battle, gladiators also have the following numbers tracked:
Hit Points (HP) = 25 + Brutality + d8
Represents the overall endurance of the gladiator. A combatant at 12 or less HP gets a wounded condition. A combatant at 0 or less HP is defeated.
Initiative (Init) =  Style + d8
Represents the ability of the gladiator to act quickly and decisively. In the case of moves with conflicting results, the gladiator with the higher initiative takes priority. Certain moves also depend upon high Init.
Crowd Zeal (CZ) = (Gladiator's Fame) - (Opponent's Fame), minimum of 0
Represents the enthusiasm and bias of the crowd. Usually builds up over the course of the battle and allows more flamboyant moves... but big stars have the chance to quickly dispatch nobodies with ease.

A gladiator that is already wounded that receives the condition again has the current active stat reduced by 1, due to further wounds. This is not a penalty, but an actual reduction of the stat that lasts for the rest of the fight.

Moves
Each gladiator has a repertoire of moves, which are best conceptualized as a deck of cards. At the beginning of a match, each combatant gets three chosen by the manager. These are the three moves available to the gladiator initially, reflecting that gladiator's initial positioning and tactics. Each time a move is used, another is drawn to replace it, so the gladiator always has three options. When all cards have been drawn, the available moves are recycled; gladiators never "run out" of moves. In the game's mechanics, the cards are drawn randomly, but it is best thought of in terms of the flow of the game that these are the options that are most favorable at the time, due to the gladiator's and opponent's positioning, ambient conditions, what the crowd is yelling for, and so on. The narrative of the fight will thus shape itself around whatever moves are used, resulting in something that flows well and hopefully seems logical. As such, Grimdark Gladiators has no tactical positioning system or other such complexities, instead, it assumes gladiators are able to move into position to carry out their chosen moves.

A gladiator's repertoire must contain between 15 and 30 moves. No more than 5 of any of the same move can be in the repertoire; however, a Basic move (i.e., a move whose name starts with "Basic") is immune from this restriction.

After each combatant has selected a move, they are all revealed simultaneously. If there are more than two combatants, each one might also have to choose a target. The power of the move, that is, its overall effectiveness, is determined by adding a d8 to the relevant stat, plus the following situational modifiers, all of which stack with one another:
+2 for attempting a ranged attack against a melee attacker who did not make a melee attack against that gladiator last turn
-2 for attempting a ranged attack against a melee attacker who made a melee attack against that gladiator last turn
+2 against an opponent who is out of position (see below)
+1 per additional attacker targeting someone, up to +4 for 5 vs 1.

In the case of multiple attacks, it is quite possible that the target will win multiple fights and deal damage to multiple attackers, but only the actual target of the attack is subject to situational and other attack bonuses.

The power of both combatants is then determined. If neither side has an advantage of +2 or more, the attack is inconclusive-- no damage is dealt. However, blows are exchanged and parried, and the crowd loves the spectacle: both gladiators gain 1 CZ. (Only 1 CZ may be gained per gladiator per turn in this fashion)
If one combatant does manage a +2 advantage, then that combatant succeeds, and damage and other special effects are dealt. Damage is normally equal to the margin of success + a weapon die (Wd), but this may vary depending on the attack.
If one combatant manages a +6 or higher advantage, then the attack is a critical hit! Nasty things will happen.
Damage is always 5 + maximum weapon damage, plus the following bonuses:
[spoiler=Critical hit table]
Subtract 5 from the overall advantage to get the severity of the critical hit. Then roll a d8 on this table for the effect.
Knockback (KB) is assessed as a penalty on the next turn. Stun means the gladiator cannot draw or use a move for one turn, and must simply passively defend.

SeverityRoll	1	2	3	4	5	6+
1	+1 damage	+2 damage	+3 damage	+4 damage	+5 damage	+6 damage
2	+d2 damage	+d2+1 damage	+d2+2 damage	d2+3 damage	d4+4 damage	d4+5 damage
3	+d4 damage	+d4+1 damage	+d4+2 damage	d4+3 damage	d6+4 damage	d6+5 damage
4	+d4 damage	+d4+1 damage	+d6+2 damage	d6+3 damage	d6+4 damage, 1 KB	d6+5 damage, 2 KB
5	+d6 damage	+d6+1 damage	+d6+2 damage	d6+3 damage, 1 KB	d6+4 damage, 2 KB	d6+5 damage, 2 KB, Stun
6	+d6 damage	+d6+1 damage, 1 KB	+d6+2 damage, 1 KB	d6+3 damage, 2 KB	d6+4 damage, 2 KB, Stun	d8+5 damage, 2 KB, Wound
7	+d6 damage, 1 KB	+d6+1 damage, 1 KB	+d6+2 damage, 2 KB	d6+3 damage, 2 KB, Stun	d8+4 damage, 2 KB, Wound	d8+5 damage, 3 KB, Stun, Wound
8	+d6 damage, 2 KB	+d6+1 damage, 2 KB	+d6+2 damage, 2 KB, Wound	d8+3 damage, 2 KB, Wound	d8+4 damage, 2 KB, Stun, Wound	Gruesome demise!

[/spoiler]

A gladiator may also opt to assess the situation, adopting a defensive stance in an attempt to develop a new plan of attack. All three cards are discarded and the gladiator takes three new ones. If the opponent performs an attack move, the gladiator may still defend: the defense is rolled using the active stat with a +1 bonus. On a tie, gladiators assessing the situation do not get any bonus CZ.

If a gladiator does a move (including assessing the situation) that is not an attack, but ends up with what would be a critical hit, the opponent is nonetheless out of position or otherwise at a disadvantage, and, as noted above, the gladiator gets a situational bonus of +2 on the next move against that opponent.

During the course of the battle, a gladiator's active stat may end up with the special value of Ineffective. This is the worst value: it is equal to the value of the gladiator's weakest stat, but the gladiator does not count as actually using that stat for AS for the purpose of any move requirements. A wounded gladiator that receives a further wound and must take a penalty to the active stat will instead reduce the highest stat.

In move descriptions, the words target and opponent/combatant/whatever are not interchangeable. Target refers to the actual chosen target of the move, whereas opponent refers to any enemy that the gladiator might come into conflict with. "On a hit" moves only affect their target unless otherwise noted. This is, of course, all only really relevant during matches containing more than two gladiators. Players don't have to worry about this too much anyway because the fight will be adjudicated by the GM (with the help of a computer program to ensure the GM doesn't have to worry about it much either) but it may be important to know about the distinction when considering the effectiveness of moves.

[note]We could also try doing some of this stuff in real time using IRC, allowing more direct control over move choices, but I'm not totally sure how well that would work.[/note]Before a match, each manager will have a chance to coach their gladiator(s). While you do not directly control the gladiator, this is your chance, as a player, to command them. In addition to their three opening moves, you should also specify certain basic parameters for how the gladiator should fight. Should they be cautious, or aggressive? What sort of moves should they prefer? When, if ever, should they opt to assess the situation? Are there any contingencies you feel are important to note? When adjudicating the result of the match, each gladiator will of course attempt to use the best move for the situation at any given time. However, players are encouraged to devise interesting tactics and combos and note them in their coaching instructions; gladiators will follow the instructions to the best of their ability. There is no mechanic to subvert another player's ability to order their gladiators, as this would take too much away from the game. These instructions are also a good time to tell the GM if you'd like your gladiator portrayed in any special way during the fight.

Winning and Losing
The Fame of gladiators will probably go up after they win a match. If they performed well enough (and managed to survive) then Fame might even go up a bit if they lost.

After a defeat, the rules for determining if a gladiator is dead are as follows:

• On a critical "Gruesome defeat," the gladiator is always dead.
  
• If the opponent's CZ is 4 or more higher than the defeated gladiator, the crowd demands vivid execution of the defeated gladiator. Roll a d4; on anything but a 4, they get their wish.
  
• For any other defeat, roll a d4 (or a d6 if this is the 5th or later match), and the gladiator is dead on a 1.
  

However, some gladiators may have an asterisk after their names. This means nothing mechanically, but is solely a metagame mechanic in place to ensure a favored or enjoyable character is never unceremoniously taken away:  a "starred" gladiator will always be left alive, somehow. Although some defeats may be more gruesome than others, the world of Grimdark Gladiators features many bizarre ways to preserve some semblance of life, and these gladiators will never be declared outright dead and gone. A player may have up to three "starred" gladiators at any time, but need not ever have any, and will be neither rewarded nor punished for doing so.

Economy
At this point, money is more for RP purposes and bragging rights: it doesn't do a whole lot within the game system.
It doesn't cost anything to create and hire gladiators, equip them, or the like, because that's the core of the game and experimentation and such is supposed to be encouraged.

Public events have a certain entry fee, and a certain prize paid to the winners.
Invitational events are even more lucrative, as they pay gladiators they invite to participate; they also have a prize for the winners.

Managers can work out promotional deals, place bets, or whatever else to win more money, too. These will be handled as they come up, and some rules can be codified later on.

Gameplay Notes
Roleplay is, of course, very encouraged! More lucrative opportunities will almost certainly be given to managers who give their gladiators interesting flavor, write in-character text, and such, if only because I as the GM have so much more to build off of.

There is no need to keep gladiator character sheets hidden. I think it's more interesting to have them on display, as everyone can see everyone's inventive and weird backstories and what kind of fighters are showing up at the arenas. This raises the possibility that players might specifically create gladiators that target the weaknesses of current champions-- this sort of thing is not expressly forbidden, but not really encouraged either. I'm not even sure how effective it would be, as this game is pretty swingy and it's relatively easy to change around strategies, so creating a character with a diverse skill set or has a creative gimmick and letting the dice fall where they may is a valid and fun strategy, too, and may end up working out about as well in the end.

The only thing that is expressly not public information are the starting moves and other pre-match instructions for a certain gladiator. Please keep those inside of spoiler tags and do not read other players' instructions.

[sparkletwist]

List of Abilities
Feel free to re-fluff abilities as desired. I'm also open to creating new ones, although I don't want to create anything too extravagant, as the mechanical balance could get tricky.

All references to "points" refer to ability points.

Arcane Arts (8 points, Weird must be at least 4)
Gain the ability to perform arcane moves. Arcanists start with arcane essence equal to Weird.

Berserker (8 points, Brutality must be at least 4)
Gain the ability to perform berserk moves. Berserkers roll a d10 when determining starting HP.

Combat Focus (1 point/level, cannot exceed 8)
Each level of Combat Focus gives a gladiator a cumulative 12.5% chance of getting a +1 for that turn. It is computed separately each turn.

Demonology (6 points, Weird must be at least 3)
Gain the ability to perform demonic moves.

Endurance (1 point/level, cannot exceed Brutality)
Each level of Endurance gives a gladiator an additional HP.

Fierce Attack (4 points)
Inflict +1 damage on all attacks.

Flying (8 points)
Melee attacks against flying gladiators are at -2, unless they were hit in the previous turn. Attackers who are also flying do not suffer this penalty unless they were hit in the previous turn.

Gambler (6 points, Style must be at least 3)
Gain the ability to perform gamble moves. Gamblers have a 5% chance of a getting a +2 bonus each turn.

Huge (4 points)
Non-huge enemies never get group attack bonuses against huge gladiators. In addition, a huge gladiator has a 25% chance of getting a +1 bonus against a non-huge opponent.

Jack of All Trades (2 points/level, cannot exceed Mind)
Each level of Jack of All Trades grants access to one move the gladiator would not otherwise have access to.

Lucky Number Seven (2 points)
Enemy critical hits at with advantage of +7 have no effect.

Natural Weapon (6 points, lose 2 equipment slots)
Gain a melee weapon doing +d6 damage, that counts as Light and can never be disarmed or broken. However, the presence of the natural weapon leaves the gladiator with two less equipment slots.

Performer (8 points, Style must be at least 4)
Gain the ability to perform performance moves. Performers roll a d10 when determining Init.

Poise (1 point/level, cannot exceed Style)
Each level of Poise gives a gladiator +1 to Initiative.

Poison Immunity (3 points)
Cannot be poisoned.

Tactician (8 points, Mind must be at least 4)
Gain the ability to perform tactical moves. Tacticians do not suffer the -1 penalty when combining an attack with an AS change.

Technomancer (6 points, Mind must be at least 3)
Gain the ability to perform technomancy moves. Technomancers start with 1 quantum energy.

Vampire (4 points)
Gain an extra HP on every hit when using a vampiric weapon.

Versatile (3 points)
Rather than become Ineffective, the gladiator's active stat is set randomly.

Veteran (4 points)
Start with 1 Fame and d6 wins. (After gaining 1 Fame, these points can be reallocated, if desired)

[sparkletwist]

List of Moves
As with abilities, feel free to re-fluff moves as desired, and I'm also potentially open to creating new ones, though I'd rather not go crazy.

ASR means active stat required. The gladiator's active stat (AS) must be the one the attack is keyed to.
W means weapon. The move has an inherent weapon, and does not use or require any of the gladiator's weapons.

Melee Attacks
Basic Melee (melee attack) - Make a melee attack using the active stat.
Basic Disarm (melee attack) - Make a melee attack using the active stat, doing half damage but opponent cannot use the current weapon for the next three turns.
Grapple (melee attack) - Make a Brutality melee attack, doing half damage but inflicting a -2 penalty for the next turn.
Powerful Attack (melee attack - ASR) - Make a Brutality melee attack at -1, and inflict 3 bonus damage on a hit.
Graceful Slash (melee attack) - Make a Style melee attack at -1, and get +1 CZ on a hit.
Bold Gambit (melee attack - ASR) - Make a Style melee attack at +2, but take a -4 penalty next turn.
Touch of Evil (melee attack) - Make a Weird melee attack, doing half damage but inflicting a -1 penalty for the next three turns.

Ranged Attacks
Basic Ranged (ranged attack) - Make a ranged attack using the active stat.
Throw Something (ranged attack - W) - Make a Brutality ranged attack, with +d4 damage. Not usable again for 2 turns.
Deadly Shot (ranged attack) - Make a Style ranged attack at -1, and inflict 3 bonus damage on a hit.
Snap Shot (ranged attack - ASR) - Make a Style ranged attack with a quickshot weapon, and get 2 bonus damage against a target with worse Init. Not usable again for 1 turn.
Psionic Blast (ranged attack - W) - Make a Mind ranged attack, with +d4 damage. Not usable again for 2 turns.

Support Moves
Basic Adjustment (support) - Set to active stat to anything. No attack.
Basic Performance (support) - Show off for the crowd and get +1 CZ. No attack.
Basic Defense (support) - Defend with the AS at +3. No attack.
Biding Time (support) - No attack, defend with Mind. Instead of drawing a new random move, replace this move with Opportune Strike.

Combined Attacks/AS setters
Brutal Bash (melee attack) - Set the AS to Brutality, then make a melee attack at -1.
Stylish Strike (melee attack) - Set the AS to Style, then make a melee attack at -1.
Mental Maneuver (melee attack) - Set the AS to Mind, then make a melee attack at -1.
Weird Wizardry (melee attack) - Set the AS to Weird, then make a melee attack at -1.

Finishers
A finisher requires a CZ two higher than the target's, and that the target be wounded.
If a gladiator ties when trying to execute a finisher, the crowd is not too impressed, and the normal CZ bonus does not apply.
Merciless Beating (melee finisher - ASR) - Make a Brutality melee attack at +4.
Swift Execution (melee finisher - ASR) - Make a Style melee attack at +4.
Master Plan (melee finisher - ASR) - Make a Mind melee attack at +4.
Unholy Judgment (melee finisher - ASR) - Make a Weird melee attack at +4.

Arcane Moves
All moves in this category require the Arcane Arts ability.
Gather the Spirits (support) - Gain 2 arcane essence. No attack, defend with Weird.
Power Leech (melee attack) - Make a Weird melee attack at -1, and gain one arcane essence on a hit.
Acid Touch (melee attack - W) - Spend 2 arcane essence and make an AS Elemental: acid melee attack at +2, with +d6 damage.
Cold Touch (melee attack - W) - Spend 2 arcane essence and make an AS Elemental: ice melee attack at +2, with +d6 damage.
Fireball (ranged attack - W) - Spend 2 arcane essence and make an AS Elemental: fire ranged attack at +2, with +d4 damage.
Lightning Bolt (ranged attack - W) - Spend 2 arcane essence and make an AS Elemental: electric ranged attack at +2, with +d4 damage.
Magic Shield (support) - Spend 1 arcane essence. No attack, defend with the AS at +1. On a non-critical hit, opponents do no damage.
Shadow Envelop (ranged attack - W) - Spend 2 arcane essence and make an AS ranged attack at +1 with +d2 damage; target also becomes Ineffective on a hit.

Berserk Moves
All moves in this category require the Berserker ability.
Flurry of Blows (melee attack) - Make an AS melee attack at -1. Each successive use of the move gets a stacking +1, up to +4. Don't draw a new move if this move hits.
Tackle (melee attack) - Make an AS melee attack at -1, and target becomes Ineffective on a hit.
Wild Charge (melee attack) - Make an AS melee attack at -2, and inflict 8 bonus damage on a hit.
Revenge (melee attack) - Must have taken at least 5 damage last turn. Make an AS melee attack at +2.
Last Stand (melee attack) - Must be wounded. Get a +4 bonus for the turn, and make an AS melee attack, but if an opponent hits at all, the gladiator is immediately defeated.

Demonic Moves
All moves in this category require the Demonology ability.
A curse represents demonic energy that is channeled through a gladiator in order to use demonic moves. At the end of each turn, roll a d6 for every curse. For each 6, that curse disappears, and the gladiator immediately suffers 6 damage.
Blood Sacrifice (melee attack) - Make a Weird melee attack at -2, and remove one curse on a hit.
Dark Touch (melee attack) - Make an AS melee attack at +2. Gain one curse.
Eye of the Demon (ranged attack) - Make an AS ranged attack at +2. Gain one curse.
Wrath from Beyond (special attack) - All combatants (including the gladiator using this move) suffer damage equal to the gladiator's Brutality. Gain two curses.

Gamble Moves
All moves in this category require the Gambler ability.
Face-Off (melee attack) - Randomly determine a stat and make a melee attack with it at +1. Any opponent using a move that would ordinarily use the AS will use this stat instead.
High Stakes (combo attack) - Make an AS melee or ranged attack. When rolling, roll a d12 twice and take the worse value.
Risky Business (combo attack) - Make an AS melee or ranged attack at +1, inflicting 2 bonus damage on a hit. Become Ineffective after the attack.

Performance Moves
All moves in this category require the Performer ability.
Alluring Dance (support) - No attack, defend with Style. Instead of drawing a new random move, replace this move with Dance of Blades.
Crowd Favorite (combo attack) - Make an AS melee or ranged attack, at +1 against opponents with a lower CZ, but at -1 against opponents with a better one. Increase the bonus or penalty to +/-2 if the CZ difference is 4 or more.
Daring Acrobatics (combo attack) - Make an AS melee or ranged attack at +1 and inflicting 2 bonus damage, but take a -2 penalty next turn.
Timing is Everything (combo attack) - Make an AS melee or ranged attack, at +2 against opponents with a worse Init, but at -2 against opponents with a better one.
Twirling Scarves (combo attack) - Make an AS melee or ranged attack, at +2 if the target's AS is Brutality, but -2 if the target's AS is Mind.

Tactical Moves
All moves in this category require the Tactician ability.
All or Nothing Gambit (combo attack) - Make an AS melee or ranged attack at +2, but the gladiator only deals damage on a critical hit.
Disabling Strike (combo attack) - Make an AS melee or ranged attack at -1, and target becomes Ineffective on a hit.
Distance Disarm (ranged attack) - Make a ranged attack using the active stat, doing half damage but opponent cannot use the current weapon for the next three turns.
Psychic Disruption (combo attack) - Make an AS melee or ranged attack, at +2 if the target's AS is Weird, but -2 if the target's AS is Mind.
Unbalancing Distraction (combo attack) - Make an AS melee or ranged attack. Opponents must defend with Style or Mind.

Technomancy Moves
All moves in this category require the Technomancer ability.
Recharge (support) - Gain 1 quantum energy. No attack, defend with Mind.
Adaptive Shielding (combo attack) - Spend 1 quantum energy. Gain resistance to all elements for 4 turns. No attack.
Energized Strike (melee attack) - Spend 1 quantum energy and make an AS melee attack at +1, inflicting 4 bonus damage on a hit.
Regenerate (support) - Spend 2 quantum energy. Recover 5 HP and all poisoned and wounded conditions are removed. No attack.

Special Moves
Special moves always arise as a result of other moves. They cannot otherwise be placed into the repertoire directly.
Dance of Blades (melee attack) - Make a Style melee attack at +2, inflicting 2 bonus damage on a hit.
Opportune Strike (melee attack) - Make a Mind melee attack at +2, inflicting 2 bonus damage on a hit.

[sparkletwist]

Weapons and Equipment
Gladiators have a wide variety of weapons and equipment at their disposal, because it never hurts to be prepared. (Actually, it hurts quite a lot. It hurts the other guy, that is.)
Players can and should describe their gladiators' equipment however they like, of course; these rules tend to focus on how to mechanically represent it.

A gladiator has 5 equipment slots. There is no penalty for switching around equipment or anything of that sort, and all equipment is presumed ready to use at all times.
However, a gladiator is only actively using one weapon at a time, and passive bonuses given by weapon properties do not apply if the gladiator is not actually using the weapon they are attached to.
Gladiators that are assessing the situation, stunned, or otherwise taking special actions are not considered to be using any weapon at that time.

Gladiators without an explicitly stated melee weapon still have basic weapons (or just really strong fists) that do +0 weapon damage. Gladiators without a ranged weapon have no ranged capability.

Light Melee Weapon (1 slot) - +d2 damage
Heavy Melee Weapon (3 slots) - +d6 damage
Light Ranged Weapon (1 slot) - +0 damage
Heavy Ranged Weapon (3 slots) - +d4 damage

Add a property to a weapon (+1 slot):
Crushing (Heavy Only) - Increase the weapon's damage die size on a +4 or better hit.
Deadly - The weapon's critical hit threshold is reduced by one. Treat a +5 critical hit as a severity 1 critical with 4 base damage.
Deflecting - When the wielder of the weapon is hit for non-critical damage, roll a d8 against a melee attack or a d10 against a ranged attack. If the highest value is rolled, the attack does no damage.
Disorienting - On a critical hit, the opponent becomes Ineffective, in addition to any other damage or effects.
Elemental - The weapon's damage type is changed to an elemental type: acid, electric, fire, or ice. Increase damage die size against all targets without appropriate resistance.
Flashy - The severity of critical hits made with this weapon is always at least the wielder's CZ differential against the opponent.
Paired (Light Only) - The gladiator has a matching pair of the weapon. Instead of rolling a d8 to attack, roll 2d4. On a critical hit, add 2 extra damage.
Quickshot (Ranged Only) - The weapon's attack modifiers vs. a melee attacker are +3 and -0, instead of +2 and -2.
Tenacious - The weapon cannot be disarmed or broken. The wielder does not suffer knockback penalties or stun.
Throwable (Melee Only) - The melee weapon can be used for a ranged attack one die size smaller. It is gone for the next d4 turns, at which time the owner recovers it.
Toxic - A hit adds a poisoned condition to anyone hit by the weapon, or twice on a critical hit. Anyone with poisoned 8 times or more is immediately defeated.
Unsafe - Increase the damage die size and the effect of a critical hit. The wielder of the weapon suffers 1 damage on every attack.
Vampiric - The wielder of the weapon gains 1 HP on a successful hit, or 2 HP on a critical hit, but cannot exceed maximum HP.

All gladiators can be assumed to be wearing some sort of armor, but some have more armor than others.
Each equipment slot the gladiator uses on Armor grants 5 additional HP.

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(Reserved)

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(Reserved)

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Sample Gladiators

[ic=Lord Smash]
Lord Smash was once the lord of a mighty Greenskin fiefdom. Unfortunately, he ran afoul of an even mightier Greenskin fiefdom.  His territory was seized from him, his wealth plundered, and he was sold into slavery... where he promptly murdered his would-be master. Although there was a push to have him executed in short order, cynical magistrates and corrupt barons saw to it that the rotund but muscular old Greenskin found his way to the arena, instead. And so here he is, intent upon reclaiming his lost empire, or at least carving out a slice of the good life for himself once again. Preferably carving it out of someone else's flesh with his gigantic axe.

Brutality: 6
Style: 3
Mind: 3
Weird: 3

Fame: 0
Record: 0-0

Abilities: (23 pts)
Berserker
Combat Focus 6
Endurance 5
Fierce Attack

Moves: (20)
Flurry of Blows x5
Brutal Bash x4
Wild Charge x2
Grapple x2
Merciless Beating x2
Last Stand x1
Basic Melee x4

Weapons:
Oversized greataxe (Heavy crushing tenacious melee)
[/ic]

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(One more reserved post for NPCs and such. Or just to bump the thread!)