The Complete Gladiator's Handbook
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The Complete Gladiators Handbook CREDITS Written by Walter M. Baas (Character Creation and Arenas) and Colin McComb (the other stuff) Edited by Newton Ewell Color Illustrations by Brom Black and White Art by Tom Baxa and Brom Art Coordination by Peggy Cooper Graphic Design by Sarah Feggestad Production by Angelika Lokotz Maps Drawn by Diesel Special Thanks: Rich Baker for the compilation of combat possibilities. Prof. Pericles Georges of Lake Forest College for invaluable direction. Timothy B. Brown and Troy Denning for creating Athas. Kevin Pohle for martial arts help. David J. Zenz for weapons. Karen Boomgarden, Anne Brown, Michele Carter, Bruce Nesmith, Doug Stewart, Dori Watry, and David Wise for editorial assistance. ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, and DARK SUN are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. DM, DUNGEON MASTER, and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. All TSR characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written consent of TSR, Inc., Printed in the U.S.A. Copyright © 1993 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English-language products of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. Permission granted to photocopy or print this product for personal use. 2419 ISBN 1-56076-616-6 TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. POB 756 120 Church End Lake Geneva Cherry Hinton WI 53147 Cambridge CB1 3LB U.S.A. United Kingdom Introduction ............................................. 4 The Gladiatorial Coliseum of Nibenay ............ 62 The Natural Arena at Raam ........................ 64 Chapter I: Character Creation ........................ 6 The Tyr Gladiatorial Stadium ........................ 66 Gladiator Kits .......................................... 6 Uriks Pit of Black Death .............................. 68 Beast Trainer ....................................... 6 Arena Variations and Obstacles ..................... 70 Blind Fighter ....................................... 9 Life in the Stands .................................... 71 Arena Champion ................................. 11 Dirty Tricks .......................................... 76 Convict ............................................. 13 Fan Culture .......................................... 77 Professional Gladiator .............................. 14 Gambling on the Games .............................. 80 Jazst ................................................ 16 In This Corner: Arena Opponents .................. 81 Montare ............................................. 18 Arena Animals ....................................... 87 Reaver ............................................. 21 The Arena as Court ................................. 88 Gladiatorial Slave ................................. 22 Arena Managers .................................... 25 Chapter 5: The Gladiator Campaign ............... 90 Arena Necromancers ................................. 26 PCs as Gladiators .................................... 90 Renowned NPCs of the Arenas ..................... 26 Living Conditions .................................... 90 Stables ................................................ 91 Chapter 2: Gladiator Abilities ........................ 28 Free Gladiators ....................................... 92 Armor Optimization ................................. 28 Training ................................................ 93 Unarmed Combat .................................... 28 Awards and Rewards ................................. 100 New Proficiencies .................................... 28 Punishments ....................................... 101 Weapon Proficiencies ................................. 31 Escape and Revolt! ................................. 102 Social Life .......................................... 103 Chapter 3: Combat .................................... 32 Keeping Score ....................................... 104 New Weapons ....................................... 32 Fame and Infamy .................................... 106 Armor ................................................ 38 Patrons ............................................. 116 Combat Possibilities ................................. 40 Trading Gladiators ................................. 116 Standard Attacks ................................. 41 Games Outside the Cities ........................... 118 Special Attacks .................................... 41 Expenses ............................................. 119 Unarmed Combat ................................. 44 Barehanded Maneuvers ........................... 45 Chapter 6: Running Tournaments .................. 122 Tactics ................................................ 45 Games ................................................ 122 Martial Arts .......................................... 47 Advanced Games .................................... 123 Bleeding Damage .................................... 50 Concluding the Game .............................. 124 Hit Locations .......................................... 52 Handicaps .......................................... 125 The Upper Hand .................................... 55 Appendix ............................................. 126 Chapter 4: Arenas of Tyr .............................. 56 Punching Table .................................... 126 The Criterion at Balic ................................. 56 Wrestling Table .................................... 126 The Palace of Gladiatorial Combat in Draj ......... 58 Martial Arts Table ................................. 127 The Forest Arena of Gulg ........................... 60 2 3 The hot sun beats down upon the dusty arena floor. The that are free of the bloods stain. Kestrekels hover high shimmering heat begins to rise even at this early hour, overhead, hoping for some of the flesh scattered by every before the gates to the auditorium open. Inside the huge blow. stadium, slaves work hard to make it presentable enough The spectators become an extension of the goings-on for the demanding crowd outside. In less than an hour, the in the arena, chanting for their favorite gladiators, their marble tiers are swept clean of debris and sand scattered blood lust running high. They eagerly watch the feints through the city by last nights storm. and parries, their tension rising with each strike and At long last, the half-giant guards haul open the doors riposte. The crowd screams with every movement of the to the arena. The crowd pours in like a sandwave over a combatants. cliff. rushing to find the es seats before they are snapped When the final titanic battle has been fought, the up. The nobles and templars enter more sedately, through crowd files quickly from the stadium. Templars stand their special doors. They do not have to scramble for seats; ready to enforce discipline on any stragglers or any who they are guaranteed the best seats in the house by their look like they show even the slightest inclination toward station. carrying the violence back into the streets. Towering half- After the majority of the crowd seats itself, the vendors giant guards hulk menacingly behind them to drive home go into action, selling their wares throughout the stadium. this point. Some offer kank honey, others roast erdlu. And always, Inside the arena, slaves rake the sands clean and throw always there are the water-bearers. For a ceramic piece, the bodies into the desert. The carrion birds feast well on each spectator can be refreshed with a ewer of relatively dead heroes tonight. cool, mostly fresh water. The vendors, however, are not the sight which everyone has come to see. They are not here to The Purpose of Gladiators see the templars, the nobles and their finery, nor even the sorcerer-king himself. These 15,000 spectators have come In a world with civilizations as harsh as those of Athas, for the drama to be enacted on the dusty floor of the only the most bloodthirsty sports can entertain the crowds arena-the sight of people engaged in mortal combat for enough to keep their attention from their miserable lot in the enjoyment of the crowd. life. The arenas provide such sport with the spilling of Less than half an hour later, the games begin in earnest. blood by mighty gladiators. The killing is a release for the They start with the warm-up act of the jaszt, dancing in crowd, symbolic of that which the citizens cannot perform the deceptively gay motions of mock-combat. The sub- themselves. dued clamor of the crowd begins to increase in intensity, It is therefore no wonder that the best of the gladiators increasing the rhythms of the jaszts movements. The rise above the crowd, to become the popular heroes of the crowds roar rises and falls with each strike and parry. age. Their exploits are the stuff of legends. Children follow When the crowd has gotten well into the spirit of things, their progress avidly, some even going so far as to paint the the sweating jaszt leave the arena to other gladiators. walls of the cities with pictures of their favorites in defi- All through the long day, scores of these warriors enter ance of the templars. Some gladiators achieve such a mea- the arena to fight for the entertainment and edification