Call of the Crowd

The following is posted on noticeboards across Greystone:

FIGHTERS WANTED

You want to be rich and famous? You think you have what it takes?

We pay gold for fighting. Talk to Pit Boss Orhan at the Greystone Arena to sign up*.

* Arena organizers take no responsibility for and are not liable for any physical harm, emotional hardship or loss of income due to missing limbs and/or dulled intelligence as a result of participating or spectating in the Arena or when doing any related activities.

If the party investigate, they can either sign up for single fights or group fights.

Greystone Arena

The arena is situated outside of Greystone, and is run by the Frontier Trade Company.

Pit Boss Orhan is both organizer and announcer in the arena, and his color commentary is one of the reasons the arena draws full crowds almost every time there is a fight.

The fighting floor

The arena is about 85x55 ft. It is caged (40 ft high in the middle) for both spectator protection and to allow fights versus flying beasts. The walls are about 15 ft tall before the spectator seating begins. On one end, there is a massive door (40x40 ft) where monsters are let in. Several other entrances are placed around the arena, all guarded by heavy portcullises.

Single fights

Single fights pit combatants against each other in a one-on-one situation. These are not fights to the death, the first person to fall unconscious is deemed the loser, and is resuscitated afterwards, but does not get to continue fighting. The winner gets a healed to full before their next fight, but does not get a short or long rest.

During a fight, all the gladiators are paired up, and fight versus each other. Losers are eliminated, and this is repeated until there is only one person left standing. Winners earn 200gp for every fight they win, and a bonus of 1000gp for the champion.

	Name	Notes
1	Drekka	Half-orc Battle Master	ddb
2	Paxidor	Wood Elf Ranger	ddb
3	Linna	Half-elf Paladin; is actually Lady Fiona Dawnstar in disguise	ddb
4	Wilrick the Magi	Gnome Wizard	ddb
5	Jazkuuru	Lizardfolk Druid	ddb

Group fights

In group fights the entire party goes up against one or more monsters. These are fights to the death, but have no additional rules.

Monsters

The monsters are caught and brought to the arena by special monster catching teams employed by the arena. For the bigger enemies, sometimes they are caught as cubs or raised from eggs.

d12	Encounter	Notes
1	Tyrannosaurus Rex	Named 'Rex', has consumed the last four parties that went up against him.	Run Encounter
2	4x Scorpion	Run Encounter
3	Mechachimera	Supplied by Artificer Elyana	Run Encounter
4	Bulette	Run Encounter
5	2x Young Remorhaz	Run Encounter
6	Gorgon	Run Encounter
7	2x Black Pudding	Run Encounter
8	Troll	Has 120 hp (max roll)	Run Encounter
9	Wyvern	Run Encounter
10	2x Flail Snail	Both have 75 hp (max roll)	Run Encounter
11	5x Grick	Run Encounter
12	4x Phase Spider	Run Encounter

Rewards for winning in a group fights are anything you can salvage from the corpse of the monsters, as well as (2d10 + 10) * 100gp from the Arena organizers.

Arena hazards

The arena has extra hazards to make combat more unpredictable. The middle pillar can serve both as a trap or as high ground, and can be controlled by the contestants with levers by the big gate. If the pillar is already raised or lowered and something tries to raise or lower it again, nothing happens.

On initiative count 15, roll (or DM decides) on the following table (remember that enemies are also hurt by traps):

d8	Hazard
1	Middle pillar drops 20ft, revealing a 20 ft pit. Any creature who falls in takes 4d6 bludgeoning damage from falling in. Any creature without a climbing speed must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to get up.
2	Middle pillar raises 20ft. Any creature without a climbing speed must succeed on a DC 15 Dexterity (Acrobatics) check to get up.
3	Fire pillars start spewing fire until the next hazard roll. Any creature that starts its turn or moves within 5 ft of a spinning fire pillar must make a DC 15 Dex save or suffer 2d6 fire damage (half on success).
4	Magical wind generators activate, forcing all creatures to make a DC 15 Str save or be pushed 15 ft in the direction of the wind (DM chooses the direction). Lasts until the next hazard roll. Movement against this wind costs double. This wind is applied at ground level, and as such creatures on the raised pillar are not affected.
5	Magical darkness descends upon the arena, making all creatures Blinded until the next hazard roll.
6	The fence becomes electrified. Any character standing within 5 ft of the edge of the arena takes must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or take 1d10 lightning damage and be pushed 5 ft towards the center. Characters who are climbing the roof or walls have disadvantage on the save.
7	Giant sawblades emerge from the tracks on the ground. Any creature standing on the track must succeed on a DC 15 Acrobatics check or take 3d6 slashing damage.
8	Reroll on this table twice and apply both effects