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Post by Darknight on May 13, 2010 10:44:36 GMT -5
Inspired by the Arena of Khazan expansion, I am in the planning stages of my next solo adventure - which is going to be a framework for players to have adventures in an arena setting. Rather than concentrate on the fights (which are, when the truth is told, just a series of random encounters which work best if the player kind of "GMs himself" through them - maybe even with figures and maps etc. etc.) I want to concentrate on the backstage stuff.
So, what there will be is an opening section (in a tavern, natch) where the player determines how he comes to the arena (either randomly, or through choices in the narrative). He might be a slave, or a free fighter, or a professional "celebrity" fighter etc. etc.
Then, there will be "naratives" for him to explore. After each fight, there will be a chance he will advance one or more of the narratives he has going on. The player can choose what he will do with each narrative, and they will interact with each other, giving him rewards and so forth.
His status in the arena (as a slave or free, or a celebrity etc.) can change depending on the narratives.
Some of the narratives I have thought of (and I am wanting suggestions for more are);
Rescue : Someone important (a princess, or noble, etc.) is held as a slave in the arena - they must be resuced.
Revenge : Kill a particular fighter
Uncover a drug ring
Bored Noblewoman : Inspired by the scene in "Gladiator" where the Empress says matrons will pay well to be pleasured by a gladiator . . .
I am planning to make the narratives different if you enter them as a slave or free or celebrity, and if you are male or female.
So, this could be quite large and complex. Basically, it will ONLY handle the stuff "outside" the fights (although I might expand the adventure to include them too - but that can be something players will want to handle themselves, perhaps).
Comments? Thoughts? Suggestions?
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Post by cartomancer on May 13, 2010 11:50:47 GMT -5
I like it!
I'm as big a fan of bloody arena combat as i am classic dungeon crawls so this looks like something i can really look forward to.
Have you considered how far removed from arena life you are going to go with. For example, will there be Wizards tossing spells or, are we looking more at steel-on-steel action on arena sands rich with the blood of it's champions. Also what is the events status in society? Do people flock there in droves or is it an elitist activity reserved for the viewing of the well paying nobles, that make wagers in the stands with little care for the fighters below.
Lastly is this event only found in this one arena or, are there multiple arenas in the great cities all offering similar entertainment?
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Post by Darknight on May 13, 2010 12:04:07 GMT -5
I am thinking the actual events on the sand will be something the player comes up with himself (or he could use Khazan). So, if he wants it to be a free-for-all-supernatural thing that is cool, or it could be classic Roman ampitheatre style.
With regard to the event's status, I am thinking it is a combination of the Roman games and WWE; so the lower-classes enjoy it in the cheap seats, and the nobles see it in rich boxes etc. and there are celebrities and faceless slaves and all of that sort of stuff.
I am thinking the player can apply this framework to whatever sort of arena he wants; it will not be tied to a single city (although I might write a specific set of encounters to be played with it).
What I want to do is make the game be longer-running than Khazan (which is a 10 fight maximum before you have to go back to the start). I am thinking a lot of the fights will just be "Goblin Mr 25" with the real focus being on the stuff OFF the sands.
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sligo
4th Level Troll
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Post by sligo on May 13, 2010 12:48:50 GMT -5
This is good...
Years ago, after playing Arena of Khazan, I came up with an idea of a solo adventure for a character who was a slave in the arena, but escaped in the underpinings of the structure. Though all the creatures, animals, etc, are caged, the character would still have to deal with guards, trainers, and the more intelligent & civilized arena participants in ther effort to escape. Kind of an ad-hoc naked doom adventure, but with a definite twist.
I wrote a letter to Khenn about it, and I received a reply from him. (I still have that letter - I found it when I was going through my old stuff a few months ago). Unfortunately, I've never actually written the adventure, but I did try to start it several times. I usually got bogged down in the scalability of the adventure - the 1st level ex-slave character trying to get past a multitude of obstacles, tracking if the alarm has been raised, and a number of other issues.
This "backstage" idea fits in well with this - creating a kind of "Arena Trilogy"...
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Post by Darknight on May 13, 2010 13:35:13 GMT -5
If you write the "escape the arena adventure", Sligo, I would happily put a "link" into the solo, viz;
"You are slave. It sucks. If you would like to attempt to escape, turn to Sligo's solo. Otherwise, read on."
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sligo
4th Level Troll
Read my blog: http://indysligo.weebly.com/
Posts: 495
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Post by sligo on May 13, 2010 15:35:10 GMT -5
Gee, thanks... The most recent attempt at writing the escape scenario was specifically for rogue characters. I was trying to work in to it a Talent mechanic as well, but was running into a number of painful issues.
The idea is that during one of the first three fights (of course, the character has to survive), the character finds a metal shank in the dirt and hides it in their shoe. Back in the lock-up room, they pull the shank and pick the lock. This is something neither a wizard nor a warrior should either know how, or think of to do - thus an adventure for rogues.
Unfortunately, I didn't get much further than that.
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Post by Darknight on May 13, 2010 16:14:47 GMT -5
Well, my solo would probably be done like I did Castle Dracula - as HTML on the web. And thus it is easy to edit, so I could put the link in when you got yours done!  |
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Post by cartomancer on May 13, 2010 18:16:34 GMT -5
And i'll happily link you both!
;D
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sligo
4th Level Troll
Read my blog: http://indysligo.weebly.com/
Posts: 495
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Post by sligo on May 13, 2010 21:13:46 GMT -5
And i'll happily link you both! ;D You should change your name to "Link-o-master"!!!!!!  |
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andrew
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 110
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Post by andrew on May 14, 2010 3:18:33 GMT -5
Some of the narratives I have thought of (and I am wanting suggestions for more are); Rescue : Someone important (a princess, or noble, etc.) is held as a slave in the arena - they must be resuced. Nice Revenge : Kill a particular fighter Nice This I've seen done before. One, in the D&D module, "Arena of Thyatis" and an adventure in an issue of Dungeon magazine--the one with the gladiator staring at you on the cover from about five years ago. I would avoid this, simply because it's become cliche. Bored Noblewoman : Inspired by the scene in "Gladiator" where the Empress says matrons will pay well to be pleasured by a gladiator . . . Of course, sex never becomes cliche. Go for it |
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Post by cartomancer on May 14, 2010 7:25:08 GMT -5
And i'll happily link you both! ;D You should change your name to "Link-o-master"!!!!!! That's link-o-mancer. |
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Post by Darknight on May 14, 2010 8:29:25 GMT -5
Busting a drug ring is cliche, but rescuing a princess is not? |
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andrew
3rd Level Troll
Posts: 110
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Post by andrew on May 14, 2010 8:51:27 GMT -5
Busting a drug ring is cliche, but rescuing a princess is not? Depends on how well it ties-in to option#4  |
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sligo
4th Level Troll
Read my blog: http://indysligo.weebly.com/
Posts: 495
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Post by sligo on May 14, 2010 13:38:00 GMT -5
How about rescuing the stolen drugs from the evil princess?
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Post by sonofliefeld on May 14, 2010 14:32:11 GMT -5
evil drug dealing princess...... i like it
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