Difference between revisions of "Slave Gladiator (D&D class)"

	Unofficial rules compendium
	Contents 1 Requirements; 2 Class Information 2.1 Class Skills; ; 3 Class features 3.1 Versatility; 3.2 Exotic Weapon Training; 3.3 Agile Defense; ; 4 House Drazhar school; 5 Design notes; 6 External links;
	Contents 1 Requirements; 2 Class Information 2.1 Class Skills; ; 3 Class features 3.1 Versatility; 3.2 Exotic Weapon Training; 3.3 Agile Defense; ; 4 House Drazhar school; 5 Design notes; 6 External links;

Latest revision as of 13:14, 13 August 2008

Any warrior can fight in the arena. A true gladiator does so with style and flair, and lives for the thrill of combat, the pleasure of his mistress and the roar of the crowds. While most gladiators are slaves, some freemen do train in this class, and it is not unknown for drow to fight in the arena. The elite gladiators are picked from the best drow and slave warriors. They must display speed and agility, as well as a certain flair and talent for unorthodox weapons. They use their skills in the arena, on the battlefield and on slave raids. Some gladiators serve as bodyguards or companions to nobles, and they are sometimes used as assassins.

Requirements

To qualify to become a gladiator, a character must fulfill the following criteria:

Training: Must be trained in a gladiator school. This is usually a Drow gladiator master, but other cultures can have similar fighting schools.

Base Attack: +5

Skills: Balance 4 ranks, Perform 4 ranks, Tumble 4 ranks.

Feats: Combat Reflexes, Improved Unarmed Combat.

Class Information

Hit Die: d8.

Weapon and armor proficiencies: The gladiator is proficient with light armor and shields (including tower shields).

Class Skills

The gladiator's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Balance (Dex), Escape Artist (Dex), Healing (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex).

Skill Points at Each Level: 4 + Int modifier.

**Table: The Slave Gladiator**
Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1	+1	+0	+2	+0	Versatility
2	+2	+0	+3	+0	Agile Defense
3	+3	+1	+3	+1	Exotic Weapon Training

Class features

The following features pertain to the gladiator prestige class.

Versatility

The gladiator can inflict lethal or subdual damage with all weapons without penalty. Note that this ability lets her inflict lethal damage with a whip, even against thick skinned opponents.

Exotic Weapon Training

Gladiators train with a variety of strange and versatile weapons. The gladiator is proficient with all exotic weapons.

Agile Defense

The gladiator learns to move gracefully in any light armor and to make it a part of herself. The maximum dexterity any light armor worn is increased by +2 and the armor check penalty is reduced by -1. In addition, the gladiator no longer suffers the normal -1 attack penalty for making melee attacks with a buckler attached to the weapon arm.

House Drazhar school

House Drazhar fight with blades, chains and whips. The blades symbolize the House of the Sword Spider, the chain their slavery to Lolth, and the whip the punishment of the Goddess. Of course, individual gladiators may develop their own fighting styles. Here is a sample:

Trident and net
Hydraknives (as two shortswords)
Falchion and razorsnare (WH40K) probably translates to bastard sword and chain whip.
Glaive

New exotic weapons:

Chain whip (exotic): This chain weapon is commonly used with a sword. It is useful for attacking an opponent at range and tripping him. This is a one-handed spiked chain (light weapon, d6 damage, can be used at 5' and 10').

Design notes

This class used to be considerably more complicated and was based on the Monk class. It has been simplified to a three level class that deals with defense and exotic weapons. See the page history for details.

The armor defense ability is surprisingly similar to the Two Hands ability (http://hastur.net/wiki/D%26D/Classes/DrowWarriorLord). This page was written before PHII, and perhaps the ability should be rewritten to take the Improved Buckler Defense feat into account.

A small and maneuverable parrying buckler, and perhaps a small shield fits the concept. The buckler can be incorporate into the armor design for a distinctive look. This could be a large shoulder guard and armor on one arm; a buckler in game terms, but a cool look for the arena.

The Drazhar weapon selection is based on the Dark Eldar wych gladiators in Warhammer 40,000. Indeed, the concept of mobile, elite warriors who fight with bizarre weapons in the arena are inspired by the Wych Cults. The bastard sword is the best equivalent of for the large, curved weapon the wyches use in one or two hands. The chain whip is used in lieu of the razorsnare (a thin wire spool with a hook, used to snare opponents and pull them towards you).

The chain whip can be used to represent the weapon of the same name used by the Sisters of Sigmar in Mordheim, or the dark eldar razorsnare in the first edition of Codex: Dark Eldar.

External links

Hypertext d20 SRD Weapon table.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-Any warrior can fight in the arena. The gladiator does so with style and flair, and lives for the thrill of combat and he roar of the crowds.
+{{D&D}}
+<!-- Content -->
+Any warrior can fight in the arena. A true gladiator does so with style and flair, and lives for the thrill of combat, the pleasure of his mistress and the roar of the crowds. While most gladiators are slaves, some freemen do train in this class, and it is not unknown for drow to fight in the arena. The elite gladiators are picked from the best drow and slave warriors. They must display speed and agility, as well as a certain flair and talent for unorthodox weapons. They use their skills in the arena, on the battlefield and on slave raids. Some gladiators serve as bodyguards or companions to nobles, and they are sometimes used as assassins.
-The elite gladiators of [[House Drazhar]] are hand picked among the best drow and slave warriors. They train in a wide variety of weapons and use their skills in the arena, on the battlefield and on slave raids. Some gladiators serve as bodyguards or companions  to drow nobles, and are
+=== Requirements ===
-sometimes used as hitmen.
+To qualify to become a gladiator, a character must fulfill the following criteria:
-Accordding to House Drazhar legends, the first gladiator masters were a group of monks who specialized in what later became the traditional gladiator weapons. In order to wualify for training.
+'''Training''': Must be trained in a gladiator school. This is usually a Drow gladiator master, but other cultures can have similar fighting schools.
-Other gladiator schools are possible. These will have a separate weapon list,
+'''Base Attack''': +5
-== Requirements ==
+'''Skills''': Balance 4 ranks, Perform 4 ranks, Tumble 4 ranks.
-'''Requirements''': Must be trained in a gladiator school.
+'''Feats''': Combat Reflexes, Improved Unarmed Combat.
-'''Skills''': Perform 4 ranks, Tumble 4 ranks.
+=== Class Information ===
-'''Feats''': Mobility, Combat Reflexes, Exotic Weapon (see list).
+'''Hit Die''': d8.
+'''Weapon and armor proficiencies''': The gladiator is proficient with light armor and shields (including tower shields).
+==== Class Skills ====
+The gladiator's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are:
+Balance (Dex), Escape Artist (Dex), Healing (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex).
-== Class features ==
+'''Skill Points at Each Level''': 4 + Int modifier.
+{| class="wikitable"
+|+ '''Table: The Slave Gladiator'''
+|-
+!Class<br>Level!!Base Attack<br>Bonus !!Fort<br>Save !! Ref<br>Save !! Will<br>Save !! <br>Special
+|-
+|align="right" |  1
+|align="right" | +1
+|align="right" | +0
+|align="right" | +2
+|align="right" | +0
+|[[#Versatility|Versatility]]
+|-
+|align="right" | 2
+|align="right" | +2
+|align="right" | +0
+|align="right" | +3
+|align="right" | +0
+| [[#Agile Defense|Agile Defense]]
+|-
+|align="right" | 3
+|align="right" | +3
+|align="right" | +1
+|align="right" | +3
+|align="right" | +1
+| [[#Exotic Weapon Training|Exotic Weapon Training]]
+|}
-'''Hit Die''': d8.
+=== Class features ===
+The following features pertain to the gladiator prestige class.
+==== Versatility ====
+The gladiator can inflict lethal or subdual damage with all weapons without penalty. Note that this ability lets her inflict lethal damage with a whip, even against thick skinned opponents.
+==== Exotic Weapon Training ====
+Gladiators train with a variety of strange and versatile weapons. The gladiator is proficient with all exotic weapons.
-'''Weapon and armour proficiencies''': The gladiator is proficient with light armor and the weapons in her combat style.
+==== Agile Defense ====
+The gladiator learns to move gracefully in any light armor and to make it a part of herself. The maximum dexterity any light armor worn is increased by +2 and the armor check penalty is reduced by -1. In addition, the gladiator no longer suffers the normal -1 attack penalty for making melee attacks with a buckler attached to the weapon arm.
-'''Class Skills''': Balance (Dex), Diplomacy (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Healing (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex),  Perform (Cha), Sense Motive (Wis), Spot (Wis), Tumble (Dex), Use Rope (Dex).
+== House Drazhar school ==
-'''Skill Points at Each Level''': 4 + Int modifier.
+House Drazhar fight with blades, chains and whips. The blades symbolize the House of the Sword Spider, the chain their slavery to Lolth, and the whip the punishment of the Goddess. Of course, individual gladiators may develop their own fighting styles. Here is a sample:
-<pre>
+* ''Trident and net''
-Level  BAB   Fort  Ref  Will  Dmg   Spd   Special
+* ''Hydraknives'' (as two shortswords)
-   +1     +0    +2   +0    d6    +0   Gladiator training, Armed Strike, Unarmed Strike
+* ''Falchion and razorsnare'' (WH40K) probably translates to bastard sword and chain whip.
-   +2     +0    +3   +0    d6    +0   Trick
+* ''Glaive''
-   +3     +1    +3   +1    d6   +10   Trick, Evasion
-   +4     +1    +4   +1    d6   +10   Trick
-   +5     +1    +4   +1    d6   +10   Trick, Improved Evasion
-</pre>
-'''Unarmed Strike:''' This is the same ability as the monk's Unarmed Strike. The damage is d6 for a Medium sized gladiator.
+New exotic weapons:
-'''Speed''': Speed increasde as for monk.
+* '''Chain whip''' (exotic): This chain weapon is commonly used with a sword. It is useful for attacking an opponent at range and tripping him. This is a one-handed spiked chain (light weapon, d6 damage, can be used at 5' and 10').
-'''Armed Strike''': The gladiator can use any part of his armor to strike (same damage as unarmed strikes). In game terms, use the enchantment bonus of armor spikes or gauntlet. This damage is bludgeoning or piercing.
+==  Design notes ==
-'''Gladiator Training:''' Gladiators train with a variety of exotic or versatile weapons. At first level, the gladiator has a pool of two gladiator weapons. These are armed strike (i.e. armor bits) and the qualifying exotic weapon. At each level after the first, the gladiator adds a new weapon to the pool. These gladiator weapons counts as a single weapon for Weapon Specialization, Focus and similar feats. The gladiator can do lethal or subdual damage with her gladiator weapons without penalty.
+This class used to be considerably more complicated and was based on the Monk class. It has been simplified to a three level class that deals with defense and exotic weapons. See the page history for details.
-'''Trick''': Select a trick from the list below:
+The armor defense ability is surprisingly similar to the Two Hands ability (http://hastur.net/wiki/D%26D/Classes/DrowWarriorLord). This page was written before ''PHII'', and perhaps the ability should be rewritten to take the Improved Buckler Defense feat into account.
-:'''Armor Focus:''' Add +2 to the Maximum dexterity of any light armor, and decrease the armor penatly by 2. This can only be picked once.
+A small and maneuverable parrying buckler, and perhaps a small shield fits the concept. The buckler can be incorporate into the armor design for a distinctive look. This could be a large shoulder guard and armor on one arm; a buckler in game terms, but a cool look for the arena.
-:'''Gladiator Weapon Mastery:''' You gain a +4 bonus to any opposed roll to trip or disarm an oppoent or avoid this when you are using your gladiator weapons.'
+The Drazhar weapon selection is based on the Dark Eldar wych gladiators in Warhammer 40,000. Indeed, the concept of mobile, elite warriors who fight with bizarre weapons in the arena are inspired by the Wych Cults. The bastard sword is the best equivalent of for the large, curved weapon the wyches use in one or two hands. The chain whip is used in lieu of the razorsnare (a thin wire spool with a hook, used to snare opponents and pull them towards you).
-:'''Gladiator Weapon Finesse''': You can use your Dexterity instead of Strength for to attack with your gladiator weapons (even two-handed weapons).
+The chain whip can be used to represent the weapon of the same name used by the Sisters of Sigmar in Mordheim, or the dark eldar razorsnare in the first edition of ''Codex: Dark Eldar''.
-:'''Two Weapon Mastery:'''. The penalty for attacking with a primary and secondary weapon are each reduced by 2.
+== External links ==
-:'''Feat''': Select one of the following feats (you must meet any prerequisite): Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Sunder, Improved Grapple, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Quickdraw, Two Weapon Fighting (Improved, Greater), Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack.
+* Hypertext d20 SRD [http://www.d20srd.org/srd/equipment/weapons.htm#weaponDescriptions Weapon table].