Setting up a Match
All participants must work out the details of a match in the OOC or via PM BEFORE posting a challenge. EVERYONE must agree to ALL restrictions and extras.
Challenging
You can declare a challenge as a team, but ONE participant must be the challenger and ALL others must accept the challenge.
EACH participant has 48 hours to accept a challenge or it's rejected (48 per person).
Once all participants are ready, the challenge should be posted by the challenger while all other participants must quote that post and write a note stating they accept the terms exactly as posted.
You CANNOT/MUST NOT...
Post a challenge while another is pending.
Add/change any details here such as "I only challenge if" or "I'll accept if". NO IFs!
Be in more than 1 match at a time with any 1 of your characters.
Have more than 4 players in a match.
Challenge one of your own characters or non-gladiators (NPC, monster, GM).
Referee for someone in your guild unless ALL participants are in the same guild.
Edit your challenge/acceptance after someone else has already responded to it.
Make/accept a challenge if you or your opponent are currently in a match.
Breaking any of these rules above will disqualify your challenge and possibly dock you BP.
Declarations
You declare your character's race, class(es), mythic tier, level, total BP used and equipment (max 20 items per character/minion regardless of carrying capacity). You don't have to list what magic or alchemy is on your items, just the items ("longsword", "heavy shield", "vial", "scroll"). You PM the details to the referee during your initiative roll, along with your spells, extracts, feats, archetype, and so forth ("+1 flaming longsword", "+2 heavy mithral shield", "potion of healing", "scroll of explosive fists").
Referee
All matches require an assigned 3rd-party referee. ALL rules questions, extras and disputes are handled by the referee. If the referee can't decide, they can take a vote in the OOC. DO NOT ARGUE IN THE OCC. Don't disagree, don't explain your reasoning, just vote for an option that's available or make a simple recommendation. NO REVOTES, NO ARGUING.
If a player is ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN the referee made a bad call, they can call for a vote, but if the other players vote against the player who called the vote, they get an automatic foul as well as being held to the vote.
GMs should only be contacted if a match needs to be opened/closed, a new player/character wants to join, or if there is a dispute or problem that a referee can't handle. All other reasons for PMing the GM will have your BP penalized.
After everyone has accepted the terms, the GM will post the thread for the match.
Your first post in the match thread should follow this format (copy/paste & fill out):
PLAYER1 challenges PLAYER2.
Participants should be listed in the order to be split up according to match type. (2v2 means 1 & 2 vs 3 & 4) There are no defaults. Any text that isn't the name of an available option is interpreted as "GM's Choice". (Which defaults to denying the match unless they're feeling merciful.)
Use this format EXACTLY. Any deviation will be rejected by the GM! Every part of the challenge post must be filled in exactly as shown. Any challenge rejected by the GM can result in the poster being suspended from matches for 1 week.
To summarize:
Work out the details of the match beforehand. (In OOC or PM)
Post challenge exactly as described in the challenges thread.
Participants must quote and accept the challenge.
Everyone posts initiative results and BP allocation.
If another challenge is pending, wait your turn.
If there are more than two participants, each one must quote the previous response. So if Player 1 challenges Player 2 with Player 3 as Referee, then Player 2 must quote Player 1 and Player 3 must quote Player 2's acceptance post.
Running a Match
Running a match can be complex. Here are the steps and notes.
Arena Immunities
Several immunities are granted to creatures while they have 50% or more of their current max HP and don't have nonlethal damage accumulated equal to half their current HP or more, or if they have a CR that is 4 points above their attacker's CR or more:
Your character can't be compelled to forfeit or commit suicide.
Ability/level damage/drain can't drop a score/level below half its original amount. (not including bonuses from items or spells, etc.)
Instant-kill effects deal 2d6 damage per CL/HD instead of killing you outright. Instant-K.O. effects do the same but nonlethal. If the effect already does damage exceeding this amount on average, deal that damage instead.
Disabling effects last only up to 1 round, regardless of their normal duration.
Auto-success effects do not work against you.
If you were below 50% HP when affected but rise above 50% HP after-the-fact, you regain these immunities and disabling effects end 1 round later.
*You do not gain these immunities against foes with a CR that's 4 or more points above yours.
*Arena Immunities can be turned OFF in PvP matches if all players agree to it.
Auto-success Abilities: Any effect that can deal damage to a creature without requiring an attack roll and/or saving throw to resist or negate and any effect that can deal any condition to a target without a saving throw to resist or negate (with the exception of combat maneuvers which create conditions using attack rolls instead of saving throws and are still viable).
Disabling Effects: Any effect that causes the target to be unable to take their normal actions such as the confused, dazed, dominated, frightened, nauseated, paralyzed, staggered, stunned, panicked, or unconscious conditions.
Kill Effects: Any effect that instantly kills or knocks out a target or reduces their hit points to 0 or less, without actually dealing damage to hit points or nonlethal damage, such as quivering palm or circle of death.
Regeneration: All damage and drain dealt in the arena is healed after a match. All curses are broken, the dead are resurrected and all items are repaired, recharged and returned to their owners at no cost or penalty. Hero points used are still lost forever. Permanent effects do not last outside of the arena.
Posting in the Arena
DO NOT EVER:
Post in an arena match that you do not participate in.
Edit your combat post.
Argue with the Referee or GM.
If you disagree with the referee, simply post ONCE what your disagreement is with an explanation and they will make a judgement call. You may then request a GM intervene. If you argue with the GM or attempt to give petty complaints and commentary about the ruling, you will be penalized.
In every combat post, you MUST label and include:
All consumables, item charges, spells, and so forth that you have used in the match so far.
Your current melee attack and damage bonuses with all weapons wielded (private to Referee for AoO purposes).
ALL your possible immediate actions and what will trigger them (private to Referee).
You and your minions' current stats (HP, AC, CMD, saves, etc.)
Your and your minions' current effects (conditions, buffs)
You and your minions' actions in the order they are performed (you cannot condition an action on someone else's post but you can put an "if hit, do X, if miss, do Y" in your post).
You and your minions' visible gear (anything not stored in backpacks). Magical properties don't need to be public but can be made private to the Referee.
All your rolls in the diceroller (no private rolls, not even for private actions) and DCs to overcome any effects you have.
All your possible reactions, triggers, and stats for doing so such as attack and damage (Attacks of opportunity, Immediate Actions)
All your classes, levels, archetypes, and chosen class features (if they are optional such as selecting Alchemist discoveries or Rage powers).
If you conjure, create, banish, move, and/or destroy creatures, objects, or ongoing area effects on the map, you MUST post accurate maps every time you do so.
To hide private information, use:
Once you submit your combat post, your turn is OVER:
If you forgot something, mislabeled something, or aren't sure how to finish your turn without additional info: too bad. It is illegal in this arena to post a combat post that does not include ALL your actions for that turn. You cannot say "pending rest of turn based on something else". You can post corrections before someone else posts but once you post, that's it. It's over. You're done with your turn. Any players that even ATTEMPT to do this or even TRY to argue that they should be allowed to do so will be automatically given a FOUL and possibly disqualified and banned. NO EXCEPTIONS.
Your posts must be clear, direct, and precise:
If combat posts are in any way unclear or vague the Referee will interpret it however they like and that will be the final resolution, regardless of the poster's intent. The Referee determines whether a post is vague, NOT other players.
Each post within initiative should be posted as follows:
Copy/paste the above code and fill it in with your updated data every round on your turn. Do not alter the format! Omit the minion section if you have no minions and copy/paste it if you have multiple minions. List your minions in the order from which they acted in initiative from first/top to last/bottom. If your minion is a summon, post a link to their SRD in a private message to the referee.
STARTING A MATCH
Everyone rolls initiative, post rolls (and private information to the ref) and then takes turns picking a starting spot. A starting spot must be as close to a corner at the edge of the map as possible that isn't the same corner that someone else picked. Then take turns in initiative order.
INITIATIVE
Upon entering the arena, a character begins with their hands empty, has no spells or effects or items active but has full HP, all their equipment donned/sheathed (but not drawn), companions/cohorts beside them (but not mounted), consumables in their belt pouch/bandoleer, magic items on your person (worn or in your backpack) and spells, ki, and other limited daily effects refreshed and prepared but not cast. No effects outside the arena have been cast or used and you're assumed to have been given your items 24 hours before the match. No other events outside the arena will be taken into account (stat-wise).
If there is cover or concealment blocking your line of sight to other combatants, they begin hidden from each other (some maps are set up like this intentionally). Remember, you cannot "become aware" of each others' presence or make attacks against each other or target areas occupied by others until after all prep rounds and round 1 are complete.
All combatants roll initiative first and post the result. Then, they begin posting their turns in order. Despite it being an arena, normal rules apply for being flat-footed during the first round until you have acted.
You cannot use a hero point on an initiative roll.
Minions act immediately after their master in the order which they were summoned. In case of a tie, use whichever alphanumerical order was used to label them in alphanumerical order.
Attacks of Opportunity:
Everyone will automatically take all AOOs that they can in the order that they are given and will only make a basic weapon attack to deal damage (unless they have a special ability that adds other effects to their basic attack). You can choose to turn your AOOs "off" so that you take none but must do so in a private message to the Referee INSIDE your combat post in the ACTIONS line for EACH round you do so (lasts until the start of your next turn).
In addition, everyone will post their melee weapon attack bonus and base damage in their combat posts privately to the referee. If they wield multiple weapons, list both and always assume you're using the most damaging one first. You cannot add extras to your AOOs such as Power Attack or Rage, even if you'd normally be able to add them as a free action or on an AOO unless those effects are already active/always active (in which case you include them in your private to referee message).
If the referee checks the post before the opponent responds, they can roll attack and damage for them and let the provoker know.
Anyone that fails to post this attack and damage in their combat post automatically loses the ability to take an AOO.
They can choose to make it public if they want, allowing the opponent to roll AoO and damage against themselves, but this is optional.
If you are granted an attack of opportunity or immediate action and someone acts in initiative before you can take it, you can take that action at the beginning of your next turn, even if you normally couldn't. This can allow you to affect a target that's out of range if it was in range when you were granted the action or even act while you're incapacitated if you were not incapacitated when granted the action. This can cause retcons so be careful not to move on until these are resolved.
Immediate and Readied Actions:
You must list in a private message to the Referee of your melee weapon attack bonus and damage and ALL your possible immediate and readied actions and what will trigger them.
Each spell, feat, or other special ability you have that can be activated as an immediate action will have ONE trigger you can list. You have a maximum of 25 words you can spend describing each trigger and if it is in any way vague the Referee will simply not allow you to take it.
You can only take immediate actions if the appropriate trigger occurs and you will take the action upon the trigger. You have 48 hours to declare your immediate action after the person triggering it posts, regardless whether other people in the match are taking their turns. You will declare it ASAP (all rolls included in a non-combat post) instead of waiting for the next person to post (if in a match with more than 2 PCs). Otherwise, your immediate action will be the FIRST action in your ACTION LINE. This is the one and only exception to posting out of turn.
The format should follow the general guideline of "If trigger, then action." You cannot declare multiple triggers or intents (no ifs or unlesses). In the event of triggers that are too vague or confusing, the GM will rule what actions take place.
Example:
Minions:
Minions cannot "hold" or "ready" their actions. They always act immediately after you do in the initiative order. All minions will be labeled in alphanumerical order in which they are summoned. A1, B2, C3, etc. Numerical determines the order they were summoned, alpha determines their creature type. So if you summoned a horse and then summoned two crocodiles, the horse would be H1 and the crocs would be C2 and C3. If there are multiple summoners, add a prefix of the summoner's name to summons. Example: Jake vs. George. Jake summons a horse and then two crocs. George does the same. Monsters on the field are: JH1, JC2, JC3 and GH1, GC2, GC3.
Prep Round (optional)
As an optional extra, you can add prep rounds before combat begins. You cannot attack, charge, run, teleport or ready an action during a prep round. See the Invisibility spell description for what constitutes an "attack":
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/...pells/i/invisibility
Once all parties have taken their prep round(s), initiative begins normally. Despite prep rounds, the normal "flat-footed until you act in initiative" rule, still applies according to RAW.
Since all prep rounds start simultaneously, no effects created during a prep round can hinder any other character or creature during a prep round (such as conjuring a wall or moving through an enemy's space).
PAUSING THE MATCH:
Every player will get 1 free pause. If you do not understand someone's post, you can pause the match to ask for clarification. This puts the 48 hour rule on pause until the Referee and/or opponent clarifies. However, the Referee will make a call EVERY TIME A PAUSE IS USED:
IF the Referee felt it was a necessary pause, the person whose post is being questioned loses their pause.
If the Referee felt the clarification was unnecessary, the person asking for clarification loses their pause.
Once you're out of pauses, every pause thereafter costs you 1 hero point. If you're out of hero points, every pause thereafter costs you a foul. Remember, 3 fouls and you're disqualified.
Don't stop and ask for clarification until you've read the entire post and make sure you're clear on your posts so people don't keep pausing it to interpret chicken scratch. BE POLITE by BEING CLEAR.
Using the Diceroller
You must label each roll you make with the diceroller properly by listing the name of the effect and targeted creature(s) or area(s), as well as any other necessary declarations, such as power attack, smite, metamagic, etc. Abbreviations are okay if obvious or explained in previous post during match.
You cannot put more than one type of dice roll in a single roll unless they all apply to a single action for a single creature. Multiple d20s can be put in a line post as can multiple damage rolls but varying rolls like this cannot be mixed unless it is a single attack and not multiple attacks.
Example: [1d20+10, 1d20+5 (full attack)] is okay and [2d6+6, 2d6+6 (full attack)] is okay and so is [1d20+10, 4d6+6 (standard attack vital strike)]. However, [1d20+10, 1d20+5, 2d6+6, 2d6+6 (full attack)] would be unacceptable. Rolling a full attack out of order or without labeling them by attack number (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and so forth) is also unacceptable.
All rolls must have a description explaining the action. Illegal rolls (rolls that should not have been rolled or that are unlabeled) are either discarded/ignored, re-rolled, or penalized (Referee discretion).
All rolls must be posted in the post which they are performed in. Even if your actions are hidden from your opponent, your dice rolls cannot be.
SAVING THROWS
You only roll saving throws against ongoing effects that are ended by saving throws such as poison, being on fire, etc. You roll this at the end of each of your turns (it is always the last thing you roll and takes effect after all your other actions). For all other saving throws, attackers make an attack roll against your Saving Throw Defense (Click here for details).
Penalties
When a mistake is made, the Referee enforces a penalty as they see fit.
A reroll at a -5 penalty is recommended for someone who makes mistakes with the diceroller and the Referee can roll on behalf of the participant to keep the game going.
If the mistake HURT the person who made it, they simply fix it on their next post.
If the mistake BENEFITED the person who made it, typically the penalty should be two to four times as bad for them as was their benefit. For example, if someone were giving themselves +2 higher AC than they should have the first 3 rounds before the mistake was caught, the Referee may say, "Okay, so penalty is you fix your AC and then take -4 AC for the next 6 rounds".
If a gladiator reports their own mistake instead of a Referee or opponent catching it, halving the penalty is recommended.
Forgetting to Roll: If a character forgets to roll an ability check, attack roll, saving throw, or skill check when they are supposed to, then the Referee can roll for them or have them roll or simply have them automatically fail because they were not posting correctly (Ref's choice). We recommend auto-fail to keep people from trying to stall a match.
Finishing a Match
At the end of a match, everyone must state their BP total and how many hero points they used during the match. The Referee must compile them and post the following to finish the match:
End of Match Declarations
At the end of the match, each participant declares their total BP and the number of hero points that they used during the match. A participant that fails to do this or puts an incorrect number, is automatically disqualified. The referee gives each player 48 hours to post this after they've declared a winner.
Special terms that affect rewards listed at bottom (if any).
Battle Royal Rewards
Winner: Add up the BP of all other participants combined. Winner gets 1/3rd this total.
Runner Up: Add up the BP of all other participants combined. Runner up gets 1/4th this total.
Loser: Add up the BP of all other participants combined. Loser gets 1/6th this total.
Duel Rewards
Winner: Gains an amount of BP equal to 1/3rd the loser's BP.
Loser: Gains an amount of BP equal to 1/6th the winner's BP.
Draw: Each participant gains an amount of BP equal to 1/4th the opponent's BP.
Referee Rewards
1/8th the accumulative BP of all participants (not including self obviously). The more BP a player has, the more complex their matches are likely to be. IF a GM has to step in and overrule the referee, they gain only half these rewards. If this happens more than once, the referee will not get any rewards. If a GM steps in and sides with the referee, the referee gains the same rewards.
Team Match Rewards (2v2 team or 2v1 juggernaut/monster)
Add up each team's total BP and compare them as if it were a duel to get two reward pots. Then split these reward pots evenly among participants. Remember, that a juggernaut/monster is treated as it's own team and takes the whole pot (so they are both Player 1 and Player 2 for their team and gain both rewards).
Team A: Player 1's BP + Player 2's BP = Team A BP (Winner BP)
Team B: Player 1's BP + Player 2's BP = Team B BP (Loser BP)
Player A1's reward = Team B's BP/6
Player A2's reward = Team B's BP/6
Player B1's reward = Team A's BP/12
Player B2's reward = Team A's BP/12
Juggernaut/Monster (3v1):
Team A: Player 1's BP + Player 2's BP = Team A BP (Winner BP)
Team B: Player 1's BP + Player 2's BP = Team B BP (Loser BP)
Player A1's reward = Team B's BP/9 (if winning) or Team B's BP/18 (if losing) or Team B's BP/12 (if draw)
Player A2's reward = Team B's BP/9 (if winning) or Team B's BP/18 (if losing) or Team B's BP/12 (if draw)
Player A3's reward = Team B's BP/9 (if winning) or Team B's BP/18 (if losing) or Team B's BP/12 (if draw)
Juggernaut/Monster's reward = Team A's BP/3 (if winning) or Team A's BP/6 (if losing) or Team A's BP/4 (if draw)
Defeat and Victory
When all of your opponents are defeated (dead, dying, banished, petrified and/or unconscious for 3+ rounds in a row), you officially win the match. These rounds aren't played out if there is no way for your foes to recover within this time and if there is no ongoing damage on you. You lose if you are defeated. Diehard and Ferocity are exceptions and allow you to keep fighting normally while dying. If you are suffering ongoing damage or conditions at the end of a match, you must play out 3 rounds after the last round the last opponent standing acted before determining a win or loss (no need for initiative at that point). If you are defeated by an ongoing effect while all foes are defeated and no allies are up, it ends in a draw.
If you are at less than 50% HP and at least 5 rounds have passed in the match, then you can yield the match to your opponent. If you attempt to yield before this, you forfeit instead.
Disqualification
If gladiator is disqualified from a match where they were working with other players (team, juggernaut, etc.) their team mates gain an amount of temporary hit points equal to that gladiator's remaining hit points (split evenly among them) and a bonus to all d20 rolls, AC, CMD, and other DCs equal to 1/4th that gladiator's level (rounded down, split evenly among them). These bonuses last for the rest of the match. Their team also get their share of the BP reward split evenly among them (but not hero points or extra leaderboard stats). Team members that have 2 fouls do not gain any of these benefits and lose them immediately upon taking the 2nd foul.
If a gladiator controlling a monster during a monster hunt is disqualified the match is cancelled and nobody gains anything and that gladiator's player is automatically suspended from play and permanently banned from monster hunts.
If a gladiator is disqualified in any other situation, their opponent(s) gain(s) BP rewards but no hero points or leaderboard stats.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:18, Wed 07 July 2021.
