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Other Games, Development, & Campaigns => Design, Development, and Gameplay => Topic started by: Yig on June 19, 2006, 01:14:23 PM

Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Yig on June 19, 2006, 01:14:23 PM
In one D&D game I play, we can capture the souls of monsters we defeat and then use them in an arena to fight other teams and win loot. The teams are 3 vs 3.

Problem: it takes fucking forever to resolve. We tried a few things but it's not working really well. It's fucking boring for those not involved.

The DM is considering dropping the whole arena thing but since he invested so much time in it, I'm gonna try to save it by creating a quick resolution system for it.

Basic idea: you find the average of each combat stats for your team (AC, HP, BAB of the main attack, etc) and you check a few tables (one for each stat) and you get a modifier.

Then each team rolls a d20+mods and the higer result win. Best of 3 or best of 5 would be good.

This is still a work in progress since I thought about it a few hours ago :)

Make sense?
Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Nicephorus on June 19, 2006, 01:22:23 PM
Maybe you could steal the D&D miniatures system, which is slightly streamlined D&D.  Hits do a set amount of damage in 5 pt. increments, and a few other changes which escape me right now.  

All of the miniatures have D&D stats do it wouldn't be hard to reverse engineer, and many of the monsters would have already have stats somewhere.  

But 3 really big monsters would still take a while, not as fast as what you propose, but still room for tactics.  Maybe if you dropped it to 1 on 1?
Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Yig on June 19, 2006, 01:40:46 PM
I don't have the mini book.

At first, his original plan was that 1 player controlled all the monsters (without help from the other players. If we spoke, he gave bonuses to the opponents) do a 2 out of 3 battles. Took too long. So he switched to only 1 round. Still, the rest of us got really bored. So now everybody control a monster.

1 on 1? That could work.
Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Nicephorus on June 19, 2006, 01:47:12 PM
With most miniature games and the like, the money is with the figs, and they give away the rules.

You can find the mini rules here:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mi/faq
Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Yig on June 19, 2006, 03:42:09 PM
Thanks, I'll check it out.
Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Name Lips on June 19, 2006, 03:48:15 PM
Add up the EL of both sides. Roll opposed d20+EL checks. Highest roll wins.

DM can arbitrate additional modifiers, like if the resistences of one side specifically counter the special attacks of the other side.

This is the fastest and dirtiest way to do it. The more excitement you want, the more rolling you're going to have, and the more time it will take up.
Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Nicephorus on June 19, 2006, 04:00:32 PM
Quote from: Name LipsThe more excitement you want, the more rolling you're going to have, and the more time it will take up.

That's the crux of it.  Do you want a game within a game, taht's fun as long as it doesn't take the lion's share of the game?  Or do you want a way to resolve these fights and get back to the real game?
Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Yig on June 19, 2006, 04:24:53 PM
Quote from: Name LipsAdd up the EL of both sides. Roll opposed d20+EL checks. Highest roll wins.

DM can arbitrate additional modifiers, like if the resistences of one side specifically counter the special attacks of the other side.

This is the fastest and dirtiest way to do it. The more excitement you want, the more rolling you're going to have, and the more time it will take up.

Little detail I didn't mention: when adventuring, you can harvest defeated monster for body parts to feed to your monsters to make them stronger. So that would change the EL a bit.

Might as well flip a coin ;)
Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Yig on June 19, 2006, 04:26:08 PM
Quote from: NicephorusThat's the crux of it.  Do you want a game within a game, taht's fun as long as it doesn't take the lion's share of the game?  Or do you want a way to resolve these fights and get back to the real game?

Every time we win a fight, we get a random wondrous item. It cost us money to enter but we usually get items that are a lot better than what we pay.

But I'd rather go with something quick. Real fights are way too long.
Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Yig on June 19, 2006, 11:50:27 PM
Trainz proposed a simple system.

Each side get 1d6 per point of CR their monsters have. Higest roll wins.

Simple :)
Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Trainz on June 20, 2006, 11:10:44 AM
Quote from: Name LipsAdd up the EL of both sides. Roll opposed d20+EL checks. Highest roll wins.

Heesh...

A CR8 critter would kill a CR2 99% of the time, not so with d20+8 vs d20+2.

As Yig said, I thought of something with a better curve.
Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Cyclotron on June 21, 2006, 10:21:32 AM
Why not come up with a quick card game?

To be honest, it sounds like you're playing Pokemon to get bonus magic items.
Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Trainz on June 21, 2006, 10:23:50 AM
Quote from: CyclotronWhy not come up with a quick card game?

To be honest, it sounds like you're playing Pokemon to get bonus magic items.

Give the man a cigar.

That's exactly what I said when we started this.

"Ogre, I choose YOU!"
Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Cyclotron on June 21, 2006, 10:34:37 AM
Quote from: TrainzGive the man a cigar.

:emot-clint:
Title: [System] Arena combat system
Post by: Cyberzombie on June 30, 2006, 11:32:42 AM
Quote from: TrainzGive the man a cigar.

That's exactly what I said when we started this.

"Ogre, I choose YOU!"
Could be worse.  You could be playing Dragonball Z.  Then you'd have to sit there grunting for half an hour before you each die roll.  :mischief: