Level 1 free-for-all, who is likely to win?

[snakeman830]

Heck, The Colosseum was a mastery of engineering.  They would frequently flood the field for naval battles right in the middle of Rome.  They had trap doors everywhere for surprises and such.

But yes, for reference's sake, let's say this combat takes place in a structure almost identical to the Roman Colosseum.  Cover-wise, we will say there are eight 10ft tall pillars (5ft diameter) arranged in a circular pattern in the middle with about a 40ft diameter.

[littha]

A lot of the cover based sniping type characters would really suffer in an arena like that

[Halinn]

And that's a really small arena for a free-for-all.
For reference, real Colosseum was 83 meters by 48 meters (272 ft by 157 ft)

[awaken_D_M_golem]

If there really is a large amount of water involved
in the arena, there are a couple of water versions
of flyby attack and spring attack ... except with
fewer pre-reqs.  Idk enough about them and forget
why I remember.

I'd bet there are some interesting Water combos.
C.O. never had a water hash-out, that I recall.

[johnboy069]

Does anyone know the answer to this:
If a Battle Sorcerer trades his familiar for an animal companion at level 1 (UA or srd variant, treat as druid 1/2 level), would the companion (wolf) be equivalent to a 1st level druid's? I ask because some modifiers are minimum level 1 when it comes to certain things, and the srd or UA does not really specify.

[SorO_Lost]

And here all this time I was thinking Hunger Games style seeing how everyone is hung up on it.

Now you really don't have a choice but to horde in the middle right? That is the aim of McFighter people here. Well it's pretty binary now, got a horse? Nope, you can't ever melee someone that does as with lots of open room and no corners you can always flee. So Horse+Range is the only thing of use and anyone thinking otherwise can horde up in the center and get smacked by a Wall of Thorns killing several of them (points for kills?).

Yeah, still going with Druid now you can sub out the Empathy for new traits as well. WoTs is still a nice area damage that affects a greater area than even a DFA and unless they took Precarious Apprentice not even an Arcane has the nuke potential. Plus the people that get CR 1 (or better) pets as a Class Feature is a pretty limited list.


As for sniping builds. Take Up the Walls or something then just punch a hole through the pillar. Cover and large view of the area, bring a Tower Shield and use as needed too.

[JohnnyMayHymn]

The commoner would win, with all of those chickens of course.

[sirpercival]

The commoner would win, with all of those chickens of course.

If only there was a way to make the chickens be undead and give them Destructive Retribution.  Chickenbombs!

[Halinn]

Perhaps a fell drain wizard could force a draw, assuming that the arena fight would last in the order of days. Start the wightocalypse if it looks like the wizard won't win.

[littha]

The commoner would win, with all of those chickens of course.

If only there was a way to make the chickens be undead and give them Destructive Retribution.  Chickenbombs!

I am thinking some way of inflicting negative levels... not sure if chickens can turn into wights

[Halinn]

The commoner would win, with all of those chickens of course.

If only there was a way to make the chickens be undead and give them Destructive Retribution.  Chickenbombs!

I am thinking some way of inflicting negative levels... not sure if chickens can turn into wights

Even if they can't (and I'm inclined to think that they can), 1 HD human characters certainly can.

[SorO_Lost]

If anything goes Wight-o-lypse, it'd be the Cleric or Dread Necro. Puny Wizard can at best Tomb Tainted soul (or w/e) it so Mindless Undead ignore him, but Wights are not Mindless so he is SOL and things go from 1 Wizzy vs bunch of people to 1 Wizzy vs an army of wights that have one living target left to kill.

Cleric and Dread Necro can attempt to directly enslave the Wights. Even uncontrolled ones that could be hostile still have to face the legion that is your own. Come to think of it, it isn't much but a Domain Druid can pick up the Sun Domain for 1/day Turn Undead. It doesn't get a bonuses to uses for Charisma, but hey, chance to steal the master Wight could set up the perfect game flip.

[Halinn]

If anything goes Wight-o-lypse, it'd be the Cleric or Dread Necro. Puny Wizard can at best Tomb Tainted soul (or w/e) it so Mindless Undead ignore him, but Wights are not Mindless so he is SOL and things go from 1 Wizzy vs bunch of people to 1 Wizzy vs an army of wights that have one living target left to kill.

Cleric and Dread Necro can attempt to directly enslave the Wights. Even uncontrolled ones that could be hostile still have to face the legion that is your own. Come to think of it, it isn't much but a Domain Druid can pick up the Sun Domain for 1/day Turn Undead. It doesn't get a bonuses to uses for Charisma, but hey, chance to steal the master Wight could set up the perfect game flip.

Wights are too strong to be rebuked by a 1 HD Cleric/DN/Druid. The only thing that can help would be the 2nd level sor/wiz spell Command Undead. Oh hey, guess what class can pick up a second level spell at level 1!

But seriously, the wightocalypse would take everyone. And it would be GLORIOUS!

[littha]

There are ways of boosting your level for rebuke undead. Not sure you could get your effective level to 8 though.

[Halinn]

There are ways of boosting your level for rebuke undead. Not sure you could get your effective level to 8 though.

Not at level 1, as the level boosters to that are magic items you can't afford.

[littha]

You can probably get to 3 or 4 using feats and nonmagical items.

[Halinn]

You can probably get to 3 or 4 using feats and nonmagical items.

Nope

[littha]

Possible using the Disciple of the Sun divine feat but you need to be good and still have Rebuke Undead due to this line in the Rebuke rules:

Undead that would be turned are rebuked instead, and those that would be destroyed are commanded.

Disciple of the Sun lets you destroy undead using two turn attempts, thus as you are rebuking they are commanded instead.

Still requires some way of counting as though you have more HD for your control pool though.

[Cyclone Joker]

Human Cleric 1
Heighten
DMM Heighten
Extra Turning
Extra Slot

Okay, 8th level spells=Game Over

Worst comes to worst, Overland Flight up out of range of everyone and wait for them to kill each other. Maybe throw some minor blasts, if you have any. With run, you have maybe one round to kill it, tops. And that's if it can't weasel its way into Swift Invis. If it can, you're SOL.

Basically, casters win. Better casters are better. That was fun.

[Halinn]

Don't stop at 8th level slots, you can get another extra turning from a domain. But won't you only have one high-level spell slot? And still be CL 1, so you can't get much duration either.