The Goblins Fan Forum

I'm going to start a new 5e D&D game and hopefully be much better at updating it compared to last time ( I should become a salesman with sales pitches like this)

This game will not have a whole lot of plot going for it, it will mostly be about fighting. I'll try to have some fun providing (hopefully) entertaining battlefields and encounters. This also means I don't have to keep track of so much so everybody can join the game (okay I might consider putting a limit if we reach 20+ people)

As for the small amount of plot the title should reveal most of it. You, the players have been enslaved for various reasons and are now captive in the Blood pits. You are forced to fight for the entertainment of the masses.

There will likely be a few special actions/rules for the fighting. For now I only have one extra action you can perform which is "Rile the crowd!"
This action can be contested by the opponent or against a set DC depending on the circumstances but it can change the crowd in several ways. The most immediate effect from this can be seen in the fight as giving one part advantage or disadvantage on attack rolls. There might be other long lasting effects if you woo the crowd (un)well.

But what do you have to do?!

Create a character of course!

But how do I do that?

First you have to roll for ability scores! I offer you two ways to do so! You can either roll 4d6 (remove lowest value) 7 times and place them as you wish OR you can roll 5d6 (remove two lowest values) and switch two ability scores but otherwise they have to be used in that order.

So I heard about this obscure class on the wiki that I..

YES! You get to play a class like none other and starts as a level 0 commoner! You get an amazing 4 hp + con modifier and no proficiencies! What a grand deal of the century! This will last for the first intro fight upon which you get to level 1 and can choose a proper class, most likely from the players hand book (I can be persuaded)

Wait what?! That sounds like we'll get slaughtered!

Most likely, I'll try to be nice and you'll be with a lot of meat shields allies in the first fight armed with wooden daggers, just like you, dealing 1d2 damage!

So it's an arena game where we will abused by a cruel gm..

Yes! But good thing about the fighters in the Blood pits are easily replaced and death does not mean you are out for good if you are willing to become a new person. But you won't always be at the mercy of my destructive will. Sometimes you'll have to fight your fellow players! You can choose to stay your hand and not kill them or try to get the favour of the crowd by doing so!

So we'll just fight for eternity?
Maybe, one end goal for this game could certainly be that you escape the pits one way or the other.

Interesting. I might be... But, hmm. I'm not sure how often I'll be able to participate, especially in the next few weeks. Oh my god! my post is being stolen by the GM! :O

Option 1:
4D6.HIGH(3) = [2, 5, 2, 1] = 9
4D6.HIGH(3) = [5, 1, 2, 4] = 11
4D6.HIGH(3) = [1, 1, 2, 3] = 6
4D6.HIGH(3) = [5, 3, 4, 1] = 12
4D6.HIGH(3) = [1, 4, 3, 5] = 12
4D6.HIGH(3) = [5, 4, 5, 6] = 16
4D6.HIGH(3) = [4, 2, 5, 2] = 11

Option 2:
5D6.HIGH(3) = [2, 4, 6, 5, 5] = 16
5D6.HIGH(3) = [2, 2, 5, 5, 3] = 13
5D6.HIGH(3) = [3, 1, 5, 5, 4] = 14
5D6.HIGH(3) = [3, 5, 2, 2, 6] = 14
5D6.HIGH(3) = [1, 1, 1, 2, 6] = 9
5D6.HIGH(3) = [3, 2, 3, 5, 1] = 11


I'll pick half-orc (+2 STR, +1 CON), swap INT with WIS and go with this as my final selection:

STR: 18 (+4)
DEX: 13 (+1)
CON: 15 (+2)
INT: 9 (-1)
WIS: 14 (+2)
CHA: 11 (+0)

Background: Sailor (athletics, perception)
Planned class: Barbarian

It won't be a problem at all Wears. Worst case scenario would be that I took temporary control of your character during a fight or others vote on your actions

I should have asked before, but are all the players going to be on the same team?

At first but things can be changed up once in a while depending on what the masters feel is entertaining so pvp can happen and you may even be urged to kill fellow players.

Cool stuff

Soo....

5D6.HIGH(3) = [2, 6, 2, 5, 2] = 13
5D6.HIGH(3) = [3, 1, 1, 1, 1] = 5
5D6.HIGH(3) = [6, 2, 2, 5, 4] = 15
5D6.HIGH(3) = [6, 4, 1, 1, 6] = 16
5D6.HIGH(3) = [4, 1, 1, 4, 1] = 9
5D6.HIGH(3) = [5, 6, 4, 4, 4] = 15

So decided I'll play as a human, and I'm switching one stat to INT... Which makes for my final total to be:

STR: 14
DEX: 17
CON: 16
INT: 6
WIS: 10
CHA: 16

For now, at least- Still thinking about whether I'm going boring human or something more interesting... But you've got these "interesting" stats for now, at least.

edit: Used the first option, too- But with the exception of one unusually low stat, seems I'm sticking to my original rolls.

4D6.HIGH(3) = [4, 3, 5, 3] = 12
4D6.HIGH(3) = [2, 3, 2, 1] = 7
4D6.HIGH(3) = [1, 2, 2, 5] = 9
4D6.HIGH(3) = [5, 2, 5, 3] = 13
4D6.HIGH(3) = [3, 3, 5, 5] = 13
4D6.HIGH(3) = [4, 4, 3, 2] = 11
4D6.HIGH(3) = [4, 5, 3, 6] = 15

...Crap... I misread the rules for rolling the dice the second way... Can I reroll please?

Another important thing to mention, equipment might not be as readily available as one would wish.

You can get the feat variant and only get 2 +1 to a stat but also a feat and skill

Sure, I don't mind if you try both and pick one or the other now that I think about it

Ok, I've edited my last post to avoid multi-posting, but I thought of another question which sort of makes the whole thing redundant...

Anyway: I know we don't get classes yet, but should we pick backgrounds? I assume we don't get the stuff from them, but the skill proficiencies arguably exist. If so, I'll just keep editing my eariler post.

Option 1: 4d6
_: 4D6.HIGH(3) = [6, 2, 3, 1] = 11
4D6.HIGH(3) = [2, 3, 6, 1] = 11
4D6.HIGH(3) = [2, 3, 3, 4] = 10
4D6.HIGH(3) = [3, 6, 5, 5] = 16
4D6.HIGH(3) = [4, 5, 5, 6] = 16
4D6.HIGH(3) = [4, 1, 1, 6] = 11
4D6.HIGH(3) = [1, 2, 4, 2] = 8

Option 2: 5d6 in order
_: 5D6.HIGH(3) = [6, 3, 6, 4, 4] = 16
5D6.HIGH(3) = [3, 2, 4, 1, 3] = 10
5D6.HIGH(3) = [1, 1, 5, 1, 6] = 12
5D6.HIGH(3) = [2, 6, 1, 3, 3] = 12
5D6.HIGH(3) = [4, 1, 2, 1, 2] = 8
5D6.HIGH(3) = [6, 1, 4, 2, 5] = 15

As long as there are no race restrictions, I'll take the second option, switching DEX and INT and going silver dragonborn for a final of

STR: 18
DEX: 12
CON: 12
INT 10
WIS 8
CHA: 16

Former Soldier (Athletics, Intimidation)
Planned Class: Paladin


Ditto on the background question... or are we all 'pit fighters'?

... you building a paladin / sorceror by any chance?

Paladin if I last long enough!

Ah yeah, CHA is the paladin's stat too... I forgot and thought you might be building some crazy OP multiclass build!

Possible, I haven't delved into paladins as much, so not sure what their good break points are for going MC.

Forgot about backgrounds, guess I'm still in the 3.5 mindset
Sure you can pick whatever background suits you. You won't have any of the equipment though.

So I'm pretty sure I want to go with option 2. But let's see what the dice say.

Option 1

4D6.HIGH(3) = [1, 5, 6, 1] = 12
4D6.HIGH(3) = [5, 2, 2, 2] = 9
4D6.HIGH(3) = [2, 6, 5, 3] = 14
4D6.HIGH(3) = [4, 1, 2, 6] = 12
4D6.HIGH(3) = [2, 6, 2, 5] = 13
4D6.HIGH(3) = [5, 3, 5, 3] = 13
4D6.HIGH(3) = [1, 4, 2, 4] = 10

Well... that's slightly better than mediocre. Here's hoping for option 2. Because, starting at level 0, I kind of like the idea here of just going with what you're born with and then choosing your calling based on that.

Option 2

5D6.HIGH(3) = [4, 4, 5, 2, 4] = 13
5D6.HIGH(3) = [6, 6, 5, 5, 3] = 17
5D6.HIGH(3) = [6, 1, 2, 4, 6] = 16
5D6.HIGH(3) = [2, 1, 2, 5, 3] = 10
5D6.HIGH(3) = [6, 6, 6, 6, 3] = 18
5D6.HIGH(3) = [4, 4, 2, 2, 5] = 13

STR: 13
DEX: 17
CON: 16
INT: 10
WIS: 18
CHA: 13

Hmm. Okay, then. Kind of tempted trying to be a halfling rogue, since I've never really played either, but I don't want to step on Spider's toes (so to speak). Can I be a tiefling? Or are there other races we're allowed?

Won't be stepping on my toes here, your dex and wis guy will be pretty far from my dragonborn paladin!

I was mostly joking. But a nimble halfling criminal seemed a little too familiar (from another game, but still). And I missed the bit where I can switch two stats. Not sure how I feel about that, but it does indeed open up some possibilities. Thanks! But I'm not really up to thinking today.

All things in the players handbook is alright to choose from and the rest can be up for debate

Also finding the concept of somebody becoming a paladin after being enslaved and forced to fight rather amusing

There's the Oath of Vengeance, after all...

@Wears: With your stats as they are, you've got some pretty interesting options as a DEX-based warrior (fighter / monk / rogue). Your high DEX is going to make you hard to hit and give you a good chance of acting early in combat (you're currently on a +3 AC / Init bonus from it and there's no reason you can't start with +4 if you pick a race that gives you a DEX boost). Your CON score should help keep you alive on the front lines and the high WIS will be good for perception. WIS is also the casting stat for clerics, monks, druids and rangers.

Swapping a high score to CHA would open up casting slots for Paladins, Sorcerors, Warlocks and Bards.

INT gets you the wizard spellcasting stat, and is the stat for third level paths into Arcane Trickster (Rogue) or Eldritch Knight (Fighter), but doesn't otherwise get you anything except languages and knowledge, the usefulness of which is usually pretty campaign-specific.

((Don't think INT affects languages in 5e, those all come from race, class, background or feat.))

((You're right! I was thinking of 4e))