Well, there are specific set rules for PvP duels. And the way they are set up should allow at least 1 or 2 rounds of pre-battle buffing.
How does that make any sense as regards all-day buffs? Are we supposed to conclude "You roll out of bed, fight!" -?
That's dumb if true.
I would consent to a simple "dungeon encounter" with characters starting out without knowing each other and then spotting each other at maximum distance (say, 200 feet), and then rolling initiative. That would be fine.
Got nothing against that core tournemant, but I wouldn't use their rules. It's an OK system, but it's basically fire and forget - and so not as tactical a match as I like.
Normal rules I've played w/ in grudge matches -
1. Any spell w/ duration of more than 1 hour can be cast freely, assumed to have 1 hour off of duration.
2. One round of pre-casting time before round 1. Only PC's can buff - no "purchased" spellcasting.
3. Map varies, depending on what you want to do.
4. 16th level PC's, standard DMG gold, only standard magic items per the DMG, 32 point build. Core rules, races, and classes, plus whatever rule(s) you want to test.
5. All items can be worn and activated, as long as they don't have a duration of less than an hour. IOW, you don't need to waste time activating your animated shields, Flame Burst swords, etc.
6. Players know where all PC's are, unless it's important to the match that one start hidden. PC's can start invisibile, if the duration req is met.
7. Leaving the arena through plane travel, teleports, etc. ends the combat.
8. No Cohorts or Leadership, except for mounts for charge-based PC's.
7. Leaving the arena through plane travel, teleports, etc. ends the combat.
Even teleporting from one end of the arena to the other?
What about Ethereal travel?
In short, are Ethereal and Astral locations coterminus with the battlefield considered to be "in" the battlefield? For a combat cleric, that's important.
"Leaving the battlefield" means having a destination that doesn't show up on the arena map. Ethereal travel's fine, as long as it corresponds to the material plan on the arena map. Astral travel's fine, as long as it's a teleport or similar that ends up on the arena map. You can go up or down as much as you want, as long as you stay on the horizontal map.