Anger with Core Colieseum

[virgil]

I can't believe this, this is some of the worst rules-lawyering I've ever seen.

I made a character that used Forced Share Pain on his opponent, and then jumped into lava. They were initially at a loss, because they normally have a rule to avoid fights that end in a draw, which happened when my opponent and I died at the same time from the fire damage.

However, one of the elders just ruled that since Share Pain "shares damage from attacks that deal hit point damage", it doesn't share the damage from lava because it's not an attack; it's an environmental effect that deals hit point damage. Thusly, I lost because the lava damage isn't split.

[Username17]

I know with certainty that I am going to be very sad, but what the hell is Core Coliseum? And for that matter, why are people throwing around incredibly non-core effects like forced shared pain in a Core Coliseum?

-Username17

[virgil]

Basically, it's D&D Fight Club. You creat/post your character, using only the SRD for rules (which includes psionics). Every week, you and everyone else's characters are paired off for arena combat, where you send your tactics to a third party who then runs the fight using the tactics from both combatants.

Here's a link to it for better details:Core Coliseum

They have a few house rules to allow for certain issues, such as an independently followed formula for how much of your wealth can be spent on consumables like potions and the like. And in order to mitigate 'nova tactics' from casters, your characters need to fight three times in a row without rest (you're automatically fully healed and ressurected between fights); and subsequently, they try to force you to limit your per day resources to one-third each fight (left over resources carry over from one fight to the next).

[MrWaeseL]

That sounds about as much fun as a barbed wire enema.

[Brobdingnagian]

I wonder if anyone there uses the Wish economy? Candle of Invocation is core...

[virgil]

Believe me, they've inspired me now to start trying to do that stuff. Just need to get someone with Use Magic Device high enough. There is a possible problem, they're willing to instate house rules on rare occasions to keep the game 'balanced & fun'. For instance, Gate is completely banned in all forms. Polymorph Any Object automatically runs out on its duration at the end of the three fights. Polymorph requires knowledge checks (DC 10+CR or so, maybe 15+) to be able to turn into stuff, and single forms have to be instated in any scrolls you make.

[the_taken]

Keep us posted with your antics, I'm interested in seeing what the reaction from the CC will be once they realize what you're doing.

If they realize that anything wrong with it.

[josephbt]

I seriously don't know why you bother with that board.

I took one look at the fights. The amount of retarded in that thread left me blind for half an hour. Holy symbol sundering, component pouch sundering, multiclass monk/sorcs, playing a pure wizzo/drd/clr is unheard of. Not to mention the fact that you're allowed to use only a third of your spell levels each fight to prevent "nova", but get healed and resurected each fight.

[virgil]

Oh, they have a severe limitation on having 'allies' (purchased animals, Planar Bindings, etc). You basically can't have any with a CR higher than your Level-4 (minimum of 1) in the fight with you. Note, this doesn't count the Summon Monster line of spells or similar. And I'm certain they'll use that house-rule of theirs to stop efreet from being summoned until you're level 12 (of which, there are virtually nobody).

There are a couple pure wizards, but they're usually specialists (I think I have the ONLY generalist). There are several druids running around that are still pure, last I checked. Psychic warriors are incredibly popular, and generally win most of their fights.

That reminds me, I was going to buy an adamantine shuriken and use it as an improvised melee weapon for sundering purposes.

Hell, feel free to remind of all the little tactics that I could try to use on that board. I myself don't remember that stuff, as I haven't run a standard D&D game in years.

[the_taken]

I'm sure you though of Xbow + prone at level 1?

[virgil]

Your character starts at level 3, and there are few ways to keep people from just charging you if you do that. Works fine against the non-melee types, of which there aren't many.

[the_taken]

Your opponents start within charging distance?

Hmm, teleport while prone with an Xbow around the arena and keep out of melee range? No, by that level meleeists have too much HP to make tele-skirmish feasible.

Read the rules long ago, figured I'd start an SOD specialist and dominate the arena for a while. Never got around to it. Didn't seem worth it.

[Endovior]

I played in something like this at one time, but it was face-to-face, ECL 10. I played a Gray Elf Assassin, and maxed out my Int. I killed everyone with Deep Slumber, because nobody (not even the maxed-Wis Druid) could save against it. I won $25 from it too, which was sweet.

[Crissa]

...And people wondered why the plate-wearing classes in Warcraft are a larger proportion of the winning Arena teams than the non plate classes.

It's a damn arena, duh.

-Crissa