conversations.from: system
conversations.value: ROLEPLAY_MODE: Develop the plot slowly, always stay in character. Describe all actions in full, elaborate, explicit, graphic, and vivid detail. Mention all relevant sensory perceptions. Keep the story immersive and engaging.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Toliudar: It has occurred to me that, with a bunch of monster characters, the balance amongst which is hard to determine, and with us starting in a gladiatorial context, it might be useful to give the players with completed PC's an opportunity to try them out 'in the ring.'
  •	All of you will face the same opponent. No XP will be rewarded for these fights.
  •	Winning is explicitly not the point of this, so feel free to read each others' threads.
  •	Instead, I'm looking at how a character works, and how a player writes (which is NOT to say that I need sonnets in each post).
  •	Participation is voluntary, and I may accept players who don't participate in this process, but I figured that it might be fun, and gives me more information.
  •	The Friday deadline for new applications remains, but I may delay selection of a team to move forward to group play by a few days while I move some of these individual threads forward.
  
  Should you choose to participate, from your past experience, you know the following:
  
  The arena is a 50’ cube, with a tight lattice of force on all sides, and there are audience bleachers on all four sides.  The floor of the arena is gravel and dirt, but you know from talking to other gladiators the force lattice extends below the surface.
  
  Usually, your opponents are already in the ring when you enter.  You start in a small waiting area adjacent to the arena, supervised by a pair of grim-faced guards.
  
  There is a table in the waiting area with a disorganized pile of battered-but-serviceable weapons and shields, in a variety of sizes and configurations.  Spending 1 round at the table finds you any medium sized common weapon, or a medium sized buckler, large shield or tower shield.  For each size smaller or larger, add one round of searching.  For a martial weapon or spiked shield, add 1 round of searching.  For an exotic weapon, add 2 rounds.  None of the weapons are masterwork, of special materials, or otherwise mechanically exceptional.  If you are searching for a missile weapon, the associated ammunition is found with the weapon.
  Anything that you do in the waiting area that harms the guards gets you summarily and efficiently killed.  Otherwise, you can go through any preparations/buffing/etc that you wish.  Once the signal comes for the doors to open, the two guards immediately force you out into the main arena, and the fight begins.  Resisting the guards gets you summarily and efficiently killed.
  
  From your past experience, you might have only a few seconds in the waiting area, or you might wait a minute or two before the fight begins.  Functionally, this means I’ll be rolling a d20 to determine how many rounds of preparation you have before the start of the fight.  In your first post, I’ll ask you to lay out your character’s actions in each of 20 pre-fight rounds, and I’ll let you know when that sequence of actions is interrupted by the start of the fight.  You're under no obligation to do anything in any of those rounds.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: MikelaC1: Cowdenbeath is ready, as always, for battle...and his usual choice is a greataxe. Denied his own personal greataxe, he paws through the garbage provided, not impressed by being treated as some sort of common mid-level grappler. Someone is going pay, it takes only 3 rounds for him to find a greataxe suitable to his size. With any time left over, he takes a small dagger and uses it to sharpen his horns, he has more than one way to kill a cowering opponent. Facing the door to the arena, he paws the ground, waiting for the signal to charge into the ring.
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Toliudar: Rounds of preparation:  (1d20)[ 18 ] 
  Opponent's initiative:  (1d20+2)[ 22 ] 
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Toliudar: Cowdenbeath's fury builds as he is forced to wait even longer before the doors open.  When the now-all-too-familiar horn blows, the pair of stone-faced guards haul open the doors.  Even they, however, are reluctant to lay hands on the legendary Cowdenbeath, and simply gesture for him to walk through.
  
  As the minotaur enters the arena, the doors slam shut behind him, and there's a sizzling sound as the briefly-removed section of the force lattice returns.  As always, the only way forward is through.
  
  The arena is unusually crowded today.  Standing about 10' in front of Cowdenbeath is a creature about his size, but slender and only approximately humanoid - indeed, it seems to be made entirely of flames.  Directly behind it, a sleek golden tiger crouches and snarls, seemingly preparing to pounce.  At the far side of the arena, a second tiger lurks, its tail twitching.
  
   
   Spoiler: Mechanics 
  Please roll initiative.  If you match or beat 22, take a full round of actions.
   
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: MikelaC1: needing the natural 20 
   Spoiler: Initiative 
   (1d20+2)[ 8 ] 
   
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Toliudar: The flame creature reaches out toward Cowdenbeath, smacking at him with both sort-of-arms.
  
  The tiger lopes toward Cowdenbeath as well, coming up on the flame-creature's right.  It opens itself to the great minotaur's superior reach as it approaches, and slashes at the minotaur's thigh.
  
  The farther of the tigers screeches twice and paws at the air.
  
   
   Spoiler: Mechanics 
  
  Flame guy two slam attacks:
  Attack  (1d20+10)[ 14 ]  Damage  (2d6+4)[ 13 ]  bludgeoning damage plus  (2d6)[ 5 ]  fire damage
  Attack  (1d20+10)[ 17 ]  Damage  (2d6+4)[ 9 ]  bludgeoning damage plus  (2d6)[ 10 ]  fire damage
  
  Cowdenbeath gets an attack of opportunity on the tiger as it approaches.
  
  Claw attack:  (1d20+11)[ 21 ]   Damage:  (2d6+4)[ 12 ] 
   
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: MikelaC1: Denied his usual armor, Cowdenbeath takes two hits, angering him but not enough to spark his legendary rage. However the tiger's mistake of coming into his range deserves punishment
   
   Spoiler: Rolls 
   (1d20+17)[ 26 ]  attack &amp;  (3d6+10)[ 22 ] 
   
  
  Focusing on the flame creature now, Cowdenbeath's axe swings in a pair of mighty blows
   
   Spoiler: Rolls 
   (1d20+17)[ 33 ]  attack &amp;  (3d6+10)[ 22 ]  damage
   (1d20+12)[ 18 ]  attack &amp;  (3d6+10)[ 16 ]  damage
   
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: Toliudar: The tiger bleeds and yowls as Cowdenbeath's axe catches it on the chest.  Great streaking gobs of flame stuff are carved from the flame-creature, the noise from which briefly goes from a crackling bonfire to a roaring inferno.  The flames splatter and dissipate against the lattice of the arena.  The crowd goes wild.
  
  The flame-creature strikes again at the great minotaur, and the tiger rears up to slash and bite at him again.
  
  The other tiger stops yowling, and a magnificent brown bear appears to Cowdenbeath's right side, right next to him.  It reaches out and attempts to draw him in with a huge paw.  The distant tiger starts hissing and spitting.
  
   
   Spoiler 
  All of Cowdenbeath's attacks hit.
  
  Flame creature:
  Slam 1 Attack:  (1d20+10)[ 26 ]  Damage:  (2d6+4)[ 10 ]  bludgeoning plus  (2d6)[ 9 ]  fire
  Slam 2 Attack:  (1d20+10)[ 24 ]  Damage:  (2d6+4)[ 11 ]  bludgeoning plus  (2d6)[ 6 ]  fire
  
  Tiger:
  Claw 1 Attack:  (1d20+11)[ 22 ]  Damage:  (1d8+8)[ 14 ] 
  Claw 2 Attack:  (1d20+11)[ 23 ]  Damage:  (1d8+8)[ 15 ] 
  Bite Attack:  (1d20+6)[ 11 ] . Damage:  (2d6+4)[ 8 ] 
  
  Bear:
  Claw attack  (1d20+13)[ 15 ]  damage:  (1d8+10)[ 18 ]  slashing
  if it hits, attempting a grapple as a free action.  Does not provoke AoO:
  Opposed Grapple:   (1d20+14)[ 29 ] , ignoring the +4 size bonus since they're the same size.
  If the grapple attempt is successful, the bear enters Cowdenbeath's space and prepares to  audition for The Revenant .
   
conversations.from: human
conversations.value: MikelaC1: A red film comes over Cowdenbeath's eyes as he roars and enters into his legendary rage status. He grabs the bear by the scruff of the neck and attempts to toss him aside
   
   Spoiler: Opposed grapple.  
   (1d20+19)[ 38 ] 
   
  
  At the same time, he grips his axe even harder and power attacks the flame creature in front of him
   
   Spoiler: Power Attack -5/+5 
   (1d20+14)[ 29 ]  attack &amp;  (3d6+17)[ 29 ]  damage
   (1d20+9)[ 19 ]  attack &amp;  (3d6+17)[ 27 ]  damage
   