Arenas

Introduction About Me
Hello, my name is Ody. I write D&D 5E Homebrew, from
Welcome! adventures, to character options, to random magic items. I
First of all, I wanted to thank you for downloading this try to put something out every other week.
adventure! This adventure encompasses a couple of core Here are my other works:
elements that can be used individually, or be played all at
once. It features some combat, interesting NPCs, a spectator Teachings of Ayrsai - Link
/ gambling system, and some more interesting things! If you
enjoy this module, please leave a review on DMs Guild! It Cold themed character options. A bunch of subclasses,
helps a lot! magic items and new spells.

Overview Shadow over Snowhollow - Link
The first few pages will cover how the arena works. What you
your players can do in the grand colosseum, and a few Adventure deep in the mountains. Features an adult white
interesting NPCs that provide useful plot hooks. dragon, necromantic orcs, and cursed frost giants.

After the run down of how the grand colosseum works, we Walk of the Dead - Link
jump into the adventure and the Grand Tournament ran by
the tournament master Mendaxus Galus A dungeon crawl adventure with 11 floors to explore.

The adventure takes place in and around the grand Twitter - Link
colosseum and the grand tournament, where the players
slowly uncover that Mendaxus is not as he appears. He's I use this the most.
rigging battles, people are dying, and it's up to the players to
stop him or join him. Ko-Fi - Link

All the battles that will take place in this module will take I'm broke and generally post all my content for free or pay
place in and under the arena itself. what you want. If you'd like to support me, you can use the
link above.
Requirements
The arena itself works for all levels. It can be implemented All my other work - Link
for any party, at any level, in any world. As the DM, you can
adjust any of the CR's, and implement any monsters that My website is currently a work in progress. But you can find
would make sense for the arena to offer. all of my past work here, including all my adventures I've
published as well as future projects.
As for books, you'll only require the base SRD (Free version
of D&D 5E.) for rules, references for running the game, and Email - [email protected]
all monster stat blocks used.
I'm open for commission work! I specialize in adventures,
game rules, and character options. Email for more
information, or a sample of my work!

Or email me if you have any questions, comments,
concerns, would like to use my content, or are a reviewer.

Art Credits

Cover photo by Andrey Yurlov and licensed through
ShutterStock.
Battle map created by Tom Cartos find all his battle maps and
assets on his patreon here: Link

Supporters

A huge shout out to you generous souls who paid for this
content on DMs Guild.
Currently I don't have names to place here. But! Support me on
Ko-Fi or leave a review on DMs Guild and your name can go
here!

2

The Grand Colosseumome one, come all! The grand colosseum is Rules of the Arena
hosting an amazing fight this evening! Tonight, There are rules to keep things fair, for the most part. The
the Gilded Blades will be fighting the new up and rules are mostly in-place to avoid drawing out fights and
boring the spectators. It keeps things interesting.
Ccomers, Wyvern's Bane!
The Great Spectacle Fight to unconsciousness
People travel from all around the world to watch the blood Healers are positioned to run to the aid of combatants
sports. Though, in reality, not much blood is really lost. Sure after a battle. Unfortunately, this doesn't stop all deaths.
people fight and are wounded, but there are healers and Fights to the Death are permitted for special events
medics present. All fights are fought to unconsciousness. People can challenge others to a fight to the death, but
Except for when things go wrong. Which is rare, but can both parties have to agree, and it has to be sanctioned by
happen. the Tournament Master.
1 Healing Potion per duel
The Fighters Healing potions are given, and you may only use 1 healing
Gladiators of all shapes and sizes enter into the arena. potion in a duel. Against monsters, this amount is
Wether for fame, fortune, or a damn good fight. All gladiators increased to 3.
must take a prerequisite fight to determine their ranking. Magic items are allowed.
High ranking gladiators are unable to challenge lesser ranked Magic weapons, shields, and armor are all allowed.
combatants. But, lower ranks can challenge higher ranks. Magic is allowed.
Everyone is free to take monster challenges, depending on If you're capable of casting magical abilities, you may do
the surrounding wild life. so. Though invisibility is frowned upon as it's a spectator
sport.
Gambling

(Please use this responsibly. If a player in your group has any Spectating Fights
serious gambling addictions, do not use the table below or The dungeon master may use the Mercenary bands, specific
bring this up. I cannot take responsibility if you choose to use gladiators, and monster tables below to decide what will be
this section.) fighting.

In addition to witnessing safe carnage, there's a pretty good Once this has been decided. The DM will roll to determine
chance to make a few gold pieces here and there. In fact, how the battle plays out. The DM rolls 3d6, then adds the
there's a whole table below to get your player's gambling modifiers if there are any.
rocks off.

When gambling, the house (the arena organizers), take a 10% For example:
cut of all winnings. This is used to pay gladiators, procure The Gilded Blades are Fighting the Wyvern's Bane today. The
health potions, hire guards, and cleaning staff, and maybe Gilded Blades are a +4 Mercenary group, where as the
some other shady dealings. Gambling has a minimum and a Wyvern's bane are only +3.
maximum bet limit. The lowest you can bet is 1 gold piece, I would roll 3d6+4 for the Gilded Blades, and 3d6+3 for the
the maximum is 500. Wyvern's Bane. Whichever scores higher, is the victor.
When it comes to gambling, the odds are different depending (In-case of gambling, The Gilded Blades would have
on the match-up. If one of the groups has a greater advantage Advantage +1 for the betting table)
or higher modifiers, the odds are skewed in favor of the
stronger team. Meaning, you won't get as great of a return if
you bet for them. But if you bet against them and win, you get
much better rewards.

3

Gambling Odds In-Favor Agaisnt Death Match
1:2 1:2 Generally reserved for strict punishments, or nobles
Advantage challenging each other for a legal fight to the death to
+0 1 : 1.75 1 : 2.15 claim titles. Death Matches are permitted if both parties
+1 1 : 1.5 1 : 2.5 agree. Everything goes in these fights.
+2 1 : 1.25 1 : 2.75
+3 1:1 1:3 Tournaments
+4 Arena tournaments are a solid gauge of who the best of the
best are in this town. A tournament usually consists in a
How to use the above table: standard tournament bracket, or about 4 battles for the party.
Each battle should get more and more difficult. If you're using
It looks a little off, but let me explain odds and rules. So, as the combatants section below, the fights would most likely go
you know from reading the spectator and gambling sections in this order:
above, every fight will have different odds of a team winning. Round 1 - Fight against monsters.
The Gilded Blades are a +4 team. If a they fought a +0 newbie Round 2 - Fight against The 7th Regiment.
team, and you voted for them. You wouldn't make any money. Semi-Finals - Fight against Wyvern's Bane.
Because with a +4 in-favor bet, you would gain a total of 1 to Grand-Final - Fight against Gilded Blades.
1 gold piece. Now if they lost, you would earn 3 gold pieces
for your every 1. Tournaments should offer a decent chunk of gold
according to your party's level, as well as a magic item and
Now, if a +3 team fought a +1 team. You would subtract the some renown, maybe dinner with the king or a lord will
lower number from the higher. Giving the better team an throw an event in your celebration for becoming the new
advantage of +2. Then you would use the +2 section of the masters of the tournament.
graph to determine potential gold return. You can also include interesting developments in a
tournament scenario, and learn more of the individual
Joining The Arena gladiators. The adventure provided below takes place during
Looking to spill a little blood and earn a little coin? Well have a tournament. Feel free to use it, or draw inspiration from it
I got something for you! Groups of adventurers are able to when coming up with a unique plot besides a bloodbath.
compete in the Arena!
To get started fighting in the arena, the party must speak with Shopping
the tournament master. From there, the tournament master There are a few shops in the Arena itself. Normally shopping
will assess their abilities and ask of some of their previous is reserved for those who are participating in the games to
feats to determine what kind of matchup they'll be facing. stock up on needed items or supplies before battles. But
Higher ranked matches offer more coin, but are obviously spectators who spend coin are always welcome. There is also
harder. The party must also have a team name to go by, so it a gift shop with bobble-heads, collectable trading cards and a
makes the announcements before a fight easier. tee-shirt that says, "I Went To The Grand Colosseum and all I
A neat side-hustle, the tournament master allows you to place got is this lousy shirt.". For more information on shopping,
bets on yourself. You cannot bet on the enemy team if you're see page 7 of this module.
battling. You will always receive 1 to 2 odds, unless your
opponents are much weaker than you.
The party can choose what kind of fight they would like to
partake in. They are as follows:

Battle
A battle is a large fight between two parties. Generally the
PCs can challenge another group via the tournament
master.

Duel
A 1 versus 1 battle. People in the same party cannot
challenge each other to a duel, unless it is a duel to the
death. This rule is in place to avoid rigged battles.

Monster Fight
The party may challenge a monster that the tournament
master has on hand. These are more exciting spectacles,
but more dangerous. You may receive 1 to 3 odds if you
bet on your team against stronger monsters.

4

Combatantshis section will be primarily tables for the
Dungeon Master to use when creating events
to watch, or for the players to battle against.
The tables will offer useful information to roll

Twith. Underneath the tables are short
descriptions of the groups, monsters, and
specific gladiators for the DM to use in a pinch.
Feel free to create your own unique backstories to fit your
world if you would like.

Mercenary Bands Monsters

1d10 Name Advantage 1d100 Name Advantage CR
-1 -4 1/8
1 Chicken Chasers +0 1-5 Giant Rat -3 1/4
+0 -2 1/2
2 Warrior's Bond +1 6-10 Wolf -1 1/2
+1 +0 1
3 The 7th Regiment +2 11-15 Crocodile +0 1
+2 +0 1
4 Hunters of the Horn +3 16-20 Black Bear +1 2
+3 +1 2
5 Dungeon Delvers +4 21-25 Dire Wolf +2 3
+2 3
6 Feathered Fletchers 26-30 Lion +3 4
+3 4
7 Iron-Fist Battalion 31-35 Tiger +4 5
+4 5
8 Band of Blood 36-40 Griffon +5 6
+5 6
9 Wyvern's Bane 41-45 Rhinoceros +6 7
+6 7
10 The Gilded Blades 46-50 Owlbear +7 8

51-55 Manticore

Specific Gladiators 56-60 Black Pudding

1d10 Name Advantage 61-65 Elephant
-1
1 Ol Ricky +0 66-70 Elemental
+0
2 Halton Three-Fingers +1 71-75 Bulette
+1
3 Felix Black-Eye +2 76-80 Mammoth
+2
4 Hamid el-Jamil +3 81-85 Wyvern
+3
5 Urgran Bloodfist +4 86-90 Giant Ape

6 Lyra Nighthollow 91-95 Young Black Dragon

7 Kais Thorok 96-100 Hydra

8 Skafon Shattersword All monsters above can be found in the Monster section of
the Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition SRD. Feel free to use
9 Mavas Ginzera different monsters, that better match your party's level, items,
and skill.
10 Julianus Faustinius

5

Mercenary Bands Specific Gladiators

Chicken Chasers Ol' Ricky (-1)

The Chicken Chasers aren't really a band of mercenaries. It's Human, fighter?
really a few old drunks that took one too many to the head, Good Ol' Ricky's had one too many again. Whatever paltry
and they had a great idea to make "Easy money" from the coppers he earns goes to the tavern in the arena. Poor guy
arena. They have yet to win a real battle. Except that one time signed a contract with the games master some years back
they barely killed a Giant Rat. and since then has been one of the staples of the Arena when
people are looking for a laugh.
Warrior's Bond
Halton Three-Fingers (+0)
A new band. The Warrior's Bond are a few up and coming
kids that want to earn money for their poor parents. All 4 of Human, fighter.
the members of this group are in-fact, brothers. Halton used to run with a band of brigands. They were
excellent at robbing farmers of their precious coppers. He
The 7th Regiment decided to leave that life behind, so he signed a contract with
the games master recently to fight legally.
The 7th Regiment is a group of local militia men who sought
to put their skills to the test. Though one too many in the Felix Black (+0)
tavern over the course of a few years does something to your
physique. Drow Elf, Rogue.
Felix has spent the last couple years on the surface after
Hunters of the Horn stealing something from his homeland. He's the lead night
fighter in the arena. Preferring to use a bow and seeing
A real group of adventurers. The Hunters of the Horn banded through his enemies deceptions. He signed his contract as
together originally to find the fabled Horn of Valhalla. They not many other places would accept him for work.
decided to stop for a bit to get a little money for their travels.
Hamid El-Jamil (+1)
Dungeon Delvers
Human, Paladin.
Similar to the Hunters of the Horn, the Dungeon Delvers Hamid El-Jamil uses a great glaive to cut down his foes. He
have been on quite a few dangerous missions into prefers to fight monsters, and fight in the name of his god. He
underground crypts or forgotten lairs. took the contract as a way to earn his god more renown.

Feathered Fletchers Urgan Bloodfist (+1)

Master marksmen the lot of them. Can feather you full of Half-Orc, barbarian.
holes faster than you can say Feather Fiper Flicked Fickles. Urgan used to be a high-ranking warrior of his clan before his
clan was wiped out by the crown's military. Having no where
Iron-Fist Battalion left to turn, and doing what he does best. He signed a
contract with the games master to bring glory to his fallen
This rowdy group of dwarves used to be master miners clan.
before their mines were invaded by goblins. Using nothing
but picks and fists they crawled their way safety through the
massive hordes. Real bad asses.

Band of Blood

Orcs and half-orcs. Once they used to be marauders, but have
settled down. Finding the thrill of battle payment enough in
the arena... though, the money is nice too.

Wyvern's Bane

A group of adventurers renowned for taking down a Wyvern
in the open wilderness. A skilled group of fierce combatants,
looking to knock the Gilded Blades from their throne.

The Gilded Blades

A legendary band of mercenaries that have settled down to
take fights in the arena and earn coin. They've battled and
survived against an adult green dragon, delved some of the
deepest dungeons, fought in wars. They're heroes, and a huge
money maker for the Arena.

6

Specific Gladiators Shops & Stores
Continued...
Underneath the arena itself are a few shops and stores.
Lyra Nighthollow (+2) Carrying a wide variety of goods. From arms and armorers,
to wizards selling spell components, or alchemists selling
Elf, Ranger fiery bombs and healing potions.
Lyra and her pet bear are fearsome combatants. Lyra raised For the most part, these stores are really only here to serve
her pet to be a ferocious, yet sweet companion. They left their the gladiators. If guests wish to shop, there is a gift shop
elven home in search of adventure, and the crowd's cheers available with Julianus figures and a shirt that says, "I Went
bring them great joy. To The Grand Colosseum and all I got is this lousy shirt."

Kais Thorok (+2) Shops in the Arena

Dragonborn, Monk Gaston's Goods
Hailing from a far off monastery, Kais has mastered the art of
the open palm. Incapacitating his foes and delivering deadly A solid armorer, Gaston's generally a pretty fair priced dude.
power with his fists. He signed the contract with the Arena He does like to give gladiators a bit of a hard time since he
after he broke one of his vows. Since then he's been giving all can't compete anymore. (Took an arrow to the knee if you
the money he earns to those less fortunate. want to hear a groan from your table.)

Skafon Shattersword (+3) Femlor's fabulous fictions

Dwarf, Artificer Femlor's had a few too many dusk shrooms. He's the chief
Exiled by his people for his wild inventions, Skafon sought to alchemist at the Arena and supplies potions. He also sells
show his value to the people of the world. He signed a psychedelics if you're into that kinda thing.
contract with the arena, and brings his wild ideas to life in
the fights. Berry Bill's Bows

Mavas Ginzera (+3) Berry Bill is a bad ass gnome hunter with an eyepatch and 4
claw marks over his missing eye. He's got a real deep bristled
Halfling, Sorcerer. voice. Gives out good berries, and talks about stories of him
One of the fiercest in the arena, and strongest constitution in and the boys. He used to be a big shot monster hunter before
the tavern after, Mavas claims she was bit by a dragon in her the accident. Now, he just sells arrows, bows, traps, and other
youth. Giving her incredible power over the arcane. Of ranged weapons.
course, anyone with an intelligence over 8 knows, that's not
how that works. Moog's Magic Materials

Julianus Faustinius (+4) Moog is an old human with a wisp of hair on his head. He
sells magical materials, and will talk for hours about subjects
Leonin, Fighter. he finds interesting. He sells all materials for spells up to 6th
The ever gallant, Julianus. Shining in his golden armor. He level and lower.
dual wields incredibly intricate swords. He is the shining star
of the grand arena. The games masters personal pet and The Amethyst Inn
prized possession.
An amethyst (purple) dragonborn named Rynn and her life
partner Gala run the Amethyst Inn. They drink a little too
much for their own good and run the rowdiest pub in the
area. If you want to stay the night, you'll have to pay a pretty
price. If you compete in the games, then a room and drinks
are free.

7

The Arenam Maximum

Arena Adventure Module Introduction
When the party first arrives, they hear the cheering of the
Here is a small adventure that could potentially be played in a crowd going wild. The rush of excitement and entertainment
one-shot or multi-shot setting. If you're looking for some bustles throughout the entire town. All the townsfolk are
heavy combat focused adventure while you're setting up talking about the great tournament being hosted today at the
something else after, this will work great for you. Grand Colosseum!

Overview When the players first arrive to the arena, a fight will be in-
The Grand Colosseum is hosting a tournament! Mendaxus progress. They'll be able to find good seats and place bets if
Galus, the games master of the arena invites all who wish to they'd like. For this round, you should show off Julianus
participate. Those that win can earn fame, riches, and glory Faustinus, completely crushing somebody like Halton Three-
in the Grand Colosseum, as well as have an offer to sign a Fingers. Or the Gilded Blades taking on The Warrior's Bond.
contract with the Games Master himself. Something with a direct advantage.

Of course, as the players will find out, Mendaxus isn't just a After the fights concluded, the party is approached by a rich
simple rich guy looking to make a profit. He has an ulterior nobleman named Mendaxus Galus. Either he has heard of
motive that guides his hand. the party, or studied them in-person and wanted to ask if they
would be interested in joining the Arenam Maximum. The
Throughout the adventure, players will be able to have Great Arena tournament. If the players agree, great. If not,
roughly 4 encounters to battle through, and will be offered a Mendaxus would be quite persistent not to let this group out
few choices throughout the game. Along with the amount of of his reach. He'll up the reward, or mention something
gladiators, teams, and monsters, no two games of the Grand enticing about the plot hook you used to get the party here in
Colosseum should be the same! We'll be using some of the the first place.
tables above to mix up the narrative here and there. If you
have any questions about the personality of the gladiators,
use the above references. Of course, you can choose what
you'd like your players to encounter instead of using the
random tables.

Plot Hooks
Feel free to use these plot hooks to get your players engaged
in the idea of an Arena. You can choose whatever works best
for your party or come up with your own.

Riches and Glory

Flyers and word of mouth travels throughout the nearby
cities. The Grand Colosseum is hosting a new event! The
prize is enough gold to make a peasant a lord, and even
better, a chance to become the champion of the arena itself!

Strange Occurrences

Another man has died in the arena recently. This wouldn't be
surprising, if not for the priests and alchemists on site to
administer aid. This is the 4th death this month. Something
strange is happening at the arena.

Letter of Challenge

Your party of adventurers have been challenged by an up-and-
coming band of warriors seeking fame in the arena. Will you
accept the challenge? Or back down like cowards?

8

Map of the Arena Tom Cartos Patreon

Map by Tom Cartos

Tom Cartos is an amazing D&D / TTRPG creator who has
made (and is still making) tons of great maps, content, and
assets for you to use in your tabletop experience. Get access
to everything he's made on his patreon:

9

The First Trial - For glory! Second trial continued...
The party will have a day to meet the other contestants, shop,
and learn the rules of the arena. Whoever lost in the opening If the party confronts Mendaxus, he uses deception to blame
match, won't be available however. If other patrons are asked, it on his servant, and slaps the helpless man who delivered
they mention his wounds were severe, and he was taken the potions.
below.
When your players are ready, the first fight will begin. The Players can see through the Deception with a Wisdom
grand tournament is team based, and the first round is always (Insight) check of 16 or higher. On a check higher than 21, the
against a few monsters. player will observe a strange magical deception on
Mendaxus' person.
Setting up for battle.
If Mendaxus feels threatened, he summons Julianus to his
Use the combatants table above, or create an exciting monster side, as well as a few other guards. He allows the party to use
the arena would have. This fight shouldn't be too difficult and their own health potions from here on out.
is more a test of the characters. Adjust the amount of
monsters to the necessary CR for your players and let them If Mendaxus is engaged, see section "The Final Fight".
have it.
The Third Trial - Victory?
After the round is won, Julianus congratulates them, but is On the next day, the semi-finals take place. The party will face
not quite convinced of their prowess. against Wyvern's Bane. Mendaxus' servant comes and speaks
The games continue as other teams go into battle. The party with the party once more before the battle. He apologizes on
can spectate or do whatever they like until the next day. his master's behalf, and slips one of them a note, then walks
off.
The Second Trial - Betrayal
The party is supplied with potions from one of Mendaxus' The Note
servants before their next fight. The servant tells the party
they're superior healing potions. The servant also tells the Scrawled on the note is a plead for help. The servant reveals
party, that the gambling odds of their victory is in their favor. that Mendaxus is not as he appears and must be stopped. He
A player may make a Intelligence (Arcana or Investigation) mentions to meet him after the battle. He also says the
check to discern what the potion is without drinking it. On a Wyvern's Bane are set up to lose, and some may possibly die if
successful DC of 14 or higher, the player would know it is not you do not aim to render them unconscious.
a healing potion, and is in-fact dyed water.
The second battle is against another group of adventurers, The battle against Wyvern's Bane should be difficult, but not
about the same level and power as the party. Choose from the too hard. They were weakened by a curse placed on them by
list a strong group (besides the Gilded Blades, as they are Mendaxus, and their potions are also fakes similar to the
last). The rival group will meet with the party and share ones given to the party yesterday.
drinks before their battle. Wishing them good fortune.
During the battle, if a player attempts to use one of the If a character aims for the kill without calling for non-lethal
healing potions given to them, they do not regain hit points. damage, Wyvern's Bane members will die, and cannot assist
The potions are in-fact not healing potions, and instead, dyed the party in the fight against Mendaxus later on.
water. As per the rules of the arena, the party should only
have these potions available to them during the battle. Throughout the battle, Mendaxus can be seen on the Games
After the battle, the leader of the opposing team greets them. Master's chair, smiling with glee. On his left side, Julianus can
He finds it suspicious that when the party used a healing be seen with his arms crossed. If the party attempts to drag
potion, they were not healed. (If someone in the party did not him into the arena, see section, "The Final Fight"
use a healing potion, then he would mention the little effects
their potions had on their team) After the battle, any of the Wyvern's Bane members who were
reduced to 0 hit points without non-lethal damage will
unfortunately perish.

If any of the Wyvern's Bane member's are left alive, they will
find the party in The Amethyst Inn. They speak of being
betrayed, and blame the party for the curse put on them. The
party can deescalate the encounter with a Charisma
(Persuasion) check of 14 or higher, or show them the note
the servant gave them.

10

The Third Trial continued... Calm Before The Storm
Depending on what the party would like to do, there are a few
If a fight breaks out, after two rounds of combat the servant things to take into account as the dungeon master for each
that gave the note to the party in the first place appears in the individual circumstance.
tavern, and the wyvern's bane members stop fighting.
Just as you have no clue, I most definitely have no clue. Hell, I
If a fight never broke out, the same happens. The servant don't even know what my tables would do. So, I've created a
finds the party. The servant brings the party and any of the few parameters for encountering Mendaxus and how all that
wyvern's bane members to a hidden area of the arena. works out. You can skip to, "The Final Fight" if your players
are ready to fight him.
The servant reveals the Mendaxus is not a man, but a
Rakshasa from the nine-hells. has been rigging games from Mendaxus' chambers
the beginning. He offers the losers powerful contracts that
make them stronger and offers wealth, in exchange for their If the party looks for Mendaxus in his chambers, he will not
soul be in. Probably off doing some evil ritual or something. In his
place, there will be 4 to 6 Imps scampering around. They
If someone accepts the offer, he profits off them for a while, attempt to steal anything that could frame Mendaxus and run
then has them killed by fixing the games to collect their soul away to tell their master. If an Imp gets away, Mendaxus will
for his master. find them and attempt to kill them that night with the help of
Julianus and a few more Imps.
Mendaxus plans to have the Gilded Blades lose tomorrow so
he can offer them the contract. This would make him The Gilded Blades
incredibly more powerful if he could secure the souls of the
Gilded Blades, and he must be stopped. The leader of the Gilded Blades will think it is pretty
outlandish without some sort of proof. A charisma
Proposed Plans to stop Mendaxus (persuasion) check of 15 will convince him that it may in fact
be true. This can be automatically passed with proof from
The party can come up with their own plans. But if they get Mendaxus' chambers.
stuck, the leader of Wyvern's Bane or the Servant can If the Gilded Blades are on your side, they propose attacking
propose these courses as well. Mendaxus and revealing him during the tournament. The
Wyvern's Bane could sneak up and knock him into the Arena,
Ask the Gilded Blades for help The Gilded Blades can hold off Julianus.

The party can seek out the Gilded Blades and tell them of Throwing Caution to the Wind
Mendaxus. This would require a Charisma (persuasion)
check of 15 or higher. Walk in guns blazing into the arena the next day with no real
plan only to attack Mendaxus during the combat. He will be
Strike at Mendaxus Tonight there in the game master's stand.
Alternatively, they can also just kill the Gilded Blades in the
The party can find his chamber and dispose of him there arena, win, and leave. In that case, congratulations, I guess.
tonight.
Sign a contact with Mendaxus
Pull him in the Arena
Talk about throwing a wrench in the gears. They can happily
During the fight, climb onto the game master's stand and sell their souls for power and wealth. In doing so, their souls
pull him directly into the arena. will be forfeit to Zariel in the first layer of the Nine Hells. If
they want to go about this method, all they have to do is ask.
Tell local authorities
Leave...
This may be hard to do, as they won't trust a fighter over
the great taxpayer and generous donor Mendaxus, without There's nothing stopping them if they want to run away with
substantial proof. their tails between their legs. They'll have to live with their
choice for the rest of their lives.

11

The Final Fight Julianus Faustinius
Depending on the scenario, see above section, "The Calm
Before The Storm." to setup for the encounter. Medium Leonin, lawful Evil

Mendaxus uses the Rakshasa statblock found in the SRD. He Armor Class 17
is cunning and doesn't prefer direct combat with others. Hit Points 120(15d8 + 50)
Preferring to use Julianus or his Imps to tank for him. He Speed 30ft.
uses charm person, suggestion, and dominate person to gain
an advantage, and will target the party first, generally those STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
with the weakest spell saves for the specific spells mentioned. 18 (+4) 15 (+2) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 12 (+1) 15 (+2)

Julianus on the other hand, prefers to take the battle to the Saving Throws Str +7, Dex +5, Con +6
enemy and protect his master. Skills Athletics +10, Intimidation +5
Senses passive Perception 11
Feel free to adjust the character stats and templates to fit Languages Common, Leonin
your parties level and magical gear. Challenge 5 (1,800 XP)

Victory! Brave. Julianus has advantage on saving throws
After slaying Mendaxus, his soul is torn from the material against being frightened.
plane. He's dragged back down to the nine-hells where he Brute. A melee weapon deals one extra die of its
must regain his strength to one day come back and kill the damage when the gladiator hits wit it (included in
party. the attack.

The tournament winnings are granted to the party for Actions
uncovering this dark secret. If Julianus is left alive, he stops
fighting and begs the party's forgiveness. He was under the Multiattack. Julianus makes three melee attacks or
control of his master Mendaxus. two ranged attacks.
Champions Sword. Melee Weapon Attack: +7 to hit,
Give your players some cool magic items that befits them, reach 5ft., one target. Hit 11 (2d6 + 4)
and throw a massive party at the Amethyst Inn! They Champions Javelin. Ranged Weapon Attack: +7 to
deserved it. hit, rand 20/60ft., one target. Hit 11 (2d6 + 4)

Reactions

Parry. Julianus adds 3 to his AC against one melee
attack that would hit it. To do so, Julianus must see
the attacker and be wielding a melee weapon.

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