The Beast

[Red_Wharf]

Despite being the last fighter in the Andunor pit fights, the Beast is one of the easiest opponents as long as you don't let it sneak attack your character. I guess it was intended this way because the Beast could permanently kill your character, but this was changed, it can't happen anymore, yet the Beast remains the same wimp.

Shouldn't the Beast be made stronger then? The free feats your character used to again after winning the fight were also removed, but the 250k prize still remains. For a last fight, it's very anticlimactic.

[Royal Blood]

It seems people pretty much have the arena down to a science. I liked the beast when he still rolled your character upon defeat. My last character defeated him handily but I think the entire point of the beast was the mental battle you had to win before committing. Of course, some of that like intrigue is gone OOC when you realize what he is capable of mechanically.

Maybe the only way to make the arena 'interesting' is to introduce a whole new set of enemies that do interesting things so that it is new.

[Dreams]

If this is ever reworked, there should be a surface equivalent option available.

[Zanithar]

If this is ever reworked, there should be a surface equivalent option available.

I struggle with this, why does there always have to be an “equivalent”? The whole point is they are different places with different things to do. If you want the UD stuff, play in the UD. There does not have to be a Surface equivalent just as there does not have to be a UD equivalent,

The surface offers a lot of unique experiences, there are far fewer UD unique experiences. The removal of the beast reward because it was too powerful immediately followed by the best in slot build your own ring introduced on the surface was disheartening (which was subsequently nerfed to be on par with an enchantable item). Duplication of what makes the surface or the UD unique and interesting is a road to mediocrity of both places.

[Nitro]

I struggle with this, why does there always have to be an “equivalent”? The whole point is they are different places with different things to do. If you want the UD stuff, play in the UD. There does not have to be a Surface equivalent just as there does not have to be a UD equivalent,

The surface offers a lot of unique experiences, there are far fewer UD unique experiences. The removal of the beast reward because it was too powerful immediately followed by the best in slot build your own ring introduced on the surface was disheartening (which was subsequently nerfed to be on par with an enchantable item). Duplication of what makes the surface or the UD unique and interesting is a road to mediocrity of both places.

Because it's 500k gold in total, a lot of surface characters who ordinarily would have no reason to do anything in Andunor still go down to blitz through the cage fights for the payout. It's not as bad as when the beast belt was around and was the only way to get a best in slot belt, but still very prevalent.

And let's not pretend the pit makes the underdark unique or interesting. There aren't several places in the surface that would fit gladiator matches perfectly, Cordor has a colliseum and Sibayad has an arena, both criminally underutilized because there's no reason to use either except for PvP events, if either or both had fights similar to the pit fight with betting and whatnot it would allow surface gladiators to hold showmatches with betting pools, wagers or even corrupt officials letting criminals fight the gauntlet to avoid punishment for crimes.

[Amnesy]

I agree with Royal Blood, that the alluring thing about the fight was the thrill/risk and the decision making before the fight even started.

I would rather see the arena cages fights redone in a way:
A PC has still max 10 fights, x fights for set prices, and y with betting, where PC can put his money on the fight, you win you get double, you lose then 0. Keeping the same total amount if you win all the fights and bet max values on each.
And then for the Beast, put some randomness to its kit? Like having a few variants and randomly spawning one of them, get him more tricks (chance to short stun, chance to breach, a chance to short buff for ignoring concealment etc.)

In other words, the reward is a freebie unless you can actually risk something.

[Hazard]

Make it so your character is fully dispelled upon entry to the arena.

[Apothys]

Make it so your character is fully dispelled upon entry to the arena.

This is what I've always thought too. People just dip into the slums and get everyone to ward them.

[DM Rex]

Even though there were warnings from the NPC, some folks were not entirely aware of the full consequences. There's always the option to take an MoD* (type varies based on level) automatically through our new command. And it's possible to take after perhaps losing the fight for added pressure. Entirely player choice now.

[Bunnysmack]

Because it's 500k gold in total, a lot of surface characters who ordinarily would have no reason to do anything in Andunor still go down to blitz through the cage fights for the payout. It's not as bad as when the beast belt was around and was the only way to get a best in slot belt, but still very prevalent.

When people do this, my surface character is disgusted and outraged. I could see a neutral-aligned surfacer doing this, or a closet-evil PC, but anyone good aligned should expect a slapping, even if they are chaotic good. I've even heard of a paladin or two that have done this.

Here's the thing, that cage fight is not an activity that good aligned people should be doing. The vast majority of the NPCs that a competitor fights are slaves that are forced to fight for the amusement of Andunor. Slaughtered again and again and then raised so they can repeat the humiliation and agony. No matter what the mechanical prize is, there is no way a good-aligned character can justify supporting that slave-tastic blood sport.

On my EVIL characters, I've adored the cage matches though! Because they are an inherently evil activity. Too often, I find PCs and players trying to rationalize a white washing of this fact, but the flavor of the cage matches is evil, there is no stretch of an argument that makes it okay for champions of truth and justice to beat up slaves for money and glory.

[Tarkus the dog]

Hear me out on this one:

After decades of devouring unbuffed souls and getting beaten to a pulp, the Beast is finally given it's freedom for it's great service to Andunor.

It decides to become a bartender, following it's childhood dream.

The Spider's Web needs the Beast as it's bartender.

Who's with me?

[Batrachophrenoboocosmomachia]

Despite being the last fighter in the Andunor pit fights, the Beast is one of the easiest opponents as long as you don't let it sneak attack your character. I guess it was intended this way because the Beast could permanently kill your character, but this was changed, it can't happen anymore, yet the Beast remains the same wimp.

Shouldn't the Beast be made stronger then? The free feats your character used to again after winning the fight were also removed, but the 250k prize still remains. For a last fight, it's very anticlimactic.

>:)

[Skarain]

Despite being the last fighter in the Andunor pit fights, the Beast is one of the easiest opponents as long as you don't let it sneak attack your character. I guess it was intended this way because the Beast could permanently kill your character, but this was changed, it can't happen anymore, yet the Beast remains the same wimp.

Shouldn't the Beast be made stronger then? The free feats your character used to again after winning the fight were also removed, but the 250k prize still remains. For a last fight, it's very anticlimactic.

>:)

That sounds like "Challenge Accepted!". Overtuned murderbeast incoming!

[Batrachophrenoboocosmomachia]

Despite being the last fighter in the Andunor pit fights, the Beast is one of the easiest opponents as long as you don't let it sneak attack your character. I guess it was intended this way because the Beast could permanently kill your character, but this was changed, it can't happen anymore, yet the Beast remains the same wimp.

Shouldn't the Beast be made stronger then? The free feats your character used to again after winning the fight were also removed, but the 250k prize still remains. For a last fight, it's very anticlimactic.

>:)

That sounds like "Challenge Accepted!". Overtuned murderbeast incoming!

Hah! It's almost like you've seen what happens when I try to tune monsters myself! But I largely agree with a lot of points in this thread and I'll look into getting someone with an eye for monster balance on the arena in general.

[Red_Wharf]

Hah! It's almost like you've seen what happens when I try to tune monsters myself! But I largely agree with a lot of points in this thread and I'll look into getting someone with an eye for monster balance on the arena in general.

Great success, very excite.