Escape and Revolt! (CGH)

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Tired of the constant, brutal punishment, as well as being required to risk their lives every week, gladiators almost invariably grow sick of their enforced captivity, the life of a slave. Even under the kindest of owners, they realize that they cannot bear their slavery any longer.
When they come to this realization, they are at their most dangerous. If gladiators are the most skilled fighters of Athas, how much more ferocious are they when they have set their minds on freedom?
Shocked reports of slave revolts constantly circulate throughout the grapevine of the cities, but none arouse such horror as those of escaped gladiators. The tales of gutted plantations and twisted bodies are enough to whiten the faces and chill the hearts of the owners. Even when the gladiators are seemingly content, they can explode into fury against their former masters, leaving only burning houses behind them as they escape into the deserts of Athas.
Owners of gladiators have learned to keep their eyes out for the warning signs of discontent among their gladiators. Those who do not often awaken to find their guards slain and their slaves freed. As often as not, the owners do not wake at all, their shredded bodies left to rot in their plantations. Even when the gladiators are being carefully watched, there is often little warning before they revolt against their master and his household.
Therefore, slave owners tend to have their gladiators guarded with at least twice the number of guards an ordinary slave would warrant, with at least one psionicist to back them up. These guards usually have had some sort of gladiatorial training, although it does not compare with that of the gladiators themselves. Still, they have some idea of what to expect when they are rushed by a platoon of gladiators.
Small wonder, then, that many of these guards surrender immediately, rather than suffer certain death. Unfortunately for them, they are likely to die anyway for the crime of enforcing the master's will. Escaping gladiators are merciless.
It does not always help to keep the gladiators sequestered away from their weapons, for their improvisational skills with nearly anything left lying around rivals their skill with weapons. Farm implements, broken chairs, tables—if it can hurt someone, gladiators know how to use it. If they are kept away from their weapons, they will find a way to get to them eventually.
Gladiators do not always escape en masse. Some creep away into the darkness at night, eluding the searching gazes of the guards and psionicists. However, if they are making their escape in small numbers, they must do so quietly and carefully. Escape, unlike revolt, is something best done noiselessly. When escaping, the gladiators rely on their master to punish the lax guards, thus eliminating the need for the gladiators to avenge themselves on the guards personally.
When and if the PCs tire of being slave gladiators, their escape from the chains of slavery can provide nights of exciting adventure: the planning, the stealth, and the actual escape easily capture the imagination. The DM should have the PCs role-play nearly every instant of the escape, heightening the tension and suspense as much as possible.