Gladiator - Fugitive Hillsfar (Character Kit)

Class Information 	Class Information
Class Requirements 	Fighter (no multiclassing)
Racial Requirements 	Elf (gold, moon, wild), half-elf (gold, moon, wild), dwarf (gold, shield), gnome (forest, rock), halfling
Ability Requirements 	Constitution 11, Dexterity 11, Strength 11
Prime Requisite 	Constitution, Dexterity, Strength
Aligments 	Any (rarely lawful)
Social Rank 	Lower class
Hit Die Type 	d10
Attack as 	Warrior
Save as 	Warrior
Advance as 	Fighter
Spell Ability? 	No
Exceptional Strength? 	Yes
Exceptional Constitution?	Yes
Starting Cash (x10 gp) 	None (see below)
Proficiencies 	Proficiencies
Weapon Slots 	5
Initial Weapons 	Any except missile weapons (two must be exotic)
Additional WP Slot 	3
Additional Weapons 	Any
Nonproficiency Penalty 	-1
Nonweapon Slots 	2 (see below)
Additional NWP Slot 	3
Available Categories 	General, Warrior
Bonus Proficiencies 	None
Recommended Proficiencies	Blind-fighting, endurance, gaming, healing, jumping, local history (Hillsfar), tumbling; possibly one minor General skill gained prior to capture (agriculture, brewing, cobbling, cooking, fire-building, fishing, pottery, swimming, weaving, etc.)
Secondary Skills 	Any reasonable skill or none (prior to capture)
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==Overview==
One notorious human city on the Moonsea, Hillsfar, has racist policies that promote the destruction of nonhumans. Any nonhumans captured by the city's army, the Red Plumes, are brought to Hillsfar to the Hillsfar Arena, where they are forced to fight to the death against various monsters and each other. Some demihuman gladiators manage to survive multiple combats in the arena and eventually escape by overcoming or tricking their guards. A faction of human and demihuman wizards also rescues a few gladiatorial slaves every year as well. Demihuman gladiators from Hillsfar are often motivated to get as far from that city as possible, though some return in hopes of overthrowing its evil rulers.
Though most escaped gladiators in the Realms fled from Hillsfar, others have fled gladiatorial enslavement in Calimshan, Thay, or the Vilhon Reach. Their homelands of old are usually in the Moonsea area or near Thay, but many former gladiators avoid going home out of guilt for having been forced to slay good people, members of their own race, or even their own family and friends.
==Description==
When he finally escapes from the Hillsfar dungeons beneath the city arena, the demihuman gladiator has noth-ing more with him than a single weapon and raggedclothing. One in three is given a few more items by rescuers or other kind beings; in this case, he might have leather armor, a crude shield, a change of clothing, and a sack. He is tired, dirty, and determined to never be enslaved again.
==Roleplaying==
Anyone playing an escaped Hillsfar gladiator should carefully read the Moonsea accessory's Player's Guide (pages 4–6) and Reference Guide (pages 5–10). This offers much information on the city and its Arena, all suitable for roleplaying. Some material on Hillsfar might not be known to gladiators, who aren't allowed to see the whole city; the DM and player should discuss what can be known by the character. A local history (Hillsfar) proficiency allows for considerable knowledge of the city, undoubtedly gained from rumors and conversations with trainers and slavers.
It is very unlikely that a demihuman who was once a Hillsfar gladiator speaks of his experiences or even reveals his actual past to others, even close friends and family members. The guilt and rage he feels at his abuse may drive him to wander the Realms far from his old home, leaving his family to believe that he died in Hillsfar (unless they later hear of his escape).
If the gladiator ever encounters elements of Hillsfar's Red Plumes (and many ex-gladiators deliberately hunt the Red Plumes down for such a confrontation), the character makes a Wisdom check on 1d20 upon sighting the Red Plumes. A modifier of -2 is applied to the roll for every level of experience the gladiator has; no spells have any effect on this roll. If the check fails, the gladiator cannot conquer his old fears of the powerful Red Plumes, and takes a -2 penalty to all attack and damage rolls against them in this encounter. Subsequent encounters with the Red Plumes are at normal odds, without penalties. However, if the Wisdom check succeeds, he is seized with a near-berserk hatred of the Red Plumes and gains a +4 bonus to attack and damage rolls against them in this first encounter, fighting as if hastened by magic (thought he is not magically aged). In all subsequent encounters with the Red Plumes or any Hillsfar city official or human citizen, a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls is gained.
If the DM and players have access to The Complete Gladiator's Handbook for the DARK SUN® campaign setting, they may wish to adopt new abilities, proficiencies, advantages, and disadvantages from that material for use with this kit, as appropriate.
==Special Advantages==
An escaped gladiator enters a campaign at 1st level with 2d4 × 100 XPs already earned in gladiatorial combat. These previous battles are not played out; the player may invent details of these battles within reason when describing the character's past.
Gladiatorial sports draw huge numbers of spectators who want their money's worth in wild, unusual combat. As a result, the escaped demihuman gladiator has one more weapon proficiency slot than usual, to be used only in gaining specialization with one of the first four weapons the gladiator chooses to use. Hillsfar Arena managers worked out a system in which a demihuman gladiator must learn two melee weapons normally used by his people (long sword and short sword for an elf, for example, and a battle axe and hammer for a dwarf). The other two weapons chosen, however, must be very exotic and unexpected: cestus, whip, net, trident, chain, odd polearm, lasso, mancatcher, Oriental weapon, etc. No long-range missile weapons can be used, as too often these wind up killing a spectator in the crowd (if not an Arena manager!). Hurled weapons are permitted, except for javelins. In addition, special combat proficiencies and options from The Complete Fighter's Handbook or PLAYER'S OPTION: Combat & Tactics can be introduced, such as martial arts, two-weapon fighting, and so forth. Shield use is allowed in the Arena and need not be taken as a separate proficiency. From his wide experience with weapons in the Arena, the escaped gladiator has only a -1 penalty on attack rolls with nonproficient weapons.
==Special Disadvantages==
Because a demihuman Hillsfar gladiator was forced into this life, the character has trouble at first using weapons in actual battle. While the character is still 1st level, he makes all attacks with a -1 on damage dice (1 point damage minimum), as he hates fighting anything and was also trained to pull his punches to prolong combat for the crowds. This penalty disappears from 2nd level onward.
No missile weapons are known to 1st-level escaped gladiators, because gladiators in Hillsfar are never given the chance to use them. Thrown weapons like spears, warhammers, javelins, clubs, and hand axes are often used, however.
A gladiator starts with a limited repertoire of nonweapon proficiencies. Regardless of the gladiator's Intelligence score, he starts the game with only two proficiency slots and can gain no more at 1st level. (Skill training is very rare among gladiatorial slaves in Hillsfar.)
Hillsfar gladiatorial slaves are commonly branded on the arm to show their status and mark them in the unlikely case they escape. Demihuman gladiators with high Charisma scores are often widely known to everyone in Hillsfar and visitors from other evil cities around the Moonsea, famed for their "exploits" in battle. They are easily recognized for years after they escape unless they are disguised. Gladiators who escape are likely to be hunted for a long time by evil thugs, bounty hunters, and assassins hired by Hillsfar's rulers.