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Adventure Ideas for Slaves

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
tywyll
Jan 13, 2011 18:15:37 Ok, so I just started a group of characters in a new Dark Sun game, setting them all as slave who have been forced to fight in the arena.

Now, while I could parade an endless amount of combats their way, I would rather have something of a story for them to explore and experience. But what can you do when you are a slave in a gladiator pit?

Besides try and escape of course, which I don't think they are going to try to do (and realistically probably won't succeed at at level 1).

So what sort of things can I throw in their to mix it up? What kind of plots could they experience or interact with?
#2
fromost_the_grimm_02
Jan 13, 2011 18:29:52 The coolest out for the gladiatorial slaves schtick is via noble sponsorship. It's got it all.

The slaves fight in the arena, and then learn that if a noble takes a shine to you, they can actively sponsor you, buying you 'weapon upgrades' and the likes for subsequent bouts. If the group can start to gain popularity by entertaining a crowd when they fight, they attract the eye of such a noble benefactor, maybe leading to an invitation to dine with them .. all of which kinda lends itself to a semi-social skill challenge, not what most expect to come out of bonded servitude.

Things can become particularly interesting if said noble has a job he or she needs done outside of the city-state, and this rag-tag group of slaves fits the bill perfectly. Maybe a new aquifer has been found abutting the noble's lands, and in digging a well to it caverns have been exposed, necessitating their investigation before the well is finalised. Maybe the group become so successful as gladiators that the noble benefactor wants to take them on tour to fight in other city-states, and hey, maybe said noble benefactor is also a member of the Veiled Alliance, and while traveling making contact with other factions go awry, and ... campaign ensues.
#3
Sysane
Jan 14, 2011 6:50:45 Another idea would be to have the noble that owns the PCs murdered.

It could be that a rival noble or templar sends a troupe of bards to kill this noble along with any witnesses (the PCs). The campaign could be based on who killed the PCs master, avoiding further attempts on their lives, and other non-related adventures of just surviving the harshness of Athas with the PCs new found freedom.
#4
Ozmodious
Jan 14, 2011 7:38:54 Watch Spartacus... great ideas for slaves and gladiators.
Think of the backgrounds of your players- were they born slaves or forced into slavery? Grab a couple of the players backgrounds and then make the story suck in the other players like the idea with the owner being killed. Another could be a previous owner of one of the PC's, or a PC's sibling or other family memeber, is trying to fight for rights over the PC.
endless possibilities... but watching Spartacus can help get the ideas flowing.
#5
BRJN
Jan 15, 2011 21:26:12 Have them bought by a new master. Now they get to travel - to his city - for once.

If I were designing this campaign from scratch, I'd have them face things in the arena until they hit L2. Then they can be moved; they have proven themselves capable in combat and might serve as expendable cannon fodder for something dangerous - the caves by the well sounds good - that the noble needs to deal with.

If the players are willing to not escape, the characters might be hired out to a caravan as bodyguards or just unskilled manpower. They get to spend a short skill challenge taking care of the beasts &c. Then the caravan is jumped by aarakocra (sp?) / bandits / hungry Velociraptors; the ex-gladiators are the most combat-capable persons to survive the Round 1 Ambush. They get to save what can be saved from the caravan.

I like the touring gladiatorial team. They might stop in a village and their owner be asked to fill in as enforcers to stop a riot from breaking out. This would be a change of pace.

Set up the PCs in an arena fight they cannot possibly win; they are beaten unconscious and wake up - days later - in a mine. They have to repay their master for his gambling losses before they can go back to the arena. Whatever minerals they find goes to the repayment plan. Later they learn they were set up to lose, perhaps by another noble. Give them a way to rip off their tormentor's stuff (he provides off-the-books luxuries to the mine supervisor?) and use the ill-gotten gains to pay their way back out. A box of fine cigars could be worth its weight in gold.

In a world that drinks diluted kank honey to get intoxicated, a case of Johnny Walker Black could also be used as a substitute for currency. (And a cookie to anybody who knows what IRL event I'm thinking of here.)

Not only Spartacus but also Uncle Tom's Cabin has material on a slave's life that might be adaptable to Athas.
#6
pitchblende
Jan 16, 2011 1:59:16 Another idea is to pull the timeline back a brief bit and have your gladiator-slaves fight in the days just before Kalak fell. They could possibly witness his death and become engrossed in the events following it.

Eventually they'd be freed and have to make choices of what to do with themselves, poor and having known nothing but slavery. Maybe your slaver resisted Tithian's order to free the slaves? Maybe he tried to smuggle your party out of the city or sell your party to cruel traders and they made a daring escape.

It would be a turbulent time with loads of possibilities for plot that could tie your characters to historical events in Athas.
#7
kronikalkoholik
Jan 19, 2011 8:10:02
Another idea is to pull the timeline back a brief bit and have your gladiator-slaves fight in the days just before Kalak fell. They could possibly witness his death and become engrossed in the events following it.

Eventually they'd be freed and have to make choices of what to do with themselves, poor and having known nothing but slavery. Maybe your slaver resisted Tithian's order to free the slaves? Maybe he tried to smuggle your party out of the city or sell your party to cruel traders and they made a daring escape.

It would be a turbulent time with loads of possibilities for plot that could tie your characters to historical events in Athas.

I do believe that there was even an adventure in 2nd edition DS that did this. It revolved around surviving in the slave camps. You could try to find it and harvest some ideas from it.

I think it had many subplots. Like the guards offering one PC to be a snitch. Some slavers planning an escape. Power struggle between slaves with bullies stealing food off weaker ones. The stronger ones being offered as gladiators and so on.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 tywyll Jan 13, 2011 18:15:37	Ok, so I just started a group of characters in a new Dark Sun game, setting them all as slave who have been forced to fight in the arena. Now, while I could parade an endless amount of combats their way, I would rather have something of a story for them to explore and experience. But what can you do when you are a slave in a gladiator pit? Besides try and escape of course, which I don't think they are going to try to do (and realistically probably won't succeed at at level 1). So what sort of things can I throw in their to mix it up? What kind of plots could they experience or interact with?
#2 fromost_the_grimm_02 Jan 13, 2011 18:29:52	The coolest out for the gladiatorial slaves schtick is via noble sponsorship. It's got it all. The slaves fight in the arena, and then learn that if a noble takes a shine to you, they can actively sponsor you, buying you 'weapon upgrades' and the likes for subsequent bouts. If the group can start to gain popularity by entertaining a crowd when they fight, they attract the eye of such a noble benefactor, maybe leading to an invitation to dine with them .. all of which kinda lends itself to a semi-social skill challenge, not what most expect to come out of bonded servitude. Things can become particularly interesting if said noble has a job he or she needs done outside of the city-state, and this rag-tag group of slaves fits the bill perfectly. Maybe a new aquifer has been found abutting the noble's lands, and in digging a well to it caverns have been exposed, necessitating their investigation before the well is finalised. Maybe the group become so successful as gladiators that the noble benefactor wants to take them on tour to fight in other city-states, and hey, maybe said noble benefactor is also a member of the Veiled Alliance, and while traveling making contact with other factions go awry, and ... campaign ensues.
#3 Sysane Jan 14, 2011 6:50:45	Another idea would be to have the noble that owns the PCs murdered. It could be that a rival noble or templar sends a troupe of bards to kill this noble along with any witnesses (the PCs). The campaign could be based on who killed the PCs master, avoiding further attempts on their lives, and other non-related adventures of just surviving the harshness of Athas with the PCs new found freedom.
#4 Ozmodious Jan 14, 2011 7:38:54	Watch Spartacus... great ideas for slaves and gladiators. Think of the backgrounds of your players- were they born slaves or forced into slavery? Grab a couple of the players backgrounds and then make the story suck in the other players like the idea with the owner being killed. Another could be a previous owner of one of the PC's, or a PC's sibling or other family memeber, is trying to fight for rights over the PC. endless possibilities... but watching Spartacus can help get the ideas flowing.
#5 BRJN Jan 15, 2011 21:26:12	Have them bought by a new master. Now they get to travel - to his city - for once. If I were designing this campaign from scratch, I'd have them face things in the arena until they hit L2. Then they can be moved; they have proven themselves capable in combat and might serve as expendable cannon fodder for something dangerous - the caves by the well sounds good - that the noble needs to deal with. If the players are willing to not escape, the characters might be hired out to a caravan as bodyguards or just unskilled manpower. They get to spend a short skill challenge taking care of the beasts &c. Then the caravan is jumped by aarakocra (sp?) / bandits / hungry Velociraptors; the ex-gladiators are the most combat-capable persons to survive the Round 1 Ambush. They get to save what can be saved from the caravan. I like the touring gladiatorial team. They might stop in a village and their owner be asked to fill in as enforcers to stop a riot from breaking out. This would be a change of pace. Set up the PCs in an arena fight they cannot possibly win; they are beaten unconscious and wake up - days later - in a mine. They have to repay their master for his gambling losses before they can go back to the arena. Whatever minerals they find goes to the repayment plan. Later they learn they were set up to lose, perhaps by another noble. Give them a way to rip off their tormentor's stuff (he provides off-the-books luxuries to the mine supervisor?) and use the ill-gotten gains to pay their way back out. A box of fine cigars could be worth its weight in gold. In a world that drinks diluted kank honey to get intoxicated, a case of Johnny Walker Black could also be used as a substitute for currency. (And a cookie to anybody who knows what IRL event I'm thinking of here.) Not only Spartacus but also Uncle Tom's Cabin has material on a slave's life that might be adaptable to Athas.
#6 pitchblende Jan 16, 2011 1:59:16	Another idea is to pull the timeline back a brief bit and have your gladiator-slaves fight in the days just before Kalak fell. They could possibly witness his death and become engrossed in the events following it. Eventually they'd be freed and have to make choices of what to do with themselves, poor and having known nothing but slavery. Maybe your slaver resisted Tithian's order to free the slaves? Maybe he tried to smuggle your party out of the city or sell your party to cruel traders and they made a daring escape. It would be a turbulent time with loads of possibilities for plot that could tie your characters to historical events in Athas.
#7 kronikalkoholik Jan 19, 2011 8:10:02	Another idea is to pull the timeline back a brief bit and have your gladiator-slaves fight in the days just before Kalak fell. They could possibly witness his death and become engrossed in the events following it. Eventually they'd be freed and have to make choices of what to do with themselves, poor and having known nothing but slavery. Maybe your slaver resisted Tithian's order to free the slaves? Maybe he tried to smuggle your party out of the city or sell your party to cruel traders and they made a daring escape. It would be a turbulent time with loads of possibilities for plot that could tie your characters to historical events in Athas. I do believe that there was even an adventure in 2nd edition DS that did this. It revolved around surviving in the slave camps. You could try to find it and harvest some ideas from it. I think it had many subplots. Like the guards offering one PC to be a snitch. Some slavers planning an escape. Power struggle between slaves with bullies stealing food off weaker ones. The stronger ones being offered as gladiators and so on.