Random Speculation...

[Exitus]

On a similar vein to the "Ian Starshine is Arena Champion and Roy/Belkar will end up fighting him" theories:

What if Elan and Haley are introduced at the arena as guests of honor and are given the option of having one prisoner set free (Jesus/Barabbas style) out of the gladiators...and Haley sees her father in the lineup?

I'm not sure where that would lead, but it is something random I thought of.

[Gray Mage]

It's pretty obvious, really. She's going to set prisioner nº 23 free, because if she frees her father, Roy or Belkar, Tarquin will *gasp* suspect that she knows more people than her boyfriend and an elf, and that's bad for some reason.

On a more serious note, though, I think it could lead to some serious internal conflict for Haley, so maybe we will see her self-loathing again, but Elan would try to explain things or give a poor excuse so that they can free two prisioners instead, making Tarquin suspicious about why and so he pre-emptively betrays them before they do, like Nale did.

[Dr.Epic]

On a similar vein to the "Ian Starshine is Arena Champion and Roy/Belkar will end up fighting him" theories:

There's a theory going around that Haley's dad is a gladiator slave? By this point, if he was a slave who fought in those types of games, I don't see a rogue surviving for this long. A skilled fighter or barbarian would have killed him long ago.

[Laeranu]

Thats actually a good point.

Rogues arnt made for gladiator batles, their made for shouting 'SNEAK ATTACK' while attacking sneakily.

in a hand to hand swordfight they really woulnt have a chance.

Unless...
at the start when hes only fighting weakish slaves and criminals he defeats them and then starts putting levels into fighter (or barbarian) so as he gradually starts fighting tougher opponents he is becomeing stronger at the same time.
the more i think about this the more i think this is likely to happen.

also the Jesus/Barabus thing sounds pretty good too though i doubt it will happen.

[Swordpriest]

It's pretty obvious, really. She's going to set prisioner nº 23 free, because if she frees her father, Roy or Belkar, Tarquin will *gasp* suspect that she knows more people than her boyfriend and an elf, and that's bad for some reason.


Although you were joking, at this point, I suspect she'd do exactly that. Of course, I'm also convinced that her ridiculous attempt at lying without rehearsing it with everyone else beforehand is going to land them all in the soup. Perhaps literally, considering the culinary tendencies of the EoB. :smallwink:

[Crisis21]

Although you were joking, at this point, I suspect she'd do exactly that. Of course, I'm also convinced that her ridiculous attempt at lying without rehearsing it with everyone else beforehand is going to land them all in the soup. Perhaps literally, considering the culinary tendencies of the EoB. :smallwink:
No, no, no. Haley's going to try that tactic, only to have Elan interrupt her.

[Dr.Epic]

Thats actually a good point.

Rogues arnt made for gladiator batles, their made for shouting 'SNEAK ATTACK' while attacking sneakily.

in a hand to hand swordfight they really woulnt have a chance.

Unless...
at the start when hes only fighting weakish slaves and criminals he defeats them and then starts putting levels into fighter (or barbarian) so as he gradually starts fighting tougher opponents he is becomeing stronger at the same time.
the more i think about this the more i think this is likely to happen.

also the Jesus/Barabus thing sounds pretty good too though i doubt it will happen.

Still, I doubt he'll earn enough xp (I assume he'd be a decent level rogue and fighting such low combatants wouldn't earn enough xp to level up fast enough). Not to mention if he is high enough level, couldn't he just pick the lock to his cell? Also, Rich isn't the type of person who would just throw in a parent to meet their long lost child...twice in the same story arc.

[Crisis21]

Still, I doubt he'll earn enough xp (I assume he'd be a decent level rogue and fighting such low combatants wouldn't earn enough xp to level up fast enough). Not to mention if he is high enough level, couldn't he just pick the lock to his cell? Also, Rich isn't the type of person who would just throw in a parent to meet their long lost child...twice in the same story arc.

Unless said parent has two long-lost children. I think I can safely predict Nale showing up at some point while Tarquin is still around.

[Dr.Epic]

Unless said parent has two long-lost children. I think I can safely predict Nale showing up at some point while Tarquin is still around.

Or maybe Nale is Tarquin! Captain Amun-Zora kind of looks like Sabine. Yeah, this theory makes no sense and is stupid. Just felt think sharing it.

[Crisis21]

Or maybe Nale is Tarquin! Captain Amun-Zora kind of looks like Sabine. Yeah, this theory makes no sense and is stupid. Just felt think sharing it.

HA! I actually entertained that one (just Nale as Tarquin, not Amun-Zora as Sabine, but I can see that now that you bring it up) for about half an hour until I realized that there is no way Nale could pull off enough Elan-ness to make the charade believable.

Seriously, aside from clearly having a higher intelligence score than Elan (Tarquin deals with the Empress of Blood in a way that reminds me of Roy dealing with Elan) and being on the opposite corner of the alignment spectrum (Tarquin is Lawful Evil while Elan is Chaotic Good) the two act almost exactly alike. Its scary how similar they are. Nale could never swallow his pride long enough to pull that off.

[Dr.Epic]

HA! I actually entertained that one (just Nale as Tarquin, not Amun-Zora as Sabine, but I can see that now that you bring it up) for about half an hour until I realized that there is no way Nale could pull off enough Elan-ness to make the charade believable.

Seriously, aside from clearly having a higher intelligence score than Elan (Tarquin deals with the Empress of Blood in a way that reminds me of Roy dealing with Elan) and being on the opposite corner of the alignment spectrum (Tarquin is Lawful Evil while Elan is Chaotic Good) the two act almost exactly alike. Its scary how similar they are. Nale could never swallow his pride long enough to pull that off.

Tarquin is LE? Where was that stated?

[Crisis21]

Tarquin is LE? Where was that stated?

Waaaaay back here (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0050.html).

[Laeranu]

It would be sooo funny if nale arrived. in this strip (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0458.html) he says that he will go after 1 of the other gates. so that could be Girard's (in which case Tarquin, elan and nale will probably meet), or that other one.:smallbiggrin:

[Winged789]

I'm pretty convinced a fair level rogue could do just fine for himself depending on the rules of the combat.

If no armor is permited the guy with high dex has an advantage in AC, If weapons are scatterd about the arena floor the guy with the initative score is suddently armed before you are. If there are traps hidden around (be them trap doors to fall in or the type tigers come out from) he has a huge advantage. And that is all stuff to worry about IF he winds up fighting a melee guy of high level, instead of untrained prisoners.

None of that even takes into account that the gladiators who live the longest are not the killing macheins, but the popular fighters that get spaired even if they loose.

That said I think monks may realy be the class to watch out for, you can give them crappy gladiator weapons, but you can't make them use them.