A Fair Arena Setup.

[Dudewithknives]

Ok, so a friend and I set up an arena tournament one on one with each 1 character from each class vs 1 of each other class. Fights were done 5 times each for levels 5, 11, and 17.

We noticed an issue.

What set up for an arena is fair.

We had it set up where it was a cube, 60 feet wide, with 4 ten foot wide columns making a square in the middle each 15 feet from the next making a smaller square.
With each character starting 10 feet back from the columns in the middle, so 30 feet from each other

However we thought of an issue:

Is the setup fair?

If we put them more than 1 turn movement away, no melee ever gets a chance to close because there is no charge action, unless they have a bonus action movement ability.
If we put too many obstacles then everyone ends up just readying an action which is a HUGE benefit to the casters because you can ready a spell but you cant ready multiple attacks.

[seventh_soul]

Just make it 30 ft then

[Tiadoppler]

I don't think you can define "fair" in this situation, unless it's really a 50/50 coin flip who wins.

A ranger who can attack from hundreds of feet away would find it "unfair" to be put right next to an armored melee character. Justifiably. Similarly, a Greatsword wielder would find it "unfair" to be placed a thousand feet from a Wizard. D&D characters do not have "competitive balance" the way a multiplayer PvP game does. Some characters are just better at short range, some characters are just better at long range. Some characters can cast Wish.


Personally, I think the overall "fairest" arena would be one in which the strategies of different characters are put on display. A spherical playing field 2000' across. The bottom half is filled with dirt, in which caves have been dug leading to a winding dungeon with traps. The surface has a small town in the center, surrounded by regions of different environments (a forest, the side of a mountain, a barren desert, a deep "ocean" lake, a flat field, etc.). Above the surface, the air shifts rapidly between different weather patterns.

The combatants enter at a random point around the edge, at surface height, and then the battle begins. A rogue gets to be sneaky. An archer gets to be long ranged. A flying, digging or swimming character gets to fly, dig, or swim. The only question is: which character will be able to leverage their advantages to achieve victory?

[Unoriginal]

If we put them more than 1 turn movement away, no melee ever gets a chance to close because there is no charge action

Use the Dash action

[Quoz]

something I have found effective to balance out a scenario like this is to alter the win conditions.

have cumulative points for areas controlled. Break your arena into 10-15 'rooms', and something like every 3 rounds each team gets a point for each room they control. force them to choose tactically whether to stay together or split into smaller groups.

Give lots of cover that can break line of sight. if possible, set up some kind of fog of war where they don't know the location of enemies they cant see.

If you want to be really mean, confiscate everyone's gear and distribute randomly through the fighting area. (weapons, spell components, utility items, and shields. probably not armor unless you reduce the time to don armor to an action.) Remove time to attune magic items. Note: the monk or tavern brawler will dominate the early rounds.