Popular Moves - 5e Gladiator Combat

[hymer]

What are some abilities and spells you could see becoming crowd pleasers for the audience of a gladiator battle? Conversely, which ones would be unpopular? What would your fight promoters warn against using and what would they like you to try?

I'm guesing any ability that blocks or impedes line of sight would be a bother. Similarly, anything that conjures or illudes exotic creatures would please the spectators.

[JackPhoenix]

Anything flashy. Big, obvious evocations like Fireball, summoned creatures. Combat maneuvers like grappling and shoving, or climbing on big monsters, if they are involved.

Besides anything that obscures the view of the spectacle, generally anything that ends fight too quickly and effectively. Yes, Power Word Kill may be great, but it's incredibly boring to watch, so is one-shotting an opponent with single sneak attack. Other things may be area-specific. If everyone uses the same thing, it gets boring. Be original. Or maybe not... perhaps the crowd loves when the fights devolve in unarmed punching match after the opponents disable each other... ask around to find out.

[Man_Over_Game]

Anything fast, involving light or colors, and anything "mysterious" while remaining in view.. Zephyr Strike or Steel Wind Strike would be big with crowds. Absorb Elements would give a sense of finesse in a mage fight. Any of the Smite spells.

Basically just avoid any long-term passive abilities, unless they're REALLY big and flashy, like Polymorph, Wild Shape, or Fly.

[Unoriginal]

Are we talking about lethal or non-lethal fights?

If lethal, the biggest crowd pleaser would probably be a death they didn't see coming, but that's impressive enough they don't feel cheated. Typically delivered after struggling against the opponent for a while, maybe even coming close of losing. The second biggest crowd pleaser would be to effortlessly pummel your opponent no matter what they try, but without making it boring.

If non-lethal, then people will probably be more interested in the choreography itself. Big, flashy moves, back-and-forth between the fighters, cocky acts like letting your opponent get back up, impressive bleeding and swellings, call to the audience, trash talk, and special moves that are a) recognizable both in setup and execution b) have an impressive result (which isn't the same thing as an entirely beneficial result, see headbutts) and c) can lead to interesting things if countered.

The use of environment is also pretty popular.

Basically, a gladiatorial fight to the death will be extremely violent with spectacle as a second thought, a not-to-the-death one will be a spectacle where people hurt each others in visually impressive ways.

[SuperbDolphin]

Be the underdog without or with minimal weapons, and surprise the crowd with spells like inflict wounds, or natural abilities such as claws or a breath weapon.

[Man_Over_Game]

Are we talking about lethal or non-lethal fights?

If lethal, the biggest crowd pleaser would probably be a death they didn't see coming, but that's impressive enough they don't feel cheated. Typically delivered after struggling against the opponent for a while, maybe even coming close of losing. The second biggest crowd pleaser would be to effortlessly pummel your opponent no matter what they try, but without making it boring.

If non-lethal, then people will probably be more interested in the choreography itself. Big, flashy moves, back-and-forth between the fighters, cocky acts like letting your opponent get back up, impressive bleeding and swellings, call to the audience, trash talk, and special moves that are a) recognizable both in setup and execution b) have an impressive result (which isn't the same thing as an entirely beneficial result, see headbutts) and c) can lead to interesting things if countered.

The use of environment is also pretty popular.

Basically, a gladiatorial fight to the death will be extremely violent with spectacle as a second thought, a not-to-the-death one will be a spectacle where people hurt each others in visually impressive ways.

That's a valid point.

Historically, gladiators rarely fought to the death. Their job was to put on a show for the crowd, and were well taken care of. They were the original WWE wrestlers, and they aren't worth nearly as much dead.

[Unoriginal]

That's a valid point.

Historically, gladiators rarely fought to the death. Their job was to put on a show for the crowd, and were well taken care of. They were the original WWE wrestlers, and they aren't worth nearly as much dead.

Indeed. They also generally had a thick layer of fat to allow for big flashy bleeding (but shallow) cuts without endangering themselves too much.

[Hytheter]

Booming Blade could be a nice one. If they move you get a satisfying boom and some damage, if they stay still you get a chance to showboat and taunt for the benefit of the crowd.

[Mercurias]

An Eldritch Knight would probably be a good crowd pleaser, especially if you go Dex for acrobatics to the level of wire fighting effects. Booming Blade, Green Flame Blade, Absorb Elements, Shield...Lots of flash.

[Unoriginal]

Note that making impressive moves is generally more of a fluff thing than actual mechanics.

"The rogue feints three times, the orc moving to parry imaginary strikes under the mockery of the onlookers, before he suddenly realizes he has a dagger sticking from his lower jaw" can be mechanically identically to "Rogue attacks the orc and hits."

I'm actually writing something on that subject.