GLADIATOR
By Kuseru
Entrance Requirements: No alignment restrictions. Requires a minimum P.S. of 12 and P.E. of 12.
Skill Cost: 12 Years (10 Years as a Secondary Martial Art Style)
Gladiator is a Latin term for "one who wields a gladius (sword)." Believed to have originated as a religious munus or funeral gift for the dead, it later evolved into an integral part of the Roman culture as a public game in the late 1st century A.D. The first known gladitorial games were held by the Campanians in 310 BC, however, the first Roman gladitorial games are believed to date from 246/264 BC as part of the munus. Munera (the plural of munus) were often repeated at annual or five year intervals.
Gladiators came in several types, depending on their origin. Early gladiators were condemned criminals, slaves, or prisoners of war. None of these groups had any choice about becoming a gladiator. However, after surviving three to five years of combat, many were often freed. They were trained by an owner known as a lanista who ran a gladitorial school (ludus). These schools were later taken over by the state to prevent the usage of gladiators as a private army.
However, volunteer gladiators, known as auctorati, also fought in gladitorial matches. These volunteers bound themselves to a lanista, swearing an oath "to endure branding, chains, flogging or death by the sword" and whatever their master ordered. It is believed that by the end of the Republic, half the gladiators were volunteers. While these volunteers only fought two or three times a year, they were paid for each fight. There were also female gladiators, known as essedaria, though these were banned by the late second to early third century AD by Septimius Severus. Even Roman emperors, such as Caligula, Commodus, Titus, and Hadrian fought in gladitorial matches.
Gladiators may have lived harsh lives, but their treatment was better than that of many commoners, including three meals a day, medical attention, and housing. Among the more seasoned slave gladiators, there was even no need for confinement or chains. Their training was quite similar to that of athletes and included learning how to use various weapons, such as the dagger, lasso, net, trident and war chain. Gladiators were often allowed to choose which armor and weapons they wished to fight with, though the armor and weapons they had to choose from were not those of Rome's military, but those of non-Roman people.
There are many types of gladiators, named for the opponents of the Romans, or their function within the contests.
Andabatae wore helmets without eye holes.
Catervarii did not fight in pairs, but several together.
Dimacheri fought with two swords.
Equites or Eques (horseman) fought on horseback with a shield, wide-brimmed round helmet with visor and twp feathers, and a tunic to mid-thigh, though they finished their fights on foot.
Essedarious or Essedarii (war chariot fighter), derived from essedum (Celtic chariot), fought from chariots like the Gauls and Britons.
Gallic (Gaul) who wears the galea, the belt, manica on his weapon arm, and fasciae, also carries a scutum and fights with any number of weapons.
Hoplomachi (heavily armed) wore ocrea on both legs, manica (protective sleeve), loin cloth with sublicgaculum (belt), and mail or leather cuirasses as well as carrying a round shield and fighting with a gladius.
Laqueatores/Laquearii were a variation of the Retiarus which carried a lasso instead of a net.
Meridiani fought in the middle of the day, after the wild beast fights. They were lightly armed.
Myrmillo/Murmillo, whose name derived from a Greek word for a kind of fish, wore a large galea with a fish on its crest, a manica of mail, leather or metal scales on his left arm, ocrea on at least one leg, a scutum and a straight Greek-styled sword and normally fought the hoplomachus.
Ordinarii were the regular gladiators who fought in pairs in the ordinary way.
Provocator (Challenger) was armed like the Samnite with a parma and a hasta, distinguishable by a helmet without crest, a curved rectangular shield, and a sword with a straight blade, and a rectangular breastplate, his opponent was typically another Provacator or, occassionally, the Myrmillo.
Retiarius (Net-man) symbolized the fisherman, wore a subligaculum and high metal shoulder guard (galerus) on the left shoulder, protective sleeve called a manica (heavy linen quilting held on by straps) protects his left arm and he carried a net, a dagger and a trident or tunny-fish fascina, quite disctint as wearing no helmet or shield. The retiarius was the only type of gladiator not inspired by the military and was chosed to become the standard opponent of the secutor.
Samnite used scutum (oblong shield) and metal or leather ocrea on his left leg, a galea (visored helmet) with a large crest and plume, and a gladius.
Secutor (Pursuer) carried a large oval or rectangular shield, an ocrea on his left leg, leather bands at the elbow and wrists (manicae), a manica on the right arm, a round or high-visored helmet, and armed with a sword or dagger.
Traex (Thracian) wore ocrea on both legs, a small square shield(parma), either a full visored helmet or an open faced helmet with a wide brim, a sica or the Thracian sword, often pitted against the myrmillo.
Exotic matches included women fighting with dwarves, and the somewhat popular Venatio, or animal hunts. These fights involved exotic wild beasts from the far reaches of the Roman empire and were typically conducted as a morning warmup to the day's main gladiatorial matches. Most of these matches were performed by the bestiarri, criminals who would have to fight unarmed, to the death, against the animals. Other matches included displays of exotic animals, trained animal acts, fights between different animals and the humiliores or execution of criminals (typically through burning at the stake, crucifixion or the ad bestias (getting killed by wild animals)). Another type of gladiator which fought animals was the venator (hunter), considered a lesser class of gladiator.
Costume: Varies, depending on preferred fighting style: See above.
Stance: None.
CHARACTER BONUSES
Add +3 to P.E.
Add +4 to P.S.
Add +3D6 to S.D.C.
COMBAT SKILLS
Attacks per Melee: 3
Escape Moves: Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact.
Attack Moves: None.
Basic Defense Moves: Automatic Parry, Dodge, Entangle, Parry.
Advanced Defense Moves: Disarm, Power Block/Parry.
Hand Attacks: Punch (Human Fist), Haymaker, Power Punch.
Basic Foot Attacks: Kick Attack, Tripping/Leg Hook, Snap Kick.
Jumping Foot Attacks: None.
Special Attacks: Body Block/Tackle, Body Flip/Throw, Clothesline, Combination Grab/Slash, Combination Grab/Kick(1), Death Strike (NEW!), Elbow, Headbutt*, Knee, Leap Attack, Pin/Incapacitate.
Holds/Locks: None.
Weapon Kata (Pick Four): W.P. Paired Short Swords, W.P. Short Sword, W.P. Spear, W.P. Javelin, W.P. Lasso/Lariat, W.P. Snare, W.P. Net, W.P. Dagger, W.P. Trident, W.P. Shield.
Modifiers to Attacks: Critical Strike, Critical Strike from Behind, Knockout/Stun, Knockout/Stun from Behind, Pull Punch.
SKILLS INCLUDED IN TRAINING
Martial Art Powers: None.
Languages: Latin
Physical: Athletics, Body Building
Weapon Proficiencies: W.P. Paired Short Swords, W.P. Short Sword, W.P. Spear, W.P. Javelin, W.P. Lasso/Lariat, W.P. Snare, W.P. Net, W.P. Dagger, W.P. Trident, W.P. Shield.
Philosophical Training: Stoicism.
If this is your Primary Martial Art then the following other styles can be learned in a shorter time: Laamb (4 Years), Pankration (8 Years), Kiunga Cha Mkono (8 Years), Nuba (2 Years), Re-Efi Areh-Ehsse (1 Year), Sebekka (6 Years).
LEVEL ADVANCEMENT BONUSES
1st: +1 to Strike, +1 to Damage, Knockout/Stun from Behind
2nd: +1 to Parry/Dodge
3rd: +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, +1 to Leap (add 2 feet to Leap Distance)
4th: +1 to Entangle, +1 to Disarm
5th: Critical Strike from Behind
6th: +1 Attack per Melee
7th: Knockout/Stun on a Natural 20
8th: +1 to Strike, +1 to Damage
9th: +1 to Parry/Dodge
10th: +1 to Roll with Punch/Fall/Impact, +1 to Leap (add 2 feet to Leap Distance)
11th: +1 to Entangle, +1 to Disarm
12th: +1 Attack per Melee
13th: Critical Strike on a Natural 19 or 20
14th: Death Strike on a Natural 20
15th: +1 Attack per Melee, Knockout/Stun on a Natural 19 or 20
Why Study GLADIATOR?
Its focus, almost exclusively, is on inflicting damage to your opponent and being able to handle what he dishes out to you. Any opponent falling under an attack risks permanent maiming. Your average martial artist is also tough as nails, altogether intimidating. Combination of good martial art moves and an impressive collection of weapon skills.