Creating an Arena

When creating a combat arena, write down each zone, their contents, and the relationships between them. Although there are no constraints on how you can build an arena, it is helpful to keep the following suggestions for zones and arena assets in mind. Even more important to remember, however, is that few plans survive contact with an adventuring party, and it’s often more fun to go along with a player’s wild plan than to have hard limits on the traits of an arena asset.

In the example detailed below, the two zones are atop one another, creating a very tall room. Four goblins hide in the darkness among the rafters, waiting to ambush anyone entering the room. To prevail, adventures can return fire, flee, or devise a way to close the distance. Perhaps they could lasso them down or stack furniture to create a makeshift ladder?

Zones

An arena can have any number of zones, typically between two and five. For ease of use, the more zones an arena has, the less assets there are in each zone.

Creatures

In our example, this section details the likely behavior of a creature in a more specific context than the one detailed in Monstrous Menagerie. In other examples it would also describe any new traits or attacks the creatures might have.

Elements

An arena does not always have an element. If it does, there are at most three and usually no more than one of a given subcategory in each zone. A zone can’t have both the darkness and blinding light elements, for example, but it might have both darkness and rain. Mundane elements, such as darkness, rain, or fog are often present throughout the arena, while magical ones may be limited in scope.

Props

Each zone can contain any number of props, usually between one and three, though very large zones may have more. When creating props, consider listing potential uses for them to inspire your players and determine how many uses a given prop may withstand.

Terrain

An arena must have at least one floor and can have any number of walls and ceilings. Generally, there will only ever be one type of floor, wall, and ceiling for each zones. Terrain that has specific effects or that may reasonably be destroyed will have its own stat block, but many will not.

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Goblin Ambush

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Challenge 2 (450 XP) The room ahead is dark and quiet…maybe too quiet.

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Zone 1: Inconspicuous Room

Challenge 1/2

Size Medium (30 feet)

Direction Below zone 2

Elements Darkness

Terrain Stone floor^G, stone walls^G 

Props Chair ×2, large chest (empty), table

Creatures —

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Zone 2: The Rafters

Challenge 1 1/2

Size Medium (30 feet)

Direction Above zone 1

Elements Darkness

Terrain Rafters, stone ceiling^G, stone walls^G

Props —

Creatures 4 goblins

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Creatures

4 goblins hide in the rafters. They wait until two or three adventurers have entered the room before attempting to surprise them by unleashing a volley of arrows with their shortbows. The goblins have a passive Stealth of 15.

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Arena Assets

Here are examples of arena assets likely to be found in a goblin ambush.

Chair

Medium prop (furniture)

A comfortable place to sit.

Hit Points 5

• Can be used as an improvised weapon that deals 1d10 damage. Damage is also dealt to the chair.
• When destroyed, the legs can be used as improvised clubs.

Darkness

Element (light)

Challenge 1/2

A foreboding, but ultimately mundane, absence of light.

• A creature without darkvision or a light source consider this zone heavily obscured.

Large Chest

Medium prop (storage)

A practical lidded container that might be locked.

• A Medium or smaller creature can take position in the chest.
• If the lid is closed, a creature inside is heavily obscured, and squeezing if it is Medium. If the lid is held shut or locked, the creature is also restrained.

Rafters

Floor terrain (constructed)

Wooden support beams that can be balanced on.

• A creature forcefully moved onto or across the rafters must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or fall to a zone directly below.
• Does not obstruct vision.
• Moving up through the rafters does not require additional movement.

Table

Large prop (furniture)

A multipurpose flat-top surface.

Hit Points 10

• As an action, a creature can flip the table, allowing up to two creatures to take position behind it.
• Taking position behind a flipped table grants half cover.
• When destroyed, the legs can be used as improvised clubs.

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Using Assets Outside of Arenas

Although arena assets are intended to be used with the Combat Arena system, there is nothing forbidding their usage elsewhere. Should you choose, these assets can be used in regular theater-of-the-mind or gridded combat. For the convenience of sizing props to a grid, each has been given a size category akin to creatures.