Gladiator is a strategy board game like chess, but with a customizeable set of pieces, monsters, magic, and simulated dice rolling. You can play by yourself (solo) or internet multi-player. Two teams of characters, East and West, start at opposite ends of the map, engage each other in mortal combat, and win, lose (die) or run away (escape out the Exit Door). Winners and escapees are awarded experience based on performance, and go up in attributes and skill. There are six humanoid races to choose from, and sixteen creature races. This fully operational version is completely free!

New in version 16 is a simpler install (only gladiator.exe and a link to the website are installed). Also there is a new button "MANUAL" in the center bottom that opens the user's browser to the Gladiator Board Game website. New in version 16.1 is the addition of continuing gracefully if for some reason sound does not work.

QUICK PREVIEW

Basically, two teams of characters, East and West, start at opposite ends of the map, engage each other in mortal combat, and win, lose (die) or run away (escape out the Exit door). Winners and escapees are awarded experience based on performance, and go up in attributes and skill. Characters that die lose all experience.

Each game turn is made of of two phases... the Movement Phase and the Action Phase. Sides take turns moving in the movement phase. Attacks, magic spells, and basically everything else happens in the Action Phase. Simulated dice are used to determine the outcome of events.

What weapons you are weilding and how far you move during the Movement Phase determines your options in the Action Phase. For example to shoot a bow you are required to move one square or stand still. Hand weapon attacks can generally be made if you move one half the character's total movement allowance or less. Character race has an effect on what your base movement allowance is. Humans get a movement allowance of 10 squares.

Only non-creature races accrue "experience" points after winning a game, or escaping out the exit during a game. These non-creature races are Human, Elf, Orc, Goblin, Dwarf, and Mage. There are many creature races.

Prior to beginning a game, a player will select his team (either East or West) and create and/or load character(s). New characters created will have no experience points. New character attributes can be adjusted for the desired mix of strengh (ability to weild weapons and armor) and health (survivability) versus agility (ability to succeed in attacks and spells). Characters that have won games are saved on disk and may be loaded. These characters may no longer have their attributes adjusted. Their attributes increase however, as experience is acquired. Equipment (weapons and armor) carried can be changed prior to starting the game.

MULTIPLAYER HOSTING

Introduction
The setting of Gladiator is personal combat in an ancient Rome arena. In addition, fantasy elements will be recognized (such as magic, Elves, and Dwarves). Medieval weapons such as swords are used to destroy the enemy. The level of detail is high such as choosing which character attacks with what weapon. Enemies start at opposing ends of the arena and combat continues until only one side remains. Experience is attributed to the survivors and the defeated lose experience. Experience allows a successful player character to become more strong, more agile, and able to withstand more damage. Gladiator is a simulation of a board game. Gladiator uses simple graphics.

Gladiator allows each character a turn one at a time while everyone else waits. Therefore gladiator is not a "real time" hand-eye coordination game but a turn-by-turn strategy game. Simulated six-sided dice contribute the random factor needed to determine the outcome of events (just like a board game, but automated). Here are some estimates on the time involved for learning and excelling at Gladiator.

• Game time for a learning game: 10-30 minutes
• To learn the game: play 10 games (and read the manual)
• To excel at the game: play 100 games or more
• Games to make a "super hero": about 250 games
• Game time for an advanced game: about 1-3 hours

A "super hero" is a player character that has achieved an experience level that gives him or her the ability to use the most powerful weapons, armor, and spells. Since the game is balanced automatically, playing a game with a "super hero" requires killing many more monsters (or more advanced monsters) and extends the time required to finish a game.

Disclaimer
I will not be responsible for any damage incurred to your computer hardware or software while using Gladiator. Use at your own risk.

Attributes
Player characters are made up of what they carry (armor and weapons) their race (such as Human, Elf, Dwarf, Orc, or Mage) and their attributes. The attributes SH and AG are adjustable when creating a character to achieve a certain mix of weapons carrying ability (SH) versus accuracy (AG) for a particular strategy (such as the "human tank" character who has high AG to offset massive amounts of armor, or the "Barbarian" character who has high SH to carry the biggest weapons and is too clumsy for armor).

SH = Strength / Health
SH determines which weapons can be carried. Higher SH allows the heavier and deadlier weapons to be used. Enemy damage is accrued directly to SH. When SH is zero, the character dies.

AG = Agility
AG determines what the basic odds are for successfully damaging an opponent. The higher the AG the better. The AG number must be equaled or less on three dice in the normal instance for a successful attack.

IQ = Intelligence Quotient
This is the last of three "skill" attributes. Skill attributes can change as the character gains skill in combat whereas movement speed and armor are constant regardless of experience. IQ is only applicable in combat that deals with magic. IQ determines what spells a Mage can use and determines how easily a character can "see through" a magical illusion.

MP = Movement Points
Maximum number of squares moved per turn. Armor and possibly race have an effect on MP (usually 10 squares).

AR = Armor
The number of points subtracted from each incoming hit before applying damage to SH. Armor typically consists of a suit of armor and possibly a shield. Some creatures have natural armor that is always applied in addition to worn armor. Shields are only effective on the side they are on. If a shield is ready it applies to frontal armor, if it is slung it applies to rear armor. AR 6/4 means the player has a front armor that absorbs 6 damage points and a side and rear armor that absorbs 4 damage points.

SH : Minimum Strength/Health to carry or use a weapon. The Goblin race SH is 4 points higher in strength than health. The Goblin ability to carry weapons is 4 points greater than their recorded SH value. The displayed Goblin SH reflects their ability to receive wounds.

Pole Arm : If the item is allowed pole arm bonuses. Pole arms get double damage when giving or receiving a charge. Receiving a charge also gives a +2 "to hit" bonus to the charging player. To give a charge the charger must have moved 2 or more squares. To receive a charge the receiver must have moved 1 square or less and his opponent must have moved 2 or more squares. Pole arms that cannot be thrown are denoted with a "P!" and are especially long. These weapons can attack the square behind the direct front square if an enemy is not in the direct front. See Strategy.

Slash : Large bladed weapons such as axes and swords are allowed a special type of attack called a "slashing" attack. This attack targets everyone in the front squares of the attacker in clockwise order. The first target is -2 to hit and following targets are -4 to hit.

Bow : If the item is a long range weapon. Some bows have to be reloaded. "B1" takes a turn to reload. "B2" takes two turns to reload. Elves get a +1 bonus to hit and damage with bow weapons.

Throw : If the weapon can be thrown. Elves get a +1 bonus to hit and damage with thrown weapons. Dwarves get a +1 bonus to hit and damage for thrown hammers and axes.

Hammer/Axe : If the weapon is a hammer or axe. Dwarves get a +1 bonus to hit and damage with hammers and axes.

2H : A two-handed weapon. A secondary weapon or shield may not be held when this weapon is being used.

No Shield : This weapon is not affected by an enemy's shield. Damage against a foe caused by a morning star for example will not be reduced by the foe's shield. The morning star has a chain which carries a spiked ball over and around a shield to hit the opponent directly. The scorpion sting and flail weapon also work this way.

Damage : The number of dice and modifier that will be accrued to the target if a successful hit is achieved. After the target's armor is applied the remaining damage is applied to the target's strength. The damage taken by a shield hitting a foe with leather armor is determined by rolling one die and subtracting 4 points (1d - 2 for the shield damage and -2 for the leather armor). Thus the attack would do from 0 to 2 points of damage.

(*) Caltrops become a form of terrain when dropped. These are four spike anti-personnel obstacles about the size of a softball. A single "Caltrops" weapon is actually made up of two or more of the devilish devices. See Terrain.

As wounds are accrued to a character's SH his AG is affected but his weapons carrying ability remains the same. When your strength is reduced it reflects ill health (not weakness) and does not mean you will have to drop your current weapon.

Weapon Capacity
Each character can carry four items which may be any combination of weapons and shields. If a two handed weapon is readied then the second hand will drop or sling (if possible) whatever was secondary. In other words, if you wish to start the game with a bow ready (a two handed weapon) then you will only be able to bring a total of three weapons into the game.

Armor
Each player character may wear one suit of armor. Armor absorbs incoming weapon damage so it does not hurt the character. The amount of damage absorbed is determined by the type of armor worn. Some blows are too great for armor to completely absorb and some damage is applied to the character. Armor reduces the wearer's agility due to the armor's bulk and weight. Suits of heavy armor are a dubious proposition usually left to those who have accumulated mounds of experience (and therefore have lots of AG). Start out with a suit of plate and you will be spending a lot of time swinging at air. In addition, armor limits your movement.

MP : This is the base movement points for a human wearing the armor. A "." is a "no effect." Race can enhance or reduce MP in addition to armor.

Min SH : The minimum SH needed to use or wear.

AG Modifier : Applied to the wearer's AG this penalty effects all agility tasks including action turn order. Shield AG penalties only apply if the shield is "ready."

Damage Taken : Amount subtracted from incoming damage before applied to the character's SH. Shield damage taken applies to the side the shield is worn on. A shield may be in front (ready) or in back (slung).

Facing
A Troll is shown here, many characters races exist.

The player here is a Human facing West. The squares marked with "F" are front squares. The player can engage and attack opponents in the front squares. The squares marked "S" are side squares. Opponents attacking the player from the side are have a +2 "to hit" bonus. The square marked "R" is the rear square. An opponent attacking the player from the rear has a +3 "to hit" bonus. The vertical line divides the front area from the rear area, a bow or crossbow, thrown weapons, missile spells and thrown spells may only be targeted at characters in the front "area".

Prone (flat on the ground)
Prone players are +4 to hit with close weapon attacks. Missile and thrown weapons and spells do not get facing "to hit" bonuses versus characters, and in this vein they do not get the +4 to hit prone bonus.

If a player is in the front square of a standing enemy he is engaged. Engaged players must remain adjacent or next to all engaging enemy characters during movement. In addition, players may attack only those enemies which are in their adjacent front squares (they may attack targets farther away if they are using a missile or thrown weapon or spells).

Race
Character race can have an effect on many facets of the Gladiator game. Some effects of the race modifiers are subtle. The minimum SH and AG only come into play when creating the character. The maximum SH, AG, and IQ only come into play when the character reaches super-hero experience.

Race	SH/AG/IQ Base	SH/AG Min	SH/AG/IQ Max	AR/MP	Notes
Human	12/12/8	8/8	40/40/14	-/10	.
Dwarf	12/11/8	9/7	38/35/13	-/8	a) MP is usually 8, even with plate mail. b) +1 to hit, +1 damage with hammers and axes. c) Daze at 6 SH damage
Elf	11/12/9	7/12	35/38/15	-/12	a) MP is armor movement +2 except for heavy armors. b) +1 to hit, +1 damage with missile or thrown weapons.
Orc	11/12/7	8/8	35/35/12	1/10	a) Have natural armor hyde. b) Daze at 6, knockdown at 9. c) Disengage 2 squares
Goblin	6/13/8	4/10	31/34/14	-/10	a) Have +4 weapon strength.
Mage	9/12/11	8/8	40/40/40	-/10	a) Casts spells. b) Regenerate 1 SH every 3 turns.
Snake	4/13/6	.	.	1/10	a) Creature b) Snake fangs 1d-1 damage. c) Hard to hit, -2 AG to hit
Giant Beetle	7/12/6	.	.	4/6	a) Creature b) Two pincers, 1d damage each.
Wolf	9/14/6	.	.	2/14	a) Creature b) Wolf bite: 1d+1 damage.
Giant Scorpion	8/13/6	.	.	2/16	a) Creature b) Sting 1d+3 damage. c) Sting strikes around shields. d) Can strike 1 square away like "long polearm".
Troll	17/11/7	.	.	1/10	a) Creature b) Two fists 1d+2 each. c) Regenerate 1 SH every turn. d) Can move through pits. e) Invisible in pits. f) Daze at 6, knock down at 10.
Gargoyle	20/12/6	.	.	3/14	a) Creature. b) Claws 2d damage. c) Daze at 7, knock down at 12.
Bear	30/11/6	.	.	2/8	a) Creature. b) Paws 3d damage. c) Daze at 10, knock down at 15

SH/AG/IQ Base
Attributes given to a new character. In the case of the fighter types (Human, Dwarf, Elf, Orc, and Goblin) the SH and AG may be adjusted (by trading points between them). In the case of the Mage race all three may be adjusted.

SH/AG Min
The minimum allowed during adjustment. This keeps Dwarves strong and Elves agile.

SH/AG/IQ Max
The maximum limits encountered by experienced characters. The attributes may increase only so far.

AR/MP
AR: Any "skin" natural armor the race may have. MP: the base movement for the race. Elves and Dwarves have unusual movement changes in that Elves are quick except in plate mail and Dwarves are always the same moderate speed regardless of armor worn.

Creature
Non-intelligent being. Cannot carry or use weapons or armor. Do not accrue experience points.

Character races other than Humans (Orcs, Dwarves, Elves, and Goblins) have a variety of advantages and disadvantages that include improved combat prowess to natural armor. All non-human races pay for their advantages initially in terms of a modified attribute total (Agility + Strength/Health + IQ is different).

Mage Weapons
Magi may only pick up or obtain certain weapons. This reflects the Mage discipline. Magi can only use the following weapons:

• Dagger
• Staff
• Caltrops
• Mace
• Flail

Spells
Spell casting is achieved by expending a predetermined amount of SH points and making a successful AG roll (similar to an attack). The caster "uses" his strength as "mana" to give the spell power and effect. The more powerful the spell, the more strength is required. The "to hit" roll becomes a "to succeed" roll. When rolling to succeed, a roll of 4 results in only half the SH cost being applied, and a roll of 3 results in no SH cost being applied (a free spell).

Magi have the ability to regenerate one SH point every three turns. A Mage will heal up to his full SH if possible.

There are three types of spells 1) missile spells, 2) thrown spells, and 3) special spells. Missile spells are long range spells, thrown spells are short range spells, and special spells are weird.

Missile Spells
Missile Spells are long-range high-cost spells. The SH cost for missile spells can be adjusted by the casting Mage. The Mage may choose to "pump up" the spell with a lot of SH to make it more effective. Missile spells do the number of dice damage per increase in allotted SH. This is risky because all allotted SH points are spent even if the spell misses. Missile spells are subject to terrain modifiers just like bows. In contrast, missile spells may be cast at invisible targets, unlike normal bow or thrown weapons. All missile spells have a maximum SH spending limit.

(+) Drain Spirit/Life are unusual in 3 ways. The first is that the damage accrued to the target is not affected by armor. The second is that the casting mage will receive in return the amount of damage he does to the enemy as Healing SH points. Healing spells are limited so that a character can only heal above his normal SH by two points (Drain Life and Heal-Strength). The third is that the cost per die damage is 2 SH. The SH cost is applied before the healing SH from the target, and could leave the mage prone if he visits 1 SH left.

Thrown Spells
Most thrown spells come in two flavors "bulk" and "per turn" SH cost. "Bulk" spells cost a large amount up front and "per turn" spells cost a little but have to be paid for on a turn by turn basis to keep the spell in effect. Some thrown spells are similar to missile spells in that the spell may be "pumped up" at the time of casting. A "nice" spell may only be cast on friends of the Mage. Spells that are not "nice" may only be cast on enemies of the Mage (exception: "teleport away" and "ESP stats" can be cast on anyone). Thrown spells are subject to range and obstacle "to hit" penalties the same as thrown weapons. Missing a thrown spell only costs 1 SH point no matter how much SH had been allotted.

(*) Agility Magic's effect lasts the entire game or until the mage is killed.

(+) Missile Return causes a friend to become missile repellent. All missile attacks (including spells) are sent back to the attacker or caster. This doubles the range to hit.

(-) Ring of Fire will not create fire squares on friends but will create fire squares on enemies. Magic fire lasts the entire game.

Adjustable Spells
Spells with a "+" modifier in Cost are adjustable and increase in the Cost increment. For example, "pumping up" an Iron Flesh spell is in increments of 1 SH but "pumping up" an Agility Magic spell is in increments of 2 SH.

Spell Duration
Spells with a "+" modifier in Turn Duration last a number of turns in this increment determined by the number of times the spell is "pumped up".

Special Spells
All other spells fall into this category. These spells are quite varied and are broken down here by functional groups. All special spells cost the spell cost -1 point when they fail. Special spells that have a cost of 1 SH or zero SH and fail do not cost anything.

Summon Spells
These spells summon a creature to be controlled by the Mage. The spell has to be renewed (costing 1 SH point) or cancelled at the beginning of the Mage's action every so many turns. Summoned creatures are real in all regards but will vanish when the Mage dies or cancels the summon. The creature will appear at a random location around the Mage facing the direction the mage is facing.

Illusion Spells
Illusions are identical to summon spells except that the illusion creature may be "disbelieved" and that the illusion does not have to be renewed (they do not require any SH to maintain).

Terrain Spells
The following terrain spells create one terrain item in a location on or around the mage. The target location is chosen by the mage and may be in any unoccupied square (friendly squares are permitted when creating Shadow or Exit). Spell cost for terrain is a fixed cost up front like illusion spells.

Spell	IQ	SH Cost
Create Fire	8	1
Create Pit	10	1
Create Shadow	11	2
Create Exit	11	2
Create Wall	12	2

The following terrain spells create an area of terrain. The area and orientation of the terrain depends on the particular spell.

The size shown is the absolute maximum. The spell will tend to fit the area it is in and "flow" out to create the size shown. Fire terrain will not be created on friends.

Dazzle IQ: 11 Cost: 3 Duration: 3 turns
This spell is a bright flash emanating from the mage. All enemies able to see the Mage are -3 AG for 3 turns after this spell goes into effect. Characters able to see the mage are characters that are not prone, have the mage in their front side, and are not behind a wall.

Psychic Blast IQ: 11 Cost: 3
This spell does 1d damage to all enemies within 5 squares (inclusive) of the mage. The mage and his friends are not hurt. The psychic quality of the spell causes the damage to be imparted without any armor effect (like terrain, Drain Spirit, and Drain Life damage).

Snake Staff IQ: 8 Cost: 1xN Duration: 5 turns
This spell requires a ready staff to work. The staff may be turned into 1 to 3 snakes depending on the SH put into the spell. The snakes are controlled by the mage and last five turns.

Image IQ: 9 Cost: 2 Duration: 4 turns
This spell creates two duplicates of the Mage around the Mage and moves the mage in one random square. The two images are insubstantial and will vanish when a successful attack or spell is carried out on them. This spell is purely defensive and works like the "shell game" if played well. Images last four turns.

ESP Stats IQ: 8 Cost: 0
ESP Stats is unlike any other spell. ESP Stats can be used to determine the location of an invisible enemy, or to determine the actual attributes or wounds of an enemy. ESP Stats is rolled for like a Special Spell. If successful, the casting mage will be able to view his choice of up to three enemies. The number of enemies to view is a random number between one and three. Because the cost is 0 SH, ESP Stats may not be aborted by adjusting spell cost to 0 (the spell cost adjustment step is skipped).

Fighter Spells
After attaining an IQ of 10 or higher fighters may use spells. The mix of spells is random and provided when fighting starts. A fighter will have roughly half of the spells available to his IQ. The odds of getting any one spell is 50%. In addition, when a fighter casts a spell he has a reduced agility as a penalty. The agility of a fighter casting a spell is the average of his AG and IQ. Keep in mind that fighters DO NOT REGENERATE and each SH point lost to spell casting is permanent for the duration of the game. These are the spells fighters can use:

Robot Characters
Certain races cannot be controlled by the players and are played by the computer. These characters are added to even the East and West sides arbitrarily when the game starts. They will tend to out number the player controlled counterparts as they are not as flexible in strategy, weapons, or spells.

Race	SH/AG/IQ	AR	MP	Notes
Needler Bush	8/13/4	1	8	a) Thrown needles 1d-1 b) Can throw after charge
Giant Amoeba	10/12/4	.	10	a) Amoeba Acid 1d+1 b) Can attempt hand combat
Fire Spirit	15/13/5	.	10	a) Fire attack 3 points b) Makes fire terrain after attack c) Can attempt hand combat
Phase Spider	11/14/7	.	10*	a) Spider Bite 1d b) Thrown spider web 1d-2 c) Can dual attack d) Phase shifts (teleports)
Imp	13/15/9	.	10	a) Two fists, 1d-2 each b) Permanently invisible c) Can dual attack d) Can steal your ready weapon ("lose weapon" effect) e) Can disbelieve illusion(s) f) Regenerates 1 SH per turn
Slayer	12/13/10	2	12	a) Krill polearm 1d+3 b) Krill missile 2d c) Can disbelieve illusion(s) d) Can dual attack e) Has SH 14 fists 1d-1 each
Behemoth	35/12/6	2	8	a) Cavenous Craw 2d+4 b) Crush 3d+1 c) Can dual attack d) Can attempt hand combat
Evil Mage	20/18/15	.	10*	a) Casts spells b) Has permanent "Missile Return" C) Regenerates 1 SH per turn

(*) Phase Spider and Evil Mage movement is a teleport of limited range. The teleport or phase shift may be done at any time (when engaged, for example).

Needler Bush Tactics
Basically, these bushes are stupid. They will come at you and pelt you with their needles until they are killed. Once they get within firing range they will slow down their movement (no more running). They will always avoid fire terrain, and will avoid caltrops if wounded. They will first shoot at whoever engages them, or failing that, the closest target (even if it is evading). They do not evade unless they have nothing to attack. Occasionally they will become wounded badly enough where they will start charging for the exit to escape (unless they are engaged).

Giant Amoeba Tactics
Another simple, brainless race. The Amoeba will come at you full steam and attack you until it is killed. Like the Needler, they will always avoid fire terrain and will avoid caltrops if wounded. Occasionally it will try to jump you (attempt hand combat). They usually do not repel anyone that attempts hand combat with them. They do not evade unless they have nothing to attack. These too will make for the exit if severely wounded (unless they are engaged).

Fire Spirit Tactics
Similar to Amoebas, Fire Spirits will come at you full steam. They will never avoid fire terrain (they are immune to it) and will only avoid caltrops if they are worse than half dead. They have but one thought: envelope you with flame. It's a barbecue, and you're the meat. When they get up to you they will continually try to get you into hand combat. Once in hand combat, you will be in for a hot time as the Fire Spirit's attack becomes 6 points damage and the fire terrain he creates will do an additional 3 points of damage, for a total of 9 points per turn. If they charge up to you, they will attack that turn with fire as they cannot attempt hand combat unless they shift (like everyone else). If you are strong enough to consistently repel their hand combat attempts, you can ignore them and the fire terrain they create (one per turn, where they are standing) can help you toast other foes. They are smart enough to evade when threatened with a death blow, and will make for the exit when severely damaged (unless they are engaged).

Phase Spider Tactics
Things get tougher when you start seeing the Phase Spiders. They move quite differently from virtually all other robots. They have a limited range teleport they use to move (a "phase shift") and they do not have to stay engaged when they move. The exception to this is when they are in hand combat during which they cannot "phase shift". The "phase shift" movement makes them hard to corner, and they have a tendency to get behind you. They will generally avoid caltrops and fire terrain. Once suffering from heavy wounds they will make a "bee line" for the exit (although they will only be able to move 4 squares per turn). If they have no adjacent enemy, they will throw a caustic stream of web material at the closest target (even if it is evading). If they have an adjacent enemy they will generally attack it with their deadlier weapon (the bite), but will occasionally attack using only the web, or attack with both the web and the bite. They are smart enough to evade when threatened with a death blow, and will evade if they have no targets within range.

Imp Tactics
Imps can be deadly, but are generally a nuisance. The Imp's invisibility coupled with its regeneration makes it fairly difficult to kill (nearly an impossible task for a low experience character). The Imp will come at you full steam, and will not avoid fire terrain or caltrops unless it is suffering from wounds. The Imp has an annoying habit of stealing weapons. If you have enough armor (where the Imp's fists won't do much) or are just plain unlucky (about 1 turn out of 3) the Imp will try and swipe your ready weapon. If he succeeds in his attack, he will take your weapon and sling it (he won't be able to use it on you). If he has a weapon and is engaged, he will disengage if he can get out of all enemy front squares. He will attempt to take the weapon away (generally toward the exit) during movement and he will drop it as soon as he has an attack turn in which he is disengaged. If he does not try and take a weapon or get away with one, he will dual attack an adjacent target with both fists. The Imp is smart enough to evade when threatened with a death blow, and it will head for the exit when severely damaged (although it may regenerate and return to the fight). For Magi, the Imp may disbelieve illusions depending on how many there are present (1 illusion will be ignored, more illusions increase the chances of disbelief).

Slayer Tactics
The Slayer can be very deadly, as he has a pole arm and knows how to charge and receive charge for double damage. The Slayer will come at you full steam until he is within shooting distance (about 25 squares), then slow down. He will then generally charge or shift. If he shifts and is disengaged he will use his Krill as a missile weapon and shoot the nearest target (even if it is evading). If he shifts and has a foe who charged up to him in his front, he will receive charge. If he charges up to a foe, he will impale the foe. If he shifts and does not have a charging foe, he will generally attack with either the Krill Bolt or Krill Stab (50% chance of either). The Slayer may dual attack if the conditions are favorable (the target is neither invisible, evasive, or a snake). The slayer will head for the exit if heavily damaged, and is smart enough to disengage if necessary to get there. The Krill weapon can be dropped, and if the Slayer losses his Krill he will make an effort to recover it (including disengaging if necessary). If he has no Krill and cannot disengage or pick one up, the Slayer will attack with a right cross (his fist). Like Imps, the Slayer may disbelieve illusions depending on how many there are present (1 illusion will be ignored, more illusions increase the chances of disbelief).

Behemoth Tactics
Behemoths are simple but effective. They always come at you full steam, and plan on eating you for lunch. They only evade if they have no enemy to attack. They only avoid fire terrain or caltrops if they are mostly dead. They will usually attack with their craw, but will occasionally (1 out of 3) attack with their crush. Behemoths will sometimes (1 out of 6) dual attack using the craw and crush provided the target is not hard to hit. In addition, Behemoths will sometimes attempt hand combat with their target. If severely wounded, a Behemoth will make for the exit.

Evil Mage Tactics
The Evil Mage is the most deadly and most cunning of the robots. As such, his tactics are far more varied than the other robots. Therefore, this paragraph will attempt to define only the basics, and not the total package as it would become too complicated (and detract from the challenge of the game). The Evil Mage moves in a manner similar to the Phase Spider, but instead of heading for you the Evil Mage heads for the nearest strongest robot (typically a Behemoth). The Evil Mage's primary function is to boost the Behemoths capability. It can do this by (1) giving the Behemoth additional agility points (see Agility Magic spell), (2) speeding the Behemoth (see Magic Speed spell), and (3) give the Behemoth a Death Sword (a SH:30 5d+5 slashing weapon which you can have provided you can get it away from the Behemoth). Secondary to boosting the Behemoth is killing you. This can be accomplished by two ways: Psychic Blast and Drain Spirit (which is limited to 2d damage). Which one the Evil Mage chooses will depend on how many are close to death and how close they are. In addition, the Evil Mage will attempt to thwart you. He does this by using Dazzle, Lose Weapon, Clumsiness, or Curse Armor spells. He will dazzle if three or more of your party can see him and are not already dazzled. Lastly, he will attempt to keep himself alive. This will sometimes require a Drain Life to boost his SH back up. For self preservation he can (1) armor himself with Steel Flesh, (2) Teleport, or (3) Teleport you Away (remember that he has constant Missile Return which makes him immune to being targeted by spells, missile weapons, and thrown weapons, and he regenerates 1 SH every turn). He is smart enough to evade when threatened with a death blow, and will head for the exit when severely wounded. In addition, the Evil Mage has much better target selection than the other robots. The Evil Mage will target someone he can kill AND hit and will generally NOT target the closest enemy, or an enemy that is evading.

Terrain
Eight types of terrain exist: open, fire, pit, caltrops, wall, shadow, exit, and the Altar Of Life. Open terrain is shown as a patch of dots. Fire terrain is shown as spiked waves. Pit terrain is shown as a rounded box with lines in one corner. Caltrops are shown as three spiked stars. Wall terrain is shown as brick. Shadow terrain is shown as a sponge. The exit is shown as a door. The Altar Of Life is shown as a box with a cross on it. Some types of terrain make you harder to see or can hurt you. All terrain damage and "to hit" penalties are cumulative. A character standing in two fires will be harder to shoot at and will take twice the normal fire damage at the end of the turn. Armor does not protect against terrain damage.

Fire
Fire : Fires may be crossed or entered. A character ending the turn standing on a fire will take 3 points of damage. In addition, missile attacks obstructed by fire are penalized for the lack of visibility -1 to hit per fire.

Pit
May not be crossed or entered. The exception to this is the troll, who may move freely in and out of pits without falling down. Another exception is the shield rush which may be used to force an enemy to fall into a pit. Falling down in a pit causes 4 points of damage. Going into hand combat with a troll causes pit damage also, as both parties will be going "prone" or falling down.

Caltrops
Like fire, the caltrops terrain can be crossed or entered. A character ending the turn on caltrops takes damage (2 points). Caltrops do not obstruct missile attacks (bow shots).

Wall
Walls are impervious, they cannot be entered, passed through, or shot through. Walls are not a natural form of terrain and are created by magic users. If a Wall is created on a square with a pit the Wall and Pit cancel each other, leaving open terrain.

Shadow
This form of terrain is a magical enchantment. The purpose of Shadow is purely defensive. Shadow may be entered or passed through. Anyone standing in Shadow is invisible and may not be targeted by bow or thrown weapons. In addition, attacks against a person in Shadow are -2 to hit. Shooting through Shadow receives a -4 to hit penalty per shadow. Shadow does not cause damage.

Exit
Using the exit can allow you to escape death (and keep your accumulated experience). Ending the turn standing on an exit will get the character out of the game. The game starts with one exit along the center North or South wall of the map. Being forced onto an exit will also cause the character to leave the game.

Altar of Life
When a player character is killed, in the next game he appears as a pile of Bones
The bones may be picked up by a player character and dropped on the Altar Of Life to resurrect the dead character. To drop the bones on the Altar, get on Altar with a shuffle or charge move with the bones in your inventory. Change weapons to drop the bones on the altar. The resurrected character will appear in a random location near the Altar with no spells, no weapons, and no armor. Note that only the owner of the character may ressurrect their character, and for that character he will see the name of the dead character on the bones (e.g. "Saruaman Bones"). If the bones are not named, then they belong to another player and cannot be ressurrected by you.

Starting
Click OK get past the welcome message. The tan squares area is the arena and the bottom area is used for menus, messages, and simulated dice throwing. The arena area is a top view: you are looking down onto the arena from a vantage point in the sky. The arena consists of a grid of squares Each square holds one character or item of terrain.

Menus
The primary Gladiator user interface is by multiple-choice menus in the message area (the area below the arena). Here is the initial menu:

Click the "Make Character" button

Click the "Human" button

At this point, a new character has been created. The starting character created is a Human with average attributes, weapons, and armor. In addition, the character should be named. Click the continue button.

Click "Change Name" button and enter a name in the white blank. Click "Continue" button. Click "Done" Button.

View Stats Display
This display is shown when you use the "show character" or prior moving, taking action, or creating a character. Unless you use magic (ESP Stats), you may only view your own characters stats.

This display is private because it shows exact status which would not be apparent from just looking at the character. The numbers in parenthesis are the normal values and the numbers to the right are the current adjusted values. The current values reflect the effects of wounds, armor, and magic. In the example Grim's AG (agility) is reduced by one because he is wearing his shield.

Set up
One character at a time is created or loaded and is to be set up for combat. A choice of available weapons and armor is given and the player may arrange those to prepare for the start of combat. Any time a character is not being created or loaded the characters currently set up may be viewed or removed from the team (using the "Remove Character" button).

Click the "Start Game" button.

Click the "Play Solo Game" button. The computer will lay out random pit terrain and locate an exit. The computer will create a group of "robots" (AI characters) for you to fight.

Phases
Each game turn consists of three phases:

• Initiative Phase : After a one die roll by both sides, someone gets to decide who moves first
• Movement Phase : First team moves, Second team moves
• Actions Phase : Each character takes action in AG (agility) order

Terrain effects are applied immediately after the last phase (actions).

Initiative Phase
You and the computer will each "roll" a die for incentive. Whichever team gets the higher number gets to choose who moves their players first. If the numbers are equal Gladiator arbitrates which team gets the incentive. Gladiator gives the incentive to West on even turns, East on odd turns (when the rolls tie).

Dice
Simulated six-sided die throwing is common in Gladiator. Gladiator "rolls" the die on the screen and the user presses "STOP ROLLING" button to stop the "rolling". The die is actually rolled one last time after a key is pressed so the outcome cannot be anticipated.

Movement Phase
Each player character is moved one at a time in the order of the fastest player to the slowest player (highest MP to lowest MP). All of one team is moved before the other team moves (which team moves first is based on who won the incentive). A player is given movement choices based on whether or not he is prone, engaged with an enemy, or out in the open. The distance a character moves will determine which options are open the shorter distance a character moves the more he will be able to do during the actions phase.

As an arrow button is pressed the player is moved on the arena and the number of moves is increased. When the number of moves has reachged the movement point allowance, the arrow buttons will have no effect. At this point the player may rotate (click the character portrait), click the "RESET" button (start over), or click the "CONTINUE" button (which completes the move. Rotate will change the character's facing. If the character is invisible or prone the character's facing may be determined by looking at the character graphic shown. Clicking the "RESET" button will put the character back in his original position and facing so the move can be started again. Clicking the "CONTINUE" button ends the character's movement. Every square is counted as it is entered. Stepping forward and then back will increase moves by 2 (as opposed to not increasing moves at all). Moving is also affected by entering an enemy's front square (becoming "engaged"). In this case, the character's attention is riveted on the enemy. The player may wish to start the move over and side-step the enemy to get around his front squares. It is generally a good idea to use the "RESET" button and try several moves.

Jump Movement Option
Movement has the "J" button for jumping (theoretically to be used to jump over pits or jump over people but any square may be jumped). The Jump can be useful for bypassing obstacles. The jump moves the character the direction he is facing two squares costing three movement points. The first square is jumped over and may contain "unenterable" terrain such as a wall, pit, or another player. The button works provided you have at least 3 moves left to expend and the landing square is enterable. The direction jumped is the direction the character is currently facing. The next or adjacent square is "jumped over" and the character lands in the second square away. Moves incremented 3 for every jump. Jumping a pit will save one movement point compared to running around it.

Looking Around
This message display is shown when you select the "look around" menu button. Looking Around is available in the Action Phase and can help you plan your actions. A red flashing box is placed on the character being featured. Clicking the "<" or ">" buttons will cycle through all the characters in the arena (or you can select the one you want by left mouse button clicking it). Click the CONTINUE buttton when done.

Ready refers to the weapon that the character has ready to use. Also refers to a weapon that the character has in addition to his primary or Ready weapon that may be used in some special cases. Slung weapons are two weapon holsters that are used to hold weapons not ready for use. The option to change weapons allows the character to switch from a long bow for attacking at a distance to a sword for close-in hacking. The numbers 1 and 2 for the "Slung" items are used to distinguish between the slung items when changing weapons. The top "Slung" is number 1, and the bottom is number 2.

@Crossbow shows that a crossbow has been fired and needs to be reloaded. Crossbows must be loaded to be fired and take a turn or more to reload. The "@" in front of the crossbow shows that the crossbow is unloaded and may not be used to attack.

The stuff under "IN SQUARE" indicates what is in the square the player is standing in.

In addition to the above displayed items, the words "Prone," "Dazed," or "Near Death" may be displayed. These indicate the following:

• Prone : the character is flat on the ground or otherwise disabled.
• Dazed : the character is suffering a reduced agility due to wounds.
• Near Death : the character has 3 or less SH left.

Action Phase
Actions are done in current agility order regardless of side. Current or adjusted agility means the AG after the effects of wounds, armor, and magic. Agile characters get to act first, and slow characters act last. What action can be taken is determined by how little time was used moving. If the player moved a great distance (running) then no time is left for an action. If the player waits (stands still) then all actions are available (unless prone). Keeping this in mind the player will only go as far as a charge when he wants to attack with a hand weapon, as far as a shuffle when he wants to change weapons or throw a weapon, and up to a shift when he wants to shoot a bow or cast a spell.

(*) When you are prone this is all you can do.

($) Hand weapon attack also includes the options of Slash, Shield Attack, Dual Attack, Impale, Shield Rush, and Recieve Charge.

(~) Evasion causes all incoming attacks to be rolled on four dice instead of three (making it more difficult to be hit).

Movement Explained

WAIT or SHIFT (Always available)
During this turn the player did not move at all or moved one square during movement phase. During a SHIFT an engaged player will not be allowed to "about face" his facing. During actions phase the player has the full range of options open. This does not mean he may do any option he chooses. The player will be presented with only those options that make sense for his given situation (for example: no shooting unless you have a loaded bow of some kind).

SHUFFLE (Available when not engaged)
During this turn the player could have changed facing and moved up to two squares. During actions phase the player will have a reduced range of options if he moved the full two squares. On the other hand he must move the full two squares if he wishes to establish "charging" status. Charging is required for the "shield rush" and "impale" attacks. Moving two squares (the minimum for "charging" status) will also entitle an enemy to the "receive charge" attack (provided they choose to face you, have done no more than a shift, and have a ready polearm). If the two squares are moved, the player will not be able to shoot, disengage, cast, or attempt hand combat.

CHARGE (Available when not engaged)
During this turn the player moved from 2 to one-half his MP in squares. He may no longer reload, or throw a weapon. He is able to change weapons but the "PICKUP" button will not be displayed, disabling picking things up for the player.

RUN (Available when not engaged)
During this turn the player moved more than half his MP in squares. Moving more than half of your MP allowance consumes your turn completely and no options will be available (other than "Wait") in the actions phase.

Engaged
A player is engaged when he is standing in an enemy's front square. When engaged, a player must remain adjacent to all engaging enemies and may only use Shift or Wait moves.

STAND (Always available)
This action is a "do nothing" provided the character is not "prone." If he is prone, he will "stand up" by taking this option. If he is not prone he "waits" with this option. Standing up from a prone position will allow the character to change his facing with the restrictions of a SHIFT (if engaged, no "about face").

CAST MAGIC SPELL (Shift move or less)
This action requires a shift or wait move. A spell is successful if you roll your AG or less on the dice with any "to hit" modifications applied. In addition, a spell typically cannot be attempted without sacrificing some strength-health (SH) point(s). See Spells.

DISENGAGE (Shift move or less)
This option is open to those that have shifted or waited. This option is used to retreat (and stand up if prone) from combat. For a successful disengage from hand combat the player must make a roll of his AG or less. If successful the player is allowed to move one square (exception: Orcs can disengage 2 squares).

SHOOT BOW or SHOOT CROSSBOW (shift or less)
This action is open to those characters that have moved one square or no squares and have a ready bow weapon. A crossbow must be loaded to shoot (no "@" in front of the name "Crossbow"). In addition, an enemy target must be to the front of the firing character. Crossbows may be fired and loaded while prone. Firing a crossbow prone gives a +2 to hit bonus for added accuracy. When selecting a bow target, you will be given a message "shoot at " for each possible target on the map. Enter "y" for your desired target. Enter "n" or hit the space bar to go to the next target. You may also select your target by clicking it with the left mouse button. If you enter "n" to the last target (the bottom right one) then the shot will be aborted and the action menu will be redisplayed.

RECEIVE CHARGE (shift or less)
This option is open to players that have an enemy that charges them and the player is holding a pole arm. This option reflects bracing the pole arm butt against the ground and receiving the enemy charge with the pole arm blade. If the enemy moves 2+ squares he is considered to be going fast enough. Receive charge gives the player +2 to hit bonus and does double damage on a hit.

ATTEMPT HAND COMBAT (shift or less)
Hand combat (a deadly form of wrestling) is initiated by this option and is successful if the defender chooses to be in hand combat or fails a roll to repel the attacker. The roll made to repel a hand combat attempt is against the defender's AG modified by the difference in strengths of the attacker and defender. When hand combat is initiated any weapons in "ready" or "also" are dropped. See Hand Combat.

THROW WEAPON (shuffle or less)
This option allows the player to throw his ready weapon at a target he is facing. Range affects the ability to hit by -1 to hit per square. Another single handed weapon will automatically be readied after a throw. The new weapon will be the first found in the order of "slung" (top), "slung" (bottom), and "also".

IMPALE (shuffle or more)
This option is open is to players with a ready pole arm that move 2 or more squares. Similar to Receive Charge, the attack does double damage if it hits. This reflects the ability of a piercing weapon to do great damage when enough momentum is applied.

SHIELD RUSH (shuffle or more)
This option is open to players that have a ready shield. The Shield Rush is just like a Shield Attack except the player has a +2 to hit bonus and the defender has a -2 fall down penalty. If the player hits, the defender must roll to keep from falling down. The roll is his agility or less modified by the difference of the attacker and defender's strength. If the defender falls down the attacker is allowed to choose the adjacent square the defender falls in (possibly a pit or fire terrain).

CHANGE WEAPON/SHIELD (shuffle or less)
This option allows the player to move his weapons around, pick weapons up, or drop weapons. Shields are treated as weapons.

RELOAD CROSSBOW (shuffle or less)
This options allows the player to reload a unloaded crossbow. This may be done while prone.

ATTACK (charge or less)
This option is open to a player with a ready hand weapon (or natural weapon such as Fists). An attack will hit if the total of three dice equals to or is less than the attacker's agility. This "to hit" roll may be adjusted by a variety of modifiers such as facing (attacking from the rear or a prone opponent), being dazed, attacking an invisible target, or attacking in hand combat. The purpose of Attack is to damage or kill the enemy. If the to hit roll is successful, the attacking weapon damage is applied to the enemy's SH minus enemy armor (see Wounds).

Slash Attack (charge or less)
Slashing is a form of attack in which the attacker can attack all enemies in his front squares. The attacker must have a slashing type weapon (sword or axe) ready. The defenders are attacked in clockwise order. The first defender is attacked at -2 to hit. The following defenders (up to five total targets) are attacked at -4 to hit.

Shield Attack (shift or less)
This is identical to a Shield Rush but is less effective (no +2 to hit bonus and no -2 fall down penalty). When moving more than a square this option becomes the Shield Rush.

Dual Attack (charge or less)
This option is open to players that are not holding a two handed weapon. Any two opponents in the frontal area can be attacked (or an opponent can be attacked twice). The attacker chooses which enemy is attacked in what order. The first attack is with the ready weapon and is -2 to hit. The second attack uses the "also" weapon at -3 to hit.

EVADE (charge or less)
This option makes the player harder to hit by causing incoming attacks to roll "to hit" on four dice instead of three. This option reflects a defensive posture such as parrying or dodging.

DROP/PICK UP WEAPON (charge or less)
This becomes the Change Weapon option if the player moves 2 squares or less. Moving more than two squares limits the change weapon ability so that weapons cannot be slung. Any unslung weapon must be readied or left on the ground. Items can still be picked up or dropped. You must empty both hands (drop everything) before you will be able to unsling a weapon.

DISBELIEVE/ZAP ILLUSION (charge or less)
If a magical illusion is present and the "disbelieving" character successfully rolls his IQ or less on three dice the illusion is dispelled (removed from play). When multiple illusions are present the closest illusion is dispelled. If no illusions are present this action has no effect.

GO PRONE (charge or less)
This option is generally reserved for players with crossbows that want the prone +2 to hit bonus with a crossbow. Being prone is a disadvantage as it limits your options and makes you easy to hit.

SHOW CHARACTER (Always)
This option costs nothing in terms of time or options. The stats display can be used to see how your weapons are situated or what your wounds are.

LOOK AROUND (Always)
Like "view-stats" this is free and may be used repeatedly before making your action. Looking around can tell you if someone has moved, has attacked, or when someone is going to move or attack. The order people are shown is the order they will take their turn in. See Looking Around.

Gladiator will only offer the options available to the player at the time so it is not possible to break the rules. This makes Gladiator easier to play but does not relieve the need for written rules. Gladiator has many subtle strategies which become apparent only after careful observation. This is especially true in the actions phase when the options available are based on what has gone before.

Missile Obstacles
Currently obstacles for missile weapons (bow shot or thrown objects) are characters, shadow squares, fires, walls, and the Altar Of Life. Each character or fire in the missile track is a -1 to hit penalty. Each shadow in the missile track is a -4 to hit penalty. Walls and the Altar Of Life block missile shots completely. Remember, you can only shoot at enemies you are facing.

Wounds
The following describes the effects of wounds. These effects are for most races (such as Humans). Other races can withstand more damage before being effected. Some races are immune to these effects. All the wound effects are cumulative but not additive. In other words a knocked down player will be dazed but additional 5 point or greater hits will not make the humanoid "dazed dazed" and will not further reduce his AG.

Knocked Down : A single blow of 8 or more SH points will knock down a character. Prone characters may only WAIT, SHOOT CROSSBOW, or RELOAD. Some creatures cannot be knocked down (such as Amoebas).

Dazed : A single blow of 5 or more SH points will "daze" a character. A dazed character will have a -2 AG penalty for his next action (be it this turn if he has not acted yet, or next turn if he has already acted).

Permanently Dazed : A character that has his SH reduced to 3 or less is always dazed. In addition, the character will not be able to RUN.

Unconscious : A character that has his SH reduced to 1 is virtually dead. He will collapse every turn until killed or the game ends. Some races regenerate SH points and will be able to return to play.

Dead : A character that has his SH reduced to 0 or less is dead and is removed from play. This character loses any gained experience.

Agility Rolls
All agility rolls are limited so any attack may hit and may miss. This is done to avoid "automatic kills" and "automatic misses." A roll of 5 or less always hits. A roll of 16 or better always misses. In addition, a roll of 4 does double damage, a roll of 3 does triple damage, and a roll of 17 or 18 causes the attacker to drop his weapon (if the ready weapon is a hand weapon).

Strategy
Who Moves First
Wining the choice of who moves first with the movement incentive roll can be significant. In most cases it is a good idea to let the enemy move first. This allows you to 1) see their final position before you make your move and 2) possibly run around behind them. Choosing to move first is generally reserved for catching enemies that are running away, running away, or charging attacks.

Who Attacks First
Attacks are in agility order but you can DECLINE and wait for the remaining characters to take an action. The last character in the "turn" is not allowed to decline. When the action turn is over the "declined" characters get to take actions in agility order. This is sometimes desirable to see what the other characters do, or to ensure that a possible daze or knock down will carry over into next turn.

Evading
Each character may act only once each turn and will typically act in adjusted AG order as stated above. The exception to this is the evade action. A character that is attacked may make a preemptive action to evade. In other words, any character that has not yet acted will be able to evade if he is capable of evading (movement and prone restrictions) at any time he is attacked and he wishes to do so. If he chooses to evade his action is "spent" and he will not be able to take other action. Evading is a good idea when you are the target of a pole arm double damage attack (impale or receive charge enemy actions). Evading can also be used to charge through enemy bow shots.

Missiles
Higher AG types are more effective with missiles as range and evasion can have a dramatic effect on the success of a missile attack. The range penalty for bows is -1 per 5 squares. The range penalty for thrown weapons is -1 per square. In addition thrown weapon range is limited to your SH in squares.

Using a arrow type bow weapon is simple: stand and shoot as long as possible. Shuffle and switch weapons to a hand weapon that does your maximum SH bracket damage when the enemy is within charging distance. Arrows can be used against an enemy at any distance effectively but do less damage than hand weapons in the same SH bracket.

Crossbows do reasonable damage but have to be reloaded and can leave the user foolishly reloading or changing weapons when the enemy attacks. Careful planning and luck are needed to use a crossbow effectively. Generally, a character will only have time for one shot with a crossbow and will not take the time to reload it. If this is true the character will probably want to charge and go prone the first turn to close with the enemy and get the +2 "to hit" AG bonus for firing a crossbow prone. The character will then spend the next two turns after firing standing and changing weapons. When the character is ready to attack with his hand weapon the enemy has had a total of four turns to close the distance and attack. Crossbows cannot be relied on and will only occasionally hit. That hit however can deliver a telling blow and will help decide the fate of the combat.

Thrown weapons are a dubious proposition indeed. These are generally reserved for disengaging enemies who keep stepping back before we can get a swing in. Two squares is about as far away as you want to get with a thrown weapon. In addition, throwing a weapon can leave you in a bad way if you have no secondary or slung one-handed weapons. Throwing will automatically ready a one-handed non-shield weapon from top "slung", bottom "slung", and the "also" weapon, in that order of precedence. If no weapons are left then the attacker will have to go pick something up. If only two-handed weapons or shields are left the attacker will have to take a turn to change weapons or pick something up. The attacker of course can always duke it out with fists but this is only effective for very high SH types (SH=17 fist does 1d+2, SH=11 or less does 1d-4).

Hand Combat
When an enemy can be attacked and the character moved none or one square (WAIT or SHIFT) then "try hand combat" is an option. Hand Combat is when two or more enemy characters are battling it out on the ground with fists or daggers. The prone bonus of +4 to hit is gained so all attacks are likely to hit (except in extremely poor AG cases). In addition, all damage inflicted is +3 points of damage. Hand Combat tends to do more damage in less time to both parties than in regular combat. Getting into hand combat with a creature is generally a mistake, especially with a bear. The bear will miss often swinging from a distance but he will likely tear your face off the first time he attacks in Hand Combat.

Hand Combat Attempt
This option will always check to see if the opponent will repel you. The enemy may also choose not to repel you (in which case you may have made a mistake). If he does attempt to repel you, he will have to roll his AG or less on three dice with the additional modifier of the difference of his and your strengths. For example, "Thor" SH:16 AG:8 "June" SH:10 AG:14. Thor trys Hand Combat with June. June chooses to repel and has to roll a 14-(16-10) or 14-6 or 8 or less. If June attempted Hand Combat with Thor then Thor would have to roll an 8-(10-16) or 8+6 or 14 or less. The ability to enter or repel Hand Combat is heavily biased toward the strong. Bears often prefer Hand Combat and there is little humans can do to keep them off. The repel check does not cost the enemy his action and the enemy may attack, evade, or disengage in the same turn Hand Combat was started. In the event that you come on the opponent from the side or the rear, the facing bonus to hit is applied (+2 from the side and +3 from the rear). The bonus is applied as a penalty to the opponents repel roll. A hand combat attempt is automatic if the defender is already prone.

Hand Combat Weapons
When Hand Combat is successful the attacker as well as the defender drop any weapons they have in their ready or secondary hands. The exception to this is the dagger, which is kept. In addition, if a dagger is slung it will be readied. It is important then to remember if your strength gives you greater damage when using a fist than a dagger, DO NOT carry a dagger. It will jump into your hand irritatingly whenever someone enters Hand Combat with you.

Remember that damage in Hand Combat has 3 added to the above damage values.

Hand Combat Disengage
This option is available during Hand Combat when the character has not moved or evaded. The character will successfully disengage on a roll of his AG or less. If successful, the disengaging player will be able to stand up in an adjacent square.

Polearms
These do less apparent damage than other weapons if you consider the weapons chart alone. In actuality the pole arms allow a character to do more damage in a single hit than any other type of weapon in the same SH bracket. This is possible with the IMPALE and RECEIVE_CHARGE actions which do double damage. On the other hand, the character will have to be particularly sly to take advantage of the double damage attacks on a regular basis. He will have to disengage often to get charging room or disengage and run so the enemy charges after him. The latter is more desirable as standing to receive a charge (a shift move) not only does double damage but gets a +2 "to hit" AG bonus. Note also that the larger pole arms can attack an opponent from a distance of two squares. This aids the "hit and run" pole arm strategy, making a very potent combination.

Shield Attacks
Shields can be used to damage an opponent and/or knock him down. If a shield hits it does damage to the defender (see the weapons table) and the defender has to roll to keep from falling down. The roll is against the defender's AG just like an attack roll but is adjusted by the difference in strengths of the attacker and defender. If the attacker is 2 SH stronger than the defender then the defender has a -2 AG penalty. If the attacker is 1 SH weaker than the defender the defender has a +1 AG bonus when rolling to keep standing. In addition, a shield rush (a shield only attack from a charge) gets a +2 AG "to hit" bonus for the attacker to hit with the shield and the defender gets a -2 AG penalty when rolling to keep standing. The attacker gets to move the defender one square (like a shift move) indicating the direction of the desired push. If the defender falls down he will fall down in that square. If not, the defender stays in his original square. Knocking down an opponent is useful in two cases in particular. 1) Gang attack scenario one attacker knocks the defender down and other attackers pummel the prone defender at +4 AG "to hit". 2) Forced retreat scenario the attacker uses the shield push to land the defender on inhospitable terrain a fire or a pit. This is the only way someone can get into a pit (see Terrain for pit damage).

Dual Attacks
The "Dual Attack" option is available when you do not have a two-handed weapon ready and you can attack. The second weapon attack is the "also ready" weapon which is a weapon, a shield, or a fist (no weapon in hand). This is generally the only way to use a shield to attack besides doing a shield rush. This is a way for a high AG type "black belt" to do a good bit of damage in a single turn. The first attack of a dual attack (which is the main weapon "ready") has a -2 AG penalty to hit. The second attack of a dual attack (which is the second weapon "also ready") has a -3 AG penalty to hit. This method is not to be used by low AG type "barbarians" unless they are getting a facing bonus such as attacking the defender from the rear. Also to be avoided against creatures that do not have enough SH left to warrant both weapons. Of course, this is only an issue provided the difference between a single attack and a dual attack is the difference between maybe hitting (10 or less) and missing twice (7 and 6 or less). If the AG is reduced to 5 or less the attacker may as well dual attack due to the fact the AG penalties are nullified by the "5 or less always hits" limit.

Notes
Here are some things to remember if you play Gladiator extensively.

• The handling of abort (closing Gladiator) in multiplayer is crude and problematic. If anyone leaves the game prior to the pop up dialog "East Wins" or "West Wins" everyone exits the game, and no one receives experience bonuses. All players must stay in the game even if their characters are all killed (or exit).



• Character data is written the moment a character is killed. The character experience is reduced a third and the file is changed to a "bones" file. If resurrected (see Altar of Life) the character may be played again, having lost a third of his experience.



• Only one character may exit per turn per exit square. This is also true for ressurrecting characters (only one ressurection may take place per turn). As the character must stand on the exit or altar, no one else will be allowed to stand there (exception: if hand combat is initiated on the exit square). Exiting and ressurection occur at the very end of the turn but prior to terrain damage.



• Missile Return cannot kill a foe. It will leave the character with 1 SH left instead of killing him in the case of a death blow. This is because killing off the character whose turn it is would be problematic.



• Evil Mage will Agility Magic a Behemoth if the Behemoth's agility is 12 or less (normal). So if you Dazzle spell or Clumsiness spell an already "agiled" Behemoth then an Evil Mage may raise the Behemoth's agility again!



• You may notice turn duration for spells is plus one. This is because even though it goes into affect when it is cast, it will last the number of turns not counting the casting turn.



• When a spell caster is killed, all his creations and duration spells expire at the END of the turn. Exceptions are terrain, Strength-Health spell and Death Sword (their effect is permanent).



• Stacking the same armor spell on the same target is not allowed (e.g. Stone Flesh, Iron Flesh, Steel Flesh). The spell will miss.



• You can stack dazzles but as stated the Evil Mage will keep agiling dazzled Behemoths.



• When Gladiator centers the display during movement or attack of a character it basically puts one of 4 quadrants into view. This is crude and annoying when your on the edge of one of those quadrants and the action is taking place in another quadrant. This is a problem with the language library and I haven't found a solution yet.



• When making single terrain or casting teleport, you select the location of the terrain or destination of teleport in the initial spell set up with the mouse. Before the spell is cast. There is a text display indicating this "select square with mouse". The selected square contents will be displayed as IN SQUARE and the flashing red box will appear on it.