Overview
How it plays
How does it play?
Arena of Death: Heroic Combat in the Fantasy World of DragonQuest, is a game of gladiatorial combat in a fantasy setting.
Core mechanisms
Key systems that shape the decisions players make.
Dice Rolling
Roll dice to introduce uncertainty into actions, production, movement, or resolution.
Simulation
Model a real or imagined system through detailed cause-and-effect rules.
Variable Player Powers
Each player has different abilities, restrictions, or strategic advantages.
Hexagon Grid
Use a hexagonal map where each space connects evenly in six directions.
Read the full game description
Arena of Death: Heroic Combat in the Fantasy World of DragonQuest, is a game of gladiatorial combat in a fantasy setting. The players take on the role of fighters in the arena, pitting these fighters against each other and against fearsome beasts over the course of a variable number of "combats". Each combat consists of one or more players' characters entering the arena where they meet one or more characters controlled by other players. The combat lasts until only dead or mutually friendly characters remain in the arena. [This is the standalone game version of the combat system used in the first edition of RPG DragonQuest by SPI] Originally published in Ares magazine Nr 4 (Sept 1980).