Ahoy there, and welcome to this Summersend Festival's Arena! With the festival theme being the Ocean, we're taking our battle to the open sea! Strangely symmetrical islands surround a sinister maelstrom on our awe-inspiring battlefield (battlesea?). And of course raiding, looting, fame, and fortune await! So grab ye hearties, hop on your ship, and set sail!
This is going to be a very different game of Arena. Most noticeably is the addition of a hex grid map (because hexagons are the bestagons) and ship boarding function, but a lot has also been cut to make it simpler: no stances, blocking, or potions to worry about!
Make sure to read the rules through! But I can of course answer any questions.
The Rules
Signups
1. Players sign up individually on this thread. Each player will choose a Ship class and two Crewmen (as well as names for all, optionally). Players will be randomly sorted into two teams of equal size, which will take alternating turns. If there are an odd number of players, the team with fewer players goes second.
Spectators
2. Spectators may place bets on players at this point like so: Team Name: Wager. Please open an account at the Bank before betting. When the application period is concluded, all bets will be locked in.
Submitting Orders
3. When the game has started, all players on the first team will Personal Message the Host (either on the forums or on Discord) what their move and actions will be (if applicable). Players will have roughly 24 hours to PM their actions.
a. All moves require specified map coordinates (e.g. "1A", "28M", or "35$"); all Regular Attacks, Boarding, Trading, and Disembarking require a target (i.e. an enemy Ship, friendly Ship, or Island); and Active Abilities require cardinal/ordinal directions (i.e. N/NE/E/SE/S/SW/W/NW).
b. Players may choose the sequence in which they perform their actions and/or moves. Movement may be broken up into multiple orders as long as no more than the Ship's maximum number of Movement Points is used. For example, you may move to within attack range of an enemy Ship, attack, and then use the rest of your Movement Points to escape.
c. The results of the turn will be posted by the Host at his discretion, though in a timely manner. The game then shifts to the next team’s turn. Each round consists of each team taking one turn. This process will repeat with the two teams taking alternating turns until only one team remains or one concedes.
Actions
4. There are six basic Actions: Attack, use an Ability, Board an enemy Ship, Disengage, Trade, and Disembark/Embark. Only one action may be performed per turn (unless you have certain Crewmen as part of your Ship’s Crew).
a. Regular Attacks do 100% damage on a single target within 2 tiles of your Ship. Dice rolled for Regular Attacks depend on the Attack Strength of the class of Ship: Sloops roll 3d6 damage, Brigantines 3d7, and Galleons 3d9.
b. While some Crewmen have Passive Buffs, other Crewmen have Active Abilities that only they can perform. Dice rolled for Active Abilities depend on the Attack Strength of the class of Ship (same as Regular Attacks). Active Abilities do the specified percentage of damage to every Ship within the Ability’s range, including friendly Ships. Each Crewman can perform their Active Ability only once every three rounds, and each has a separate cooldown. For example, if a player uses one Crewman’s Ability on round 1 and another Crewman’s Ability on round 2, they may use those Abilities again on rounds 4 and 5, respectively.
c. Boarding allows you to stop an enemy ship, attack it, and potentially capture enemy Crewmen and Booty from it. Your Ship must be adjacent to the target enemy Ship in order to board it. Every round you are Boarded on the enemy Ship, you do a Boarding Attack of 1 die less than your Ship's Attack Strength in damage to the enemy Ship and also have a 25% chance of either capturing an enemy Crewman or a piece of Booty from the enemy Ship (you may specify the target when you submit your order, otherwise it will be random). Booty captured from enemy Ships go into effect immediately, but enemy Crewmen will become Loyal to the new Ship on the third turn in order to use their Active Abilities or Passive Buffs (unless you have a Quartermaster as part of your Ship’s Crew). You will automatically continue to Board the enemy Ship on subsequent turns until you Disengage or otherwise move, meaning you can perform other Actions while staying in place during subsequent turns of a Boarding. Beware, if you are still Boarded on an enemy Ship at the end of your turn, the enemy Ship may Board you on their turn!
d. Disengaging allows your Ship to safely move away from an enemy Ship that either you have Boarded or has Boarded your Ship. If you do not Disengage before moving after either Ship has been Boarded, you will suffer an automatic Boarding Attack from the enemy Ship (unless you Boarded the enemy Ship that turn and have a Marauder as part of your Ship’s Crew).
e. Trading allows players to swap Crewmen and Booty between Ships. Both players must at some point on the same turn be on adjacent tiles and submit an order of Trade (including what will be traded) in order to Trade. Crewmen who are traded are immediately Loyal to the new Ship, meaning any passive buffs immediately go into effect.
f. Disembarking allows you to land on any of the twelve Islands scattered around the map and loot a piece of Booty. Your Ship must be adjacent to an Island in order to Disembark. Embarking allows your Ship to go back out to sea. You may not Disembark and Embark on the same turn (unless you have a Marooner as part of your Ship’s Crew).
Boarding Attacks
5. A Boarding Attack is an automatic attack roll that occurs during (and potentially after) a Boarding. Boarding Attacks roll one less die than a Ship's Attack Strength, meaning Sloops roll 2d6 damage, Brigantines 2d7, and Galleons 2d9.
a. If you Board an enemy Ship, you will automatically perform a Boarding Attack. Every subsequent turn in which you are Boarding the enemy Ship, you will perform a Boarding Attack.
b. If you move without first Disengaging during a Boarding that either you are performing on an enemy Ship or the enemy Ship is performing on your Ship, that enemy Ship will automatically perform a Boarding Attack on you (unless you Boarded the enemy Ship that turn and have a Marauder as part of your Ship’s Crew).
Crewmen
6. Each Ship starts with two Crewmen, each of which has a special ability. Some Crewmen have Passive Buffs that last as long as the Crewman is a part of the Ship’s Crew, and other Crewmen have Active Abilities that they may perform once every three turns. Dice rolled for Active Abilities depend on the Attack Strength of the class of Ship. Ships may have as many Crewmen as they capture/trade, and bonuses stack. Players may execute Crewmen to be removed from the game at any point during their turn.
a. Crewmen’s Passive Buffs and Active Abilities are only available for use as long as the Crewmen are Loyal to the Ship. Crewmen are Loyal to the Ships they start the game on. Crewmen traded to friendly Ships are immediately Loyal to the new Ship. Crewmen that are captured during a Boarding remain Loyal to their original Ship until they have stayed on an enemy Ship for three turns (or are captured by an enemy Ship that has a Quartermaster as part of its Crew). For example, if you capture an enemy Crewman on round 1, they will become Loyal to you on round 4. Try to rescue your captured Crewmen before they become Loyal to your enemies' Ships!
Booty
7. Booty are pieces of buried pirate treasure randomly scattered around the twelve Islands on the map. Booty give bonuses to your Ship as long as they remain on your Ship. Booty captured from enemy Ships go into effect immediately. Players may hold as many pieces of Booty as they find, and bonuses stack. Beware, the more pieces of Booty you have on your Ship, the larger target you become for Boarding and looting by enemy Ships! Players may throw Booty overboard to be removed from the game at any point during their turn. If an Island has already been looted of its Booty, it will no longer be marked with an “x”. There are three types of Booty: Strength, Speed, and Luck.
a. The Crown of Might, Saber of Force, and Skull of Power increase all of the player's attacks by 3 damage.
b. The Amulet of Swiftness, Necklace of Celerity, and Ring of Agility increase the player's maximum movement points by 5 tiles per turn.
c. The Coin of Luck, Gem of Fortune, and Chalice of Prosperity add an extra die to all rolls then drop the lowest die.
Movement and Map
8. Movement will take place on a 35x29 hex grid. X-axis columns are designated with a number, while Y-axis rows are designated with a letter (or symbol). Because hex grids do not have straight rows, Y-axis rows are represented with alternating shades of blue. Each player will be represented by a colored tile with an abbreviation for the name of their Ship. Teams will start on opposite sides of the map. Tan colored tiles represent impassable Islands where you may Disembark to loot Booty, which will be marked with an "x". Black colored tiles represent the Maelstrom Vortex, which will automatically sink any Ship that crosses it. Darker blue colored tiles surrounding the Maelstrom Vortex represent Maelstrom Wake tiles, which are easier to cross. a. Movement Points (MP), the maximum number of tiles a Ship can move in a turn, are determined by the Movement of the class of Ship (as well as any Speed-type Booty aboard your Ship or Sea Dogs on your Ship’s Crew): Sloops have a base 15 MP, Brigantines 10 MP, and Galleons 5 MP. b. In the center of the map is a Maelstrom that will grow half a tile wider each round. The Host will roll a d6 to determine which direction it grows every other round. The area within two tiles of the Maelstrom Vortex is the Maelstrom Wake, where tiles cost half the normal Movement Points to move through. Beware, if a Ship is caught in the Maelstrom Vortex as it grows, the Ship will be sunk!
Ship Health
9. Each Ship only has a limited amount of Health Points (HP), which are determined by the Health of the class of Ship: Sloops have 30 HP, Brigantines 35 HP, and Galleons 45 HP. After a Ship’s HP is reduced to zero, the Ship is sunk and the player eliminated from the game. All Crewmen and Booty aboard the Ship at the time of its sinking are lost at sea and removed from the game.
Inactivity
10. If a player does not submit an order when they are capable of doing so, they will receive 1d5 damage. Pirate crews do not like sitting idly by during battle and will damage the Ship to provoke the Captain to return to the fight if no orders are submitted! Each subsequent (but not necessarily consecutive) turn of inactivity will add another d5 of damage, meaning the second turn would be 2d5, the third 3d5, etc.
a. After three consecutive turns of inactivity, the Ship’s crew will Mutiny and kill the player Captain, and the Ship will be taken over by the Host. All decisions for the Ship will be decided by the roll of dice each turn, including what enemy ship to move towards and target and what action to submit. Ships that have Mutinied cannot Trade or Disembark.
Victory
11. When only one team remains or one concedes, the game ends. The winning team will receive their prizes, and the betting spectators will either gain or lose credits depending on their wagers. This will all be recorded in a post at the Bank, and the relevant Bank accounts will be updated.
Ship Classes
Sloop
Although the weakest Ship on the open seas, the single-masted Sloop is also the quickest, able to travel nearly half the map in a single turn. Use its speed advantage to employ hit-and-run tactics and harass enemy Ships before retreating to a safe distance, or loot the many Islands of their powerful Booty to upgrade your Ship before the thought has even crossed the enemies’ minds.
Max Health: 30 HP
Movement: 15 MP
Attack Strength: 3d6 damage (3-18, 10.5 average)
Brigantine
While the Sloop is fast but weak and the Galleon strong but slow, the two-masted Brigantine is a jack of all trades. Able to sail moderate distances and both deal and receive a good amount of damage, use its flexibility to manipulate or bypass enemy ships, or take the fight to them without worrying about being outgunned or outmaneuvered.
Health: 35 HP
Movement: 10 MP
Attack Strength: 3d7 damage (3-21, 12 average)
Galleon
By far the largest Ship available, the three-masted Galleon excels at dominating small areas of the map with its tank-like health and impressive destruction capabilities, drawn back only by its frustratingly short movement range. Sail directly into enemy Ship formations to draw their attention and deal serious damage, get close enough to Board and trap enemy Ships in place, or use its intimidating presence to force enemies into ambushes laid by more mobile friendly Ships.
Health: 45 HP
Movement: 5 MP
Attack Strength: 3d9 damage (3-27, 15 average)
Crewman Classes
Master Gunner
Active Ability: Shoots at every tile in a one tile-wide direction within 9 tiles. Deals 100% damage within 3 tiles, 75% damage within 5 tiles, 50% damage within 7 tiles, and 25% damage within 9 tiles.Possible attack directions: NW, N, NE, SW, S, SE
Privateer
Active Ability: Shoots at every tile in a two tile-wide arc within 5 tiles. Deals 100% damage within 2 tiles, 75% damage within 3 tiles, 50% damage within 4 tiles, and 25% damage with 5 tiles.
Possible attack directions: NE, E, SE, NW, W, SW
Corsair
Active Ability: Shoots at every tile in a three tile-wide arc within 3 tiles. Deals 100% damage within 2 tiles and 50% damage within 3 tiles.Possible attack directions: NW, N, NE, SW, S, SE
Buccaneer
Active Ability: Shoots at every tile in a two tile-wide arc within 3 tiles on two opposite sides of the Ship. Deals 100% damage within 1 tiles, 80% damage within 2 tiles, and 40% damage within 3 tiles.Possible attack directions: E/W, NE/SW, NW/SE
Powder Monkey
Active Ability: Shoots at every tile in every direction within 2 tiles. Deals 100% damage within 1 tile and 50% damage within 2 tiles.
Reaver
Active Ability: Shoots a grappling hook at a single enemy Ship within a range of 7 tiles, moves both the enemy Ship and your Ship closer to each other until they are adjacent, and causes you to automatically Board the enemy Ship.
Sea Dog
Passive Buff: Gives your Ship +20% Movement Points per turn, meaning Sloops can move an extra 3 tiles per turn, Brigantines 2, and Galleons 1.
Quartermaster
Passive Buff: Enemy Crewmen captured when Boarding an enemy Ship immediately become Loyal, meaning any passive buffs immediately go into effect. If you have two Quartermasters as part of your Crew, you can permanently change the class of any newly captured Crewmen on the turn in which you captured them.
Marooner
Passive Buff: Allows you to Disembark onto an Island, loot the Booty, and Embark back to sea on the same turn. After the third use of the ability, the Marooner stays on the Island and refuses to return to battle.
Marauder
Passive Buff: Allows you to Board an enemy Ship and Disengage on the same turn, meaning you can move away after Boarding an enemy Ship on the same turn without incurring a Boarding Attack penalty. If you have two Marauders as part of your Crew, you will no longer incur Boarding Attack penalties when moving away from a Boarding without first Disengaging.
Raider
Passive Buff: Gives you the choice when Boarding an enemy Ship of +25% chance to capture a single enemy Crewman or piece of Booty or a 25% chance to capture a second enemy Crewman or piece of Booty. If no choice is submitted, it will be random.
Applications
Signups will stay open through Friday, August 20. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments.
When you're ready to sign up, post below with the following information! Anything you leave blank in your application, I'll fill in randomly. 
Captain Name:Ship Name:
Ship Class: Crewman 1 Name:
Crewman 1 Class:
Crewman 2 Name:
Crewman 2 Class:
List of Players
Wintermoot: The Frozen Terror (Galleon | Powder Monkey/Privateer)
