Bracket Breaker Sweep
This hazard is an arena organizer's favorite cruelty, built to punish careless footwork and reward sharp timing. It does not strike high or wide. It attacks the legs, trying to leave competitors limping, crawling, or out of the bracket entirely.
Bracket Breaker Sweep
Defenses
Detection
“A waist-high ring of lacquered wood and iron sits half-buried in the arena floor, marked with chalk tally lines like a tournament bracket. When armed, narrow blade-arms snap up from hidden slots and sweep at shin level in a disciplined, punishing rhythm.”
Standard Engagement
The hazard activates when a creature enters a marked lane, starts its turn in one, or when the arena master releases the sweep lever, whichever comes first.
On initiative, the hazard sweeps one marked lane of its choice, then another if more than one lane is active in the arena. Creatures in a swept lane must attempt the Reflex save. After the sweep, any square left in the lane is difficult terrain until the start of the hazard's next turn, representing broken boards and exposed blades.
The hazard automatically resets at the start of the next round if it was not disabled. If jammed, it must be cleared before resetting.
On its turn, the hazard extends hidden blade-arms in a 10-foot-wide ring centered on its installation. Any creature standing in or moving through the marked lane when the blades sweep must attempt a DC 28 Reflex save. The hazard targets only the lower body, making it especially punishing to creatures that linger close to the floor.
Critical Success The creature takes no damage and can Step out of the lane as part of the same reaction-like opening if it has a reaction available, representing a perfect read of the pattern.
Success The creature takes half damage and is not impeded.
Failure The creature takes 4d8 slashing damage and is flat-footed until the start of its next turn as its stance is disrupted.
Critical Failure The creature takes 8d8 slashing damage, is flat-footed until the start of its next turn, and is knocked prone if it is standing on the ground in the hazard's lane.
Lane Discipline The hazard becomes more dangerous if a creature remains in the same swept lane. A creature that begins its turn in a lane that was swept on the previous round takes a -2 circumstance penalty to its Reflex save against the hazard this round, unless it moved at least 10 feet since the end of its last turn.
Crowd-Favorite Cruelty If the arena contains cheering spectators, the first time each round the hazard hits a creature, that creature is also distracted by the roar of the crowd and becomes clumsy 1 until the end of its next turn on a critical failure against the Reflex save.
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