It's been a dreadfully long time since any of my characters have been significantly hurt in the arena, even by the final boss. The opponents have something like 5x normal HP, but do only half normal damage. It's kind of bizarre. You'd think Bonk would really beat up a PC, but an ogre lord is more dangerous. In fact, I've always wondered if the arena works as intended.
I'd like to see these fights take some effort for a character around level 10. Some thoughts:
Level up the monsters instead of just giving them extra HP, so they do more damage as well.
Dax requires the PC to fight without body armor.
Randomly insert 2-3 named monsters (like artifact guardians and the new bosses) in the lineup.
Anyone with me? Let's make the Golden Gladius mean something!
Don't like the second point, but I fully agree with the first. Instead of forcing the PC to remove body armor, make it less protective in combat by increasing damage ;)
Point no. 3 (or something similar) was already planned, I think.
I think it might not be terrible to slightly increase the overall monster DLs (not necessarily the bosses...). Remember, it's possible to reach the Arena at level 6 or lower, and at that level, some of the fights are fairly difficult.
Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that 5x HP and half damage was the actual modification implemented--it's just my impression as a player that the hits are not at all threatening.
Sorry, I didn't mean to imply that 5x HP and half damage was the actual modification implemented--it's just my impression as a player that the hits are not at all threatening.
Regardless, the solution could still work: just give the hits a mutiplier/bonus of some kind. Though, I suppose, levelling would have the same effect.
I don't think making special cases is required. If the opponents are too weak (and I agree that they are), stronger creature types should be provided. And the 20th opponents sure could use a special power or two.
How about making the level of the opponent equal to which fight you're on? In other words, your first match, you'll fight a level 1 monster, seventh match will be a level 7 monster, and so on.
I like Carter's idea the most - give boss monsters a certain chance to show up in the lineup instead of the regular opponents, except for the final fight?
If not that, then original suggestion number 1 (levelled monsters).