Free Content Pack #1

This is the first installment of free content that will be given out to the Sons of Mars community. All
content in this pack should be treated as “bolt on” rules and only used if your opponent or gaming group agree
to add them to your game play experience. These additional rules could possibly cause slight imbalance and
should only be used if you’re looking to add a bit more “fluff” to your campaign. If you do happen to run into
any issues please send in your findings so we can try to fix and update the document to create a better game play
experience for everyone. Once again, thanks for adding Sons of Mars to your wargames collection and keep an
eye out for additional free content down the road.

Content Written & Created By: Joe Veltre

Models & Photos Provided By: North Star Military Figures & Crusader Miniatures
 Gladiator Nationalities
This bolt on rule allows players to have their
newly purchased gladiator retain some minor part of
their heritage before dedicating their lives to becoming
a member of your ludus.
Before purchasing your gladiator from the slave
market roll a d10. On a 6+ you will be able to roll on
the nationality chart below to see what region your
newly purchased gladiator comes from and what bonus-
es they have gained. If the player fails to roll a 6+ then
their slave is a broken man who has no ties to his past.
If your gladiator is able to get a nationality trait
roll a d10 and consult the list below.
Once the die has been rolled and the result
presents itself the player MUST keep the result and then
proceed as normal with creating their gladiator.

Nationalities
1. Syrian
Perseverance - Syrians are not held in high regard amongst the Romans when it comes to the ways of
war. The famous gladiator Flamma most notably took issue with this and continued to fight in the arena af-
ter rejecting the rudus on multiple occasions to gain his freedom. Any Syrian may re-roll a failed armor save
against the loss of their final Vitality point in combat.
Waste of Breath - When the Roman crowds see a Syrian gladiator on his last legs there is no point
cheering him on any further, he is most likely about to die. Any Syrian with one Vitality point left is unable to
accumulate any more Favor Dice.

2. Samnite
Old Wounds - Fighting with Rome during the Samnite Wars as well as aligning themselves with
Hannibal during the Punic Wars has left the bitter taste of defeat in the mouths of these natives from southern
Italy. Any Samnite may re-roll the result of an Intimidate Action once per match.
Defeatist - Even victory in the arena can not erase the history of these defeated peoples. All rolls on the
Victory Table that are a 6 or higher must be rerolled.

3. Numidian
Swift Riders - Numidians were renown for their skill while fighting on horseback. Any Numidian
gladiator fighting atop a mount gains an extra attack die when Charging into Combat.
Shocked - The crowd never expects to see a Numidian rider knocked from his mount but when it hap-
pens it brings the people to their feet. If a Numidian is knocked off of their horse they must give all of their
Favor Dice to their opponent. If they have no Favor Dice to give then their opponent receives an extra Favor
Die as compensation.
4. Spanish
Savage Attack - Barbarians from the regions of Spain were known to fight with ferocity on the battle-
field. The viscous defense of their homeland against Roman and Carthaginian invasions had claimed many
lives over the centuries. Once per match any Spaniard may use their Charge (CHG) dice pool to replace another
combat dice pool.
Uncontrolled Fury - These savages lack the discipline needed to become a true champion of the arena.
Any Spaniards dice roll of a 4 or less while Charging into Combat can never register as a hit versus their oppo-
nent.

5. Carthaginian
Pride - Hannibal and his soldiers spent nearly two decades laying waste to the Roman countryside,
inflicting horrific casualties and embarrassing defeats upon the legions of Rome. Even after the fall of Carthage
these memories can still bring a smile and sense of pride to the face of a Carthaginian. Any Carthaginian fight-
ing in the Primus will start the match with two extra Favor Die as they attempt to achieve the same glory their
forefathers did decades earlier on Roman soil.
Fallen Hero - In the eyes of most Romans the only good Carthaginian is a dead Carthaginian. Any
Carthaginian who rolls a 1 on the Table of Defeat is automatically put to death regardless of the difference in
wounds.

6. Gallic
Bloodthirsty - Gauls have been the enemies of Rome since the early days of the Republic. Any
opportunity to run their sword through a Roman or his slave is not to be missed. All Gauls will immediately
get an extra action on their turn (Or next turn if there opponents actions are taking place) if they inflict the first
wound during a match.
No Blood, No Glory - Romans only wish to see these barbaric Gauls shed blood in the arena, nothing
more and nothing less. Any time a Gaul attempts the Play to the Crowd action they must re-roll successes.

7. Germanic
Relentless - Germanic warriors rarely gave ground on the battlefield and that tenacity carried over to
the sands of the arena. All gladiators of Germanic decent can elect to not take a Fatigue test at the start of any
round once per match.
Exhausted - The ferocity in which these barbarians fight comes at a cost. Any gladiator of Germanic
decent has their Fatigue penalty cap raised to a -4.

8. Thrace
Defiant - Always defiant in the face of Rome, Thracian’s (Not the Gladiator Class) may re-roll attempts
to stand up after being knocked prone.
I am Spartacus - Sometimes rising to ones feet is more important than defending ones self. If a gladia-
tor of Thracian decent is attacked while prone then their opponent may re-roll one of their attack dice if they so
choose.

9. Greek
Tried and True - Greek combat tactics have laid the groundwork for many of the worlds finest armies
rise to power. Any Greek gladiator can earn a bonus experience point if they win their match with a difference
of 5 Vitality points more than their opponent.
Old Ways - Failure to quickly adapt to the changing ways of warfare has caught up to the Greek people.
Any gladiator of Greek decent cannot gain more than one bonus experience points on the Victory Table.
10. Roman
Son of Rome - No matter what path led you to the sands of the arena you will always be a son of Rome.
Any gladiator of Roman decent may re roll their result on the Victory table.
High Expectations - For a Roman to lose in the arena is a blemish on Rome itself. No coin or experi-
ence points may be awarded to a gladiator of Roman decent when they roll on the Table of Defeat.

Quality of Slave Stock

Not all slaves are created equal. The following bolt on rule will allow players in a campign to roll for
potential attribute modifiers whenever they purchase a new gladiator. Roll once for STR, AGL, CHA, MOV &
VIT and then consult the table below. Each result should be stacked onto the base attribute of the slaves new
gladiator class. Example - If you roll a 1 and get the -1 modifier to STR for your Murmillo then their STR attri-
bute is now a +1 instead of the normal +2.

Roll D10
1 or 2 - Your gladiator lacks skill in this area, they take a -1 modifier to this attribute.
3 to 8 - Your gladiator has the skill that we expected in this area. No change for this attribute.
9 or 10 - Your gladiator has exceptional skill in this area, they gain a +1 modifier to this attribute.

Rivals
Occasionally two gladiators may develop a history of epic clashes against each other over the course of
their careers. If both lanistas agree, a special event can be held at a Regional Event. This match can be fully
customized with any obstacles, rules, etc. The winner will be granted an extra roll on the Victory Table as well
as an additional 25 coin payout. The loser will be forced to retire, never to fight in the arena again... (This
match can only be held if both gladiators have faced off against each other at least two times in their past.)

Bleeding Out
Sometimes deep wounds combined with fatigue can cause the toughest of gladiators to fall in combat. If
a gladiator is already maxed out with fatigue points (-3 Penalty) and fails a fatigue test they will automatically
lose 1 point of Vitality.

Senators Favor
Senators that attend the games can occasionally wield as much power in the arena as they do on the
Senate floor. If a gladiator loses their match and has at least 3 favor dice left over they may cash them in to gain
the favor of a Senator in the crowd and re-roll their result on the Table of Defeat. The player may still choose to
take the result of the first roll but this will ultimately insult the Senator and a payment of 5 coins will need to be
paid to help ease his anger.
 Crupellarius
Crupellarius were gladiators that were covered from head to toe in armor. What they
lacked in mobility and vision they more than made up for in their ability to defend themselves.
All Crupellarius come with the “Cumbersome” ability. They do not receive the “free” 5 point
ability at gladiator creation for campaign play.

Crupellarius (20 coins)

STR / +2 AGL / -3 CHA / 0 MOV / 3 VIT / 9
CHG / 1 SUS / 1 CTR / 1 DEF / 1 ARM / +4

Abilities
5 Point Abilities 10 Point Abilities 15 Point Abilities
Endurance CTR +1 DEF +1
Stout Opportunist STR +1
Sure Footing CHA +1 VIT +1
Knockdown Fortress Veteran

Primary Weapons
Weapon CHG SUS CTR DEF ARM Abilities Cost

Hasta w/ Parmula 0 1 1 2 +1 Long, Parry 10

Gladius w/ Scutum 1 2 1 0 +2 20

Secondary Weapons
Weapon CHG SUS CTR DEF ARM Abilities Cost

None

Equipment
Items CHG SUS CTR DEF ARM Abilities Cost

None
 Retiarius Re-balancing
After Sons of Mars initial release the player base has felt that the Retiarius class of glad-
iators was lacking a bit in terms of balance. Below are a set of bolt on rules submitted by the
community to help bring Retiarius back in line with the rest of his brothers in arms. These rules
are not considered Errata but I highly suggest using them because they do make a slight differ-
ence in the on table performance that will only benefit your gaming experience.

Long - The attacker is able to hit enemies from one inch away with sustained attacks. The de-
fender may strike back using their counter attack rating and must re-roll their highest die roll
if the attacker chooses so. Also a gladiator who charges an opponent with the Long skill loses
their bonus to re-roll one die on the charge. If the opponent also has a Long skill then the com-
bat is resolved as normal.

Net Toss - If the Retiarius is not in base contact and at least one inch away from their opponent
they can elect to use their net for a ranged attack. The target can be no further than 3 inches
away from the Retiarius and can not be locked in sustained combat with another opponent.
Resolve the Net Toss as you would a normal ranged attack. If successful then the gladiator who
has been hit by the net will automatically be Entangled for the following action. After that the
net will be placed on the ground 1 inch behind the opponent. If the Net Toss fails then the net
will be placed on the ground behind the opponent.
(Critical Success Bonus - On a Net Toss roll of a 10 the opponent will be entangled and fall to a
prone position.)