Quadmge

Quadmage is a team contact sport played by four teams inside a maze with a rune in its center. The goal of the game is to activate the rune as fast as possible while eliminating the competing teams along the way. Each unique game is referred to as a match, and consists of 4 separate runs through the maze. The run ends when a runner activates the rune in the maze's crucible or when only one runner remains standing. Points are awarded based on several criteria and rules. And when the game concludes the team who earned the most points wins.

History

Quadmage dates its roots back to ancient Darseras when the powerful archons built mazes and set their slaves to roam inside them, promising great boons or even freedom to those that reach the center. Back them, each slave would compete against their peers while the archons would bet on who will finish first or make it the farthest.
During the Wizards Trail, many of those fleeing south ended up in the hands of Darseran masters, who up until that point did not held magic users as slaves. One of the main reasons for the lack of wizards was that teaching magic to slaves was forbidden in Darseras. The wizards fleeing the north were often already trained and proved capable, and backed with the incentive of gifts and freedom, completely dominated the games.
To combat this new magical threat, the archons began sending several slaves as singular squads, promising equal rewards to all their members, instead to individual slaves. Regardless, bon-spell casters continued to be decimated and while they saw little use in the future, the structure of groups or squads remained.
While Darseras was already fading from its glory, The game and variations of it became more and more popular in its neighbors, mostly due to traders and immigrants brought the game to other corners of Edora after gaining their freedom. it quickly grew to became a favorite among magical dynasties and nobles who grew fond of its strategic aspects and the monetary risk involved.

In 720, to commemorate the 100 anniversary of the Conclave of Magi, a major maze was constructed in Vintia and four groups of four Magus-Tir members competed to the center. The event was such a success that it prompted an official league to rise only 6 years later.
The Quadmage league, while similar in structure to the old games, presented a standardized set of rules, equipment and playing fields. It also introduced several magical safety mechanism, such as cloning, to circumvent the most criticized aspects of the games. This normalization allowed teams to spring up seemingly overnight. By the first Continental Quad-Mage Championship in 820, more than 160 quadmage teams were already registered by various local leagues.
Today, there are 5 Quadmage leagues playing around the continent. 4 of those participate in the continental championship once every 4 years. Standardization of equipment and improvement of safety measures throughout the years has helped to greatly reduce injuries and fatalities and the quadmage is now practiced by mages of all kinds and ages.

Execution

The Game

Setup

Before the start of the match, the referee rolls 1d4 to determine which Ready Room belong to which team. Each team then rolls for initiative until a unique spot is resolved for each runner.

If they choose to do so, the home-team may choose to switch their designated room with that of another team before the start of the first round of the match.

Running the Maze

The game starts with the runner with the highest initiative, and continues down the list until reaching the last one. At the start of their turn, each runner recieves 60 seconds to resolve all movement and actions or their current runner. They may also use that time for any other task they chose. The runner's turn ends when the timer counts to 0. If two or more allied runners run consecutive turns, the timer is increased by 30 seconds for each consecutive turn. All turns end when the timer reaches 0 and runners that did not act missed their window.
After the turn of every runner, One random encountered creature can act and move. The same creature can not move or act twice in a row, unless it is the only creature of the encounter. If several separate encounters occur simultaneously, only one creature can move and act in each active encounter.

Completing a Run

A maze run is completed when a runner spends 6 seconds activating the rune in the center of the Crucible. If the runner is interrupted or takes damage, they must start the process again.
After the rune was activated the run is concluded. The teams then switch their ready rooms, rotating clockwise, and another run begins with the runner at the top of the initiative list.

The team who activated the rune may replace the spot of one runner on the initiative list with that of any other, potentially combining turns if two of the same team are grouped together.

Finishing a Match

A match is concluded after 4 consecutive runs of the maze. The team with the most points wins the match.

Components and tools

Maze Construction

A quadmage maze must adhere to Associazione Di Quattro Maghi standards to be considered league eligible.

Structure

• Must be square.
• Length and width of 400 feet.
• Must have at least 12 rooms.
• Number of rooms must be equal in each maze quarter.

Crucible:

• Must be square.
• Length and width of 90 feet.
• Pedestal must be located at the center.
• The pedestal is measured 5 feet wide, by 5 feet long, by 5 feet high.
• Crucible must not contain any obstacles of any kind.
• The rune must be glowing in a green light and visible from 30 ft away.

Corridors:

• Corridors, but not rooms, containing antimagic components such as antimagic devices or verilium walls are to be marked on the Navigators maps before the first run.
• Corridors must not directly connect the starting rooms of two or more teams.
• Corridors must not complete a full circle without connecting to other rooms or corridors.

Rooms:

• Rooms must have a total square area of least 80 feet, and be at least 20 feet tall.
• Rooms must have clear line of sight from all entrances.
• The center of the room must not be obscured by walls.

Obstacles

Traps

• A maximum of 1 per corridor and 3 per room.
• If there is more than one trap, only one can be lethal.
• Traps can not be automatically rearmed after being triggered or disarmed.

Combat:

• Hostile encounters must not contain unwilling sapient creatures.
• Unconscious runners are teleported out after 12 seconds unless they manage to awake.

Participants

Teams

Each team is made up of 7 participants. 1 Navigator, 4 Runners and 2 Lineups.

Navigator

The navigator serves as the team's captain, they do not run the maze with the runners, but they have access to the maze map and are always aware of their runners and lineups position and status. They also have powerful abilities that can dramatically change the conditions of the maze.

Runners

The Runners are the team members who are currently explore maze. Each team starts with 4 runners who can be customized to suite the team's need. While they can choose spells from any spell list, they have some limitations regarding their carried equipment and number of spells prepared. Runners are treated as if they just finished a long rest when they first enter the maze.

Prepared Spells

• 3 cantrips
• 3 1st level spells (4 uses/Long Rest)
• 2 2nd level spells (2 ueses/Long Rest)
• 1 3rd level spells (1 use/Long Rest)

Equipment

• A runner can bring with them up to 3 flasks or wands, in any combination they choose.
• A runner can bring with them up to 2 scrolls containing spells up to 4th level.
• A runner can carry up to 3 other items with them.
• The dedicated component pouch is for spell casting only and may not be used for storage.

• Once per match, during their team's turn, the navigator may give their team a 35 second window of extra time. This extra time does not count against the team's clock.
• Once per run, on a turn of their runner, the navigator may choose a single room to reveal. The room remains revealed to all sides until the end of the match.

Lineups

Lineups are used to replace exhausted or neutralized runners. The lineup takes the former runner's spot in the initiative list. Once a lineup becomes a runner they can not become a runner again. Lineups do not carry any equipment when the match starts, but may be given any additional equipment and gear found in the maze. If a piece of found equipment is declared to be given to a lineup, it automatically teleported to their inventory.

Referees

The referee runs the game and ensures fair play. They track runners health, manage encounters and keep time. They can delegate any of the tasks to other referees, as long as they do not participate in the game with a team.

Current Date: 2^nd of Latsum, 1572

Related Organizations

• Associazione Di Quattr-Maghi

Rules

1. Teams, including lineups must be deployed from opposite corners of the maze.
2. Lineups must wait outside the maze until they are summoned
3. Lineups must connect with their group before heading towards the Crucible
4. Each Runner and Lineup is allowed to carry up to 3 wands or flasks of their choice and up to 3 other magic items at any given time
5. Each team is allowed to bring up to 5 scrolls per match, containing spells no higher than 4th level.
6. Items picked inside the maze can be kept to used in subsequent runs, but returned to the arena when the match is concluded.
7. Each Runner and Lineup must adhere to league standard statblock.
8. Creatures that have yet to be encountered can not be moved until revealed

Scoring

Traps	Points
Trap Avoided	+5
Trap Disarmed	+10
Trap Triggered	-5
Rooms	Points
=< 12 seconds	+15
13-20 Seconds	+5
>20 Seconds	-10
Contact	Points
Rival Neutralized	+30
Rival Restricted	+20
Ally Neutralized	-50
Ally Restricted	-30
Movement	Points
>= 25 feet	+5
10-24 feet	0
0-9 feet	-5
Breakers	Points
First Blood	+50
Team Wipe	+50
RUNE	+200

Banned Equipment

Dimentional Storage Items

Banned Flasks

--None--

Banned Spells

--None--