MattDakka
Joined: Oct 09, 2007
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 Posted:
Aug 16, 2025 - 14:24 |
 
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House rules to play with special balls.
These are not rules invented by me, but coming from an old Citadel Journal article written by Adam Morgan.
Magnetic ball: if left on the ground the ball will be attracted to the nearest player's armour and will move D3 squares towards them at the end of every turn (in case of tie, roll a D6 for each eligible player, rerolling ties).
If, for any reason (including passing and blocking), a player must release the ball, roll a D6: on a 4+ they MUST keep hold of it even if they have been knocked over - they must be fouled out of the way!.
If the ball carrier passes another player with a higher AV they must stop moving and block them with a -1 ST modifier as the ball, and the player, are attracted towards them - note that this doesn't count as your team's Blitz. Players in the same square as a magnetic ball temporarily count as having the "Sure Hands" skill during this.
my notes: instead of randomizing the direction of the ball, it should head for the nearest player with the highest AV. About fouling to remove the player and get the ball: I would change it so that when the player with the magnetic ball gets fouled, the ball is freed and scatters, even if the fouled player is not removed from the pitch. Requiring to actually remove the player from the pitch with fouling is potentially gamebreaking.
Explosive ball: at the end of each turn roll a D6: on a 1 the shaking triggers the explosives. Anyone holding it is automatically injured (roll on Injury table) and anyone in adjacent squares are knocked over as normal (make an AV roll). The game must be restarted with a new Kick-Off and a normal ball.
my notes: 1 on D6 seems too easy to me, it could be either 1 on a D8 or 2D6 roll at end of a turn < current Half turn = explosion (to represent a timer trigger). The player carrying the ball should not be automatically injured, I would make an AV roll. The players in adjacent squares should be knocked over on a 4+.
Enchanted ball: the ball has been enchanted by the resident stadium's wizard, roll a d6 on the table below.
1: any player holding the ball has a -1 modifier to all dice rolls. If left on the ground it will move 3 squares in a random direction at the beginning of every turn.
2: the ball is explosive (as described previously).
3: the ball plays for the receiving team! Opposing players have -1 modifier to all dice rolls when holding it. If unheld it may move up to 3 squares towards the opposing Endzone.
4: teleporting ball: roll a D6 at the start of each player's turn. On 4+ it teleports itself (not the carrier!) D6 squares in a random direction.
5: if the ball is being carried, roll a D6: on a 5+ the ball and the ball carrier teleport D6 squares in a random direction.
6: as result 3, but the ball plays for the kicking team.
my notes: D6 squares teleport seem too many, I'd nerf it with D3 squares, rolling the scatter square-by-square (because this reduces the average scatter distance). The player actually teleports in the last square, not during the scatter (that means that they can cross occupied squares, they physically materialize in the very last square). If the last square of the scatter is occupied, the player with the teleporting ball is knocked down in that square, while the other player is placed in a random adjacent square and knocked down.
Sticky ball: anyone holding it temporarily gains the "Sure Hands" skill and has a -1 modifier when Passing. Sure Hands skill is lost once the player no longer holds the ball.
my notes: when a player tries to pick up the ball has "Sure Hands" and when tries to catch it temporarily gets the "Catch" skill.
Floating ball: one of the participating teams must include at least one Goblin to include a floating ball, filled with lighter-than-air marsh gas.
When thrown, the passing range is decreased by one bracket (i.e Long Pass becomes a Short Pass, a Short Pass becomes a Quick Pass etc.) but it is -1 to catch at the other end.
Whenever the ball is being passed, or if is on the ground at the end on a turn, roll a D6: if the result is a 1 (or 1-2 if it was a Long Bomb), the ball floats away and the game has to restart with a new, normal ball. Floating balls scatter twice as far as normal.
my notes: 1 on a D6 is too likely, I'd change it with 1 on a D8 and 1-2 on a D8 when throwing a Long Bomb.
Iron ball: one of the teams must include at least one Dwarf to include an Iron ball.
An iron ball may be picked up if the player rolls equal to or under their Strength on a D6 (6 always fails).
Another roll must be be taken before passing at anything over a Quick Pass, this time with a +2 modifier.
Any player holding an iron ball can't rush or dodge but may add +1 to their Strength when blocking.
Any player who catches an iron ball must roll equal to or under their Strength or get knocked down by the ball's impact (1 always succeeds, 6 always fails) with AV roll.
Spiked ball: when passing (not handing off), make a second AG roll if successfully caught for the catching player, with a +1 modifier. If failed, the ball blocks the catching player with the following Strength:
Quick Pass: 2; Short; 3; Long: 4; Long Bomb: 5
if the catching player is not knocked down the catch is a success, if they are then the ball scatters as normal.
A spiked ball may be passed to empty adjacent squares, but it will scatter as normal.
The ball can be used as a missile weapon, passing to an opposing player. This cannot be done at Long and Long Bomb ranges. Quick Pass: Strength 5; Short Pass: Strength 4. If the opposing player is not knocked over they can try to catch the ball with a -2 modifier.
The ball can be used as a handheld weapon, in this case it adds +1 to Strength.
my note: when used as handheld weapon the ball could give "Stab" skill to the player holding it, in addition to ST boost effect. When the ball is thrown and blocks a player, they should not be pushed or pow/pushed by the Block dice (otherwise the push could be exploited to gain a free movement square). The player should be always knocked down by the ball in the square where they are standing.
Ball squig: this ball is a squig creature that exactly looks like a standard ball.
If the ball squig is on the ground at the start of any kicking player's turn, it will try to move towards the nearest pitch edge, blocking anything that gets in the way. It it reaches the pitch edge it will be thrown in back by the crowd. Anyone holding the ball squig has -1 modifier to their action, due to its squirming.
Ball squig stats are:
MA 3 ST 2 AG 3 AV -
Skills: Stunty, Right Stuff
Multiple ball games:
- more than one ball can be used (coaches decide how many);
- each player can carry as many balls as they have hands.
it's possible to score multiple TDs simultaneously by carrying 2 or more balls, 1 per each ball.
- Each team kicks off half the balls to the opposing team.
Extra balls are kicked off by the team that will move first. Any ball landing out of bounds are either left on the pitch or thrown in by the crowd.
- Multiple passes can be made each turn, but only one pass per ball can be made;
- Ball that get replaced (if you are for example using special balls, such as floating and explosive), are given to the nearest player to their own Endzone on the team that had the ball before it was lost. If no one had it, roll a dice to see which team gets it).
- After a TD is scored, the ball is given to any standing player on the opposing team within 5 squares of the edge of the pitch in their own half.
If no one is eligible the ball is given to the nearest available player. Play continues as normal.
- Reserves may only come in at Half time. |
Last edited by MattDakka on Aug 16, 2025; edited 15 times in total |
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Motskari
Joined: Dec 03, 2005
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| Posted:
Aug 16, 2025 - 15:12 |
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You should really be designing your own boardgame. These endless house rules of yours won´t ever happen in official BB. |
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koadah
Joined: Mar 30, 2005
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| Posted:
Aug 16, 2025 - 15:26 |
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| Motskari wrote: | | You should really be designing your own boardgame. These endless house rules of yours won´t ever happen in official BB. |
| MattDakka wrote: | House rules to play with special balls.
These are not rules invented by me, but coming from an old Citadel Journal article written by Adam Morgan. |
People are always creating crazy house rules. |
_________________
Summer Sprint Season. 1st Aug - 14th Sept. Open/Gamefinder play |
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Motskari
Joined: Dec 03, 2005
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| Posted:
Aug 16, 2025 - 15:41 |
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Opening poster took someones house rules and made his own suggestion for every single rule including d8 and all the usual stuff. |
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MattDakka
Joined: Oct 09, 2007
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| Posted:
Aug 16, 2025 - 15:56 |
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What's wrong with writing house rules in a house rule forum section?
It's the right place to post them.
I know they won't happen and I'm not expecting them to happen, but thanks for telling me the obvious.
If you are not interested you are not forced to come to this thread and read them.
You went to a house rule section and commented about me writing house rules, as if I forced you to read them or to comment them.
Your behaviour is logically inconsistent.
About me designing my own board game: already done, thanks again for this oh-so-great-and-useful-suggestion.
As an aside, i didn't make a suggestion for each and every rule, your reading has not been accurate. |
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RDaneel
Joined: Feb 24, 2023
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| Posted:
Aug 16, 2025 - 16:11 |
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_________________
To judge a man, one must at least know the secret of his thoughts, his misfortunes, his emotions, Balzac |
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Zlefin
Joined: Apr 14, 2005
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Aug 16, 2025 - 17:16 |
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These seem like good and fun ideas, and the modification proposal seems good for updating them (if they were made a long time ago) and/or just for general use.
I'm wondering about integrating them into the nuffle prayers table and/or replacing something on the kickoff table with a roll for a random ball. |
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MattDakka
Joined: Oct 09, 2007
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| Posted:
Aug 16, 2025 - 17:27 |
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These rules date back to Blood Bowl 3rd edition, for the record, so, yes, a long time ago.
They were 2nd edition's Dungeonbowl rules, converted by Adam Morgan to be used in Blood Bowl 3rd edition, according to the article. |
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