|
Rodney S
South Africa
Pretoria
Gauteng
-
As the year draws rapidly to a close, I've been planning something special for my groups last Warhammer FRP game of the year, and thought Blood Bowl might be just the thing.
First off, I've never played Blood Bowl or American Football, and I wanted to abstract the game enough to keep this part of the session to around 30 minutes. If I wasn't abstracting the game, I'd just get hold of Blood Bowl and convert the characters to players in the game, then play like that. Here follow my basic rules for the game:
The game is divided up into four quarters. Each quarter is four combat rounds.
Each side has 6 players consisting of three defenders and three attackers. Each round, every player makes an I and WS test, without modifiers for anything except wounds. The teams pool their successes and the team with the most successes wins an advantage. An advantage gives them 2 re-rolls for I and WS tests for the next quarter.
For every 3 successes a team gets, they score a goal, so 6 more successes means 2 more goals.
Each round, according to initiative, a character can try to take out another character by engaging them in hand to hand combat. The attacker counts as charging. If the defender wishes, they may try to run from the attacker, and must make an I test for each of the four combat rounds in the quarter. If they fail, they are hit as per the fleeing rules (an automatic hit, if I remember correctly).
A fleeing character still counts their I and WS tests towards their teams pool if they are alive at the end of the quarter, but at I -10, due to being pursued.
An attacking character does not count their I and WS to their teams pool for that quarter.
A defender can decide to stand and fight, in which case they do not count their I and WS to the team pool and fight in the combat normally, skills like Street Fighter would work normally here.
So, the sequence would be:
- Declare attackers, starting from highest Initiative.
- Defenders decide if they are fighting or fleeing.
- Flight the combats in Initiative order, to a max of four rounds of combat.
- Remaining characters who have not attacked roll I and WS and pool their scores as a team. Anyone who defended rolls I at -10.
- Compare number of successes to see who wins the advantage and if any points are scored. A tie means no-one gets an advantage.
Let me know what you think and if you've tried something similar.
-
Wouter Dhondt
Belgium
Anzegem
My armor is contempt. My shield is disgust. My sword is hatred. In the Emperor's name, let none survive.
When I now saw this Coppelius, the frightful and terrific thought took possession of my soul, that indeed no one but he could be the Sandman.
-
Sounds more like a fight pit than Blood Bowl to me. There is no reason for a ball whatsoever. They get points by fighting. In Blood Bowl they get a better chance at scoring by fighting.
-
Rodney S
South Africa
Pretoria
Gauteng
-
Err, nope. They don't get points for fighting, fighting only lets you prevent a player from scoring. And yes, there is no "ball", it's a role-playing game, so it's imagined that there is one.
-
SJ Benoist
United States
Saint Charles
Missouri
-
I'm not sure if it matters, but if your concerned with the game (and the fluff) Blood Bowl really doesn't have anything to with American Football ... no matter what Jervis may claim
 It is much closer to rugby (though not really like that, either).
The (board) game has only two halves (no quarters) and 11 players per side.
Since there is a throwing element, you might want to allow an occasional Ballistic Skill test for the passing game.
Good luck, hope it goes well.
-
John Lopez
United States
Tucson
Arizona
Get off my lawn!
The explanation: Impossible Triangle + TW (my company initials) = my logo.
-
jgerman wrote: SJBenoist wrote: but if your concerned with the game (and the fluff) Blood Bowl really doesn't have anything to with American Football
The (board) game has only two halves (no quarters) and 11 players per side.
I'm not sure what game you're playing, but the fluff for Blood Bowl is based around the game being a violent, but misinterpretation of football... it's overflowing with references to American Football and the NFL. There a lot of similarities in the rules. From the number of players per side, to kickoffs, scoring, player roles, etc... It's pretty easy to see the influence. BTW since you don't switch sides at any point it makes as much sense to say that Blood Bowl is played in two halves with two quarters each as it does to say it's not 
While there are a lot of references to football, there are no "downs" which makes it feel more like rugby to me as well. Not that I would *want* downs (it would destroy the game's speed), I'm just pointing out that the flow of the game feels more like rugby despite all the NFL references.
-
SJ Benoist
United States
Saint Charles
Missouri
-
I don't know if you watch much football but judging from your use of the phrase "obvious influence", I'm assuming you do not.
The scoring is not the same (not even close). The lack of downs (mentioned above) is an enormous difference. The player roles are not similar.
11 Player's per side happens to be the same number in soccer. Come to think of it, the way the ball changes possession constantly without the clock stopping and the way scoring is handled is FAR more similar to soccer.
I still disagree about the quarters, as by your reasoning you might as well say the game has 8 periods as it does to say it's not
Blood Bowl looks like someones idea of American Football ... who has never watched the sport. 
-
SJ Benoist
United States
Saint Charles
Missouri
-
jgerman wrote:
So? The numbers of players per side was listed in a post claiming that Blood Bowl was nothing like football. I didn't bring it up, you did, but Blood Bowl and football do indeed share that property.
Actually, you did bring up the number of players in American football. Please reread the above posts.
Unless of course you failed to catch the OP mentioning 6 players per side with 4 quarters, and misconstrued my statement about Blood Bowl having 11 players per side and no quarters as some attempt to distinguish it from American football?
Nah, ... you would have to looking for something to argue about to do that
Quote:
Actually the scoring is similar. You don't have all the options, but touchdowns are intact enough to be recognizable.. being called touchdowns and all. So yeah.. it's close.
(emphasis mine)
No, it isn't. Seriously, who is being obtuse here?
6-pts for a TD plus a PAT for 1-pt or the 2-pt conversion AND the entirely seperate option for a 3-pt FG ... not to mention the possible 2-pt safety.
OR
1-pt. Period.
Soccer & Hockey? Yes.
Football? In no way, shape, or form.
If you find these "close" in any fashion, then we just are simply not going to be able to agree.
Quote:
You're missing the point. It's not supposed to be a simulation of football. That doesn't mean the influences are not there and yes.. they should be obvious to anyone looking.
Well, I feel better knowing you've judged for us what everyone should find obvious. Especially since that judgment involves agreeing with your opinion.
I still disagree though, sorry.
Quote:
Bingo... which if you were familiar with the fluff of the game you'd know that that was the intent.
It's a satirical poke at American football and some of you apparently don't get it. You're looking at satire and saying "it's not like that at all" ... well no shit, it's satire.
I can only assume you're being willfully obtuse if you're claiming you can't see the references to American Football, it's jammed packed with them.
How about that? I am familiar with the fluff!
Fluff in BB is rife with American Football references.
The gameplay, however, does not resemble it at all.
-
Rodney S
South Africa
Pretoria
Gauteng
-
Thanks guys, this is all useful. I've modified my rules accordingly but I'll post up a revised edition later in the week.
-
|
|
|
