Over the course of a league, Blood Bowl teams will grow and evolve with every game played; some rookie players will learn new skills and develop as players, others will suffer injuries that may threaten their career, and some will even die! Whilst fatalities are not unexpected in a violent bloodsport, they can be a trifle annoying for any coach, particularly if the deceased player was beginning to show promise or, even worse, if they were a valued and talented veteran of the gridiron. Fortunately, the sorrow of loss can be eased by counting the winnings, allowing new players to be recruited, providing fresh blood for an under strength team, and existing players can be trained and developed into the stars of the future!
The Aftermath
Once the final whistle has blown on a game played during a league and the exuberant crowds have left the stadium, both coaches will run their teams through the post-game sequence. This is when winnings are counted and spent on new players and Sideline Staff, when casualties are assessed and either treated or dismissed, and when players and their various skills evaluated and, invariably, team tactics are reviewed.
League and Exhibition Play
After a league fixture, both coaches should run through the full post-game sequence step by step. In exhibition play, the post-game sequence need not be completed.
- RECORD OUTCOME AND WINNINGS: The details of the game, its outcome and each team's winnings are recorded on the Game Record sheet.
- UPDATE DEDICATED FANS: Record any changes to Dedicated Fans based on the outcome of the game.
- PLAYER ADVANCEMENT: Any players that have earned enough SPP may spend them on advancements.
- HIRING, FIRING AND TEMPORARILY RETIRING: New players and staff are recruited. Injured players may be dismissed or may temporarily retire. Any unwanted staff may be dismissed.
- EXPENSIVE MISTAKES: If the team has sufficient wealth left unspent, there is a chance players and staff will spend it irresponsibly.
- PREPARE FOR NEXT FIXTURE: Team Value and Current Team Value are both updated ready for the next league fixture.
1. RECORD OUTCOME AND WINNINGS
At the end of each and every league fixture, both coaches are responsible for correctly recording on their Game Record sheet the details of how their team performed and the outcome of the match. Each coach should record the following information in the appropriate sections of their Game Record sheet so that it can be passed on to the league commissioner:
- The result of the game (win, lose or draw).
- How many touchdowns were scored (by each team).
- How many Casualties were caused (counting only those that generate SPP, as described in Step 3).
- How many League points were earned (see page 98).
- Finally, any players that suffered a DEAD result on the Casualty table during this game are deleted from your Team Draft list (see page 60).
WINNINGS
At the end of every game, each team receives a fee for playing, usually paid by the stadium owner from ticket sales. To work out how much each team wins:
- Divide the Fan Attendance for the game (see below) by two.
- Add the number of touchdowns your team scored to this figure.
- Multiply the total by 10,000.
The result is how many gold pieces your team has won for this game. This is recorded in the 'Winnings' section of the Game Record sheet and is added immediately to the team's Treasury.
Note that, if one team conceded, Fan Attendance is not divided by two. Instead, the full amount is awarded to the winning team.
FAN ATTENDANCE
This is worked out by simply adding together the Fan Factor of both teams to determine the total number of fans present.
2. UPDATE DEDICATED FANS
A good result can see a team's fan following increase, and a prolonged winning streak can bring the fans flocking to buy tickets and merchandise. This sort of popularity can really help a team financially:
- If your team won the game, roll a D6. If the result is equal to or higher than your current Dedicated Fans characteristic, increase your Dedicated Fans characteristic by 1.
- If your team lost the game, roll a D6. If the result is lower than your current Dedicated Fans characteristic, reduce your Dedicated Fans characteristic by 1.
- If the game was a draw, neither team's Dedicated Fans characteristic will increase or decrease.
3. PLAYER ADVANCEMENT
During a league, players on your team will develop by earning Star Player Points (SPP) during the games they participate in. Should a player earn enough Star Player Points, they gain an advancement. Players who survive long enough will progress to become Legendary Players, with special characteristics and skills that they have picked up over the course of their career on the Blood Bowl pitch.
RECORDING STAR PLAYER POINTS
The Team Draft list includes boxes in which to keep a tally of each player's achievements during a game. Each time a player does something to earn SPPs you should record it. At the end of the game, count up the tallies and record that player's total number of SPP.
Note that Star Players and/or Mercenaries purchased as Inducements at the start of the game do not earn SPP. Journeymen, however, do, and you should record any SPP a Journeyman earns during a game as you will have the opportunity to permanently hire that player in Step 4.
EARNING STAR PLAYER POINTS
Be it for scoring touchdowns or for earning Most Valuable Player awards, the full list of achievements that generate SPP is as follows:
COMPLETION (COMP)
Often when a player passes the ball or throws a teammate, something can go wrong. When it goes right, however, it is called a Completion, and the fans love it!
- PASSING COMPLETIONS: When a player makes an accurate Pass action which is caught by a teammate occupying the target square, they are said to have made a 'Passing Completion'. A Passing Completion earns the player 1 SPP.
- THROWING COMPLETIONS: When a player makes a superb Throw teammate action, and if the thrown player lands safely, they are said to have made a 'Throwing Completion'. A Throwing Completion earns the player 1 SPP.
PASSING INTERFERENCE
When a player successfully interferes with a Pass action, the effect can be dramatic indeed! A Simple Deflection can have a huge impact upon a game, whilst an Interception can completely reverse the flow of play!
- DEFLECTIONS: A Deflection earns the player 1 SPP.
- INTERCEPTIONS: An Interception earns the player 2 SPP.
CASUALTY (CAS)
If an opposition player is Knocked Down as the result of a Block action and removed from play as a Casualty, regardless of which player performed the action, your player is said to have caused a 'Casualty'. Causing a Casualty earns the player 2 SPP.
Note that Star Player Points for causing a Casualty are earned even if both players were Knocked Down and removed from play. Note also that Casualty rolls caused by the crowd or by any other type of action do not earn Star Player Points.
TOUCHDOWN (TD)
When a player scores a touchdown, they earn 3 SPP. If your team was awarded any touchdowns as a result of the opposition conceding the game, as described on page 67, you may allocate each touchdown to a player of your choice and give them SPP accordingly.
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER (MVP)
At the end of the game, each coach randomly selects one player from their team (not including Star Players and/or Mercenaries) that was eligible to play during this game and that did not suffer a Casualty result of 15-16, DEAD. That player receives the Most Valuable Player award, earning 4 SPP.
SPENDING STAR PLAYER POINTS
If, once the MVP is determined and each player's tally of SPP has been counted up, a player has sufficient SPP, they can spend them to gain an advancement. The SPP cost of each advancement is shown on the table below. The more experienced a player is, the more SPP each new advancement they gain will cost. A player is not obliged to spend their SPP until they have enough to randomly select a characteristic improvement, at which point they must spend some or all of their SPP:
| ADVANCEMENTS TABLE | Randomly select a Primary skill | Choose a Primary skill or randomly select a Secondary skill | Choose a Secondary skill | Randomly select a characteristic improvement |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experienced (first advancement) | 3 SPP | 6 SPP | 12 SPP | 18 SPP |
| Veteran (second advancement) | 4 SPP | 8 SPP | 14 SPP | 20 SPP |
| Emerging Star (third advancement) | 6 SPP | 12 SPP | 18 SPP | 24 SPP |
| Star (fourth advancement) | 8 SPP | 16 SPP | 22 SPP | 28 SPP |
| Super Star (fifth advancement) | 10 SPP | 20 SPP | 26 SPP | 32 SPP |
| Legend (sixth advancement) | 15 SPP | 30 SPP | 40 SPP | 50 SPP |
NEW SKILLS
Each team roster shows the Skill categories available to each player. Players have 'Primary' access to some Skill categories, and 'Secondary' access to others. Players can gain Skills from their Primary skill categories easily, whilst gaining Skills from their Secondary skill categories is more costly in terms of SPP.
Choosing a Skill is simple: select a Skill category available to the player and choose a Skill from that category that the player does not already have, then reduce the player's SPP by the amount shown on the Advancements table. Finally, record the player's new Skill on your Team Draft list.
When a player gains a random Skill, choose the Skill category you wish to generate the Skill from and roll two D6, one after the other, on the Skill table on page 74 (re-rolling if the player already has that Skill or if they roll a Skill they cannot have) and reduce the player's SPP by the amount shown on the Advancements table. Finally, record the player's new Skill on your Team Draft list.
Note that, without exception, no player may be given as a new Skill a Skill that they already have. For example, you may not give a player with the Mighty Blow (+X) skill the same Skill again in an attempt to improve the effect of the Skill.
CHARACTERISTIC IMPROVEMENTS
Rather than spend SPP on a new Skill, a player may spend SPP to improve a characteristic. To do so, simply reduce the player's SPP by the amount shown on the Advancements table, roll D16 on the table below and record the player's improved characteristic on your Team Draft list:
CHARACTERISTIC IMPROVEMENT TABLE
| D16 | RESULT |
|---|---|
| 1-7 | Improve either MA or AV by 1 (or choose a Secondary skill). |
| 8-13 | Improve either MA, PA, or AV by 1 (or choose a Secondary skill). |
| 14 | Improve either AG or PA by 1 (or choose a Secondary skill). |
| 15 | Improve either ST or AG by 1 (or choose a Secondary skill). |
| 16 | Improve a characteristic of your choice by 1. |
Note that no characteristic can ever be improved more than twice, or above the maximum value shown on page 28. Should you randomly select a characteristic that cannot be improved or that you do not wish to improve, the player may instead choose a Secondary skill.
In the case of Movement Allowance, Strength or Armour Value, this means the characteristic is increased by 1. In the case of Agility or Passing Ability, however, the characteristic is lowered by 1. For example, if a player with AG4+ improves their Agility, the characteristic would become AG3+.
VALUE INCREASE
As players gain advancements, their value increases. To reflect this, whenever a player spends SPP to gain an advancement, their Current Value must be increased on the Team Draft list, as described on page 30, by the amount shown on the table below:
CURRENT VALUE INCREASE TABLE
| New Skills | Value Increase |
|---|---|
| Randomly selected Primary skill | +10,000 gp |
| Chosen Primary skill | +20,000 gp |
| Randomly selected Secondary skill | +20,000 gp |
| Chosen Secondary skill | +40,000 gp |
| Characteristic Improvement | Value Increase |
|---|---|
| +1 AV | +10,000 gp |
| +1 MA or +1PA | +20,000 gp |
| +1 AG | +40,000 gp |
| +1 ST | +80,000 gp |
4. HIRING, FIRING AND TEMPORARILY RETIRING
Players are prone to injury, and even the biggest superstars can find themselves looking for work elsewhere if their injuries outweigh their abilities. After all, there are always fresh-faced rookies looking to make a name for themselves for a fraction of the cost! Similarly, coaches will often hire and fire Sideline Staff on a regular basis to manage their overheads. During this step of the post-game sequence a team may:
- Spend any amount of gold from the Treasury to buy new players from your team roster and/or Sideline Staff and increase Team Value accordingly.
- Fire any players and/or Sideline Staff who are no longer required, deleting them from the Team Draft list and reducing Team Value accordingly.
- Purchase additional team re-rolls, but must pay double to do so, as described on page 34.
- Permanently hire any Journeymen that played for the team during this game:
- A team must have fewer than 16 players on its Team Draft list to permanently hire Journeymen.
- If permanently hired, a Journeyman loses the Loner (X+) trait but retains any SPP earned during this game or advancements gained during Step 3.
- If not permanently hired, Journeymen will leave and not return. Any SPP earned or advancements gained are lost.
TEMPORARILY RETIRING
During the post-game sequence of a game in which a player suffers a Lasting Injury result on the Casualty table, that player may be given time off to recover. Taking some time off may allow them to return fit and healthy for next season should you wish to re-draft your team (see page 100).
When a player Temporarily Retires (TR), make a note in the appropriate box on your Team Draft List. They remain as part of your team and are not deleted from your Team Draft List. They cannot take part in any further games this season but they will still count towards both the maximum number of players of their type allowed by the team roster, and the 16 player maximum. Finally, whilst their Current Value is counted when working out Team Value, it is not counted when working out Current Team Value.
5. EXPENSIVE MISTAKES
As any Blood Bowl coach knows, there's nothing more risky than a large sum of gold in the team treasury. Whenever a team has money to burn, someone will come along with a tinderbox! Whether the tabloids need paying off to avoid a scandal, a local innkeeper demands compensation for damages or an errant cheerleader bets the treasury on a squig fight, most coaches agree that it's not worth holding onto big sums of cash.
If you have 100,000 gold pieces or more stored in your Treasury during this step of the post-game sequence, roll a D6 on the following table, applying the result from the column that corresponds to the number of gold pieces in your Treasury.
EXPENSIVE MISTAKES TABLE
| D6 | Up to 195,000 gold pieces | 200,000 to 295,000 gold pieces | 300,000 to 395,000 gold pieces | 400,000 to 495,000 gold pieces | 500,000 to 595,000 gold pieces | 600,000+ gold pieces |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Minor Incident | Minor Incident | Major Incident | Major Incident | Catastrophe | Catastrophe |
| 2 | Crisis Averted | Minor Incident | Minor Incident | Major Incident | Major Incident | Catastrophe |
| 3 | Crisis Averted | Crisis Averted | Minor Incident | Minor Incident | Major Incident | Major Incident |
| 4 | Crisis Averted | Crisis Averted | Crisis Averted | Minor Incident | Minor Incident | Major Incident |
| 5 | Crisis Averted | Crisis Averted | Crisis Averted | Crisis Averted | Minor Incident | Minor Incident |
| 6 | Crisis Averted | Crisis Averted | Crisis Averted | Crisis Averted | Crisis Averted | Minor Incident |
- CRISIS AVERTED: Thanks to some careful management, your team behaves itself for once!
- MINOR INCIDENT: The team gets up to some mischief and you lose D3 x 10,000 gold pieces from your Treasury.
- MAJOR INCIDENT: Half the gold in your Treasury (rounding down to the nearest 5,000 gold pieces) is lost to an unfortunate mishap.
- CATASTROPHE: Your Treasury is emptied, except for 2D6 x 10,000 gold pieces which you sensibly squirreled away for just such an occurrence.
6. PREPARE FOR NEXT FIXTURE
In preparation for the next fixture, make sure both your Team Value and Current Team Value are up to date.
TEAM VALUE (TV): As described on page 35, this is worked out by adding up the current value of all of the team's players, plus the cost of all Sideline Staff and team re-rolls the team has.
CURRENT TEAM VALUE (CTV): This is worked out exactly as above, but minus the current value of any players that suffered a Miss Next Game Casualty table result during this game and will be unavailable to play next game. Remember to include the current value of any players that missed this game; they have now recovered from their injuries and are fit to play in the next game.
