Dungeonbowl


Please note that the bulk of these rules originally appeared in White Dwarf #225.  They have been heavily modified to suit the SVBBL.  But to give credit where credit is due, these rules would not exist without Jervis Johnson's original article.

Qualifying matches during the Dungeonbowl tournament are played according to the normal SVBBL rules.
All teams that participate in at least 1 match during the Qualifying round will participate in the Playoffs.
The top ranked teams will have a bye during the first round of the Playoffs.
Playoff matches will be played according to Dungeonbowl Match Rules.

Dungeonbowl Match Rules

As the name suggests, Dungeonbowl is played in an underground dungeon.  The standard Blood Bowl board is not used.  Instead a dungeon map is created using Warhammer Quest tiles (battle mats of the appropriate square size will work as well).  The object of the game is to get a standing player who is holding the ball into the opposing team's end zone.

The following rules are not used in Dungeonbowl: Kick-Offs, Moving Turn Counters, Star Player Points for completions, and Team Wizards that cast spells that target the field.

Winning

There are two ways to win a Dungeonbowl match:

Pre-match Sequence

  1. Setup Dungeon
    1. Place Treasure Chests
    2. Place Teleport Pads
  2. Hire Freebooters.
  3. Work out the Cabal-vision buy rate (same as working out the Gate).
  4. Work out the Handicap.
  5. Roll on the Dungeonbowl Handicap Table
  6. Roll for "Pep Rally" re-roll
  7. Roll for Niggling Injuries
  8. Setup Players

Setup Dungeon

The dungeon must include a two square by four square 'end zone' for each team.  These must be placed as far apart as possible.  All corridors must be at least two squares wide.

Each dungeon has 6 Treasure Chests.  1 Chest contains the ball.  The remaining Chests contain explosive traps.
The coaches take turns placing the Chests.
Each Chest must be at least 8 squares from any end zone square and at least 4 squares from another Chest.

Each dungeon has 6 Teleport Pads (numbered from 1 to 6).
The coaches take turns placing the Teleport Pads.
Teleport pads may be placed in an end zone square, but no more than 2 teleporters may be placed in each end zone.

Dungeonbowl Cards

The Dungeonbowl Handicap Table is used instead of the standard Handicap Table.

"Pep Rally" re-roll

Each coach rolls 2d6.  Add +2 to your roll if you have more cheerleaders than your opponent.  The coach with the highest score gains 1 extra re-roll for this game.  If it is a tie, both coaches gain 1 extra re-roll for this game.

Setup Players

Each coach rolls 2d6.  Add +2 to your roll if you have more assistant coaches than your opponent.  Re-roll any ties,  The coach with the highest score gets to pick one of the following:

Each coach places 6 players in the dungeon.  Each player must start in one of their end zone squares.

Teleporting

When a player moves (or is moved) onto a Teleport Pad, roll 1d6.  The player is immediately moved to the pad with the number rolled on the 1d6.  Teleporting costs 1 square of movement (if they have any left).  If the player has any movement left they may continue moving.  A player may NOT "go for it" if teleporting used up their last square of MV.

If a player is teleported more than once in a turn, they are injured.  Roll immediately on the standard injury table (no armour roll is required).

If the ball scatters to a Teleport Pad, it will scatter again from that square.

Chain Reactions

If a player is teleported to a square that is occupied by another player (or creature), the player (or creature) that was originally there is immediately teleported.  Roll 1D6 to determine where the player (or creature) is teleported.

LOST...IN...SPACE...Space...space

If a player's teleportation roll is the same number as the Teleport Pad they are currently standing on, they are lost in space.  Remove the player from the game.  They will be able to participate in the next game (provided they were not seriously injured or killed due to multiple teleportation).  If the player was holding the ball, it will scatter 1 square from Teleport Pad the player was standing on.

Dugout Teleporters

Each turn a coach may teleport 1 player from their reserves box to the dungeon.  Roll 1d6 to determine which Teleport Pad the player appears in.  Teleporting from the Dugout starts that player's action and costs 1 square of movement.  Thus they may not throw a normal Block.  They may however, Move, Blitz, Pass, Foul, or open a Chest.  However, since actions must be declared before they are taken, a coach must declare the player is blitzing, passing, or fouling prior to teleporting the player into the dungeon.

Opening Treasure Chests

A player may open a Chest as a part of a Move, Hand Off, Pass, Foul, or Blitz action.  It costs one square of movement to open a chest.  A player is allowed to move and open a Chest at any point during their movement.  A player may open a Chest that is in an adjacent square.  A player may not move into a square occupied by a chest.

If the Chest contains a trap, it explodes.  All players adjacent to the chest (including the player who opened the Chest) are knocked over.  Make an armour roll for every player knocked over.  Remove the Chest.  Opening a trapped Chest causes as turnover.

Corners and Doors

Players can not move through a wall conrer.  For example, a player in square A can't move to sqaure C.  The player would need to move to square B then to square C.  Similarly, square A is NOT adjacent to square C.  Thus a player in sqaure A does not have a tackle zone on square C, nor can they handoff to square C, or open a chest in square C.  Corners created by pits, obstacles, and treasure chests are not subject to these rules.
Only 2 squares on opposite sides of a door are considered adjacent.  For example, square B is adjacent to X and Y (and A).  However, square B is NOT adjacent to sqaure W.

Throwing In The Dungeon

Only Quick and Short passes are allowed.  A ball may NOT be thrown through a wall.  A ball may not scatter into a wall.

Team-mates may only be thrown at a Quick Pass distance.

Bouncing off Walls

A player taking a pass action may declare that they are throwing a ball at a wall.  The player declares which wall square they are aiming at and roll to see if they are accurate (the ball may be interecepted or fumbled).  If the pass not accurate roll 1d6.  1-3 it hits 1 square to the right of the target.  4-6 it hits 1 square to the left of the target.  The ball then bounces off the wall 2d6 squares (need a diagram here).  All players the ball passes over may attempt to catch the ball.  This is NOT an accurate pass for the purposes of completions and catch modifiers.  The player closest to the wall gets the first opportunity to catch the ball, then next, and so on.  If the ball is not caught by player on the moving team (and this was not a dump off by the non-moving team) it is a turnover.  If the ball is not caught by any player it will scatter 1 square.

You may NOT bounce team-mates off the wall.

Injuries and Apothecaries

KO'd, Seriously Injured, and Dead players are immediately teleported to the appropriate dugout location.

Once per game, the team Apothecary may attempt to heal a player that has been teleported back due to an injury.  The Apothecary must immediately do this, or the injury will be suffered as normal.  (Note that the Wood Elf Sorceress also functions in this manner, except she may do this twice per game).

Magic Sponge

Each team is provided with a Magic Sponge (insert contraceptive joke here).  Once per turn, instead of teleporting a player into the dungeon, a coach may use the Magic Sponge on a player in the Knocked Out box.    That player is immediately moved to the reserves box.

Dungeon Terrain

Obstacles

Statues, Thrones, Fountains, and Idols are collectively know as obstacles.

A player may not enter a square containing these sorts of obstacles.  The ball may be thrown over these sorts of obstacles.  Roll 1D6 for each obstacle square the ball passes through, starting with the closest square to the thrower.  On a 1, the ball hits the obstacle and scatters 1 square from it.  This is a turnover.

You may throw team-mates over obstacles.  The same rules apply.

Falling into Pits

Chasms, Lava Flows, and Cliffs are collectively know as pits.

If a player is pushed or falls into a pit, roll immediately on the "An Injury" table.  If this occurs during that players turn, it is a turnover.

If the player was holding the ball, the ball will reappear on a randomly selected Teleport Pad.  Since the ball can't stay on the Teleport Pad, immediately scatter the ball 1 square.

If a ball ever scatters into a pit, it will reappear on a randomly selected Teleport Pad.  Since the ball can't stay on the Teleport Pad, immediately scatter the ball 1 square.

Jumping Over Pits

Players with the leap skill may jump over Pits that are only 1 square wide.  Resolve this as a normal Leap skill roll.

Precarious Positions

Players on a rope bridge or next to Lava Flows are in a Precarious Position.  A player in a precarious position must roll a 1d6 if they: On a 1, the player falls into the pit.  On 2-6 the action continues as normal.
Additonally a player attempting to move into a Precarious Position square must also make a Precarious Position roll.

Traits

The following Traits are modified for Dungeonbowl matches:

Bone-Head/Really Stupid (additional): Roll 1d6 before teleporting this player from the Reserves box.  On a roll of a 1 this player may not teleport in this turn.  You may select another player to teleport in this turn.

Easily Confused (additional): If Thrud fails his Bone-Head roll, he thinks he's playing for the other team.  He loses his tackle zone and is now controlled by the other coach.  His tackle zone returns when he doesn't fail his Bone-Head roll.

Frenzy (clarification): If a coach does not take an action with a Frenzy player OR wandering monster before all other non-frenzy players and non-ball and chain players it is an illegal procedure.

Off For A Bite - Allied - (Complete Change): Roll 1d6 before setting the player up at the start of the match.  On a roll of 1-3 this player may not set up at the start of the match.  You may select another player to setup.  Roll 1d6 before teleporting this player from the Reserves box.  On a roll of 1-3 this player may not teleport in this turn.  You may select another player to teleport in this turn.

Off For A Bite - Vampire Team - (Additional): A Vampire that fails to feed gains the Starving trait instead of going to the Dug Out.  This still counts as a Turnover.

Regenerate (additional): Once per turn, instead of Using the Magic Sponge or Teleporting a player from the Reserves box, you may roll to see if the player regenerates from the injury.  1-3 he continues to suffer the injury as normal (place the player prone in the Dead & Injured box).  4-6 move the player to the Reserves box.  A player may only do this once per injury.

Starving (new): A player with this trait is ST-1 and AG-1, gains Wild Animal, may not use Team Re-Rolls, and may not pick up or catch the ball.  If the player is holding the ball, it is dropped and immediately scattered.  A Starving player does not need to make an Off For A Bite roll.  A player may lose the Starving trait by successfully completing a Feeding action.

Take Root (Complete Change): Roll 1d6 before setting the player up at the start of the match.  On a roll of 1-3 this player may not set up at the start of the match.  You may select another player to setup.  Roll 1d6 before teleporting this player from the Reserves box.  On a roll of 1-3 this player may not teleport in this turn.  You may select another player to teleport in this turn.

Titchy (additional): titchy player must be set up AFTER non-titchy players have been setup.  If there are no available end zone squares to setup a titchy player, the player must be setup in a square adjacent to an end zone square

Star Player Points

Casualty Star Player Points are only awarded for casualties caused against opposing players.  Additionally, players pushed into pits do not result in Star Player Points.

Star Player Points are not awarded for Completions