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Street Bowl
By Ramsay “Norse” McPherson, Niels Vegter, Louis X Dauguet and Ruediger Rickkassel
This amusing Blood Bowl variant is a perfect example of what we call “By Gamers, for Gamers”
articles, because it is exactly that. Ramsay and his friends worked out the rules for their own
games, doing all the work themselves, even down to building boards and running tournaments!
I think it’s great fun, and a brilliant example of what you can do if you put your mind to it.
“…the origins of this disgraceful and violent version of
Blood Bowl are uncertain, though it is clear to me and
all of my kinsfolk that it comes from the minds of
convicts and drunken madmen!”
Due to the damage caused during and after a match, Street
Bowl is illegal in almost every city in the Old World, and is
usually organised by local crime bosses or underground
leaders. Often taking place at night to avoid detection, the
game is played in narrow back alleys and sometimes even
open sewers, with all exits boarded up to avoid losing the ball.
What few spectators are present observe from nearby rooftops
and from the ends of the alleys where they pack in to watch
the action and occasionally, also, to exact revenge on players
caught cheating!
“Air” Jordell Freshbreeze
Most experts maintain that Street Bowl was devised by
drunken Blood Bowl fans, making their way home from a
Beach Bowl match. Some, however, claim that Blood Bowl is
actually a larger scale version of Street Bowl, played on grass
instead of cobbles, and that Street Bowl was, in fact, the first
game to evolve! One thing is certain however… although
Blood Bowl attracts a great deal of attention and funding,
there are many more Street Bowl teams honing their skills in
the back alleys of the Old World, hoping one day to find their
way to a lucrative Blood Bowl contract.
Although the majority of Street Bowl teams are Human, often
comprised of local gangs or tavern regulars, other races can
also be found playing Street Bowl if they can be smuggled past
the City Guard and paid well enough to turn up. These other
teams often use Street Bowl as a way of gaining popularity or
learning some important techniques before entering the main
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arena of Blood Bowl itself. Skaven often emerge from the
murky depths to demonstrate their legendary speed, Orcs and
Dwarves can be encouraged to play for money or beer and
even skillful Elves have been known to take to the street,
though only during the largest tournaments.
THE PITCH
Because it is played on the streets, it is quite simple to mark
out an area the same length as a normal Blood Bowl pitch.
Unfortunately, the narrow streets and alleys of the slums mean
that the Street Bowl pitch is only 7 squares wide, 3 squares in
the centre and 2 squares in each of the wide zones.
In fact, and little known to most fans, half the current Reikland
Reavers’ line-up originally started out as a Street Bowl team
called the Altdorf Ale-Hole, which was the squalid local tavern
where they all drank. The now famous Mighty Zug was the
surly doorman and fleet-footed Griff Oberwald was the stable
boy! Of course, both stars now deny ever having played Street
Bowl, but it is certain their careers started in the back alleys of
Altdorf along with the other stars of the now famous Reaver
line-up.
THE COBBLESTONES
The hard playing surface is much more dangerous than
playing on grass. Add +1 to the Armour roll for any player that
is knocked over while playing Street Bowl (whether by a block
or a failed action or in any other way). This helps to explain
the violent reputation of Street Bowl and the fact it is
extremely unpopular with Halflings!
Becoming ever more popular because of the violence and
speed of the game, Street Bowl tournaments are now being
organised in some of the largest cities, like Praag and Kislev,
where guards can readily be bribed to turn a blind eye. Many
teams often turn out for these clandestine events as it is well
known that talent scouts from leading Blood Bowl teams
attend these events, and may even go some way to funding
them (unofficially of course). Players, and possibly even whole
teams, can be plucked from obscurity and offered wealth they
would never have thought possible. With such stardom within
reach, it is no surprise that young Street Bowl players are
willing to take enormous risks to demonstrate their skills.
In addition, the hard surface makes the ball bounce much
more than on grass. The ball scatters as normal when kicked
or thrown, but bounces twice if it is dropped after a failed
catch, or hits the ground after a pass, kick or throw in. If a
ball does hit the ground roll a D8 and scatter the ball in that
direction. If the square is not occupied, roll another D8 to
bounce the ball a second time. After this the ball will stop
bouncing and play can continue as normal. The ball may be
caught if it bounces into an occupied square, but it scatters
twice more if is not caught.
THE WALLS
The playing area is surrounded on both sides by walls,
boarded up windows and metal grates. Even in each end
zone blockades are put up to stop fans running onto the
pitch. This means that the ball can never leave the pitch
Street Bowl is played using standard LRB rules, except for the
following changes.
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A Snotling, perched on his chimney, is used as the turn
counter... touch of genius!
It’s a long, hard (and violent!)
road out of the Old World...
BLOCKING PLAYERS INTO WALLS
Being pushed into a brick wall hurts, even if the player is not
knocked over! A player can only be pushed into a wall if there
is no available unoccupied square. When a player is pushed
back against a wall, but not knocked over, leave the player
standing, but make an Armour roll adding +1 because the
wall is as hard as the cobbles! If the armour is penetrated the
blocked player falls down, and you may roll for injury straight
away.
except over the low barriers at each end of the street. A ball
which bounces out during play will be thrown back by the
fans using the same rules as Blood Bowl.
If a ball bounces into a wall during play then it will scatter D6
squares in a random direction using the standard Throw-in
template, and then bounce twice upon hitting the ground as
described above. This rule affects bouncing balls, and also
any kick offs which hit a wall. Note that there is no touchback
in Street Bowl unless the ball bounces back into the half of
the kicking team or out the end of the street.
If a player is pushed back against a wall and knocked over,
then the blocking player may add +2 to the Armour roll (+1
for the wall and +1 for the cobblestones!). If the armour is
penetrated, roll to injure as normal.
If a player is pushed into the crowd at either end of the street,
roll to injure using the same rules as Blood Bowl.
“Excuse me sir, what direction for Sigmar Square?”
THE PASS
Passing the ball in Street Bowl
often involves more risk as the
narrow pitch makes interceptions
more likely. To counteract this,
some throwers will deliberately
try to pass the ball to another
player by bouncing it off a wall.
Passing a ball off a wall is
extremely difficult, as well as
quite unpredictable. Any such
pass suffers a modifier of -1 to the
Agility roll to pass the ball. A pass
which is bounced off the wall can
never be intercepted, though
players with Pass Block may still
move to place tackle zones on
either the thrower or intended
receiver.
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trained together in the same way as Blood Bowl teams,
therefore Re-rolls cost double the normal amount, eg
100,000 for Human teams.
Star Players do NOT play Street Bowl and so may not be
chosen for a team (even if they did start their careers here,
they would never admit to it now they are famous).
“Dude, have you seen a Halfling running away with a wallet?”
THE STAFF
Aside from the head coach, there are no other staff members
on a Street Bowl team. Wizards have little time for such
violent nocturnal pursuits and there are no Apothecaries
who would dirty their hands with the blood of Street Bowl
players. Therefore no Wizards or Apothecaries may be
included in a Street Bowl team.
Holding the range ruler sideways, it is possible to bend the
ruler so that it goes from the thrower to the intended
receiver (or empty square) and also touches one of the walls
along the side of its intended path. This marks the section of
the wall which the thrower is aiming for when he makes the
pass. Make the Pass action taking into account the -1 modifier
for bouncing it off the wall as described above.
Some unscrupulous herbalists have been known to sell what
they claim to be “magic potions” to unsuspecting coaches
before a game. All coaches may roll D3 before each match.
The result represents the number of potions that the coach
has been able to purchase for this match only. If any potions
are left after the match, then they may not be carried over for
future matches as the “magic” of the potion wears off. Teams
which do not normally employ an Apothecary, (Undead,
Nurgle’s Rotters, Necromantic, etc) cannot use “magic
potions”.
If the throw is fumbled it lands at the thrower’s feet as
normal and bounces twice.
If the throw is inaccurate it hits the wall, but then scatters
unexpectedly D6 squares in a random direction using the
Throw-in template. An inaccurate pass which bounces off the
wall in this way may be caught by any player on either team
in the same way as a bouncing ball, failing which it will hit the
ground and bounce twice.
If the pass is accurate it may be caught by the receiver as
normal.
THE TEAMS & ELIGIBLE PLAYERS
Teams are made up of at least 7 players and no more than 11
players, purchased as normal from the official teams as
outlined in the LRB. The head coach has 600,000 gold pieces
with which to choose his starting line-up.
Street Bowl teams are not famed for their specialist
players, and linemen tend to dominate the teams.
The number of available positional players is
halved compared to Blood Bowl teams when
making up a Street Bowl team, for
example, Human teams may only have
1 Thrower, 2 Blitzers, 2 Catchers and 6
Linemen. This limit on positional players
does not affect Big Guys, so teams may have
their usual allocation of Ogres, Treemen,
Trolls, etc as normal.
In addition, because most Street Bowl teams
are made up of enthusiastic fans, rookie
players and drunken hooligans, they have not
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THE SET UP
A Street Bowl team comprises of at least 7
players. The coach MUST set up as many players as
he can for each kick off, up to a maximum of 7 players
for each drive. Due to the narrower width of the pitch,
it is only mandatory to set up one player on the
line of scrimmage, though more can be set
up if desired. Only one player may be set up
in each wide zone.
THE MAGIC POTIONS
In order to use a “magic potion” the coach must be present
to administer the elixir and the player must be either Badly
Hurt or Seriously Injured. Given the rarity of the potions
there is no way a player would be allowed to consume one
(or want to!) unless they were already injured. Using magic
potions on dead players is not possible. If an injured player
recovers due to a “magic potion” and is subsequently injured
again, they lose any special modifiers from previous potions.
It is not possible for a player to have more than one “magic
potion” in effect at any one time.
NO REFEREE
Street Bowl games are not watched over by a Referee, which
means players cannot be sent off, but they can be hurt in
retribution. A player wishing to commit a foul does so as
normal, taking assists into account. Irrespective of the
success of the foul attempt, the coach of the fouled player
may roll a D6, adding +1 to the roll for every 3 points, or
fraction thereof, of Fan Factor the team has (as there are
more people to spot the foul!). If the roll is 4 or more then
the foul has been seen and the fans take action against the
fouling player. A roll of 1 before modification always fails.
The moment the foul is spotted, the opposing team’s fans
throw bottles, bricks and other available heavy objects at the
player who committed the foul. Measure the distance from
the middle of the nearest end zone to the player committing
the foul as if the fans were making a Pass action (they are, sort
of!). Roll a D6 to hit the fouling player treating the fans as if
they have an AG of 3 (fans do NOT have Accurate or Pass
skill).
Before each kick-off (and NOT during play itself) the coach
can choose to give potions to any player who is injured. If he
does so, roll a D8 and consult the Magic Potions table below.
Magic Potions table
1 - Squig Pish!
That damned herbalist sold you poison! The player is dead. Steal some
money and call the undertaker before his corpse starts to smell too bad.
6 - Warpstone!
Wow! The player sprints off and retakes to the field immediately! He has
gained Sprint and Jump Up for the rest of the match, but he MUST be the
first player on his team to act each turn as he is too excited to stand still
for more than a few seconds at a time!
2 - Sewer Water
You’ve been duped! You curse the herbalist while trying not to get the
player’s vomit on your boots. He misses the next drive, but you could try
again after that if you like to take stupid risks…
7 - Elven Dust
After a quick snort of magic powder, the player jumps up and somersaults
onto the pitch. The player has gained Pro and +1 AG for the rest of the
match, but is now fixated with Elven dust. If this player starts or ends his
move next to any of the white lines on the pitch he must roll a 3+ on a D6
or be placed face down immediately (exactly as if he was stunned).
3 - Laudanum
The player slowly rises to his feet, asks who you are and stumbles onto the
street. He suffers from Really Stupid and -2 AG for the remainder of the
match, but benefits from Thick Skull as he is almost totally immune to pain.
4 - Dwarf Ale
Player returns to play, but is well past his best. He suffers -1 AG and
Boneheaded for the rest of the match and, most probably, a bad hangover
tomorrow…
8 - Fungus Beer
Somehow the herbalist managed to get some Goblin Brew. The player
suddenly roars out as his muscles double in size and he bursts into the
opposition. He counts as having +2 ST and Frenzy for the rest of the
match, but also has Wild Animal as his body struggles to contain the rage.
After each turn, roll a D6 for the affected player. Ona1hedies of a heart
attack and cannot be revived again by any means.
5 - Healing Balm
Well, the herbalist got it right for once! The player looks considerably
healthier as he retakes to the field in time for this drive!
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