A am a huge Blood Bowl fan, I wanted to ask the community for Input & Advice. I wanted to see how people would go about fermenting their home-brew of the classic board game. I don't want it to be exactly like the board game, but I also really would like it to be like the board game. I ask in all seriousness because I set up a game before and people really, really varied in what they saw, Blood Bowl RPG being.

1. What would potential players look for in Blood Bowl? In a word or one sentence?

2. I can both see the game being as silly as the actual idea. On one end of the spectrum free-form with a bit of simple D6 system simplicity added in OR as in depth including character building and XP, team building and game play optons using Warhammer Fantasy-esque character sheets. That being said if rules light was 0 and Warhammer Fantasy Role-play was 10, where on the scale would you like depth and complexity it to be?

2.B On the same sliding scale where would you want the real world seriousness a 10 and 0 being completely Cartoonish where would you like it to be.

3. What is more alluring PvP or team PvP or all PC's on the same team?

4. What is one element of the game you feel is a must have?

Thank you all for any input or advice, regardless good luck with your games. Also anyone interested in being on a list to call upon in the chance this does become a game feel free to rmail.
This message was last edited by the user at 07:07, Thu 02 Feb 2017.

In reply to modestmouse (msg # 1):

I have never played Blood Bowl, but my friend had a Wood Elf team painted to look like the Avengers. I would have loved to learn the game (liked the look of the Norse), but finances...

Well I suppose I should have stated the premise behind Blood Bowl as not every gamer actually knows the system or the setting. For hose not privy to the concept I would best describe it as Lord of the Rings meets American Football. Teams of Orcs, Dwarfs, Humans, Undead, Halfings (Hobbits) Elves, Powers of Choas even Ogres and Trolls battle out in a game that resembles the violence of war without weapons (unless you sneak one on the field, which is all part of the fun, cheating that is) and the finesse and teamwork of sporting football.

This is one reason I tend to favor toward rules lite, as many people enjoy the concept but do not own or have have played Warhammer games. The Warhammer Fantasy roleplay is based on a fantasy pseudo Europe and Beyond  with various races trending to inhabit particular locations in that world. Or just google Blood Bowl wiki ;)

It is nice to hear from players that have never played as well, this again would take the form of a RPG, not an actual Blood Bowl game PbP.

I don't know anything about Bloodbowl, but probably still know enough to answer most of the questions

1) It would be interesting in a post apocalyptic backdrop where teams compete for commodities like fuel, weapons, ammo, food, water, etc.
2) I've been on a bit of an indie/PBtA kick so probably 4.5
2B) Probably 6.5. I really like grit in my games, but not necessarily complete seriousness. I like a game that has real consequences, but the characters can choose how they want to be affected by their circumstances to a degree. I'm not talking full on cuckoolander, but a place where it might not be out of the question to make fun of an exploded corpse.
3) hard to say, but players on the same team with potential for betrayal through intrigue maybe?
4) This one I can't answer to be honest.

I'm also a huge BB fan. Unfortunately one of my oldest friends has the luck of the devil and plays Skaven. Most of my youth involved finishing runner up with the good guys losing to an ensemble of skaven fuelled by freelance heavies. (For those that remember 1st ed, Skaven mutants with hideous appearance and bracers of smashing. You lose the battle on ref bribes and some untouchable rat wanders through your carefully assembled front line and turns them into an injury list. Is that fair???)

Def count me in on this should it come to pass.

1). Action and interaction, a story.

2). 10. I'm familiar with WFRP, and it fits with the setting. Plus if we are part timers we have a day job career, as per the system, and the towns, cities and underground kingdoms and races that fit with Blood Bowl are all fleshed out.

2)B. 7-8 ish? Mostly grim and perilous (sinister coaches and commercial agents), but with a mixed bag of lunatic fans, team spirit and dodgey trophies.

3). Depends on how many players. I'd say a mixed race good guy team would probably fit a team of players tackling NPC blitzers, opposing teams dirty tricks, off field romances, commercial bribes to drop the ball. Even an unauthorised pub crawl the day before a big match!
More than six players, or even offering Orc/goblin/chaos as PC options would certainly mean splitting players on different teams. Likewise more than six good guy PCs may work better split over two rival teams (Delberz Drakes and the Carroburg Castles), plus transfers between teams?

4). An off field story. Really feel that as much fun the on field stuff is, it is made that much more with a really good set up. Characters needing to win to settle a friends gambling debts, being injured by a gang o thugs just before the match, arriving at a nobles publicity stunt ball alongside rival teams players and trying to keep the drunk dwarf blocker from losing his temper, this kinda thing :)

In reply to Lukey77 (msg # 5):

See, that's what I love about 1st Edition; if I want to play football, I'll just go play football.  First edition had the imbalance of heavy hitters allowing you to win by simply crushing the other team.  I can tell you plenty of stories, however, about a colossal team of juggernauts that lost miserably to elves simply because they were faster and more agile.  Ultimately it comes down to the dice but, for the sake of what realism you can muster for a fantasy game, how fair is it when a halfling can knock down a treant with ease?

Hell yeah. I was those elves ;)

Still doesn't make it any easier to wear a huge apothecary bill just to patch your star players together after the filthy rat men (who definitely do exist!) :D

In reply to Lukey77 (msg # 7):

Certainly a fair statement.  Each addition had its' positives and negatives, but then again, everyone likes/dislikes different things.  I will say the PC game is pretty sweet despite being very football-esque.

O.K. now that is where I intended the game to go, now that is rules heavy and counts out a lot of people who may be interested. Although, it would be an obviously more tongue-in-cheek setting than some WFRP. In which the canon and history is taken very seriously by some GM's on rpol.

I thought about running it almost a D6 sports game, but I don't see how that is going to hold interest of many players for very long. I can see a group of players, on a mediocre second league edge of the Empire team.

A team that could be an a spy operation or secret society of thieves or something along those lines, traveling through the Old World with say 30 percent Blood Bowl 70 percent WHFRP, action. If say I can get a solid 4 or 5 players I may start one up. If time permits of course, but I never have seen one on rpol, and I have noticed it coming back to my local shops and some people getting back on board with it.

My only caveat is no baddies, I just can not get on board with a team that didn't follow some of the Blood Bowl team rules. It would be humans, elves, dwarfs, maybe an ogre and any one crazy enough to play a halfling blocker.

Keep me informed with what people are looking for, I build games slowly but I will get back to you.... eventually.