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Sponsorship

Back in the days of the NAF, team and player sponsorship was heavily controlled, thanks in no small part to the sport's favourite walking billboard, Lord Borak. Companies were free to back everything from events to stadia, but teams wishing to receive money from corporations were subject to stringent controls. When the NAF broke up, however, everything changed. Some of the first teams to cotton on to the idea were High Elves, who were used to the kind of lavish lifestyle that the Association had funded. They realised that by plastering their kit with advertising slogans, they could actually make just as much gold or, in some cases, even more than they previously had. OF course, there were missteps along the way - Lucien Swift still visibly shudders any time the McMurty's Big Murt Gladiators are mentioned - and it didn't take teams long to realise that sponsorship was a two-way street, but in the modern game it has become a fairly standard way for teams to gain funding.

BLOOD BOWL SPONSORS

Teams can attempt to find a Sponsor at the beginning of Step 4 of the post-game sequence, before any players or Sideline Staff are hired or fired. If you wish to seek a Sponsor for your team, roll a D16, then add the team's Dedicated Fans characteristic and any of the following modifiers that apply:

  • +3 if the team won the game.
  • +1 for each touchdown the team scored.
  • +1 for each player on the opposing team that suffered a roll on the Casualty table (however this was caused).
  • +2 if the game was played during the Play-off season.

If the result is 20 or more, your team can accept either a One-time Sponsorship or an Ongoing Sponsorship.

ONE-TIME SPONSORSHIPS

The team lends its image to a well-known brand, appearing in some Cabalvision ads or making personal appearances at high-profile product launches, in exchange for a one-off payment. All the players have to do is behave themselves. Easy, right?

The team receives D6 x 10,000 gold pieces, which are immediately added to its Treasury. Then, roll a D6:

  • On the roll of a 1, one randomly selected, permanently hired player gets a little carried away with the free drinks at a public appearance and has to spend some time recovering. The selected player must miss the next game, exactly as if they had suffered a 7-9, Seriously Hurt result on the Casualty table. If the selected player is already missing the next game, randomly select another.

  • On the roll of 2+, the players are well-behaved and no one overindulges.

ONGOING SPONSORSHIPS

The team becomes official ambassadors for the brand, receiving a sum of gold each time they make a public appearance. Of course, this burdens the team with all sorts of new responsibilities and is even riskier than a One-time Sponsorship deal.

If a team takes an Ongoing Sponsorship, make a note of this on their roster. During Step 1 of the post-game sequence of every future game, when recording the team's winnings, a team that has an Ongoing Sponsor gains an additional D3 x 10,000 gold pieces in addition to their winnings. Then roll a D6:

  • On the roll of a 1, one randomly selected player from your team has upset the Sponsors somehow and has received a visit from a pair of 'brand ambassadors'. The selected player must miss the next game, exactly as if they had suffered a 7-9, Seriously Hurt result on the Casualty table. If the selected player is already missing the next game, this roll has no further effect.

  • On the roll of 2+, the players are well-behaved and no one upsets the Sponsors.

Teams can have any number of Ongoing Sponsorships however, the roll to see whether the Sponsors are happy must be made for each one!

Immediately after rolling to see whether the Sponsors are happy or not, you can choose to end any Ongoing Sponsorships, deleting them from the team's roster.

REDRAFTING AN ONGOING SPONSOR

Any team with an Ongoing Sponsorship can attempt to redraft it from one league season to the next. To do so, simply roll a D6 on the table below:

REDRAFTING AN ONGOING SPONSOR TABLE

D6 plus Dedicated Fans RESULT
2-8 Poor Performance: The Sponsors are disappointed with the team's performance and decide to seek better brand ambassadors. The Sponsorship ends immediately.
9+ Most Acceptable: The Sponsors are quite happy with the team's performance, though they won't admit that to the players! The Sponsorship continues into the next league season.

MAJOR SPONSORSHIPS

There are a number of big name sponsors who only make offers to the brightest and most successful teams. A Major Sponsorship is an Ongoing Sponsorship as described previously, but does not grant the standard, financial bonuses of an Ongoing Sponsorship; instead, each has its own special rules. A team can only have one Major Sponsor at a time, but a Major Sponsor can sponsor more than one team at a time. Note that, for various ideological and philosophical reasons too numerous and boring to list, some Major Sponsors won't work with certain teams, and vice versa:

MCMURTY'S BURGER EMPORIUM

AVAILABLE TO ANY TEAM

A team that is sponsored by McMurty's does not get any financial incentive, but the improved catering inspires the players to new levels of enthusiasm! A team sponsored by McMurty's Burger Emporium has the following special rules:

  • A team that is sponsored by McMurty's Burger Emporium gains an extra team re-roll for the first half of each and every game they play. If this team re-roll is not used during the first half, it may be carried over into the second half.

  • McMurty's might make fine food, but sadly their fare is somewhat fattening and doesn't make an ideal diet for athletes! Players on a team sponsored by McMurty's Burger Emporium cannot improve either their MA or AG characteristic while the Sponsorship is ongoing.

A coach can choose to end their deal with McMurty's in the same way as an Ongoing Sponsorship.

FARBLAST & SONS ORDNANCE SOLUTIONS

AVAILABLE TO ANY TEAM EXCEPT THOSE THAT HAVE THE 'ELVEN KINGDOMS LEAGUE' SPECIAL RULE

A team that is sponsored by Farblast & Sons does not get any financial incentive, but will instead be able to access all manner of explosives with which to create havoc on the pitch! A team sponsored by Farblast & Sons has the following special rules:

  • A single permanently hired Lineman positional player of your choice may be equipped with a satchel of Farblast's Finest Detonating Spheres. This player gains the Bombardier, Loner (4+) and Secret Weapon traits, and Secondary access to Passing skills, as long as the Sponsorship lasts.

  • While sponsored by Farblast & Sons, the team's winnings after each game are reduced by 20,000 gold pieces due to increased insurance premiums.

A coach can choose to end their deal with Farblast & Sons in the same way as an Ongoing Sponsorship.

STAR INSURANCE GUILD

AVAILABLE TO ANY TEAM

A team that is sponsored by the Star Insurance Guild does not get any of the usual financial incentives. Instead, the team is insured in case of sport-related fatalities. A team sponsored by the S.I.G. has the following special rules:

  • If a permanently hired player belonging to a team sponsored by the S.I.G. suffers a Casualty result of 15-16, DEAD, and is removed from the team roster during the post-game sequence, the team immediately receives a pay-out. The amount paid out is equal to half of that player's Current Value (rounding each up to the nearest 5,000 gold pieces).

  • Once all dead players have been removed, roll a D6. If the result is equal to or lower than the number of players that were removed from the roster, the Guild's agents have arrived to collect their due! The team must immediately pay 2D6 x 10,000 gold pieces. If it cannot afford to, its treasury is emptied and the deal with S.I.G. comes to an end. D3 randomly selected, permanently hired players go mysteriously absent and must miss the next game, exactly as if they had suffered a 7-9, Seriously Hurt result on the Casualty table. Record on the team's roster that it is now on the S.I.G. blacklist and cannot be sponsored by them ever again.

A coach can choose to end their deal with the Star Insurance Guild in the same way as an Ongoing Sponsorship.

STEELHELM'S SPORTING EMPORIUM AVAILABLE TO ANY TEAM

A team that is sponsored by Steelhelm's Sporting Emporium does not get any financial incentive, but does gain access to some of the best personal trainers in the business, ensuring players are bullied and browbeaten into giving their fullest at all times. A team sponsored by Steelhelm's Sporting Emporium has the following special rules:

  • When a permanently hired player belonging to a team sponsored by Steelhelm's Sporting Emporium randomly selects a new Skill, either Primary or Secondary, you may re-roll one or both of the D6. However, you must accept the result of the re-roll even if the Skill generated is less desirable (note, however, that if the Skill rolled when rolling or re-rolling the second D6 is one that the player already has or cannot take, you may re-roll the dice as normal).

  • There is a chance that a player will injure themselves when training intensively. Once a new Primary skill has been selected, roll a D6. Once a new Secondary skill has been selected, roll two D6:

 - If a 1 is rolled on either of the D6, the player must miss the next game, exactly as if they had suffered a 7-9, Seriously Hurt result on the Casualty table.

 - If a 1 is rolled on both dice, the player must miss the next game and suffers a Niggling Injury, exactly as if they had suffered a 10-12, Serious Injury result on the Casualty table.

A coach can choose to end their deal with Steelhelm's Sporting Emporium in the same way as an Ongoing Sponsorship.