Spike! Journal 14
Northern Leagues For Glory and Ale!
Populated by teams of powerful Norscans, and anyone else crazy enough to sail to the cold wastes, the Northern League is a tough test for any team wanting to prove themselves as one of the best. With the brutal, unforgiving weather, not to mention the brutal, unforgiving playstyle of most of the teams, only the most hardy and rugged of players can hope to survive a season in the Northern Leagues in one piece!
Here at Spike! Journal, we are always excited to see how teams in different leagues approach the game. So we wrapped a few of our reporters in the warmest furs we could find and shipped them northwards to find out more about this ferocious league.
We found that the games ‘up north’ were often a guarantee of two things: plenty of ale, and an abundance of violence. This applies to both supporters and players alike, but we did not expect such extensive involvement from the fans! From barroom brawls spilling onto the field to wild animals being unleashed onto the pitch to take the field, the fans in the north are more than willing to have a role in a game! It’s not only the players that face challenges, however, the landscape itself seems to be a servant of Nuffle; unpredictable weather patterns and precarious paths make for exciting, unique games of our sacred sport!
The Icebowl
This is a variation on a standard Blood Bowl league season, as described in the Blood Bowl rulebook. How the league itself is organised – number of teams, how many divisions there are, how many rounds are played, and so forth – should all be decided upon by the league commissioner based upon how many coaches wish to take part, and what is best for everyone participating. The Icebowl differs from a normal season, however, in a couple of key aspects.
Open to All
The Icebowl is open to all comers. Coaches participating may use any team they wish and will have the usual budget of 1,000,000 gold pieces to spend on their team for the season ahead.
"The Icebowl, Brought to You by..."
At the start of the Icebowl, each team must decide which of the following four sponsors they wish to represent for the upcoming league: Norsca Face, Bloodweiser, Svensson's Shipping Co., or Agmund's Apothecary.
Each sponsor gives a unique benefit to the teams that choose them:
"Norsca Face: Never Stop Playing"
With high-quality outdoor gear, any team sponsored by Norsca Face won't ever have to skip a day of training due to bad weather again – meaning they will always be at their best!
If Norsca Face is your chosen sponsor, at the beginning of each half, increase your team re-rolls by 1.
"Bloodweiser: The Beer of Emperors!"
An unlimited supply of Bloodweiser? I wouldn't even bother reading the rest of the paperwork!
If Bloodweiser is your chosen sponsor, your team will receive two free Bloodweiser Kegs every game for the duration of the league. You may not purchase any additional Bloodweiser Kegs during step 4 of the pre-game sequence. Why would you spend the money when you're already sponsored?
"Svensson's Shipping Co.: Deliveries to Your Home Faster Than a Valkyrie to the End Zone!"
With Svensson's Shipping Co. ferrying the team to and from each game, the coaches have clearly put the extra time saved to good use on the training grounds. We just witnessed something special!
If Svensson's Shipping Co. is your chosen sponsor, you may select a Special Play card for free in all of your games for the duration of the league. This card may be chosen from any Special Play card decks available to your team.
"Agmund's Apothecary: Just Walk It Off!"
'Doctor' Agmund and his fellows have a fantastic reputation throughout Norsca for their effective, straightforward approach to medicine – just don't mention their bedside manner!
If Agmund's Apothecary is your chosen sponsor, you can hire a Wandering Apothecary for free, every game for the duration of the league. Teams that would not usually be able to hire an apothecary cannot be sponsored by Agmund's Apothecary.
Inducements
All Inducements should be allowed in the Icebowl. Additionally, if the league commissioner wishes, the following new Inducement may be added:
0-1 Norscan Seer
(50,000 Gold Pieces)
Available to any team: Some of the more superstitious folk in Norsca believe that the wise and ancient sages of the north interpret the word of Nuffle through the casting of bones or the reading of rune stones.
Immediately after step 6 of the pre-game sequence, a team that has hired a Norscan Seer may ask them to read the runes; they then roll a D6 and consult the chart below:
| D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 1 | The Portents read Doom! The team immediately loses one team re-roll. |
| 2‑3 | The Portents are Clouded, much like the Weather. You may immediately change the weather to any result on the Weather table. |
| 4‑5 | Nuffle is Watching... You may immediately roll once on the Prayers to Nuffle table. |
| 6 | Nuffle Smiles on us this day! Randomly select one player on your team that is available to play during the drive, and that does not have the Loner (X+) trait. Until the end of the game, that player gains a single Primary skill of your choice. |
Many Glorious Prizes!
Any team able to come out on top in the Icebowl will be remembered in songs and sagas for years to come, and the party that follows the final of the Icebowl is often as anticipated as the final itself! The top placed teams of the Icebowl are rewarded as follows:
Glittering Prizes: As usual, the teams that finish 1st, 2nd, and 3rd receive gold pieces as described in the Blood Bowl rulebook.
The Icebowl Chalice: In addition to their cash prize, the winner will receive the stunning Icebowl Chalice, which doubles as not only a glorious prize, but also a wonderful drinking vessel! Having such a splendid receptacle to party with would encourage any team to let their hair down a little and enjoy themselves – and you know what they say, a team that parties together, wins together! The team that holds the Icebowl Chalice gains the following ability at the start of each game:
At the start of each game, roll a D6. On a 4+, your team gains an extra team re-roll for the duration of the game.
Harsh Tundra Weather Table
In the cold north, Nuffle's sacred game is not played in grand stadia with flawless green turf. The action instead takes place on the packed snow and ice of the Norscan tundra, or the wooden decks of longships. These pitches are rarely protected from the unforgiving climate that ravages Norsca all year round, making the weather another factor that coaches need to take into account when forming their game plans.
To represent the unique conditions teams must face in the Icebowl, the following Weather table is used when playing games on such ground:
| 2D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2 | Wind Chill: The biting wind is enough to force some players to hide from the freezing cold in the dugout! At the end of step 1 of the Start of Drive sequence, both coaches roll a D6. The team that scores the lowest (or both teams in the case of a tie) randomly selects one of their players on the pitch. That player has had enough of the dreadful wind. Immediately place the selected player in the Reserves box to warm up. |
| 3 | Freezing Fog: The weather is so cold it's causing players' fingers to go numb, which makes catching the ball difficult indeed! Apply a -1 modifier every time a player makes an AG test when attempting to catch the ball, pick up the ball, or to interfere with a Pass action. |
| 4‑10 | Clear and Calm: The frequently dangerous climate is unusually calm and warm (for Norsca at least!), making it perfect (ish – Ed) Blood Bowl weather. |
| 11 | Hail Shower: At the start of each team's turn, roll a D6. On a 1, randomly select one player on the pitch from the active team. This player is struck by an unusually large hailstone; make an Armour roll for this player. If the Armour roll is successful, do not make an Injury roll; the player is instead automatically Stunned. This will not cause a Turnover, even if the player with the ball is Knocked Down. |
| 12 | White-out: It's snowing so heavily that it's near impossible for the players to see anything at all! Players may not perform Pass actions. Additionally, a player may not declare a Blitz action against an opposing player who is more than three squares away from them. |
Norsca Kick-off Table
To represent a game of Blood Bowl in the desolate north, where rowdy fans and the unpredictable weather can cause all sorts of mayhem, the following Kick-off Event table is used for all games played as part of the Icebowl.
| 2D6 | Result |
|---|---|
| 2 | Pitchside Brawl: The fans are going at it and have flooded onto the pitch to continue the fight! Both coaches randomly select D3 of their players from among those on the pitch. All of the randomly selected players are Placed Prone and become Stunned. |
| 3 | Icicles: Those icicles look sharp! Good job they will melt before the teams can get much use out of them! Both coaches select one player on their team from among those on the pitch. The chosen player may perform the Stab Special action once before the end of the drive. |
| 4 | Snowball: Fans hurl a volley of snowballs at the players on the pitch, distracting some of them! Both coaches randomly select one of their players from among those on the pitch. The first time the selected players are activated this drive, their activation immediately ends as they spend their turn searching the stands for the perpetrators! |
| 5 | High Kick: Apply the High Kick result as normal. |
| 6 | Cheering Fans: Apply the Cheering Fans result as normal. |
| 7 | Brilliant Coaching: Apply the Brilliant Coaching result as normal. |
| 8 | Changing Weather: Make a new roll on the Harsh Tundra Weather table and apply that result. If the weather conditions are 'Clear and Calm' as a result of this roll, the ball will scatter before landing. |
| 9 | Quick Snap: Apply the Quick Snap result as normal. |
| 10 | Snow Drifts: Thick snow drifts cover the field, softening the landing as players hit the ground! Apply a -1 modifier to any Armour rolls until the end of the drive. |
| 11 | Reckless Rookies: Sometimes, the young rookies of Norsca can't stop themselves from joining in a game, even if they are not wanted! Both coaches immediately gain a Norse Raider Lineman for the duration of the drive. This can mean that teams have more than 11 players on the pitch for this drive and they can be placed anywhere in their team's half, but not in either of the Wide Zones. At the end of the drive, remove the Norse Raider Linemen from play as the referees eject them from the game. |
| 12 | Feast and Drink!: Both teams look like they have enjoyed plenty of revelry before getting back onto the pitch! All players on both teams gain the Drunkard trait – if they don't already have it, of course! |
Frozen Lake Blood Bowl Pitch
There are very few grand stadia in Norsca, with most of the Blood Bowl pitches being loosely constructed on fjords, frozen lakes or wind-battered tundra. Playing in such hostile conditions presents many unique dangers to Blood Bowl players; from spectacularly skidding and face planting onto the slippery pitch to even falling through the ice itself! Players will need to tread carefully on this dangerous skating rink or risk the chilling waters below.
Using the Frozen Lake Pitch in Your Blood Bowl Games
The Frozen Lake pitch has two sides – one depicting the pitch in fair weather, with the lake covered in a thick sheet of ice. The other side depicts the pitch after some disaster or another has caused the ice to break apart, exposing the frigid waters below. If both coaches agree, the following rules can be used to represent the unusual conditions:
Frozen Surface: At the start of the game, the waters of the lake are as solid as astrogranite. The surface is difficult to find traction on but, once a player does, coming to a stop can be a problem! Players may attempt to Rush one additional time. However, players must apply a -1 modifier to the roll on each Rush attempt after the first.
Additionally, at the end of each drive, before removing any models, count up the total number of Prone players on the pitch. If the total between both teams is five or more, flip the board over to the Fragmented Surface side.
Fragmented Surface: All those players hitting the deck have caused a chain reaction of cracks and fissures. The players are going to need to keep their balance to ensure they don't fall over on the uneven surface! Players suffer an additional -1 modifier on Agility tests when they attempt to Dodge, Leap, Jump or land after being thrown.
Norse Balls
Hammer of Legend Ball
Whenever a player attempts to pick up the Hammer of Legend ball, roll a D6 before making the Agility test. On the roll of a 1, the player is unable to lift the ball off the ground (failing to pick up the ball in this way does not result in a Turnover); place the player in the square they occupied before attempting to pick up the ball, and that player's activation immediately ends. Only players of a certain calibre are 'worthy' enough to carry this ball!
The Runestone Ball
Whenever a player carrying the Runestone ball declares a Pass action, that player applies an additional -1 modifier when making a Passing Ability test. Additionally, whenever a player carrying the Runestone ball makes an Armour roll against an opposition player, they apply a +1 modifier to the result.