I was trying to bear the following points in mind at all times: one, that it offers a lot of variety; two, that the point cost should be variable in most cases and representative of the effects; and three, that the effects of no handicap should last longer than one game.
Please read the handicaps carefully because even those who seem the same might have subtle differences.
- Calculate the difference between the two team ratings. That difference is the underdog’s Handicap Points. They may spend the points on any of the handicaps listed below. No handicap can be purchased more than once per match. A single player effected by a handicap cannot be effected by another handicap aimed at a single player (i.e. the same player could not be targeted with both ‘Appearance Fee’ and ‘New Contract’).
HANDICAP TABLE
Appearance Fee: The player on the opposing team with the most SPPs has decided that he needs to be paid money to take the field against ‘those bums.’ Roll 2d6 and multiply the result by 5,000. The result is the number of gold pieces the player must receive before he will take the field. If he isn’t paid, he’ll sit in the Dugout and refuse to come out until his fee is met or the game ends! The opposing coach may choose to pay the appearance any time after the start of the match if he wishes. Cost: Varies; 7 points for each 5,000gp the player demands.
Assassin: Your team has hired an assassin to take out one of the other team’s top guns. Pick a player on the opposing team and make an Injury roll for him. The opposing coach may use his Apothecary or Regenerate trait on the player, but an Apothecary used in such a fashion is not available for this match. Cost: 35HP.
Bad Habits: You’ve sent your cheerleaders into the enemy camp to distract the opposing team’s coaching staff. As a result, the opposing team loses up to 3 TRR for this match only. Cost: Cost: Varies; each TRR you remove from the opposing team costs a number of Handicap Points equal to the starting cost of the opposing team’s TRRs divided by 5,000. For example, when playing an Amazon team, it will cost you 8HP to steal each TRR but when playing against an Orc team each TRR will cost 12HP.
Biased Referee: The opposing team count as being under the eyes of the referee for the whole match (i.e. all fouls will be spotted on a 4+). Cost: 5HP
Bribe the Ref: Having greased the referee’s palm a little, you may set up 12 players on the field once during the match. Cost: 25HP.
Buzzing!: One of your players (your choice) has gone heavy on the coffee in anticipation of today’s game. For this match only he gains both the Jump Up and Frenzy traits but will automatically fail any attempt to pick up or catch the ball. Cost: 15HP.
Catfight: Before the game commences your team’s cheerleaders lay into the opposing team’s cheerleaders and a huge catfight ensues. Move the turn markers on 1 square each due to the players, fans and even the Ref being too distracted at the hair-pulling and clothes-tearing to start the game. As your cheerleaders are victorious you automatically win any related rolls for the rest of the game. In addition, your FF is increased by +3 for this match only. Cost: 20HP.
Duh, Where am I?: One player (your choice) on the opposing team has been out all night on a bender and isn’t really ready for the game. Depending on how many Handicap Points you spend the player either suffers from the Bonehead rule or the Really Stupid rule for this match only. Cost: Varies; 10HP for Bonehead and 20HP for Really Stupid.
Ego Trip: One player (your choice) on the opposing team has developed a real swelled head from his success. For this match, this player must move first every turn or not move at all. Cost: 10HP.
Extra Training: Your team has worked long and hard all week for this opponent. You may purchase up to a maximum of 3 extra TRRs to use for this match only. Cost: Varies; each bonus TRR costs a number of Handicap Points equal to the starting cost of a TRR divided by 5,000.
Fake Play: Your team has worked long and hard practicing a dummy play. One time during the match, when one of your players throws the ball, the opposing player cannot intercept the ball nor use the Pass Block skill. Cost: 5HP.
Fan Chant: Your fans have devised a catchy (if shortlived) chant to sing at this match. For this game only you may add up to +3 to your FF. Cost: Varies. 5HP for each point of FF you purchase. (NB: I changed the name of this handicap from Team Anthem to Fan Chant, which made a little more sense.)
Greased Shoes: Pick a player on the opposing team. You’ve paid someone to grease the bottom of that player’s shoes. Write the player’s number down on a piece of paper, without letting the opposing coach know which player you’ve selected. The first time that player attempts to ‘Go For It’ he automatically falls over and causes a turnover. After that, he will fail any attempt to ‘Go For It’ on a 1–3 instead of the usual 1. This effect lasts until the start of the next drive (during the break the player will clean his shoes). Cost: 10HP.
Grudge Match: You may take any number of Foul actions per turn for this match. However you may not foul the same player more than once per team turn. Cost: 25HP.
Harsh Training Regime: The opponent head coach has been driving his players too hard and one player in particular has exhausted himself. Pick a player on the opposing team. He loses one of his skills (not traits) for this match only. Cost: 15HP.
Hey, You!: You spot a talented (if crazy) fan in the stands and he agrees to play for your team. The fan can be any standard positional player your team is normally allowed to purchase (i.e. no Star Players and no Big Guys). In addition, he has the Frenzy trait (if a typical positional player already possesses the Frenzy trait the talented fan costs less). The player leaves your team when the match ends. Note that you may add a 17th player to your team with this result. Cost: Varies; divide the cost of any positional player by 2,000 to find how many Handicap Points the talented fan costs. (For example, a Human Blitzer would cost 45HP.) If the fan already has the Frenzy trait (i.e. she is a Witch Elf or he is a Trollslayer) then the cost is reduced by –5HP.
High Punt: You may declare this handicap at the start of any drive in which your team kicks off. The ball has been kicked very high and it will not land until the end of your team’s first turn after the kick-off. The ball lands at the very end of your turn, after you have made any and all actions with your players. If the ball lands out of bounds or in your half, then the opposing team gets the touchback and may give the ball to any player in their team at the start of their second turn. Cost: 10HP.
I am the Greatest!: The two players with the most SPPs on the opposing team refuse to be on the pitch at the same time for this match only. Only one may be set up on the field at the start of each drive. Cost: 40HP.
Illegal Drug Use: One of your players (your choice) has been experimenting with some blatently illegal steroids. He gains +1 to any one statistic for this match only. Cost: 20HP.
Injury Time: At the very end of the second half, after both teams have finished all of their turns, your team is allowed to take one extra turn. Cost: 40HP.
Insider: One of your assistant coaches used to work for the opposing team and has given you all the secrets of their plays which your players have studied hard. As a result, all Dodge rolls the opponent coach makes suffer a –1 and any AV rolls you make as a result of a block are also at +1. Cost: 50HP.
Inspiration: Watching the opposing team in their previous match has taught one of your players a thing or two. Pick a player on your team and give him an extra MVP. If the additional SPPs are enough to give him a new skill then generate it immediately. Cost: 5HP.
Intensive Training: One player is really psyched for this week’s match, and has been working very hard preparing for it. Pick a player on your team. He may take one extra skill to use for this match only, just as if he had rolled a New Skill result on the Star Player Table. Cost: 10HP.
In the Bag!: The opposing team is feeling cocky about their chances of winning this match. They can only field the 11 worst available players on their team, based on SPPs (in case of ties, the team with the lower TR picks which players are unable to play). This restriction stops for the rest of the match as soon as your team takes the lead. Cost: 40HP.
Iron Man: One player on your team (your choice) is determined to play hard for the whole game, no matter what the cost – in fact, he refuses to get injured! If an opposing player beats his Armour roll, he is only Stunned. Cost: 20HP.
Is there a Doctor in the House?: A huge apothecary convention is in town (which even attracts several Necromancers) and it turns out that a lot of them are fans of your team. For this match, your team treats all Deaths as Serious Injuries; all Serious Injuries are treated as Badly Hurt; all Badly Hurts are treated as Knocked Out; and all Knocked Outs are treated as Stunned. This effect is applied before you have to use your Apothecary. Cost: 50HP.
It Wasn’t Me!: One randomly selected player on the opposing team has been getting a little rowdy in anticipation of today’s ‘cakewalk,’ and he’s been arrested! He must miss the match. Cost: 15HP.
It’s Just Not My Day: One of your players (your choice) was almost late for the game as he had to attend the funeral of his entire family, including his pet goldfish, and when leaving the cemetery his wife told him she wanted a divorce. The other players on the team obviously feel very sorry for the poor chump. For this match only, any of your players that are in adjacent squares to the selected player gain the Guard skill. In addition, if the Jonah is ever injured (any result worse than Stunned) all of your players gain the Mighty Blow skill when blocking (or being blocked) the opposing player that injured him. Finally, the players have a whipround for him at the end of the match and raise 500gp per player. Cost: 25HP.
Kid Gloves: One player (your choice) on the opposing team has the NAF questioning his tactics on how he has been racking up those injuries. He decides to go easy this game to reduce the scrutiny on him. All injury rolls made against your team by this player from fouling or blocking will be treated as Stunned results. Cost: 15HP.
Kidnapping!: You have kidnapped the opposing coach from under the very noses of his players! For obvious reasons he will not be able to 'argue the call' with the referee for the rest of the game, and at the end of the match, the team must hand over all of their winnings to you in order to get their coach back. Cost: 20HP.
Knuckledusters: A player of your choice in your team has sneaked some knuckledusters into his gloves. He counts as having the Mighty Blow skill for this match only. The usual restrictions on this skill apply (i.e. a player with a ST of 2 cannot take this handicap). Cost: 5HP.
Magic Sponge: Your team has received a free magic sponge from the College of Wizards when they heard about this upcoming match. You may use the Magic Sponge once this game just like an Apothecary (even if your team normally doesn’t have access to an apothecary). Cost: 20HP.
Morley’s Revenge: The opposing team’s drinks have been spiked with a powerful laxative. D3 randomly selected opposing players have drunk the spiked drink, and must roll a D6 before every kick-off. On a roll of 1–3 they are otherwise engaged and may not take part in this drive. On a roll of 4–6 they may be set up normally. Cost: 25HP.
Mother McCreedy’s Recuperative and Restorative Entirely Medicinal Liquer: Your coaching staff have somehow acquired a rare bottle of this powerful curative. Any of your players who have to miss this match for any reason related to an injury may play. However, if they were Badly Hurt or Seriously Injured in a previous match, they must miss the following match instead of this one. This is in addition to the effects of any injuries sustained in this match (so an injured player who is injured again will have to miss two matches and not one). Cost: Varies; 10HP per player who imbibes the Liquer.
New Contract: The player on the opposing team with the most SPPs is trying to negogiate a new contract. He must be paid his original cost (i.e. the cost for a positional player of that race) plus an extra 500gp per SPP he has, or he will refuse to take the field for this match. If the opposing coach cannot (or will not) pay him, he will accept the terms of his old contract by the start of the next match. Cost: 40HP.
News Feature: The big cabelvision networks produce a special news feature about your team of plucky underdogs and their chances in the upcoming match. The extra revenue this generates will allow you to roll 2D6 at the end of the game for your match winnings. Cost: 20HP.
Palmed Coin: You automatically win the coin toss to start the game (do not flip the coin). Cost: 5HP.
Rigorous Training: One player is really psyched for this week’s match and has been working incredibly hard preparing for it. Pick a player on your team. He may take one extra skill to use for this match only. This skill may even come from a Skill Category he normally does not have access to (for example, a Human Lineman could take a Passing skill). Cost: 15HP.
Running Late: Agents in your employ manage to delay up to 3 randomly selected players on the opposing team for this match. The players must miss the first half. Cost: Varies; each player that is delayed costs 15HP.
Scutt’s Scroll of Weather Magic: You have tricked a gullible Wizard into parting with a useful scroll. Once per game, at the start of either player’s turn, you can select a weather result – the weather will immediately change to that result and remain there until a Weather Change kickoff roll is made. Cost: 5HP plus 5HP for each Thrower-type positional player on the opposing team.
Smelling Salts: Your coaching staff have aquired a strong batch of smelling salts. You make all rolls to move a player from the Knocked Out box to the Reserves box on a roll of 2 or better for this match. Cost: 20HP.
Take a Dive, Lad: You have encouraged your players to dive dramatically for the ground and wail in pain, crying “Foul! Foul!” whenever an opposing player comes close to them. Once only in this game, during your turn, you may choose any one of your players who is standing next to an opposing player. Place your player prone. The selected opposing player is sent off for the rest of the drive. Cost: 15HP.
That Babe’s Got Talent!: Your team visits the local tavern the night before the game. One of the exotic dancers displays her, umm, ‘talents,’ and your players leave her a generous tip. She and a few friends decide to hang out with your team for the day. You may add up to 6 Cheerleaders to your total for this match only. Cost: Varies; 3HP per Cheerleader hired.
Tireless Coaching Staff: Your coaching staff have been working overtime practicing new plays and encouraging your players. As a result, your team will automatically win any Brilliant Coaching results on the Kickoff Table during this game only. Cost: 15HP. (NB: I changed the name of this handicap from Egghead Convention to Tireless Coaching Staff, which seems a little more appropriate.)
Under Scrutiny: The opposing team has attracted a lot of attention from the league’s ruling body for its violent style of play. For this match only, the opposing team may not foul or use players equipped with Secret Weapons. Cost: 20HP.
Urine Test, You’re Out! : The governing body has been clamping down on the use of illegal drugs and the opposing team’s main blocker has come under considerable suspisicion. The player on the opposing team with highest ST statistic has to miss this match due to an appearance before a tribunal. Cost: 30HP.
Virus: A mysterious illness breaks out among the opposing team, knocking out the unhealthiest members of the bunch. Any opposing player with a niggling injury is too sick to show up for this match. Cost: Varies; 10HP per player removed.
We’re Gonna Pump You Up!: A young bodybuilder from the south of the Empire (with an unprouncable name) joins your coaching staff. His techniques are widely unpopular so he only stays for a short while. However, one of your players (your choice) does take the bodybuilder’s advice and bulks up a little. For this game only that player gains +1 to his ST statistic and the Mighty Blow skill. In addition you gain one Assistant Coach for this match only. Cost: 20HP.
Were oh Were has my Doggie Gone?: Due to an unfortunate incident during the recent charity match against a Necromantic team, one of your players (your choice) has contracted lycanthropy. His statistics are changed to that of a Werewolf. Cost: 25HP.
Winds of Change: Once during the game, you may change the Kick-Off result to a result either one above or one below it on the kick-off table. Cost: 5HP.
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