season FOUR

An expansion by Jake Thornton

We’re Back, Live! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 In the Locker Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25

Nemion Oceanics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
New Rules . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Rotatek Rockslides . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Achievements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 The Unincorporated . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Working the Crowd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Rallion Roses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Cheerleaders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Red Planets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Fans. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Galdo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Coaching Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Excavator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
New Free Agents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Irsala Sephalin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
New Abilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Grak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Schnörkel the Avenger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Lyra the Fixer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Asylum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

credits
Concept & Game Design: Layout and Graphic Design: Sean Turtle
Jake Thornton (www.quirkworthy.com) (www.wgdr.co.uk) & Chris Webb
Background: James M Hewitt, Greg D Smith Playtesting: Pete Fullergreen, Lee Montgomery, Ben
Cover Art: Luigi Terzi. Moorhouse, Jeff Shortland, Rob Taylor, Euan Bennet, Keith
Last, Geoff Burbidge, Matthew Mills, Chris Taylor, Keith
Logo: Georges Clarenko.
Vasey, Ronnie Renton, Kyle “Dysc” Cherry, Paul “DreadPaul”
Internal Art: Heath Foley, Luigi Terzi Allen, Jack Betts, Callum Hancock, Jodie Rodgers, Alex Lee,
Sculptors: Russ Charles, Grégory Clavilier, Dave Kidd, Derek Reece Clarke, George Henfrey, James Murgett, Lewis Price,
Miller, MKUltra Studio, Bob Naismith, Steve Saunders, Ben Sean James, Owain Prew, Callum Gourlay, Kai Stephenson-
Skinner, Luigi Terzi, Rémy Tremblay Jones, Ana Sjomina
Painting: Chris Webb, Dave Neild, Golem Painting Studio With special thanks to every backer from Kickstarter
Photography: Ben Sandum

DreadBall is © Copyright Mantic Games 2013. All rights in the design, text, graphics and other material in this publication and its selection or
arrangement is copyright of Mantic Entertainment Ltd., or has been granted for use by other third parties. This includes images, text, graphics, corporate
logos and emblems. Reproduction is prohibited.
DreadBall Season 4 1
 WE’RE BACK, LIVE!
DreadBall returns for its biggest season yet! New teams, new MVPs and
a whole raft of new rules combine to make the favourite game of the
GCPS that little bit better!
From the mysterious Sphyr to the rough and ready Brokkrs, each games and leagues, as players gain rewards for their team for
of the four teams introduced to the roster this season brings consistent performance. Now that Striker who never misses
their own set of scores to settle, both on and off the pitch! Even a shot or that Jack with the perfect pass record will get their
the Hobgoblins get in on the action, creating DGB history as the contribution recognised, and get the fans on their feet. Speaking
first team to come with a health warning to their fans as well of the fans, they’re joining in the fun too, with especially dizzying
as other players. displays drawing the odd spectator out of the stands and onto
the neodurium. Just when you thought this game couldn’t
Season 4’s MVPs are an interesting bunch, from psychos to the get any crazier!
perennially unlucky and everything in-between - we even got a
big mining robot in there because – well why the heck not? If you thought you knew DreadBall, then think again – this is
the season where every team gets a new playbook. So grab
But it isn’t just the fresh blood (metaphorical and literal) that’s your glove and get out on the pitch, rookie! The new season has
got us excited. Achievements give a whole fresh outlook to started, and it’s going to be the best one yet!

2 DreadBall Season Four

When the DGB officially sanctioned multi-team games, it was The second, slightly more secretive tier of the plan involved the
hailed as the greatest addition to the game since purpose-built fans more directly. The popularity of the underground game
blood runoff gutters became standard in all league games. It showed that fans wanted to be as close to the action as possible.
was a game changer, a spectacle like nobody had ever seen or So the DGB decided that they might start discreetly relaxing
expected. It also presented the DGB with a problem. some of the security measures at the arenas. Nothing too
obvious or too far – they didn’t want a repeat of the disastrous
The nature of the GCPS is simple enough to discern. Rampant pitch invasion of the Quintek Ultimate Six Way Slam event,
consumerism is encouraged – engineered even – by the Council, in which several thousand fans took to the pitch thanks to a
who allow the corporations to fight amongst themselves as malfunction in the security gates – but enough laxity that the
they will, only acting to intervene when outright wars break odd fan might slip through once in a while and spice up the
out that might threaten Council interests. This means that any spectacle for themselves and the rest of the audience.
good GCPS citizen will always demand more – more Nu-Cola,
more Trontek Vids, and more DreadBall. Ultimate gave them Finally, they sought out more teams, expanding and adapting
the greatest spectacle that they had ever seen, and like the the rules to encourage more races to take to the neodurium. The
good consumers they were, after a few seasons, they started to Brokkrs were first, tempted by the opportunity to let loose their
hunger for more. But how did you improve a game that already wilder side in a more profitable arena. The Sphyr were next,
provided regular grudge match spectaculars between six offered the chance to play the corporations at their own game,
different teams on the same pitch? quite literally. The Rebellion jumped at the opportunity to field
legitimate teams and make considerably more money from
The increasing success of the underground version of the game, the endeavour than they had ever managed from underground
tolerated for its usefulness in controlling both the poorer ends games. Many questioned the wisdom of the DGB in allowing
of the population and the kind of scum that might be causing this, but it seems that their logic (if they’re playing DreadBall,
problems elsewhere, gave them their answer. The fans wanted they aren’t sabotaging shipping or stealing resources) may have
more violence, more showmanship and more blood. They simply won the Council over to their way of thinking. Regardless,
wanted to get even closer to the action than their 3D goggles having Rebs on the pitch drove up interest from all corners.
and courtside booths might allow. They wanted the Xtreme And finally there were the Hobgoblins. Nobody actually invited
experience, but better packaged. them, but they came anyway and the DGB figured that even
disgustingly smelly and antisocial beasts such as these must
So the DGB attacked the problem threefold. Firstly, they have a niche appeal somewhere.
announced a new set of rules that would reward players for
their particular feats during a game. New awards, known The changes worked, and created a whole new level of interest
as ‘Achievements’, would be announced on the holoscreens in the sport that rejuvenated it for many seasons to come. The
whenever a player performed his or her job especially well. DGB had found that it was possible to push things further beyond
Flashy colours and pyrotechnic displays accompanying the Ultimate after all. For the teams themselves, new challenges
announcement would encourage the fans, getting them even abounded. New teams arrived to challenge the status quo, and
more frenzied as they cheered on their favourite player for their older teams found they had a whole new set of tactics to learn.
contribution to the team. The sport had been shaken up down to its foundations, and
would emerge better, bolder and more popular than ever before!

We’re Back, Live! 3

 “Welcome to the show, and today we have a very special “And another thing. I never expected to see leeches
guest – please give it up for Jesus Ortiz!” like you making money from what was supposed to have
been a pure sport. You sit there in your suit and pin-tie.
*Applause* I bet the most you ever bled was when your butler cut
you shaving, huh?”
“Now Mr Ortiz, I’m sure that you get asked this all the time,
but when you started the game all those years ago, did you *gasps and confused laughter track is played from
ever dream that it would become as big as it has?” concealed speakers*

“When I started putting together the game for my “Well, we certainly appreciate your time Mr Ortiz, it’s
troops, it was purely a distraction. Like tossing a coin or always a pleasure to see you on the show. Next up, we ask
sharpening a blade. It was just something to take their ‘Is there really a place for Hobgoblins in DreadBall? We’ll
minds off the monotony between fights, to keep them be right back after these important messages.”
sharp when they weren’t in the field.
“Aaaaaaaand, we’re clear!”
Did I know it would become…all this? Did I have any
inkling that corporations would be paying millions of creds “Thanks Joe. Well, thanks for that Mr Ortiz. Thanks
to sponsor the latest pretty boy from the inner sphere for playing up to the role like that, it’s always good
with a half decent agility and a winning smile? Some guy for the ratings.”
who had never even seen a battlefield, much less been
near one. Someone whose idea of hard work was having “Playing?”
to get his own coffee? Did I picture all of that when I was
in there with my men, sweating and bleeding in the dark “Yes, that little act just then. Was just as I’d been led to
of a cargo hold? expect, and it’ll play beautifully with the viewers.”

Did I dream that filthy aliens – the very same that I “Mr Breeson…”
fought and bled to keep from our front door, would be
getting cheered? Did I envision cuddly Z’zor toys being “Yes Mr Ortiz?”
sold to kids? No, Mr Breeson. It may amaze you to learn
that I did not.” “…..Nothing.”

“…….uh, we might have to go to a commercial break here

folks, I’m not sure if-“

4 DreadBall Season Four

NEW RULES
New Rules 5
 ACHIEVEMENTS
Ultimate matches were only feasible on special occasions – * Triples the number of successes of his opponent in a Steal.
no sponsor would sanction the kind of spend to have their * Catches a scattering ball with a result of 3 or more
team participate in a whole season’s worth of those epic successes.
marathon matches. The DGB also worried that the spectacle To resolve an Achievement Check, simply turn over the top
of these matchups was detracting from the pure art of card of the deck. This is like a Fan Check with a different
DreadBall. What was needed was a way of getting the fans result depending on how many cheers you get:
to directly appreciate that artistry – thus pleasing the fans
and encouraging the players themselves to concentrate on * 0 Cheers: no effect.
teamwork and technical skill over sheer brute force (at least * 1 Cheer: place the card under the team’s Fan Support card.
sometimes). The solution was the achievement system, * 2 Cheers: the player’s team gains a Coaching Dice. Discard
introduced into the game to ‘make skills count as much as the card.
kills’, as the slogan had it. * 3 Cheers: the player gains an experience point. Discard the
card.
So far, the DreadBall rules have rewarded players for Events are triggered as normal.
smashing their opponents and making strikes. That is a
great place to start because it’s the core of the game, but Achievements in Leagues
what about the rest of the game and all the other aspects of Achievements work the same in league games as they do
a match that get the crowd on their feet? Well that’s where in one-off matches. In addition, league organisers may find
Achievements come in. tracking these Achievements over the whole league is an
amusing way to add minor prizes for the Coaches to fight
A player makes an Achievement Check if they make the first over. Perhaps something for the player (or team) that makes
Feat of Skill in an action. Only one Achievement Check can be the most 9 hex completions, Dashes the furthest or Catches
made per action. Usually this will be the active player, though the most scattering balls. You don’t have to do something
that is not a requirement. for every Achievement as this will swamp your players with
bookkeeping. Just cherry-pick the one(s) that you think will
A Feat of Skill is when a player does one of the following: provide the most interesting contests.

* Throws a 9 hex pass that is caught by the intended target. If you have a large league then it’s especially nice to have a
* Dashes in 3 consecutive hexes in the same action without series of smaller prizes to give out so that more people win
falling. something. This gives Coaches who might not feel able to win
* Evades in 3 consecutive hexes in the same action without the main league prize a goal to aim for. In some campaigns
falling. and leagues I have played in over the years, these “minor”
* Triples the number of successes of his opponent in a Slam. prizes have ended up more coveted and hard-fought over
than the main ones!

6 DreadBall Season Four

“Then there was the time that ‘Hacker’ Handred caught the pass from his Striker in the dying seconds of the first half and
scored the point that sent his team off the pitch at half time in the lead by one point. Handred had never caught a ball in his
life – he was a Jack and a fairly average one at that. His name sounded impressive, sure, but it was only his school nickname
because of his weak lungs and that constant cough.

But that day, thanks to the achievements system, he not only scored a point for his team, he got the fans on their feet, he got
the other players motivated. And shek me if they didn’t all come out bigger and meaner in the second half. Hungrier than
they’d ever been seen on a pitch before. ‘Course, ‘Hacker’ got the snot beaten out of him by three Goblins when the ref was
looking elsewhere. Never did play a game again, but he lived off that one match for years after. Never paid for a drink in his
home town again after that. The catch that won the first victory in the fifteen-season history of the Vostik Vandals. Shek-
awful team though, thank the maker they got disbanded the following year…”

Extracted from ‘My Life in DreadBall – from the pitch to the booth’ by Arton Crastas

New Rules 7
 WORKING THE CROWD
These rules add colour and tactical options to league games
and allow Coaches to further individualise their teams.

Cheerleaders
Sometimes, it just isn’t your day on the pitch. A team may find When a strike is scored, in addition to the normal fan checks,
itself missing every shot, fumbling every pass and coming the Cheerleaders may inspire another. Move the score marker
off worst in every slam. On days like these, the Cheerleaders as normal. If it ends on a space with a Cheerleader on then
really come into their own, their routines and cheering that model is removed and replaced in its own Subs’ Bench.
rousing the crowd and keeping them happy when the action If the model was from the side that scored the strike then
on the pitch isn’t. If the match is going well, the Cheerleaders that team makes an immediate fan check in addition to the
are an asset, helping to excite the crowd further and generate other fan check(s) associated with that strike. If the model
the buzz. When the match is going poorly, they become a was from the opposing team then there is no further effect. If
lifeline, essential to the survival of the team and the players the strike is worth more than 1 point then the scoring marker
(sometimes in a literal as well as a metaphorical sense). may move over other models to reach the space it needs to.
These models remain in place. Cheerleaders are only removed
Acquiring Cheerleaders when the score marker stops exactly on their space.
Teams do not start with Cheerleaders. In a league, a Coach
may add Cheerleaders to his team when he is considering (Re)Placing Cheerleaders
other purchases such as extra players, more Coaching Dice, During a Match
etc. Each Cheerleader model costs 8mc, and each team can See the rules for coaching
have up to 7 in their troupe. Each Cheerleader only needs to support on page 14.
be paid for once.

Placing Cheerleaders
At the start of a match, as part of setting up your players on
the pitch, you may place a maximum of 1 or 2 Cheerleaders
from your team’s troupe into play. This number depends
on your respective team rankings and how many you have
available in your team. The underdog may place up to 2 and
his opponent up to 1. In the case of equal rankings both
players may place just 1. Cheerleaders that are not currently
in play wait in the Subs’ Bench.

Cheerleaders that are “in play” do not go onto the pitch itself.
Instead they are placed on the scoring track, with up to one
model per space. Cheerleaders from opposing teams cannot
occupy the same space. You can place a Cheerleader on any
free space on either side of the scoring track.

Go Team!
Cheerleaders do not act on their own. Instead they respond
to the actions of the team on the pitch and cheer on the
crowd accordingly.

8 DreadBall Season Four

Cheerleaders are, in some ways, the marketing arm of a team. to strobe light displays and patterns in the team colours, and
They turn up whenever there is a press conference, on the these can also carry advertising. Robots can be made entirely
team brochures and both before and after matches, exciting from screens and so advertising can be that much more
the fans and winding them up to fever pitch for the match effective. A few robot Cheerleader troupes have also been
itself. The Corporation, being the commercially sensitive designed with the ability to transform into other shapes. The
entity that it is, has no shortage of marketing experts, and best known of these are the Shiny Sisters who cheer for the
their approach to DreadBall is no different from any other Rakachak Rollers Marauder team. They are able to change
commercial enterprise: do what sells. into letters, spelling ROLLERS with their bodies – a feat which
is guaranteed to send the crowd wild.
For this reason, Cheerleaders can come in all manner of
shapes and sizes, and the racial composition of the team itself Other considerations are whether there are Cheerleaders
is no indication of the form the Cheerleaders will take. Most available for the race in question, and whether they are at all
DreadBall fans are human (or thereabouts), and so human suitable. Teratons, for example, are rare enough, and their
Cheerleaders are the most common race, even among Forge females are three times the size of the males. Add this to the
Father and Judwan teams. dramatic (if fearsome) mating displays that formed the basis
of their cheerleading routine and you have the volatile recipe
Robots are the second most common type of Cheerleader, which caused the Channaril Arena disaster of ’86. That’s not
and are especially adaptable both in shape and display. something anyone is keen to repeat.
Human Cheerleaders often carry small screens on each hand

New Rules 9
 FANS
Without fans, a DreadBall team is nothing, which explains If a player moves a Referee into a hex adjacent to one or more
why they and the DGB go to such great efforts to keep them Fans then those Fans are immediately removed from the
entertained. Fans become obsessively loyal and passionate pitch. This does not stop the Referee’s movement.
about their chosen team or MVP, whether through bonds of
race or belief or simply because they like their colours. There Fan Threats
is nobody more devoted than a DreadBall fan, and sometimes Fans are an element of unpredictability and uncertainty on
this enthusiasm gets the better of them. the pitch. They may be drunk, scared, drugged or simply
excited beyond rational thinking. Whatever their state, they
If you have some DreadBall fan models then you can involve pose a challenge that players from both teams need to deal
up to 4 of them at a time in your DreadBall league games. with carefully.

Placing Fans Fans exert a Threat Hex against all players in each of the 6
When a player earns a Fan Check they may choose to place surrounding hexes, not just the ones to their front.
one or two Fan models on the pitch instead of taking a card.
The Fans may be placed in any hex that is both within 2 hexes Interacting With Fans
of the edge of the board, and not adjacent to any player. Each Fans are usually on the pitch out of a misplaced sense of
Fan model is placed individually. There may be up to 4 Fans on enthusiasm rather than any intention of harming the players
the pitch at any one time. or the match. Unfortunately, in the slam and rush of a game
of DreadBall, being on the pitch without armour or training
Moving Fans and Referees can be hazardous to your health!
Fans may be moved by either player.
Exactly how a player decides to deal with this over-
When a Coach draws a card to move the Ref at the end enthusiastic obstacle depends on a number of things. See the
of their Rush, they may instead choose to use it to move choices below. However, regardless of what the player does,
one or more Fans. The Coach may divide up the amount of any interaction with one of the Fans is likely to get a reaction
movement available between the Fans on the pitch in any from the crowd. Sometimes this is determined by a Fan check,
way they choose. other times by a Crowd check (explained below).

There is no limit to a Fan’s movement or to where they can

stand. However, a moving Fan must stop as soon as they enter
a hex that is adjacent to any player from either side.

10 DreadBall Season Four

If a player moves adjacent to a Fan they may choose one of 3 Crowd Check
different ways to deal with them: A Crowd check represents the cheering of both teams’ fans
as each of the rival groups tries to drown out the other team’s
Slam them out of the way! The player makes a Slam against supporters. Whichever one cheers the loudest will help
the Fan. The Fan rolls a 2 dice 5+ Dodge to avoid the Slam. boost their team.
If the Fan is knocked down then they are removed from the
pitch and the player makes a Crowd check. Otherwise the A Crowd check is a 3 dice 5+ test (X).
Slam action is over and the Rush continues as normal.
+1 per Cheerleader your team has in play.
Shimmy past. The player shows off their skill by ducking past
the Fan. Roll Evade tests as normal to move past the Fan. If Both players roll dice and compare results:
the player successfully rolls to Evade the Fan in two different
hexes then make a Fan check. In either case the Fan remains * Draw: both teams get a Fan check.
on the pitch and the player’s action is completed as normal. * Loses: the team’s supporters cannot be heard so their
team gets nothing.
Sign an autograph. The player stops to sign an autograph * Wins: the team gets a Coaching Dice.
for the happy Fan. This ends the player’s (but not his team’s) * Doubles: the team gets a Coaching Dice plus the player
Rush and removes the Fan - who scampers off to show all his that generated the Crowd check gains +1xp.
friends. Roll a Crowd check.

New Rules 11
12 DreadBall Season Four
The maiden Ultimate Exhibition match held under the new But the thing that most of the fans remember is THAT
rules is still remembered as setting several records which strike in the final rush of the game, when the 29ers and the
stand to this day. The game saw 47 fans involved directly Smackers – veteran skill winning out – both appeared to
in the match, leading to a record for more injuries to crowd score at once in the final second, both score buzzers sounding
members than players on the pitch at a single game. The simultaneously. It was only in the instant replay – beamed
euphoric response to the new rules also saw the highest live to several billion screens across the GCPS and broadcast
number of new subscribers to the pay-per-view match format at the arena itself on a 500 foot tall Hyper-Def display, that
in the history of the game, and the influx of new teams – all of it became apparent that the ‘ball’ thrown by the Smackers’
whom were represented in the six-way match up, alongside star jack was actually the head of Charles Stanley Cratterson,
the Trontek 29ers and the Greenmoon Smackers – meant a Smackers fan who had gotten a little too enthusiastic in
that the game broke all previous records for viewer numbers his encouragement of his team. To this day, the Smackers
throughout the GCPS. Credit for credit, it is simultaneously management maintain it was a valid goal, though not in
the most expensive (thanks to lawsuits, official censure from public for legal reasons…
all the major vid networks, and the number of additional
personnel required, on top of the logistics of the match itself)
and the most profitable single game in DGB history.

New Rules 13
 Coaching Staff
Coaches are busy people. Before a game they are arranging To make all this possible, the bigger teams hire assistants to
Any Player
the advertising, tasting the canapés, scheduling training, help the Coach out. Their jobs and titles vary from team to
counting equipment, booking transport, arranging interviews, team, but their overall aim is to make things a little easier
approving merchandising and a thousand other details. They for the Coach. To differentiate between these individuals,
have to schmooze with the sponsors, argue with the arena the Coach (the person represented by the real world gamer)
staff and deal with the many divas among their highly-strung is usually called the Head Coach. His assistants are known
players. It seems that nothing can be done without them, and collectively as Coaching Staff. You may want to make up more
everyone feels free to demand a little of their time. interesting titles for your own teams to reflect their history,
luck and exact duties.
During a game they must see that the sponsors are happy,
watch the camera angles of the coverage, check that the Hiring Coaching Staff
Cheerleaders are rousing the fans correctly, monitor the Teams start with a Head Coach but no additional Coaching
injured players, prep substitutes – not to mention follow the Staff. In a league, a Head Coach may add Coaching Staff to his
match and issue instructions to the players. team when he is considering other purchases such as extra
players, more Coaching Dice, etc. Each Coaching Staff model
After a game there are the debriefing interviews, the bruised costs 8mc, and each team can have up to 3 in total: 1 each
bodies and egos, the parties, fans, and ceremonies to deal of Offensive, Defensive and Support. Each member of the
with and attend - all without offending any of the sponsors or Coaching Staff only needs to be paid for once.
upsetting the players. It’s a tricky balancing act.
You must clearly state which type of Coaching Staff you are
hiring when they are bought into the team. They may not
change type later.

A Head Coach is not represented by a model. Coaching Staff,

on the other hand, should be shown on the board with a
separate model for each one. That said, you can choose any
model you like to represent them. Coaching Staff work for
any team that will hire them, so there is no need to pick
models that match the race(s) of your players. The DGB want
a team’s players to represent a clear archetype as this makes
it easier to promote their image and sell a spectacle and a
story to the DreadBall fans. Who’s standing on the sidelines is
less of a concern.

Mantic make a number of Coaching Staff models and you can

use whichever you like for your team. Alternatively, you could
use this opportunity to show off your own modelling skills.
Perhaps you’ve decided that an angry Orx would make a great
Offensive Coach for your Forge Father team and convert a
model for him out of a Marauder Guard,
or a Warpath hero. Maybe a Judwan fits your idea
of the perfect Defensive Coach so you try your hand at
converting one of their Strikers. Your imagination is
the only limit.

14 DreadBall Season Four

Setting Up Coaching Staff
At the start of a match, as part of setting up your players There are 3 Plays to choose from, and any type of Coaching
on the pitch, you should place all of your Coaching Staff in Staff can try to call any type of Play. The Plays are:
your Subs’ Bench. * Offensive
* Defensive
Game On! * Support
If your team has 1 or more Coaching Staff to help out the
Head Coach, then you get an additional phase at the start of Note that these match the different types of Coaching Staff.
each of your Rushes.
Each Play is a normal 3 dice 5+ test (1). These tests are all
After you have moved the marker to show the new Rush, rolled against a fixed value of 5+ for everyone.
but before you do anything else, one of your Coaching Staff
may choose to call a single Play to try to influence the Rush. The only modifier for any of these tests is +1 dice if the
Looking at the Playing a Rush sequence on page 32 of the Coaching Staff calling the Play has the same speciality as the
main book, this would come between steps 1 and 2. Play itself, i.e. a Defensive Coach calling a Defensive Play,
Offensive Coach calling an offensive Play, or Support Coach
Nominate one of your coaching staff and then choose a Play calling a Supporting Play.
to call. You may only call one Play per Rush regardless of the
number of Coaching Staff available. The results of each Play are described overleaf.

New Rules 15
 Offence Defence Support
The Coaching Staff bellows into their During a match, players often get Whilst the match is being played out on
headsets. “Get stuck in there! Control caught up in the excitement of the the pitch, another struggle is going on
that ball! Make some space – the gap – moment and forget their defensive for the atmosphere of the arena. Whose
go for the gap!” training. The Coaching Staff cuts fans cheer the loudest? Whose chants
through the frenzy of the moment stir the blood? Which team will be
Is anyone listening? with key words and phrases that spurred on to the greater efforts? This
trigger well-rehearsed drills. Guard is the arena of battle for the Supporting
Offensive Play fails: no effect your Strikers. Check your flanks. Coaches, and a troupe of Cheerleaders
Warn your mates. is their weapon of choice.
Offensive Play succeeds: for this Rush
a single player may have 3 Team Action Defensive Play fails: no effect Supporting Play fails: no effect
Tokens played on them instead of the
normal maximum of 2. Defensive Play succeeds: in your Supporting Play succeeds: you may
opponent’s next Rush you get 1 Defence place 1 additional model into play from
Note in all cases that while the number Dice. A Defence Dice is a Coaching Dice the remaining Cheerleaders on your
of Team Action Tokens playable on a that may only be used in the opponent’s Subs’ Bench, or move one model already
single player may be changed, any rules next Rush, and may only be used to in play to a new position. This model
covering the sequence in which actions boost Slambacks and Dodges. If the may be placed on the scoring track
must be done remains unchanged. dice is not used then it is discarded in any position that does not contain
at the end of the opposing player’s either a Cheerleader or the marker for
next Rush. the current score.

Defensive Play doubles: in your Supporting Play doubles: as above,

opponent’s next Rush you get 2 Defence but you may place and/or move up to 2
Dice. See above. Cheerleader models.

It’s best to pick a distinctive

colour for Defence Dice to make
them easy to track.

In many ways a Play can be

thought of as an action for
the Coaching Staff. Note,
however, that calling a Play
does not cost a Team Action
Token, nor can extra Plays
be bought by any means.
The single Play in each
Rush allowed to every team
that has Coaching Staff is a
function of having hired that
staff and is free. You only get
one Play per Rush whether
you have 1 staff or 3.

16 DreadBall Season Four

NEW FREE AGENTS
The Underdog rules remain as stated on page 54 of the Dice roll Free Agent
main rulebook with the addition of the following table. 1 Hobgoblin Jack
When a Coach rolls for a Free Agent they may choose to
2 Sphyr Jack
roll on either the table in the main rulebook, or one of
3 Brokkr Jack
those from the Season books. They must decide which
4 Sorak Jack
table to use before the dice are rolled.
5 Hobgoblin Striker
6 Sphyr Guard

CLARIFICATIONS
I maintain and update a live version of this FAQ on my website
www.quirkworthy.com

If you have any questions on the game rules, or if you see

a post on a forum somewhere that does, then please direct
them to that site so that I can deal with all the issues all
in a single document. That way questions get answered
consistently and everyone gets the benefit. Many thanks.

The rules for Assistant Coaches and Cheerleaders were first

released almost two years ago in the Season 2 Rulebook.
After some heavy use, a few questions have popped up, and so
I’ve clarified them for you here.

Q: Do Cheerleaders and Coaching Staff add to team ranking?

A: Yes.

Q: A Coach can remove a player from their team’s roster

if they choose to. Can a Coach remove Cheerleaders and
Coaching Staff as well?
A: Yes.

Q: How long do Defensive Coach dice last in Ultimate games?

The rules say they last till the end of opponent’s next Rush.
Who is the opponent for this?
A: In Ultimate the opponent is everyone else. This means
that a dice from a Defensive Coach is available until that team
begins their next Rush.

New Rules 17
 NEW ABILITIES

Any Player

360 Vision Alert

Any Player (Any Player)

The player has no rear arc. Everywhere counts as being The player is able to read the game far better than most, and
Any
to theirPlayer
front. This replaces the diagram on page 11 of the is rarely surprised.
main rules. In effect it does not matter which direction the
model faces, though it usually looks better to turn the model When any opposing player moves into an adjacent hex, the
as appropriate. Alert player may immediately choose to turn to face them if
they want to. Note that this turn happens before any Slam
The model has 6 Threat Hexes instead of 3. See the diagram. is resolved or the opposing player moves any further. Note
also that this turn does not stop any further action by the
EXAMPLE opposition; it merely allows the player to realign themselves.
360 VISION
Whilst this turning will not necessarily help a player resist
a Slam, it will place a Threat Hex on the opposition, which
may modify their chances to move further or require them to
make an Evade roll.

Backstab
(Guard or Jack)

The player is adept at causing maximum damage to

vulnerable areas. When the player makes a Slam against
an opponent that does not project a Threat Hex onto
the Slamming player, then add +1 dice in addition to
other modifiers.

18 DreadBall Season Four

 Charge! Fan Favourite
(Gaelian/Jack) (Any Player)

A player with this ability may make a full Run action as A player with this ability is loved by the crowd, and even the
part of a Slam. opposing team’s supporters will cheer him on. The first time
in each Rush that the Fan Favourite doubles any normal test,
In addition, if the player makes a Slam and would normally make a Fan Check. This is in addition to any other Fan Checks
have the +1 modifier for moving adjacent during this action, that may be required.
they instead get a +2 modifier.

Fragile
Driller (Any Player)
(Robot / Guard or Jack)
The player counts as rolling 1 less success on each Armour
A player with this ability attacks with his drill as part of check. Work out the check as normal and then reduce the final
a normal Slam. total of successes by 1, to a minimum of zero.

When a player with this ability doubles a Slam, their opponent

makes the resulting Armour Check with a -1 modifier to
their dice roll.

Any Player

New Rules 19
 Illegal Mighty
(Any Player) (Any Player)

The player is completely unscrupulous and will do anything to A player with this ability rolls an additional dice for Armour
win. In this case, they have smuggled a weapon or three onto Checks, Slams and Slambacks against non-GIANT opponents.
the pitch and are not afraid to use them!

If the player takes a Slam action then they may elect to either Pile-Driver
resolve it as normal or with a weapon. If they resolve it with a (Any Player)
weapon then they add 1 dice to their Slam, but the action is a
foul (resolve any Ref check immediately after Sucker Punches). When a player with this ability beats an opponent with a
In all other respects the Slam is resolved as normal. This means Slam then they may choose to use the following Pile-Driver
that a really underhand player could make a Sucker Punch with result instead.
a weapon bonus. If the opponent calls the fouls for such an
action then roll both Ref checks separately. Pile-Driver wins: the losing player is smashed to the ground
in the hex they are in. The winning player is turned to
In addition, the player may Shoot at an opposing player with face the target.
their concealed pistol. This is a foul (resolve any Ref check
immediately after Sucker Punches). This Shoot action is In addition, if the player with Pile-Driver doubles his opponent
resolved exactly the same way as a Throw action using the then their armour check is at an additional -1 modifier.
normal rules for Throwing the ball at an opposing player. The
attacking player adds +2 dice to his test.
Pummel
(Rin Nomad/Guard)
Klutz
(Any Player) If a player with this ability fails to knock down an opponent with
a Slam action and ends that action with the target player still in
The player is rather accident-prone. Once per game, the a Threat Hex, then they may have another go with their second
opposing Coach may force the Klutz to re-roll all of his dice for pair of fists.
a single normal test. The same modifiers apply to the re-roll,
and the final result applies whether it is better or worse than Immediately make a free Slam action against the same target
the original roll. as before. You will earn the +1 for moving adjacent during this
action if you did the first time.

20 DreadBall Season Four

Quick Recovery Stench
(Any Player) (Hobgoblin/Any Player)

If a player is damaged and fails an Armour check then they are The player counts as projecting a Threat Hex into every
removed from the pitch. A player with Quick Recovery follows adjacent hex, not just those to their front. In addition, the
all the normal rules for damage and Armour checks with the player’s Threat Hexes always modify a test (up to the maximum
exception of where they are placed once a final damage value for that test) if the modifier is listed at all.
of 2 or 3 has been calculated. In both these cases the damage is
treated as if it were only 1. The effects are therefore:
Stretch
* 0 damage: the player remains on the pitch as normal. (Any Player)
* 1-3 damage: place the player in the 1 area of the Sin Bin.
* 4+ damage: the player is dead as normal. Remove them The player gets +1 dice on any attempts to Dash.
from the game.

Tail
SLIPPERY CUSTOMER (Any Race with a Tail/Any Player)
(Any Player)
The player with this ability can use their tail to fend off
The player with this ability is either physically hard to grab hold attacks from behind.
of, or simply too agile to easily pin down.
Tail only affects an opponent who is standing in the player’s
If the player Dodges as his response to a Slam, and neither rear arc. A Slam or Steal attempt against the player with Tail is
player doubles the other, then the following applies. The at an additional -1 modifier.
Slippery Customer may move 1 hex in any direction and does
not need to Evade to do so. They may choose to face any
direction. The slamming player does not move. Resolve this
movement after the normal result of the Slam. New Rules 21
 You cannot Brush Aside the Referee.
Toxic
(Guard or Jack) Brush Aside is a 3 dice Strength test (123). Roll separately
each time you need to Brush Aside.
When a player with this ability doubles a Slam, their
opponent makes the resulting Armour check as normal. If any This is modified by:
damage is not saved by the Armour then Toxic adds +1 to the
final total suffered. * +1 if the player is a Guard.
* -1 if the obstructing player is a Guard.
For example, if a player loses a Slam with only 2 successes
to 5, then they have been doubled and must make an Brush Aside fails: the player’s action ends. Turn the
Armour check to reduce the potential 3 damage. If they roll obstructing model to face the player.
2 successes they would normally take just a single point of
damage. However, if the Slam was by a player with Toxic they Brush Aside succeeds: the player pushes the obstructing
would suffer +1 damage for a total of 2 as the Armour has not player into a hex of the player’s choosing directly away from
stopped it all. If they had rolled 3 successes on their Armour him, and then moves to occupy the hex himself. This move is
check then the Toxic effect would not apply and they would not optional. He may then continue his action.
suffer no damage.
Brush Aside doubles: the player pushes the obstructing
player into a hex of the player’s choosing directly away from
Trail Blazer him, and then moves to occupy the hex himself. This move
(Any Player) is not optional. The displaced player is knocked over. Do not
make an Armour check for the fallen player. The player may
This is an action, completed as part of moving a player in then continue his action.
a similar way to Evade, and is done as and when necessary
during the move. It may be done as many times as is required
in a single action. Uncontrolled
(Any Player)
If a player with this ability wants to move into a hex that
is occupied by a standing opposing non-GIANT player A player with this ability cannot help himself. If they start
they may try to brush them aside rather than Slamming an action with an opposing player on the floor in any of
them. This will allow them to carry on moving rather than their Threat Hexes then they must Stomp them. However,
ending their action. as they are so practised at this they get an additional +1 to
the test and the Ref cannot roll more than 1 dice for the Ref
You can only use Brush Aside if there is a space you can push Check against them.
that player into.

22 DreadBall Season Four

Skrunge picked himself up from the neodurium slowly, the The refbot was asking him a question, and he nodded,
bones in his hunched back protesting loudly at their abuse. knowing that his answer didn’t really matter. The game
He’d really felt that hit, even though the burly human had was continuing anyway, the brute who had smashed him to
been doing his best to avoid touching or even approaching the floor busily working his way through his comrades. The
him as it was delivered. He spat a tooth out onto the pitch score board showed that they were very close to the end of
in a wad of bloody phlegm, and drew a long, shuddering the match anyway, with the expected defeat and the crowd
breath in through tortured lungs, feeling the splintering was on its feet again, stomping and cheering in unison for
pain of at least one shattered rib as he did. the Accutek Falcons. As his gaze roamed the crowd, his eye
caught one face not craned at the screens or screaming at
Jeers and boos were reverberating around the stadium, the pitch. It was a face staring squarely at him. Deep set
and he could see the faces of the fans nearest to the pitch eyes under a heavy brow held his gaze for several seconds,
on this side, faces twisted in revulsion as they bayed for and the merest of nods was given. Skrunge understood
more of his blood to be spilled. And they called his kind the only too well. With a sigh and a last wad of bloody phlegm
barbarians, shunning them from normal society at every discharged to the floor, he set off after the brute again.
turn within the Galactic so-called Co-Prosperity Sphere. Only the best show would do. Only the most bloody and
They shunned his kind as outcasts and pariahs, decrying violent match would make those extra credits. It wasn’t
them as violent savages with no social skills. Yet they what he’d envisioned all those years he’d trained in the
brought their children to watch ritualised and sanctioned underground games, but it was money. He tensed himself
violence and even the occasional death flashed up on Hy- and dived for those muscular legs once again. Time to give
Def monitors and beamed across the whole galaxy, and them the big finale…
they named it entertainment. Entertainment that still
turned its nose up at the participation of him and his kind,
physically and metaphorically. How could they bleed and
suffer for the amusement of these humans, yet still be
judged by them?

New Rules 23
 The arrival of the new teams changed the landscape of DreadBall, and the Brokkrs introduced for the first time the
DreadBall in many ways. It heralded some seismic shifts in idea that not all Forge Fathers were born the same. The
the power and influence of the professional game, seeing Hobgoblins admittedly changed very little, but they at least
the Rebellion itself taking an active part. The significance of gave the leagues a team that even the staunchest of neutrals
this move, and the Council’s allowance of it, was not lost on could take issue with, making for livelier – if not friendlier –
anyone, and to this day it is seen as one of the most audacious crowds at every game they played.
gambles that the DGB has ever made.
The new MVPs who rose from obscurity to crest this new wave
It also expanded the awareness of the general population of of DreadBall enthusiasm were as mixed a bunch as the teams
several races that had hitherto remained mysterious to them. they arrived with, and all added to the colour and spectacle of
The Sphyr had been relatively unknown and unconsidered this new era of the game. One thing was certain – DreadBall
by the majority of the GCPS before their appearance in would never quite be the same game again!

24 DreadBall Season Four

IN THE LOCKER ROOM
In The Locker Room 25
 NEMION OCEANICS
There was a time when Sphyria was an oceanic paradise; did not trust the predominantly human-led rebels, preferring
96% of the world’s surface was covered in great seas that to fight battles on their own terms. Many of these came to
positively surged with life. The exploration fleets of the realise that information and funds were what they required
GCPS found the world at the centre of a small empire to aid them in their mission to take vengeance upon Accutek
which spanned several planets, populated by a civilisation and its sister corporations, and that DreadBall presented the
of amphibious sentients who called to mind the ancient perfect opportunity for both.
predators of Old Earth’s oceans. Despite their fearsome
appearance they were civil and forward-thinking, accepting The Sphyr are a solid and well-rounded team that eschews
the offer of incorporation on their own terms. They were fancy tactics and bizarre technological tricks for simple hard
welcomed into the GCPS with open arms, but all that changed work and well-proven skills. They lack any specific strength,
when an administrative error left Sphyria as the target for but equally have little in the way of obvious weaknesses. For
large-scale weapons testing by Accutek. The seas boiled this reason they are a reliable team that is far harder to beat
away, leaving little more than an arid dust-bowl. than many opponents expect.

The implications were catastrophic. Any Sphyr who had the Remember that you can play this team as either the Nemion
chance immediately severed ties with the Corporations, Oceanics themselves or as another Sphyr team of your own.
retreating to their own worlds to decide what their next move The game values will be the same for all Sphyr teams though
would be. Many joined the Rebellion, but a growing number your team will be the deepest.

26 DreadBall Season Four

dreadball facts
Nemion Oceanics was a small corporation specialising These individuals reached out to the board with an
in underwater research and mineral extraction in the offer – they would forgive the corporation and even
Sphyrian Cluster, and was almost bankrupted by the continue to assist it, if they could count on the support
Accutek Betrayal, losing its primary source of revenue of Nemion when they needed it.
generation overnight. The board, based on an orbiting
station around Sphyr itself, was desperate to assure Thus agreed, it was only a matter of time before
the Sphyr themselves that they had taken no part in the Sphyr became interested in DreadBall, and the
the catastrophe, and that they would do absolutely obvious corporation to sponsor their first team was
anything to help. Though these protestations fell Nemion itself. Though many Sphyr teams have
on deaf ears at first, eventually some of the more appeared in the DGB since, the Oceanics are seen as
pragmatic minds amongst the survivors began to see THE franchise for that race, and for an alien team
the value in having the resources and influence of a have carved themselves quite the following on the
corporation – albeit a small one – under their control. professional circuit.
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Guard 6 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ x2 12mc Tail

Jack 6 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ x2 9mc Tail
Striker 6 4+ 4+ 4+ x4 12mc Tail

team statlines
Extras: an Sphyr team starts with 0 Coaching Dice and 1 DreadBall Card.

In The Locker Room 27

 ROTATEK ROCKSLIDES
Though the castes of Forge Father society are a complete they were holding a clipboard at the time. This explains the
mystery to the GCPS as a whole, it is at least understood by difference between the teams and the undisguised violence with
them that the Brokkrs are somehow different from others which they compete when drawn against each other.
of their kind. Actually the most often encountered of their
race by others, Brokkrs tend towards a more emotional and Once out on the neodurium, the Rockslides demonstrate the
tempestuous approach to life than is the norm for the Star grim determination that has rightly made them famous. This
Realm. This makes them excellent prospectors and pioneers for goes for every aspect of the game, whether it’s breaking heads
their people. It also makes them natural DreadBall players. or actually trying to put some points on the board. They simply
don’t know when to stop.
Every bit as tough and unyielding as their brethren, Brokkrs are
nonetheless very different, playing with a passion and ferocity Remember that you can play this team as either the Rotatek
that sets them apart from other Forge Fathers. Teams like the Rockslides themselves or as another Brokkr team of your own.
Midgard Delvers are drawn from higher caste Forge Fathers and The game values will be the same for all Brokkr teams though
despite the name have seldom seen the inside of a mine, unless your team will be the most determined.
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Guard 4 3+ 5+ 4+ 4+ x4 12mc Steady

Jack 4 3+ 5+ 4+ 4+ x2 9mc Steady
Striker 4 3+ 5+ 4+ 5+ x2 9mc Grizzled, Steady

team statlines
Extras: a Brokkr team starts with 1 Coaching Dice and 1 DreadBall Card.

28 DreadBall Season Four

DreadBall Facts
The reality of Forge Father society is much more
complex than the concept of castes might lead you to Forge Father society is a complex patchwork of
believe. The various strata of their society do not sit clan and caste, and few outsiders have any real
one atop the other, lording over those lower down. understanding of the intricacies of its workings.
Instead the arrangement is far more symbiotic, with So when Brokkr teams began to appear on the
various different tasks being done, but all being DreadBall circuit, nobody realised it would cause
necessary for the whole structure to survive. The such upset among the existing Forge Father players.
Brokkrs know this as well as any, and so while they The Midgard Delvers led a complete walk out by all
may use the idea of a downtrodden race of workers existing Forge Father teams; in at least one case
as part of their team press releases, they feel, in abandoning a game mid-match. They would not,
many ways, to be the ones in charge. Without their their spokesperson said, be seen playing in the same
hard graft the entire empire of the Forge Fathers venues as those disgusting gramaltkin. To imagine
cannot survive. they would do so was a dire insult no true Forge
Father could stand. Surely that was obvious.
Rotatek is a conglomerate of Brokkrs set up
specifically to exploit the possibilities of commercial Urgent talks between the DGB and the Forge Father
DreadBall, its members having made considerable team’s representatives got nowhere, and it looked
money and success on the Xtreme circuit in like the unknown Brokkrs would entirely replace the
preparation. When the call came from DGB, Rotatek household names DreadBall fans had come to know
were best placed to act, and theirs was thus the first and love. The fans were not happy. They too began
Brokkr team to play the commercial sport. to boycott games, and the whole downward spiral
looked like turning into a catastrophe.
Being Brokkrs, their passions run high and it is said
that some of their board meetings are even more As with many things relating to the Forge Fathers,
violent than the games that their sponsored team money seems to be the answer.
plays in. Certainly it is true that every one of the
board have played either DreadBall or Xtreme at some Although the Forge Father teams are not yet back
point, and often some of them will take the ‘hands on’ on the pitches, it looks as though the DGB are finally
approach to the game itself, physically booting the making some headway in their talks. Regardless
coach out of the way or even strapping on their armour how deep the insult, cash is apparently able to heal
and taking to the pitch. Rotatek games always sell out a Forge Father’s wounded pride. The debate now
quick, because the fans are as interested to see what simply centres on the amount…
the management will do as they are the players.

In The Locker Room 29

 THE UNINCORPORATED
The Rebellion playing in the DGB was, on the face of it, one of nothings out of heroes. Some even whisper that the inclusion
the most risky and controversial decisions that the governing of the Rebs in the DGB wasn’t just sanctioned by the council,
body had ever taken. Though the popularity of DreadBall was but suggested by them in the first place.
undisputed, many initially saw this as a power play by the
DGB that the Council would not take kindly to. Of course, as With such a mix of alien talent, the team is hard to
far as the Council was concerned, this was all to the good. characterise. Depending on the exact mix of races and roles
on the pitch at the time, the team can be fast, strong or highly
Allowing the Rebels to play in sanctioned leagues gave several skilled. This flexibility offers the skilled Coach a toolkit of
distinct advantages. It literally took Rebel fighters off the options that can be adapted to play against any style. Or,
front lines, draining the movement of talented young soldiers to put it another way, it offers the inexperienced Coach a
who would often be quickly seduced by the lifestyle they confusing multitude of options to drown in. Even some famed
could lead. It also meant that the message of the rebellion Coaches have struggled to deal with the number of options
could be tightly controlled, choreographed, and diluted to in a Rebel team. However, for the highly-skilled few that can
the Council’s best advantage. And it meant that the Rebs master the many options there is nothing like it.
themselves could be seen. They could be witnessed in hi-def
glory, brawling and bleeding on the ‘durium the same as Remember that you can play this team as either The
anyone else. Not legendary heroes and freedom fighters, but Unincorporated themselves or as another Rebel team of your
common people who lived and died just like anyone else. Just own. The game values will be the same for all Rebel teams
as DreadBall can make heroes out of monsters, it can make though your team will be the most radical.

30 DreadBall Season Four

dreadball facts
The Unincorporated were originally to be known as the Radstock Rebels, after the infamous Rebel Commander
Radstock who had won one of the first major Reb victories over the Corporations. That name was turned down,
as were a great many others, as the Rebs learned that perhaps the DGB weren’t as on-side as they had initially
assumed. Eventually, the rather uninspired ‘The Unincorporated’ was suggested at the thirty seventh naming
meeting by their representative, who was at that point all out of ideas and literally pulling words out of the air.
The name was accepted and before he’d even registered what had happened, the rep found himself walking to
tell his team that they had a name.

Since then, the Unincorporated have done their best to make the name mean something. As the first Reb team
in the DGB they feel a great sense of responsibility for the cause, and they tread a fine line, doing what the DGB
wants whilst building their popularity to allow them the latitude that sometimes helps them to further their own
cause. Thus far, the Council seem happy enough to let them continue, though whether that is because they are
unbothered by or ignorant of their successes is difficult to tell.

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Rin Guard 5 4+ 4+ 5+ 4+ x2 12mc Pummel
Gaelian Jack 7 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ x2 13mc Charge!
Sorak Jack 5 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ x2 10mc Safe Pair of Hands (Feet)
Ralarat Striker 6 5+ 4+ 3+ 5+ x2 15mc Jump, Slippery Customer

team statlines
Extras: a Rebs team starts with 0 Coaching Dice and 0 DreadBall Cards.

In The Locker Room 31

 RALLION ROSES
Hobgoblins are not popular creatures. Even amongst the other out that a stench that could level armies and a sinister delight
races that hail from Gora, they are viewed with disdain, and it is in pain and the inherent team spirit that comes from being
a rare band of Marauders that will count one of these creatures a race of pariahs made for an effective set of players. Their
amongst its ranks. Several factors contribute to this, chief reputation grew to such an extent that in some areas, the Xtreme
amongst them being the incredibly poor personal hygiene of game started to look as if it might vie for popularity with the
the average Hobgoblin. Their general odour has been compared sanctioned game itself. Thus, when the DGB put out the call for
by several who have experienced it in the wild to chemical new teams and the Rallion Roses turned up, they were welcomed
warfare. As yet, nobody has been on record as having been – if not with open arms – at least with a friendly grimace and as
unlucky enough to get a blast of a Hobgoblin’s breath without much air freshener as was available. They have enjoyed some
filtering, but the general stench that follows them and the state success, though more with the fans than in terms of actual
of their often blackened teeth leaves little room for doubt as to victories, and this has encouraged other teams of Hobgoblins to
its pungency. They are also reckless, and endlessly fascinated come forwards. Part of their appeal, apart from their inventive
by explosives and pyrotechnics – two character traits that do not levels of cruelty on the pitch, is in their Guards. Hobgoblins are
make for especially reliable or useful companions. Hobgoblins one of the few races that seem to have a true affinity with Hulks.
therefore tend to band together in groups, and those groups tend These gigantic creatures, whose origins are still somewhat hazy,
to be anarchic and often short-lived. are almost as large as actual giants, and the prospect of seeing
several of them on the pitch at once is often all that is needed to
When Hobgoblins first approached the DGB to play DreadBall, sell out a game.
having formed a loose federation and spent months in training
and preparation, they were laughed out of the building. Remember that you can play this team as either the Rallion
Discouraged, the Hobgoblin DreadBall Federation fell into Roses themselves or as another Hobgoblin team of your own.
disarray, though many of its individual members took their The game values will be the same for all Hobgoblin teams
solace playing games on the underground Xtreme circuit. Some though your team will always play the sweetest game.
of these individuals became very good indeed, as it turned

32 DreadBall Season Four

DreadBall Facts
Whereas most corporate sponsors found that image ‘Roses’ was an inspired piece of marketing spin,
was a huge obstacle that prevented them from even designed to promote their latest range of hygiene and
considering sponsorship of a Hobgoblin team, Rallion cleansing products and services. ‘So clean it got the
took the initiative, seeing how they might utilise the Hobgoblins into the DGB’ became a classic catchphrase
general perception of the race for their own marketing that sent their profit soaring and busted the domestic
ends. As a corporation specialising in providing cleansing market wide open. In a few short seasons,
sanitation and waste disposal to the prison service as they went from a medium sized and fairly anonymous
well as the poorer frontier settlements, Rallion had corporation to one of the major players, a success story
no concerns about association with a race renowned that continues to this day. Other corporations have
in the main for being untrustworthy and unhygienic, since taken the plunge, but none have yet enjoyed the
and instead used this to their advantage. The name success of Rallion.

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Hulk Guard 5 3+ 5+ 5+ 4+ x1 20mc Mighty, Steady, Trail Blazer

Hobgoblin Jack 5 4+ 4+ 5+ 4+ x4 9mc Stench
Hobgoblin Striker 5 4+ 4+ 5+ 5+ x2 11mc Stench

team statlines
Extras: a Hobgoblin team starts with 2 Coaching Dice and 1 DreadBall Card.

In The Locker Room 33

 THE RED PLANETS
The Martian Empire has been successfully conquering various That was the theory at least. The problem is that DreadBall is
races throughout the universe for thousands of years, and has a highly addictive sport, and the Martian players soon found
refined its tactics progressively over that time to deal with any themselves with a taste for the sport which quietly overrode
eventuality. When following up a lead on the inter-dimensional their earlier plans. Now they just play DreadBall, their only
mercenary known as Blaine, a force of them stumbled through concern their next match, their only plan to win the league and
a tear in the fabric of space time and ended up in an alternate become champions.
universe. Upon arrival, they were horrified to discover that
humanity, that age-old foe, seemed to have spread to the far Martians are fairly natural DreadBall players, coming from a
corners of the galaxy like some kind of plague. The commander culture where war and bloodshed are second nature. Though
of the force despaired, for his small force could not possibly hope wiry and gangly in appearance, they are surprisingly strong
to take on the might of the human military in this reality alone. and resilient. Their success on the pitch is also helped by
Then one day, whilst monitoring human transmissions, he and their tendency to carry a range of weapons on the pitch, with
his team discovered DreadBall. absolutely no qualms about using them. The Red Planets have
one of the absolute worst disciplinary records in the history of
Here was a perfect opportunity. This great human empire into the DGB – quite the achievement for such a relatively new team
which they had stumbled seemed to be run on corporate greed, – but they really don’t care. Their logic is that if they kill or maim
money and the pursuit of fame. DreadBall represented not so enough players, officials and fans, there will be nobody to oppose
much an institution as a kind of religion. If they could integrate their glorious ascension to the top of the DB Leagues. From the
themselves into this cult, they could work their way to the top fans’ point of view, their propensity for violence makes them an
from the inside, infiltrating the very highest echelons and being irresistible draw, and the Red Planets are well on their way to
free to injure, maim and kill their opponents (who would surely being one of the most popular franchises ever seen in the sport.
be the finest warriors produced by any of their races) at the
same time. Done correctly, they could use this tactic to take over
the whole galaxy with just a handful of warriors!

34 DreadBall Season Four

DreadBall Facts
The glass domes of the Martian teams make them Of course, the domes aren’t made out of old-fashioned
instantly recognisable. In many ways they are their glass that will break easily, but even so the opponents
most distinctive feature. Unfortunately, they are also know that this is a weakness and focus their attacks
something of a weakness because they are functional on breaking them. Many a promising young Martian
as well as stylish, and if they break then the precious player has been cut down by a lucky blow or a bad fall
atmosphere the Martians need to survive leaks out and that smashed his dome.
they start to choke.

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Guard 6 4+ 4+ 5+ 4+ St
x2 10mc Fragile
Jack 6 4+ 4+ 5+ 4+ x4 9mc Fragile, Illegal
Striker 6 4+ 4+ 5+ 5+ x2 10mc Fragile, A Safe Pair Of Hands

team statlines
Extras: a Martian team starts with 3 Coaching Dice and 1 DreadBall Card.

In The Locker Room 35

 GALDO
Plays for anyone

The story of Galdo’s fall and redemption is an inspiration Galdo’s artificial senses give him a number of advantages
to many and a cause of disbelief to many more. None can to make up for his battered body and his determination is
deny the obvious injuries he has suffered, nor his new- second to none. Even Forge Fathers have commented on
found skill on the pitch. But how are the two linked? his stubbornness!

Galdo is not all that bright. Having left his home to join the
Rebels (for real, not DreadBall), he made one foolish decision
after another. This saw him hounded from one scum-
sucking, rat-infested dive to another across a dozen worlds.
Eventually his luck ran out completely and he was caught by
the underbosses he owed several lifetimes worth of pay to.
Gambling was always a problem for Galdo.

He endured days of torment at the hands of the debt

collectors sent by the boss. They had been told to wring out of
him what money they could, and then extract the remainder
of his debt in blood. They were very thorough.

When they left him dying on the bloodied floor of an

abandoned warehouse, he was barely recognisable. His eyes
had been torn out, his voice box taken and his wings clipped.
He could no longer soar with his brother Kraaw, nor return
their triumphant calls. He couldn’t even see to hunt. He was
dead, he just hadn’t quite stopped bleeding yet.

When Galdo awoke he was more than a little surprised. There

was no way he could mistake the small, bare room he found
himself in for any sort of afterlife, and he could see. How did
that happen? In fact, forget the details - how was he alive?

And this is where the narrative ends. Galdo’s representative to

the media will explain no more. All that is known beyond this
is that someone decided to give the battered Kraaw a second
chance, and that chance would be in the arena. He now has
implants to see with and can make a few sounds, though he
still cannot speak or fly. Quite why anyone would save him is
the subject of at least three different DNN specials, though
none came to a credible conclusion. His determination to do
well is clear though. Presumably his mysterious benefactor
offered him a new goal as well as a new life.
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36 DreadBall Season Four

THE EXCAVATOR
Plays for anyone

Are mining robots really allowed? Apparently so. At DreadBall regulations on robots, and one of them is a firm
least, they are until the DGB get their lawyers to close restriction on military grade weapons. Still, the Brokkr
the loophole that allows The Excavator to play as an MVP. have managed to persuade the DGB that the drill is simply a
They’ll be right on it just as soon as his fan approval rating normal tool, and though that notion raises a few eyebrows it’s
drops below 53%. It’s currently 91%... what their opponents now have to face on the pitch.

Mining equipment is part of daily life for the Brokkrs, and Nobody should be surprised that The Excavator is a Guard
so it was hardly a big leap for them to try them out in the and that he is extremely difficult to damage. One look at the
arena. Everyone has seen whole teams of robots, and neither amount of armour he carries will tell you that. Of course,
Big Mech nor Barricade seem to causes any problems, so he is as strong as a normal Forge Father Guard – to be any
why not a Forge Father robot? Refusing it would be obvious less would be an embarrassment. However, it’s the drill that
discrimination, right? makes him stand out as an attacker. Opposing players that
manage to dodge the claw often end up stepping into the path
The DGB clearly agreed with the Brokkr, and The Excavator of the drill, or the other way about. Unfortunately if the claw
has been a feature of many games near Forge Father space. grabs them then the drill will be into them all too quickly.
Probably the only reason that this sort of machine isn’t Avoiding the drill is a real challenge. Most players simply
a more common feature of Brokkr teams is that they are choose to stay as far away from The Excavator as possible;
more useful and lucrative in the mines for which they were at least as far as they can within the limited confines of the
originally designed. pitch. It’s often said that games against The Excavator are
where the opposition’s Guards really earn their pay (and
Before a mining robot can take to the neodurium the Brokkr strain their medical insurance).
have to demount its rotary mining lasers. There are a few
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Guard 4 3+ 5+ 6+ 4+ 9mc Steady, Driller, Grizzled, Can’t Feel A Thing

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In The Locker Room 37
 IRSALA SEPHALIN
Plays for anyone

She speaks softly and smiles sweetly; she is one of the

most dangerous opponents you will ever meet. Irsala
trades on her grace and charm so that your defences
are down. Then, when you think she can’t be all bad, she
strikes. Her bite is much worse than her bark.

Irsala belongs to one of the other races that shared the

Sphyr’s homeworld. Even fewer of the Sephalin survived the
catastrophe, and those that did were almost all part of the
far-flung Sphyrian diplomatic corps. The loss of their planet
left them isolated and scattered across the galaxy and in
order to survive they had to use whatever guile they could
muster. Irsala flourished.

Despite her graceful appearance and elegance, Irsala is a

dangerous opponent. The Sephalin are highly intelligent, top-
tier predators who use their wits to lure prey close, and then
their many poisonous tentacles to crush them. She brings
this ancestral hunting style to the DreadBall arena, and highly
successful she is too. Irsala’s particular cunning has been to
expand this lethality to the role of Jack rather than merely
focus on her obvious talents as a Guard. Not only does this
tend to increase her takings with bonuses for strikes, but as
she can carry the ball she gets many victims to come to her…

Her highest ever kill count in a single match was playing

alongside a Tsudochan team – the Proolan Gravitics. With
their alien technology pushing players into her grasp she
was able to cripple almost the entire opposing team before
the final klaxon went. The sole traumatised survivor of
the unfortunate Brelt Bunyips retired immediately after
the match and now hosts Training with Terry on DNN’s
children’s hour.
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38 DreadBall Season Four
In The Locker Room 39
 GRAK
Plays for anyone

There are a handful of individuals that every DreadBall crowd

will cheer for, regardless of which side they are on. Some
are skilled and nimble Strikers, a few are cool and versatile
Jacks, but one of the loudest cheers will be heard for an
illiterate thug from the outer worlds. He’s the Guard with the
signature smash, the pile-driving monster that the crowd love
to see. He is Grak!

Hailing from the merciless desolation of the Furon arena, Grak

has served his Tsudochan masters well over many years. His
simplistic view of violence as the tool to solve every puzzle has
led him to great heights in the DreadBall arena and will doubtless
serve him many years yet.

There is no subtlety about his style. He takes one

opponent at a time and crushes them as thoroughly
as he can, routinely Stomping on those who
survive his Slams. Sure, he is also routinely
sent off for ungentlemanly behaviour, but
the crowd love this bad boy and expect nothing
less. Any Coach that hires him will be aware of
this tendency and so back him up with other
players that are equally happy to see their
opponents ground into the neodurium.
That is, after all, why it’s so
easy to wipe down.
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40 DreadBall Season Four
In The Locker Room 41
 Schnörkel the Avenger
Plays for anyone except genetically pure human teams

Despite his name, Schnörkel is an endearing and slightly He regularly has small crowds of Elastopods cheering him
bumbling accident waiting to happen rather than a death- on from the stands when he’s playing. In fact, his manager
dealing warrior. This is a welcome change of pace for the is an Elastopod…
crowd who cheer wildly every time he blunders, a fact that
encourages Coaches to hire him even though he hasn’t Happily, the fans have taken this as an excess of enthusiasm
killed an opponent in almost a year. rather than anything more sinister and this propensity for
telling tall tales has only added his fame. Schnörkel plays
Every DreadBall team and every MVP has an official story for up to this in his interviews, steadfastly referring to his
the media that gives their arena persona some background manager as a Frileep merchant who is just passing through.
colour. This is what lies behind their costume, signature Of course, everyone knows that Frileeps don’t look anything
moves and other aspects of their style, and also what helps like Elastopods.
sell the action figures, plushies, branded lunch boxes and
other merchandising that forms a substantial part of their
pay check. Every fan secretly knows that this is a larger than
life fiction, but suspending their disbelief is all part of the fun.
Unfortunately, when Schnörkel came up with his background
he got rather carried away.

The story goes like this. Schnörkel the Avenger is the last
of the Elastopod race; a lone hero seeking justice after his
planet was destroyed in a freak accident. So far, so good. This
is the stuff that really sells video games. Unfortunately he
didn’t stop there. This disaster was supposedly caused by a
single wayward spaceship that had a core meltdown while it
flew through the system. It exploded with such force that it
destroyed his nearby home world. Schnörkel happened to be
on one of their own spaceships at the time and miraculously
survived as the last of his race…

There are a number of problems with this tale. Firstly, nobody

believes that a single nearby engine failure can destroy a
whole planet. If it could then the Corporation military would
have adopted badly made engines as a primary weapons
system decades ago. What really makes a joke of this story is
the fact that Schnörkel is very clearly not the last of his race.
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42 DreadBall Season Four
LYRA THE FIXER
Plays for anyone

The success of DreadBall means that people of all Years of fighting for her life against some of the most
backgrounds flock to the neodurium. The violence dangerous scum in the galaxy, often outnumbered,
of the sport ensures that some of them leave less have honed her reflexes and abilities to a razor’s edge,
than spotless lives behind them. Most try and and she will often run rings around the opposition,
downplay their previous lives and deeds but some, dumping them on the floor before they have even
like Lyra, use their reputation to their advantage. realised she is there. She retains the nickname ‘The
Fixer’, which well suits her current role of literally
In a previous life, Lyra was one of the most useful fixing whatever the team hiring her needs.
assets of the criminal empire operating on the
eastern fringes of the galaxy. Whatever the problem
was – disposal of a body, elimination of a rat, putting
something valuable into someone else’s hands
(possibly with the hands of the previous owner still
attached to it), Lyra was your girl. Her reputation was
well founded, her quick wits and lightning reflexes
making her one of the most effective assets in the
sector. She was also a slave, owned by gang bosses
and unable to do anything but what they bid her do.

That all changed when she was charged with the

assassination of a high ranking rival crime lord at a
minor DreadBall game. Lyra was forced to watch the
game before she could carry out the hit, and found
herself entranced not just by the game itself, but by
the way that the crowd cheered and worshipped the
players. She knew watching them that she could
have beaten them all with one hand tied behind her
back, and she also knew that she had found her new
calling. Approaching her mark after the game, she
dispatched his bodyguards, pulled his own weapon on
him and made him an offer he couldn’t refuse – back
her as a DGB player and live. He did, and Lyra entered
the game as a Jack, quickly rising from obscurity to
become one of the hottest new talents in the leagues.
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In The Locker Room 43
44 DreadBall Season Four
ASYLUM
Plays for anyone

Many a DreadBall player has snapped under the pressure

and violence inherent in the game. Few have snapped so
completely as the man now known only as Asylum. More
impressive still, this former Striker has not only returned
to the game, he has thrived.

Blake Ludovic once trod the neodurium alongside the likes

of Lucky Logan and Reek Rolat back in the early days of
their careers, but he struggled to handle the DreadBall life.
The media began to talk about drug problems and abusive
outbursts, and when he was accused of murdering his wife
his fans turned on him. After a well-publicised trial he was
detained in a secure facility and lobotomised. During his
rehabilitation a new personality began to emerge, calling
itself Asylum. Utterly cold and calm, Asylum claimed that
the part of him which had committed the murders was
now exorcised, and that being as how that other part of
him was clearly now dead in a real and legal sense, Asylum
deserved his freedom.

The most advanced tests that the prison service could deploy
all declared Asylum to be sane and healthy, if unusually
focussed, and he was released to take up his old profession
once again. No longer dashing or quick enough to reprise
his former role as a striker, Asylum took on the mantle of a
Guard, and it was here that the flip side of his new calm and
controlled personality was revealed. All that control was
put into his game, focussing extreme and volatile bouts of
violence on his opponents with cold and murderous efficiency.
There has never been the slightest hint of Asylum revisiting
the old ways of Ludovic off the pitch, where he is a polite and
calm individual with no known vices. But on the pitch, he a
storm of violence, destroying anyone who gets in his way.
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In The Locker Room 45
46 DreadBall Season Four
In The Locker Room 47
WELCOME TO THE VIOLENT
SPORTS UNDERGROUND
Journey into the underworld of DreadBall Xtreme, where convicts and psychopaths rub shoulders with aliens
and bounty hunters, and that’s just the sponsors! Desperate players clash in dark corners of the GCPS, vaulting
obstacles and dodging booby-traps as they vie for the victory in a game with very few rules and only one real
certainty – there will be blood.

DreadBall Xtreme is a tabletop board game for two players, representing the violent underground sport known as
DreadBall Xtreme. Two teams clash over a cobbled-together play area, seeking as much to wipe each other out as
to score points! Pick a Sponsor, assemble your team of desperados, and unleash them on each other to see who
will be the last one standing!