Passing is a play of three parts:
This means there's plenty of ways for passing to go wrong...
Passing is an agility test. Passing is also easier at close range and harder at long range. Note that a hand-off is different to passing in that it cannot be intercepted and only a catch roll is made (the pass is always assumed to be successful).
Ignoring interceptions for the moment, which are based on the other team's players (and is an agility skill check again, at -2)...
The Pass:
As mentioned, passing is based on agility using the table below.
So, for an unskilled AG3 player (the average) you get a 50% chance of successfully passing at middling range in fair conditions.
This is, of course, modified by range:
Thus a quick pass has a 67% of succeeding, while a long bomb is only at 17%, given your average player.
It's worth noting that regardless of a player's AG or other modifiers, if the dice result is ever 1 they always fumble the pass; thus there are no automatic passes. Similarly, if the dice result is ever modified to 1 or less then a fumble occurs.
Each opponent's tackle zone has a -1 effect to the pass roll.
The Catch:
A catch roll is made anytime a ball lands in the square of a player. If it was actually passed to them successfully (rather than landing on them by chance) they get a bonus (+1) to attempt to catch.
Again, catching uses the same agility chart as passing, so for the average AG3 player they're on a 50% chance of success at catching, or 67% chance for an accurate pass.
Just like passing, the receiver receives -1 to the roll for every opponent tackle zone they're in.
Range does not affect a player's ability to catch.
Interception:
Interceptions are rolled before the pass. Seems weird, but it makes for a better play experience. Only one interception attempt can be made per pass and it's an agility check at -2, with an additional -1 for every opponent tackle zone affecting the interceptor.
Thus, for your average AG3 player, they have a 17% chance of making an interception, which is the lowest interception chance; even an otherwise impossible interception can be done on a roll of 6 (i.e. 17%).
Combining the Pass and Catch, on Average:
So, for a moment, let's assume the thrower and receiver are both average, unskilled players (AG3), and let's assume they're unmarked and have nobody who could make an interception, and that we're dealing with a short (+0) pass.
50% chance of pass and, assuming success on the pass, 67% chance of catching. That totals to a 33% chance of succeeding the chain. Not great odds.
In fact, over range, this is what that says:
That tells you that the average player, under best conditions, doesn't get 50:50 odds on making even a quick pass!
So how do you up the odds?
Passing Skills:
Pass
Pass allows a re-roll on a failed pass. Note that this doesn't affect interceptions at all, but does affect fumbles. How does this help the average player with this skill, assuming the average receiver?
Accurate
Adds 1 to the pass roll, making it easier. Again, for average players on both ends of the pass, but with the thrower having Accurate:
Just about, Pass is a more useful first skill for a thrower as it is more effective at ranges you'd seriously consider throwing at.
Strong Arm
Works like Accurate, except only at ranges longer than quick. Hence, +1 to a pass roll for short, long and bomb passes. Again, the average situation:
Hail Mary Pass
This is a bit of a crazy-ass skill for people who like wild results. Before making a pass, roll a D6 and a 1 is a fumble. Otherwise, the pass can be made to any square on the pitch. However, it is never accurate and always misses (bounces around) though this may still result in it bouncing back into the target square if you're really lucky (where it can be caught). It also can't be intercepted, which is novel.
Nerves of Steel
Simple: the thrower ignores opponent tackle zones for the purposes of throwing. Doesn't prevent an interception but is good for last minute dumps.
Dump-Off
Speaking of which, dump-off is a way of making an emergency quick pass when the thrower has a block thrown at them. They only get to do this once per turn but it works like any other (quick) pass.
Safe Throw
This reduces the chances of being intercepted. If the pass is intercepted, the thrower makes a straight agility test (4+ for AG3) and if that succeeds then the interception actually fails.
Stunty
Not actually a passing skill but a detriment to passing: -1 to pass rolls.
Catching Skills:
Catch
Very much like Pass, Catch allows the receiver to re-roll a failed catch, bumping chances to catch up to 89% for an accurate throw. This can have the benefit of improving catches to the following table, assuming the average thrower:
Incidentally, that means that it's more important to have a thrower with Pass than it is to have a receiver with Catch for a good pass...
However, Catch also allows the receiver to re-roll both failed hand-offs and interceptions.
Diving Catch
Doesn't affect the odds of catching, just increases the area the receiver can attempt to catch to the squares around them. Note: two players using this on the same catch cancel each other out, so neither can use the skill.
Nerves of Steel
Affects receivers just like throwers; they ignore opponent tackle zones for the purposes of making a catch.
Putting it all together:
So, let's take a Human team with a Thrower (AG3, Pass) and a Catcher (AG3, Catch) on a throw with no chance of interception when neither is being marked.
Far from perfect, but not terrible odds either.
Good first skill for the thrower? Accurate:
Of course, those damnable Elves with AG4 effectively "start" with Accurate. In other words, Accurate is AG+1 just for throwing.
Questions?
[edit]Lots of mistaken team re-roll tables removed as you can't re-roll a re-roll. Thanks Huung.[/edit]
[edit]Added Strong Arm as a passing skill.[/edit]
[edit]Added note to Interception about 6 always intercepting.[/edit]
- Check for interceptions
- Attempt to pass
- Attempt to catch
This means there's plenty of ways for passing to go wrong...
Passing is an agility test. Passing is also easier at close range and harder at long range. Note that a hand-off is different to passing in that it cannot be intercepted and only a catch roll is made (the pass is always assumed to be successful).
Ignoring interceptions for the moment, which are based on the other team's players (and is an agility skill check again, at -2)...
The Pass:
As mentioned, passing is based on agility using the table below.
Code:
AG 1 2 3 4 5 6
D6 6+ 5+ 4+ 3+ 2+ 1+So, for an unskilled AG3 player (the average) you get a 50% chance of successfully passing at middling range in fair conditions.
This is, of course, modified by range:
Code:
Range Quick Short Long Bomb
Mod. +1 0 -1 -2Thus a quick pass has a 67% of succeeding, while a long bomb is only at 17%, given your average player.
It's worth noting that regardless of a player's AG or other modifiers, if the dice result is ever 1 they always fumble the pass; thus there are no automatic passes. Similarly, if the dice result is ever modified to 1 or less then a fumble occurs.
Each opponent's tackle zone has a -1 effect to the pass roll.
The Catch:
A catch roll is made anytime a ball lands in the square of a player. If it was actually passed to them successfully (rather than landing on them by chance) they get a bonus (+1) to attempt to catch.
Again, catching uses the same agility chart as passing, so for the average AG3 player they're on a 50% chance of success at catching, or 67% chance for an accurate pass.
Just like passing, the receiver receives -1 to the roll for every opponent tackle zone they're in.
Range does not affect a player's ability to catch.
Interception:
Interceptions are rolled before the pass. Seems weird, but it makes for a better play experience. Only one interception attempt can be made per pass and it's an agility check at -2, with an additional -1 for every opponent tackle zone affecting the interceptor.
Thus, for your average AG3 player, they have a 17% chance of making an interception, which is the lowest interception chance; even an otherwise impossible interception can be done on a roll of 6 (i.e. 17%).
Combining the Pass and Catch, on Average:
So, for a moment, let's assume the thrower and receiver are both average, unskilled players (AG3), and let's assume they're unmarked and have nobody who could make an interception, and that we're dealing with a short (+0) pass.
50% chance of pass and, assuming success on the pass, 67% chance of catching. That totals to a 33% chance of succeeding the chain. Not great odds.
In fact, over range, this is what that says:
Code:
Range Quick Short Long Bomb
Chance 44% 33% 22% 11%That tells you that the average player, under best conditions, doesn't get 50:50 odds on making even a quick pass!
So how do you up the odds?
Passing Skills:
Pass
Pass allows a re-roll on a failed pass. Note that this doesn't affect interceptions at all, but does affect fumbles. How does this help the average player with this skill, assuming the average receiver?
Code:
Range Quick Short Long Bomb
Chance 59% 50% 37% 20%Accurate
Adds 1 to the pass roll, making it easier. Again, for average players on both ends of the pass, but with the thrower having Accurate:
Code:
Range Quick Short Long Bomb
Chance 56% 44% 33% 22%Just about, Pass is a more useful first skill for a thrower as it is more effective at ranges you'd seriously consider throwing at.
Strong Arm
Works like Accurate, except only at ranges longer than quick. Hence, +1 to a pass roll for short, long and bomb passes. Again, the average situation:
Code:
Range Quick Short Long Bomb
Chance 44% 44% 33% 22%Hail Mary Pass
This is a bit of a crazy-ass skill for people who like wild results. Before making a pass, roll a D6 and a 1 is a fumble. Otherwise, the pass can be made to any square on the pitch. However, it is never accurate and always misses (bounces around) though this may still result in it bouncing back into the target square if you're really lucky (where it can be caught). It also can't be intercepted, which is novel.
Nerves of Steel
Simple: the thrower ignores opponent tackle zones for the purposes of throwing. Doesn't prevent an interception but is good for last minute dumps.
Dump-Off
Speaking of which, dump-off is a way of making an emergency quick pass when the thrower has a block thrown at them. They only get to do this once per turn but it works like any other (quick) pass.
Safe Throw
This reduces the chances of being intercepted. If the pass is intercepted, the thrower makes a straight agility test (4+ for AG3) and if that succeeds then the interception actually fails.
Stunty
Not actually a passing skill but a detriment to passing: -1 to pass rolls.
Catching Skills:
Catch
Very much like Pass, Catch allows the receiver to re-roll a failed catch, bumping chances to catch up to 89% for an accurate throw. This can have the benefit of improving catches to the following table, assuming the average thrower:
Code:
Range Quick Short Long Bomb
Chance 59% 44% 30% 15%Incidentally, that means that it's more important to have a thrower with Pass than it is to have a receiver with Catch for a good pass...
However, Catch also allows the receiver to re-roll both failed hand-offs and interceptions.
Diving Catch
Doesn't affect the odds of catching, just increases the area the receiver can attempt to catch to the squares around them. Note: two players using this on the same catch cancel each other out, so neither can use the skill.
Nerves of Steel
Affects receivers just like throwers; they ignore opponent tackle zones for the purposes of making a catch.
Putting it all together:
So, let's take a Human team with a Thrower (AG3, Pass) and a Catcher (AG3, Catch) on a throw with no chance of interception when neither is being marked.
Code:
Range Quick Short Long Bomb
Chance 79% 67% 49% 27%Far from perfect, but not terrible odds either.
Good first skill for the thrower? Accurate:
Code:
Range Quick Short Long Bomb
Chance 86% 79% 67% 49%Of course, those damnable Elves with AG4 effectively "start" with Accurate. In other words, Accurate is AG+1 just for throwing.
Questions?
[edit]Lots of mistaken team re-roll tables removed as you can't re-roll a re-roll. Thanks Huung.[/edit]
[edit]Added Strong Arm as a passing skill.[/edit]
[edit]Added note to Interception about 6 always intercepting.[/edit]
