On Puget Sound
First Post
My players are trying to convince some Goliaths to ally with them, and they have been challenged to a friendly game of goatball. I thought about making this a skill challenge, but then thought it might be more fun as a "combat" encounter. Here are the rules I came up with:
Goatball is played on a field of several dozen small platforms. The teams start on opposite ends of the course, and the goat starts on a platform more or less in the center. The first part of the game is a race to grab the goat; the team that gets possession of it starts on offense, the other team starts out defending.
On Offense, your goal is first to "break through" (aka "light the goat"), then to "hit out" an opponent. To break through, your team must complete three passes of the goat, using at least four platforms as the endpoints of a pass. If you succeed at this, you are now eligible to "hit out" by throwing the goat at an opposing player in an attempt to hit them. If you succeed, you retain possession of the goat and must break through again before you can hit out another opponent.
On Defense, your goal is to intercept the goat when it is thrown and prevent the other team from breaking through. Once they have broken through, you cannot intercept the goat (it is now "burning") and can only dodge it when it is thrown at you.
On Offense or Defense, you can push another player off a platform at any time.
Changing possession: Offense and Defense change roles when the goat is intercepted or touches the ground, UNLESS it hits the ground as part of a successful hit-out.
Scoring: Your team scores when an opposing team member falls or is pushed from a platform, or is hit out. The falling or hit player is out of the game until possession changes.
Winning: For small games (four players on a side), the game ends when all the opposing players are out simultaneously. For larger games the game also ends when either team scores points equal to the total number of players on both teams.
Playing Goatball in D&D uses the following rules and rolls:
No weapons, hand-held implements or shields are allowed. Since armor, clothing and jewelry are permitted, items that improve your fort and reflex defenses will work. You may not want to wear armor, since no rolls in goatball target AC and it may impact your skill rolls.
INITIATIVE: At the start of each round, the person with possession of the goat may exchange initiatives with any other person on their team.
JUMPING: Athletics check /10 = squares cleared. Goliaths can always jump as if they had a running start; their check/5 = squares cleared. You can jump and push as a charge action.
PUSHING: Basic melee attack (STR + 1/2 Level) vs Fort for success. +2 if charging (with a successful jump). Powers that pull, push or slide can also be used; a save is allowed to fall prone instead of falling off the platform.
GRABBING: Basic melee attack (STR + 1/2 Level) vs Reflex for success. You may target the goat; success means you are both holding it; each round, make an opposed Strength check as a minor action and if you beat the other contestant by 5 or more you wrest it from his grasp. Note that if you grab a "burning" goat, you have just tagged yourself out! If you grab a player, you and that player cannot catch a thrown goat, and you both grant combat advantage to anyone except each other. You may push someone you have grabbed, throwing them off the platform - resolve as a regular push, with a +2 bonus.
ESCAPING A GRAB: Acrobatics vs. Reflex, as a move action.
LIVING SHIELD: Requires a grabbed opponent and a readied action. If another player hits you with a tag or throw, make a saving throw. Success means your grabbed opponent is hit instead.
THROWING (PASSING): Basic ranged attack (your DEX + catcher's DEX + 1/2 your level). The DC is 15, +1 per square of range. Non- goliaths get a -4 to this roll because they treat the unbalanced goat as an improvised weapon; goliaths are proficient with thrown goats.
THROWING (HITTING OUT): Basic ranged attack (DEX + 1/2 your level) vs target's Reflex, -1 per square of range. Again, non-goliaths get a -4 to the roll.
TAGGING (HITTING OUT): If eligible, you can use the goat to tag an opponent in an adjacent square instead of throwing it at them. Basic melee attack (STR + 1/2 your level) vs Reflex.
INTERCEPTING A PASS: Opportunity action, if a pass goes through your square or an adjacent square (using center to center straight line measurement). Thievery check, DC = the passer's roll.
DODGING A THROW: Requires a readied action. Acrobatics check, DC = the thrower's roll. You cannot dodge a "tag".
USE OF POWERS: All powers that normally deal damage can be used in non-damaging ways during the game, to take advantage of their secondary effects without causing harm to your hosts. Effects that happen only on a hit still require a successful hit roll, but damage need not be rolled.
MARKING: A marked opponent does suffer the -2 for attacks that do not include the marker, but takes no damage from Divine Sanction.
SPECIAL SAVING THROW RULE: Any power that grants a saving throw (or gives a bonus to one) grants that throw or bonus any time before the end of your next turn; it need not be used immediately. Normally this will be to fall prone instead of being pushed off a platform.
OTHER SKILL CHECKS: These tricks will probably only work once per match; treat them as Encounter powers.
*Feint (Bluff vs insight, standard action): success gives you combat advantage vs that opponent until end of your next turn.
*Gallant sportsmanship (Diplomacy, DC 30, standard action): only when you fall or are hit out. Success pleases the crowd; their cheering gives a +1 to all your team's rolls until end of your next turn.
*Pure grit (Endurance, DC 25): immediate interrupt. Trigger: you fail a jump or are pushed off a platform. Success: You instead catch the edge of the platform; if you are not pushed again, you can spend a move action to climb back up during your turn.
*Trash talk (Intimidate vs Will, standard action): success means the target cannot voluntarily get closer to you on his next turn, and if passing the goat cannot pass it within 1 square of you.
Goatball is played on a field of several dozen small platforms. The teams start on opposite ends of the course, and the goat starts on a platform more or less in the center. The first part of the game is a race to grab the goat; the team that gets possession of it starts on offense, the other team starts out defending.
On Offense, your goal is first to "break through" (aka "light the goat"), then to "hit out" an opponent. To break through, your team must complete three passes of the goat, using at least four platforms as the endpoints of a pass. If you succeed at this, you are now eligible to "hit out" by throwing the goat at an opposing player in an attempt to hit them. If you succeed, you retain possession of the goat and must break through again before you can hit out another opponent.
On Defense, your goal is to intercept the goat when it is thrown and prevent the other team from breaking through. Once they have broken through, you cannot intercept the goat (it is now "burning") and can only dodge it when it is thrown at you.
On Offense or Defense, you can push another player off a platform at any time.
Changing possession: Offense and Defense change roles when the goat is intercepted or touches the ground, UNLESS it hits the ground as part of a successful hit-out.
Scoring: Your team scores when an opposing team member falls or is pushed from a platform, or is hit out. The falling or hit player is out of the game until possession changes.
Winning: For small games (four players on a side), the game ends when all the opposing players are out simultaneously. For larger games the game also ends when either team scores points equal to the total number of players on both teams.
Playing Goatball in D&D uses the following rules and rolls:
No weapons, hand-held implements or shields are allowed. Since armor, clothing and jewelry are permitted, items that improve your fort and reflex defenses will work. You may not want to wear armor, since no rolls in goatball target AC and it may impact your skill rolls.
INITIATIVE: At the start of each round, the person with possession of the goat may exchange initiatives with any other person on their team.
JUMPING: Athletics check /10 = squares cleared. Goliaths can always jump as if they had a running start; their check/5 = squares cleared. You can jump and push as a charge action.
PUSHING: Basic melee attack (STR + 1/2 Level) vs Fort for success. +2 if charging (with a successful jump). Powers that pull, push or slide can also be used; a save is allowed to fall prone instead of falling off the platform.
GRABBING: Basic melee attack (STR + 1/2 Level) vs Reflex for success. You may target the goat; success means you are both holding it; each round, make an opposed Strength check as a minor action and if you beat the other contestant by 5 or more you wrest it from his grasp. Note that if you grab a "burning" goat, you have just tagged yourself out! If you grab a player, you and that player cannot catch a thrown goat, and you both grant combat advantage to anyone except each other. You may push someone you have grabbed, throwing them off the platform - resolve as a regular push, with a +2 bonus.
ESCAPING A GRAB: Acrobatics vs. Reflex, as a move action.
LIVING SHIELD: Requires a grabbed opponent and a readied action. If another player hits you with a tag or throw, make a saving throw. Success means your grabbed opponent is hit instead.
THROWING (PASSING): Basic ranged attack (your DEX + catcher's DEX + 1/2 your level). The DC is 15, +1 per square of range. Non- goliaths get a -4 to this roll because they treat the unbalanced goat as an improvised weapon; goliaths are proficient with thrown goats.
THROWING (HITTING OUT): Basic ranged attack (DEX + 1/2 your level) vs target's Reflex, -1 per square of range. Again, non-goliaths get a -4 to the roll.
TAGGING (HITTING OUT): If eligible, you can use the goat to tag an opponent in an adjacent square instead of throwing it at them. Basic melee attack (STR + 1/2 your level) vs Reflex.
INTERCEPTING A PASS: Opportunity action, if a pass goes through your square or an adjacent square (using center to center straight line measurement). Thievery check, DC = the passer's roll.
DODGING A THROW: Requires a readied action. Acrobatics check, DC = the thrower's roll. You cannot dodge a "tag".
USE OF POWERS: All powers that normally deal damage can be used in non-damaging ways during the game, to take advantage of their secondary effects without causing harm to your hosts. Effects that happen only on a hit still require a successful hit roll, but damage need not be rolled.
MARKING: A marked opponent does suffer the -2 for attacks that do not include the marker, but takes no damage from Divine Sanction.
SPECIAL SAVING THROW RULE: Any power that grants a saving throw (or gives a bonus to one) grants that throw or bonus any time before the end of your next turn; it need not be used immediately. Normally this will be to fall prone instead of being pushed off a platform.
OTHER SKILL CHECKS: These tricks will probably only work once per match; treat them as Encounter powers.
*Feint (Bluff vs insight, standard action): success gives you combat advantage vs that opponent until end of your next turn.
*Gallant sportsmanship (Diplomacy, DC 30, standard action): only when you fall or are hit out. Success pleases the crowd; their cheering gives a +1 to all your team's rolls until end of your next turn.
*Pure grit (Endurance, DC 25): immediate interrupt. Trigger: you fail a jump or are pushed off a platform. Success: You instead catch the edge of the platform; if you are not pushed again, you can spend a move action to climb back up during your turn.
*Trash talk (Intimidate vs Will, standard action): success means the target cannot voluntarily get closer to you on his next turn, and if passing the goat cannot pass it within 1 square of you.
