How could we live without a ... Flamethrower!

[Dr. Von Richten]

Being of a destructive mind lately and considering the fact that there's never enough mayhem on the field, I have come to the inevitable conclusion: this game needs a flamethrower!

As this is a secret weapon, every team could theoretically have one, but since it's also a highly suicidal weapon, lets start with just the Goblins, who are always eager to sacrifice themselves for the amusement of the crowd.

0-1 Goblin Flamer 70.000 6 3 2 7, Flamethrower, Secret Weapon, Stunty, A/GSP

Flamethrower (Extraordinary)
Some of the more insane Players are not satisfied with the destructive potential of Chainsaws, Bombs and Ball & Chain wielding Fanatics. These brave souls have decided to light up the Blood Bowl field with the latest in destructive weaponry, the Flamethrower. a player armed with a Flamethrower must attack with it instead of making a Block or Blitz action, but he can make an attack on an empty square. When the Flamethrower is used to make an attack, roll a D6, with a -1 modifier if the Weather is Pouring Rain, and a -2 if the Weather is Blizzard. On a result of 1, the Flamethrower refuses to light, on a 2-6, a fiery stream of death pours out of the muzzle. However, the ever-changing winds within a Blood Bowl Stadium make it difficult or aim the blast properly. Roll a D6:

1: The blast blows right back in the flamer's face and he is hit!
2-3: The blast blows one square to the left of the intended target (use the push-back diagrams to determine where the blast ends up). Any player that happens to be in that square (from either team) is hit.
4-5: The blast blows one square to the right of the intended target (use the push-back diagrams to determine where the blast ends up). Any player that happens to be in that square (from either team) is hit.
6: The blast hits the intended target.

Whichever player is hit by the blast (if any), is automatically knocked over and an Armour roll must be made, adding 1 to the score, except if the player hit is a Troll (regular, Chaos or Warpstone), Treeman, Mummy or Tomb Guardian*, in which case 3 is added to the score instead. If the roll beats the victim's Armour Value, then an Injury Roll must be made, again adding 1 or 3 to the roll depending on race. Finally, if the player hit is wielding a Flamethrower (this includes the Flamer himself), or if a player carrying a Flamethrower is knocked over for any reason, then the gas tank on his back will explode, and an extra +2 will be added to both the armour and the injury roll (if applicable). Should the player survive the blast, he loses the Flamethrower Skill until a touchdown is scored or the drive ends.

This skill may be used only once per turn (e.g. it cannot be used with Frenzy or Multiple Block) and if used as Part of a Blitz action, the player cannot continue moving after using it. Casualties caused by a flamethrower player do not count for star player points.

*This includes starplayers which belong to these races.

So? Overpowered? Underpowered? Just right? Too silly? Not silly enough? Needz moar Dakka?

[Chris]

Bit complex.

How about rather than the waving flame it comes out a random distance, as maintaining high presure machinery is hard for the average blood bowler.

Flame thrower.
A player with a flame thrower may use it instead of a block.
To use it pick an adjacent square to the player and roll a dice.
On a 1 the flamethrower explodes. Remove the player from the pitch (as they run screaming to the dugout) and make an injury roll for them.
On a 2-4 the flame jets out and engulfs the target square.
On a 5 the flame shoots out two squares, engulfing the first player in its path.
On a 6 the flame shoots out three squares, engulfing the first player in its path.
Anyone hit by a flamethrower must roll for injury, ignoring a stunned result (the player remains standing, covered in small fires and looking particularily angry).

Additional rules
If a flame thrower is knocked over, roll a d6. On a 1 it explodes as above.
If a troll or treeman is hit add 1 to the injury roll.

[DoubleSkulls]

As a concept for the rules its probably a bit too complex, but I like it as a house rule.

It would be relatively simple to say casualties caused by the flamethrower cannot be regenerated and I think largely gets the effect you were after, plus a big bonus to the AV roll against Trees (why 'saws don't have this I don't know).

[inkpwn]

How about this, make it a star player.
Lugard Dragoncannon (for the 'evil races').
A devious goblin with a terrible grin Lugard is known around the world for his horrible antics. Once but a young rookie Lugard was intensely curious when it came to machinery. Be it stadium lighting or even a deathroller, Lugard was often found with more than his own weight in spare parts stuffed into his pockets. While the crowd appreciated his antics his orcy teammates didn't and he was swiftly fired after his first season. Little did they know what was in store for them, Lugard returned one day with a weapon unseen on the pitch before, a large brass dragon head had been hollowed out and attached to it was a mangled deathroller engine and a pair of bellows. With one squeeze he roasted all of his former team mates, coach and all.
Lugard has gone on to fame and glory, loved by the crowd but hated by players but when a coach gets desperate you may just find him and his brass master piece barreling down on you.

6,2,3,7 no hands, secret weapon, flamthrower, right stuff, sneaky git, stunty, dodge, loner 200k

Munchy Soupshouter ('good races')=
5,2,3,6 secret weapon, stunty, right stuff, no hands, loner, shadowing, flamethrower. 180k

One of the top chefs for McMurtys Munchy is allways thinking of delicious new ideas. But growing board of life in the kitchen he decided to try his hand at the sport so many McMurtys resturants cater for. He strapped a urn to his back and created a pump out of an old garbage disposal system and high pressure hose. He's desperate to play and he's got more than enough free samples of scaldingly hot McMurtys extra spicy troll blood and zombie crouton soup for everyone.


Flamethrower:
A player with the flamethrower skill may as a blitz action use the wizards fire ball spell on a square including or ajacent to itself.
Before rolling on the players under the fireball template roll a D6 and consult the chart below:
1.The players equipment malfunctions and the player using the flamethrower skill is blown sky high, remove the player from the pitch and the fireball doesn't work.
2-5. The flamethrower works as intended.
6. The flamethrower explodes taking the player using it out of the game but place the middle of the template over the square where he was and proced as if the flamethrower had been succesfull.
Against treemen the fire ball template is concidered to have claw. Regeneratiom saves are negated on players that would have them, apothecarys and igors are allowed.

[Darkson]

No to Goblin Flamethrowers - gobbos have trouble mastering a camp fire, let alone anything else.

Yes to Dwarf/CD flame throwers though:
(note: these are the MBBL2 rules, so for LRB4)

Firethrower - Cost 40k - Penalty Roll 7+
Very few Chaos Dwarves are crazy enough to strap on the Firethrower tank. The brew of oil and other flammable liquids is extremely unstable and the lives of Firethrowers is normally measured in minutes after they take the pitch with one. Normally Firethrowers are two man teams, but the Chaos Dwarves have invented a one shot version that can be strapped to the back of a player. Once per a drive, the Firethrower may use the weapon to throw a Fireball. Throwing a Fireball is treated just like a pass action with the football (including modifiers for Foul Appearance, Range modifiers, and Tackle Zones) except for the following exceptions:
1) it doesn't use the pass action
2) cannot be Pass Blocked, Intercepted, or Caught
3) the player with the Firethrower cannot have moved during the turn he fires the weapon
4) no skills can be used with the "pass" roll other than Pro or a Team or Leader reroll.
If an inaccurate result scatters it into the crowd it is not thrown back in. If an inaccurate or accurate thrown fireball lands on the pitch, it will explode just like a Wizard's Fireball spell centered on the square it lands in. If the MODIFIED pass roll is a Fumble, the unstable mix of chemicals in the tank explode! Treat this as if a Wizard's Fireball spell has been cast with the Firethrower's square as the target square. However, the Firethrower automatically makes a CASUALTY roll from the damage caused to him. If the Armour of the Firethower is ever broken from an Armour roll, the Tank explodes with the exact same results as a Fumbled Pass.

[GalakStarscraper]

I've always love the rules for the MBBL2 CD Firethrower.

Its based on 2nd edition BB which says such a weapon player exists but then never gives his stats.

Found my old post on this forum on the subject:

Chaos Dwarf Firethrower secret weapon

Say what? Have I missed something? Is this a rule to be added to the playtest vault? Or a house rule that's been around for ages?

Okay ... short story.

2nd edition Star Player book says that Chaos Dwarf teams can have Firethrowers. This led me to investigate. Found out it was a cut and paste error from WFB. I located the White Dwarf with the rules for the Chaos Dwarf Firethrower. The rules are pretty easy to convert to BB so I convert them. They are a secret weapon option in the MBBL2 for the Chaos Dwarf team for Chaos Dwarf players only (site doesn't currently say so, but it will very soon (just like Daggers will be for Hobgoblins only)).

Galak

Tom

[Dr. Von Richten]

It's somehow reassuring that I'm not the first to think of this!

Anyway, here's a simpler version:

Flamethrower (Extraordinary)
Some of the more insane Players are not satisfied with the destructive potential of Chainsaws, Bombs and Ball & Chain wielding Fanatics. These brave souls have decided to light up the Blood Bowl field with the latest in destructive weaponry, the Flamethrower. A player armed with a Flamethrower must attack with it instead of making a Block action (he cannot move before using the Flamethrower), and cannot make Blitz actions at all. The player can attack any orthogonally adjacent square, but cannot attack diagonally. However, there does not need to be a player in the targeted square. When the Flamethrower is used to make an attack, roll a D6. On a roll of 1, the wind blows the flame back in the wielder's face and he is hit, while on a roll of 2 or more, the Flamethrower works normally. However, even if the wielder manages to avoid a blowback, it is difficult to aim the flame in the proper direction. To represent this, roll a D6 and use the Throw-In Template, placed over the player in the direction of the targeted square, to work out which square is hit. Any player, from either team, that happens to be in this square is hit, even if they are already knocked down or stunned! Make an Armour roll for the player hit by the Flamethrower, adding 1 to the score, If the roll beats the victim's Armour Value, then the player is knocked over and an Injury Roll must be made, again adding 1 to the roll. If the Flamer is ever knocked down, or if he hits himself with a blowback, add 3 to the armour and injury (if pertinent) rolls! This skill may be used only once per turn (e.g. it cannot be used with Frenzy or Multiple Block). Casualties caused by a flamethrower player do not count for star player points.

I like the one which shoots fireballs as well, but I think it's too lethal even for Blood Bowl!