Skills & Traits
General Skills
Every Blood Bowl player has access to a category-coloured pool of Skills and Traits that shape how they play. Use the filter above to drill into one category, or browse the full list with descriptions and rulings.
Block
General
When a both down result is applied during a Block action, this player may choose to
ignore it and not be knocked Down, as described on page 57.
Dauntless
General
When this player performs a Block action (on its own or as part of a Blitzaction),
if the nominated target has a higher strength characteristic than this player before counting
offensive or defensive assists but after applying any other modifiers, roll a D6 and add this
player's strength characteristic to the result. If the total is higher than the target's
strength characteristic, this player increases their strength characteristic to be equal to
that of the target of the Block action, before counting offensive or defensive assists, for
the duration of this Block action. If this player has another Skill that allows them to
perform more than one Block action, such as Frenzy, they must make a Dauntless roll before
each separate Block action is performed.
Q: When a player with the Dauntless skill declares a Block action, can they choose to not
perform the Block action if they do not roll the desired result for the Dauntless skill?
A: No, they must still perform the Block action.
Dirty Player (+1)
General
When this player commits a Foul action, either the Armour roll or the injury roll
made against the victim may be modified by the amount shown in brackets. This modifier may be
applied after the roll has been made.
Fend
General
If this player is pushed back as the result of any block dice result being applied
against them, they may choose to prevent the player that pushed them back from following-up.
However, the player that pushed them back may continue to move as part of a Blitz action if
they have Movement Allowance remaining or by Rushing. The skill cannot be used when this
player is chain-pushed, against a player with Ball and Chain trait or against a player with
the Juggernaut skill that performed the Block action as part of a Blitz.
Frenzy*
General
Every time this player performs a Block action (on its own or as part of a Blitz
action), they must follow-up if the target is pushed back and if they are able. If the target
is still Standing after being pushed back, and if this player was able to follow-up, this
player must then perform a second block action against the same target, again following-up if
the target is pushed back. If this player performing a Blitz action, performing a second Block
action will also cost them one square of their Movement Allowance. If this player has no
Movement Allowance left to perform a second Block action, they must Rush to do so. If they
cannot Rush, they cannot perform a second Block action. Note that if an opposition player in
possession of the ball is pushed back into your End Zone and is still standing, a touchdown
will be scored, ending the drive. In this case, the second Block action is not performed. A
player with this skill cannot also have Grab skill.
Q: If a player with the Frenzy skill performs a Block action against a Rooted player and rolls a
Push Back, does the player with Frenzy still get to perform a second Block even though the
Rooted player cannot be pushed back?
A: Yes.
Q: If a player has both the Frenzy skill and the Stab trait, if they declare a Block action
which results in a Pushed Back result when they follow up and have to perform a second Block
action, can they then use the Stab trait to replace the second Block action with the Stab
Special action?
A: Yes.
Kick
General
If this player is nominated to be the kicking player during a kick-off, you may
choose to halve the result of the D6 to determine the number of squares that the ball
deviates, rounding any fractions down.
Pro
General
During their activation, this player may attempt to re-roll one dice. This dice may
have been rolled either as a single dice roll, as part of a multiple dice roll or as part of a
dice pool, but cannot be a dice that was rolled as part of an Armour, Injury or Casualty roll.
Roll a D6:
- On a roll of 3+, the dice can be re-rolled.
- On a roll of 1 or 2, the dice cannot be re-rolled.
Once this player has attempted to use this Skill, they may not use a re-roll from any other source to re-roll this one dice.
- On a roll of 3+, the dice can be re-rolled.
- On a roll of 1 or 2, the dice cannot be re-rolled.
Once this player has attempted to use this Skill, they may not use a re-roll from any other source to re-roll this one dice.
Q: Can a player with the Pro skill use the re-roll outside of their activation – for example, to
Catch or Intercept the ball?
A: No. The Pro skill can only be used during that player's activation.
Q: If a player has both the Pro and Brawler skills, can they re-roll a single Both Down result
for the Brawler skill, and then use the Pro skill to attempt to re-roll another dice from the
same dice pool?
A: Yes, so long as the same dice is not re-rolled more than once.
Q: A player with both the Pro skill and Brawler skill performs Block, rolls two Block Dice and
rolls Both Down on both dice, can the controlling coach choose to use Brawler on one of the
dice, and then subsequently attempt to use Pro on the other dice that has not yet been
rerolled?
A: Yes, so long as the same dice is not re-rolled more than once.
Q: Can the Pro skill be used to re-roll the dice when a player attempts to stand up?
A: No.
Q: Brawler states that a player can use this skill when making a Block action on its own (but
not as part of a Blitz action). Can a player with this skill use it when it has an assist from
a friendly player?
A: Yes. The 'on its own' part simply means it can only be used as a regular Block action, and
not part of another action that includes a Block (such as a Blitz action).
Q: Can a player with the Guard skill still provide offensive and defensive assists when they
have lost their Tackle Zone?
A: No.
Q: If a player with the Mighty Blow ( +X) skill makes a Block action, and chooses the Both Down
result and is Knocked Down themselves, can they still apply the effects of Mighty Blow (+X)?
A: No, as when the Armour roll is made for the opposition player, the player with Mighty Blow
(+X) is Prone and so cannot use the skill.
Q: If a player that is performing a Block action against a player with the Mighty Blow (+1)
skill rolls the Player Down! result, can the defending player use the Mighty Blow (+1) skill?
A: No, as the player with the Mighty Blow (+1) skill has not performed the Block action.
Q: Can a player use a re-roll of any kind (Team Re-roll, Pro, etc.) to re-roll to see if a bomb
that was caught will explode?
A: No.
Q: If a player making a Throw Bomb Special action fumbles the Bomb, does this cause a Turnover?
A: No.
Shadowing
General
This player can use this Skill when an opposition player they are Marking
voluntarily moves out of a square within this player's Tackle Zone. Roll a D6, adding the MA
of this player to the roll and then subtracting the MA of the opposition player. If the result
is 6 or higher, or if the roll is a natural 6, this player may immediately move into the
square vacated by the opposition player (this player does not need to Dodge to make this
move). If, however, the result is 5 or lower, or if the roll is a natural 1, this skill has no
further effect. A player may use this skill any number of times per turn, during either team's
turn, If an opposition player is being Marked by more than one player with this Skill, only
one player may use it.
Q: If a player attempts to Dodge away from a player with the Shadowing skill, which roll happens
first: the Dodge roll or the roll for Shadowing?
A: The Dodge roll will happen first, and once the Dodge has been resolved the opposing player
may roll for Shadowing if they wish.
Strip Ball
General
When this player targets an opposition player that is in possession of the ball
with a Block action (on its own or as part of a Blitz action), choosing to apply a Push Back
result will cause that player to drop the ball in the square they are pushed back into. The
ball will bounce from the square the player is pushed back into, as if they had been Knocked
Down.
Q: If a player with the Safe Pair of Hands skill is targeted by a Block action performed by a
player with the Strip Ball skill, and they suffer a Push Back result, can they still use Safe
Pair of Hands?
A: No.
Q: If a player with the Strip Ball skill rolls a Push Back result against a player who is
holding the ball, and that player is pushed into the End Zone, do they score a touchdown as
described on page 64?
A: No.
Sure Hands
General
This player may re-roll any failed attempt to pick up the ball. In addition, the
Strip Ball skill cannot be used against a player with this Skill.
Tackle
General
When an active opposition player attempts to Dodge from a square in which they were
being Marked by one or more players on your team with this Skill, that player cannot use the
Dodge skill. Additionally, when an opposition player is targeted by a Block action performed
by a player with this Skill, that player cannot use the Dodge skill if a Stumble result is
applied against them.
Wrestle
General
This player may use this Skill when a Both Down result is applied, either when they
perform a Block action or when they are the target of a Block action. Instead of applying the
Both Down result as normal, and regardless of any other Skills either player may possess, both
players are placed Prone.
Q: What happens if a player with the Bloodlust (X+) trait fails the Bloodlust roll and is then
placed Prone as a result of the Wrestle skill during a Block action?
A: Then the player with the Bloodlust (X+) has been unable to bite a Thrall, a Turnover is
caused and the Vampire will lose their Tackle Zone until they are next activated.