Skills & Traits
Mutations 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.
Big Hand
Mutations
This player may ignore any modifier(s) for being marked or for Pouring Rain weather
conditions when they attempt to pick up the ball.
Claws
Mutations
When you make an armour roll against an opposition player that was Knocked Down as
the result of a Block action performed by this player, a roll of 8+ before applying any
modifiers will break their armour, regardless of their actual Armour Value.
Q: Can a player with both the Claws and Mighty Blow (+X) skills use them together to allow them
to break an opposition player's armour on less than 8+ provided by the Claws skill?
A: No.
Q: If a player has both the Mighty Blow (+X) skill and the Claws trait, they cannot use the
Mighty Blow (+X) skill to modify the Armour roll due to Claws, but can they still use it to
modify the Injury roll?
A: Yes.
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: If a player with Animal Savagery knocks down a friendly model, are they forced to use Claws,
Piledriver, Mighty Blow (X+) (or any other Skills that would affect Armour or Injury rolls),
or can they choose not to?
A: The only Skills the opposing coach may choose for the player with Animal Savagery to use are
Claws and Mighty Blow (+X). In this case, treat the Knock Down as being the result of a Block
action.
Disturbing Presence*
Mutations
When an opposition player performs either a Pass action, a Throw Team-mate action
or a Throw Bomb Special action, or attempts to either interfere with a pass or to catch the
ball, they must apply a -1 modifier to the test for each player on your team with this Skill
that is within three squares of them, even if the player with this Skill is prone, Stunned or
has lost their Tackle Zone.
Extra Arms
Mutations
This player may apply +1 modifier when they attempt to pick up or catch the ball,
or when they attempt to interfere with a pass.
Foul Appearance*
Mutations
When an opposition player declares a Block action targeting this player (on its own
or as part of a Blitz action), or any Special actions that targets this player, their coach
must firs roll a D6, even if this player has lost their Tackle Zone. On a roll of 1, the
player cannot perform the declared action and the action is wasted. This
Skill may still be used if the player is Prone, Stunned, or
has lost their Tackle Zone.
Q: If a player with the Foul Appearance skill is chosen as the target of a Blitz action, when do
they roll to see if the action is wasted?
A: As soon as the Blitz action is declared. This will mean that, if they fail, they will lose
their entire action and will be unable to make either the Move action or Block action as part
of the Blitz action.
Q: If a player with a Trait that requires them to roll a dice to see if they can activate
normally (such as Bone Head or Unchanneled Fury) and wishes to declare a player with either
the Foul Appearance or Dump-off skills as the target of an action, do they roll for their
Trait or for the opposing player's Skill first?
A: The player will first nominate the target of their action, then roll for their Trait, and
then the opposing player will use their Skill.
Q: If a player with the Foul Appearance skill is chosen as the target of a Foul action, does the
player that declared them as the target of a Foul action have to make the roll for Foul
Appearance?
A: No, as Foul Appearance only triggers when the player is chosen as the target of either a
Block action or a Special action.
Q: What happens when a player with the Bloodlust (X+) trait targets a player with the Foul
Appearance skill and fails both the Bloodlust roll and the Foul Appearance roll?
A: The player must first take the Bloodlust roll; if this is failed, they may choose to change
their declared action to a Move Action, in which case they will not need to roll for Foul
Appearance. If they do not, then they will need to roll for Foul Appearance as normal; if this
is failed, then their action is wasted and their Activation will end. This will result in a
Turnover if they are unable to bite an adjacent Thrall Teammate.
Horns
Mutations
When the player performs a Block action as part of a Blitz action (but not on its
own), you may apply a +1 modifier to this player's Strength characteristic. This modifier is
applied before counting assists, before applying any other Strength modifiers and before using
any other Skills or Traits.
Iron Hard Skin
Mutations
Opposing players cannot modify any Armour rolls made against this player. In
addition, the Claws skill cannot be used when making an Armour roll against this player.
Q: When fouling a player with Iron Hard Skin, do you get
modifiers to the roll for Foul Assists? (p.5)
A: No. The Armour roll cannot be modified and this includes
any modifiers given by Foul Assists.
Monstrous Mouth
Mutations
This player may re-roll any failed attempt to catch the ball. In addition, the
Strip Ball skill cannot be used against this player.
Q: Can the Catch skill be used when attempting to catch a Bomb?
A: No, a Bomb is not a ball.
Q: What happens if a player already has the Catch skill or the Monstrous Mouth skill and
randomly rolls the other Skill?
A: If a player has the Monstrous Mouth skill and subsequently rolls the Catch skill, then they
should re-roll. If a player has the Catch skill and subsequently rolls the Monstrous Mouth
skill, then they may not re-roll, as the Monstrous Mouth skill provides an additional benefit.
Prehensile Tail
Mutations
When an active opposition player attempts to Dodge, Jump or Leap in order to vacate
a square in which they are being Marked by this player, there is an additional -1 modifier
applied to the active player's Agility test. If the opposition player is being Marked by more
than one player with this Mutation, only one player may use it.
Tentacles
Mutations
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 ST
of this player to the roll and then subtracting the ST of the opposition player. If the result
is 6 or higher, or if the roll is a natural 6, the opposition player is held firmly in place
and their movement comes to an end. 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 or 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 uses the Ball & Chain Move special action and moves out of the Tackle Zone of
a player with the Tentacles skill, does the player with Tentacles get to use the Skill?
A: No
Q: When a player dodges while being Marked by a player
with Tentacles, do they move into the new square, resolve
any effects (such as picking up a ball) and then resolve the
Tentacles roll? (p.78)
A: The Tentacles skill is resolved first. As the player tries
to move, if the Tentacles roll is a result of 6 or higher, or a
natural 6, then the player hasn’t moved into the square and
so cannot try to pick up the ball.
Two Heads
Mutations
This player may apply a +1 modifier to the Agility test when they attempt to Dodge.
Very Long Legs
Mutations
This player may reduce any negative modifier applied to the Agility test when they
attempt to Jump over a Prone or Stunned player (or to Leap over an empty square or a square
occupied by a Standing player, if this player has the Leap Skill) by 1, to a minimum 0f -1.
Additionally, this player may apply a +2 modifier to any attempts to interfere with a pass
they make. Finally this player ignores the Cloud Burster skill.