Post by Mynnotaur on May 20, 2018 8:02:31 GMT -5
So, I came across a pen & paper & dice game for Baseball...it is called Deadball: Baseball With Dice. There is the base game, an expansion (1909), and now a Kickstarter (called Deadball: Year II). I bought the pdf version of Deadball (available on drivethrurpg). Read the rules (and even though at first, the rules seemed pretty complex, they really are not once you figure out the basics of it). Deadball in and of itself seems pretty good, but the expansion (1909) takes the game back to the times where Homeruns were few and far between. And the newest expansion brings the game up to date with some updated rules to make the game results even better.
Really, you can play any team, made up of any players,from any year against any other team, made up of any other players, from any year. Or, you can create your own players, teams, and leagues.
To use real players, all you really need is their batting average (and with the newer rules, their on-base average) for hitting, and their ERA (for pitching).
Get that info, set up your lineup, and you are ready to go.
The way it works, the key mechanic is the hitting. If your hitter has a .279 batting average, his Batting Target (BT) is listed as 28. When he is up to bat, you roll percentage dice, trying to get 28 or less (that becomes a hit). If using the new rules, he also has a Walk Target (WT), which comes from his "on-base average". So if that average is .305, his WT is 31. So, any roll equal to or lower than 28 is a hit, any roll between 28 and 31 becomes a walk. Anything above those numbers makes the at-bat an out. Well, not quite...you have to take into account the pitcher. Depending on the pitchers ERA, he will either add or subtract a dice roll. So if the pitcher has an ERA of 2.4, he rolls a D8 and adds that to the batter roll (making it harder for the hitter to get a hit). If the pitcher has an ERA of 3.99, then he subtracts a D4 from the batters roll (making it easier for the hitter to get a hit).
If the batter manages to get a hit, he rolls a D20 to see what type of hit (single, double, homerun, ect.) which could be a straight up hit, or maybe the defensive player that the ball hits to has to rely on a DEFENSIVE roll, which could range from an error, nothing changes (the batter gets the hit) to even upping the hit to the next level (a single to a double, a triple to a homerun, ect), or even turning the hit into an out with a spectacular play. If the batter ended up with the out, then you find out how. Was it a ground ball to the first baseman? maybe to shortstop to the first baseman? Maybe it was a fly out to Center field?
Anyways...that is the basics of the game. I have learned how to score a baseball game by learning this game, which was my main goal (to help score my church's softball games). But the game really is fun. What was described above is the key mechanic of the game...the at bat. But there are bonus traits which gives the players personality. Traits like Contact Hitter, Power Hitter, or Speedster for hitters, or Strikeout Artist, or Great Stamina for pitchers. There are also negative traits...like maybe weak hitters or slow runners.
I created a team of 9 players, to face a random smattering of 9 players from the creators fictional league (The Southern Circuit it is called). My team lost by 1 run. The other team scored 2 runs in the first inning, with a 2 run Homerun. (a lead-off double, then a flyout to right field, then a strike out, followed up with a Homerun, then a strikeout to end the first inning). In the 6th inning, my team started off the inning with a homerun, followed up with a shot to the 3rd baseman to 1st. Then a single. Another hit to 3rd to 1st, but the runner on first made it to 2nd base. The inning (and rally) ended with a flyout to centerfield. In the 8th, my team had a shot with a man in scoring position (a walk, then a single), but the inning closed out with a flyout to right field. The game ended with my team losing 1 run to 2 runs.
I mentioned the creator's league, the Southern Circuit. It is a league of fictional characters, made up of 8 teams (I think that number goes up to 16 in Year II), In the 1909 expansion, the teams are still there, but played from the old-timey days.
I am very happy with the purchase, and I Have backed the new kickstarter (the digital of the expansion on the kickstarter is only 10 bucks). I know that there are some on here that enjoy baseball and enjoy playing baseball games, either video games or boardgames. So, I thought I would share this on here, since I did not see anyone ever mention it on here....
If you all have any questions, please feel free to ask. I am still in the learning process...as there are some rules I have not really used (like Pitcher Fatigue, for example). But I can probably answer most questions...
Really, you can play any team, made up of any players,from any year against any other team, made up of any other players, from any year. Or, you can create your own players, teams, and leagues.
To use real players, all you really need is their batting average (and with the newer rules, their on-base average) for hitting, and their ERA (for pitching).
Get that info, set up your lineup, and you are ready to go.
The way it works, the key mechanic is the hitting. If your hitter has a .279 batting average, his Batting Target (BT) is listed as 28. When he is up to bat, you roll percentage dice, trying to get 28 or less (that becomes a hit). If using the new rules, he also has a Walk Target (WT), which comes from his "on-base average". So if that average is .305, his WT is 31. So, any roll equal to or lower than 28 is a hit, any roll between 28 and 31 becomes a walk. Anything above those numbers makes the at-bat an out. Well, not quite...you have to take into account the pitcher. Depending on the pitchers ERA, he will either add or subtract a dice roll. So if the pitcher has an ERA of 2.4, he rolls a D8 and adds that to the batter roll (making it harder for the hitter to get a hit). If the pitcher has an ERA of 3.99, then he subtracts a D4 from the batters roll (making it easier for the hitter to get a hit).
If the batter manages to get a hit, he rolls a D20 to see what type of hit (single, double, homerun, ect.) which could be a straight up hit, or maybe the defensive player that the ball hits to has to rely on a DEFENSIVE roll, which could range from an error, nothing changes (the batter gets the hit) to even upping the hit to the next level (a single to a double, a triple to a homerun, ect), or even turning the hit into an out with a spectacular play. If the batter ended up with the out, then you find out how. Was it a ground ball to the first baseman? maybe to shortstop to the first baseman? Maybe it was a fly out to Center field?
Anyways...that is the basics of the game. I have learned how to score a baseball game by learning this game, which was my main goal (to help score my church's softball games). But the game really is fun. What was described above is the key mechanic of the game...the at bat. But there are bonus traits which gives the players personality. Traits like Contact Hitter, Power Hitter, or Speedster for hitters, or Strikeout Artist, or Great Stamina for pitchers. There are also negative traits...like maybe weak hitters or slow runners.
I created a team of 9 players, to face a random smattering of 9 players from the creators fictional league (The Southern Circuit it is called). My team lost by 1 run. The other team scored 2 runs in the first inning, with a 2 run Homerun. (a lead-off double, then a flyout to right field, then a strike out, followed up with a Homerun, then a strikeout to end the first inning). In the 6th inning, my team started off the inning with a homerun, followed up with a shot to the 3rd baseman to 1st. Then a single. Another hit to 3rd to 1st, but the runner on first made it to 2nd base. The inning (and rally) ended with a flyout to centerfield. In the 8th, my team had a shot with a man in scoring position (a walk, then a single), but the inning closed out with a flyout to right field. The game ended with my team losing 1 run to 2 runs.
I mentioned the creator's league, the Southern Circuit. It is a league of fictional characters, made up of 8 teams (I think that number goes up to 16 in Year II), In the 1909 expansion, the teams are still there, but played from the old-timey days.
I am very happy with the purchase, and I Have backed the new kickstarter (the digital of the expansion on the kickstarter is only 10 bucks). I know that there are some on here that enjoy baseball and enjoy playing baseball games, either video games or boardgames. So, I thought I would share this on here, since I did not see anyone ever mention it on here....
If you all have any questions, please feel free to ask. I am still in the learning process...as there are some rules I have not really used (like Pitcher Fatigue, for example). But I can probably answer most questions...
