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If you decide to attend one of the underground games of DreadBall, known to fans as Xtreme, then there are a few basic rules that you should bear in mind. Dont take anything valuable with you. Dont place a bet unless you are absolutely certain that you can afford to lose, dont go at all if you have any sort of nervous disposition or aversion to blood or gore and most important of all, do not under any circumstances eat the hot dogs. They arent hot, and if they were made from dogs then that would be a step up.

Off the Beaten Track a guide to the darker sides of entertainment in the GCPS

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CONTENTSIntroduction 4

hiring players 6Who Are These People? ...................................... 8

THE Sponsors 12Building Your Own Sponsor ............................... 16

Example Sponsor: Ardia Shilek ........................ 17

xtreme leagues 18

In the locker room 19

Ada-Lorana ....................................................... 20

Asterians & Kalyshi ........................................... 21

Convicts ............................................................. 22

Crystallans ........................................................ 22

Forge Fathers & Brokkrs .................................. 23

Hobgoblins ........................................................ 24

Humans ............................................................. 25

Judwan .............................................................. 26

Koris .................................................................. 27

Kovossian Mutants ............................................ 28

Marauders ......................................................... 31

Martians ............................................................ 31

Mechanites ........................................................ 32

Nameless .......................................................... 36

Rebels ............................................................... 37

Robots ............................................................... 38

Sphyr ................................................................. 39

Teratons ............................................................ 39

Tsudochan ......................................................... 40

Veer-myn ........................................................... 42

Zees ................................................................... 42

Zzor .................................................................. 43

Other Players .................................................... 43

The Old, Familiar Faces ..................................... 45

appendix - additional rules & reference 49

New Rules Fans in DBX .................................. 50

New Rules Cheerleaders in DBX .................... 51

New Rules Giants ........................................... 52

New Actions ...................................................... 56

Abilities ............................................................. 58

going underground 69

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CREDITSGAME DESIGN Jake Thornton

BACKGROUND Greg D Smith, James M Hewitt

SPECIAL THANKS Ben Moorhouse, Jeff Shortland, Lee Montgomery, Pete Fullergreen, Rob Taylor

COVER ART Shen Fei

INTERNAL ART Heath Foley, Luigi Terzi, Shen Fei, Roberto Cirillo

SCULPTING Ben Skinner, Bob Naismith, Dave Kidd, Derek Miller, Grgory Clavilier, James Van Schaik, Luigi Terzi, MKUltra Studio, Remy Tremblay, Russ Charles, Steve Saunders, Sylvain Quirion, Tim Prow

PAINTING Chris Webb, Dave Neild, Paul Shorten

ADDITIONAL SCENERY Antenocitis Workshop

PHOTOGRAPHY Ben Sandum

GRAPHIC DESIGN Chris Webb, Kev Brett, Pete Borlace, Sean Turtle

With special thanks to the thousands of gamers who backed us on the Kickstarter. Its you guys who made this all possible.

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An Offer You Cant RefuseSo youve played a few games of DreadBall Xtreme with Blaine and the Warden, have you? Youve dodged a few traps, and scored a few strikes. You think youre ready for the big time in the cutthroat world of illegal sports? We shall see.

This book is a guide to the dark and dangerous corners of the DreadBall Xtreme world, and the many choices you will face as you explore it. In the following pages are four new Sponsors, plus rules to design your own. Also, the rules that lay behind Blaine and the Wardens choices and player costs in the core DBX book are explained here in full. Now you can see why Blaine has to pay so much for Runners when the Warden gets them so cheap. Then there are myriad new players to choose from, ranging in size and potency from the diminutive Zee to the roaring GIANTS. Added together, the number of possible combinations of Sponsor and players in a single team run well into the millions.

All of these players can be used in normal DBX games as well as the multi-part pitch games from the DreadBall Xtreme Xpansion.

Weve also included some blank rosters for your teams. If you fill these in while youre recruiting your team then youve got a single handy reference for all their stats during the game itself. You might also want to keep old rosters in case a friend drops by and fancies a quick game ready-made teams help speed set-up. Or, if you fancy really testing your skill as a Sponsor, then you can take the rosters designed by your friends and choose one at random. Using a random roster can be a fun challenge as you never know what youll get and youll have to think on your feet. You never know what youll find out about your playing style and skill. You may even discover a new favourite player!

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It has often been said that the combined level of planning, organisation and training that goes into a DreadBall game rivals or surpasses that of a military operation. Certainly, the players are trained as well as any combat soldier, and the logistics that go into maintaining a league team, and the facilities from which they play, are comparable to that of managing a minor invasion force. DreadBall Xtreme, by comparison, may be compared to a guerrilla insurgency. Small, desperate bands of fighters thrown into combat in hidden arenas, surrounded by booby traps and attempting to fly under the radar as they perform for their shadowy masters, ignorant of their true agenda and never knowing whether they will come back alive. If a DGB sanctioned coach is a five star general, then an Xtreme sponsor is a feudal warlord. Not as noble or decorated perhaps, but no less deadly at what they do.

Xtreme revels in its reputation for violence, blood and a purer version of the sport than its bigger, flashier cousin. It relies for its appeal on a somewhat romantic vision of gladiatorial combat between true warriors, free of the taint of corporate interference and the drug regimes, physical enhancements and general artificiality that are seen as dominating the league game. A more honest sport, with competition based on true strength and prowess, rather than budget and corporate appeal. Though there are elements of truth to this, it is far from being the complete picture.

Rather than being run by corporations, Xtreme is driven by a different sort of sponsor. These are shadowy individuals who operate on the very fringes of society, acquiring money and influence through whatever means they can. From criminal kingpins to prison officers, mad scientists to alien mercenaries and bounty hunters the variety amongst the sponsors is matched only by that amongst the teams themselves. The only things which link these men, women and aliens are a lust for wealth and power, and a total lack of concern for those who they use to achieve this. Whereas in League games, team franchises are built up over years on the reputation and successes of various players, in Xtreme the reputation of a team relies solely on that of its sponsor. Xtreme players generally do not have long or dazzling careers, and they mostly consider themselves lucky if they survive a game. Sponsors have no interest in investing in a team beyond paying whatever is necessary to either persuade individuals to play or persuade others to force them to do so.

Generally, players are selected by a Sponsor based on what he or she wants from the particular game. Sometimes a Sponsor may want to put on a spectacular show, and look to hire the largest and most powerful players they can find. Other times, they may be looking to tactically throw a game for profit, and select a mass of low quality players to

serve as fodder. Rarely is selection based on the principles of winning the game through points scored or any conventional style of victory. Sponsors will always have an agenda, and that agenda will first and foremost be based on them making as much money as possible.

Those who play the game vary tremendously in size, shape, ability and species. From the tiniest Zee to the most enormous Teraton, the one thing that links all Xtreme players is a lack of choice. Some may be coerced with threats of violence, others are prisoners with no choices at all, and others still are down on their luck and need the money to fund an expensive habit or maybe just to survive. Whatever the reason, it is rare indeed that an individual takes to the Xtreme pitch lightly. If they are lucky, they will survive long enough to see the money at the end of the game, if not spend it. Sponsors often bid more than they can actually afford for a team, on the basis that enough of them will be dead by the end of the game to bring the price back down to an affordable level. There is in fact a whole branch of specific odds and mathematical probabilities dealing with complex equations to predict the mortality rate of any given match, taking into account the arena to be used, the Sponsors involved, the types of players etc. Just like the players themselves, there are plenty of statisticians and mathematical geniuses who are in need of a swift injection of credits for whatever reasons that they may have.

Ultimately though, the success of Xtreme is thanks to the success of DreadBall itself. Without the corporate game to compare itself to, the appeal of Xtreme would be lessened. Without the DGB itself and the corporations driving up the costs of competing, working in and even watching league games, there would be no requirement for a counter culture serving the disenfranchised masses who form the underbelly of the GCPS. DreadBall was originally hailed as the sport of the masses a contest that pitted man against man in equal physical trials. The explosive popularity and growth of the official game, and the developments and cost increases that have gone with it, have left a vacuum in that everyman appeal which Xtreme has readily filled. If you are a dock worker surviving on a handful of creds, and you cant afford a ticket to your local arena or even a Hi Def subscription to watch games at home, there is bound to be an underground game happening somewhere near you. For a few creds, you can step back in time to when DreadBall was the most democratic sport in the galaxy, and watch two teams knock the shek out of each other until one emerges victorious. Youll be close enough to smell the blood and sweat, and it wont cost you an arm and a leg. Unless you bet big with the sharks and lose, though they might let you off if you just play one game for them. After all, Xtreme is the sport of the common man

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Hiring PlayersIn the core DBX rules, each player had a cost for each of the two sponsors, and these costs were often different. The background explained that this was linked to the different groups with which each Sponsor was affiliated, though you never saw the workings of this. Now you will.

While listing the specific prices for a Sponsor is fine when there are only two of them and a handful of players, it becomes vastly more complex when you have the numbers listed in this volume. Instead of doing that, each Sponsor and each player is given a number of groups with which they are associated.

The way this determines the cost to hire a player is as follows:

Compare the Sponsors groups with those of the player he wishes to hire. Depending on how many match, the Sponsor is described as a:

s Stranger (0 groups match) s Ally (1 group matches) s Friend (2 or more groups match)

Looking at the player profiles you can see a separate

cost for each category. Strangers pay more to hire someone than Allies, and Allies pay more than Friends. Simply pay the appropriate amount for that player type depending on how much you have in common.

Thats all there is to it!

Other than the costs as detailed above, Sponsors purchase players in the same way as in the DreadBall Xtreme Rulebook. When you buy a team for a one-off match you can spend up to 70 megacredits (mc) on your players. Simply choose which ones you want from your list and pay the cost for each one. The price shown is for one player of that type for a single match. You may hire as many as you like of each type as long as you can afford them. A team could be made up of a single player type, or every player could be different. You choose.

You must have at least 4 players in your team. There is no upper limit.

You must spend at least 50mc on your team. The only limit is the amount of cash your Sponsor has in their Stash.

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Sarientar ducked under the punch of the lumbering Orc, rising in a fluid motion and smashing the ball directly into her opponents face. There was a crack, audible even over the raucous bellowing of the crowd, as the bone between the creatures eyes gave under the weight of the blow, and its knees buckled. Even as it went down, it made a grab for the Kalyshi with senseless, numb limbs, but Sarientar was already moving the moment the blow had landed, and was several paces away from the Orc as it finally hit the floor. Brackish dark blood dripped from the ball now, and she gave it a disdainful flick, spattering droplets behind her as she ran.

Two convicts were heading towards her, trying to block her route to the strike zone. As she ran, she felt the surface under her feet, mindful of the telltale signs of booby traps in loose or uneven plating, sharp eyes always taking in each detail before her as she ran. One of the fools was angled to just miss a suspect plate, and she angled towards him, forcing him to alter his trajectory towards her. As his foot hit the plate, there was a sharp bang and a flash of sparks as the explosive charge beneath it went off. Though not large enough to be fatal, the explosion sent the player flying several feet to slam into the wall of the makeshift arena. His comrade pumped his arms and put his head down as he tried to speed up to catch her. Sarientar kept running for the wall, inviting the charge, seeing him smirk as he realized he had her boxed in.

As she reached the wall, she kept going, feet flying up at an impossible angle and momentum carrying her along the wall itself. The charging human, going for a move that would have slammed her into the wall, tried to pull up, off balance as he attempted to shift both weight and direction. Sarientar described an arc over his head as she pirouetted off the wall, somersaulting over him. As she came down, she shot both feet out behind her, pushing off the bulk of the big bruiser to somersault again, landing with a rolling, cat-like motion as he slammed into the

wall from the kick, bouncing from it to land in a dazed heap on the floor. The crowd booed loudly it was clear whose side the majority of them were on. Sarientar was already up and moving again, the scoring post of the strike zone mere yards away now. She could have thrown the ball and made the score easily, but that wasnt what her sponsor required. She ran onwards, heading to slam the ball directly into the scoring post. The last member of the opposing team was heading towards her, a bald brute with teeth filed to sharp points and gang tattoos covering every inch of flesh not covered by his orange prison issue fatigues. Sarientar made a minute alteration to her path and braced herself for the right moment to make the move.

As the punch swung in, telegraphed by the whole shape of the convicts body as he lunged, Sarientar moved under it, twisting her body and counting the heartbeats to her next move. Her foot came down in the exact spot she required, and she gritted her teeth as she made the final effort. The ankle twisted underneath her with a snap of pain, and the follow up blow which ought to have missed her instead pummeled the side of her head, sending stars dancing before her eyes as she fell to the floor. The pain was an electric jolt of sensation, reminding her that she was vital and alive like nothing so far in this game had. There was a roar of approval from the crowd as the brute scooped up the ball where she had dropped it before him and went lumbering off towards her own teams strike zone, kicking her in the ribs as he went for good measure. She arched her body, flexing as if with the impact of the blow but leaving just enough room that it bruised rather than smashed. Then she lay there in a heap, making a show of heavy breathing as if dazed. She could see, through half-lidded eyes, the face of her Sponsor, underlit by the display of the datapad and its endless scrolls of numbers. He gave an almost imperceptible nod. Shed done the job, and there would be enough money for her bonus by the end of the game. If she lived that long.

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Who Are These People?The groups that the players belong to are mostly a game convenience rather than formal, in-game societies. Its true that some of them may also be an actual organisation in the background, though that would be the exception rather than the norm. In the main, they are simply groups of people who share common interests and aims; like-minded individuals who may never meet, but will support each other by their actions nonetheless.

AlienUnlike the relatively familiar Asterians or Forge Fathers, these people are strange and unfamiliar to the bulk of humanity. The Corporation is tolerant of most aliens, though that doesnt mean the crowd or society in general understands them. They share common experiences of unhelpful or even downright insulting behaviour by unwitting and uncomprehending humans. They are not outcasts because they are trying to fit in they just stand out like an eight-foot tall pink squid with three heads in your living room (because they are).

Non-humans who can blend in or are part of familiar races (like Forge Fathers) rarely have these experiences, and so do not belong with this group.

AsterianAn Asterian by birth or adoption. Someone who was raised in, and understands, this culture.

Big PictureLooks beyond the front pages of the news to see whats going on behind the scenes. Sees the real story and is involved in working on that scale. Often their appearance on the DreadBall pitch is merely a means to an end. They are looking far beyond the crowd at a much more intricate end game.

ConvictSomeone who is familiar with the penal system, either from many years in jail, or many years of keeping people in it. For all their hatred, prisoners and prison guards have more in common than theyd like to admit.

CunningSneaky, devious, underhand or simply too clever for their own good. These are the people who will come at a problem sideways rather than straight on. Their

schemes will rarely be obvious from their first move, and if you think youve worked out their plan, then youve probably fallen into their trap.

DreadBallFor some, the game as a whole is the thing. They see the big picture in a sense, but only on the scale of the sport rather than society. Often, they arent interested in anything else and their whole life is dedicated to the betterment of the sport. A true devotee of the sport.

Forge FatherA Forge Father by birth or adoption. Someone who was raised in, and understands, this culture.

GreedyThere are a few whose greed is for fame or glory rather than cash. But only a few. For the majority of these people it is the simple promise of riches that motivates them to do pretty much anything, and a shared passion for any lucrative scheme, however crass, draws them together. They are easily manipulated by promises of cash.

GuardA specialist who is focussed on being the best Guard they possibly can. A devoted student of the stats, tactics, history and skills of the role.

HatesOccasionally, a player will have suffered so badly at the hands of a specific group that he will never play for them again. Perhaps he was permanently injured, humiliated or otherwise singled out. Maybe its real, and maybe its all in their mind. Maybe its built on nothing more than prejudice. Whatever the cause, the player Hates that group, and will not play for a Sponsor that is associated with it for any amount of money. Any group can be hated, and the reason need not make sense to anyone but the player in question.

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If a player Hates someone then it will be listed in the groups section of their stat line, as follows:

Hates [group name]

For example, Hates Insectoid, or Hates Proud.

If a player Hates a group then they will never play for a Sponsor who has that group. Hatred overrides all other group affiliations.

HunterAs the Corporation expands and reaches ever more planets, alien races are sometimes added to its ranks before they develop a space-faring culture of their own. Many of these less-advanced races retain a culture based on hunting as a simple requirement for survival. For others it is a proudly held ancestral tradition, often the ideal every male should aspire to. They bring this hunting philosophy to the game.

InsectoidHumanity has an instinctive fear and suspicion of insects of all sizes, and these are the races whose ancestry sparks this primordial alarm. In the wider universe, many of these races fight each other for control of planets or even whole sectors. Within the Corporation, they are united by their common experiences of the humans, and the unthinking revulsion that is commonplace even among the more educated and tolerant of the Corporations citizens.

JackA specialist who is focussed on being the best Jack they possibly can. A devoted student of the stats, tactics, history and skills of the role.

Machine-mindHigher-functioning artificial intelligences, not mere robots. In their own way they are as alien as any non-human race, though their alien-ness is based purely on intelligence rather than appearance. With the vast array of technological communications gear that most of these players have access to, their physical meeting is rarely necessary.

Mr RobotoThese are both robots and their amateur creators. Theirs is a world that is far removed from the plentiful resources and shining factories of mass production. Instead, they are beset by a constant lack of the right parts, and must scrounge and adapt to build their creations, or maintain themselves. This gives them a very different, more entrepreneurial view of the world a world that relies on who you know (and what they can get) more than most.

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OutcastSeparate from Corporation societys mainstream. These are either shunned by most, or make a choice to be apart from the crowd. This also includes a few self-imposed outcasts who operate within Corporation culture for reasons of their own and have no interest or need to engage with it. Normal society doesnt need them, and they dont need it.

PirateEven within the criminal fraternity, pirates are an insular bunch. These are part of that select group, who know the secret codes and meeting places of their kind.

PlantThe natural reaction of most Corporation citizens to the idea that plants can be sentient is one of incredulity. This reaction shapes this group, who share the common experience of dealing with someone that thinks you are as intelligent as a carrot. This feeling is so deeply rooted within humans that even the evidence of their own eyes is often not enough to convince them that the player in front of them is sentient.

ProudCodes of honour are common, though often observed mainly in their breach. However, it is not always so, and many races value honourable individuals very highly. Each code of honour is different in the details. What unites these people is the principle of a code that is beyond an individual, yet defines their life.

PsychoThese are nutcases, berserkers and madmen. They have no control over their own violence and are that way all the time. Short tempers and a lack of empathy are commonplace. Often very popular with the crowds.

RebelFor obvious reasons, those that are part of the genuine Rebel forces are secretive and select in who they deal with. Spies really are everywhere. Rebels can come from any race or walk of life, as it is an ethos that unites them, rather than any physical trait or common history. If this group were ever foolish enough to physically congregate in one room then they would be a strange mix indeed.

ReluctantThese are the players who would rather be somewhere else. This discomfort is what unites them, though the reason for it varies greatly. Some have been press-ganged into the game, others have been duped into playing. Still more have played willingly for a while, but have now made the money they needed, suffered enough, or have lost their nerve. Either way, the most common discussion in this group is how to escape.

StrikerA specialist who is focussed on being the best Striker they possibly can. A devoted student of the stats, tactics, history and skills of the role.

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Tech GuysThese boffins are lab-coated geeks who revel in the technical details of intricate creations. They work in many fields, and are united by their common fascination of cutting-edge technology, to the exclusion of almost all normal social interactions.

Vat BrothersThe field of cosmetic surgery has always been a mixture of the subtle and the extreme. The subtle sits comfortably within fashionable society, but the cutting edge of extreme modification is beyond the pale for most normal citizens. These are the people who are so changed by surgery, or even by their breeding (as artificial creations) that they have none but each other to call friend.

ViciousProfessionally nasty, not necessarily unbalanced. These are the players who treat violence as just part of the job, and can be as mild-mannered as you please outside the match (though for PR reasons they will often growl at the cameras and threaten the interviewer). Application of violence, timings, and proper limits of force are all popular topics for discussion within this group.

Weird ScienceThese are the fringe scientists, the ones who are generally ostracised by their fellows for being too strange, dangerous or downright illegal in their experiments. Not for them the dull years of systematic study, incremental improvements and peer-reviewed papers. These are visionaries who never let lack of evidence hold them back from a new theory.

WorkerAt the heart of every society is the worker. These are the people that get things done, quietly and often without thanks. They are the downtrodden masses who line the silk pockets of the fat cats with riches, and who congregate among themselves to drink and talk. Usually of social inequality, and better times to come.

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the SponsorsThe following pages add four new Sponsors to the mix. Each brings a different selection of easily hired players to the game through their available groups.

The core DreadBall Xtreme rules list sample teams for each Sponsor, but we are beyond that now and sailing into far murkier waters. This expansion is all about variety and choice, so rather than tell you what to take the decision has been left entirely in your hands. As always, the challenge is finding the combination that works best. Do you go for lots of cheaper players, or is a team of carefully selected elites a better plan? Is a small band of expensive specialists the path to victory, or a swarm of expendable chaff? The choice is yours.

Blaine and the Warden need no introduction as you will already know them from the core DBX game. All that is needed here is to list their groups:

Blaine: Alien, Pirate, Vicious, Psycho, Big Picture.

z

The Warden: DreadBall, Convict, Greedy, Vicious, Cunning.

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Air wafted against his face, bringing the smell of something different. After so many days here in the darkness, hed grown accustomed to the various stenches of the place. The rat crap, stale sweat and blood, crumbling neocrete, the sharp tang of the iron chains. This was different it smelled of counterseptic and fresh soap, and polished leather. Finally.

His face broke into a smile underneath the hood. He knew that they would come eventually. Hed started fights at every opportunity, incited two riots and seriously injured half a dozen of the guards, including that really big shek who was a little too fond of his truncheon. And now all that effort would finally pay off. He flexed his muscles as best he could as he hung from the wall, working to bring them back to life. He would need to be on impressive form. Each day, when hed been sure nobody was looking, hed used the chains to pull himself up the wall, keeping atrophy at bay with a series of contortions that he had been taught at the Academy. Now all the weeks of effort would pay off. The next phase of the plan could begin.

The hood tearing from his head was a surprise, the sudden flood of powerful light into his eyes blinding him for several painful seconds. He blinked rapidly, tears streaming down his cheeks. The muzzy whiteness in front of him slowly cleared, and he was aware of a figure stood before him, hands clasped behind its back. The figure stood just behind the floodlamp which was aimed at him, a mere suggestion of an outline. The Warden. It had to be. Hed made himself about as irresistible a target as he could for the mans illicit habit. One of the most notorious penitentiary governors in the GCPS, Warden Rasulov was a man whose proclivities were well rumoured but impossible to prove. Until now. Once he was in, he could blow the whole operation wide open, and they could finally start dismantling the whole sorry empire that was Xtreme. He spat on the floor for effect and jerked his chin at the figure.

So? What do you want, pig?

There was a sound from behind the floodlamp. Like a snort. The voice that followed it was neither as deep nor as rough as hed expected, and he did his best to mask his surprise as it spoke.

I think perhaps that you have me confused with someone else, prisoner Podorov the figure stepped forward into the light, or should I say, Agent Karastan?

Karastan couldnt help himself. His jaw twitched just a fraction too long before he opened his mouth to protest. The figure before him held up a wizened hand to ward off the words, reaching into the pocket of his long lab coat and bringing out a hypoderm injector which he brought up before his goggled eyes, tapping it with a finger to agitate whatever liquid was within the glass vial.

Please, Agent Karastan. Do not demean yourself further with any denial. We were aware of your little infiltration from the beginning. You think that the Warden allows anyone into this place without knowing exactly who they are and where they are from? Your superiors at Enforcer Command Central have already been informed of your death some weeks ago, the Warden having filed a report of your unfortunate demise in a riot on the day of your arrival. Your remains were of course incinerated, and as soon as I have taken a sufficiently large tissue sample we will be in a position to confirm this when your ashes are shipped away for re-cyc and intercepted.

The details of the room were becoming clearer as the man spoke, and Karastan saw a shining steel operating table with restraint straps and a complex arrangement of probes and instruments glinting above it. On the table next to it was a large cutting device, of the sort used to rescue crash victims from their vehicles. Karastan strained against his chains but to no avail. The man smiled as he came closer.

Now Agent. Your primary mission may have failed, but dont worry, I am here to give your life new purpose.

As the man loomed over him, the needle on the injector dripping with whatever substance it was poised to deliver, the last detail he was sensible to was the name emblazoned on the tag clipped to the front of the lab coat, next to a picture of the man himself.

Kain. Z. Dr.

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Dr Zarathusa KainVarious Corporations have been seeking a way to control the Plague and make use of its obvious benefits as a weapon for decades. Some wish to control the virus and use it as an offensive weapon to deploy against enemy population centres, whereas others look to harness the additional strength and agility that certain stages of the Plague grant to victims to create a new generation of enhanced soldiers. It is the sort of research which only larger and more successful Corporations specialising in the fields of chemical and biological research and engineering can undertake, the level of subterfuge required to keep prying Council eyes away being quite astronomical in and of itself, before the costs of the actual research are even considered.

To date, only one man has been able to make significant progress in understanding and adapting the properties of the Plague:

Zarathusa Kain, head of active research for Lu-Fan. Even before undertaking this particular line of research, Kain was known as an unconventional and controversial figure, responsible for some terrible and brutal chemical and biological weapons programmes. Thanks to his particular mindset and willingness to push barriers that others would not, he began to unlock the mysteries of the Plagues mutagenic power, but concluded that only with live tests could he make proper progress. Rich and ruthless as they were, there was no way that the board of directors of Lu Fan could acquire such subjects in any conventional manner. Kain therefore elected to pose as a rogue scientist and took to the illegal DreadBall circuit, obtaining and experimenting on subjects from the fringes of criminal society from all manner of species and running them against the deadliest teams available to test their abilities. He may already have gathered enough data, but he doesnt seem particularly keen to stop

Groups: Weird Science, Vicious, Vat Brothers, DreadBall, +1 Rank.

Kraato GonWhen Gon of the Kraato kinhold came of age and undertook his ak-dikat, he turned his mind to machines. His creations were astounding. Their cobbled-together appearance concealed their ingenious construction and advanced AI, and he saw them as a potential method of freeing his people from the yoke of the GCPS and re-establishing the Teraton people as a galactic empire. Unfortunately, his work offended the elders of the Teraton people, who are mostly concerned with preserving what little remains of their culture after integration with the GCPS and have no desire to risk it further by courting open conflict.

Exiled from his own kind, and without the physical capability or the taste for the life of a mercenary, Gon looked to find a new purpose suited to his talents, capabilities and interests and it was not long before he discovered DreadBall. Unable to gain entrance to the DGB game, having been effectively frozen out by the existing Teraton teams from participating in any way, Gon was forced to dig deeper, and eventually hit the sedimentary layer that is Xtreme. Here was a place that he could refine his talents, working on new and ever more lethal and capable machines and testing them against all manner of opponents one on one in an arena that had no rules and no restrictions. What started as a way of advancing his work for its own sake has become somewhat of an enterprise for Gon, and now he sends teams of bespoke robots into the arena, each generation financing the next. His prowess is unrivalled, and his machines are highly sought after on the Xtreme circuit by those who can afford them, and rightly feared by those who cannot. Few who meet him outside the Xtreme circuit can guess at the source of this quiet and mild Teratons fortunes, nor the particular bent of his unique talents.

Groups: Alien, Tech Guys, Mr Roboto, DreadBall, Machine Mind.

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Rathmar Ul-iheqEven amongst the shadowy characters who comprise the Xtreme circuit, Rathmar Ul-iheq is a shady and mysterious character. Few have ever met him in person, and those that do cannot be motivated by any threat or promise to speak of it. It is rumoured that amongst his own kin, Ul-iheq is a member of the highest possible caste those who make the decisions which define the very direction, scope and policy of the Star Realm itself. It is possible that Ul-iheq himself spreads this rumour in order to enhance his reputation, though the resources and power that he has at his disposal would certainly suggest an individual of considerable influence and standing.

Ul-iheq has a reputation for brutality, something of an impressive achievement in the Xtreme arena. Those who play for him risk as much as those who face his teams, given his fondness for placing all manner of elaborate and intricate booby traps in any arena on which his team plays. Forge Father tech is well-known as being at a peak far beyond that of other races, and his specially crafted traps tend to be even more well-crafted and deadly than those normally found in Xtreme games. His network of agents and scouts is extensive, ensuring that he himself never needs to get his hands dirty. His considerable wealth means that those who play for him and survive are assured of being well-compensated, though again, it is somewhat difficult to find any of these success stories to gauge exactly how wealthy the experience left them. Possibly they have decided to live a quiet life with their winnings, or maybe there is a more sinister explanation. Whatever the truth might be, the fear that Ul-iheqs very name elicits ensures that few turn down the opportunity to play for him, regardless of the dangers.

Groups: Vicious, Forge Father, Greedy, Cunning, Big Picture.

ShojuunMysterious wanderer. Enigmatic warrior. Emissary for some inscrutable alien or extra dimensional power, carrying out their bloody deeds across the cosmos. All these and more are names and identities ascribed to the individual known as the Shojuun. His story was the stuff of spacefarer legend from early on in the expansion of the GCPS, and now it seems that he has emerged, at least partially from the shadows to become a DreadBall Xtreme sponsor. Quite why an individual of such standing and apparent lethality would elect to involve himself in a sport comprised of the very dregs of most civilised societies is at this point unexplained, but the one thing which is certain is that the Shojuun is very real and very dangerous.

Teams fielded by this sponsor tend to be exceedingly vicious, full of conniving and devious warriors and tricksters who will stop at absolutely nothing to secure victory. Quite what it is about the Shojuun which inspires such fanatical and furious loyalty is unclear, but whatever it is, it is effective. The Shojuun has one of the best win/loss records in Xtreme, and seems one of the few sponsors genuinely interested in victory rather than profit. Though his players are as likely as any other to kill any opponent who gets in their way, this rarely seems to be their driving focus. Teams sponsored by the Shojuun play to win, scoring points and making use of co-ordinated tactics across the field of play, preferring victories of technique to those of force. They leave just as many casualties strewn across the pitch as any other team, but they score more strikes than average as well.

It isnt clear how exactly the Shojuun acquires his players, but those who do play for him are never seen to play for anyone else, either because they die on the pitch trying to win for him, or they live to serve him again.

Groups: Outcast, Psycho, Vicious, Cunning, Vat Brother.

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Building Your Own SponsorOnce youve got a bit of experience under your belt, you might want to have a go at creating your own Sponsor as well as your own team. This is simple.

There are only three things you need to choose:

s A model to represent the Sponsor. s A background history. s A set of groups.

These are all linked, and the order in which you choose them is entirely up to you. Some people start with a background, and then pick the groups and the model to reflect that. Others start with a model they like and take groups that fit its appearance. Only then do they come up with the story that links them all together. There is no right or wrong order to do this in - you just need to sort out all three areas before you begin your league.

ModelMantic makes a series of Sponsor models for precisely this purpose and most people start by looking at them. These are not the only option though. You could decide to delve deeper into the Mantic ranges and see what else you can find. Perhaps you have a favourite model from the Deadzone range that would look great by the pitch,

or even something from the Kings of War range. DreadBall itself has a selection of crowd and other off-pitch figures you could consider. Sponsors come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, and an unusual model may spark ideas for an exciting background or combination of skills.

BackgroundYou want to be able to tell your friends and opponents why your Sponsor is where he is, running teams of dubious characters in illegal games of DreadBall. How does he know the groups he knows? Did he grow up with them, serve in the military alongside them, fight against them, spend years in prison with them? Ask yourself how he knows each group and youll find the answers start to weave the Sponsors background for you. Finally, if you havent christened your Sponsor already, give them a name. Without that they cant come alive.

RankYour Sponsor will start at Rank 5, like other Sponsors do, unless you have chosen the +1 Rank option(s) from the groups tables. If you have, then your Sponsor will start the league at Rank 6, 7, or 8 depending on how many +1 Rank options you took.

GroupsChoose one option from each column.

Column

AColumn

bColumn

cColumn

dColumn

eCunning DreadBall Convict Vicious Greedy

Striker Psycho Guard Proud Hunter

Alien Rebel Vat Brothers Jack Pirate

Reluctant +1 Rank Asterian Insectoid Outcast

+1 Rank Worker Tech Guys +1 Rank Weird Science

Plant Big Picture Forge Father Mr Roboto Machine-mind

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Example Sponsor Ardia ShilekAs an example, lets take the Kickstarter Sponsor model Ardia. She already has a name and a little bit of background, so lets build on that.

Ardia works as a talent scout for several mainstream DreadBall teams on a freelance basis. Though most major teams have their own scouting staff dedicated to combing every backwater and slum for up and coming players in amateur leagues, few if any are willing to brave the underworld of the Xtreme game in their search for talent. Realising this, Ardia has carved herself something of a niche, venturing into this seedy underbelly of the Galaxys Greatest Sport in the hopes of finding a hidden talent among the carnage. Its a dangerous job, to be sure, but for every player she finds that moves into the arena game she earns a hefty commission, and the benefit is that the nature of Xtreme means that any player who doesnt make the grade is expendable anyway, which makes everything that much cleaner. Like everyone else in the world of DreadBall Xtreme, Ardia is in it for the money.

Her first group really should be DreadBall from column B. This is the group for people that are true devotees of the sport. Striker from A, Guard from C and Jack from D are a set that fits her perfectly. These are the groups for players that study their roles and seek to perfect their chosen path; exactly the sort of thing the young hopefuls she is looking for need to be doing. This leaves her with a choice from column E to take. This is the trickiest selection. In the end I think Machine-mind is the most fitting for Ardia. This is the group for the higher-functioning machines that can reason and plan as well as perform pre-programmed tasks. If a machine is going to make it in the arena, then this is what they need to be.

So, Ardia has a set of groups, all focussed on finding devoted players who seek to hone their game to perfection: exactly what her background would suggest. She didnt take any +1 Rank options, so she starts the league at Rank 5.

xtreme leaguesIn a League, Sponsors select Extras as normal. A Sponsor gets to choose 1 Extra from the list below for each point of Rank he has. As a Sponsor starts at Rank 5, this means that for a one-off game a team will have a choice of any combination of 5 from the list below:

s 1 Coaching Dice. s 1 Special Move card. s 1 Nasty Surprise card. s 1 Wager (League only, maximum of 4).

There is one addition to this list, and this relates to the new player hiring mechanism.

When a Sponsor is buying Extras, there is a new option: buy group. This costs 3 instead of the normal 1.

Like all other extras, this applies only for that match and is not a permanent change. In reality he is using his notoriety to gain some temporary influence and favour with a group he doesnt normally deal with. This allows him to gain the benefits of discounted prices for that group for that single game. As neither the spending of the Rank nor the group he gained by spending it is permanent, the Sponsor can choose to gain a different group for the next game, or just use the ones he has normally and take extra dice and cards as extras instead.

A very high ranking Sponsor could acquire several groups for a single match in this way, fielding a vastly different team to what his opponents might have been expecting. By these means a cunning Sponsor can outfox his enemies and gain an advantage before the game even starts.

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19

IN THE LOCKER ROOMThe locker rooms of the Xtreme arenas are as basic and improvised as the arenas themselves and the amenities often verge on the spartan. DBX players have to miss out on the entourage of personal masseurs, marketing reps and well-groomed aides that accompanies famous players in the official league DreadBall teams. Not that this really matters. The grim reality of the next few minutes will have finally dawned on those who werent already keenly aware of the danger they were in. Whether it is with false humour or stony silence, these players are thinking only of the game ahead.

PLAYERSThe motivations for an individual DBX player vary wildly, but they are always long on grim details and short on happy endings. They come from across Corporation space and sometimes beyond, finding their unhappy way through the grimier levels of Corporation society, into the bloody arenas where they will make their fortune or meet their end.

Some of the stranger individuals among the varied ranks of these miscreants are known as the wannabes. These are so desperate in their desire to be seen as one of the big league players that they dress in famous uniforms and even ape the mannerisms of the famous and talented. They come in all levels of kit, from the clearly deranged ones who look nothing like their deluded imaginings, to those who have made serious efforts to secure quality equipment. This is surprisingly easy because all teams make a great deal of cash from their extensive merchandising, and anyone can buy good facsimile uniforms for all the well-known teams. The trickier elements are the gloves and armour, which dont always perform as well than the real thing, even if they look the part.

Occasionally even the Sponsors get infected by the wannabe bug, fielding whole teams of these imposters so that it looks, from a distance, as if the Trontek 29ers might have decided to slum it for an afternoon. They havent. Nor have any of the other main arena players who know that their highly lucrative contracts would instantly evaporate if they dared set foot anywhere near a game of DBX. Still, it does seem to draw in the crowds, and at the end of the day thats what its all about.

Designers NoteWhen I started writing this expansion I intended to define all the various players in one big list. This would underline the difference between the DreadBall and the DBX way of looking at things:

The focus being on individual sponsors and players, not teams. However, when I came to look at that list it seemed both very long and rather daunting. Although I found it easy enough to use, I could see many people being a bit put off by it. As the models themselves were going to be sold as team boxes, I decided in the end to go with an approach that will be more familiar to veteran DB Coaches, even though it would be entirely alien to the DBX Sponsors and players themselves.

On the following pages I have listed the bulk of DBX players as a series of teams. These are the teams that the miniatures are sold as, and probably how many people will think of them as a sort of mental shorthand anyway. It is important to note that this organisation is for ease of use only and bears no relation to how the players should be, or are allowed to be, recruited by Sponsors and fielded in the game. Sponsors build a team for a match from whichever players they choose.

DreadBall veterans! Remember that Guards do not get an armour bonus for their role in games of DBX.

Ada-LoranaThe Council of Seven prides itself as the ultimate arbiter of justice in the GCPS, enforcing its edicts and maintaining relative peace across the length and breadth of the five spheres through both direct means such as the Enforcer Corps and more subtle methods such as control of trade via the Corporations. However, beyond the fringes of Corporate space, another group has the self-appointed responsibility of maintaining peace, justice and order: The Ada-Lorana.

Beings born of pure energy whose physical bodies are held together by thought alone, and who can use this to phase through solid matter; it is not possible to hide from their judgement. They are without apparent emotion, capable of observing evidence and pronouncing a verdict without bias or prejudice. Their methods are infinitely variable; sometimes they will overtly make their presence known, but it

is more likely that they will act in more subtle ways. They might intercede in a conflict, lending advanced weaponry or vital intelligence to one side or the other, or they might snatch a prominent leader from the safety of his home and imprison him on a remote planetoid. Their motives are as abundant as their methods.

The Ada-Lorana are known widely through the GCPS due to their participation in the DGB leagues since they first made contact with the Sun Fe Corporation and were officially recognised by the Council. But wherever trouble may be found, the Ada-Lorana will surely take an interest, and they have been a presence in the ranks of the Xtreme game for some time. Whatever their ultimate agenda, they are rightly respected and feared as lethally effective players without peer.

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Ada-Lorana Guard 5 4+ 3+ 4+ 4+ Guard, Proud 23mc 15mc 10mc Phaser

Ada-Lorana Jack 5 4+ 3+ 4+ 5+ Jack, Proud 18mc 12mc 8mc Phaser

Ada-Lorana Striker 5 4+ 3+ 4+ 5+ Proud, Striker 23mc 15mc 10mc Phaser

AsteriansAsterians

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Ada-Lorana AsteriansAsteriansThe Asterians who tread the neodurium in the DGB are almost certainly not what they appear. The Asterian philosophy espouses the avoidance of violence at all costs, to the extent that when they go to war it is done remotely via artificial drones and combat chassis controlled by neural link. That a race which goes to this much effort to avoid physical danger on the battlefield would field players in a game like DreadBall stretches credibility, but the fans have never cared because the Asterians put on a good show. Whether they are a product of genetic cloning, surgically altered humans or simply Asterian prisoners has never been clear, but they

play DreadBall well enough that the masses are entertained, which is the main thing.

Those that appear on the Xtreme circuit are no clearer in their provenance. Some whisper that they are the rejects from whatever procedures create the DGB Asterians, others that they are escaped prisoners with nowhere else to go, rejected by their own society. Whatever the truth, they have a reputation as quick, capable players with more than enough cunning and athleticism to offset their slight frames.

KalyshiThe Kalyshi are a sub-culture of the Asterian people, who thrive on the sensation of visceral experience. Where the Asterians generally avoid conflict and physical danger, the Kalyshi actively seek out and embrace it, trusting that the great universal balance which is so crucial to the Asterian philosophy will right itself regardless of what any mortals may do.

These qualities make DreadBall an attractive proposition to the Kalyshi, and indeed there are several teams now who play in the official DGB leagues. However, the Kalyshi first discovered and embraced DreadBall in its Xtreme form. Being a

culture that thrives on violence and sensation, Kalyshi often operate as pirates and raiders. Mixing with other degenerates on the fringes of civilisation, it was inevitable that they would be exposed to Xtreme, and more so that they would fall deeply in love with the game. The Kalyshi who play Xtreme are hardened corsairs and mercenaries, and play the game as much for the potential financial rewards as for their love of the visceral. These are not the semi-retired, peaceful facsimiles of the DGB but the real deal fast, lethal and graceful.

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Asterian Guard 6 5+ 3+ 4+ 4+ Cunning, Vicious 15mc 10mc 7mc Poison Blade

Asterian Jack 6 5+ 3+ 4+ 5+ Asterian, Cunning 15mc 10mc 7mc Fragile, Poison Blade

Asterian Striker 6 5+ 3+ 4+ 5+ Cunning, Striker 20mc 13mc 8mc Fragile

Kalyshi Jack 6 5+ 3+ 4+ 5+ Asterian, Vicious 17mc 11mc 7mc Backstab, Shove

Kalyshi Striker 6 5+ 3+ 4+ 5+ Asterian, Big Picture 23mc 15mc 10mc Jump

21

ConvictsIn an empire as widely spread out as the GCPS, there is never a shortage of wrongdoers, nor of places to put them. Whole corporations exist purely on the contracts from the Council to build penitentiary facilities, produce (mostly) non-lethal methods of capture and incarceration and generally devise ways of making the lives of criminals more confined and infinitely less pleasant. It is an unavoidable side effect that many of those who work with such degenerates and outcasts are themselves of a certain brutal and corrupt disposition, especially when one considers the pay and social status that accompany jobs in the penal system. DreadBall Xtreme might almost have been tailor made for these people and their charges.

Convict teams for the most part are desperate men, with no hope of a life outside prison walls. Just to make sure though, they are all fitted with explosive collars, first developed by the Quan-Tso Corporation as a viable method for controlling large inmate populations when cell space became overcrowded. Most of the convicts who play in Xtreme are vicious career criminals who would rather fight and die than run anyway, but the collar makes sure of the fact. Sponsors who employ convicts usually do so as so-called pitch fodder, used to be thrown at the opposition to grind them down, with little hope of their survival. Life is cheap in the GCPS, and the life of a convict doubly so, measured in handfuls of credits exchanged in shady deals.

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Convict Guard 5 3+ 4+ 5+ 4+ Convict, Vicious 23mc 15mc 10mc Explosive Collar, Threatening

Convict Jack 5 4+ 4+ 5+ 5+ Convict, Greedy 9mc 6mc 4mc Explosive Collar

Convict Striker 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 6+ Convict, Cunning 12mc 8mc 5mc Explosive Collar

CrystallansCrystallans are well-known in the DGB as stubbornly independent, refusing to bow to the pressure for sponsorship from any corporation and funding their own entry to the Leagues. Remnants of a once vast and mighty empire wiped out by a long war with the Star Realm, these bizarre life forms now exist in small, isolated bands which wander the cosmos. Those collectives which are large and wealthy

enough ply the DGB leagues. The smaller, more isolated bands operate in Xtreme, hoping that they will manage to accumulate enough wealth to move onwards and upwards. The specific agenda of the Crystallan people as a whole is never really clear all that is certain is that they have a particular loathing of the Forge Fathers, which is all the more apparent when a Crystallan team faces a Forge Father one.

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Crystallan Guard 4 3+ 5+ 4+ 4+ Proud, Guard, Hates Forge Father 18mc 12mc 8mcHarmonics

Crystallan Jack 4 3+ 5+ 4+ 5+ Proud, Alien, Hates Forge Father 15mc 10mc 7mcHarmonics

Forge FathersForge Fathers

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Crystallans

Forge FathersForge FathersThe strength and tenacity of the race known as the Forge Fathers are legendary, and their place in DreadBall was assured right from the first time a team of these short, tough aliens first stepped onto the neodurium. Though the original deal was for Forge Father teams to play in the DGB leagues to facilitate trade deals with the GCPS, they soon found that they had a taste for the sport, and it has become somewhat of an institution in Forge Father society as much as it has for humanity.

Forge Father players on the Xtreme circuit tend to be those who have failed to make an impact in the Leagues, or have succumbed to injury or are in desperate need of quick money to feed an expensive habit. They are no less dangerous for this though, and Forge Father players are highly sought after by sponsors who want a bit of impetus added to their attacking line. As the saying goes, the worst Forge Father player is generally worth two of any other.

brokkrsBrokkrs by nature are generally a little more free spirited than their more stoic brethren. Employed by the Star Realm as roving merchants in search of new mining opportunities and generally left to their own devices, they are often wont to get involved in activities that their cousins might find a little objectionable. It is common knowledge amongst a certain section of GCPS society that Brokkrs often turn up in areas where Containment Protocol has been declared, using the circumstances to grab valuable mineral deposits and scrap quickly and often taking the opportunity of a quick scrap with whoever gets in their way or indeed happens to be in the vicinity.

When it comes to Xtreme, Brokkrs see it as just another method of working off excess tension and getting paid into the bargain. More hot-tempered and prone to emotion than Forge Fathers, Brokkrs find that Xtreme provides them with an ideal outlet, and many of the travelling outfits sent out by the Star Realm to comb the galaxy on their behalf take advantage of their open remit to make some additional funds on the side engaging in the game. More cunning than their cousins, they are just as valuable as players, and their services are always in demand. It is a rare occasion indeed when a Brokkr is turned away by a coach, and usually down to inherent prejudice or a simple lack of funds.

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Forge Father Guard 4 3+ 5+ 4+ 4+ Forge Father, Vicious 20mc 13mc 8mc Steady

Forge Father Jack 4 3+ 5+ 4+ 4+ DreadBall, Forge Father 14mc 9mc 6mc

Forge Father Striker 4 3+ 5+ 4+ 5+ Forge Father, Striker 14mc 9mc 6mc

Brokkr Guard 4 3+ 5+ 4+ 4+ Forge Father, Guard 21mc 14mc 10mc Steady

Brokkr Jack 4 3+ 5+ 4+ 5+ Forge Father, Worker 14mc 9mc 6mc Steady

Brokkr Striker 4 3+ 5+ 4+ 5+ Cunning, Forge Father 12mc 8mc 6mc Grizzled, Steady

23

HobgoblinsTo say that Hobgoblins are unpopular would be something of an understatement. Even their cousin races the Orcs and Goblins are loathe to have much to do with them. This is generally attributed to their insanely poor levels of personal hygiene the average Hobgoblin adult can be smelled long before they are seen, and a bite from one can be lethal just due to the sheer number and variety of harmful bacteria and germs that their mouths harbour. They are also renowned for their sense of inventive cruelty, which does them no favours.

When Orcs and Goblins first joined the DGB leagues, the Hobgoblins thought to follow, but their early

attempts saw rejection and failure and they turned in desperation to the Xtreme circuit. Nowadays of course, Hobgoblin teams are allowed in the leagues, but that hasnt diminished the numbers of them playing Xtreme if anything it has actually seen an influx of new Hobgoblin players to the underground game, eager to try and replicate the success of those first pioneers who lit up the underground pitches and saw their kind finally accepted at the League table. DreadBall is the great leveller, and the Hobgoblins reason, in their own ineffable way, that the more widely accepted they are in the game the more widely accepted they will be in real life as well. It hasnt worked yet, but that wont stop them trying.

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Hulk Guard 5 3+ 5+ 5+ 4+ Psycho, Vicious 30mc 20mc 13mc

Mighty, Steady, Trail Blazer

Hobgoblin Jack 5 4+ 4+ 5+ 5+ Greedy, Outcast 14mc 9mc 6mc Stench

Hobgoblin Striker 5 4+ 4+ 5+ 5+ Cunning, Outcast 17mc 11mc 8mc Stench

Humans

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Hobgoblins HumansIn many ways, humans are the perfect DreadBall players. It was of course a human who invented the sport in the first place, to be played by his human soldiers while they were between combat zones. It is a game whose rules, regulations and entire concept was based around the dimensions, capabilities and strengths of a human being, albeit a peak condition, military trained one. Moreover, given the propensity of humanity to adapt and survive wherever it casts its attentions, leading to the sprawling realm that is the GCPS it should come as no surprise that they have adapted to dominate the DreadBall universe as well. Human teams are the largest percentage in the DGB leagues, and it is much the same story in the Xtreme game as well.

Whether they are guests of the penal system, mercenaries for hire, Rebel soldiers and commanders or simply men and women who are bored, humans dominate the illegal version of DreadBall as much as they do the legitimate one. While not excelling at any particular area of the game, humans tend to be good enough at every area of the game that they can more than keep up with other races. And being the most numerous race to play the game, they tend to be the cheapest players for a sponsor to use. Regardless of species, a savvy coach will do well to have as many humans in reserve as possible, even if only to throw on as pitch fodder in a losing game.

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Trontek Guard 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ DreadBall, Guard 15mc 10mc 7mc

Trontek Jack 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ DreadBall, Jack 12mc 8mc 6mc

Trontek Striker 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ DreadBall, Striker 15mc 10mc 7mc

Void Siren Guard 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ DreadBall, Vicious 15mc 10mc 7mc

Void Siren Jack 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ Cunning, DreadBall 14mc 9mc 6mc Running Interference

Void Siren Striker 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ DreadBall, Striker 15mc 10mc 7mc

25

JudwanJudwan are peaceful by nature almost pathologically so. One might consider the almost total erosion of their society and loss of their home thanks to the predations of the GCPS to be an indictment of their peaceful and completely non-confrontational ways, but the Judwan tread a different, more philosophical path, and seem to have some bigger universal picture in mind. The ancient art of Mushenwan, practiced by all Judwan from birth, puts them in complete harmony with their physicality, allowing them to perfectly interact with their environment and everything in it. This also makes them ideal DreadBall players.

Given their lack of much status in the GCPS, with most of them condemned to a wandering life, it is perhaps less surprising than it might initially appear that these passive creatures should find themselves in the Xtreme arenas. The truth is that the smaller and poorer bands of Judwan refugees have limited choices, and their natural aptitude for the game means that they are at least likely to earn a few credits by participating. They dont try to take out the opponents, preferring indeed if they dont touch them at all, and they are one that rare breed of Xtreme players who will actually focus on attempting to win the game through points rather than attrition.

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Judwan Striker 6 5+ 4+ 4+ 5+ Proud, Striker 23mc 15mc 10mc Long Arms, Misdirect, Pacifist

Koris

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Judwan KorisMalevolent multi-limbed creatures from a nightmare dimension outside reality, the only reason the Koris are not squarely at the top of the Councils list of dangerous xenos races is that for all their terrifying advancement, they show no signs of any conquering intent as a species. Indeed, they seem to take perverse pleasure in simply torturing small groups of individuals, ambushing unwary travellers and teleporting them to their own dimension to play with at their sadistic whim. For many years, their portal abilities meant that they were excluded from the DGB leagues as having an unfair advantage. To the crowds who watched Xtreme though, teleportation combined

with the cruel humour of the Koris made for an excellent spectacle, and their players were amongst the most popular to be seen in underground games.

Sponsors who pay a Koris team have to hope that the game they provide is entertaining enough that the creatures wont feel the need to seek diversion in them instead, and even the bravest and most feared sponsors will only seek to hire them if they have particularly difficult opponents for them to face. It is rare for Koris teams to face one another, as the fun of dragging screaming individuals to their dark nether realm is somewhat negated if the victim hails from it.

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Koris Guard 4 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ Hunter, Vicious 18mc 12mc 8mc Gotcha!, Spinner

Koris Jack 4 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ Alien, Tech Guys 17mc 11mc 8mc Portal, Spinner

Koris Striker 4 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ Cunning, Tech Guys 17mc 11mc 8mc Spinner

27

Kovossian MutantsThe tales of the secret research facility on Kovoss and what exactly goes on behind those reinforced walls are many and lurid. General consensus has it that it is a site of bio weapon experimentation, the results of which are various mutated individuals developed as a result of exposure to the Plague, other bio engineered diseases or simply the mad whims of scientists who operate beyond all ethical limits. Whatever the truth, the name of the facility has become synonymous with mutants of all stripes, though particularly those seen in the company of Doctor Zarathusa Kain.

The Xtreme circuit, with its lack of rules and regulations, is an ideal place for mutants to play. For the right sponsor with a strong stomach, mutants represent the perfect solution to almost any problem whether you need faster players, players more likely to catch the ball or simply players big and tough enough to steamroller through the opposition, you can either search for naturally occurring perfection and hope you get lucky, or you can shortcut the process and give nature a hand. Mutants are far from cheap, but they are the perfect solution to many an Xtreme problem.

The Wonders of Biology It is perhaps not surprising that it was on the Xtreme circuit that the business of mutating players for purpose was originally conceived and allowed to flourish. The scientists engaging in these activities tended to be at the shadier edges of the ethical spectrum as far as their profession was concerned, and needed an environment in which they could not only operate to make their modifications but also test them out with no fear of consequence. The scientific community sneers at those scientists who operated in this area in those early days much the same way that the DGB sneers at Xtreme, but as with the sport itself, those mainstream scientists owe a lot of the breakthroughs in what the Council will allow to the successes of those pioneers.

Today, mutating for money is a big business in

Xtreme. For the right payment, a sponsor can pretty much tailor a player or players to be able to play the game however they want them to, and to excel in that method too. Strong stomachs are required though, not just because of the ethical concerns but also the possibility of failure and the need to recycle whole or part bodies during and after the process.

The process begins with a basic human template. This is the most easily grown and most easily manipulated. That is the reference point. This can then be modified by adding different limbs, head or legs depending on the intended role the player will take. Any parts that are not upgraded will remain outwardly human, though there may be internal improvements as well. Whether the end result is still human or not is the matter of some debate.

Pick and mix In game, a Sponsor can create the player(s) they want by using the following system.

Start by choosing the player role you want to create. Read through the options for that role and choose which you want to add to this player. The total cost of that player is simply the costs of the upgrades plus their basic cost. That players stat line will be the basic stat line listed for that role, modified by their upgrades.

Sponsors must compare their groups to those of

the Mutants in the same way as every other player. Mutant groups are listed by player role, below.

Each part (head, arms, etc) may only be upgraded once. This includes Internal and Additional upgrades.

When you upgrade a body part you should change the players model accordingly. Internal upgrades do not require modelling.

The following upgrades are available. You cannot mix options from different roles on the same player.

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Kovossian MutantsMove

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Kovossian Jack 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ DreadBall, Vat Brothers 11mc 7mc 5mc

Upg

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Cost

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HeadGrogan Threatening 6mc 4mc 3mc

Nameless Alert 2mc 1mc 1mc

Arm(s)

Tentacle Gotcha! 6mc 4mc 3mc

Teraton 3+ Strength, Keeper 12mc 8mc 6mc

Zzor Blade 3+ Strength 5mc 3mc 2mc

Internal

Enhanced Muscle Density Grizzled 6mc 4mc 3mc

Skeletal Reinforcement Cant Feel A Thing 5mc 3mc 2mc

Upg

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Upg

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Cost

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Head Compound Eyes 360 Vision 3mc 2mc 1mc

Arm(s) Zzor Blade A Safe Pair Of Hands 3mc 2mc 1mc

Torso & Legs Yndij Move 6, Duck & Weave 8mc 5mc 3mc

AdditionalKraaw Wings Jump 3mc 2mc 1mc

Sphyr Tail Tail 3mc 2mc 1mc

InternalEnhanced Twitch

Response Stretch 3mc 2mc 1mc

Accelerated Regen Quick Recovery 5mc 3mc 2mc

Move

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Kovossian Guard 5 4+ 4+ 4+ 4+ Vat Brothers, Vicious 17mc 11mc 8mc

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Move

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Kovossian Striker

5 4+ 4+ 4+ 5+ Vat Brothers, Weird Science 17mc 11mc 8mc

Upg

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HeadJudwan Alert 2mc 1mc 1mc

Asterian Dirty Tricks 6mc 4mc 3mc

Arm(s) Judwan Long Arms 6mc 4mc 3mc

Additional Veer-myn Tail Tail 3mc 2mc 1mc

InternalAugmented Focus 3+ Skill 6mc 4mc 3mc

Accelerated Metabolism Move 6 5mc 3mc 2mc

Marauders

Martians

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MaraudersGiven their build, disposition and great natural ability to inflict violence, it was inevitable that Orcs would come to play DreadBall. Whether the Orcs and Goblins who play in the Leagues are genuine examples of their kind is a matter that occupies fans in debate to this day, showcasing how little the average law abiding citizen really understands about these professional mercenaries who have turned soldiery into a well-paying profession.

In Xtreme, the Marauders have a game in which they dont have to worry about limiting themselves and

following rules. If DreadBall is a game that they are ideally suited for, Xtreme is the game that they were born to play. Bands of Marauder mercenaries who are between jobs, looking to make some additional cash or just bored will often hire themselves out on the Xtreme circuit to play a few games, smash a few heads in and generally relax the only way that they know how. Marauders are always welcomed by the Xtreme crowds, who never tire in seeing them demonstrate their awesome capabilities. The Xtreme pitches are like canvasses on which they can paint their masterpieces of pain. Often in the blood of their opponents.

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Marauder Guard 5 3+ 4+ 5+ 4+ Guard, Psycho 20mc 13mc 8mc

Marauder Jack 5 5+ 3+ 4+ 5+ Outcast, Worker 14mc 9mc 6mc

MartiansNobody is quite sure where these dome-helmeted freaks came from, and it doesnt help that they speak the standard language only when it suits them. Carrying guns onto the pitch was seen as a bit much, even by the bloodthirsty masses who follow Xtreme, but after the first few hundred protestors had been vaporized, the consensus was quickly reached that objecting to the weapons in a sport with a high rate of fatalities which had no real rules anyway was largely pointless, especially when those weapons may just as easily end up being pointed at you.

Whether these Martians actually understand the point of Xtreme is unclear. They rarely seem to take much interest in scoring, and even though the crowds have embraced the changes that they have brought, it is still not uncommon for them to disintegrate as many spectators as opposing players in any given game. This gives games involving these creatures an exciting frisson, in addition to that provided by the random and often incredibly violent nature of their arrival for games. Despite all of this, they have amassed devoted legions of fans, who will all sit chanting the traditional Ack Ack team cheer as they watch them annihilate the opposition, often literally.

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Martian Guard 5 4+ 4+ 5+ 4+ Vicious, Weird Science, Alien 15mc 10mc 7mc Ray Gun

Martian Jack 5 4+ 4+ 5+ 5+ Vicious, Weird Science, Alien 12mc 8mc 6mc Ray Gun

Martian Striker 5 4+ 4+ 5+ 5+ Vicious, Weird Science, Alien 15mc 10mc 7mc Ray Gun

31

MechanitesThe biggest difference between DGB-sanctioned robots and their unlicensed equivalents mainly comes down to the motivations behind their creation. While professional robot teams are slick, crowd-pleasing droids with the ability to change shape and enact any one of a huge number of Showboat subroutines, the robots that are found participating in the underground arenas tend to be a little more practical. Some are the result of group builds, others are made by obsessive engineers and tinkerers, but they are almost all patchwork creations made from construction mechs, clearance drones or outdated military hardware picked up at grey-market auctions. Its wrong to assume that this makes them ineffective. In fact, unbound by the myriad rules and regulations that hold back their registered counterparts, their creators have the chance to be a lot more creative when equipping them. Tesla projectors, demolitions gear, magnetised ball-slings and even jet units are a common sight in the

underground leagues. In the early days there was a preference to at least attempt to make them look like their fancier equivalents, but as the crowds cottoned on to the idea that illegal robots could be so much more entertaining, this was cast aside in favour of making them as different as possible. It was at this point that the term Mechanite was first tossed around, and its stuck ever since.

Sponsors who field Mechanites in their teams tend to do so both because of their crowd-pleasing potential, but also because of how easy it is to replace them. They are a perfect choice for less morally ambivalent Sponsors, or those who would rather not go through the effort required to find new flesh-and-blood players after each game. Its much easier, and more ethical, to be able to crack open the hood and strip out the damaged parts or just build a whole replacement unit.

Robots Robots are in many ways the ideal Xtreme players. Durable, easily rebuilt after being dismantled and able to be tailored to any specific role on the pitch, they represent a decent investment for any sponsor with capital to spare. There are plenty of enthusiastic engineers from amateur tinkerers to professional engineers and even ex corporate and military designers willing to earn a few creds on the side developing machines for less reputable individuals, especially when they dont have to worry about rules, regulations or any health and safety concerns.

The robots of the DGB leagues may be far more advanced and sophisticated in appearance and aesthetic design, but those found in Xtreme take

the possibilities of machine-based lethality on the pitch to a whole other level. Though often functional even ugly in appearance, these glorious death machines are never less than popular and games involving robots will often sell out quicker than other comparable games.

Perhaps it is the certainty of carnage, the morbid fascination of watching a team that can literally be dismantled before their very eyes or simply the cool factor, but the crowds who follow Xtreme seem to have taken Mechanite players very much to their hearts. As long as that continues, then those who create these contraptions will remain busily engaged in work.

Nuts And Bolts A Sponsor can create one or more different types of robot player using the following steps.

1. Decide on the role you want the robot to play in by selecting its Basic Coding. You will see that this will restrict some options later.

2. Choose one option from each of: locomotion, chassis, and head these will help to make the player unique.

3. Select 2 arms one for each side as you might expect.

4. Finally, if you choose, you may add as much optional programming as you like, subject to the restrictions on player type that each one comes with. These will help to individualise each player further.

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MechanitesType

Role

Stats/Ability

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Cost

Strang

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Friend

Mechanites Guard Guard Guard role bonuses 6mc 4mc 3mc

Mechanites Jack Jack Jack role bonuses 3mc 2mc 1mc

Mechanites Striker Striker Striker role bonuses 6mc 4mc 3mc

Type

Role

Stats/Ability

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Cost

Strang

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Quad wheels (A) Any Move 5, Speed 5+, Steady 6mc 4mc 3mc

Monowheel (B) Any Move 6, Speed 5+ 6mc 4mc 3mc

Quad legs (C) Any Move 4, Speed 5+, Steady 3mc 2mc 1mc

Bird legs (D) Jack or Striker Move 6, Speed 5+, Duck & Weave 9mc 6mc 4mc

Armoured legs (E) Jack or Guard Move 5, Speed 5+ 5mc 3mc 2mc

LocomotionA robot needs to be able to get about, and this is how they do it. Each option has advantages and disadvantages, though many people choose them based more on looks than function.

Basic CodingAt the very core of a DreadBall robot is its role coding. This defines its physical build quality and parameters as well as its tactical outlook and basic strategy software suite.

The cost of each player is worked out as you go along as follows:

B If a new part adds or improves a stat or ability then you must pay for it.

B If a new part does not add or improve a stat or ability then you get it for free.

By the time you have added the cost of the last programming option you select you will have calculated the total cost of the robot.

Note that these costs, like any other DBX player, vary depending on how many groups you have in common.

All robots have the following groups: Mr Roboto, Tech Guys.

A robots final stat line is made up of the stats and abilities listed in the separate parts. If the same stat is listed for two different parts, keep the better value. For example, if part A says Strength 3+ and part B says Strength 4+ then use 3+. All other stats and abilities attached to both parts are used. There is no benefit for having the same ability twice.

The model parts for the robot player can be assembled in the same order as you make the choices, below. Of course, this gives a great opportunity for you to get really creative with your models.

a B C D E

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Type

Role

Stats/Ability

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Cost

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Chassis A Any Strength 4+ 3mc 2mc 1mc

Chassis B Jack or Striker Speed 4+, Strength 5+ 5mc 3mc 2mc

Chassis C Any Strength 5+ 2mc 1mc 1mc

Chassis D Jack or Guard Strength 4+, Cant Feel A Thing 8mc 5mc 3mc

Type

Role

Stats/Ability

Cha

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Cost

Strang

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Cranehead (A) Jack or Guard Skill 5+, Got