Quidditch 101 - A not-so-brief introductory

[PhilbertTenderbean]

Quidditch 101
A not-so-brief introductory

Hello, all, and welcome to the wonderful world of Quidditch! I will be your new referee and instructor for our brand new Quidditch Tournament!

Here's a few basic necessities for you to know:


The Dice Roll -

All players roll a 20 sided die to determine their actions. In order to roll a die: Post a reply, and from the Post Action drop down box select "Roll Dice." select "20 sided die" from the box that appears, and input "1" in the number of dice box. Then, after role-playing to your hearts content, post!

The Game Layout -

The game is played in a series of offensive and defensive rounds, each separated into several plays. When one team is playing offense, the other is playing defense. For the first 2 rounds, there are only 3 plays per round. Afterwards, there are 4 plays. During the first 2 plays, as well as the first half of the 3rd play, Offensive Chasers and Defensive Beaters roll against each other. In the second half of the 3rd play, any Chasers not intercepted by Beaters will roll against the Defensive Keeper in an attempt to score. In the 4th play both teams Seekers will attempt to catch the Snitch. Once a round has ended, the teams switch from offensive to defensive, and vice versa. You can find a more detailed outline of this in lesson 4.

The Players -

Each team will be comprised of 7 to 8 players:

3 Chasers
2 Beaters
1 Seeker
1 Keeper
1 Captain (may also have, though does not need to have one of the previous positions)

A team may have unlimited alternates, in case a player magically disappears on the field and cannot play.

**Due to practical limitations regarding active membership, we are currently offering doppelganger charms so that a single player may hold multiple positions at the same time.


The End of Game Scoring -

A win will result in 100 house points!
A loss will result in 25 house points...
A tie will result in 50 house points for each team.
Having a negative score (due to delay of game penalties) will result in -50 house points. This negative score supersedes other results so a final score of -20, -15 will result in both teams receiving -50 house points. A final score of +20, -15 will result in +100 and -50 house points respectively.


Delay of Game -

Teams will lose 1 point for not rolling within 24 hours.
Each 12 hours afterwards will result in another 1 point loss.
Team captains may opt to substitute a player after 18 hours of no rolls.
Each position may be substituted once per game without penalty, though subsequent substitutions will result in a 2 point loss.  

[PhilbertTenderbean]

Lesson 2 - Intermediate Lessons

Each position has a separate, yet equally important, role to play in the game. I will now outline each position's purpose, however the finer details will not yet be included. If it doesn't all make sense yet, that's okay, as there's still more to come after this.


Captains -
At certain points within a round, the captain states what actions his or her team will be attempting. This must be done before other players may roll for their own actions. Because of this, it is important that captains show up regularly and work with their team to devise appropriate strategies to given situations. The captain should be someone the team trusts to either come up with their own viable strategy or to act upon the teams decided strategy.


Chasers -
The chasers will attempt to lead the quaffle to the goal and surpass the keepers roll in order to score points. A chaser will likely be forced to out-roll beaters attempting to intercept.
Each round the chasers will roll and, depending on if they out-roll the beaters, will either be intercepted or allowed to roll against the opposite team's keeper.
After all 3 chasers have had a chance to lead the quaffle, any chasers who were not intercepted by beaters will attempt to score on the Keeper. Scoring on a Keeper will net a team 5 points.


Beaters -
The beaters will attempt to intercept and attack both chasers and seekers.
If they out-roll the chaser they are targeting, the chaser will not be allowed to attempt to score on the Keeper. If the Beater successfully intercepts a seeker, then the seeker cannot catch the snitch.
The beaters roll will be compared to the chaser/seekers rolls to decide if the chaser/seeker is intercepted. If a beater intercepts a chaser with a difference of +10 or more, the chaser will be injured and unable to assist for the remainder of the round.


Keepers -
The Keeper is a barricade - a bastion whose job it is to protect the goal above all else. He will roll against any remaining Chasers that were not intercepted by Beaters, and should he fail, the Chaser's team will gain points. Because of his strength and determination, he will receive +20 to all his rolls!


Seekers -
The Seeker will attempt to catch the snitch. Before he can even try that, however, he may be intercepted by Beaters. If the Seeker out-rolls the Beaters, he may roll again and, if he rolls a 19-20, his team will receive 30 points.  

[PhilbertTenderbean]

Lesson 3: Advanced Rules

Alright, now that you know the basics and what each player is designed to do, it's time to learn some of the more complex aspects of play! This lesson deals with far more specifics than the previous lessons, so if you find yourself confused, ask any questions you have in the Quidditch Feedback thread, and I will attempt to clarify.


While all the positions of the game roll, they all roll at different times and for different purposes, and also have different restrictions placed upon them. I have listed the positions from simplest to most advanced for your convenience.



Keepers
Keepers roll only once a round. Their roll has a +20 added to it automatically. For instance, were a Keeper to roll a 14, his actual total roll would be 34. Any non-intercepted Chasers will also roll, and if their combined total rolls are higher than the Total rolls of the Keeper, they score. The only exception to this is if the Keeper rolls a 1. A 1 is a critical failure, and the Chasers will always score. The max total roll for a Keeper is 40, the minimum, not including 1, is 22.



Seekers
Seekers roll at the end of each round. Both teams Seekers get a chance to roll up to two times. The first roll occurs if the opposing team's Beaters attempt to intercept. If so, the Beaters roll, and the Seeker rolls. If the Seeker rolls higher, he has avoided interception and may roll again. During his second roll he is attempting to grab the snitch. By rolling either a 19 or 20, he achieves this goal and receives 30 points for his team. When rolling to catch the snitch, a Seeker has a 10% chance of doing so.


Beaters
Beaters are given the task of intercepting Chasers and Seekers, and do so by rolling at certain times. Beaters have no modifiers to their rolls, so will also have a total roll of the exact number they roll. If a Beater's total roll beats a Chaser or Seeker's total roll, the Chaser or Seeker is intercepted. Because a beater can only focus on a single target at any given time, a Beater that attempts an intercept is referred to as "downed" for the next play. Downed Beaters are unable to attempt interception, so Beaters can only roll every second play at the most. For example, if a Beater attempts to intercept the first Chaser, he cannot intercept the 2nd. He may intercept the 3rd if he wishes, though again, if he intercepts the 3rd, he cannot intercept the seeker during the 4th play. It is possible for both beaters to target a single Chaser, and this will increase the odds of intercepting - however there will be no Beaters to attempt intercept in the following play. If a Beater rolls higher than a Chasers total roll by +10 or more, the Chaser is injured, and may not assist for the remainder of the round. Note that when two Beaters both decide to intercept a Chaser, their rolls do not combine. It merely gives two chances to beat the Chaser.


Chasers
Chasers have what is perhaps the most complicated total roll. Each Chaser must roll each round (one Chaser per play) in an attempt to lead the quaffle to the goal. If they out-roll any intercepting Beaters, they may attempt to score on the Keeper at the end of the round. Chasers may also attempt to assist any other Chaser's rolls during other plays. When assisting, Chasers can combine rolls in an attempt to stop Beaters from successfully intercepting. While this can be powerful, it also incurs negative modifiers to the assist roll, as well as subsequent rolls. Specifically, assisting rolls will be made at -7, to a minimum of 1. (rolling a 3, subtracting 7, will still add 1 point to the combined rolls) Assisting will also result in a -2 cumulative penalty to a Chaser’s rolls for the remainder of the round. For example, if the leading Chaser rolls a 16, and the assisting Chaser rolls a 10, the total combined roll is 19 (16 + 10 - 7). Unless the Beater rolls a 20, the leading Chaser will not be intercepted. The assisting Chaser, however, will now receive a -2 modifier to the rest of his rolls for the remainder of the round. For instance, were he the lead the quaffle next play, and rolled a 12, his total roll would be 10 (12 - 2). If that Chaser made it to the Keeper despite that, he would receive a -2 modifier on that roll as well. Lastly, both non-leading Chasers can attempt to assist on every play, however the negative modifiers are cumulative. If a Chaser assists twice before leading the quaffle, he will add -4 to his roll.
The maximum roll against a Keeper is 60 (assuming all three Chasers are not intercepted, did not assist, and all rolled 20's) the minimum is 1 (only 1 chaser was not intercepted and only rolls a 1). The maximum roll against a Beater is 46 (1 leading Chaser, 2 assisting Chasers, all rolling 20.) and the minimum is 1.

Here's a brief summary of the assisting rules noted above:
When a Chaser rolls, other Chasers may opt to assist. Their rolls will be made at -7, to a minimum of 1, and combine with the other Chaser’s roll. Assisting will result in a -2 cumulative penalty to a Chaser’s rolls for the remainder of the round.

Stay tuned to learn about turn order!  

[PhilbertTenderbean]

Lesson 4: Playing Order

Each team and player rolls at specific times during a round. Below is the basic game format and turn order to follow. Each step is indicated by a dash and must be followed in the given order. Any dash with multiple positions rolling may roll in any order during that step. (So in step 1 of play to 1, the chaser must post. In step 3 of play 1, the beaters and assisting chasers may roll in any order.)

First round only:
Coin Toss
-Both sides roll, and the highest side wins. In the event of a tie, both teams re-roll. The winning team takes offensive position first.

Every game round:
Play 1
-First offensive Chaser leads the ball.
-Team captains both declare if their Beaters (defense only) or Chasers (offense only) will attempt intercept or assist.
-Declared Beaters/Chasers make the attempt (Cannot be downed or injured).
-Negative modifiers are applied to assisting Chasers and any Beaters that attempted intercept are downed.

Play 2
-Second offensive Chaser leads the ball.
-Team captains both declare if their Beaters (defense only) or Chasers (offense only) will attempt intercept or assist.
-Declared Beaters/Chasers make the attempt (Cannot be downed or injured).
-Negative modifiers are applied to assisting Chasers and any Beaters that attempted intercept are downed.

Play 3
-Third offensive Chaser leads the ball.
-Team captains both declare if their Beaters (defense only) or Chasers (offense only) will attempt intercept or assist.
-Declared Beaters/Chasers make the attempt (Cannot be downed or injured).
-Negative modifiers are applied to assisting Chasers and any Beaters that attempted intercept are downed.
-All non-injured, offensive Chasers that were not intercepted by Beaters during plays 1-3 attempt to score on the defensive Keeper.

Play 4
-Team captains declare if their Beaters (cannot be downed) will attempt to intercept.
-Seekers roll; however, the seeker who rolls first gets to attempt to catch the snitch first, and the next seeker must wait for the outcome of the first seeker's attempt before starting his attempt.
-Declared beaters will make the attempt towards the opposing seeker once the seeker's turn starts
-Seekers that avoid interception attempt to catch snitch. If the first seeker catches the snitch, the round ends. If the first seeker misses, the second seeker gets a chance to catch the snitch.

End of each round:
-Negative modifiers on Chasers are removed. Any Injured Chasers return to the field. Offense and Defense switch sides.
* This step does not require any interaction from the players. The first offensive Chaser may go straight on to the first step of a new round as soon as the second Seeker rolls in Play 4.


Below is more in depth information on the plays:

Play 1-3 Info


-Chaser rolls. (Always step 1)

-Defensive Team Captain notes if non-downed beaters choose to attempt intercept. (Always step 2)

-Offensive Team Captain notes if Chasers choose to assist. (Always step 3)

-Intercepting Beaters and Assisting Chasers roll, applying proper negative modifiers. All players the team captains noted MUST roll, though can roll in any order.
Once all assisting chasers and intercepting beaters have rolled, the play ends. Chasers who were intercepted by beaters may not assault the keeper at the end of play 3. Chasers who were injured may not assist for the remainder of the round. (Always step 4)

-At the end of the third play, (each offensive chaser has lead the quaffle) all offensive chasers who were not intercepted or injured will roll against the keeper. All applicable chasers will combine their total rolls, including negative modifiers. The keeper will roll and add +20 to his total roll. If the chasers total rolls are higher than the keepers, the chasers score 5 points for their team and play 4 begins. If the keeper rolls a 1, the chasers score as well. If the Keeper rolls higher, then the Chasers do not score, and play 4 begins.
note- There is no set turn order for this step. Chasers and Keeper can roll in any order.

Play 4 Info

In which the Seekers will attempt to catch the snitch.

-The Opposing Team Captain must declare which non-downed beaters will attempt intercept.

-Either Seeker may try to roll first. Whoever posts first gets to attempt to catch the snitch first.

-Declared Beaters must roll.

-If the seeker is not intercepted, he may roll again. If he rolls a 19-20, his team receives 30 points.

-If the first seeker and opposing beaters have rolled and did NOT catch the snitch, the second seeker attempts to catch the snitch in the same way. If, however, the first seeker did catch the snitch, a new round begins.


** - Defensive beaters may only attempt to intercept if they did not roll in play 3. Offensive beaters may always roll, however will not be able to roll in play 1 of the following round if they attempt to intercept here.

** Beaters rolls are never combined. If both beaters are declared to roll, and the first beater intercepts, both beaters are downed anyway. Beaters only intercept or injure the initial rolling chaser, not those who assist.

And that is how this wonderful game is played! The next Lesson will answer any Frequently Asked questions I am given. Feel free to ask about anything that confuses you right here in this very thread.  

[PhilbertTenderbean]

Frequently Asked Questions

Here I will answer any questions that pop up often or I feel are good enough that everyone should see the questions and answer right away.

For now this section is rather small, though with your help, it can grow! Until then, please ask about anything you don't understand in the feedback thread.

The next lesson involves a few pointers from your instructor for how to get the most out of your game plans.


Frequently Asked Question 1:
What happens in the event of a tie roll?
In order for a Beater to stop a Chaser or Seeker, he or she must beat the Chasers/Seeker roll. A tie falls in favour of the Chaser/Seeker. Likewise, Chasers must beat the Keepers roll, so a tie falls in favour of the Keeper.  

[PhilbertTenderbean]

Tips and Tricks to playing Quidditch

I'll post a few bits of helpful advice here to help teams use their imagination in how to make new and improved strategies to best the opposing teams!

~ If a Leading chaser is intercepted, feel free to have them assist on all subsequent plays during the round. Any negative modifiers they gain won't matter, as they've already rolled all they are going to.

~ It's really bad if the opposing teams Seeker grabs the snitch, however it is not a likely event. Factor that in when deciding how to use your Beaters... Always giving the Chasers an easy shot on net in order to stop the Seeker can hurt in the long run.

~ Weigh up how important it is to accrue more points at any given time. If you have a steady lead, play defensively to keep it that way, instead of risking losing it in order to bolster it further.

~ Discuss strategy with your fellow team mates. You may be able to win if you just wing it, but you'll be far more likely to if you think first.

~ This game requires active participation and team work. If your fellow team mates aren't holding their weight, either encourage them to keep up or cut them loose and get new players. Remember - if your team isn't posting, your points can go down fast. If they are below 0 when the game ends, your entire house suffers.  

[PhilbertTenderbean]

Off The Field Rules

While the games are important, so is what happens off the field. This section will cover a few of the obvious and not so obvious parts.

The Captain -
The Captain has a very important role. It is up to him or her to decide who plays what position on the team, is responsible for calling the teams strategy during games, and should try to coordinate with the fellow teammates as to when everyone should post. It is a big responsibility and should not be taken lightly. While the captain does hold much power, Quidditch rules section 84-B states that a team can hold a vote of no confidence at any time to adjust the captains position to a different person. Votes can be called by anyone at any time. The team will then vote on the issue by posting if they wish for a new captain. at least 51% of the voters must agree to remove the captain. This is not a poll, so making a poll thread will not work. Votes will take 72 hours. Anyone abstaining will not be included in the vote.

Locker rooms -
Each team will be given a locker room where they can discuss strategies and have post-game parties and whatever else they wish to do. Each teams locker room is considered private and off-limits to other teams. Teachers and heads of house will be monitoring who enters them. Any team caught entering another teams locker room will lose 100 house points.

Rule disputes -
Any disputes regarding rule clarity or misunderstandings will be handled by either myself or one of my assistant referees. My word is final and, unless I intervene, my assistants words are to be followed without dispute as well.

Keeping our playing field tidy -
The game threads should be dedicated to playing the game. Don't use them for asking questions, making comments, or explaining how to make enchiladas.