The Vault and me
Well, this is probably as good a point as any to start.
To be clear and to the point, I don't like the Vault/PBBL rules for Bloodbowl.
Notice that's "like" - not "think they don't work". For what they're designed to do, they look like they'll work perfectly. Unfortunately, in my opinion, it's completely the wrong direction for Bloodbowl to take.
I find the whole notion of inducements to be nonsensical, and it punishes team building (though not kills it like others will claim). Another huge turnoff for me is it's reliance on Star Players. I detest Star Player, indeed, I detest all "Special Characters" in all GW games, and we very rarely use them in our local club, except for if a storyline dictates it. The idea that Burton Albion could play Manchester United, and borrow a couple of premership players, and hire Ronaldinho and Ronaldo for the game sits very badly for me.
Now, I agree it "solves" the problem that some Open leagues have, but firstly, are they that common (never played in one except online), and secondly, is "Open" the right way to play anyway? If it's not, then why base the rules on it?
The other major turn-off for me is the loss of traits. No some people argue that was just the removal of a sticking plaster from the 3rd edition days, but in my opinion, it was one of the better rules mechanics from the LRB era. I LIKE the idea that some skills are impossible for some players to get. I really disagree with the current nerfing of the skills we have under the PBBL rules, just because the skills are (with some exceptions) open to all.
Having said that, there are some good rules in the PBBL set. TV to replace TR is a great idea, and works well under LRB 4.0 rules. Journeymen for teams under 11 is another good idea, which with a bit of tweaking, I'll incorparate into our houserules. And the idea of players costs changing as they gain skills/Stats works very well, and again, we've used it under LRB 4.- with no problems. I might use the Cards for our next season, though I think we're more likely to stick with the 3-tiered table we currently use. The changes to some rosters (Norse in particular) I like the look of, though I'm going to wait for more feedback before I decide if we're going to use them.
On the other hand, some rules I don't like: Inducements, loss of traits (see above), the Ogre tream (spit!), Secret Weapons (I want them on-roster, but not in this form) and the whole dumbing down of the game (but that's a rant for another time).
So overall:
Are there good rules in the PBBL? - Yes, and some will be "lifted" and inserted into our LRB 4.0 league.
Is te PBBL a good ruleset? - Overall, no.
