Behind the Black - Tabletop Snooker

Three numbers a player, one die a frame, and the maximum is always on.

Behind the Black is a tabletop snooker game. You rate a player on three numbers, roll a die each, and read the frame.

You roll for the three things that decide a match: how big the break goes when a man gets in, who wins the tight ones, and who holds his nerve with the title on the line.

The frame. Both players roll a d20 and add their break-building. The bigger total takes it, and the gap between the rolls gives you the size of the break off a single grid. Roll close and it goes to a safety battle; level again and it drops to nerve. When one man is a frame from the match there is no safety at all. The tight frames go straight to nerve, and that is where titles change hands.

Snookers required. Lose a frame narrowly and you can go for snookers rather than concede. How many you need comes off how badly you lost it, and how hard each one is comes off your safety against his. Once a match, and you choose the moment.

The maximum. A century comes off the same grid. Make one on a natural 20 and every ball has gone so far, and you roll to see if he is on for the 147.

Or play it quick. Grade each man on one number and take a whole match off two rolls of a d20: who won, and the scoreline. Tables run from a best of seven to a best of thirty-five, so a sixteen-man draw fits in an evening. Play the matches you care about frame by frame and roll the rest.

What you get. Four books, seven sheets and two browser apps.

Book One - The Core Game. Player cards, the frame, the break matrix, the maximum chase, snookers required, twelve traits, match lengths, and how to rate a real player from the record book.

Book Two - The Tour. A snooker world that never existed. Tour shape, era feel, venues, a six-roll player generator with name tables for thirteen countries, a season calendar, ranking points, and an off-season that ages your players on, retires them and brings new professionals through.

Book Three - The Commentary Box. Narrative tables for the tight frame, the safety battle, the nerve, the break, the snooker exchange, the incident, the room and the press afterwards.

Book Four - Quick Play. A whole match in two rolls. Highest break, centuries and the maximum still get rolled, so the record book fills in.

Sheet 1 - Match Scoresheet. Nineteen frames, the record, and the snookers-required boxes.

Sheet 2 - Quick Reference. Everything at the table on one sheet. Leave Book One in the box.

Sheet 3 - Player Cards. Twelve blanks, the rating bands, and a point-buy for building your own.

Sheet 4 - Tournament Bracket. A sixteen-player draw, the event record, ranking points and an order of merit.

Sheet 5 - Player Ratings. Fifty-six players across five eras: the seventies, the eighties, the class of ninety-two, the modern game, and a cross-era all-time draw.

Sheet 6 - The Harcourt Circuit. A complete fictional tour, ready to play. Thirty-two professionals across nine nations, eight named events at named venues, and a write-up of who is on top, who is coming through and who is nearly finished.

The app. Plays a whole match with the dice animated and every table on screen, in either mode. Simulate up to a score you name and join a final at fifteen all. Edit the ratings, import and export players as a spreadsheet, save a match and pick it up later.

Sheet 7 - Build any player, any era from a few questions

The Player Card Creator. Type players in, or roll them off Book Two's tables: nation, name, age, archetype, trait and nickname. Print the cards, and export straight into the match app.

Play with a d20, two d6 and a d10. The apps need no install and no internet - open the file.

A4 page size. Print at Actual Size or 100%. US buyers printing on Letter, select Fit to Page.