Guide to Broom Games: 2023-24 Edition

[Prof. Will Lestrange]

"What types of broom games will we be playing in pickups this year?"

There are four "standard" games we play in pickups these days. In alphabetical order, they are as follows:
Creaothceann, Modern Quaffle, Quodpot, and Xany. Although all of these games have been played before, they may be new to some of you out on the pitch. Moreover, even if you ARE experienced with some of those games, you might not be up to date with the way we have improved these games over the past few years. Therefore, we are explaining the games in a bit more detail so that you can understand them!
(NOTE that because Xany is part of Modern Quaffle, we are saving Modern Quaffle for last.)

1) Creaothceann is an ancient Scottish game whose name comes from the Scottish Gaelic words for "wounded head". Traditionally, it was played with people strapping cauldrons to their head and running around and catching rocks, but our version is slightly less dangerous. Each of our 'rocks' are caught as follows: a question is asked to everyone on the pitch and the first TWO players to answer it are in position to catch the rock. The rock then takes the form of a new question for those two players; whichever answers that question scores a point! Play continues onto the next question, but with a twist: no one is allowed to catch two rocks in a row! (In other words, if you earned a rock, you will NOT be allowed to attempt the next question.) Whoever catches the most rocks wins!
[Occasionally, the 'no one is allowed to catch two rocks in a row' rule may be slightly changed to allow for more participation. Any such change will be clearly announced before the game begins.]

2) Quodpot is an American game named after its explosive ball, the "Quod". Traditionally, players score by placing the Quod into a "pot" while trying to make sure it doesn't explode. Our version, again, is slightly less dangerous, but still involves explosions! It is played as a TEAM GAME, though the questions are all free-for-all. We are pleased to announce that the Quod has been improved so that no one should ever want to sit out on a question they already know again!

The game will choose with the bot asking a question. Whoever answers the question claims the Quod. But there is a small chance - about 14 or 15 percent - that the Quod will explode! If the Quod explodes, the person who claims it will be ELIMINATED from the game. Otherwise, the person will score a point for their team! Each subsequent question will increase the probability of an explosion - but will also increase the number of points the player would get if the Quod does NOT explode. So Question 1 is worth 1 points if there is no explosion, Question 2 is worth 2 points if there is no explosion, and so on down the line. [Mathematically, the probability that Question N will lead to an exploding Quod is N/(N + 6)].

After each explosion, the Quod 'resets': the next question will have only a 14 or 15 percent chance of exploding - and earn the answerer 1 point if the Quod does NOT explode. From this point, gameplay continues... until the last person on the losing team is eliminated. At that point, the team with the most points wins!

3) Xany is a broom racing game nearly as old as HOL itself! It was named after one of Ravenclaw's earliest professors and Quidditch coaches, Prof. Romulus "Xany" Xanthos. This game functions like regular botting with a twist: after the bot asks a question, the first SIX players to answer correctly score points (20 for 1st place, 10 for 2nd, 5 for 3rd, 3 for 4th, 2 for 5th, and 1 for 6th). Everyone keeps on scoring points until someone scores 150; at that point, the game ends and the first person to hit 150 points wins!

4) Modern Quaffle is the broom game that was developed for use in Quaffle play in the 2022-3 season. The game alternates between two phases: a trivia phase and a board game phase.

TRIVIA PHASE: Each trivia phase lasts seven questions, each of which runs like "Xany" as described above.
BOARD GAME PHASE: Each team will have the opportunity to place three offensive pieces (representing Chasers) and three defensive pieces (representing two Beaters and a Keeper) on a game board with three lanes. While Chaser stacking (the act of placing all three offensive pieces in the same lane) is allowed, no team may engage in Chaser stacking three rounds in a row. Teams will be able to discuss where to place their pieces in their team room, with their placements kept secret from the other team until the result of the phase is announced.

After both teams have finished placing their pieces, the board will be resolved by the referee as follows:
-Each Beater or Keeper can block exactly ONE Chaser *in the same lane*.
-Each unblocked Chaser will score a goal; each blocked Chaser will NOT score.
-Each goal will be worth 50 game points, which will be added to the scoring team's Quaffle score immediately.

Oh, and there may very well be Bludgers in the Modern Quaffle game... see the Bludger section in the handbook to see how they work!