Alien Race: Blyntzyns

The Blyntzyns are a race of diminutive would-be conquerors that ran afoul of the Voltamen shortly after Earth, though they avoided being conquered only through luck and the Voltamens preoccupation with the rebellion on Earth. Now they are valued members of The United Planets, finding the cutthroat world of business and especially industry more to their liking than direct warfare.

The Blyntzyn homeworld is mineral and energy rich, allowing the Blyntzyns to construct a potent fleet of ships and robots. Due to earlier disasters in their home system, the Blyntzyn System is very poor in plant and animal life, making biomass of any kind highly valued.

Blyntzyns are very small by human standards, standing roughly two feet in height. They have a "goblin-like appearance, including huge pointed ears and horns. Though small and not very strong, they are brilliant technologists, and are highly resistant to toxins due to their highly (even overly) industrialized homeworld. 

Robotics is very important to the Blyntzyns, as they build a wide arrangement of highly advanced robots to run their industry, fight their wars, and explore the universe for them. In the United Planets, Blyntzyn-built robots are a regular sight in dangerous industrial zones, and are employed in the United Planets Navy as shock troops, pilots and robotic weapons platforms. 

Representative Names: Shlep and Blep.

First Appearance:  Amazing Adventures (July, 1951)

Blyntzyns are veritable wizards at building robots, gaining a +10 bonus at Robotics skill rolls. They also have the following characteristics:

+1 Intellect

-1 Strength

+1 Toxins

-1 Endurance

Space Ryft Campaign!

Woooo! Looks like I am starting up a sci-Fi campaign with my local group. The system we are using for this campaign is Space Ryft by the clever and innovative Wizardawn. Its a fairly "rules light" system with just enough crunch for some min-maxing (which is near and dear to all true table-top RPG aficionados). It reminds me somewhat of the old Buck Rogers XXVC Role-Playing Game, as skills are very important, and the deadliness of the weapons.
The basic setting of Space Ryft is in the 45th century. Earth has been devastated by an unspecified tragedy resulting in the Post-Apocalyptic Broken Urth RPG. Venus has been terraformed into a New Earth, and Mankind has discovered Ryfts in spacetime that allow vessels to traverse interstellar distances very quickly. This has opened up vast reaches of the universe to exploration, colonization and trade with a number of alien species.
Because Wizardawn has left the setting at that, for Gamemasters and Players to make their own settings, I feel the need to create my/our own setting. Fleshing it out to have the pulpy feel that I so often crave in science fiction. And so I present the Atomic Age Campaign Setting:

The setting is in the year 4444 AD, and mankind has recently emerged from a long and bloody war with an alien race known as the Voltamen (which are basically Space Nazis). This race had conquered Earth in the 33rd century, but was eventually repelled and eventually driven back. This war was costly, and a number of alien races were mankind's allies during this conflict. Now a Galactic Cold War is on with the Voltamen, with the United Planets enjoying a booming economy, and energized with a can-do attitude much like the idealized world view of 1950's America. Exploration and colonization are crucial to the United Planets efforts, and so there is a great need for brave adventurers.

The look of The Atomic Age setting incorporates real-world science and Retro Futurism. Space Age Googie architecture with upswept roofs, curvaceous, geometric shapes, and bold use of glass, steel and neon. Small and energy efficient are not the way of the Atomic Age, as people want BIG, BOLD and imposing. Pretty much everything uses atomic power (using xormite/phlebotinum as the key fissionable element).

Along with the look of the setting, there will also be a fair amount of Cold War propaganda and paranoia. The Voltamen are still out there, and the presence of spies is confirmed. So space-going G-Men, fear of Doomsday Weapons, and Propaganda are all part of the backdrop. Culture has a "golly-gee" feel to it in many ways. Kids are fairly innocent, and most people are optimistic and small-town/neighborhood ethics are widespread, particularly on space stations, colonies and deep space ships.

So stay tuned! More to come.

DAGGER RPG

Fairly recently, I became aware of this nifty little game supplement, DAGGER. Its an attempt by the talented folks over at Brave Halfling Publishing to make a Rules Light key to help present tabletop RPGs to kids (5 and up) without all of the character stats. In my opinion, this is an excellent resource for getting kids into the imaginative aspects of RPG's without intimidating them without too much math.
The DAGGER game is made to allow DM's to use the many published (and homebrew) RPG settings and adventure modules out there, regardless of editions, without any fuss. This way, you and your players can get right to the action and using their imaginations!
The initial rules allow for playing a small number of classes/races; Knight, Wizard, Elf, Dwarf, and Halfling, but can easily be adapted to allow other classes or races as desired. Both Wizards and Elves may cast spells, which include healing, so standard clerics ore not initially available.
Overall I think that this is a brilliantly simple game. I will be testing this system out on some friends kids and see how it does. I will post the games as they transpire.

A FREE black & white version of this game can be downloaded HERE. And a color version (for a mere $1.50) can be purchased HERE.

Arae: Divine Patrons (Kristi Kringle)

Kristi Kringle

St. Nicholas and Kristi Kringle

Alias: Christkind, Christkindl, Jezisek
Feast: December 6 or December 25
Symbols: Winged Child with Halo, Reindeer, Candle
Patronage: Children, The Poor, Candy, Laughter
Cleric Alignment: Chaotic Good or Neutral Good
Powers: Clerics are standard Good (Law) clerics. However as an added bonus Clerics of Kristi Kringle begins play with a figurine of wondrous power called the Deer of Jezisek (see below). Also, a Cleric of Kristi Kringle has a 5% chance per level of attracting the attentions of a Chaotic Good Putti (see below) which may or may not be a good thing depending upon the clerics behavior.
Favored Weapon: Weapons are abhorrent to Kristi Kringle, but if need-be a club or billhook can be used.

"And the child smiled on the Giant, and said to him, 'You let me play once in your garden, to-day you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise." -Oscar Wilde, The Selfish Giant

Kristi Kringle is an emissary of Heaven who is particularly active during the winter months when warmth and cheer are all the more needed. When manifested this angelic being appears as a pretty child of indistinct gender with long golden hair, wearing a white robe of beautiful design. Most encounters with Kristi Kringle usually begin with the spirit masquerading as a mortal child, whose divine nature is revealed over time. When fully manifested, Kristi Kringle shines with a glorious light and is clearly divine. In art Kristi Kringle is often depicted riding a deer laden with sweets and toys, or as a cherubic child. Kristi Kringle will often collaborate with Saint Nicholas in his journey on Christmas, and their clerics share a close relationship.

The basic doctrine of Kristi Kringle is deceptively simple; Love others through action. Don't merely say "I Love You" but show it through daily acts of kindness, and by embracing joy. Children are of particular interest to Kristi Kringle, who seeks to instill in them an understanding of God's all-encompassing love. Kindness to children, regardless of faith or race is a foundational teaching of Kristi Kringle. 

Clerics
Clerics dedicated to Kristi Kringle are men and women who seem to embody joy and giving. Exuberant givers, quick to forgive and always ready with sweets or kind words. There is no particular raiment associated with Kristi Kringle, though clerics will typically wear their hair long and unbound. Winter gear is important to these clerics, as visiting the poor and children of devout families in the winter months is very important. Sweets of all kinds are frequently given out, and so many clerics of Kristi Kringle are skilled in candy making.
Halflings and Humans have the largest number of clerics dedicated to Kristi Kringle, as these two races have a particular love of children and childish merry-making. Both Elves and Dwarves prefer St. Nicholas and their own patrons of the Holiday Season. Strangely, Goblin converts have a large number of clerics dedicated to Kristi Kringle, whom they call Jezisek. Goblins dedicated to Jezisek are merry pranksters known to deliver sweets in secret, and coal to naughty children.


Deer of Jezisek:

This figurine of wondrous power (see B&T GMG page 218 for details) appears as a large and powerful Deer or Reindeer. Once activated this item/creature provides a speedy and enduring mount equal to that of a heavy horse in every way except appearance. The deer can travel for a maximum of one day each week, continuously or in any combination of periods totaling 24 hours. At this point, or when the command word is uttered, it returns to its statuette form for not less than one day before it can again be used.

PUTTI

Small Outsider, Neutral (CG), High Intelligence; Flutter (1d6)
HD: 3
AC: 16 [+1]
ATK: 1 arrow (1d4 or see below)
MV: 20 (Fly 40)
SV: F12 R11 W10
XP: 300 (CL 4)
Putti are mischievous outsiders related in some way to Angels, Archons and the Fey, though how this works is the subject of much debate amongst scholars and clerics. What is known is that they are fun-loving, (mostly) benign beings that fairly swarm in upper planar regions. In the mortal world they can sometimes be found disguised as mortal children, looking for the stodgy and stiff-necked to play pranks on. Putti appear as plump humanoid infants with pink skin and rosy cheeks and small white wings (clearly too small to allow them to fly, yet fly they do).
Putti in service to Kristi Kringle are sent into the mortal world on Christmas Eve, usually disguised as mortal children. In this guise they deliver toys and sweets to children. Though it is primarily for devout families, Putti are also known to give small treats to any children they encounter. Naughty children (and adventurers) are advised not to take advantage or seek to cheat a Putti out of its gifts.
Putti are armed with short bows and a quiver of 10 arrows. These arrows can be fired as normal shafts, or they can be used to deliver the putti's spell-like abilities. When used to deliver spells, roll damage (1d4) and apply this as a penalty on the victim's saving throw.
Spells: 3/day - Calm emotions, charm person, clairaudience/clairvoyance, confusion, light, rage, suggestion; 1/day - Charm monster, command, dimension door, dominate person, dream, ethereal jaunt, irresistible dance.
Special Qualities: Immune to fear, magic resistance (15%)

The Putti first appeared in The Land of Nod blog. I have changed them to Chaotic Good for this article, as in Arae most of them are servants of Kristi Kringle. 

Atomic Dawn: Earth Eater

No. Enc.: 1d4 (1d4)
Alignment: Chaotic
Movement: 90' (30')
Burrow: 90' (30')
Armor Class: -4
Hit Dice: 17
Attacks: 2 or 1 (trample, tail slap or sonic blast)
Damage: 8d8, 2d10 or 10d6
Save: L17
Morale: 10
Hoard Class: None

Earth Eater are immense Kaiju that live in the deepest parts of the earth, burrowing through deep rock and eating ores and certain types of stone. Earth Eaters are bulky creatures resembling a titanic ankylosaurus (perhaps its ancestral form) with two antennae sprouting from its forehead. An Earth Eater is 100 feet from head to tail. These monsters have a particular liking for processed man-made materials such as concrete, processed metal, and petroleum products, which can bring them into conflict with the surface world. Such encounters are rare, but devastating.
Earth Eaters have a sonic blast that is usable 3 times per day. It is a 100ft long, 5ft wide, cone. It inflicts 10d8 sonic damage, and characters must save vs stun or be or be stunned for 2d4 turns. If used on buildings or  underground this sonic blast collapses buildings and tunnels. Any creature caught inside a collapsing cavern or structure takes 7d6 points of damage from falling debree. If opponents are not killed or driven off by its sonic blast, an earth eater will trample foes and attempt to pummel them with its huge tail club.
The only known weakness of Earth Eaters is water, which burns these creatures like acid, dealing 1d10 points of damage as the creatures flesh is turned to mud.
Mutations: Damage turning, energy beam (sonic), reflective epidermis (heat), epidermal susceptibility (water)

Setting Notes
The Alamo Empire has had recent encounters with an  Earth Eater. This conflict was devastating as this particular monster, requiring focused assault by Guardian Class robots. Though the kaiju was killed, the victory was costly, destroying four Guardian robots and twenty-five Alamo Guard troops and an unknown number of slaves before the monster was put down. Additional sightings of other earth eaters are unconfirmed, but still disturbing.'