Saturday, April 27, 2013

Simian Saturday in the Land of Nod


  A few Simian Saturdays ago I posted about some cool work going on over at the Land of Nod blog.  I'm excited to see that he is working on developing this idea some more! I think the Blood & Treasure RPG is an awesome game and tossing Apes into the mix is putting chocolate into my peanut butter! 
I found this piece of awesome ape art awhile back and was saving it for the right occassion, I think this is it!

Now if I can just con...um cajole.. er I mean convince someone to run it so I can play a Gorilla Barbarian based on the above picture I'll be in business!

artwork is by Marco-Itri no copyright infringement is intended!

Friday, April 26, 2013

Iron Dwarfs

Here's a fun alien race I worked up for Machinations of the Space Princess, with some Stars Without Numbers Tags thrown in. 

Iron Dwarfs (Kragmosians)

Lenses
Austere: The harsh conditions of their homeworld have instilled in them a strict sense of living with no luxuries, waste or other "frivolous" things. They consider other species pursuit of such things to be a sign of weakness.
Pride: While not necessarily overtly hostile to other races, they do favor their own kind over all others and have a near single-minded focus on the promotion and advancement of their own species.
Collectivity: Communistic outlook, the importance of the individual is thought to be minimal when weighed against the group as a whole.
Government: Oligarchic; "The Central Committee"
Technology Level: 4
Motivation: Community
     The heavy gravity world of Kragmos-3 is home to the Kragmosian race, or as humans tend to call them Iron Dwarfs. They are a squat, short (4'+ tall) race of humanoids with a metallic-like outer hide. They are a proud race, viewing other races as beneath them, but will trade with other species for goods and resources that cannot be found within their home system. While possessing space travel capabilities they tend to stick to their homeworld, maintaining only a few trade outposts outside of their home system. There is little individuality amongst them, the harshness of their homeworld entrenched in them a strong desire to work for the community as a whole rather than the individual. This same background led them to develop a very austere culture teaching them to make do with little, as well as, valuing restraint, selflessness and strength of will. It is thought for this reason that no known Iron Dwarf has ever exhibited or pursued the development of Psion abilities. Lone Iron Dwarfs found beyond their home system and outposts are most likely rogues amongst their own kind that have been exiled to human space as a form of punishment.
     While they exhibit a great deal of restraint on most occasions Iron Dwarfs do enjoy singing, while they work (it is actually a very low hum), however their singing creates a low vibrational effect that other races (humans in particular) find disturbing! Humans listening to the "singing" for more than 5 rds will suffer a terrible headache (-1 to all skill checks requiring concentration until free from exposure for 5 rds or more.)

MOTSP Traits
Humanoid: +1 Skill Point
Metal-Oxide Based- Metallic Skin: Armor Rolls at +1 (for other games this would be the equivalent of Damage Reduction: 1)
High Gravity – Very Tough +2 Con, -1 Dex
Austere- Tough: +2 to Toughness Save
-4 to Charisma: Racially Prideful, Austere and Introverted, Iron Dwarfs tend to not interact well with other races.
Iron Dwarfs have no known Psion abilities; PC Iron Dwarfs cannot choose the Psion class

Kragmos-3
Atmosphere: Breathable Mix (has a harsh unpleasant smell, but no other ill effects)
Temperature: Warm World – Rocky Desert, surface is harsh and brutal
Biosphere: Immiscible
Population: Estimated to be in the Hundreds of Thousands (99% of Iron Dwarfs dwell underground, their cities hidden from outsiders, they utilize tunnelers and borer vehicles to travel beneath the planet's rocky surface so exact numbers of their overall population are unknown).
Tech Level: 4 (with advances in gravitic weaponry & underground borer and tunneler vehicles)
World Tags: Heavy Mining (while poor in many resources, Kragmos-3 is rich in metal and mineral wealth), Desert World

Based on the cover of Gold Key's Space Family Robinson, no copyright infringement is intended.

Monday, April 22, 2013

People Call Me the Space Cowboy!

I've been fiddling around with the hopefully soon to be released Machinations of the Space Princess RPG Draft rules, the Final Playtest Draft was just released this week.  It looks like it will be a fun Space RPG, I've got a few characters and aliens stat'd up, but after reading Lord Gwydion's post over on the What a Horrible Night to Have a Curse Blog, I just had to take a minute and do up a MotSP version of everyone's favorite Space Cowboy; Maurice! : )  Tip of the hat to Lord Gwydion and Steve Miller! LOL

Maurice; aka The Space Cowboy, aka The Gangster of Love

Race: Human
Charisma: 16 +3                                                     Level: 1
Comeliness: 14 +2                         Charm: 8          Class: Expert
Constitution: 10                              Looks: 7  Social Reaction: +5
Dexterity: 13 +1                            Toughness: 5
Intelligence: 12+1                          Reflexes: 7
Strength: 9 -1                                Logic: 6
Wisdom: 11                                   Power: 5
                                                     Will: 6
Race Traits:
Adaptable: +1 Skill Point that can be spent anywhere. x3

Armor: Medium Armor (1d4)
Shield: Medium Deflector (+2)
Hit Points: 6
Psi Points: 1
Everyman Skills:
Climb: 1
Languages: 1
Search: 1
Security: 1
Sleight of Hand: 1
Sneak Attack: 1
Stealth: 1
Structure: 1
Survival: 1
Tinker: 1
Other Skills:
Riding: 1
Lover: 2
Pilot Starship: 1
Hail of bullets: 2
Perform (musician): 2

Weapons
Laser Tommy Gun (d8 damage, Medium range, Autofire, Ammo Save 16)
Six-Shooter (d6)
Knife (d6)

Combat Screen:
Base Attack Bonus: 0
Close Attack Bonus: -1
Ranged Attack Bonus: +1
Close Damage Bonus: -1
Ranged Damage Bonus: 0
Close Defense: 12
Ranged Defense: 15
Initiative: 0

Other Gear:
SpaceSuit
Cowboy Hat
Sunglasses
Pack of Smokes
Bandana
Backpack
First Aid kit
50 credits in other assorted gear and stuff

Saturday, April 13, 2013

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Space Bettas for your Old School Space Opera Games

Well I missed Simian Saturday, had to run errands with She Who Must Be Obeyed, so to make up for it how about a Sci Fi Sunday post!  These beasts may not appeal to those running hard sci fi campaigns but I like to have a bit of pulp in my games and under the right circumstances I think they'd be alot of fun. These do have a place in my Shattered Stars Campaign. I stat'd them up for the fun X-plorers RPG, but with minimal work you can use them with your OSR Sci Fi game of choice. Have a great Day!

Space Betta
X-plorers RPG Stats (to use with SWN basically just flip the AC)

AC: 14
HD: 3d6
THB: +2
ATT: tentacles x 2/1d6 (+ see below)
SV: 17+
MV: 6
XP: 90
Special Abilities: Hold Attack (if both tentacles successful hit their victim, he must make a Physique or Agility Save, whichever is better for the victim, if he fails he is grappled and the Space Betta automatically inflicts 1d6+2 points of bite damage the following round and each round thereafter until the victim can break free, or is dead.), Optional Movement: Flying (can Fly with a MV of 8 in Zero G environments). Immunity: They are immune to the effects of Vacuum.
     These tentacle, fish-like aliens are named for their passing resemblance to a species of ancient Terran fish,  Space Bettas are fearsome predators of the spaceways.  Through some unknown means they can survive indefinitely in the vacuum of space. Space Bettas are most commonly encountered in and around derelict space stations, abandoned spacecraft and various asteroid belts.  It is believed that they originated from somewhere in the Nega-Zone, and it is said that they can still be found there in great numbers.  They have voracious appetites and will attack, kill and eat any living prey they encounter.
  Oh and I've been playing around with the Rough Draft rules for the upcoming Machinations of the Space Princess RPG, here is how the Space Betta would be stat'd up for MotSP per the draft rules.   MotSP Stats (Machinations of the Space Princess)
Close Defense: 12
Ranged Defense: 12
Armor: Scaly Hide (1d4)
Hit Dice: 3 (13)
Initiative: +1
Movement: 10m per rd., Flight 20m per rd.
Attacks: 2
Damage: 1d6 +1
Saves: 5
Traits: Sealed-System (can survive indefinitely in a vacuum), Tentacles (grapple attacks are +1 to hit & damage), Flight (20m), Extra Action

Here is the original cover which I based these beasties upon.