Black Christmas Rules v1

If you haven't read The Black Christmas Series, go click on the free text link to your upper right corner there... check all of them out..and come back. This is currently up here for historical purposes. And when version 2.0 gets finished, this will be a footnote.

It is December 24th. People around the world are doing last minute shopping, traveling, and getting their work done. The world is filled with moments of joy and amusement as the world desperately getting ready for a joyous holiday (or going to the movies or Chinese food w/ the family... depending on the tradition).

Then the Gates open and the world changed. Mythics began to appear. However, out of the gates, yes those magical gates, out pours death into the Malls and Streets. They don't have a name, nor do they give one. Some call them demons, aliens, or experiments; others just call them Monsters. The Elves, they call them Grinches.

As the gates open, magic flooded into the world. Dreams and Ideals became manifest, living in motion already. The Elfs and Santa were already getting ready for Christmas to their view, but now they were material. Three seconds later, the Naughty Alarm sounded.

And they were Pissed.

Nothing was going to stop Christmas, especially if they had something to say about it. So they stopped making and wrapping up good toys and broke out "the bad toys" and those things they built in their spare time, just in case. Everyone put on their North Pole Defense Uniforms. The Big Guy snapped on goggles and said, "It is go time."

No Grinch was going to destroy Christmas while they could stop it.

And unbeknownst to them, others felt the same way.

Black Christmas. The Elf Kicking Butt and Taking Numbers with Toys and Candy movie game.

This is not a beer and pretzel game, this is an eggnog and cookies game. (Just make sure the eggnog has lots of nog if you know what I mean.) Play it for fun and laughs, we certainly wrote it that way. Put on some christmas music, even if it is july, and run with it.

Oh and if you need to get in the mood, just put on some Animated Christmas specials (Rudolf, Frosty, etc), The Santa Clause Movies, or Home Alone (I).

Okay, this Christmas game concept is infectious. So lets say some monsters from somewhere else try to destroy Christmas (actually they are destroying humanity, Christmas was just incidentally the day). So of course the Elves will stop them. And what about some other mythics?

Character Creation:
Elfs: Everyone wants to be a 3 to 4 foot tall, magical toy making Elf. They are lots of fun and have all the marvelous toys.

• Builds: 10 points with standards open
• Illusion and Elf-Tech attributes unlocked.

Humans: Most of the people in the world . When you decide to stop cowering and running, you become a player character. If you opt to be a child/ non grown up, you can have fewer core attribute points.

• Builds: 8 points with all the standards open.
• Profession and Hobby are unlocked from them.
• They can use ElfTech if they can get their hands on it. With a good enough back story, they might be able to start with some ElfTech (if they buy points in it), but they can never learn to make or modify it.
• With experience points, a human might be able to take Power Attributes - depends on the campaign. ElfTech taken at this point on, is normal ElfTech.

Angels: These things may not be their demons, but they are things most foul that must be destroyed. The time of cheer must be saved, and saving the humans might be good as well.

• Builds: 16 points
• The core: PHY, DEX, MEN and all Power attributes are open. CHA plus any one additional standard attribute determined at character creation are open.
• Character must have a score in the Move Attribute for flight.
• Angels receive +1D when dealing with Traditional Demons (consider it Profession: Angel 2)
• They can not use the "Fun Stunt" rules to save dice. They only get the bonus once. However, they are much more serious than Elfs (and the other characters), so their actions have to be dramatic and serious, rather than fun, comedic, or over the top.

Demons: Huh? These are native demons. They don't like anyone horning in on their territory. And well, war makes for strange bedfellows. So there is an informal truce, one of the handful since the Great War began.

• Build: 10 pts
• All core attributes receive +2 pts for free
• The standard attributes are open to you, but you must spend 2 points for every one point you receive in the attributes.
• All Power Attributes are open, except Elf Tech
• Everyone hates and distrusts you.
• Exposure: You take 1-3 dice every time you are exposed to something that is quite "nice" or "cute" or "holy".
• They can use the "Fun Stunt" rules, but only to half effect and may take Exposure damage.

Optional - Mythics: When the gates opened, magic flooded into the world. Mythics which were just ideas or spirits moving through the world became "real". If asked, they will say they were always here, just not able to touch the material for some reason. Mythics can be mythical gods and creatures, fairytales come to life, or things from modern day folklore (including comics).

• 10 Build Points
• Everything except ElfTech is unlocked. And if you have a good enough story, you can have up to 2 points in ElfTech.

Attributes: Characters are nothing but a collection of attributes wrapped up in a good conception/ idea. They come in three types:

• Core: PHY, DEX, MEN: The three attributes everyone has. Every character will have at least a 1 in these attributes. Full grown human adults have average a 2 in each one. A "grown up" character should have a minimum of 6 pts in core attributes.
• Standard: CHA, WIL, EMP, and LUK: These four attributes could have, but don't have to have.
• Powers: These are all the cool abilities you can buy for your characters. The Best one is ElfTech. It allow you to have toys and things that can simulate any other power attribute.
• The cost for each point of attribute is one point, until the 5th point of attribute is reached. Then it costs two build points.

Every attribute should have a one line description attached to it. This should explain what the attribute is or why it is the way it is. Thus Bulging Muscles for PHY, Book Smart for MEN, Angellically Beautiful for CHA, Flight for Move, Pit Fighter from Hell for OFF and so on. These descriptions should make more sense once you see the various attributes.

Core
PHY - Physical
This is how strong and tough you are. This attribute determines how many dice you resist damage with.

DEX- Dexterity
This is how fast, agile, and accurate you are. This attribute determines how many dice you used to avoid damage and sometimes to deal it.

MEN- Mental
This is how smart and perceptive you are. It is used to figure things out.

Standard

CHA- Charisma
This is how persuasive you are through your appearance and charm. This attribute is used any time someone is persuading, leading, or charming anyone.

EMP- Empathy
This is how emotionally sensitive you are. This attribute shows how perceptive of others emotions and how expressive you can be with your emotions. This can be substituted for CHA in many situations. With it you can motivate people, but you can't direct them.

LUK- Luck
This is how lucky you are, how much the universe favors you and your cause. If you fail a roll, you can roll a LUCK roll. If successful, you can try again. Every time you do such in a scene your luck roll is reduced by one.
outrageous as a This attribute shows how....

WIL- Will Power
This is how strong your force of will is blank you are. This attribute is used when you are overcoming your natural inclinations, having to hold back or resist showing off.

Powers
DEF- Defense
This is how able your character is to avoid being hit (speed/ dodging/ parrying) and absorbing damage in combat (armor/ force field/ toughness). To resist being hit is DEX+DEF vs DEX+OFF. When resisting damage done to you (if the attacker is successful) is PHY+DEF.

ETech - Elf Tech
This is attribute reflects two things, the characters ability to make "cool things" with a combination of technology, fairy baking/candy, toys, and elf magic AND how much cool ElfTech they have with them.

Points in Elf Tech are converted into ETech items. To represent the abilities of Elf Tech, two times the number of points are distributed to various attributes (besides Elf Tech and illusion. So an Toby the Elf with 4 Elf Tech can have any number of gadgets represented by 8 points to assign to various attributes (toy jetpack Move 3, Gumball gun (OFF 3), Night Goggles (SEN 1), and gingerbread vest (DEF 1)

A character can tinker with their elf tech, switching around up to half their E-Tech attributes. (So Toby, in a desperate situation, tinkers together his jet pack and gingerbread vest with his gumball gun, making it into a Rocket Gumball gun reinforced with gingerbread shielding (for OFF of 7). Every time they do this, they lose one attribute die of their Etech items. Toby slaps his forehead for forgetting to subract a point, so he loses a die of OFF from his gun (now OFF 6, SEN 1). These lost dice can only be recovered by returning to the North Pole OR under cool circumstances in the "real world" ("So I go into grandma's kitchen and whip up some fairy gingerbread, then I am going to make some cookies and some more armor.")

HIDE- Hide
This is the ability to hide yourself. This attribute is a combination of stealthy skill and invisibility (and other obscuring abilities). When using this ability, a sense check (or mental check using half the mental score) can be used to spot them (resisted by your hide). Every character can try to hide, using one free die. However anyone with sense attribute will automatically find them.

HOB - HOBBY
This is how skilled a character is in one specific thing. Only one point can be assigned to a given hobby. It adds one die to any appropriate action.

ILL- Illusion
This is the character's ability to mask things, making things appear as something else. For faries and the other non human characters, this can also be retroactive, as you can mask recent memories. ("What monsters fighting? Do you see any monsters? but.. but.. but... Just snow men here.") This ability to mask things is paramount to the Elves ability to make it a happier Christmas (and hide Santa, and make the Truck Drivers delivering to the north pole think they are delivering to some place in Canada, eh?. Illusion actions are against Sense or will power.

MAK- Make
This is the character's magical abilities to create and manipulate some element or material. Acceptable materials might be earth, snow, water, air, fire, air, weather, garbage, metal, etc. These made things are used as attributes. Half the character's Make Attribute can be used on a given turn, for dice in other attributes. The character makes a Make Roll vs the amount of "stuff" (number of attribute dice) they are using that turn. So a character with fire 3 can make up to 2 dice of Offense, or Move, or 1d in two attributes, any turn. The roll is the character's make vs the number of elemental dice they are using this turn. Any other die rolls to use the stats are made separately.

MOV- Move
This is how fast the character can move about. It is usually used for flight or super fast running, but other methods can be used (though if they are exotic, they count as half. Any race or check to get somewhere are made with move (or half dex). Move can be used to stay out of the way of people, when applicable (move is added to defense). A favorite angel trick is to hover with move and attack out of range of The Grinches.

OFF- Offense
This is how able your character is to hit targets (skill/ targeting/ speed) and generating damage in combat (weapon's destructive ability). To hit a target requires a DEX+OFF roll vs the targets DEX+DEF. When damaging a target, you roll PHY+OFF for hand to hand attack or just OFF for ranged attacks. Mortal Equipment item dice are rolled only after the attack roll is successful, to help determine damage.

Add if move is being used to avoid an attack, move can be added to offense to negate their move (OFF+MOV vs DEF+MOV).

PRO - Profession
This is how skilled the character is in reference to any profession or career, like Toy Maker, police man, Angelic Soldier, Baker, etc. A character can add 1D (for every two dice in a profession they have) to any die roll that their profession is applicable to. (So Baker might help a Elf Tech roll, Police man will help in an offense roll, and so on).

SEN- Sense
This is how able the character is to spot things that are hiding or obscured. This is used vs Hide or to find things that are hidden. A sense roll (or mental check using half the mental score) can be used to spot them (resisted by their hide).

Die Rolls
This game uses simple cubical 1d6 as found in any standard board game.

1. First they should describe what they are attempting to do, in as flamboyant and outrageous a way as possible. (This is the game of Elves Kicking Butt and Taking Number with toys and cookies after all).
2. The correct attribute is selected. This determines the number of dice to be rolled. (Certain actions combine two attributes, count them as a single attribute for this purpose).
3. Fun dice are applied.
4. Correct opposing attribute is selected, if resisted.
5. If the action is difficult, but not resisted, the GM might assign an opposing attribute of 1 or 2 dice.
6. Dice are rolled...
7. For every six rolled, an extra die is rolled. If it comes up a six, continue to roll the extra dice until you run out of sixes.
8. For every one rolled, remove the highest die rolled.
9. Order up the dice from highest to lowest. (so for a 4d6 roll, you might have a 5,3,2,2, the opponent rolling 2d6 has a 4 and a 4. )
10. Compare the line up, the winner of the action is the one who one the most line ups. (So 5 vs 4 You, 4 vs 3 opponent, 2 and 2 both winners for you). The number of winners is the amount of success you have. (3 in this case)
11. In case of ties, count up the totals of the remaining dice.
12. Note: if character only has 1s in its roll, it has failed at its task spectacularly, the GM should then use their imagination to do.

Combat Notes
*The GM goes into any order they feel is logical, but normally heroes go first.
*To hit a target, DEX+OFF resisted DEX+DEF
*If the Hit is successful roll damage
PHY+OFF or OFF vs PHY+DEF
*The number of successes is the amount of damage done.
*Divide damage by PHY Attribute, that determines the number of dice removed as a wound penalty.

Fun Stunts
Black Christmas is The Elf Kicking Butt and Taking Numbers with Toys and Candy game. This should give you the over the top, humorous, cinematic feel. Characters should be taking actions that are up to that feel.

Actions can be described in any way. You should never say, "I punch him", you should say. "I haul back, swing my arm around a couple of times, the pop him one right in the ...unmmm. parts. I'm an Elf, I can only reach that high."

Actions that are funny, entertaining, really cool, and seems appropriate to an over the top Christmas movie, earn the character one to three extra dice. They are added to the die roll to resolve the action described in such a way. After the roll. those dice are set aside as "The Fun Bonus". Up to four dice from The Fun Bonus can be applied to any action the character wants to apply them to. Fun Dice do follow you between games, so if you have a few, you can hang on to them for the next game.

Note: It works best if these fun dice are all one special color that the GM has a number of dice in.

Mundane tools are useful in producing results, but not so much in the actual commission of an act, like a magic weapon.

Pistol 2d6 additional damage.
Rifle/ shotgun 3d6 additional damage
Military Rifle/ Sub Machine Gun 4d6 additional damage

Note that these are additional damage,not OFF. After you roll to see if you are successful, for these weapons for example, you would then roll these dice in the damage phase of things.

Some other ones that might come up
*Tiny weapons/ Knives/ 1d6 addtional damage
*Real Knives/ Cleavers/ Axes/ Foils Small weapons 2d6 additional damage
* Swords/ Axes/ Chain Saw/ Big weapons 3d6 additional damage

*Kevlar 2d6 additional Defense

*Flashlight 1d6 additional Sense
*Night Vision Goggles 3d6 additional sense

Experience

• The player showed up and played well. 1 EP
• The group completed "the mission" +1 EP
• The group was up against a truly dangerous opponent. +1 EP
• The player came up with some great scenes/ actions +1 EP
• Every three Fun Bonus Dice you want to trade in +1 EP

The cost of a new attribute is equal to the new value. If the value is five or over, it is twice the new value. It takes 3 EPs to start a new attribute with a score of 1.

Grinches
The monsters are quite variable in their nature. They come in a dozen or so different forms, each one tailored for a type of environment. They seem to communicate with high pitched screaches that seem to be some kind of simple language.

What is their mission? That seems to be up to debate. Perhaps their master feeds on the fear or pain they generate. Perhaps they are invading the world and these are the front line shock troops. Perhaps they just hate christmas. No mater the reason why they are here, they are killing people and destroying Christmas.

Some Example Monsters

Shambling Creatures of mucous and tenticles. They are the least powerful of the creatures and the most plentiful.
PHY 2
DEX 2
MEN 1
OFF 2
DEF 2

Flying Manta Rays with Octipi tenticles. They only seem to come out after they have lost an engagement or two to flying opponents.

PHY 1
DEX 3
MEN 1
OFF 2
DEF 1
MOV 3 Flying

Creapies
PHY 2
DEX 3
MEN 2
OFF 1
HID 3
HOB 1 Climbing
These creatures are all about causing screams and jumping out from the shadows and attacking

Tree Monsters:
These creatures seem to take over Christmas Tress and turn them into monsters.

PHY 1
DEX 1
MEN 2
MAK 6 Christmas Trees

Hanukkah Monsters
These 9 armed monster seem to control fire as well
PHY 4
DEX 3
MEN 1
MAK 3 Fire

Do the Elves defend these people? The others will, but it is beyond the Elves mission.