What do I need to have a Clay-O-Rama?
First, you need a group of people willing to be silly and have fun playing with modeling clay. Next, you need these rules or something like them. Then you need pencils, paper, and numerous six-sided dice for each player (a good number is four per player). Utterly unscientific testing has shown that PLAY-DOH Modeling Compound (BLATANT PLUG!) is well suited for use in a Clay-O-Rama. It is easily shaped, (it's cheap,) comes packaged in the proper amounts, (only $.50 a can,) and has pleasing, brilliant colors. (Until you mix them, thatis.) (also it's really inexpensive.)

How do I create a Claydonian?
After you have assembled the items listed above, find a large, smooth space on which to play (uncarpeted, basement floors are the best). This could be several tables pushed together, or a smooth, tile floor. Do not play in a place where you do not want to have bits of modeling clay about. After you haveassembled your friends, give each one a can of modeling clay. Try to let each player have the color he or she wants. After giving out the clay, tell the players the following:

"You have twenty minutes in which to make a creature out of your modeling clay. You may create anything you want, so long as it does not collapse at the slightest touch. You do not have to use all of your clay; any clay you do not use may be shaped into missiles of any size and shape you want. You may not trade clay with another player; use your own clay. When you have finished making your Claydonian, let me know."

How do I assign powers?
There are six categories of powers that must be assigned to each Claydonian: movement, number of attacks, "to hit" number, damage, hit points, and special powers. Each one requires that you make a judgement about the creation of the player. The following are guidelines for assigning the powers; you may alter them as you see fit.

Movement: All movement is measured in spans of the player's outstreched hand (from tip of thumb to tip of little finger) (see UNIFORMITY RULE later for people with small hands going against people with large hands.) The following table gives the basic movement rates.

NUMBER OF LEGS     MOVEMENT
     0    	   1 span
    1-2    	   2 spans
    3-4    	   3 spans
     5 or more     4 spans

Number of Attacks: Look at the creation carefully. How many limbs can it use for attacking? This is the number of attacks it can make each turn. However, this number should never be more than four.

Chance to Hit: A Claydonian's basic chance to hit is 8 or greater on two six-sided dice. If the creature has big limbs or a big mouth, the chance to hit is reduced by one. If the creature has real big limbs or mouth, or uses it's entire body in an attack, reduce the chance to hit by two. You decide just how big is "big" or "real big".

Damage: The base damage done in any attack is one six-sided die's worth of points. If the limbs are large, one or two more dice may be added to this. If the limbs are very large, three more dice may be added to this. If the attack is an absolute killer (say the Claydonian is just one, big, phallic-looking thing with one attack...), up to five dice may be added to the base attack die. As usual, you can decide all final attack values. If you're getting the idea that this is not a very exact game, you have the right idea. You're playing with clay monsters, right? Who needs to be exact?

Hit Points: Look at the creature and compare it to the amount of clay kept aside to create missiles. If the entire can of clay was used to form the creature, it has 50 hit points. If half was used for missiles, the creature will have 25 hit points. Assign hit points based on the fraction of clay used to form missiles. If 25% of the clay is used for missiles, knock 25% off of 50 to find the creature's hit points. This is another judgement call on your part as the referee.

Special Powers: Each creation gets one special power. It may be from the list below, or it can be one you make up. If you make it up, it is recommended that you create a power that will affect modeling clay in some harmless way. (That means NO MICROWAVING!!!!!) The following powers may be assigned randomly by rolling a die (if you have a 26-sided die, that is) or may be chosen by you to match the creature in some way. The "to hit" number for all powers that require one is 8.

1. The Drop: Made in place of one normal attack. If a hit is successfully made, you then lift the target into the air and drop it 3'. Afterwards, the referee can decide the amount of damage based on what happened.
2. The Bowl: This power works like the drop, except you roll the target accross the battlefield.
3. The Poke: Made in place off one normal attack. When a hit is made, you poke the target hard with your finger, making a nice hole in it. The referee decides the amount of damage.
4. Reshape One Limb: This power is used in place of a normal attack. If it hits successfully, the attacking player may alter the shape of any one limb of the target as he pleases. As referee, you should be ready to assign damage or altered powers because of this change.
5. The Blob of Death: This power may only be used by a creature with missiles. The player may designate one of the missiles to be his Blob of Death. It is fired like a normal missile (see "How does my Claydonian shoot?"). If it scores a hit, you should take your fist and give the target one solid smash to show the effects of the missile. After doing this, the referee must assign damage based on the consequences. Only one Blob of Death per game is allowed.
6. Rip Limbs Off: When the creature rolls an 11 or 12 on a normal attack, the player may tear one of his opponent's limbs off. Ah, that is, the player may tear off one of his Claydonian's opponent's limbs. Though this attack causes no damage to the target in terms of lost hit points, you should be ready to note any changes to the target's powers.
7. Change Places: After a sucessful power roll, creatures with this power may change places with any opponent on the board, or may change the places of any two other creatures on the board. The power user may not move in the same turn that it uses this power. This power must be used in the movement phase.
8. Move Out of Turn: Creatures with this power may move at any initiative point in the turn. They simply announce that they wish to move. They may not move in the middle of another player's move.
9. Use Opponent as Missile: If all of an attacker's limb's hit a target, he may pick his target up and use it as a missile against a third opponent. The missile is fired normally, and the referee should assess damage to both the missile and the target. If the missile misses the target, the missile takes damage from the drop as assessed by the referee.
10. Divide Self: This power should only be given to creatures that can easily divide into two sections. Each half has half the powers of the normal creature at the time of division. May only divide once.
11. Borrow Power: In addition to all normal attacks, a successful hit by this creature allows it to use the special power belonging to the target, if the attacker wants to do so. The decision must be made immediately or the borrowed power will be lost until another successful hit is made. The player with this power should not be told what the powers of other creatures are; he can only learn this by observaation.
12. Regenerate: A Claydonian with this ability regenerates 1 six-sided die's worth of hit points at the start of each of it's turns. This ability allows the Claydonian to replace lost hit points only; it does not create new ones.
13. Endurance: The Claydonian with this power takes only half damage from all attacks. Round fractions down.
14. Speed: A Claydonian with this power can double it's movement in one turn in place of one attack. No tripling or quadrupling or so on your movement.
15. Stomp: This deadly attack may be used only once per gaming session. In addition, the Claydonian using this power is unable to take any action for two turns thereafter. The attacker choses an opponent adjacent to him and rolls to hit. If a successful hit is made, the attacking player takes one of his shoes (or boots, if he is lucky enough) off and gives the opponent claydonian a good solid WHACK! with it. Damage should be determined by the amount of the opponent flattened (e.g., if half of the Claydonian is flattened, it loses half of its hit points). Totally flattened Claydonians are left with only one hit point, unless they only had one to begin with. More than one Claydonian may be affected by this mode of attack, including the attacking Claydonian. If the attacker somehow misses, it still suffers the exhaustive effects of the blow. Smart players will wear mountain boots, moon boots, or track shoes for this attack. Snow shoes or skis are not allowed.
16. Missile Absorption: When hit by a missile, a Claydonian with this power rolls 2d6 and compares the result to its "to hit" number. If the result is overthe "to hit" number, the claydonian takes no damage from the missile and may add the projectile to it's body mass. For each missile smaller than marble-sizeabsorbed, add 1 hit point to the Claydonian. Add 2 hit points for each marble-size missile absorbed, 3 hit points for any missile up to golf ball size absorbed, and 4 hit points for anything over golf ball size. The original owner of the missile loses it permanently and the absorbing Claydonian adds the new hit points to it's total (e.g., original total of target 50, and has been damaged to 35. Target successfully absorbs a marble-sized missile. New total 52 and has 37 left).This power does NOT allow a Claydonian to absorb the following: an opponent, a poke, a Blob of Death, or any object larger than fistsize. In addition, absorbed missiles may not be used to create new missiles, they just add to the bulk of the Claydonian. IF the Claydonian rolls under it's"to hit" roll, it takes half damage (round fractions down) from the missile and does not absorb it. Note that a Claydonian may not absorb missiles that it throws at itself, and it takes full damage from a missile if it does so.
17. Absorb Opponent: This power gives a Claydonian the ability to absorb any other Claydonian it kills. When a Claydonian with this power kills an opponent,it makes a "to hit" roll. If successful, the Claydonian adds the dead opponent to it's body bulk, adding the number of total hit points that the old opponent had to it's own total. (e.g., The Absorber has 50 total, 30 current. It absorbs it's opponent who has 45 total (because of a missile) and 0 current (it's dead, Jim). The Absorber now has 95 total, 30 current, until the next game). If unsuccessful, the dead Claydonian goes screaming up to the Great Hand in the Sky (see Honoring a Claydonian Death). The Claydonian may NOT absorb an opponent that he has killed with a missile, unless adjacent.
18. Drain Power: A Claydonian with this power may drain one power from another Claydonian for six turns. Using this power takes the place of three attacks. To drain a power, the player must choose an opponent adjacent to his own Claydonian and make a successful "to hit" roll. If unsuccessful, the power is wasted. This power may be used once every five turns.
19. Create Limb: A Claydonian with this power may create a temporary limb. This temporary limb may replace one normal attack to create a small- to normal-size limb; it may replace two normal attacks for a large-size limb; and (how could you guess?) it may replace three normal attacks for a very-large-size limb. This temporary limb lasts for four turns, and it hits and does damage according to it's size. So, if your Claydonian already has four limbs, it could have five normal attacks per turn by adding a temporary limb. The turn the limb was created is it's first turn, followed by 3 turns with 5 attacks, then the limb must be re-created.
20. Repel: This power may be used by a desperate Claydonian in place of all attacks. No "to hit" roll is needed, and the results are immediate. When this power is used, all opponents must move their maximum movement ranges away from the user fro 1 turn. Moreover, the powers Teleport, Change Places, and Move Out of Turn cannot be used by opponents for one turn. In addition, the user may not be hit by missiles for one turn. This power may be used every third turn.
21. Toss: A Claydonian with the Toss ability may use this power in place of all attacks. The attacker chooses an adjacent Claydonian and rolls the "to hit" dice. If successful, the player picks up the opponent's Claydonian and tosses it no farther than the gaming area. If the opponent is tossed off or out of the gaming area, it may reshape itself, lose no hit points, and reappear in the gaming area anywhere it chooses. (except on another Claydonian). The number of hit points lost must be determined by the referee. This number depends on the amount of structural damage sustained (about 10-20 hit points is appropriate). Tossing an opponent at the ceiling is legal as long as the opponent lands in the game area. If the opponent is tossed against the ceiling and hits the game surface, 20-30 hit points of damage are taken. If the opponent sticks to the ceiling, the Claydonian is out of the game until it falls. If it never falls and dries up instead, consider it dead. As a finalnote on this attack, if a Claydonian hits another Claydonian, only the tossed Claydonian takes damage.
22. Catch: When something is thrown at a Claydonian with this power, the Claydonian makes a "to hit" roll. If successful, the Claydonian catches the item thrown at it. If the item happens to be a missile, the Claydonian catchingit can reuse the missile. If the thrown object is another Claydonian, the target Claydonian catches it and takes no damage. If the Claydonian is unsuccessful in its "to hit" roll, it takes full damage from the missile. A Claydonian with this power CANNOT catch the table (if thrown for some reason.), a poke, or anything other than a missile or another Claydonian.
23. Use Self As Missile: This power allows a player to throw his Claydonian in the same way one would throw a missile. The referee will assess the damage taken by both the missile and the target.
24. Trade: In a desperate situation, a Claydonian with this power can choose an opponent in an adjacent area and make a "to hit" roll. If successful, the player trades his Claydonian for the target Claydonian. This power may only be used once per game in place of all attacks for that turn. The player plays the new Claydonian with it's shape, hit points, attacks, and movement, but retains his former Claydonian's powers. Likewise, the other player retains his former Claydonian's powers but is stuck with your Claydonian's body.
25. Paralyze: On a successful "to hit" roll, a Claydonian can cause an adjacent opponent to stop moving and attacking for two rounds. This attack takes the place of all normal attacks. The paralyzed Claydonian cannot initiateany action for two rounds. This power may be used every three turns.
26. Teleport: A Claydonian can use this power in place of all it's missile attacks. The Claydonian with this ability can reappear anywhere on the game surface and, if possible, attack right away. To Teleport, the player must specify any vacant spot on the game surface that he wants his Claydonian to occupy. The player then rolls the "to hit" dice. If unsuccessful, the player must then roll 1d6 twice. The first roll determines which direction the Claydonian teleported:
    
    Roll Direction
    1. Stays in same place
    2. North
    3. West
    4. South
    5. East
    6. Stays in same place
       The second die roll determines how many spans that the Claydonian moves, if any.
    How do I play the game?
    Once all the players have created their Claydonians and have had powers assigned to them, have them gather around the playing area. Have the players space themselves at equal distances from each other. Each player should the roll three six-sided dice to finds his or her initiative number. Ties should be rolled off. Be sure each player notes his initiative number. After this is done, explain the What Do I Do, How Do I Move, How Do I Shoot, How Do I Attack, and How Do I Win rules to the players. Once everyone understands what is going on, begin the game.

    What Do I Do?
    The Clay-O-Rama is played in turns. A player gets to move his creation once during each turn. At several points during a turn, a player may have the opportunity to attack. Each player takes his move in the order of the initiative rolls, going from highest to lowest. The sequence of a player's moveis as follows:
    

    1. Move your creation up to it's full movement.
    2. Fire up to three missiles at targets of your choice.
    3. Attack any creature to which your Claydonian is adjacent, provided you have attacks left to do so.
    4. The other player (or players) may counterattack against your creature, provided they have any attacks left.
    
    Each player follows this sequence in order of initiative, until the player is out of the game or the game is over.

    How does my Claydonian move?
    To move your creation, use your hand to measure the distance the Claydonian moves, starting from the front of the creature. If there is no discernable fromt, begin measuring in the direction the creature last moved. There is no terrain in the game (although you can add some if you like). Thus, except when turning, a creature will always be able to move up to its full movement.

    UNIFORMITY RULE: Note that if some people feel that the hand-span measuring system is unfair or grossly inaccurate, you may then enforce the Uniformity Rule. The Uniformity Rule states that all distances will be measuredby the referee's hand. However, this will slow down play of the game and place a great deal of work in the hands of the referee (ahem).

    If a part of the creation comes off during movement, the player is allowed to put that piece back on his creation at no penalty. Falling apart is best done under combat conditions.

    How does my Claydonian shoot?
    At the end of movement, each player is allowed to shoot up to three of his missiles. A missile may only be used once. After it is fired, it is removed from play. If a player does not have any missiles, he may not fire any. To fire a missile, the player stands anywhere within 3-4' of his own position at the table. The player may not move to a different area of the battlefield; he must fire his missiles from the point where his creation BEGAN the game. After the player has his position, have him name his target (a specific Claydonian creation on the table). Players cannot attack a group of monsters, only one will do.

    Have the player throw his missile, attempting to hit the target. Make it clear to the thrower that how hard the missile is thrown has NO effect on the amount of damage done. It is only the SIZE of the missile that matters. It is a wise idea to have someone stand directly opposite the thrower to catch long shots and bounces. If the thrower manages to hit his declared target, the missile has hit. If the thrower hits a different creature, the shot is a miss, no matter what happens. The attacked player is allowed to reattach any parts of his Claydonian that come off due to the missile's hits, unless a special power dictates otherwise. If the missile missed, the shot is no good.

    If a missile hits a target, you must determine the amount of damage done by the missile. The base damage for a missile is one six-sided die for something about the size of a marble. Missiles smaller than this may do less damage. Missiles up to golf ball size do 2 six-sided dice damage, larger do three, and up to five dice damage at most.

    How does my Claydonian attack?
    Each Claydonian is assigned a number of attacks it can make in one turn, based upon the number of manipulative limbs it has. These attacks can be used as attacks or counterattacks. If a creation has used all its attacks, it may not make any more attacks (or counterattacks) for the rest of the turn.

    If your creation is adjacent to an enemy creation, you may decide to attack. "Adjacent" is defined as being within the reach of your creation's arms. You may attack as many times as you have attacks, provided you have not used anyof your attacks to make counterattacks (see below).

    To make an attack, you must announce your target and the dice of damage done by the attack (unless all of your attacks do the same amount of damage). Then roll two dice. If the dice roll is equal to or greater than your "to hit" number, you have hit your target with that attack.

    After all attacks have been resolved against one target, count the number of dice of damage from all those successful attacks. Roll the dice and add them together to find the total amount of damage caused. The player whose creature was the target of the attack should subtract this amount from his creation's hit points. If the creation's hit points reach zero, the creation is dead (see Honoring a Claydonian Death).

    How does my Claydonian counterattack?
    A Claydonian may counterattack if it is attacked by another creation during the combat phase. To counterattack, the Claydonian must have a few attacks left and must survive the attacks of its opponent. It may only make counterattacks against the creation that just attacked it. The counterattacks are handled as if they were normal attacks. A Claydonian may use its special power in a counterattack.

    What happens when my Claydonian dies?
    (Or Honoring a Claydonian Death).
    Ah, this particular question has plagued the Claydonian philosophers for centureis. Several scurrilous theories have been presented, including the concepts of drying out or being eaten by small children and dogs. However in watching the deaths of several Claydonians on the field of battle, a common belief has arisen. Most Claydonians feel that when one of their kind dies, a large hand reaches from the heavens and squeezes the Claydonian through it's fingers. This act is always accompanied by a horrible scream that echoes through the heavens. Some claydonians wish their bodies to be examples for future generations and insist on drying, creating a nice statue to use as a memorial, centerpiece, or clay pigeon.

    How do I win?
    This depends on why you are playing in the first place. If you are playing to have fun, you win if you get really silly. If you are playing to be competitive and to beat out everyone else, you win if your creation is the last surviving Claydonian on the battlefield. Since only one person can win the second way, it's a lot nicer to play for the first reason.

    CAMPAIGN RULES:
    Some of you sick-o's out there may like this game enough to become infatuated with it and even cry when your claydonian dies. Well, start a campaign... You can have the Claydonian gain levels... here's how:

    # Enemies
    Destroyed	Experience			Total 
    or Defeated	Level		Title 		Benefits (Non-Cumulative)
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------
    0-5		1 		Silly Thing 	1 Power
    6-15  		2 		Weirdo  	2 Powers, + 5 hit points
    16-30  		3 		Freak  		3 Powers, +10 hit points
    31-50  		4 		Kook  		4 Powers, +20 hit points
    51-80  		5 		Blob Monster 	5 Powers, +30 hit points
     81  		6 		Supreme Slime	Claydonian dies of old age
    

    
    Taking the same power twice: If a player opts to take the same power twice, the effects of the power are doubled. ie: Regeneration gives 2-12hp a turn instead of 1-6 each turn. Absorb Opponent 2x cuts the "to hit" number needed by half.

    Other SuggestionsL If you decide on Campaign, here are some suggestions:

    1. Make a hard-paper copy of your Claydonian... Draw it on a piece of paper and record statistics.
    2. Become owner of a bunch of Claydonians (Store a lot of sheets, but just like Role-Playing game characters, do NOT use dead Claydonians.
    3. Make money bets on the games. Illegal where prohibited.
    
    NEW STUFF
    WALLS RULE: When you play Clay-O-Rama, you usually do so on a table or floor. That is all well and good, but here's something to spice it up... LIMIT SPACE. On a floor, the borders could be made with masking tape (you use Play-Doh on the floor, so WHY NOT TAPE TOO?). On a table, the border is the table edge. After a set amount of turns (usually 4 or 5), the "Walls come down", meaning that any claydonian can escape the battle by running off the field of battle. This is only really useful in a campaign.

    OBSTACLES: You use Play-Doh, right? Well, use the Play-Doh CANS for obstacles, Wooden blocks, and various other objects can be used also.

    GM PLAYS: As a GM the game gets REALLY BORING... So... make your own Claydonian and have the other players judge what it's stats are, and then play along (assuming you are a FAIR GM...) ALSO:
    ARENA OF DEATH: GM creates a monster and assigns it powers (a big Ass-Kicker). Everyone has to gang up and kill it or they will ALL DIE. =) One of my favorites was when a GM played a "Caterpiller" on us made of green Play-Doh with orange feet. It had 4 sections, and could split apart and each had it's own power (It's 4, 4, 4 beasts in one, WoW!) (Thanks Ed). I would like to see a big green ass-kicking OGRE some day... (Not specifying Tank or beast.)

    TAG TEAM: You have two monsters, OR an even number of players, (4, 6, 8), and each makes a monster. Forming teams of two, (or one for 2 player version), one player sits on the sidelines while the other goes in to fight. The waiting player may use any of his Claydonian's missiles on his turn, as initiative is established normally. The fighting claydonian may leave to it'scorner at any time after battle has begun, and it's partner takes it's place at the end of the fighting claydonian's turn. Game resumes. Regeneration makes this sort of play LAST LONG. A claydonian on the sidelines gains back HP at1 per turn resting (regenerators still roll, NO BONUS!!!)

    CHEATING IN MOVEMENT: Some unscrupulous players try to get away with extra movement in their turn. This is through the use of the Claydonian's body and adding that distance to their movement, IE: Starting the move from the front of the Claydonian and ending up placing the Claydonian with it's back end at the very edge of your last span... OK, that was ambiguous... Here, this is better. Imagine Snarf the Claydonian. Snarf has 3 spans of movement. Snarf's player takes his pinky and places it at Snarf's front end and measures 3 spans from there.. All is good, ok... BUT, he places Snarf's backside at the end of his last span instead of Snarf's FRONT end. This adds the Claydonian's length to the movement. This is NOT TO BE ALLOWED! People who do this deliberately should be microwaved.