So you want to play a kalazotz?

Roleplaying Suggestions

Kalazotz are an original creation, and not an adaptation of another fantasy work or historical folklore. No one has played a kalazotz yet, so if you are the pioneering player (or one of the pioneering players) you have the awesome privilege and responsibility of helping shape kalazotz lore.
Kalazotz in general are kind-hearted and curious creatures. They are socially oriented and loyal to their friends. Kalazotz are openminded enough to be able to form deep bonds of friendship with non-kalazotz. Still, they are evolved from camazotz and they have the feral and violent instincts of the camazotz buried deep within them. They still like to eat very bloody raw meat and they enjoy physical contests and challenges. If you can spin a Mayan cultural angle into the mix, even better.
Kalazotz are friendly, curious, and open-minded, but they are aware that they are smaller and weaker than most other Scarterran mortals. They also had some bad experiences in the past, such as the massacre of the Grey Forest Kalazotz. The kalazotz are going to be at least a little bit cautious or fearful around humans and demihumans they do not know.
Kalazotz are often blind to social subtleties and they are prone to making blunt statements or asking direct questions that others might find offensive.
Kalazotz are going to stand out in any human or demihuman dominated land. They don't wear much clothes and they tend to eat their meals in an animalistic way. At least at first, they are likely to make a lot of faux passe interacting with "civilized society", if this isn't something you would find interesting, than you should probably play something else.
If you play a dwarf influenced kalazotz or a Codenya kalazotz your character is going to have a little bit of socialization to the civilized world but not as much as one would think. The rest of Codenya does not place many social demands on the kalazotz, and dwarves are not exactly known for being models of civil decorum.
You can play a shy withdrawn kalazotz if you want but that takes a lot of the fun out of roleplaying and most kalazotz are not shy.

Metagame Suggestions

You want to give your character as high of an Athletics pool as you can justify because it is used in flying all the time, and you probably wouldn't want to play a kalazotz if you didn't want to fly. You definitely want to give the kalazotz-only merits and flaws in the sidebar a serious look.
It is not a reasonable expectation that a player be an expert on all things Scarterra and all things Scarterra d10. But it is is a reasonable expectation that you should be an expert on what your character can or cannot do.
Since flying is fairly complicated (see the game rules below), you probably want to keep the rest of your character simple. This means one should avoid playing a kalazotz spellcaster, alchemist or spirit loa unless you really want to spent a lot of time absorbing Scarterra lore or you are already fluent in playing d10 based RPG systems.
Unlike 5th edition D&D, dark vision and lowlight vision are not very common abilities. A kalazotz's ability to see in the dark is a rare and powerful ability in the hands of a creative player. It's not foolproof. Scarterra has a fair number of mages that can turn invisible and many elite warriors train in blind fighting as a result of this. The same advanced training that lets a warrior hit an enemy with an invisibility spell lets them hit a kalazotz in the dark.
Most monsters and mortals in Scarterra cannot fly, so kalazotz have a huge advantage over non-flyers, especially in the hands of a creative and tactical player. That said, of the Scarterran mortals and monsters that can fly, most of these things are bigger and stronger than most kalazotz. If you fly too far ahead of your allies, you are going to fight your airborne enemies and kalazotz hate to be alone. Everytime you go scouting ahead, know you are making a risk versus reward calculation.
Kalazotz in flight are difficult to hit with ranged attacks, but not impossible. If you are fighting a group and fly too far from your allies, your kalazotz character might easily be facing every enemy ranged attack at once and even if most of the attacks miss, it only takes one or two hits to knock you out of the sky. If a kalazotz is violently forced to land or worse, falls, than that kalazotz is going to be in serious trouble if he is grounded near enemies far away from his allies.

20 d10s from Wikimedia Commons

Dice Mechanics

Playtesting for these rules is still ongoing, so none of this is set in stone. This is based on the Three Conflicting Imperatives of RPGs, this Shadiversity Video, and my own musings. Most of the things I say below apply to camazotz as well, but kalazotz are an eligible race for PCs and camazotz are not.
Kalazotz have fully functional wings, fairly small bodies, equivalent eye sight to humans, and they have fully functional sonar. Kalazotz hands that can act as feet and feet that can act as hands. Note that a kalazotz's prehensile feet are a bit stronger than their upper hands (they can hang upside down by their feet for hours on end) and a kalazotz's hands have more manual dexterity than their feet. A kalazotz cannot effectively work needlepoint with his feet but he can wield most weapons with his feet.
Feel free to debate me, but I believe due to the effects of physics, that a flying zotz has fewer complications fighting with a spear than other weapons.

Kalazotz on the Ground

Comissioned Kalazotz Art (smaller version) by Diana Rahfoth

On foot, a kalazotz fights the same way as most humanoids do. Nothing is stopping a kalazotz on the ground from wearing heavy armor or using a shield in combat though both these things are hard to do while flying.
Kalazotz have the "Puny" trait so they hit as hard as gnomes, kobolds, and goblins giving them a +1 Strength penalty to all non-magical strength rules including the the incredibly important damage rolls. Crossbows inflict their damage based on the tension of the springs, not the muscle power of the user so kalazotz may use crossbows with no penalty. Much like with gnomes, crossbows are a very popular weapon with kalazotz for this very reason. Likewise, dropping things from the sky uses the power of gravity, not the strength of the user.
Puny characters such as kalazotz get a -1 bonus on most Stealth rolls because they are harder to see and have soft footfalls. This does not apply to most Shadowing attempts unless the ambient crowd has other kalazotz in it. If a kalazotz is trying to be inconspicuous in a crowd of humans, it's not going to work because the humanoid bat is going to stand out.
Like most mortals with the Puny Trait, kalazotz have short stubby legs, so they cannot walk or run as fast as humans, elves, though kalazotz can keep pace with gnomes and kobolds though they look awkward lurching up down when they move quickly.
Kalazotz have one unique ability to use while on the ground. Their hands are feet, so a kalazotz can run on all fours. A kalazotz running on all fours can sprint or jog as fast any human with similar physical attributes though unlike a human the kalazotz obviously cannot be holding anything in their hands while doing this nor can he or she cast spells with somatic components. They also need to make sure any gear they are carrying is fitted well for a kalazotz's frame, the last thing a kalatzotz needs is a sheathed rapier sword dragging on the ground while they running on all fours.
When on all fours, a kalazotz can change direction and speed pretty quickly and they have a low center of mass. A kalazotz on all fours enjoys a -1 difficulty bonus on dodge rolls.
Kalazotz are small and puny, but they have great grip strength. If a kalazotz is making an opposed strength roll or [a Feat of Strength check based on grip such as playing tug of war, their strength is effectively one dot higher though they still suffer the +1 penalty on any roll. Note camazotz also get a bonus dice on grip rolls without a kalazotz's strength penalty.

Biting

Kalazotz have very sharp teeth and can inflict Strength +1 damage with their teeth. It is difficulty 5 to bite an opponent that a kalazotz is grappling with or difficulty 8 to bite an opponent that the kalazotz is not grappling with. Whether the kalazotz is on the ground or airborne the attack is basically the same.
While they can certainly bite better than a human or a dwarf, it is nearly always better to fight with a weapon and most kalazotz view this form of attack as a last resort and also a bit too remiscent of the camazotz. Also, this is not a wise maneuver against a heavily armored opponent unless you know a dentist with Healing ●●●●● magic.

Basic Flying Rules

Most of the time, kalazotz don't have to roll to fly, they just do it. Unless you want your character to fly in adverse conditions such as high winds or you want to pull off cool stunts while flying, in which case you need to roll Dexterity + Athletics for short flights or Stamina + Athletics for long flights. Kalazotz characters can and probably should buy an Athletics specialization in "flying".
A kalazotz's wings are below his arms. This means a kalazotz cannot effectively use weapons or tools in his arms while flying because his arms are fully engaged staying airborn, but a kalazotz's feet act as hands, so a flying kalazotz that wants to fight is going to be holding weapon in his feet.
An airborne kalazotz cannot roll more dice in Melee or Archery than he has dots Athletics. This is exactly the same mechanic for how an equestrian cannot roll more dice in Melee or Archery than he has dots in Ride, for the exact same reasons.

kalazotz encumbrance

A kalazotz on the ground can carry 35 pounds of gear per dot of Strength he has before he suffers any Dexterity penalties and can wear any armor that is fitted for a kalazotz.
A flying kalazotz can only wear light armor and can only carry 10 pounds of gear per dot of Strength before he suffers Dexterity penalties. The maximum load a kalazotz can fly with period is 60 pounds of gear per dot of Strength and that requires the gear to be tied in a carefully secured bundle connected to a rope carried by a rope gripped by a kalazotz's feet.
A kalazotz flying with a heavy load like this is +2 penalty to attack and Athletics rolls and a +3 penalty to dodge and parry rolls.
A group of kalazotz with a special carrying net with several extending ropes can carry very heavy loads because no single kalazotz is bearing the full brunt of the load, but dodging or fighting while doing this is effectively impossible because the group must be flying in formation.

kalazotz archers

A kalazotz cannot fire a bow while flying because he cannot pull his arms back for a full draw while airborne, but a kalazotz can fire a loaded crossbow accurately from the air.
In warfare, a flying kalazotz archer unit typically is made up of one third archers and two thirds supporters who are constantly reloading crossbows and handing fresh loaded crossbows to the archers while taking their spent crossbows. If a kalazotz is in an adventuring party, he probably has to load his own crossbow.
Kalazotz can reload a crossbow while flying but this takes twice as long as it takes a person to load a crossbow on the ground, unless the kalazotz has the Merit "Rapid Reloader" (see the sidebar). Rapid Reloader assumes the kalazotz practiced reloading in the sky over and over again until doing so became second nature. This also assumes that the kalazotz is using a crossbow designed with a kalazotz wielder in mind and that is he is wearing a specially fitted quiver that won't interfere with his flight pattern and has the bolts loaded tightly enough that they won't spill onto the ground if the quiver is turned upside down.
A kalazotz firing a missile weapon while in midair suffers a +1 difficulty penalty versus firing a missile weapon with his feet planted on the ground.
Note, that while firing missile weapons from the air is fun and all, kalazotz usually have the option to fly to find a high perch on cave ceiling, tall tree, or rooftop and rain death from above. This avoid the +1 difficulty modifier and makes reloading less of a hassle.
A kalazotz can fire use a bow or crossbow just as easily from a high perch as they can on the ground. Kalazotz are perfectly comfortable hanging upside down as long as they have a tight quiver and enough space to pull back their bow. Codenya kalazotz are very fond of this tactic as their allies make the best bows in the world and there are plenty of tall tress for them to perch in.
Kalazotz have sonar so they can normally shoot with no penalty in the dark or through patch of fog that would normally impede another archer's sight. Sonar cannot pierce magical invisibility though.
Loud ambient noises interfere with a kalazotz's sonar, not enough to affect a melee attack or a point blank range ranged attack, but enough to cause a +1 penalty (cumulative with other modifiers).
If a kalazotz archer is targeting a camazotz or another kalazotz, their target can use a partial B-action to roll Wits + Performance to make sonar "noise" and this "noise" can throw off enemy sonar and give kalazotz shooters a +1 penalty to hit (cumulative with other modifiers). If you have a large mass of Zotz flying in a chaotic arial melee, all ranged attacks based on sonar are at +2 difficulty though if you fire into a flying mass, you are likely to hit someone, but you might hit an ally.
Kalazotz may feel safe in the dark, but they aren't actively impaired by bright light. If it is daytime and there is no special cover, a kalazotz doesn't need sonar at all. He can use his eyes to aim ranged attacks just like a human archer.

kalazotz bombadiers

If kalazotz are fighting enemies on the ground, they can drop things on their enemies and let gravity do most of the heavy lifting, so to speak. In warfare, kalazotz groups often don't bother aiming and just try to fly over a large mass of enemies and rely on quantity over quality to score hits, but a kalazotz is flying solo and/or fighting alongside ground based allies, more precision strikes are necessary.

1915 Swiss flechettes by historical artifact

Kalazotz allied with dwarves might have access to flachetes which are weighted so the pointy side is always pointing down when dropped (six dice of base damage). Less well-equipped kalazotz have to make due dropping rocks (four dice base of damage). Kalazotz can drop almost anything they can carry including alchemists fire vials or weaponized potions too. Camazotz rarely have access to flachetes but they can drop larger rocks (five dice base of damage).

Commissioned camazotzflying, grey background by Diana Rahfoth

Kalazotz roll Perception + Archery or Perception + Alertness to aim these drops, whichever is higher. Difficulty 7 for relatively short drops, difficulty 8 for long drops and difficulty 9 for very long drops. If you have the advanced training merit, "Bat Bombadier" (see sidebar), reduce the difficulty of the attack rolls by 1. Add +1 difficulty to the attack roll if the kalazotz enemies are fighting ground based allies that the kalazotz does not want to hit.
Long and very long drops have bonus gravity due to picking up velocity, two dice or three dice respectively, but as always accurate hits, inflict bonus damage too so shorter drops might actually inflict more consistent damage than longer drops.
Enemies that are aware of kalazotz flying over them can protect themselves by raising a shield over their head and weather the storm, assuming they have a shield, but obviously an enemy with a shield over is head cannot fight ground based opponents normally. Aware enemies can roll Dexterity + Dodge to avoid falling projectiles at the normal difficulty, even if they cannot see the attack as long as they know its coming.
Kalazotz bombadiers making short drops are vulnerable to counterattacks by ground based targets carrying spears, polearms, or great swords though they suffer a +1 difficulty to attack the bombadier.
Kalazotz making long drops are vulnerable to counterattacks by ground based targets with missile attacks though they suffer a +1 difficulty to attack the bombadier.
Kalazotz making very long drops are nearly unhittable with a single arrow, with enemies suffering a +3 difficulty penalty to hit them. But a kalazotz flying high in the sky cannot effectively dodge twenty arrows. If the enemy archers are in a large group, and they are disciplined enough to fire a full volley, they are probably going to hit a kalazotz at least once or twice.

Dropping Nets

Kalazotz are great at weaving nets as this is the main way they carry gear while flying and they use safety nets to catch their pups if they have accidents while flying. Kalazotz frequently use nets offensively for hunting and combat.
Nets float too slowly to drop them from a distance with any accuracy, so kalazotz needs to fly a net very close to their target. Kalazotz need to roll Dexterity + Athletics difficulty 7 to net a mansized target on the ground or difficulty 8 to net a mansized target out of the air. Reduce difficulty by -1 if the target is roughly the size of a gnome or kalazotz. Reduce the difficulty by -2 if the kalazotz is trying to catch something smaller like a pixie or a bird.
Aware targets can dodge a net attack normally, or if they have a decent length weapon, they can parry a net, and depending on what weapon they are using, cut or pierce the net if the parry is successful.

Normal Flying Melee attacks

If a kalazotz is fighting a ground based opponent with a melee weapon, it is assumed he is swooping down and attacking then pulling out of the dive. This means the kalazotz must dictate a partial B-Action to Dexterity + Athletics though for ease of game play, we are not requiring a roll here as long as the Dexterity + Athletics pool still has dice left after multi-action and/or wound penalties.
There is no reason a kalazotz cannot fly and fight with a two handed weapon though doing so means he cannot carry a shield.
I don't normally worry about the effects of reach or piercing weapons versus other types of weapons, but I am assuming that the laws of physics make spears an ideal weapon for kalazotz and camazotz. They receive a bonus die to all attack rolls while flying and wielding a spear or short spear.
Unless the the enemy is fighting with a spear, pole weapon, or great sword, melee attacks against the kalazotz by ground based oppoents are at +1 difficulty.
Unless the kalazotz is fighting with a spear, his parry rolls are +1 difficulty because it is assumed that even a successful parry may disrupt a kalazotz flight pattern. Speaking of which, if a kalazotz every rolls a parry with a straight tie with this attacker, he needs to make a Wits + Athletics (difficulty 6) roll to not have to drop his spear or land. A botch means he crashes to the ground though since he is relatively close to the ground to be he is probably just knocked prone and takes little if any falling damage.
If a kalazotz misses a ground based opponent or is parried, nothing special happens, but if he hits an opponent with fewer than three net successes he needs to roll Wits + Melee to avoid having to drop his weapon, difficulty 5.

Dive bomb melee attacks

A kalazotz can execute a full dive from a great distance and use the momentum of gravity to make his melee attack that much more powerful.
To do this, the kalazotz must use his full B-action to control the dive (this means no dodge or parry!) and roll Dexterity + Athletics, difficulty 6. A failure means you drop your weapon and a botch means you splat into the ground (with extra damage).
Then use the A-action to make his normal melee attack but the damage roll gets a bonus damage dice for every success on the Deterity + Athletics roll, unless the melee attack misses, in which case your character accomplished nothing but looked really cool doing it.
If a dive bomb attack hits but is parried by the defender, the defender is still resisting a lot of inertia. The defender needs to make a reflexive Wits + Melee roll, difficulty 3 + successes rolled by the kalazotz on Dexterity + Athletics to not be knocked to the ground or have to their weapon or shield wrenched from their grip. A camazotz doing this maneuver makes the defender roll difficulty 5+ successes because he has more mass behind his inertia.
If you split your A-action to make more than one attack, only the first attack gets the bonus damage.

Air-to-air combat

Scarterra d10 assumes that in a normal melee the opponents are not standing still but they are moving around jockeying for position and we don't usually roll out every micromovement or force characters to declare how they are moving if they are only making normal attacks and parries.
The same applies if the kalazotz is fighting an airborne opponent. It is assumed that the combatants are flying in circles roughly keeping their general position but not exactly. No one gets a penalty or a bonus, it just involves normal attack rolls and parries just as if the opponents were on the ground.
Combat is three dimensional. If there are more than two people fighting in the air, it is generally easier to set up a flanking maneuver in the sky than on the ground. This is how the kalazotz have not been wiped out by the camazotz, the kalazotz usually have strength of numbers and they know how to use this advantage, though a kalazotz adventurer in a party of humans and demihuman is unlikely to have much arial backup.

Taking hits while in the air

If a kalazotz takes unsoaked damage while airborn, he needs to roll a reflexive Wits + Athletics roll to maintain his flight pattern. The of the roll difficulty is 3 + the levels of unsoaked damage (maximum difficulty 9). A failure means the kalazotz must land, and in all likelihood is going to be landing amongst enemies and far from allies. A botch means the kalazotz takes full Falling damage on top of the damage he already received.
If your kalazotz is knocked unconscious or stunned, falling damage is assured.

Kalazotz Only Merits and Flaws

Rapid Reloader (2 points): A kalazotz can reload a crossbow at a normal speed while flying. Even then you need to roll Wits + Archery (difficutly 4), untrained kalazotz can still try this at difficulty 7. Either way, if you fail the roll you fail you drop the crossbow bolt you were trying to load. If you botch the roll you drop your crossbow or spill your quiver.
Practiced Bombadier (2 points): The kalazotz can drop projectiles with -1 difficulty to attack rolls.
Arial Shield Proficiency (2 point): Must buy regular shield proficiency. The kalazotz can fly with a medium shield (what larger creatures would consider a small shield) and not have a penalty while flying. They don't get the normal passive defense bonus against melee attacks, but they do get said bonus against ranged attacks and they can use thier shield for active parries at -1 difficulty.