Christmas Campaign Ideas

[goken04]

Galathir, you should know enough to keep out by now! GET OUT!

Err'body else:

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I'm running a short campaign over Christmas break for some good friends and experienced players. It is a heavily house-ruled 3.5 game. They are starting at level 15 with a little less than WBL starting gold.

I'm looking for suggestions for encounters/plots! I've just started planning today, so anything is game. I'm definitely going to make the game Christmas-themed. This could mean anything from something as subtle as exploring themes of sacrifice and giving all the way to making the Grinch the BBEG, I'm not sure yet!

What are your ideas and thoughts? Any particularly good monster (or ideas for monsters, I don't mind some homebrewing!) I should throw against the party? Any characters from your favorite Christmas stories that I should MOST DEFINITELY involve?

I'm probably going to mostly stay clear of any allusions to A Christmas Carol, just because it's been done SO much. However, it is one of my all-time favorite stories....

I don't even have a plot hook or story arc done yet at all, so any suggestions are welcomed! Go crazy! I'm looking for anything to get the brain juices going!

[The Dark Fiddler]

Merry Tarrasquemas to all!

[Anonymouswizard]

Santa has gone insane. This plot runs throughout the entire campaign (or at least 3 sessions). In the first adventure they face Santa as as 10th level wizard or sorcerer, and he is in his sleigh. It is pulled by reindeer and he has special present bombs.

2nd adventure: I dunno. Santa is robbing a toy store? rescue the elves.

Last Santa adventure: you must defeat Santa again. However, he has gained a few levels, made his present bombs better, and rides a tarrasque drawn sleigh. When is sleigh is defeated he escapes, and they have to chase him across town. When he is cornered he fights until one of the PCs is able to reverse the evil thingy.

Santa is immune to SoDs and is assumed to always have an unlimited number of CCW potions in his sack. The only way to defeat him the first time and third time is by destroying his sleigh or mounts. The second time is a normal fight, but the third time they have to be creative.

Bonus points for playing Weird Al's song "The night Santa went crazy" drawing the fights.

THanks for the idea, I have given you the basic plot of what I shall be running at this years winter festive. 25 days to prepare.

[Dust]

Tarrasquemas thread is epic.

I'm not certain how much it helps, but having The Grinch as a BBEG (with a personality remniscent more of like The Joker and less like Dr. Suess) would be the most memorable campaign I can possibly imagine.

I lack helpful ideas today.

[erikun]

Evergreen Treant who dresses up with decorations and plays with the children in town every year.

However, lumberjacks have been eyeing the Treant's forest, and are ready to make a move as soon as they know the Treant has left the forest unprotected.

What will the heroes do? Will there be peace between the city and forest? Will the Treant's grove remain safe? Will the children get to enjoy Treantmas this year?

[Nero24200]

Heres an idea

Elves vrs Elves.

On one side, we have the tolkinesc, tall with pointed ears, and on the other we have the short, often bearded, santa elves.

LEEEEETS GET READY TO RUMMBBLLLLLEEE!

[The Dark Fiddler]

on the other we have the short, often bearded, santa elves.

So... Gnomes?

[goken04]

The Grinch as a BBEG (with a personality remniscent more of like The Joker and less like Dr. Suess)

This is what I was thinking when I mentioned him in my post! But I may leave the whole "only speaking in rhymes" thing. If I can manage it!

Also lovin' the Treent idea.

Here's something I'm strongly considering (unrelated to the Christmas theme) and could use some input on:

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They're making 15th level characters and small character histories. I'm considering making those characters Heroes of a Past Age (tm) whose tomb is fabled to contain their powerful magical weapons.

Then, when they get to the game, take the character sheets and hand each of them completely different character sheets. Characters like a level 5 Expert. Or a level 4 Aristocrat. Or a level 3 Adept. New names, new personas, smiling and telling them they are their characters.

Then the BBEG moves into town and this handful of Small Town Heroes (tm) have to Risk Their Lives to obtain the Weapons of Destiny from the tombs of the Heroes of a Past Age. The weapons would then, in addition to however the PCs built them in the first place with their WBL, have X number of charges which renew daily. And the charges can be used in any combination to turn the Small Town Heroes into the Heroes of a Past Age (gear and all ) for a corresponding number of rounds. Using 1 charge will give them 3 rounds (for example), using 2 charges will give them 5 rounds, 3 charges will give them 10. Or something like that.

Would this be interesting and compelling for you as a PC? Would it just piss you off to not ALWAYS be your 15th level character? Would this be way too hard to balance encounters for? If you like the idea, how many charges/day and what should the charge economy be like? I should note, if I haven't yet, that this campaign will only last three days (although two of those will be days of nothing-but-gaming ), so moving them from NPC classes to obtaining the weapons would happen fairly quickly and not too much will be invested in the longevity of the characters in the first place.

[bosssmiley]

Hogfather. That is all.

[Guinea Anubis]

Hogfather. That is all.

this is what I was coming to post.

[KillianHawkeye]

This is what I'm basing my xmas adventure on.

[goken04]

Hogfather.

Do what now?

[Kalirren]

Hogfather is a Terry Pratchet book. The Auditors of the Universe want to kill the Hogfather (that is to say, Father Christmas) because they hate all emergent complexity.

I'm sure Wikipedia has an article.

[Drenn]

Coming at it from a different angle, you could have the party hired by law enforcement officials to capture a large-time thief that specializes in breaking and entering who resides high in the snowy mountains. Get them to sign off on some heavily binding contract. As the PCs proceed, however, it turns out that they've been tricked. They're actually out to capture Santa, and they've been hired by the Grinch, or some other villain. After that they need to either do the unthinkable and stop Christmas by arresting Santa, or figure out a way out of their contract.

[Froogleyboy]

This is what I'm basing my xmas adventure on.

I'm already planning to do this :)

[Sir_Elderberry]

I think you need to either make it a really cliche story in an odd genre--the PCs have to save Christmas!--or make it an odd take on the Christmas mythos. Maybe make it the Santa of Futurama. Warforged Santa. (Hannukah Zombie and Kwanzaa Bot are optional.)

[Drenn]

Seems like you have a lot of plot ideas headed your way, so here's an idea for the actual encounters within the adventure. Have an encounter happen on ice, say, a frozen lake or something. Not only with this hinder movement, but if anyone stays in one space too long, have the ice break under them. Also, fire spells would have to be used judiciously. It might turn into a battle of seeing who can sink their opponent first.

[Another_Poet]

PCs hired by King Herod to put down three rebel kings and stop a baby from taking over the entire region?

[chiasaur11]

Hogfather is a Terry Pratchet book. The Auditors of the Universe want to kill the Hogfather (that is to say, Father Christmas) because they hate all emergent complexity.

I'm sure Wikipedia has an article.

It gets better.

They succeed, and DEATH himself is the only one who can save Hogswatch by standing in for the Hogfather.

(He does a better job than you'd think.)

[goken04]

Okay! I've got the plot pretty much settled with the thanks of the playground.

The Evil Lord Krampus once ruled the city of Myra with an iron fist. Eventually, the Hopebringers (the PCs' 15th level characters) defeated him in a 12-day siege upon his terrible fortress, giving their lives to defeat him. Rumor has it that, as their last act, the Hopebringers hid their powerful magical weapons away where, should Myra ever need protecting again, those with pure hearts may find them.

Since that fateful day 2,000 years ago, the people of Myra have annually celebrated Santanalia, a 12-day festival remembering the advent of the Hopebringers and celebrating their selfless act with the spirit of giving.

The Yulefather is a very rich Elf Wizard who lives at the North Pole and gives gifts to good children and coal to bad children each of the 12 nights of Santanalia. Yadda yadda, looks like Father Christmas (as opposed to Santa Claus).

Anyways, so I'mma have the Grinch (who was once a Bad Child of Myra with some kind of name like Gary and hates Santanalia because he NEVER GOT ANYTHING BUT COAL) leave Myra because he can't stand the yule spirit. He ends up living in Krampus's old fortress where he hatches a terrible plan. He kidnaps the Yulefather to stop Santanalia and brings 12 Days of Terror posing as Krampus returned from the dead! And the PC's (a random assortment of low-level NPC classes... they don't know they're doing this yet..) have to stop the Grinch and save the Yulefather.

But first they have to find the weapons of the Hopebringers which, when they wield them, will turn them into the 15th level characters their creating. As long as they are wielding the weapons. :)

Then they have to track "Krampus" down at the North Pole where he's taken over the Yulefather's castle/workshop (as well as his army of miniature elf-shaped constructs). Christmas-themed encounters ensue. He's also turning the Yulefather to evil using some sorta magic. Or whatever. And so the PCs will have to fight the Yulefather (w/o killing him!) as well as the Grinch/Krampus all before Santanalia is over!

Thanks so much for your help and would love your continued input! I'm looking for a lot of christmas-themed encounters now. I'm def. going to use the Christmas Treent idea, putting a grove around Yulefather's castle which has been turned evil by the Grinch.

Seems like you have a lot of plot ideas headed your way, so here's an idea for the actual encounters within the adventure. Have an encounter happen on ice, say, a frozen lake or something. Not only with this hinder movement, but if anyone stays in one space too long, have the ice break under them. Also, fire spells would have to be used judiciously. It might turn into a battle of seeing who can sink their opponent first.

Love this. USING it.

PCs hired by King Herod to put down three rebel kings and stop a baby from taking over the entire region?

Haha! Too late! This same group of players just mentioned to me this weekend that the worst thing I ever did to them was a one-shot (and this was three or four years ago) where they had to kill Jesus or let their own universes (they were all from a different universe, think Exiles or Sliders) die. Err... "Joshua the Mighty" that is...

[Copacetic]

It gets better.

They succeed, and DEATH himself is the only one who can save Hogswatch by standing in for the Hogfather.

(He does a better job than you'd think.)

Ho. Ho. Ho.

[Drenn]

What about nudging PCs to use the snow and winter weather to their advantage by getting them to use packed snow or ice blocks or what have you to build their way over or around obstacles. The drawbridge the castle is up? Build a snow ramp up to a window. Horses can't make it through the drifts? Charge down the hill into battle on sleds. Need to set an ambush? Build good old-fashion snow forts for a snowball fight...except with magic missles instead of snow.

Alternatively, have the villains use the snow to their advantage dig in tunnels and traps beneath the surface.

Just some ideas. Hope they help!

[goken04]

What about nudging PCs to use the snow and winter weather to their advantage by getting them to use packed snow or ice blocks or what have you to build their way over or around obstacles. The drawbridge the castle is up? Build a snow ramp up to a window. Horses can't make it through the drifts? Charge down the hill into battle on sleds. Need to set an ambush? Build good old-fashion snow forts for a snowball fight...except with magic missles instead of snow.

Alternatively, have the villains use the snow to their advantage dig in tunnels and traps beneath the surface.

Just some ideas. Hope they help!

That's a great idea! Thanks for the help!

What does everyone think of an army of toy soldiers? What would be a good monster to base it off of?

[Drenn]

That's a great idea! Thanks for the help!

What does everyone think of an army of toy soldiers? What would be a good monster to base it off of?

That's a great idea! What about warforges? They're already man-made, so just mod their appearance slightly.

[Another_Poet]

Haha! Too late! This same group of players just mentioned to me this weekend that the worst thing I ever did to them was a one-shot (and this was three or four years ago) where they had to kill Jesus or let their own universes (they were all from a different universe, think Exiles or Sliders) die. Err... "Joshua the Mighty" that is...

Three kinds of awesome.