Christmas and D&D are an odd combination, since it's unlikely that any Earth holidays are celebrated in any D&D setting. This forces players to create their own holidays that are clearly meant to be Christmas themed if they want adventures that are also Christmas specials. If any of you have made one, or played one, I'd be interested to know about it. I've already created a Christmas like holiday for my setting called Solstice, that celebrates mortals first victory over demons, and the triumph of hope and life against the powers of the dark gods who seek to pervert and destroy everything.
I played a Christmas themed one shot where I played a disguised warforged bard/rogue that had traveled back in time to save Christmas. It was pretty setting agnostic. We infiltrated an orphanage to save the spirit of Christmas. The DM set up a magic non-damage field so nobody could immediately murder hobo any of the oddly sleeping staff, and proceeded to investigate like a festive/haunted house. The rest of the party started to find clues about why everything was essentially in stasis, which pointed toward things being not as they seemed. We eventually found a large snow globe which my character thought held the spirit of Christmas. Meanwhile like two rooms over, some of the party essentially discovered that the globe held the spirit of Crampus. It was however too late.
Everyone else was being too cautious to break the orb, but I was pretty much playing lawful(?) stupid at that point, and the DM gave me the go ahead to go full dummy so we could start the only combat encounter. The spirit of Crampus possessed my character and at that point my motivation became to escape and spread ill-tidings across the world. My party hated me in the moment, but again my DM gave me the thumbs up and doubled my health. The party proceeded to chase me towards the exit, while we slung spells and attacks at each other. They eventually got me as planned, and I got to do a cinematic death crawl towards the fireplace exit while my disguise melted off. I don't really know how the rest of the group felt about it, but I had fun.
My first session as a dm, I ran a one shot where Santa hired the party to deliver gifts to New Axeholm. On the way, they ran into a mysterious mountain range where they fought an abominable snowman (Druid was polymorphed into Rudolph during combat), made their way through the tunnels of the Nutcracker‘a Mouse King and his wererats, and fought the Grinch on the peak (where they learned that the mountain was Mt Crumpet).
As for the Christmas/setting conflict, it was mostly handwaved. It just kind of existed in my world for the sake of fun.
I ran a game where players in the house as pre-teens woke up with their parents missing. They searched around and decided to open presents because of a note on the kitchen table that said "open the gifts".
They began to open those gifts and found armor, weapons and arcane focus items.
Then they heard the jingle. It was a windy morning. The jingle came from the fireplace. Where they found the skeletal remains of santa hanging by its feet by a chain leading up to the roof.
I won't get onto full game or story. Just a note that krampus was involved in Santa's death and they hunted it down saving Christmas. Was one of my more horrifying adventures.
My first session as a dm, I ran a one shot where Santa hired the party to deliver gifts to New Axeholm. On the way, they ran into a mysterious mountain range where they fought an abominable snowman (Druid was polymorphed into Rudolph during combat), made their way through the tunnels of the Nutcracker‘a Mouse King and his wererats, and fought the Grinch on the peak (where they learned that the mountain was Mt Crumpet).
As for the Christmas/setting conflict, it was mostly handwaved. It just kind of existed in my world for the sake of fun.
Wow, sounds like an interesting and fun adventure! Good work.
Haven't had the chance to run it yet, but I have one planned for my players! Christmas in my world is called Winter's Eve and is basically a celebration of the winter solstice. Basically the set up will be that they go back to visit a little wizard boy they made friends with back at the beginning of the campaign (not even kidding on that bit, he's a 6 year old half-drow divination wizard and he's the best XD), only to discover that he, along with several other children from the town, have been going missing. If they stake things out and investigate, they'll discover a mysterious train that appears in the middle of the town at night and lures children away as the adults sleep. (Corrupted Polar Express basically.)
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Christmas and D&D are an odd combination, since it's unlikely that any Earth holidays are celebrated in any D&D setting. This forces players to create their own holidays that are clearly meant to be Christmas themed if they want adventures that are also Christmas specials. If any of you have made one, or played one, I'd be interested to know about it. I've already created a Christmas like holiday for my setting called Solstice, that celebrates mortals first victory over demons, and the triumph of hope and life against the powers of the dark gods who seek to pervert and destroy everything.
I played a Christmas themed one shot where I played a disguised warforged bard/rogue that had traveled back in time to save Christmas. It was pretty setting agnostic. We infiltrated an orphanage to save the spirit of Christmas. The DM set up a magic non-damage field so nobody could immediately murder hobo any of the oddly sleeping staff, and proceeded to investigate like a festive/haunted house. The rest of the party started to find clues about why everything was essentially in stasis, which pointed toward things being not as they seemed. We eventually found a large snow globe which my character thought held the spirit of Christmas. Meanwhile like two rooms over, some of the party essentially discovered that the globe held the spirit of Crampus. It was however too late.
Everyone else was being too cautious to break the orb, but I was pretty much playing lawful(?) stupid at that point, and the DM gave me the go ahead to go full dummy so we could start the only combat encounter. The spirit of Crampus possessed my character and at that point my motivation became to escape and spread ill-tidings across the world. My party hated me in the moment, but again my DM gave me the thumbs up and doubled my health. The party proceeded to chase me towards the exit, while we slung spells and attacks at each other. They eventually got me as planned, and I got to do a cinematic death crawl towards the fireplace exit while my disguise melted off. I don't really know how the rest of the group felt about it, but I had fun.
My first session as a dm, I ran a one shot where Santa hired the party to deliver gifts to New Axeholm. On the way, they ran into a mysterious mountain range where they fought an abominable snowman (Druid was polymorphed into Rudolph during combat), made their way through the tunnels of the Nutcracker‘a Mouse King and his wererats, and fought the Grinch on the peak (where they learned that the mountain was Mt Crumpet).
As for the Christmas/setting conflict, it was mostly handwaved. It just kind of existed in my world for the sake of fun.
Only spilt the party if you see something shiny.
Ariendela Sneakerson, Half-elf Rogue (8); Harmony Wolfsbane, Tiefling Bard (10); Agnomally, Gnomish Sorcerer (3); Breeze, Tabaxi Monk (8); Grace, Dragonborn Barbarian (7); DM, Homebrew- The Sequestered Lands/Underwater Explorers; Candlekeep
I ran a game where players in the house as pre-teens woke up with their parents missing. They searched around and decided to open presents because of a note on the kitchen table that said "open the gifts".
They began to open those gifts and found armor, weapons and arcane focus items.
Then they heard the jingle. It was a windy morning. The jingle came from the fireplace. Where they found the skeletal remains of santa hanging by its feet by a chain leading up to the roof.
I won't get onto full game or story. Just a note that krampus was involved in Santa's death and they hunted it down saving Christmas. Was one of my more horrifying adventures.
Wow, sounds like an interesting and fun adventure! Good work.
Ho, ho, ho!
Haven't had the chance to run it yet, but I have one planned for my players! Christmas in my world is called Winter's Eve and is basically a celebration of the winter solstice. Basically the set up will be that they go back to visit a little wizard boy they made friends with back at the beginning of the campaign (not even kidding on that bit, he's a 6 year old half-drow divination wizard and he's the best XD), only to discover that he, along with several other children from the town, have been going missing. If they stake things out and investigate, they'll discover a mysterious train that appears in the middle of the town at night and lures children away as the adults sleep. (Corrupted Polar Express basically.)