Festive Adventure Seeds

[grinch]

As we are now within the month of December, I thought it might be rather apt if I started a thread for all those wishing for some adventures ideas for a possible Christmas Special or merely festive themed adventure for you campaign. The canon status of which is entirely up to you.

If you’ll permit me to be self-indulgent for a moment may I briefly refer to my own statblock for an obscure folkloric creature The Yule Cat as an example.

dwaitas.proboards.com/thread/4325/folkloric-creature-yule-cat

[spydalek]

This is something I've toyed (pun very much intended ) around with before now.

• Christmas Day, whatever year you want it to be. Kids, and big kids, all around the world are opening presents. The day is amazing. Then at exactly midday, every single toy they got starts behaving weirdly. They move of their accord, and start marching out of the houses. Obviously, UNIT is brought in to work out exactly what is happening. Is it another attack by the Nestene Consciousness? Something else?

It's been one of those ideas that's been in my head for years at this point. Something for the Archivists of the Archive (which I really should get around to writing up at some point) to chew on as a festive treat.

[grinch]

Dec 1, 2021 13:26:48 GMT spydalek said:

This is something I've toyed (pun very much intended ) around with before now.

• Christmas Day, whatever year you want it to be. Kids, and big kids, all around the world are opening presents. The day is amazing. Then at exactly midday, every single toy they got starts behaving weirdly. They move of their accord, and start marching out of the houses. Obviously, UNIT is brought in to work out exactly what is happening. Is it another attack by the Nestene Consciousness? Something else?

It's been one of those ideas that's been in my head for years at this point. Something for the Archivists of the Archive (which I really should get around to writing up at some point) to chew on as a festive treat.

Interesting. A call to arms or is it something else entirely?

In fact, I could easily see this story leading into the UNIT officers/PCs stumbling into some pocket dimension/strange reality which resembles Toyland or Toytown or like something straight out of a Enid Blyton story where the toys have been signalled to return “home” as it were. But for what reason?

And yes, I’d been keen to see what ideas you have planned for the Archivists when you get the chance.

[Catsmate]

An excellent idea.
I have one (The Lord of Misrule) in development, I'll (hopefully) post it soon. It is rather Lovecraftian in tone.

And might I recommend Stross's excellent story Overtime (link to text) as inspiration? It's part of the Laundry series and I could see it being adapted for a UNIT scenario.

[Catsmate]

The Lord of Misrule.

Part One - Arrival.
Our heroes arrive on a very cold, snowy, winter’s day. Or rather late afternoon as it's just starting to get dark.
Now, depending on the vagaries of their transport they may now where and when they’ve arrived or they may need to ask a passer-by (of which, due to the aforementioned cold and snow, there are rather few) or enquire in a local business.
It’s New England in 1928, a few days before Christmas¹, and they’ve landed in, well let’s call it Arkham for the moment. A small city in Massachusetts, old by US standards, with a university predating the creation of the United States and a mighty river, both called Miskatonic.

• These are really just place-holders, if a GM doesn’t want the Lovecraftian allusions she can change them. I’m going to use the background for Arkham to save time. After all Chaosium has done all the work for me and it means I don't need to invent names as much, something I'm terrible at.
  
• The Whoniverse is split on the reality of Arkham. In The Lovecraft Invasion it's clearly a fictional place but the unproduced Avatar was going to be set there.
  

This would also be a good time for some historical exposition and stage-setting, if there is a suitably well-travelled character (the Doctor or Jack Harkness would be ideal, but Reilly Cydnie would do as well. Some reminiscences on the 'old days' in Arkham during her last visit in the 1860s (before Christmas was a public holiday²) when there was little celebration, schools didn’t close and many businesses operated as normal.

• Of course a couple of centuries earlier and you could end up minus your ears for celebrating such a clearly pagan and un-Christian festival. This included dancing, playing music, decorating et cetera.

Assuming the PCs take one look outside don’t hole up in their transport and gorge on mince pies (or run in horror when they hear the name 'Arkham') they’ll find the locals reasonably talkative, especially about the weather.

• The name should, if your players are at all familiar with Lovercraftian lore, inspire a suitable state of mind.
• The locals are somewhat stereotypical 'Yankees' and rather withdrawn, but then can be persuaded to open up.
  

The weather is unusually bad this year and some Arkhamites wonder about a repeat of the terrible ice storm of 1919 that blanketed the town in snow, froze the Miskatonic, and worsened the effects of the Spanish ‘flu. Some of the usually stoic New Englanders are visibly nervous about the prospect.

On these cold, dark, evenings people don't hang around on the streets. Rather they hurry home, where there's warmth and cheer and light to keep the shadows at bay.

• Remember the USA is still in the throes of it’s Great Social Experiment so there are no pubs. At least no obvious ones; there are in fact plenty of speakeasies around but they are reasonable discreet and would-be patrons unknown to the operations generally need a password. The local police, as in most of the USA at the time, have little-to-no-interest in enforcing the Prohibition laws.
  

There are cafes however, generally only open to 7PM (decent folk should be at home after that) though a few operate later. They should appear as oases of warmth, light and sociability after a few minutes in the cold, dark, snowy streets.

Over coffee (or tea), a sandwich or a slice of pie they PCs can warm themselves and perhaps pick up some gossip.

• The players especially may be expecting some exposition about what’s going on. They may be curious why the plot is building slowly.
  

Other than the weather, the activities of the students at Miskatonic (now mostly out of town for the vacation), and the recent elections, the main topic is the antics of a group of carol singers.

• “It’s Herbert Hoover’s big debut. He gets the blame, and loses too”. Hoover won the presidency in a landslide over the Democrat Al Smith, in an election campaign filled with anti-Catholic bigotry, religious leaders meddling in politics and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. Massachusetts narrowly supported Smith.

Either by listening to the gossip, actually talking to Arkhamites or reading the copies of the Arkham Advertiser available in the diner the PCs can pick up all this. Including the story going round about a group of carol singers who’re making a nuisance of themselves in the East-side of town (a somewhat seedy and decaying, mainly lower-class residential are). People (including in letters to the newspaper) are claiming that they’re using the singing as a distraction to burgle the houses they visit. A lot of the discussion if of the "Where are the police?" and "why can't more be done to stop these thieves?" type.

Hopefully the players are intrigued.

End of Part One.


Comments?





1. My default date is 20DEC1928 (a Thursday) and the time is around 4PM. Sunset is at about 16:15.

2. It was a Federal holiday from 1870 and in Massachusetts from 1856.

[grinch]

Dec 2, 2021 10:06:51 GMT Catsmate said:

The Lord of Misrule.

Part One - Arrival.
Our heroes arrive on a very cold, snowy, winter’s day. Or rather late afternoon as it's just starting to get dark.
Now, depending on the vagaries of their transport they may now where and when they’ve arrived or they may need to ask a passer-by (of which, due to the aforementioned cold and snow, there are rather few) or enquire in a local business.
It’s New England in 1928, a few days before Christmas¹, and they’ve landed in, well let’s call it Arkham for the moment. A small city in Massachusetts, old by US standards, with a university predating the creation of the United States and a mighty river, both called Miskatonic.

• These are really just place-holders, if a GM doesn’t want the Lovecraftian allusions she can change them. I’m going to use the background for Arkham to save time. After all Chaosium has done all the work for me and it means I don't need to invent names as much, something I'm terrible at.
  
• The Whoniverse is split on the reality of Arkham. In The Lovecraft Invasion it's clearly a fictional place but the unproduced Avatar was going to be set there.
  

This would also be a good time for some historical exposition and stage-setting, if there is a suitably well-travelled character (the Doctor or Jack Harkness would be ideal, but Reilly Cydnie would do as well. Some reminiscences on the 'old days' in Arkham during her last visit in the 1860s (before Christmas was a public holiday²) when there was little celebration, schools didn’t close and many businesses operated as normal.

• Of course a couple of centuries earlier and you could end up minus your ears for celebrating such a clearly pagan and un-Christian festival. This included dancing, playing music, decorating et cetera.

Assuming the PCs take one look outside don’t hole up in their transport and gorge on mince pies (or run in horror when they hear the name 'Arkham') they’ll find the locals reasonably talkative, especially about the weather.

• The name should, if your players are at all familiar with Lovercraftian lore, inspire a suitable state of mind.
• The locals are somewhat stereotypical 'Yankees' and rather withdrawn, but then can be persuaded to open up.
  

The weather is unusually bad this year and some Arkhamites wonder about a repeat of the terrible ice storm of 1919 that blanketed the town in snow, froze the Miskatonic, and worsened the effects of the Spanish ‘flu. Some of the usually stoic New Englanders are visibly nervous about the prospect.

On these cold, dark, evenings people don't hang around on the streets. Rather they hurry home, where there's warmth and cheer and light to keep the shadows at bay.

• Remember the USA is still in the throes of it’s Great Social Experiment so there are no pubs. At least no obvious ones; there are in fact plenty of speakeasies around but they are reasonable discreet and would-be patrons unknown to the operations generally need a password. The local police, as in most of the USA at the time, have little-to-no-interest in enforcing the Prohibition laws.
  

There are cafes however, generally only open to 7PM (decent folk should be at home after that) though a few operate later. They should appear as oases of warmth, light and sociability after a few minutes in the cold, dark, snowy streets.

Over coffee (or tea), a sandwich or a slice of pie they PCs can warm themselves and perhaps pick up some gossip.

• The players especially may be expecting some exposition about what’s going on. They may be curious why the plot is building slowly.
  

Other than the weather, the activities of the students at Miskatonic (now mostly out of town for the vacation), and the recent elections, the main topic is the antics of a group of carol singers.

• “It’s Herbert Hoover’s big debut. He gets the blame, and loses too”. Hoover won the presidency in a landslide over the Democrat Al Smith, in an election campaign filled with anti-Catholic bigotry, religious leaders meddling in politics and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. Massachusetts narrowly supported Smith.

Either by listening to the gossip, actually talking to Arkhamites or reading the copies of the Arkham Advertiser available in the diner the PCs can pick up all this. Including the story going round about a group of carol singers who’re making a nuisance of themselves in the East-side of town (a somewhat seedy and decaying, mainly lower-class residential are). People (including in letters to the newspaper) are claiming that they’re using the singing as a distraction to burgle the houses they visit. A lot of the discussion if of the "Where are the police?" and "why can't more be done to stop these thieves?" type.

Hopefully the players are intrigued.

End of Part One.


Comments?





1. My default date is 20DEC1928 (a Thursday) and the time is around 4PM. Sunset is at about 16:15.

2. It was a Federal holiday from 1870 and in Massachusetts from 1856.

Nice set up.

I do think you’d have probably have to do some groundwork beforehand in a few prior adventures/sessions beforehand to establish that in this campaign elements of Lovecraft’s work (such as Arkham) are based on reality.

Otherwise, I feel like PCs might immediately jump the the wrong conclusions that they have somehow landed in the Land of Fiction/a cosmic horror themed park or possibly even a simulation. Could make for some amusing albeit frustrating crossed wires if it firmly established.

Then again, as a festive themed adventure whether it’s canon or not is entirely up to you. Either way, looking forward to seeing the rest of this unfold.

[Catsmate]

Dec 2, 2021 11:42:30 GMT grinch said:

Dec 2, 2021 10:06:51 GMT Catsmate said:

The Lord of Misrule.

Part One - Arrival.
Our heroes arrive on a very cold, snowy, winter’s day. Or rather late afternoon as it's just starting to get dark.
Now, depending on the vagaries of their transport they may now where and when they’ve arrived or they may need to ask a passer-by (of which, due to the aforementioned cold and snow, there are rather few) or enquire in a local business.
It’s New England in 1928, a few days before Christmas¹, and they’ve landed in, well let’s call it Arkham for the moment. A small city in Massachusetts, old by US standards, with a university predating the creation of the United States and a mighty river, both called Miskatonic.

• These are really just place-holders, if a GM doesn’t want the Lovecraftian allusions she can change them. I’m going to use the background for Arkham to save time. After all Chaosium has done all the work for me and it means I don't need to invent names as much, something I'm terrible at.
  
• The Whoniverse is split on the reality of Arkham. In The Lovecraft Invasion it's clearly a fictional place but the unproduced Avatar was going to be set there.
  

This would also be a good time for some historical exposition and stage-setting, if there is a suitably well-travelled character (the Doctor or Jack Harkness would be ideal, but Reilly Cydnie would do as well. Some reminiscences on the 'old days' in Arkham during her last visit in the 1860s (before Christmas was a public holiday²) when there was little celebration, schools didn’t close and many businesses operated as normal.

• Of course a couple of centuries earlier and you could end up minus your ears for celebrating such a clearly pagan and un-Christian festival. This included dancing, playing music, decorating et cetera.

Assuming the PCs take one look outside don’t hole up in their transport and gorge on mince pies (or run in horror when they hear the name 'Arkham') they’ll find the locals reasonably talkative, especially about the weather.

• The name should, if your players are at all familiar with Lovercraftian lore, inspire a suitable state of mind.
• The locals are somewhat stereotypical 'Yankees' and rather withdrawn, but then can be persuaded to open up.
  

The weather is unusually bad this year and some Arkhamites wonder about a repeat of the terrible ice storm of 1919 that blanketed the town in snow, froze the Miskatonic, and worsened the effects of the Spanish ‘flu. Some of the usually stoic New Englanders are visibly nervous about the prospect.

On these cold, dark, evenings people don't hang around on the streets. Rather they hurry home, where there's warmth and cheer and light to keep the shadows at bay.

• Remember the USA is still in the throes of it’s Great Social Experiment so there are no pubs. At least no obvious ones; there are in fact plenty of speakeasies around but they are reasonable discreet and would-be patrons unknown to the operations generally need a password. The local police, as in most of the USA at the time, have little-to-no-interest in enforcing the Prohibition laws.
  

There are cafes however, generally only open to 7PM (decent folk should be at home after that) though a few operate later. They should appear as oases of warmth, light and sociability after a few minutes in the cold, dark, snowy streets.

Over coffee (or tea), a sandwich or a slice of pie they PCs can warm themselves and perhaps pick up some gossip.

• The players especially may be expecting some exposition about what’s going on. They may be curious why the plot is building slowly.
  

Other than the weather, the activities of the students at Miskatonic (now mostly out of town for the vacation), and the recent elections, the main topic is the antics of a group of carol singers.

• “It’s Herbert Hoover’s big debut. He gets the blame, and loses too”. Hoover won the presidency in a landslide over the Democrat Al Smith, in an election campaign filled with anti-Catholic bigotry, religious leaders meddling in politics and the rise of the Ku Klux Klan. Massachusetts narrowly supported Smith.

Either by listening to the gossip, actually talking to Arkhamites or reading the copies of the Arkham Advertiser available in the diner the PCs can pick up all this. Including the story going round about a group of carol singers who’re making a nuisance of themselves in the East-side of town (a somewhat seedy and decaying, mainly lower-class residential are). People (including in letters to the newspaper) are claiming that they’re using the singing as a distraction to burgle the houses they visit. A lot of the discussion if of the "Where are the police?" and "why can't more be done to stop these thieves?" type.

Hopefully the players are intrigued.

End of Part One.


Comments?





1. My default date is 20DEC1928 (a Thursday) and the time is around 4PM. Sunset is at about 16:15.

2. It was a Federal holiday from 1870 and in Massachusetts from 1856.

Nice set up.

Thanks, it's been in my notes for a while. A minor spoiler: it was inspired a bit by Newman's Time and Relative and more by Jecks' The Boy-Bishop's Glovemaker. The latter inspired the Lord of Misrule elements (part two).

Dec 2, 2021 11:42:30 GMT grinch said:

I do think you’d have probably have to do some groundwork beforehand in a few prior adventures/sessions beforehand to establish that in this campaign elements of Lovecraft’s work (such as Arkham) are based on reality.

Probably. Personally I'd just tell the players that Arkham was, for game purposes, a real town. And leave them jump to conclusions regarding Lovecraftian horrors....

Dec 2, 2021 11:42:30 GMT grinch said:

Otherwise, I feel like PCs might immediately jump the the wrong conclusions that they have somehow landed in the Land of Fiction/a cosmic horror themed park or possibly even a simulation. Could make for some amusing albeit frustrating crossed wires if it firmly established.

That has possibilities too.

Dec 2, 2021 11:42:30 GMT grinch said:

Then again, as a festive themed adventure whether it’s canon or not is entirely up to you. Either way, looking forward to seeing the rest of this unfold.

As envisaged it's actually a pretty standard scenario, with some elements of "we must save xmas" blended with "we must save Arkham".

[Catsmate]

Another idea for a "holiday" scenario in my notes, which I have no plans to write-up (so help yourselves) can loosely be summarised as "Donner Party Christmas".
I like a good moral dilemma but it's just too depressing.

[grinch]

Dec 2, 2021 12:03:47 GMT Catsmate said:

Another idea for a "holiday" scenario in my notes, which I have no plans to write-up (so help yourselves) can loosely be summarised as "Donner Party Christmas".
I like a good moral dilemma but it's just too depressing.

Tell me about it. Gives whole new meaning to the term “Christmas Feast” 😕

[Catsmate]

Dec 2, 2021 12:09:13 GMT grinch said:

Dec 2, 2021 12:03:47 GMT Catsmate said:

Another idea for a "holiday" scenario in my notes, which I have no plans to write-up (so help yourselves) can loosely be summarised as "Donner Party Christmas".
I like a good moral dilemma but it's just too depressing.

Tell me about it. Gives whole new meaning to the term “Christmas Feast” 😕

Indeed. I must remind people on Christmas Eve.....

[thereviewer]

I’ve already posted this in the Repurposing Other Movies thread I made, and I know Grinch already played this before in a campaign he ran, but I’ll share it here due to it being more relevant now more than ever in a world where toxic behavior shows up no matter where I turn.

Horror on the Holidays (Based on Krampus)-

Introduction: The players go home for Christmas only to find some unwanted obnoxious relatives are visiting. Dinner does not go well even if the players have it in them to suck it up. The obnoxious relatives are so bad they can't even keep things calm around each other. Things come to a head when the youngest nephew's letter to Santa is read by his two rude older Tomboy sisters. He finally breaks down and declares that he hates everyone and most of all, he hates Christmas. This brings about the ancient evil known as Krampus. Or does it? It turns out 'Krampus' is actually a malfunctioning android meant to instill children with good behavior. Except it went schizophrenic (shades of The Face of Evil) and now punishes anyone who is naughty and everyone they hold dear. Armed with tech that can change the weather, create snow minions, and animate gingerbread men, amongst other things, can the PC's unite the family and survive the holidays (not to mention Krampus?)

Things To Do:
Dysfunction dinner with the family, base (or rather home) under siege, discover the truth about Krampus, find a way to bring the family together and defeat Krampus

Antagonists:
Krampus (The KR4MPU2-A-TRON Android Model 60). Krampus's minions. Krampus can animate snow to make minions (similar to the Great Intelligence), call upon his 'Elves' (the E1VE2 Androids which he reprogramed after he went mad,) and using similar tech to the Nestene, animate various cookies. The player might have to also deal with the dysfunctional and regular family if they've been away for too long (imagine if there was a Ninth Doctor and Rose story like this before Aliens of London/World War Three aired!) He can also animate simple toys and decorations making them much darker.


Action Scenes:
Fighting Krampus and his helpers, protecting the families, trying to get to safety in the middle of a blizzard.


Visuals:
2015's Krampus obviously. Also since this is a Christmas film about dysfunctional families that must come together, I recommend viewing both Home Alone and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation for examples on how to play the dysfunctional family. Both are also quoted as being a direct influence on the making of Krampus. Another great example that fits well here for inspiration on how the toy's should be viewed like (if you don't want to adapt the ones seen in Krampus) is Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas. Imagine if all the presents Jack gave away had been designed by H.R. Geiger and Wes Craven instead of Halloween Town.


Problems:
The dysfunctional family has been estranged for a reason. The only acceptation here is that they turned up unannounced. You have your typical Gun-tooting right-wing drunken Dad who wants to see their son be a sports athlete, the wife who begins to regret her life's decisions, the two older tomboy sisters who feel like a disappointment being born boys, and the son who is not interested in sports, and only wants the holidays to be as they were meant to be celebrated; together and as a loving family. But even he can take so much before he breaks down. These will most likely not do well with your player's family regardless if the parents or legal guardians have been good or not. However, they are still only people and assuming they've never heard of the player's adventures, will still have doubts until Krampus really starts attacking. Which brings up to Krampus himself; as a malfunctioning android, Krampus can't decipher the difference between good and naughty, and thus decides to punish everyone and let God sort it out. He can't be reasoned or bargained with. Even if he's shown that he is not the legendary folk tale, it might even end up making him worse (although that might be played to your player's advantage if they're smart. Also, as Krampus controls weather patterns, the moment the nephew gives up on Christmas, Krampus will form a giant blizzard that keeps the family snowed in until he is distracted (at which point the Blizzard can disappate, but only as long as he's not focused.) Then there' the problem of stopping Krampus himself. No matter what, he will follow the players and family across time and space. Perhaps they can fool him into a black hole? Land in the middle of a big battle and once someone attacks him, he'll be forced to fight wave after wave of monsters until defeated?

Things To Prepare For:
Get ready for a bonkers Christmas Special that I think Stephen Moffat would drool over. I should mention that while Krampus was featured in DWM's comic strip (in a flashback featuring young Amy, Rory, and Mels which served as the final regular appearance of the Ponds in those comic strips,) this is obviously based around the more traditional-looking Krampus that became the basis for Michael Doughtery's 2015 film. Also, you might want to talk with the players about any possible deaths in this scenario. SPOILERS FOLLOW: In the movie, Krampus supposedly kills the family only for the son to wake up on Christmas Day and see his family celebrating together alive and well. He receives a gift which turns out to be a bell from Krampus which his Grandmother had received for summoning Grampus to take her parents away. Everyone seems to suddenly remember what happened, as the camera pulls out to reveal they are within a snow globe. There's two ways to look at this; the obvious is that they're shrunk inside there now forever Krampus's prisoner. However, my preference and the other theory is that Krampus simply uses the globe as a viewer of-sorts. They're alive, but he's made them remember the meaning of Christmas and wants to keep it that way. This is supported by the film's alternate ending which saw only the son remembering the events while everyone else doesn't. Another reason this might be the real ending is at the end of the Krampus prequel comic released by Legendry's Comic Imprint which featured different characters encountering Grampus as well before waking up alive and well with no snow globe mentioned and even crossing paths with each other after being 'killed.' Even if your characters don't make it out, you can have them wake up like this to be fair (and to make sure it's not TOO depressing.)

Continuing The Adventure:
It turns out Krampus isn't the only malfunctioning Holliday Android. There's plenty of other holiday icons gone wrong out there as well. Players & GM's who love a good Halloween Story might want to run a scenario where the players visit a planet that celebrates Halloween across the entire world and is being plagued by an android in an orange onesie with a burlap sack mask and candy bag calling himself 'Sam.'

[thereviewer]

I also have an idea for another new Christmas Scenario loosely inspired by my favorite Doctor Who Christmas Special (and my first introduction to Doctor Who that made me a fan of Matt Smith in particular), A Christmas Carol. However, this festive adventure will put a spin on another Christmas Classic.

I’ll post it later if I can.

[grinch]

It’s Behind You!

At the turn of the century, your PCs must rescue Dan Leno who has become the target of the avian crime lord known as “Mother Goose” who, alongside her minions a Catkind wearing some quite fashionable footwear and a despicable sorcerer ever on the search for a magic lamp, wants to exact her own unique brand of vengeance on the music hall comedian for supposedly besmirching her “good name”

Expect plenty of innuendo, breaking the fourth wall and shenanigans to ensue!

[grinch]

A pair of children waiting for their parents to come home on Christmas Eve find themselves greeted by several strange individuals (Your PCs!) who have arrived looking for a rogue alien which has disguised itself as one of their presents.

I'm imagining taking some inspiration from Assignment One of Sapphire and Steel as an example.

[grinch]

Your PCs find themselves embroiled in the schemes of a wannabe supervillain with a festive fixation who, thanks to the use of an experimental temporal weapon, aims to trap the 25th December in a time loop. In a mad attempt to truly make it Christmas everyday.

[spydalek]

The PCs arrive at a town that looks like it was the sight of a crazy battle, but looking closely it seems that all the debris is actually holiday decorations. Cracked baubles, broken decorative candy canes, a torn down tree among other things.


After investigating for a bit, one of the locals, who introduces herself as Lou, informs them that it was probably the mean old hermit who lives up on the mountain, and that he had been doing it as long as anybody can remember. He normally just steals some of the presents, but this year, something must have set him off worse because he stole all of the presents and trashed the town's decorations. And if the PCs are going to go speak to him, Lou wants to come too.

[grinch]

Dec 21, 2021 22:26:19 GMT spydalek said:

The PCs arrive at a town that looks like it was the sight of a crazy battle, but looking closely it seems that all the debris is actually holiday decorations. Cracked baubles, broken decorative candy canes, a torn down tree among other things.


After investigating for a bit, one of the locals, who introduces herself as Lou, informs them that it was probably the mean old hermit who lives up on the mountain, and that he had been doing it as long as anybody can remember. He normally just steals some of the presents, but this year, something must have set him off worse because he stole all of the presents and trashed the town's decorations. And if the PCs are going to go speak to him, Lou wants to come too.

Hmm...

Sounds very familiar. 😉

How would you imagine the PCs persuading the Grinch-expie to return all the presents?

[spydalek]

Dec 21, 2021 22:32:29 GMT grinch said:

Dec 21, 2021 22:26:19 GMT spydalek said:

The PCs arrive at a town that looks like it was the sight of a crazy battle, but looking closely it seems that all the debris is actually holiday decorations. Cracked baubles, broken decorative candy canes, a torn down tree among other things.


After investigating for a bit, one of the locals, who introduces herself as Lou, informs them that it was probably the mean old hermit who lives up on the mountain, and that he had been doing it as long as anybody can remember. He normally just steals some of the presents, but this year, something must have set him off worse because he stole all of the presents and trashed the town's decorations. And if the PCs are going to go speak to him, Lou wants to come too.

Hmm...

Sounds very familiar. 😉

How would you imagine the PCs persuading the Grinch-expie to return all the presents?

Well, that would be up to the PCs of course.  

[thereviewer]

You thought that nothing of my festive adventure would be posted before the end of Christmas, but it was I, THE REVIEWER!

So I don't have time to lay out my previous plan in great detail so I'll just give a quick synopsis. The plot involved remixing A Christmas Carol with The Grinch; an unhappy alien has control of an asteroid belt made of junk. A ship is going to crash into it unless the PC's can alter time to convince the alien to part the belt and let the ship pass through safely so it can make a proper emergency landing (steering is off and while it's headed for a lake which can cushion the impact, the belt of garbage will blow the ship to pieces well before then). Along the way, they give the alien a canine companion and help him understand how Christmas doesn't come from a store, Christmas means doing a whole lot more for others.


That being said, I didn't want to be entirely lazy. So before Christmas ends, let's end with a concept of a familiar tale of decisions and directions. A Christmas Special that doesn't get as referenced often these days. About life being worth more than any man can imagine.

I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (Based on It's A Wonderful Life):

Introduction: The PC's awaken back home with no records of them having traveled through time or space with their resident Time Lord/Time Traveler. Soon past adventures start playing out with worst endings where evil triumphs over good. The PC's soon discover that their Resident Time Lord/Time Traveler has been infected with a Time Beetle; resulting in them having never met the companions. It's now up to the PC's to find their friend, convince them of the alternate timeline, and put things right. 

Things To Do: Revisit old adventures and see what happens when evil wins, build a means of reaching/contacting/summoning your Time Lord/Time Traveler, put history back the way it was.

Antagonists: Trickster Brigade, Time Beetle, any past enemies you wish to bring back.




Action Scenes: Surviving a hellish nightmare brought about by villains winning constantly, getting to the resident Time Lord/Time Traveler, putting the events back in order.



Visuals: It's a Wonderful Life and Turn Left are the two obvious major sources of inspiration here. Others include Back to the Future Part II's Hell Valley, and the Wishverse from Buffy The Vampire Slayer's The Wish episode. Things immiently go to hell in a handbag.





Problems: Trying to convince people of the alternate reality, constructing a means of getting to or summoning the Time Lord/Time Traveler, sneaking around where monsters rule the streets, putting the timeline back. It might also be a problem if without your PC's, the resident Time Lord/Time Traveler ends up dead. You could always try contacting the past versions but that might make things difficult to explain what happens to them without the companions. Alternatively, you could summon the past version and steal the time travel means, but you'd have to REALLY know how to operate things.



Things To Prepare For: Get ready for some dark 'What If?' Without the PC's, things go to hell. The PC's go through 'The Boy Who Cried Wolf' with not many believing the true reality. It's a chance also to bring back some fan-favorite monsters and explore how their rule over the world is.



Continuing The Adventure: After reseting reality, the PC's learn of a merchant selling Time Beetles to people willingly wanting to go back and fix their lives. Arriving there, they discover the companions from the failed reality. Reseting time stranded the alternate PC's here, and now they're trying to break reality to get back home. But can the real PC's send them home or figure out a means of comprimise before their alternate selves destroy everything?

Happy holidays, everyone!