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Post by grinch on Dec 5, 2022 15:12:16 GMT
Obviously, as it is the season to be jolly a great many of you may be considering running a Christmas Special for your ongoing campaigns.
Which made think of this topic for discussion for all you GMs out there. How would you approach running said Christmas Adventure? Does such an adventure necessarily need to contain all the festive trappings? (Killer snowmen, psychotic Father Christmas’s etc) Or would said adventure merely be set over the Christmas period?
Of course, would such an adventure even be canon in the world of your campaign? Or would you just use it as a means to run something a bit more lighthearted which is more self contained and not at risk of affecting the larger setting of your campaign.
Be curious to hear from ant examples in order to see the differing means of approaching the idea.
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Post by olegrand on Dec 5, 2022 19:33:48 GMT
Here are the blurbs of the various Xmas episodes from Lady Penelope's Odyssey...
So, in order:
Merry Christmas, Mr Cromwell A desperate prayer sent through space and time reaches Lady Penelope’s TARDIS, bringing her to London, on the 23rd of December 1654. Will she succeed in bringing the spirit of the season to England’s Lord Protector, Oliver Cromwell – the man who banned Christmas?
The Masque of Winter December 1607. The Thames is frozen and William Shakespeare is facing the winter of his discontent. As Lady Penelope gets reunited with the illustrious playwright, they soon discover that something wicked this way cometh. Can the Time Lady and the Bard of Albion prevent the Master of the Masque from bringing the madness of Carcosa into our reality? All the world is a stage – and it’s time for the Tempest to rise! Also featuring Ben Jonson, the Children of Blackfriars, the first Jago, various dramatis personae and, of course, a bear.
Christmas in Red Advent 1869. Penelope has decided to spend a traditional Bavarian Christmas in the charming town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, with its bustling Christmas market, medieval cobbled streets and quaint local legends… But the Time Lady finds herself on the trail of TWO mysterious creatures: the ancient Red Rider and the all-new Red Devil of Rothenburg!
A Star in the East With the obliging (if slightly ironic) help of Lady Penelope, Saint-Germain has decided to solve one of the Great Mysteries in human history and visit the Bethlehem Nativity – he must have answers! Here comes a truly biblical Christmas Special, featuring a meteorite, shepherds, a newborn baby in a manger, the wrong King Herod and far too many Wise Men!
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Post by olegrand on Dec 6, 2022 7:40:25 GMT
(Checking back, I was surprised to find out that we only did four Xmas specials in more than 16 seasons... I guess I'll have to cook up something this year! Any ideas welcome...
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Post by grinch on Dec 6, 2022 11:09:47 GMT
(Checking back, I was surprised to find out that we only did four Xmas specials in more than 16 seasons... I guess I'll have to cook up something this year! Any ideas welcome... I actually had an idea for a Christmas Special if you're interested. Set in the Far Flung Future on an Earth outpost, your PCs find themselves caught in a middle of a holy war. Upon doing a bit of investigating, your PCs discover that the war started when two factions had different interpretations and beliefs regarding what the true meaning of Christmas is. It's something that could be rather tongue in cheek or taken extremely seriously.
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misterharry
Dominus Tempus
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Post by misterharry on Dec 6, 2022 15:41:44 GMT
At the risk of dragging up the distant past, here's a Christmas adventure I posted on the forum ten years or so ago: The Anti-ClausIt's centred around a frost fair in London in 1823 (a few years after the last historical one) and is intended to be a bit of fun that can be run in a single gaming session.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
No longer living in a bad adaption of "A Journal of the Plague Year".
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Post by Catsmate on Dec 6, 2022 22:28:50 GMT
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Post by grinch on Dec 7, 2022 18:10:38 GMT
In terms of adapting and reinterpreting pre existing material, I feel like The Box of Delights could make for a good basis for a Christmas Special.
Probably wouldn’t even have to change much.
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Post by soultaker666212 on Dec 7, 2022 18:13:16 GMT
In terms of adapting and reinterpreting pre existing material, I feel like The Box of Delights could make for a good basis for a Christmas Special. Probably wouldn’t even have to change much. Home Alone on a space station?
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Post by grinch on Dec 7, 2022 18:49:48 GMT
In terms of adapting and reinterpreting pre existing material, I feel like The Box of Delights could make for a good basis for a Christmas Special. Probably wouldn’t even have to change much. Home Alone on a space station? Hmmm... Maybe in this take it can be set on an Earth colony ship? Which had been reprogrammed by a bored yet extremely bright and resourceful child prodigy. Unfortunately, the reprogramming has given the ships main A.I. a rather mischievous personality and it has now decided to steer itself into the nearest Sun. You know, for a laugh. Your PCs will have to somehow get onto the main control deck to restore the ship’s central A.I. and avert disaster. All the while navigating the various traps and obstacles the Ship has placed in their way. Naturally, said encounter would end with the PCs being treated to a slap up Christmas meal in their honour on the main deck.
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Post by grinch on Dec 7, 2022 19:44:20 GMT
I also thought of a story where the PCs have to chase down members of an alien species who are kidnapping people across the universe in order to find the right candidate to fill the role of their Father Christmas figure.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
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Post by Catsmate on Dec 7, 2022 20:39:42 GMT
In terms of adapting and reinterpreting pre existing material, I feel like The Box of Delights could make for a good basis for a Christmas Special. Probably wouldn’t even have to change much. Oh that's an excellent idea. Mysterious Time Lord(?) artefact with awesome powers. Mysterious magician, who may be a Time Lord, or an echo of one (Season 6B?). Sinister antagonist with minions and possibly unearthly powers. Something odd under the cathedral that needs to be kept secure by a ritual. Elements of time travel.
I'd 'upgrade' Sylvia Daisy Pouncer (Patricia Quinn's character in the TV adaption) to be more like Beatrice in The Watcher with powers of her own.
Lots of possibilities.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
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Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Dec 7, 2022 20:44:31 GMT
What about a reboot of Voyage of the Damned1? Except drop the starship and have it centred on the lost tourists (including at least one Real Weirdie with an iffy shimmer) and their clueless guide wandering <INSERT CITY HERE> at Christmas. The PCs are guide, passers-by or Mobsters trying to manage the situation.
1. And not the Russo-Japanese war one.
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spydalek
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Post by spydalek on Dec 7, 2022 21:15:47 GMT
The first thought I had for a Christmas thing is literally just half of the plot to the Santa Clause show on D+...
"Santa has decided to retire, and chooses one of the PCs to take his place. Now the PCs must 1) ensure Christmas goes off without a hitch, and B) convince Santa to unretire."
Bonus points if the one chosen to take his place is not the obvious choice.
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Post by grinch on Dec 7, 2022 21:17:33 GMT
In terms of adapting and reinterpreting pre existing material, I feel like The Box of Delights could make for a good basis for a Christmas Special. Probably wouldn’t even have to change much. Oh that's an excellent idea. Mysterious Time Lord(?) artefact with awesome powers. Mysterious magician, who may be a Time Lord, or an echo of one (Season 6B?). Sinister antagonist with minions and possibly unearthly powers. Something odd under the cathedral that needs to be kept secure by a ritual. Elements of time travel.
I'd 'upgrade' Sylvia Daisy Pouncer (Patricia Quinn's character in the TV adaption) to be more like Beatrice in The Watcher with powers of her own.
Lots of possibilities.
The titular Box of Delights could be a shrunken down TARDIS or as you suggested a powerful Time Lord artefact. To tie it in with established Who lore, perhaps its even a half completed Key to Time which has altered its shape somewhat. Not enough to give its owner complete omnipotence but enough to possess some unique properties.
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Post by grinch on Dec 7, 2022 21:19:33 GMT
What about a reboot of Voyage of the Damned1? Except drop the starship and have it centred on the lost tourists (including at least one Real Weirdie with an iffy shimmer) and their clueless guide wandering <INSERT CITY HERE> at Christmas. The PCs are guide, passers-by or Mobsters trying to manage the situation.
1. And not the Russo-Japanese war one. If I were running said scenario, I have the PCs paired off with various groups of the tourists each having to tackle a new problem. One has to help a group of Navrinos discover what the true meaning of Christmas is, while another has to stop a big game hunter who is determined to add Father Christmas to his trophies.
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Post by grinch on Dec 7, 2022 21:21:29 GMT
The first thought I had for a Christmas thing is literally just half of the plot to the Santa Clause show on D+... "Santa has decided to retire, and chooses one of the PCs to take his place. Now the PCs must 1) ensure Christmas goes off without a hitch, and B) convince Santa to unretire." Bonus points if the one chosen to take his place is not the obvious choice. Neat. I’d have the framework of the adventure be the PCs telling a festive story to a group of alien children. Then come the conclusion of the adventure, one of the children ask whether it was true. Leaving one of the PCs to answer. “Well, mostly...” Cue the familiar sound of sleigh bells flying past and a well put “Ho,ho, ho” as we end the session.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
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Post by Catsmate on Dec 7, 2022 23:02:09 GMT
Oh that's an excellent idea. Mysterious Time Lord(?) artefact with awesome powers. Mysterious magician, who may be a Time Lord, or an echo of one (Season 6B?). Sinister antagonist with minions and possibly unearthly powers. Something odd under the cathedral that needs to be kept secure by a ritual. Elements of time travel.
I'd 'upgrade' Sylvia Daisy Pouncer (Patricia Quinn's character in the TV adaption) to be more like Beatrice in The Watcher with powers of her own.
Lots of possibilities.
The titular Box of Delights could be a shrunken down TARDIS or as you suggested a powerful Time Lord artefact. To tie it in with established Who lore, perhaps its even a half completed Key to Time which has altered its shape somewhat. Not enough to give its owner complete omnipotence but enough to possess some unique properties. I helped design an introductory scenario for a different group of AITAS players based (loosely) on the C7 scenario Stormrise with the PCs encountering and being altered by a piece of Gallifreyan technology that was basically a lash-up TARDIS in the form of a large disc with Gallifreyan inscriptions. It'd been created by a number of cannon fodder volunteers late in the Time War who were desperate to escape their situation. They failed but Audra (the TARDIS AI) was launched through a hole in reality and made it to Earth, causing a few problems on the way. She/it bonded to several humans and 'upgraded' them (à la Scion of Gallifrey). The scenario featured various things falling through the gaps in space-time, several people (Morgan Lafitte, Renegade Time Agent and Samantha Beauvoir, alien trader, smuggler and mild criminal) seeking the artefact and UNIT and the Twelfth Doctor as antagonists. I'd play the Box as something like that, with the addition that those pursuing it (including any Time Lords) aren't aware of its origin; to them the Time War hasn't happened, and may not.
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Post by soultaker666212 on Dec 8, 2022 2:38:44 GMT
Home Alone on a space station? Hmmm... Maybe in this take it can be set on an Earth colony ship? Which had been reprogrammed by a bored yet extremely bright and resourceful child prodigy. Unfortunately, the reprogramming has given the ships main A.I. a rather mischievous personality and it has now decided to steer itself into the nearest Sun. You know, for a laugh. Your PCs will have to somehow get onto the main control deck to restore the ship’s central A.I. and avert disaster. All the while navigating the various traps and obstacles the Ship has placed in their way. Naturally, said encounter would end with the PCs being treated to a slap up Christmas meal in their honour on the main deck. I feel more adapting the idea of Home Alone as a base-under-siege style episode and take the core basics of a place being invaded and someone/something lesser than the invaders outsmarting the invaders involving booby traps and defences. In this case like say a child or even regular adult is left behind on a space station when it is evacuated (could just say it is Christmas and have Christmas decorations within the space station) and some alien invader, perhaps the Wirrn but any alien can really work here, is trying to take the steal from the station. The players arrive and well aid in creating the defences and booby traps using stuff they could find within the space station in order to make the invading aliens (or even humans) leave and save the remaining spade station crew member.
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Post by grinch on Dec 8, 2022 15:00:29 GMT
Don’t forget, you can also use the Delibirds and Countess Kallos statblocks Catsmate and I worked on a while back for any Christmas adventure.
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Post by grinch on Dec 9, 2022 12:22:48 GMT
The titular Box of Delights could be a shrunken down TARDIS or as you suggested a powerful Time Lord artefact. To tie it in with established Who lore, perhaps its even a half completed Key to Time which has altered its shape somewhat. Not enough to give its owner complete omnipotence but enough to possess some unique properties. I helped design an introductory scenario for a different group of AITAS players based (loosely) on the C7 scenario Stormrise with the PCs encountering and being altered by a piece of Gallifreyan technology that was basically a lash-up TARDIS in the form of a large disc with Gallifreyan inscriptions. It'd been created by a number of cannon fodder volunteers late in the Time War who were desperate to escape their situation. They failed but Audra (the TARDIS AI) was launched through a hole in reality and made it to Earth, causing a few problems on the way. She/it bonded to several humans and 'upgraded' them (à la Scion of Gallifrey). The scenario featured various things falling through the gaps in space-time, several people (Morgan Lafitte, Renegade Time Agent and Samantha Beauvoir, alien trader, smuggler and mild criminal) seeking the artefact and UNIT and the Twelfth Doctor as antagonists. I'd play the Box as something like that, with the addition that those pursuing it (including any Time Lords) aren't aware of its origin; to them the Time War hasn't happened, and may not.
As well as Time Lords, extra dimensional familiars and whoever else may wish to possess the Box, if I were to adapt the tale I’d probably still include the odd human villain in there somewhere. A villainous member of the clergy who wants the Box as he truly believes it is “magic”
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drinkplentyofmalk
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Post by drinkplentyofmalk on Dec 10, 2022 0:28:09 GMT
I haven't gotten the chance to do a Christmas adventure, but while I'd absolutely go for a cheesy, 'tinsel-like aliens try to kill you' type romp for my first one (if only to get it out of my system - heck, I might use that one published adventure where the player characters end up trapped in the bodies of toys), but I'd absolutely love to do something subversive like Big Finish's 'Death in Blackpool'; essentially, using the framework of the holiday to really focus on any existing character drama that's been built up, and possibly putting the players in the position where they could enact a big status quo change.
Granted, I'd absolutely need to do one or two goofy pantos first, if only for contrast!
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