Nigel's Christmas Wonderland
A SWADE-based Christmas adventure!
Setting details
Introduction
We all know that every year Santa Claus delivers presents to boys and girls around the world.
You play Christmas elves at the North Pole, which bares a suspicious resemblance to Metro Vancouver.
Something threatens Christmas. Can you save the day?
Tensions
Traditionalists vs modernists
TODO: BETTER LABELS!
While the North Pole is on the leading edge of every technical evolution, there's a contingent of elves who strongly believe that Santa should give traditional toys: wooden blocks, dolls, Monopoly. They're upset at the rise of video games, cheap electronics, and what they call "unChristmassy gizmos".
On the other side are the modernists, who take joy in hacking into Steam to generate keys.
Yule cultists
Based in Old Yuleminster.
The Unjollying
I'm totally ripping off the Blinding from Han Cluster.
An increasing number of elves have lost the Holiday Spirit. They've gathered in the Downtown Eastside, where Krampus looks after them.
Regions of the North Pole
The North Spire - The near-vertical spiky mountain at absolute north. Only accessible via skibus across the frozen wastes.
Christmas City - Vancouver.
Brr-naby Mountain - Mountain just to the east of Christmas City. Home to Jack Frost University. Accessing via R5 Rapid Bobsled.
Sno-quitlam - A lightly inhabited forest area to the east of Brr-naby Mountain. At the end of the Skysleigh.
PUN FOR NEW WESTMINSTER - The old capital of the North Pole, back when Christmas was known as Yule.
Point Sleigh - The rich elves neighbourhood. Home to Santa and Mrs Claus.
The Downtown Eastside - Refuge of elves who just aren't that into Christmas. Home of Krampus's outreach centre and restaurants that sell food other than candy.
Christmas City
Point Sleigh
Rich elves.
Mechanics
Ancestry
Christmas Elves
All Christmas Elves speak fluent Elfish and begin with the Luck edge. (Do I want to change it???)
Edges
The following edges are forbidden:
- All arcade backgrounds other than Holiday Magic.
Arcane Background: Holiday Magic
This is the Christmas-themed edge for casting spells.
Hindrances
Bah, Humbug!
(major) You're a grinch. You get -1 to Persuasion, Christmas, and Holiday Magic rolls.
Just Not That Into Christmas
(major) You are one of those unfortunate elves who can't get into the holiday spirit. You're cursed to be an outcast, never properly fitting into North Pole society. -2 to Persuasion rolls.
Spells
... Yeah, you can use whatever spells you want from the book, but they must be Christmas-themed.
Pre-gens
Pregenerated characters go here.
... I'd attach the PDFs from savaged.us, but I can't upload 'em.
Monsters
Feral reindeer
Snowman snipers
Gingerbread guards
Yule cultist
Standard elf
Unjolly elf
OG One Shot Notes
Santa’s Missing List
A Christmas one-shot.
You are one of Santa’s elves, working at the Charlie Brown Nursery For Special Christmas Trees in the wilds of Snowquitlam, when suddenly a reindeer crashes to the ground in front of you. Christmas is under attack, and it’s up to you to get Santa’s list back to him!
My pitch email:
Hey!
I want to run a one shot on Tuesday. Here's the gist:
It's the day before Christmas, and things are tense at the North Pole. No-one's seen Mrs. Claus in years; the gingerbread men are acting funny; and a fringe group of elves want to Make Christmas Great Again. You're one of Santa's elves, working at the Charlie Brown Nursery for Special Christmas Trees at the edge of the North Pole, when suddenly Rudolph crashes to the earth in front of you, drops Santa's List, then dies. Can you save Christmas before it's too late?
Deets:
* Tuesday, December 13th at 7PM on Gavin's Discord server.
* Savage Worlds. I've attached some pre-gens.
* Theatre of the mind. I'm going for a relatively light tone.
Let me know if you're interested. Feel free to make or suggest your own characters. I meant to have more pregens created, but I should send this out before it's too late ;)
My after report: https://www.forgreatjustice.ca/2023/01/christmas-one-shot/
Setting rules:
Heroes never die: Heroes and named villains rarely actually die but return in some way after being defeated.
For players
You are a Christmas elf! You spend all your time in the North Pole, preparing for the most magic day of the year: Christmas Day!
Instead of making presents, you’ve been sent to the place where you can do the least harm: The Charlie Brown Nursery for Special Christmas Trees. This is your life now: looking after scraggly trees in the hopes that they can one day become a real Christmas Tree. Living in the forests of Snowquitlam isn’t what you thought you’d do, but at least you're contributing to the effort.
Under the watchful eye of Julio, your supervisor, and some genial old gingerbread men, you’re doing your best to make this Christmas great.
Important details
- Setting rules in effect: Heroes never die
- All combat is non-fatal.
- You play as a Novice with 2 advances.
Changes to core rules
New Arcane Background: True Believer
New skill: Holiday Magic (Spirit)
Starting powers: 3. Power points: 10
The power of Christmas is so strong within you that you’re able to wield it.
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- All powers must be Christmas-themed. For example, Entangle could be called Gift Wrapping, and covers the target in wrapping paper.
- Requires arcane background.
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New skill: Christmas (Spirit)
This encapsulates all regular Christmas activities, such as roasting chestnuts, decorating, wrapping presents, and so on. It can also be used to coordinate fellow elves.
New hindrance: Bah, Humbug! (minor/major)
Some elves just don’t like Christmas -- I know, it’s scary to think! They suffer -2 to their Christmas rolls. Elves with the major version are outcasts in elvish society.
For the DM
NPCs
Julio - The supervisor at the nursery. He’s gruff, but avuncular. His mission in game is to help the players set out on their quest.
Rudolph
Krampus
Santa Claus AKA Kriss Kringle
Mrs. Claus
Misc rambly notes
The power
Spells are allowed, but must be Christmas-themed:
Arcane Background: Miracles -> Arcane Background:
The players are elves
Invaders attack the North Pole while Santa is away for Christmas!
It turns out that Santa staged the entire thing.
Invaders:
Hallowe’en?
Commies?
Facebook?
ZOMG ELFBOOK
Hey!