NUELOW at Christmas: Day Twenty

THE SIX ARTIFACTS OF SANTA CLAUS

For a number of centuries, a set of related magical items believed to be the property of Santa Claus has been changing hands and drifting through the underground market for supernatural items. Only rarely have they been collected in one place, and it is the goal of many collectors to own all six items in the set. Some, like Brigid the Christmas Dragon, want to acquire them so they can return them to Santa as a present, but most want the bragging rights.

   Below, we present the Six Artifacts of Santa Claus as viewed through the lense of the d20 Game System. (The descriptions of the six items are released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its term.)

Giant Candy Cane of Peacemaking: This giant candy cane functions like a great hammer and deals 1d12 non-lethal bludgeoning damage. There are no bonuses to hit or damage rolls, but a target that is struck must make a successful Wisdom saving throw (DC22) or be frozen in place. The target is aware of everything happening around them, but unable to move in any way other than to breathe. The target is held in place until the wielder of the candy cane releases him or her from the enchantment (with a standard action), until dispel magic with a 20th level effectiveness is cast on the target, or until 12 hours have passed from the moment the target failed the Wisdom saving throw.

Santa’s Bag of Christmas Gifts: This is a bag of holding with 600 lbs. of weight available. Gifts can be taking out of the bag as a free action. The gift is always something the person it is intended for wants or needs.

Santa’s Boots: These heavy black boots paradoxically provide the wearer a +4 bonus to Stealth skill checks, at will the wearer can choose to leave no tracks in snow. The boots resize to fit whoever puts them on.

Santa's Hat: This red, fur-lined bobble hat appears like one of the most iconic symbols of Christmas. It grants the wearer the ability to unerringly identify the current location of a being whose true name is known to him or her, as well as the place that being considers its home.

Santa's Overcoat: This red long coat provides the wearer immunity to natural cold temperatures or from getting cold from being wet. When fully buttoned, Santa's Overcoat also grants a +2 bonus to AC/DR, +1 bonus to most saving throws, and a +4 bonus to saving throws made to resist air- water- and cold-based spell-effects and spell-like abilities.

   Santa's Overcoat is made for a tall, broad-shouldered, corpulent man, but it adjusted slightly if a smaller person wears it... but it still appears to be ill-fitting on anyone but Santa himself.

THE TRUTH ABOUT THE ITEMS

In reality, the six items described in this article were actually made by Brigid the Christmas Dragon because she wanted to fill in for Santa Claus if he ever needed help. The items were stolen from her original lair in France, on Christmas Eve of 1792 when it was penetrated by revolutionaries as the Reign of Terror was taking shape. She has been trying to recover them ever since, not because she necessarily wants to give them to Santa, but because she thinks he will laugh at them if her creations were ever put side by side with the spectacularly wondrous magical items he uses to deliver gifts and happiness all around the world.

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Nineteen

HE KNOWS WHO'S BAD OR GOOD... 

BECAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE TRYING TO KILL HIM! 

The world's leading assassin, Madam Satan, is hired to kill Santa Claus. Confronting St. Nick awakens memories of Christmases long gone, and, in turn, brings a long-dormant part of her soul back to life. She turns from predator to protector... but will she be able to save Santa and the very heart of Christmas itself from the 12 killers that were brought in by the client to replace her?

NOT SINCE DIE HARD HAVE YOU SEEN 

A MORE ACTION-PACKED CHRISTMAS MOVIE!

COMING ONLY TO THEATERS DECEMBER 25, 2024...

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Eighteen

Dozens of centuries ago, a red dragon who is known as Brigid fell in love with the human winter festivals that eventually became Christmas. She continues her love affair with Christmas, and she has taken to spending some of her time creating magic candles that she secretly places in places where people of good cheer and kindness gather. Humans, when they notice them, have taken to referring to these mysterious magic items as candles of peace.

 

Brigid also uses the candles herself, placing them all over the part of her lair that is visible to humans. She sometimes invites heroes (such as the player characters) and disadvantaged children to spend all of Christmas Eve waiting up for Santa with her... and there's a 1d6 chance that he shows up slightly before dawn to visit with his biggest and oldest fan and those she think are worthy of getting gifts from him.

The rest of this post is presented under the Open Game License, and it presents rules for candles of peace for use in the d20 System and D&D compatible games.

Candle of Peace
Candles of Peace are found in churches and shrines to good-aligned deities. No one knows how they are created or by whom. They just seem to appear in dark corners  bundles of 2d4+4, on random festival days for the deity a given shrine, church, or temple is devoted to. If subjected to detect magic, candles of peace radiate faint auras of divine magic, but nothing more specific can be determined. Roll 1d6 to determine what color the candles are: 1-2 red; 3-4 white; 5-6 green.
   When lit, a candle of peace provides a +2 bonus to Will saves to resist fear effects, and a +2 bonus to Fortitude saves to resist disease, venoms, and poisons (magical and non-magical) within a 10-foot radius and sight of the candle's flame. Each candle can burn a total of 48 hours before completely expended. It can be lit and extinguished any number of times during that period. (Each time it is lit, the GM can assume that a minimum of 1/4 of an hour  of burn time is spent.)
   A candle of peace cannot be wet or submerged in water to work. It can be used to ignite flammable materials and substances. It can be extinguished by any means that would extinguish a normal candle.
   Up to four candles of peace can be lit at the same time and their benefits will stack, for a maximum bonus of +8. They cannot be more than 4 inches apart for the bonuses to stack. The radius of the effect never expands beyond the 10-foot radius.



Best Holiday wishes from your friends at NUELOW Games! Here's Mike Oldfield's fabulous version of "Silent Night" to help set the mood!

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Seventeen

THE DRAGON WHO LOVES CHRISTMAS

When she walks among humans, she calls herself "Brigid" in honor of a goddess she once knew. Her real name is too long and complicated for lesser beings to pronounce, so she doesn't even bother to tell them.

Brigid is one of the oldest living beings on Earth. Brigid is an ancient dragon.... an ancient red dragon. Unlike most of her kind, she not retreated to the elemental planes with the Titans and other ancient races who were driven from Earth by the Atlanteans. Instead, she has spent tens of thousands of years observing humanity as it developed from cave-dwelling scavengers to masters of the Earth and becoming capable of destruction on a level that not even red dragons can conceive of in their darkest imaginings.

Brigid first became interested in humanity when she noticed they had "tamed" fire and made it just another one of their tools. Over the millennia, she traveled among them in human form--dragons are all capable of taking whatever shape they like, but few bother to perfect the skill to the degree that Brigid has--and she has been worshipped as a goddess of fire and light (and sometimes destruction) by many cultures that have emerged and faded.

 

  

 
 

But out all the inventions and achievements she has witnessed grown out of human imagination and community were the celebrations of Saturnalia and Yule; she loved the chaotic way humans in that part of the world celebrated life and brought light to the darkest of seasons. She also enjoyed getting gifts and getting roaringly drunk and treating lucky crowds to amazing displays of fire magic.

As Christianity gained dominance and the ancient festivals merged into a celebration of the faith's central figure, Brigid's love of the festivities surrounded it only grew greater. The songs, the decorations, the setting aside of differences and coming together in peace--if only for brief moments. And by the time what we consider "modern day" had arrived, Brigid loved that Christmas was EVERYWHERE thanks to all the various human inventions' who needs magic when you have broadcast networks and Muzak in malls?!

Every Christmas, Brigid assumes the human form she considers her most perfect and dresses it in quirky Christmas outfits. She visits churches and community centers around the world; she crashes corporate and political Christmas parties; she approaches both the financial and cultural elite, as well as the poorest and most rejected members of societies, asking to help them celebrate Christmas.
If treated with a minimum of hospitality and good cheer, she is a good guest that brings much entertainment to the party. If she is treated warmly and generously, the generosity is returned. The party's hosts receive a charm that will bring good luck to them and their direct descendants for 100 years so long as they are kind and generous while guests who are nice to her receive charms that grant them good luck for the next year.

 

 

If those who are impoverished or on the fringes of human societies accept her offer to spend Christmas with them, they find themselves whisked away to a wondrous palace that reflects Yule and Christmas in all its forms. They are guests at a spectacular feast and leave with gifts both useful and desired, as well as money to get back on their feet and magically cured of whatever addictions of ailments they may have been suffering from.

On the other hand, if Brigid is rebuffed or treated rudely, she makes sure those who lack proper Christmas spirit have their Holiday Seasons ruined by unexplained fires. How severe those fires are depends on how badly Brigid is treated. If she is physically attacked, she will reveal her true from and lay waste to a swath of the land, killing dozens if not hundreds of people... but leaving those who violated the Spirit of Christmas alive and fully aware of what they unleashed.

NUELOW at Christmas: Day SixteenBessie Love and the Magical Mistletoe

It's the time of year when the Spirits of Christmas move across the land, randomly bestowing icons of the holidays with supernatural blessings. Among the things they empower is the mistletoe that hangs in the doorways of frisky young people.

 
During the Christmas Season of 1925, Bessie Love (silent movie star who secretly fought against supernatural evil as a costumed mystery woman), noticed that enchanted mistletoe was showing up at the parties she was attending. Even in her own house, the mistletoe that hung over the doorway to her sitting room suddenly became enchanted on Christmas Eve. 

The magic seemed to vary in strength and appeared harmless--perhaps even helpful in some cases--so it was a fairly low priority for her to track its origins. Instead, she collected the enchanted sprigs when possible and preserved them in her collection of magical artifacts. She noted they tended to regain their enchantment every Christmas Eve, even after they'd long since dried out.

Eventually, when she joined forces with Santa's Helpers to save Kris Kringle himself from certain doom in 1933, she discovered the true origin and nature of the enchanted mistletoe, even if she never did find out exactly what their full range of effects could be.

MAGICAL MISTLETOE
The Spirits of Christmas enchant random mistletoe sprigs in doorways to bestow various blessings from December 21 through January 5.

IS THE MISTLETOE MAGICAL?
Roll 1d6 to determine the nature of the mistletoe hung in the doorway.

1. Not magical, but still pretty (and a pretty good excuse for smooching).
2. Vampires may not cross through the doorway in which the mistletoe hangs, they cannot touch it, and anyone on the other side is immune to their mind-effecting powers.
3. Everyone who passes through the doorway in which the mistletoe hangs are instantly filled with a sense of comfort and joy. They receive a +4 bonus to all Charisma checks and Charisma-based skill checks that are done in acts of love and friendship or to defuse tense situations.

4. Unfaithful lovers feel compelled to confess their betrayal while under the mistletoe (Will save DC24 to resist).
5. Faithful lovers who kiss under the mistletoe gain the spell-like abilities of comprehend languages, discern lie and detect illusion as if they were 20th-level spellcasters.

6. Faithful lovers gain a +4 bonus to all saving skill checks, saving throws, and attack rolls made when fighting together or defending each other for 24 hours after kissing beneath the mistletoe.

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The text in this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright Steve 2017. (If you found this material useful and/or entertaining, please support our efforts by buying one of our products at DriveThruRPG.)

Also, for the record, both images of Bessie Love in this post are as fictitious as her career as a superhero. They were made using a specifically "trained" model at OpenArt.ai.

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Fifteen

There exists among us people who are touched by the Spirits of Christmas at birth. As children, they seem extra kind and extra cheerful (especially around the Holidays). When they turn 16, the Spirits visit the individual and offer them a chance to become a Santa's Helper.

A pair of Santa's Helpers

 

SANTA'S HELPER 
(d20 System rules, presented under the Open Game License. Copyright 2024 by Steve Miller)
During character creation, the player declares that his character chose to become a Santa's Helper. (This can also be rolled randomly if the GM prefers; the character is a Santa's Helper on a roll of 001 on percentile dice.)
  In addition to all standard class abilities and bonus feats, a Santa's Helper gains the following abilities for two days out of the year, December 24 and 25.
  Joy of Fellowship: The character and his closest allies (other PCs for example) gain a +1 bonus to all saving throws, attack rolls, and skill checks.
  Spellcasting: The character may cast a number of spells from the following list a number of times per day equal to his Wisdom + Charisma bonus. He casts the spell by making a gesture (such as twitching his nose or winking, with no other components required): Animal Friendship, Detect Thoughts, Disguise Self, Fabricate, Knock, Nondetection, Passwall, Telekinesis.
   Bonus Feat: The character adds Naughty or Nice to the selection of available bonus feats. The ability gained from this feat is available all year long.

   Drawback: A Santa's Helper is expected to be kind and helpful to all but the most naughty and outright evil beings. If he or she is mean or violent toward an innocent, friendly, or harmless target, he or she instantly loses his mystical status and all benefits that come with it..

   Special: If Santa requires assistance in delivering gifts to good children, or if there's a particular threat that is stopping him from visiting an area that requires the sort of skills and attention that only a player character can bring to bear, he or she is asked to spring into action. (Hopefully, the other party members will go along to help the Helper!) 

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Fourteen

The text in today's post is released under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with it. Copyright 2024 by Steve Miller.

MAGICAL CHRISTMAS COOKIES

A powerful person (rich, well-connected, a sorcerer, sorcerer-related, or just with access to magic), or perhaps even Santa himself, has gifted the player characters with a tin of magical Christmas cookies. Each type of cookie has a different effect (described on a piece of parchment in the tin), and it lasts for 8 hours or until another cookie from the tin is eaten. Each type of cookie is separated from the others by a thin sheet of paper.

    Danish Vanilla Wreaths (8 in the tin): +4 bonus to Bluff and Diplomacy skill checks. Ability to understand all Scandinavian languages.

    Gingerbread Santas (8 in the tin): +4 bonus to Move Silently and Hide skill checks. Ability to fall from up to 10 ft. and suffer no damage.

    Russian Tea Cakes (8 in the tin): +4 bonus to Gather Information and Intimidate skill checks. Ability to understand Russian.

    Shortbread Cookie (8 in the tin): +1 to all saving throws.

    Sugar Cookie Jesus (8 in the tin): Heal 1d6+1 hit points with a touch, up to a number of times equal to Wisdom+Charisma bonuses.

    White Christmas Chocolate Chip (8 in the tin): -2 damage from all elemental sources.

Although the cookies are the main attraction, but tin itself is also mildly magical. It keeps any food items placed within it fresh and edible without a need for refrigeration. The food items will still spoil at their normal rate.

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NUELOW at Christmas: Day Thirteen

Sometimes, Santa needs a little help making his rounds on Christmas Eve. Sometimes, it gets so bad that even his regular staff of Helpers can't provide enough support. During these times, Noelle Candy, one of Santa's Helper's who specializes in Helper Recruitment & Training, reaches out to suitable candidates to serve as temporary workers to get the job done.

Noelle Candy, Santa's Recruitment Specialist

In 2023, she reached out to several... well... beings on the Naughty List that she knew wanted to made amends for past dark deeds. They performed so well that she's invited them back for this year. So, if Santa can't make it to your house, one of these special hires will.

Marvin the Zombie Master, an Undead Necromancer Who's Changed

 

Garry Loop, a Werewolf Who Got Bit by the Christmas Spirit

The Grim Reaper, Trying to Rehabilitate his Reputation

Jason Vorhees, Hoping to Kill Some Naughty Kids

Roll 1d6 against the tables to see how present delivery goes on Christmas Eve.

WHO BRINGS PRESENTS TO THE PC's HOME?

1. Santa, the Big Man Himself

2. Noelle Candy

3. Marvin the Zombie Master

4. Garry Loop the Werewolf

5. The Grim Reaper

6. Jason Vorhees

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE PCs CONFRONTS THE GIFT-BRINGER PEACEFULLY?

1-2. He or she wishes them a 'Merry Christmas', asks where the milk and cookies are.

3. He or she flees without leaving presents.

4. He or she gives the PCs a one-shot blessing, giving them a +4 bonus to a single die roll.

5-6. He or she grants them a benefit specific to the Gift-Giver until next January 6.

       Santa: Grants a +2 bonus to skill checks involving being stealthy.

       Noelle: Grants a +2 bonus to skill checks involving eliciting loyalty.

       Marvin: Grants a +2 bonus to damage dealt to undead foes.

       Garry: Grants a +2 bonus to damage dealt to lycanthropes.

       The Grim Reaper: Grants a +2 bonus to resist illness and infections.

       Jason Vorhees: Grants a +2 bonus to attacks and damage rolls.

WHAT HAPPENS IF THE PCs CONFRONTS THE GIFT-BRINGER 

WITH HOSTILITY?

1-2. He or she tries to flee without leaving presents. If pursued, he or she 

       fights back.

3-4. He or she drops all the gifts and flees. 1d4 hours later, 20 armed elves 

        show up to retrieve the gifts, fighting the PCs if necessary. The initial

        gift-giver will fight back if pursued.

5.     He or she will fight to the death if necessary. 1d4 hours later, 20 armed

        elves arrive to avenge the Helper.

6.     He or she tries to reason with the PC and resolve the confrontation

        peacefully. If that fails, he or she will fight to the death if forced to.

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Twelve

It's Christmas Eve and nothing is stirring in Mira's house. The only sound is her singing softly to herself, as she sits at the dining room table, holding a bottle containing a curious pulsing spark...

Last Christmas, 

I gave you my heart 

But the very next day, you threw it away 

This year, to save me from tears 

I've captured your soul in this bottle...

Soul Bottles

Originating in ancient Atlantis, Soul Bottles, and the secret of their creation, has been preserved by the Witchkind and a small number of Immortals. Generally speaking, they have been used to either imprison the souls of evil beings so they will never return to trouble the living, or to preserve the soul of someone who has unfinished business in this world but who ended up severely injured or deathly ill and was sure to die before his time. Once in a while, they are used for more nefarious or personal reasons, such as Mira capturing the soul of the man who broke her heart.

Creating a Soul Bottle

The most basic component of a soul bottle is, as the name suggests, a bottle. It must be a sturdy bottle made of glass that either has a stopper or screw-top lid that seals tightly. If the bottle is too fragile, it will be shattered by the raw energy of the soul; or if the bottle doesn't seal tight enough, the soul will escape its containment. In both cases, the soul is lost to the Mortal Realm and has moved onto its next stage of existence.

   Once a bottle has been selected, the person enchanting it must keep it close to his or her person (within melee range) for 13 days. Then, the bottle must be left in the open air from sundown to sunrise for the three nights of the Full Moon. This will complete the basic enchantment on the bottle, and it is now attuned to the person who wishes to place a soul within it.

   Next, the bottle must be prepared to house a specific soul. This can be the same person who began the process or someone completely different; but the person working on the bottle at this stage must know the intended target personally. For 21 days, the person preparing the bottle must gather all his or her tears that are wept while thinking of their relationship with the target between sunrise and sunset. The tears can be the result of anguish, joy, or hate-filled rage, or any other emotion that the enchanter feels toward the target.

Using a Soul Bottle

Once the tears have been collected, the bottle must be given to the intended target, by the person who prepared it to hold the soul. As soon as the target touches the bottle, the magic begins to paralyze his or her body. Moments later, as the target collapses, his or her soul rushes into the bottle. The bottle must then be immediately sealed, so the soul doesn't escape.

The Fate of the Body and Soul

The target's body is left in a coma and will eventually die if special measures aren't taken. If the captured soul is released from the bottle, it returns to its body. If the body is dead, the soul moves onto the Afterlife and whatever reward or punishment it has earned (or to reincarnation, or whatever fate awaits those who die in the world).

   The soul can also be drawn into a specially prepared body that's been created through spellcraft or cloning technology, using the original body from which it was drawn as raw materials.

 

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Eleven

'Tis the Season for Feats... and these should appeal to d20 System gamers wether they love of hate Christmas! (All feats in this post are presented under the Open Game License.)

CHRISTMAS CAROLER [General]
Your musical talents and skills as a performer increase during the Christmas Season, even more so when you are performing, or performing to, Christmas music.

   Prerequisite: At least 1 rank in two or more Perform skills.
   Benefit: From December 15 through January 5 each year, you gain a +4 bonus to all skills related to dancing, singing, and playing instruments. The bonus is increased to +6 if your performance involves Christmas music.
   Special: During the rest of year, the bonus from this feat is +1, but it applies to all varieties of performances involving music in one way or another.from this feat apply to all performances is reduced to +1.

GRINCH [General]
You are adept at stealing that which might bring others joy.
   Benefit: From December 15 through January 5, you gain a +4 bonus to all Disable Device/Traps, Hide, Move Silently and Open Locks skill checks made to steal gifts, packages, and holiday decorations.
   Special: During the rest of year, the bonus gained from this feat is +1.

HOLIDAY WARRIOR [General]
Whether you're pro-Christmas ("there's a war on Christmas!"/"I am insulted that you wished me Happy Holidays!") or anti-Christmas ("your cultural appropriation of the trappings of dead pagan religions offends me"/"I feel violated by your Christmas decorations!"), you are a brilliant at ruining everyone's good mood and holiday cheer.
   Benefit: Whenever the character is within 30 ft. of Christmas decorations, or other items related by Christmas, or someone brings up anything related to Christmas or wishes him or her "Happy Holidays!", you gain a +4 bonus to Intimidate skill checks, as well as a +2 bonus to all melee attack rolls. You also impose a -2 penalty on Morale checks. The effects last until the character leaves the area.
   Special: The benefits of this feat can also apply to Easter, Kwanza, Yom Kippur, Ramadan... any major holiday during which others want to have fun or enjoy each other's company and fellowship that the character wants to ruin. In such cases, the player merely needs to say that he or she is applying the Holiday Warrior benefits to the holiday in question.

KRAMPUS [General]
The naughty had better watch out!
   Prerequisite: Naughty or Nice
   Benefit: You gain a +3 bonus to attack and damage rolls against targets identified using the Naughty or Nice feat. In addition, any spells or spell-like abilities uses agains the target function at one level higher than the character's actual caster level.

SELFLESS [General]
You are ready to support those in need.
   Benefit: Give up one of your character's actions. Designate another player. The character under that player's control gains a +4 bonus to the next d20 roll made. You may use this ability as many times each round as you have actions.
   Special: When this feat is chosen, gain 2 character points that must be spent on skills immediately.

TIDINGS OF COMFORT AND JOY [General]
You spread joy and cheer.
   Prerequisite: Wisdom 12, Charisma 14
   Benefit: Take a full round action to make a Concentration check (DC8). For the duration of the next encounter, all other PCs and allied NPCs present when you make the check gain a +2 bonus to all saving throws and morale checks.
   Special: The bonus is increased to +4 for present PCs and NPCs who join together and sing a Christmas carol (or other campaign-setting appropriate song of a similar nature) while the skill check is being made. Skills checks of Perform (sing) (DC4) are needed to stay on key.

--

And to keep the Christmas Spirit building among all of you out there, here's a great video (with even greater music) from violinist/dancer Lindsey Sterling. (We think she may have the Christmas Caroler feat...)

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Nine

Psychostick and NUELOW Games want to help supercharge your Christmas Spirit with this Rammstein parody. Or... maybe not. You be the judge!


 \

(Our resident Christmas Aficionado, L.L. Hundal, said. "Are you kidding me?!" when she first started watching. Then she began to laugh. Christmas Cheer Unlocked!)

The Members of Pyschostick wish you a happy Christmas!

And speaking of Christmas Cheer, here's something that's offered for you enjoyment under the Open Game license and it can be reproduced according to its terms.  Copyright 2024 by L.L. Hundal and Steve Miller.

Bobble Hat of Christmas Good Will (for d20 System games)
This unique artifact radiates a faint magic aura from December 1 to January 5. During this time, it causes the wearer to radiate cheerful Christmas energy--but there is a price to pay should he or she abuse the status as an incarnation of the Christmas Spirit.
     d20 System Game Mechanics: Grants the wearer a +2 bonus to all Charisma-based skill checks. In addition, the wearer gains a +1 supernatural modifier to AC/DR and a 1 point per die of damage dealt by an attack, because those that would harm the character are hesitant to do so. If the wearer uses Bluff or Diplomacy skills to defraud or cause trouble for another person, all benefits of the Bobble Hat of Christmas Good Will are lost and the character comes under a curse that results in a -4 penalty to all Charisma-based skill checks. The only way the curse can be removed is through the power of a god, or by the character giving a Christmas gift to his most hated enemy, as well as giving away the Bobble Hat of Christmas Good Will to a more worthy owner.

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Eight

Today we present d20 System game statistics for a pair of Christmas artifacts that reportedly gained their power from the birth of Jesus Christ. 

The Little Drummer Boy's Drumsticks (aka the Drumsticks of Bethlehem)

These appear to be a set of well-used drumsticks carved from oak wood. When they are checked for magical aura (though the use of spells, devices, or abilities), they radiate faint abjuration magic or a divine nature.
   Powers: Reported to have been touched by the Christ Child and his mother days after his brith, these drumsticks are a single artifact in two parts. When separated, they have no apparent magical function. Each stick radiates magic, is seemingly indestructible, and can used as improvised piercing weapon that deals 1d2 points of damage. While the item can be considered an enchanted weapon at +1 level, it does not grant bonuses to hit or damage.
  When the sticks are carried by the same person, he or she gains a +1 bonus to all saving throws. He or she gains a +6 bonus to all Perform (drums) skill checks when using the Drumsticks of Bethlehem. Once per day, the character may designate a target and cast a sleep spell upon it while playing the drums using the drumsticks.
   Drawbacks: Whenever carrying the Drumsticks of Bethlehem, the character must roll a Will save (DC18) whenever idle, or near a cute baby. If the save fails, he or she is gripped by an urge to start using the drumsticks on any available surface. If there is a snare drum available, the save is against DC24).
   Destruction: The Drumsticks of Bethlehem can only be destroyed by being tossed into the fires of Hell itself.


The Little Drummer Boy's Drum (aka The Drum of Bethlehem)
This item appears to all inspection to be a well-used and extremely well-made tabor-style snare drum. It does not appear to be magical, but attempts to break or destroy it fail. The word "Bethlehem" is painted onto the drum's head in Aramaic script.
   Powers: When a character with 5 or more ranks in Perform (drum) plays it, he or she gains a +10 bonus to any related skill checks. If the performance is done using the Little Drummer Boy's Drumsticks, the bonus increases to +15. Additionally, the performer can designate one target within 60 feet to be subjected to an affect similar to a sleep spell. The target receives a Will save equal to the character's Perform (drum) skill check. If the saving throw fails, the target falls into a magical slumber that lasts a number of hours equal to the character's total Perform (drum) skill. (The first power--the bonus to the Peform skill--is evident to both the user and those witnessing the performance, The second power is only evident if an identify spell, or similar means, is used to examine the drum while it is being played with the Little Drummer Boy's Drumsticks.
   Drawback: None.
   Method of Destruction: The Little Drummer Boy's Drum loses all enchantment if its head is pierced with one of the Little Drummer Boy's Drumsticks. It can then be destroyed without problem.
   Note: Despite its name, this drum is not the one that legend holds was present in the manger where Jesus Christ spent his first few nights on Earth. It was created in 1612 by Maltorn MacRae, a Scottish wizard who had come into possession of the Little Drummer Boy's Drumsticks and desperately wanted a drum worthy of those precious items. If someone should damage the Drum, it can be repaired using MacRae's original enchantments... if his book of notes describing them can be located.

And, to close out today's post, a nifty arrangement of one of my favorite Christmas tunes.

All text in this post is presented under the Open Game and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms. Copyright 2024 Steve Miller.

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Seven

It's time for another Christmas-related mystery for the player characters to solve before Christmas is ruined for everyone!

WHY ARE PEOPLE RIOTING DURING THE HOLIDAY SEASON?

As Christmas approaches, the news is suddenly filled with reports of mobs of holiday shoppers going on rampages in stores and shopping malls throughout Christendom. There isn't looting going on--just violent, destructive rampages that destroy all Christmas decorations and businesses, and even claim dozens of lives. The rioters detained by authorities offer no insight into the cause, claiming that one moment they were shopping, the next the just filled with blind rage and an urge to destroy everything Christmas related.

   Roll 1d6 against the following tables for some random adventure elements you can create a scenario around.

What is the Cause?
1. Roll twice on the table, re-rolling any additional results of "1". Both 

    indicated causes are in effect, as is an unholy union between

    two forces that hate Christmas!

2. The Society for Men Acquiring Power, Prestige, and Earthly 

     Domination (SLAPPED) is testing their network of mind-control

     satellites. They hope to trigger worldwide chaos on Christmas Eve.

3.  Extreme environmentalists are pumping a gas that drives people

     temporarily insane, because they want to cause Christmas to be

     outlawed so no firs will be cut down just to be put indoors.

4. Evil cultists are summoning demons that temporarily drive people

    insane with the goal of ruining Christmas.

5. The secret magical society Mages Against Revolting Holiday Cheer

     (MARCH) has put cursed magic items in the Christmas decorations 

     in stores and malls around the world. They trigger them with a ritual

     at their secret Sanctum Sanctorum, and crowds go insane until the

     item is smashed.

6. A mad scientist has infected Mariah Cary's "All I Want for Christmas 

    is You" with extra-dimensional sub-sonics that drive humans who hear 

    it into animalistic fury. He hates that song and wants it gone.

Here's the theme song for this adventure!

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Six

Today, we set the theme with a bit of Christmas music (and the illo that the post opened with, of course)!

 

IT'S A ZOMBIE CHRISTMAS!

This is a random generated adventure outline with zombies being home for Christmas! Use a six-sided die to determine some basic elements of the plot.

Set Up

On Christmas Eve, whether celebrating together or not, the player characters are each attacked by 1d6 zombies. If one or more of them get overwhelmed and killed... well, new character time! Merry Christmas!

   Once this encounter has ruined Christmas, the real adventure begins.

What's Going On? (Roll 1d6)

1. Hell is full, so the dead walk the Earth.

2. A necromancer (either hired by an enemy of the PCs or a direct enemy 

    of the PCs) has cursed the player characters and their close friends 

    and family. Every day until January 6, 1d6 zombies will show up to attack 

    every one of them. If killed, the PC or other slain characters join the 

    zombie forces.

3. A grieving father has used a powerful artifact to capture Death 

    (aka the Grim Reaper), so now anyone who dies immediately becomes 

    a murderous zombie.

4. Everyone who has been deemed "naughty" by Santa Claus has returned 

    to take revenge upon the world.

5. The Grim Reaper is on strike until Santa Claus considers his daughter 

    as a candidate to join Santa's Helpers, so the dead walk.

6. The Spirit of Christmas has been captured by the evil anti-Christmas forces.

As the PCs battle zombies amidst the Christmas decorations, they will pick up hints and leads as to who or what is the root cause of the rampaging zombies. Once they have enough information, they are ready to save themselves, their neighbors, and maybe even salvage a little bit of Christmas, from the zombies!

How Can It Be Stopped? (Roll 1d6)

1. The PCs must find and recruit Santa to help, as only his all-encompassing 

     knowledge of who's naughty and nice will let them locate the cause behind 

     the zombie rampage.

2.  The PCs must find their way to the Realm of Death to find out why the

     Grim Reaper isn't finishing his job and fix the problem -- or find a temp

     to take over.

3.  The characters must identify a lead zombie in each group and give it

     a pile of pages containing Christmas carols. It then passes sheets to 

     each of the other zombies and all of them start singing Christmas carols.

4.  If exposed to Christmas music, the zombies freeze in place. If they are 

     left alone, they become corpses as the sun rises on Christmas Day.

5.  A character must become a living vessel for the Spirit of Christmas.

     He or she must confront the groups of zombies and wish them 

     Merry Christmas, at which time they die a final death.

6.  The cause of the zombies rising must be found and (if needed) put to 

      an end. Then the zombies all have to be killed the old fashioned way.

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Five

Miriam knows in hindsight that she should have realized something was up. She really should have questioned it when a small-time country baron offered her twice the money that the Duke of Holstfel had to perform at his holiday feast last year.

Well... maybe the doppelgängers will let her go when she's done performing. After all, it's clear that the Baron told the truth when he said they were all big fans--everyone in the feast hall has taken on Miriam's appearance and many guests are singing along in perfect harmony with her. It's as if she's performing to a hall full of herselves. (Although she may give that one over there some tips if he/she --what are the preferred pronouns for doppelgängers? -- is going to impersonate her... she's not THAT fat and her hair is not that scraggly!)

--

And because it wouldn't be a NUELOW at Christmas post without some d20 System content or a random table,

IS THE OFFER TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE?

The player characters are approached by a trusted contact or someone else who is known for finding lucrative and/or suitable assignments for individuals and groups like the player characters. It's a simple one-night job and they're getting paid five times their normal fee because the client wants to pay for the best performance from the best he knows.

   But is this bit of Christmas season generosity too good to be true? What might be going on behind the facade here? Roll 1d8 to find out and see if you can make a scenario out of the set-up! (Hey, you might even send it NUELOW Games' way, and we might publish it!)

d8         Result

1-2.       The job is legit. The client really wants the best from the best for 

            the assignment. Money is no object.

3-4.       The job is legit, but somewhat morally questionable and probably

            illegal. The extra money is to buy discretion and post-job silence.

5            The job is doing something highly illegal. The whole thing is a 

            set-up concocted by a foe of the player characters. The authorities

            have been tipped off and they are watching and waiting. 

6.           The job is fake. A hidden society of doppelgangers that dwell in

            tunnels beneath the city want the player characters to teach them

            the various things they are good at. The doppelgangers are being

            oppressed by a new evil ruler and they want to overthrow him.

            They also warn the PCs that their evil leader is going to break the

            centuries long peaceful co-existence of the doppelgangers and

            the humans by preying upon the surface dwellers.

7-8.        The job is fake. Santa Claus has been captured by operatives 

             working for the evil alliance of Martians and the "activist group"

             People for the Reduction of Idiotic Christmas Expenses (PRICE).

             Santa's daughter, Sugar Plum, desperately wants the PCs to save

             Santa... and Christmas itself, before time runs out!

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Four

Every December. the Spirit of Christmas roams the land, touching bottles, cartons, and jugs of eggnog, imbuing them with magic of the Holiday Season beyond that which the beverage already possesses. This article describes this special eggnog in terms of the d20 System and how you can bring it to your game.

"Stay Noggy, my friends."

EGGNOG OF POWER FOR THE d20 SYSTEM!

Whenever a character comes into possession of a container full of eggnog during the Holiday Season, the GM rolls 1d20. On a result of 20, the eggnog has been touched by the Spirit of Christmas! (All other results mean the eggnog is not enchanted, but still super-tasty.
   But! If the eggnog has been enhanced by the Spirit of Christmas, the GM rolls 1d6 to discover what magic powers are granted those who drink a cup of that container. Upon rolling, the GM consults the following list:

   1. Eggnog of Cheer that grants +2 bonus to morale checks and +2 bonus to Charisma-based skill checks.
   2. Eggnog of Might that grants +1 to melee and unarmed attack rolls and damage, and a +2 bonus to all Strength-based skill checks.
   3. Eggnog of Fortitude that grants a +2 bonus to all Fortitude saves and Constitution-based skill checks.
   4. Eggnog of Christmas Harmony that makes everyone within a 60-foot roll a Will save (DC30) or lose all desire to fight, but instead join together and sing Christmas songs. If one person is attacked (say by someone who has made a successful Will save), then all those under the influence of Christmas Cheer will turn upon the attacker.
   5. Eggnog of Christmas Partying that grants a +4 bonus to all Perform (Dance) and Perform (Sing) skill checks, as well as the ability to point out that someone is standing underneath a sprig of mistletoe without being slapped or kicked in the groin.
   6. Eggnog of Generosity that fills consumers with the desire to bring happiness and security to others in this Christmas season. They can do anything from donate to charities to taking the fight to the mobbed-up slumlords.

A typical container of eggnog contains 8 cups and a character must drink at least one cup to benefit from the Christmas magic. The effect lasts for 24 hours and cannot be dispelled by anything short of the power of a god.
   Once a container of Eggnog of Power has been opened, it spoils within 1d10 days. If a character drinks spoiled eggnog, he or she must roll a Fortitude Save (DC18) or become very ill, suffering -4 to all attack rolls and skill checks for 24 hours. If the save is successful, the penalty is only -2.

THE EGGNOG RANDOMIZER

If the GM wants to make the magic eggnog even more mysterious and unpredictable, roll 1d6 on this table whenever a PC drinks magic eggnog this holiday season.

   1. The character feels extra cheerful, gaining a +4 bonus to all Charisma checks.

   2. Roll on the Eggnog of Power table above.

   3. The character is seized by a sudden hatred of the holidays, gaining a -2 to all Charisma checks.

   4. Roll on the Eggnog of Power table above.

   5. The effect lasts for 48 hours.

   6. Roll twice on the Eggnog of Power table; the character gets both indicated benefits. If the same result is rolled twice, the character gets the indicated benefit with no changes or adjustments.

(The preceding text is released under the Open Game License. Copyright 2024 Steve Miller )

---
And here's some multicultural Christmas music that'll get almost everyone into a proper mood!

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Three

The Christmas-hating mad scientist Dr. Stephen Nicholas and his faithful assistant Holly have unleashed their latest scheme to destroy the Season of Good Will and Cheer--cursed candy canes!

Using ancient rituals and Atlantean magi-tech, they infused thousands of candy canes with dark magics that places those who consume them under a curse. These candy canes have been mixed in with non-cursed ones and will soon be distributed all across the United States and Canada!

Will the heroes be able to stop this evil, or will Dr. Nick and Holly finally meet their evil goal?!

(The rest of this post is released under the Open Game License, and the text may be reproduced in accordance with its terms.)

CURSED CANDY CANES

The Cursed Candy Canes can be distinguished from normal candy canes, because they emit a faint magical aura of an undeterminable type or school. Characters with a natural ability to detect magic, or those using spells or magic items to do the same, can identify the Cursed Candy Canes.

   The magic of the Cursed Candy Canes is only active from the stroke of Midnight at the beginning of December 1 to the final moment of January 5. 

    The following tables determine the size of a cursed candy cane and what effect it has on the character who consumes it. These rules are suitable for use with all d20 System games, as well as all OSR game systems.

   First, roll on "Size of Candy Cane" and then roll to determine what curse it bestows upon those who consume it.

Size of Candy Cane (Roll 1d10)

1-8. Mini Candy Cane (must be completely consumed for curse 

       to take effect)

7-10. Regular Candy Cane (only half needs to be consumed for curse 

       to take effect; can be split between two characters)

The Curses (Roll 1d10)

1.  The character can only communicate by singing Christmas songs 

      and carols.

2.  The character becomes enraged whenever he or she hears music 

     and attacks the nearest person for 1d4+2 rounds.

3.  The character's teeth begin to rot rapidly and they all fall out within

     1d6+2 days.

4.  The character can't sleep. Whenever he or she closes her eyes, terrifying 

     visons gigantic, semi-humanoid sugar plums oozing a strange, sparkling 

     substance haunts him or her.

5.  Whenever the character sees an image of Santa Claus, or someone 

     dressed in a Santa outfit, he or she is terrified and must flee the area 

     at maximum movement rate. The character remains terrified for a

     a number of rounds equal to 10 less his or her Wisdom bonus.

6.  The character must naked whenever he or she stands or passes below

     mistletoe.

7.  The character becomes semi-insubstantial, appearing ghostly and 

     translucent. The character does not need to eat or drink, is immune to 

     all harm, but cannot pass through solid matter.

8.  The character becomes a werewolf whose transformation is triggered by

     the physical presence of a decorated Christmas Tree. The transformation 

     lasts until the next sunrise.

9.  The character becomes a vampire, but needs to consume 1/2 gallon of 

     eggnog each day instead of blood. Just like a vampire's need for blood, 

     the character has an insatiable desire for eggnog. If he or she does not 

     consume enough eggnog, the character suffers a temporary loss of 

     1 point of Strength and 1 point of Intelligence until the hunger is cured.

10. The character becomes enraged whenever he or she sees a wrapped 

      wrapped Christmas present. He or she must destroy the presents. 

      The rage lasts until the presents are all destroyed. The character attacks 

      anyone who tries to prevent the destruction.

ENDING THE CURSE

A curse can be ended by a bless or remove curse spell cast upon the sufferer by a 12-level caster (or from an item or scroll with the same power-level), or if the sufferer eats 1 pound of Fruitcake over the space of 30 minutes. The curse also ends automatically at the stroke of Midnight on January 5th, the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas.

   (For victims of #3, the curse may feel like it becomes worse: Their teeth grow back over the next 1d6+3 days, with severe pain as the baby teeth grow, fall out, and are replaced by a new set of adult teeth.)

NUELOW at Christmas: Day Two

Santa knows who's been bad... and he's had enough of their sh*t!

How does he know? It's a combination of three things: A natural ability, magic spells, and an ancient artifact. Today, we translate Santa's natural ability to know who's been bad or good into d20 System game mechanics!

(The rest of this post is presented under the Open Game License and may be reproduced in accordance with its terms.)

OGL d20 SYSTEM FEAT: NAUGHTY OR NICE

You can tell someone's bad or good by just looking at them.

   Prerequisite: Intelligence 12, Wisdom 12

   Benefit: As a standard action, you may look at a living person or being and immediately know if they have good or evil intentions toward you, your allies, or innocent beings. (This does not necessarily reflect their alignment--if the d20 System variant you are using includes the alignment mechanic--but rather what the moral ramifications of their immediately past or near-future actions will be. 

   You may use this this feat a number of times each day equal to your Wisdom bonus.  

   Targets must have Intelligence and Wisdom scores of at least 4 for the ability of this feat to be effective. Spells and abilities that prevent scrying or other divination magic or spell-like and supernatural powers also impede this feat. The target appears "nice" when studied.

   Special: This feat is considered a "minor power feat" for the purposes to acquiring superpower talents.

NUELOW at Christmas: Day One

Here's a random adventure idea (or maybe the start-point for an adventure) generator set around Christmas time.

WHO IS YELLING AND SANTA CLAUS AND WHY?

Roll 1d6 against the tables below to determine the identity of the Redhead confronting Santa Claus and why she's upset with him. Make note of the results and then let your imagination build an adventure around them!

WHO IS SHE?

1. The new shop steward of the elves who work at Santa's Workshop.

2. The older sister of two brothers who she is raising by herself after 

     their parents were killed.

3. A newly accredited FBI agent.

4. L.L. Hundal of NUELOW Games.

5. A werefox in her human form.

6. Roll two more times on the table. Both results apply to who she is.

WHY IS SHE YELLING AT SANTA CLAUS?

1. She has discovered he's a fake; it's actually Steve Miller of 

    NUELOW Games.

2. The elves at Santa's Workshop are going on strike, demanding

    better pay, better hours, and beds at least as nice as those 

     enjoyed by the reindeer.

3. She wants herself and her boyfriend off the Naughty List...

    or promises this will be Santa's last Christmas.

4. She wants her little brothers to get decent gifts this year, 

    instead of just a bunch of cheap crap from Overstock.com. 

5. She wants Santa to use his supernatural knowledge of who's 

    where and who's been good or bad to find her parents that 

    have been kidnapped and are being held for ransom.

6. As with #5, but she wants Santa to use his powers to take her 

    to the porch pirates who stole the Christmas presents she'd 

     ordered for her family and friends after the Amazon Delivery 

     Guy left the packages by her front door.

HOW DO THE PLAYER CHARACTERS GET INVOLVED

(OPTIONAL)

1-2. Santa comes to them for help with the mission/protection.

3-4. The Redhead comes to them for help with confronting 

        Santa Claus and the subsequent mission.

5-6. One of the Redhead and Santa's targets comes for help.

Now it's up to you to come up with a scenario to entertain and thrill the players at your gaming table, be it real or virtual. And if you feel like sharing your Christmas gift to them with the rest of us, pleas submit your ideas. We'll post them to the blog and our Facebook page!