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 Miller 2017, 2024. (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.

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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 Ten

They both show up in your house, uninvited...

They both love making lists...

They both know who's been naughty or nice...

And they both love cookies!

Is it any wonder they're besties?