Suitable Campaign Age: Any, adjust for tone

Adventure Tone: Action-Adventure  

Recommended Power Level: Classic 

Content Warning: Santa Spoilers for players who believe. This adventure involves paranormal and occult elements which may not be appropriate for some Silver Age games. 

Overview 

Neither human, nor Elf, the spirit of good cheer is a being brought forth by the belief of others, and belief can be a powerful thing. A common Christmas myth gives Santa the ability to visit every child’s home, as he flies on a magical sleigh drawn by reindeer. This sleigh is as real as anything else thanks to the belief of children around the world. Two years ago Eisenreich forces attempted to brainwash the being known as Santa Claus. Now they have returned, and have taken the artifact that would allow them to be everywhere on Earth, one night a year. Heroes must act quickly to not only save Christmas, but the world. 

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Foreshadowing – The Thule Riders

Still miles from the pole, the men exited the mobile drill. There were nine of them, Barrierekraft, Wal Soldiers, raised in the tunnels below the earth. With them was a man, their superiors referred to only as Ordnungshüter, the Order Keeper, his uniform decorated with honors from the first regime. A badge near the heart of the decorations read Daluege whenever the cloak he wore moved enough to reveal it. Below the hood were piercing dead eyes that cared nothing for the misery of troops suffering in the arctic cold.  

“The tank will only give away our position. You men will support the Jotun as we proceed from here.” Weaponized maintenance robots moved to the front of the drilling site. The thermal arrays in their arms emit waves of heat melting the path ahead. The water created turned to streams. It was clear though that the cold would freeze the path behind them. The only possibility to survive is to succeed. 

Magical Introductions 

At just after 3 AM local time, Santa Claus appears inside the team’s base (Or wherever they can be located.) Tall, he has the build of someone who had been athletic in their youth, but now age has given them a slightly protruding stomach, his robes are burned at the edges and it looks as if he’s been in a fight. 

If the heroes participated in last year’s Naughty and took Krampus as a Contact, he will also accompany Santa.  

After the initial confusion, Santa will convey the following. 

“They’ve returned, the Eisenreich have stolen my sleigh, and with it, they are capable of unspeakable naughtiness. What they did already was unthinkable, but I fear I do not have the strength to stop them alone. I must ask for your help.”

Who Are The Eisenreich? 

Roll: Wisdom + Study: World War II History (or other appropriate Study), Very Advanced (30) Difficulty. 

• Failure: Eisen-who? 
• Partial: There was a splinter group of the Nazi party using the name Eisenreich at the end of World War II. 
• Success: The Eisenreich was part of an experimental sciences wing of the Nazi party. 
• 1 Degree: Towards the end of the war they were said to have gone underground. 
• 2 Degrees: Rumors of them pop up through the 50s and 60s recovering hidden Nazi assets in Europe, Brazil, and South America.. 
• 3 Degrees: Some have theorized that the Eisenreich continue to operate through an underground network, but have gotten much better at hiding their presence, or involvement. 

What Happened At Santa’s Workshop? 

Roll: Expression + Etiquette + Appropriate Contacts, Expert (20) Difficulty 

• Failure: Whatever happened, Claus is not willing to talk about it. 
• Partial: He will tell the team that they were attacked, and people were hurt. 
• Success: Santa will pull a clear glass ornament from his pocket. Blowing on it slowly until the wind stirs within, and everyone can watch what unfolded. 

The ice near a large red sleigh glows bright red before melting away. From the hole emerge three large robots with a humanoid shape. Their torsos twist unnaturally as they lay down a ring of fire around the vehicle. 

Behind them comes a small team of soldiers. The elves on the other side of the ring of fire try to help but they are not warriors. Finally a man emerges, his face and uniform shrouded in a black hooded cloak. 

Once the shooting has stopped the man removes his hood, he appears more like a walking corpse than a living person. Around his neck is a deep red scar. With the perimeter secure, he draws a blade and begins an incantation. 

Instantly, the soldiers drop to their knees, their bodies beginning to change. Santa appears moving with a magical alacrity. The robots turn intensifying the fires before him. The soldiers scream as their bodies are transformed, coal colored horns erupting from their heads, hands and feet turning into hooves, red hot and melting the snow below. They let out twisted bleats as they become hellish ibex. Huge goats, with horns as long as a person’s arm. 

The leader speaks another word: lashes bind the goats to the sleigh as he steps onto the sleigh. Pushing himself forward Santa bursts into the ring of fire tackling one of the robots. At the same moment, the man speaks a final incantation and is gone. 

The Hanged Man 

On a Successful roll on What Happened At Santa’s Workshop, the heroes can make a second Study roll, as above. With a Success, they will recognize Kurt Daluege as the magician. The former leader of the Nazi secret police, he was sentenced to death by hanging in 1946. Based on his appearance and the scar around his neck, it appears it didn’t take.   

The Danger 

Santa Claus will go on to explain that the sleigh allows him to be in front of every home within a time zone at once between the hour of 3 and 4 AM. Acting both simultaneously and independently, the sleigh allows him to expand his consciousness hundreds of thousands of times. Worse, as the sleigh is replicated as well, so is anything that he brings. If the heroes do not stop the Eisenreich within twenty-four hours, the next day they will be able to flood the world with even a single soldier. 

Tracking The Sleigh

The heroes may want to take steps before attempting to locate the sleigh. Here are some possible options. The heroes are on a timer. They may take a total of 6 of the actions before Daluege begins his ride. After that, continue to track Actions, each one represents a free Turn for Slay Ride, see below.  

Action: Studying The Glass Ornament 

If requested, Santa will reactivate the ornament allowing the heroes to take a deeper look at the images. 

Roll: Sense + Forensics, Advanced (25) Difficulty. 

• Failure: No additional information can be gleaned. 
• Partial: It’s clear they are a trained military force with the ability to dig undetected for great distances. 
• Success: The soldiers’ weapons before they are transformed show clear delineation from the MG 42. However, this weapon seems far more advanced, much like the fact that they have robots fighting alongside them. 
• 1 Degree: The tunnel may hold additional clues regarding the Eisenreich.

Action: Exploring the Tunnels (Counts as 2 Actions)

Assuming the heroes can reach the North Pole quickly. Without his sleigh Santa cannot transport the heroes. If Krampus is present he can transport the heroes by smelting them into coal, then restoring them at the pole. (If the heroes chose this option, set their Stamina to 0, but give them 2 Willpower.) Otherwise the heroes will need to determine if it is possible to reach the workshop in time. 

Once at the workshop the heroes can enter the tunnels. Traveling several miles, they will find an abandoned Rüstung Grab (Burrow Tank) half covered in ice from the melted cap the Eisenreich drilled through. 

If all the heroes have a movement power with Boost Speed 2 or Rapid Acceleration and Boost Speed, this counts as only a single Action. If the heroes have Boost Speed 3 or more, it does not count as an Action. 

Action: Getting into the Tank

Roll: Strength + Brawn, Very Challenging (50). (Or other appropriate rolls.)

• Failure: The doors are sealed and covered in ice. 
• Partial: It takes time, but the heroes get in. (Counts as two preparations) 
• Success: The heroes are able to breach the tank. 
• 1 Degree: No Change 
• 2 Degrees: Does not count as an Action. 

Action: Searching The Rüstung Grab

Roll: Intelligence + Computers, Advanced (25) Difficulty. (Apply a 10 point penalty if the hero does not speak German.)

• Failure: The logs are indecipherable. 
• Partial: The computer has a record, but it’s encrypted. May a second attempt with Cryptography instead of Computers. 
• Success: The heroes find Chief Kurt Daluege’s briefing. As a member of the inner circle of Thule, he has been tasked with obtaining Santa’s sleigh. His spirit binding powers are of particular use to graft spirits that will allow him to fly the sleigh. 
• 1 Degree: Once the sleigh is obtained, he is to return to base to obtain a new fireteam and weapons for the following evening’s ride. 
• 2 Degrees: Based on the computers trip recorder, they seemed to be based somewhere out of Brazil, which means they can strike multiple South American countries starting at 3 AM, along with Greenland first. Gain a free Degree of Success for Slay Ride, +1 more for each 2 Additional Degrees of Success on the first Turn the heroes interact with the Disaster. 
• 5 Degrees: The heroes have located the Eisenreich base in the mountains outside Campos. They can take the fight directly to the Eisenreich if they have the time, and ability to reach it before the ride starts. Use the same modifiers as listed in Exploring the Tunnels. 

Action: Understanding The Magic Of Christmas 

Roll: Intelligence + Occult + Contact: Santa Claus and / or Krampus, Very Advanced (30) Difficulty.

• Failure: There is something about this time of year. 
• Partial: Something about faith plays a factor. It runs through multiple religions dating back millennia. The winter solstice is tied to many beliefs and religions. 
• Success: What is Santa Claus if not the embodiment of good cheer? It is a concept that goes beyond a single person. An idea given form and function by the collective will of others. 
• 1 Degree: If the idea holds true, then all the magic of Santa’s workshop, bag, sleigh, anything associated with this embodiment, all of it come from this same belief. 
• 2 Degrees: Removing the magic from Santa Claus would negate the sleigh. 
• 3 Degrees: The spirit of good cheer is an idea, the only means to remove the magic is to somehow destroy the idea. 

Killing Christmas? 

As a tulpa, Santa Claus is a belief. The heroes would need to come up with a means to destroy everyone’s good cheer, and faith in Santa. A globally broadcast murder could work, if the heroes are able to prove they are killing Santa. 

There is no roll for this, the heroes will need to come up with a plan that shatters the faith of everyone on Earth who believes in Santa Claus for him to die. If they can accomplish this, the sleigh will become inert. 

Slay Ride 

Starting at 3 AM Brasilia Time, Daluege will begin his ride. Striking every home within the Time Zone at once, Daluenge will raid the domicile. Anyone in the home will be rounded up and detained within the most secure room. Residents will be bound using steel zip ties, and gags. Those that resist are shot. 

Once the heroes intercept Daluege, they can try and stop him. Battling on and around the sleigh, they are everywhere within the zone at once. This is an opportunity for the GM to get creative with scenery and heroes with improvised weapons. Each Turn that passes in which Slay Ride gains Successes, the sleigh moves to a new Time Zone. 

• Stakes: Supernaturally empowered Eisenreich forces will take over the world. 
• Size 6 – Everywhere within a Time Zone at once.
• Ferocity 4 – A fireteam of elite soldiers led by an undead magician along with supernaturally empowered goats with flaming hooves and razor sharp horns. 
• Target 55
• Damage 10
• Success Threshold 24 (17 +7 to cover the world’s Time Zones)
• Starting Advantage 10
• Notes: 
  • 1: Weaknesses: Temporal Powers, or Staggering Attacks.  
  • 2: Determine which Time Zone the heroes are located in. If they are not in GMT -3 (Brasília Time), Slay Ride gains a free Turn, rolling Ferocity to generate successes for each Time Zone it crosses before reaching the Heroes. 
  • 3: Track the total number of Turns before the heroes interact with Slay Ride. This will be important for the Aftermath. 
  • 4: Heroes with a team vehicle or collective New Movement powers can spend a Turn to travel a Time Zone. Increase the number of Time Zones they can cross for each additional instance of Boost Speed. 

GM Note: Clearing 55: Classic heroes may have trouble clearing the Hard (55) Difficult of Slay Ride. If a hero has a Base Value for the roll of 27 or higher when using an  Attribute + Talent + Power, spending 1 Willpower for an Explosive Roll should give them about a 50/50 chance of Success. Higher Base Values mean a higher chance for Success. 

Remind players this is the climax, and there is no reward for leftover Willpower at the end of an adventure. You may also want to remind them that overshooting does not generate extra Successes unless it is a Weakness.

Dark Age and Forward Option: Depending on where Eisenreich strikes, they will find some supporters. Every other Turn Daluege goes unchecked, he generates an extra Success in the Disaster. 

Aftermath

If the heroes fail to overcome the Slay Ride Disaster, Eisenreich forces will deploy in strategic locations around the world taking several major cities and military bases with nuclear strike options. The age of the Fourth Reich has begun. GMs and players should discuss how best to move forward, as this will be a radical shift in the campaign. GMs can review the Empire America Story Seed for additional ideas. 

If the heroes succeeded, GMs should review the number of Time Zones Daluege was able to siege before being stopped. 

• 0: Complete Success: The heroes were able to stop the Eisenreich before causing serious harm or trauma to others. 
• 1 – 5: Strong Success: Daluege Slay Ride did not go further than the Americas. Most of the world was spared. 
• 6 – 11: Success: The Slay Ride swept through the Americas and into the Pacific Islands, but was stopped before reaching New Zealand. People around the world are traumatized at the devastation caused. 
• 12 – 17: Is This Success?: Crossing the Pacific, Daluege was able to capture half the world or more before being stopped. 
• 18+: Pyrrhic Victory: The world is left traumatized at the battle. Although the heroes won, the world has seen the might of the Eisenreich.