D&D General Do you incorporate holiday or festive themes into your games?

[Lanefan]

I've occasionally had random cakes with little candles on them show up in the game where they make no sense, if it's someone's birthday on game night. One Yule session I also had Santa do a fly-by with (in theory) some gifts for the PCs...until a couple of idiot PCs tried to shoot him down!

I've also once or twice had long-beloved characters inexplicably return from what was thought to be perma-death, as birthday gifts. And as IME players just love (seriously, they do!) Decks of Many Things, one of those will occasionally appear on someone's birthday.

 

[Laurefindel]

. One Yule session I also had Santa do a fly-by with (in theory) some gifts for the PCs...until a couple of idiot PCs tried to shoot him down!

Of course they would. Imagine the loot!

 

[Zardnaar]

Tempted to do a Futurama themed Santa one. Warforged murder bot Santa.

 

[Nebulous]

I incorporated some Halloween stuff into a recent Spelljammer game. On Halloween night.

 

[pablomaz]

No, not really. Maybe this is a very American thing to do, like many TV shows incorporate seasonal themes on them? I don't know. Incorporating Carnaval in my games doesn't make much sense to my Brazilian mind, for example. Or the World Cup every four years, all characters wearing yellow...

 

[Lanefan]

Of course they would. Imagine the loot!

As Santa always knows who's been naughty or nice, needless to say when he did land and gave out gifts the shooters just got (cursed!) lumps of coal.

The best gift went to the party's healer, who on seeing the reindeer Blitzen was hurt (this the only thing the shooters had managed to hit), cured him up unasked.

 

[Larnievc]

With the holiday season around the corner, I wanted to stir up a discussion about integrating holiday themes into our RPG campaigns. I recently designed an adventure titled "Thanksgiving Turmoil: The ROC Hunt" where, instead of the usual turkey, players hunt giant ROCs! It got me thinking about how we can creatively adapt holiday themes in our games.

Have you ever incorporated a holiday or festive theme into your RPG sessions? How did you twist traditional elements to fit the fantasy world?

I often have a carnivorous reindeer called Glory-Wolf turn up in our campaigns at Xmas. He didn’t turn up last year so he’s due for a return.

His character is based on the white guy from the series’ Power’. I forget his name. He swears a great deal.

 

[TheHand]

I’ve never incorporated real holidays in my D&D games, but I have done adventures set during fictional festivals. I did, however, once ran a super hero game that involved our heroes saving the holidays from criminals dressed up like Santa Claus and his elves.

 

[billd91]

I do incorporate in-campaign holidays. My favorite is Brewfest week for Greyhawk.

 

[Larnievc]

The last Christmas adventure had Father Xmas had been imprisoned by the Obyrith Pale Night. Glory-Wolf (Rudolf) was helping the party set him free. It was a side trek in OOTA.