You should never forget to give Santa his cookie!

Continuing with our festive-themed adventures, this Wednesday, we take a look at There’s Something Wrong with Santa, an electrum bestseller. Crafted by Jeff Stevens Games for 4 or 5 5th-level characters and currently at 30% off to spice up the holiday season, it is definitely worth a spot among our seasonal reviews.

Disclaimer: We were provided with a free digital copy of this product.

The scenario

The story takes place in a small village called Hollypocket (a very fitting name if you ask me), in which Christmas is celebrated and Santa is the special guest. Well, this time, Santa arrived looking not that holy and jolly, and a magical dome has surrounded the village, making it like a Christmas globe with never-ending snow. The adventurers can freely enter the snow-globe, I mean village, but once inside, they can’t leave.

As you have probably guessed, there is something wrong with Santa, as he is now a *spoiler warning* vampire. While travelling to join the festivities on Hollypocket, he was cursed by another vampire. Not only that, but his helpers transformed into vampire spawn, succubi, and incubi, and even the beloved reindeer became undead versions of themselves. Their new mission is to gather villagers to the vampire’s lair and spread an unholy and bloody kind of holiday spirit.

The outcome is shaped by the players’ actions and, as the author claims, it is not impossible to save Santa, so not all hope is lost. It should take you between 2 to 4 hours to complete, and although I’m not going to give it all away, the key to that is a special cookie.

Encounters

From the very first step taken inside Hollypocket, the party could easily notice that not everything is bright and cheerful. Corrupted helpers approach villagers with seemingly innocent interactions, requesting their presence before Santa or offering sweet treats, only to end up dragging them through the streets moments later.

What about the reindeer? Santa’s sleigh and 8 reindeer are resting on the roof of the town hall, but you should not try to pet them. Once a symbol of strength, endurance and beloved childhood memories, they are now replaced by something dark and rotting.

And then there’s Santa himself. A twisted version of a holiday icon associated with hope and joy feels both thrilling and emotional. Santa is not simply a villain but a victim, torn between his newly acquired vampiric hunger and his generous spirit, and depending on how the adventurers navigate through the scenario, the encounter can go multiple ways.

Each encounter is tailored to fit the vampire theme, effectively blending festive charm with darkness, like a fairytale movie that has gone terribly wrong. There are also scaling suggestions included, so if your players are too strong or on the weak side, you can adjust everything according to your needs.

Layout & Art

The layout is a two-column style, with each page framed in a snowflake border for that extra holiday charm, without feeling cluttered. Big red headers clearly break each section, while boxed text contains read-aloud descriptions or valuable information to set the mood.

At the very beginning, there is a hyperlinked table of contents, aiding in smooth navigation through the document. Then, a general introduction to the Hollypocket serves as an overview for the game master, before jumping into the adventure section, followed by the Conclusion dedicated to the story’s possible outcomes.

The art matches the Christmas theme with vibrant colours that bring the illustrations to life, and even the “corrupted” helpers are dressed in festive attire.

Yes, on the right is Santa, in his ribbon form.

A map of Hollypocket gives a practical overview of the village to help the players visualise their journey, with marked areas explained in the supplement. The same goes for the town hall’s map.

Extras

In Appendix 1, you will find statblocks for holiday creatures and major NPCs, and of course, Santa is included. But that’s not all! Two magic items are introduced: Santa’s bag of holding and Santa’s suit.

Final thoughts

There’s Something Wrong with Santa is a festive one-shot that can become part of any campaign. If your party enjoys playing out of the ordinary stories or twists of classic tales, then this adventure is worth bringing to your table.

Stay crafty and ho ho oh no,
Your new favourite author.

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