JONATHAN GREEN

Illustrated by Tony Hough

A supplement for
 ’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...
And then the clock strikes thirteen and you wake to hear a thud downstairs.
Investigating, you discover that Krampus the Christmas Devil has abducted Santa Claus.

Do you have what it takes to save Santa and avert a Christmas catastrophe?

In ’TWAS – The Krampus Night Before Christmas, YOU decide which route to take,
which risks to brave, and even which of the strange creatures you will meet along the
way to engage in battle.

But be warned – whether you succeed in your quest, or meet a dire end, will be down to
the choices YOU make.

(ISBN 978-1911390701)
 A supplement for

Written by Jonathan Green

Illustrated by Tony Hough
 Bad Tidings copyright © 2020 Jonathan Green

Jonathan Green asserts the right to be identified as the author of this work.
All rights reserved.

Illustrations copyright © 2020 Tony Hough

First Edition

Proudly published in 2020 by

ACE Gamebooks Roleplay

Festive / Fantasy / Fun

ACERPG003

Proofing and editing: Eadwine Brown

Layout: Mark Stoneham

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by any means, without prior
permission in writing from the publisher.

For further information about other ACE Gamebooks products visit

www.acegamebooks.com
 I Saw Krampus Snatching Santa Claus
Bad Tidings is a supplement for ’TWAS – The
Roleplaying Game Before Christmas. It introduces
a new Player Character for the game, Noel the Elf,
and a new Scene to use with the ’TWAS campaign
Krampusnacht, which brings him into the adventure.

Please note, a copy of ’TWAS – The Roleplaying

Game Before Christmas is required to use the
contents of this supplement.

Noel the Elf

Magic 3

Agility 9

Combat 7

Endurance 23

Special Abilities
Charm, Christmas Lore, Sorcery (Christmas Magic)

Weapons
Unarmed

Description
Noel is one of Santa’s Little Helpers; in fact, you could
refer to him as Santa’s Littlest Helper, since he is the
newest recruit to the team at Father Christmas HQ
at the North Pole, and no taller than any of the Toys.
Noel was on board the sleigh with Santa when it
arrived at the house, but when his boss did not return
after entering the home to deliver presents, he became
anxious and set off to investigate for himself.

Noel soon discovered that Father Christmas had

been abducted by Krampus, whilst in the middle of
carrying out his annual delivery duties, and is now
determined to do what he can to help rescue Santa.

3
 Where are we?

Why are we here? What do we need?

The Toys must save Santa’s Littlest Helper from a
hunting party comprised of Krampus’s Imps.
Who goes there?
In this Scene, the Toys meet Noel, a young Elf, who
was out helping Santa this Christmas Eve night.
Noel’s stats and abilities are presented on page 3 of
this supplement.
The Toys will also soon have a run in with the
Christmas Devil’s malicious minions, in the form of
a gang of Imps that is hunting for Noel. They have
realised that someone else arrived aboard the sleigh,
along with Father Christmas, and are determined to
track him down and take him prisoner.
A PC with the Demon Lore special ability will
immediately recognise the Imps for what they are,
if the party has not yet encountered them in another
Scene. There are four Imps in total.
A Player to take on the role of Noel the Elf. You
might also want to provide them with a Christmas
Elf costume, unless they already have their own. The
least you need is a hat with a tinkling bell on the end
for them to wear.
How do events unfold?
As they are making their way through the sleeping
house, the Toys hear the tinkling of a bell, which
draws their attention to a piece of furniture in
the room – an armchair, bed, chest of drawers or
sideboard. There, in the shadows beneath it, they can
just make out a cowering figure. He is shivering with
fear, which unfortunately makes the bell hanging
from the tip of his hat ring.
Just as they are deciding what to do, the Toys hear
another sound – that of heavy footsteps. Something,
or someone, is coming...

Imp
Magic 3

Agility 7

Combat 6

Endurance 8

Type Demon

Special abilities Demon Lore

Spells None

Weapons Claws

4
The party will have to act quickly. They can either
choose to hide under the furniture themselves, or
they can stand their ground, ready to face whatever it
is that’s on its way.
If they choose to hide, the moment they have hidden
themselves, the gang of Imps enters the room,
searching for the absconded Elf. Noel’s nerves will
set his bell ringing, which will attract the Imps’
attention. However, as the Imps close in on their
quarry the Toys will be able to ambush Krampus’s
servants, which will give them the initiative in the
battle to come.
If the PCs decide to face whatever is coming, the
Imps will burst in on them, which will give the Imps
the initiative in the battle to come.
One way or another, if the Toys are going to help the
Elf, they are going to have to fight the Imps. If they
leave Noel to face his pursuers alone, the young Elf
is captured, tied up and dragged off. However, the
party will encounter him again, in the back of Santa’s
sleigh, when hopefully they will do the right thing
and set him free, otherwise it’s going to be a rather
unfulfilling game for whoever is playing the part of
Noel the Elf.
If they manage to overcome the Imps, rather than kill
them, the Toys may decide to interrogate Krampus’s
minions. If they do so, the terrified Imps will reveal
what awaits the PCs elsewhere in one of the Scenes
they have yet to play through in this Act.
Equally, whilst exploring the house in his search for
Santa, Noel has already seen some of what Krampus
and his minions are up to; he will be able to forewarn
the party about what awaits them elsewhere in one of
the Scenes they have yet to play through in this Act.
If there are several unplayed Scenes still awaiting the
players in Act 1, randomly choose one by drawing a
card from the Clubs used by the GM in preparing the
Act (see page 38 of ’TWAS). It’s up to the GM how
useful or accurate the Imps and/or Noel can be –
however, don’t actively mislead the Players.
When is the Scene over?
The Scene is over as soon as the Toys have rescued
Noel the Elf, or the moment the Imps carry him off,
having taken him captive.
Where next?
If this is the last Scene in Act 1, the Toys will find
themselves outside the house and it’s time to move
on to Act 2. If not, then simply move on to the Toys’
next encounter.
There is a growing
range of supplements
available for ’TWAS – The
Roleplaying Game Before
Christmas that help bring
greater variety to your
adventures, including
free downloads. Visit
www.acegamebooks.com
to find out more.
5
 Player Character Sheet

Noel the Elf

Noel is one of Santa’s Little Helpers; in fact, you
could refer to him as Santa’s Littlest Helper, since he
is the newest recruit to the team at Father Christmas
HQ. Noel was on board the sleigh with Santa when
it arrived at the house, but when his boss did not
return, he became anxious and set off to investigate.
Now he is determined to rescue Santa.

Weapons
Unarmed

Magic =3 Agility = 9 Combat = 7 Endurance = 23

Special Abilities Spells

Charm, Christmas Lore, Sorcery (Christmas Magic)

Equipment and Notes

Permission is given for you to photocopy this page for personal use only.
 ACE GAMEBOOKS
ACE Gamebooks are works of interactive fiction, solo-RPGs, inspired by classic works of literature.

ALICE’S NIGHTMARE IN WONDERLAND

Alice returns to Wonderland and must save herself, and
the magical otherworld, as all descends into madness.
The reader guides Alice on her adventure, encountering
the various inhabitants of Wonderland along the way.
(ISBN 978-1909679597)

The Wicked Wizard of Oz

Dorothy and her friends unite to save Oz from a new
threat that has arisen since the Wizard’s departure.
The reader can play through the adventure as either
Dorothy Gale, the Scarecrow, the Tin Woodman, the
Lion, the Wicked Witch of the West, or the Wizard.
(ISBN 978-1911390312)

J. M. Barrie’s Peter Pan meets Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World in this
swash-buckling, pirates-versus-dinosaurs extravaganza. Imagine if Neverland
and King Kong’s Skull Island were the same place, and then throw in an
erupting volcano. The reader can play as shipwreck survivor Wendy Darling,
automaton avenger Peter Pan, heroic hunter Tiger Lily, or even plundering
pirate Captain James Hook. (ISBN 978-1911390411)

beowulf beastslayer
King Hrothgar’s golden mead-hall Heorot lies under a curse, subject to
attacks by the mirth-hating night-stalker Grendel. None are capable of
destroying the monster, although many have tried, until Beowulf and his
company of storm warriors cross the sail-road and land on Danish shores...
A tale of heroes... A tale of monsters... A legend reborn... YOU are Beowulf!
(ISBN 978-1911390664)

To find out more, visit www.acegamebooks.com

 A supplement for

’Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse...
That is until Krampus the Christmas Devil turns up and abducts Santa Claus,
even as he is delivering presents to the sleeping household. But as the old goat is
trussing him up in a sack, Saint Nick draws upon the magic of Christmas to bring
a group of Toys to life.

Charged with rescuing the jolly old elf, the party sets out to save Santa before
Christmas Day dawns and the cruel, birch-wielding demon usurps his position –
taking his place forever!

’TWAS – The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas is a rules-lite RPG for

2-7 Players, inspired by the legends and literature of Christmas.

Designed to be picked up and played with minimal preparation, it nonetheless

includes a well-developed character creation system, as well as rules for combat
and magic. It is ideal for a festive gaming session with an established group, or as
an alternative to the games usually played on Christmas Day.

Bad Tidings is a supplement for ’TWAS – The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas.
It introduces a new Player Character to the game, and a new Scene for use with the
Krampusnacht campaign.

A copy of ’TWAS – The Roleplaying Game Before Christmas is required to use the
contents of this supplement.

Festive / Fantasy / Fun www.acegamebooks.com ACERPG003