XP Rolls

A Christmas miracle? Part 1: Map and Myths

To celebrate the most magical time of year, we have to go back to where it all started – the reason for the season: Santa (sometimes Jesus).

At least that’s how it goes in Rankin-Bass holiday movies, which are decidedly Christmas-centric: Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Year Without a Santa Claus, Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town, Life & Adventures of Santa Claus, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and some middling Santa-less entries like The First Christmas and Nestor, the Long-Eared Christmas Donkey.

In an attempt to diversify, Rankin-Bass acknowledged Frosty the Snowman, Jack Frost and the shittiest gift-giver known to man, the Little Drummer Boy. They finally gave up the ghost of Christmas past with the weak cash grabs of Rudolph’s Shiny New Year, Pinocchio’s Christmas and the final nail in the coffin, The Leprechauns’ Christmas Gold.

In my own desperate grab for attention, I’ve jumped on a blogwagon call from Prismatic Wasteland to create a bunch of Rankin-Bass-themed hexes that are supposed to somehow fit together on a map. Since mine is one of the the last entries, I’m going to handwave away fit into the larger map because “magic,” and then we’ll fix it in post.

How does Rankin-Basstionland fit into a single hex? MAGIC.

And since I’ve never created a game or hex before, I’m going to make it doubly WTF by using the framework of one of the year’s most popular new games, Mythic Bastionland by Chris McBastionland (I think that’s how he signed my copy at PAX Unplugged last month; it’s hard to read). I’ve only played Mythic Bastionland once, but had fun and the hex maps I’ve seen for it are very colorful, so seem perfect for the ginned-up Lite Brite map I created, above. Also, I’ll invest days of my life to study the system and how to make a hex map, myths, omens and stat blocks for all these just to make that “Basstionland” wordplay work. YOU’RE WELCOME.

At this point, I’ve got more to say about process, but it’s starting to read like those avocado toast recipes where you have to swipe through 20 screens before the ingredients.

For this first post, we’ll find our way into the realm, meet our Seers and learn a little about their respective Myths. In the next post, we’ll dig deeper into each Myth, including its six Omens and stat blocks. And we’ll highlight some of those Holdings, Terrain changes and Landmarks on the map. Also, unless I run out of Vigour, Spirit and Clarity, I want to try making a few Knights to fit the realm and the call to adventure – that’ll likely be a third post.

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Rankin-Basstionland

Seek the Myths

Honor the Seers

Protect the Realm

Entry to the realm

On entering the hex, regardless of the adjoining hex, you find yourself on a path shrouded in clouds on either side. You realize that the clouds have closed in behind you, obscuring the way you just entered from. The only clear path is forward.

As your party continues, the air grows more crisp and your pack seems lighter. You smell cinnamon and nutmeg. One of you hears bells jingling faintly in the distance ahead. Another hears someone singing. Moving onward, the air starts to clear, and you realize that everything has lost proportion. What seemed just a few miles across on your map is suddenly vast.

Seers

You’re approached by a figure materializing out of the swirling mist (roll d6) who smiles broadly, welcomes you to the realm of Rankin-Bastionland, and asks for your help to ensure a myth comes to pass:

	Seer	Myth
1	Sam, a snowman with a spiffy bowler, tartan vest and a snowy beard.	Help save Rudolph to ensure he can guide Santa’s sleigh as foretold.
2	S.D. Kluger, a cheery mailman bundled up for the weather.	Help Kris Kringle overcome the Burgermeister Meisterburger’s reign of terror to become Santa Claus as foretold.
3	Jimmy, a fedora-wearing man with a ginormous nose and infectious smile.	Help gather Frosty the Snowman’s magic top hat, corncob pipe and button nose and deliver to Santa’s home as foretold.
4	Spieltoe, a singing donkey. You heard me. A donkey.	Convince Aaron, the little drummer boy, to play some other instruments than drums when he visits baby Jesus. Questionable whether this is foretold or Aaron just going for main character, inserting himself into someone else’s story.
5	Mrs. Claus, cloaked in red fur, white trim and rosy cheeks, singing a warbly song. She pulls out a thermos of cocoa and your party all get +1 vigour if you take a sip.	Help behind the scenes to ensure that her husband continues bringing joy and fear to kids around the world, as foretold.
6	Pardon-Me-Pete, a charming groundhog in a porkpie hat and polka dot bow tie, swinging a cane as he winks at you and approaches.	Ensure that Jack Frost, Snip the snowflake maker and Holly, a snow gypsy help deliver a white Christmas to January Junction.

Mythic Bastionland guidance that I’m taking liberties with:

“Remember that Myths operate under their own rules, and they don’t need to follow the usual laws of reality.

You’ll be exploring a mystical land, and while you’ll sometimes benefit or suffer at the hands of its magic, you’ll never quite understand or control it yourself.“

Check back soon for Part 2: Myths and Omens.

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Want to know more about where I’m stealing from or using for guidance?

Mythic Bastionland Quickstart & Character Sheets

Mythic Bastionland MB One-shots – Advice from Chris McDowall

Prismatic Wasteland Hex Crawl Checklists:

Checklist Part 1: Maps, Terrain, Connections, Keys and more

Checklist Part 2: Random Encounter Tables, Calendar, Factions, Histories & Rumors.