Nightmare before Christmas Holloween Samhain House and Christmas wargame ideas

Nightmare before Christmas Holloween Samhain House and Christmas wargame ideas.

Thinking of maybe putting together a Nightmare before Christmas themed wargame together. Likely using rules like Strange Aeons, 7TV or Fistful of lead.

 “The Twisted Eve” 

A Nightmare Before Christmas Wargame

Premise

Jack Skellington’s attempt to merge Halloween and Christmas has fractured reality. Factions from both realms clash across shifting terrain to seize control of the holiday calendar.

Factions 

- Pumpkin Court: Trickster units, fear-based morale mechanics.

- Toymaker’s Legion: Mischievous constructs, explosive gifts, sleigh-mounted artillery.

- Yule Wraiths: Ghostly enforcers of seasonal purity, phase-through terrain.

- Chaos Carolers: Buff/debuff units that sing to manipulate morale and stats.

Core Mechanics

- Holiday Drift: Each round, the battlefield shifts between Halloween and Christmas zones. Terrain effects and unit powers change accordingly.

- Gift Tokens: Scattered across the map. Some contain boons (extra actions, healing), others are traps (explosions, curses).

- Fear vs Cheer Meter: A global tracker that affects unit stats. Fear boosts Halloween units, Cheer boosts Christmas ones. Events swing the meter.

Other Scenario Ideas

1. “Sack of the Sleigh”

- Objective: Capture or destroy Santa’s sleigh before it launches.

- Twist: Sleigh moves each round; players must predict its path.

2. “Calendar Collapse”

- Objective: Control key calendar stones to stabilize the timeline.

- Terrain: Cracked seasonal zones, unstable portals.

3. “Oogie’s Gambit”

- Objective: Stop Oogie Boogie’s ritual to summon the Eternal Nightmare.

- Mechanics: Dice-based ritual progress, sabotage. 

4. The Calendar Fracture

- Premise: Competing factions must stabilize the holiday timeline by capturing fractured calendar shards.

- Mechanics: Shards spawn randomly; controlling them shifts battlefield effects (e.g., snowstorm, fog, candy terrain).

- Twist: Each shard alters unit stats based on seasonal alignment (Halloween vs Christmas).

5. Jack’s Regret

- Premise: Jack Skellington tries to undo the chaos he caused — players must either help or hinder him.

- Mechanics: Escort or intercept Jack across shifting terrain; his mood affects global morale.

- Assets: Mood tracker strip, terrain overlays that shift between graveyard and snowy village.

6. Trick-or-Treat Warfare

7. The Gift Gauntlet

- Premise: Factions race to deliver enchanted gifts to key locations before the others sabotage them.

- Mechanics: Gift tokens with randomized effects (boon, trap, transformation); sleigh movement rules.

- Visuals: Use wrapped boxes as objectives; overlays for rooftops and chimneys.

8. Oogie’s Toybox

- Premise: Oogie Boogie has unleashed corrupted toys across the battlefield.

- Mechanics: Spawn waves of toy constructs; players must destroy or reprogram them.

- Twist: Some toys switch allegiance mid-game.

9. The Caroler’s Curse

- Premise: A cursed choir roams the map, singing songs that warp reality.

- Mechanics: Aura effects based on proximity; players can silence or redirect them.

- Assets: Song cards with effects (e.g., “Jingle Hex,” “Deck the Dread”).

10. Sandy Claws’ Rescue

- Premise: Santa is imprisoned in Halloween Town — factions must free or exploit him.

- Mechanics: Timed rescue mission; Santa grants buffs or curses depending on outcome.

- Twist: Santa’s sleigh becomes a mobile objective once freed.

11. The Solstice Rift

- Premise: A cosmic rift opens between Halloween and Christmas realms — players must seal it or harness its power.

- Mechanics: Portal mechanics, unstable terrain, random unit teleportation.

12. The Forgotten Holiday

- Premise: A third holiday faction (e.g., “New Year’s Revenants” or “Valentine Wraiths”) emerges to claim the calendar.

- Mechanics: Asymmetric powers, wildcard objectives, faction alliances.

These minis are still available on the likes of Amazon.