[Let’s Play] ACE Gamebook 05 - 'TWAS - The Krampus Night Before Christmas

[Beroli]

Use it.

[deaddmwalking]

We just got it back!

Half vote to kill the demonic angel decoration with one of our weapons. Thinking we can shove a spear where a Christmas tree might go.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes counted; using The Pen is Mightier ability won by a 1-0.5 vote.

82

A burning log pops, and sends a spark flying from the fire that lands on the Perchta’s tattered dress, which immediately bursts into flames. As it burns, the horrible thing’s insane giggling only reaches new heights of hysteria until the puppet is nothing more than a blackened husk smouldering in the grate.

Turn to 66.

66

Leaving the supervisor’s office, you enter what you realise is an entrance hall. Other doors lead from it to other parts of the complex, but you start to wonder whether Father Christmas is even inside the building. Your suspicions are confirmed when you realise that one of the large double doors leading outside is slightly ajar.

Making your way to the door, you peer out into the biting cold night. And then you see something that wasn’t there when you first arrived at the workshop.

Some two hundred yards away, you can see flames flickering at the top of a snow-covered hill and strange capering figures, while overhead, ragged black shapes circle the sky beneath the rippling green coruscation of the Northern Lights.

Determined to find out what is going on, you set off into the snow once more.

If you have the code word Kold recorded on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 356. If not, turn to 483.

Clark has the word Kold recorded on his Adventure Sheet.

356

It is still bitterly cold outside, and despite pulling the collar of your dressing-gown up to keep out the icy wind, soon your teeth are chattering and your arms and legs are shivering.

(Deduct 2 Endurance points, 1 Agility point, and 1 Combat point.)

Now turn to 483.

483

The sight that greets you, when you reach the top of the hill, has you looking on in horror and disbelief.

A diabolical sigil has been marked out in the snow with soot, comprised of a pentagram bound within a circle. At each of the five points of the demonic star, there burns a brazier, fashioned from an upturned antlered skull atop a wooden pole.

But what is more horrible to your appalled gaze than the unholy symbol itself is the fact that a slightly overweight old man lies trussed up at its centre, and judging by his round belly, red coat and trousers, and white beard it can only be Father Christmas!

Standing at the bottom point of the inverted star is your nemesis, the one you have hunted for, far and wide this night, the hideous, horned, goat-leggéd Christmas Devil himself – Krampus!

Four crow-like figures, draped in tattered cloaks, stand behind the braziers that mark out the remaining four points of the pentagram, while more of the ragged figures whirl through the sky, black silhouettes against the coruscating Northern Lights.



The chanting voices of the figures drift to you over the snow, and although you cannot understand what they are saying, it nonetheless makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end.

You can only assume that the devil and his servants are enacting a dark rite to break Santa’s power, doubtless intending to usurp his position. But whatever the truth of the matter, you know you have to do what you can to try to rescue Father Christmas from the foul fiend’s clutches.

If you are in possession of the Box of Delights, there is a number you have associated with the magical item; turn to the section with the same number now.

If not, turn to 439.

Clark is not in possession of the Box of Delights.

439

The creatures soaring and swooping overhead cackle with sinister glee as they sweep through the air, apparently unhindered by gravity.

If you have the code word Kruel written on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 335.

If not, and you have the code word Kind recorded on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 352. Otherwise, turn to 335 anyway.

Clark has the code word Kruel written on his Adventure Sheet.

335

A host of potential foes stands between you and the rescue of Father Christmas. You are vastly outnumbered – at least ten to one, if not more – and it is surely only a matter of time before one of Krampus’s minions launches an attack against you.

If you have the code word Kourageous recorded on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 271. If not, turn to 481.



Clark does not have the code word Kourageous recorded on his Adventure Sheet.

481

A piercing shriek cuts through the night – one of the whirling, rag-clad hags has spotted you!

You are soon surrounded, by wailing banshees as well as grotesquely-leering imps. The creatures of the devil’s coven grasp you with their hideously clawed hands and drag you before the Lord of Misrule himself, gibbering and jabbering excitedly as they do so.

Krampus rises to his full impressive height before you and in a braying voice demands:

“Tell me, why are you here, you timorous mouse?
You’ve followed me ever since I left your house!”

Your heart racing, you stand tall and meet the monster’s sinister caprine gaze. “I’m here to save Father Christmas!” you tell him.

“But why would you do that? What is he to you?
An agéd house-breaker whose time’s overdue?”

“Because he brings joy to millions of children, all over the world. Because he reminds adults that it is better to give than to receive. And because, most importantly of all, in this instance it is not a case of ‘better the devil you know’.”

“Better the devil you know? You don’t know me!
But you will soon enough, just you wait and see.
I’ve been around since mankind lived in caves,
When beasts ruled the night, and fear made them slaves.
Before there were saints, I was their master,
Causing their drums and their hearts to beat faster.
I was the monster, out there in the wood.
‘Krampus will get you if you’ve not been good!’
That was a threat desperate mothers would make,
And, ‘You’d better be good for goodness’ sake!’
But then came the light, and then there came Christmas,
And I was banished – cast into the darkness!
Children slept soundly, all snug in their beds,
Sweet dreams, not nightmares, now filling their heads.
And they’ve become spoilt, and selfish, ungrateful,
Their manners appalling, their attitude hateful.
But I am the one who will punish the haughty,
And I will decide who is nice and who’s naughty!
When I’m in charge, upon each Christmas Eve,
Sinners will tremble, for they will believe!
Children will wish for the old days. And hark!
People will know why they once feared the dark.
Christmas is dead! I have made it my pact;
From now on Christmas Eve will be called Krampusnacht!”

If you have at least one use of your Naughty or Nice special ability left, turn to 457 at once.

If not, turn to 369.

Clark has one use of his Naughty or Nice special ability left.

457

Krampus leans closer, his long pock-marked tongue writhing from his fanged mouth as if with a life of its own, and you almost retch as the devil’s rancid breath comes at you in rancid gusts.

You cannot help but meet his horribly bulging yellow eyes and stare into the pinpricks of darkness that are the pupils within.

“I’ll ask you just once – I’ll not ask you twice –
Have you, my child, been naughty or nice?”

As you are struggling to resist the devil’s hypnotic power, a rich warm voice reaches your ears.

“Do not fear, child,” it says, “for I know where your name would appear in my great book, for you have a good heart and honourable intentions.”

Father Christmas’s encouragement is just what you need to break free of the hold Krampus has over you.

Cross off one use of the Naughty or Nice special ability and turn to 284.

284

The distraction your intervention has created has weakened Krampus’s focus, and therefore the power of the enchantment binding Father Christmas. With the spell waning, the big man has managed to free one of his hands.

Putting his fingers between his lips, Father Christmas gives a shrill whistle, and you manage to tear your eyes from the devil’s jaundiced gaze in time to see half a dozen reindeer galloping through the sky towards you. Catching the tattered-rag hags on the prongs of their antlers, they engage Krampus’s minions, giving you the chance you need to bring this dark ritual to an abrupt conclusion.

Record the code word Kringle on your Adventure Sheet and then turn to 383.

383

With the diabolical host distracted, it’s time to end this.

To put it simply, stop the devil and save Christmas! But how do you intend to do that?

If you have a Mistletoe Spear, you will have a number associated with the artefact; turn to that section now. If not, turn to 61.

Clark has a Mistletoe Spear, which is circled by twelve bands, so we will turn to section 12.

12

Taking a firm hold of the white-wood spear, you take aim and hurl it through the cold night air, straight at the goat-leggéd freak.

Take a Combat test. If you pass the test, turn to 94. If you fail the test, turn to 257.

Rolling the dice yielded an 11, which means that Clark has failed the test.

257

The spear goes wide of the mark, landing in the snow somewhere to the right of the Christmas Devil.

Your failure causes you to doubt your own abilities. (Lose 1 Combat point.)

If you have the Ledger of Souls with you, you will have a number associated with it; turn to that section number now. If not, turn to 74.

Clark has the Ledger of Souls with him, with his name on page 400, so we will turn to section 400.

400

“You have my book!” Father Christmas suddenly calls out in excitement. “Do you happen to have a bell and a candle as well?”

If you have a Bell and a Candle, as well as the book, turn to 80. If not, you are going to have to fight the devil in order to rescue Father Christmas – turn to 74.

Clark does not have a Bell or a Candle.

74

With which weapon do you intend to finish the Christmas Devil?

The Blacksmith’s Axe?     Turn to 38.
The Silver Sword?     Turn to 249.
The Ice Sword Frostbite?     Turn to 169.
None of the above?     Turn to 328.

Please make your votes before 9:00 AM PST or a choice receives 2 votes to guarantee that they will be counted.

TWAS – The Krampus Night Before Christmas Adventure Sheet
Clark
Agility: 9
Combat: 9
Endurance: 16
Equipment:
Pyjamas
Dressing-gown
Bed Socks
Pair of Slippers
Blacksmith’s Axe (+1 Combat Rating in battle)
Key Embossed With ‘37’
Ice Sword (+2 Combat Rating and +1 Damage against imps, devils, and demons)
Ledger of Souls (Clark’s name appears on page 400)
Special Abilities:
The Pen Is Mightier: 0 uses
Naughty or Nice: 0 uses
Meals: 2
Codewords:
Kold
Kruel
Kind
Krowned
Kurious
Kringle

[Thaluikhain]

The ice sword, I guess.

[Beroli]

The Ice Sword.

[JourneymanN00b]

Votes registered; using the Ice Sword Frostbite.

169

As you battle the Christmas Devil, remember that you may add 2 bonus points when calculating your Combat Rating, and any successful hit you deliver with the sword will cause 1 additional point of damage.

Now turn to 328.

328

If you want to use The Pen is Mightier special ability now, cross off one use and turn to 403 at once.

If you do not, and you have the code word Kritical written on your Adventure Sheet, turn to 386; otherwise, turn to 459.

Clark does not have any The Pen is Mightier uses left, and he does not have the code word Kritical written on his Adventure Sheet.

459
“If you’ve been naughty or if you’ve been nice,
With birch and with trap, I’ll still strike you twice!”

And with that the Christmas Devil attacks! (In this battle you have the initiative.)

KRAMPUS     COMBAT 11     ENDURANCE 14

If Krampus wins a Combat Round, roll one die (or pick a card). If the number rolled is odd (or the card is red), he strikes you with his birch-whip (lose 2 Endurance points). If the number rolled is even (or the card is black), he catches you in the jaws of his man-trap (lose 2 Endurance points and reduce your Combat score by 1 point for the next Combat Round).

If you manage to win 3 Combat Rounds, or you reduce Krampus’s Endurance score to 8 points or below, turn to 403 at once. If you do not manage either feat, the Christmas Devil will be victorious in this battle and your adventure will be over.



The fight:
Round 1: Clark’s Combat Rating: 3+9+2+1=15, Krampus’s Combat Rating: 7+11=18;
Krampus Die Roll: 6, Clark’s Endurance: 14, Krampus’s Endurance: 14
Round 2: Clark’s Combat Rating: 9+8+2=19, Krampus’s Combat Rating: 6+11+1=18;
Clark’s Endurance: 14, Krampus’s Endurance: 11
Round 3: Clark’s Combat Rating: 9+9+2+1=21, Krampus’s Combat Rating: 11+11=22;
Krampus Die Roll: 1, Clark’s Endurance: 12, Krampus’s Endurance: 11
Round 4: Clark’s Combat Rating: 7+9+2=18, Krampus’s Combat Rating: 7+11+1=19;
Krampus Die Roll: 2, Clark’s Endurance: 10, Krampus’s Endurance: 11
Round 5: Clark’s Combat Rating: 9+8+2=19, Krampus’s Combat Rating: 4+11+1=16;
Clark’s Endurance: 10, Krampus’s Endurance: 8

403

In his fury Krampus stamps his single cloven hoof down hard. In response, the ground suddenly and dramatically splits apart, and an ever-widening fissure zigzags towards you, and you are struck by a gust of hot air rising from the infernal pit beneath, as snow turns to steam around it.

Take an Agility test. If you pass the test, turn to 114. If you fail the test, turn to 433.



Rolling the dice yielded a 4, which means that Clark has passed the test.

114

As the opening fissure races towards you, you throw yourself out of the way. Picking yourself up again quickly, you charge at Krampus.

If you want to use The Pen is Mightier special ability now, and you still can, turn to 220.

If not, continue your battle with the Christmas Devil, in which you now have the initiative, and if you are victorious in your battle with the anti-Santa, turn to 181.

Clark has no more The Pen is Mightier uses, so he will continue his battle with Krampus.

The fight, continued:
Round 6: Clark’s Combat Rating: 5+9+2+1=17, Krampus’s Combat Rating: 5+11=16;
Clark’s Endurance: 10, Krampus’s Endurance: 5
Round 7: Clark’s Combat Rating: 7+9+2+1=19, Krampus’s Combat Rating: 6+11=17;
Clark’s Endurance: 10, Krampus’s Endurance: 2
Round 8: Clark’s Combat Rating: 5+9+2+1=17, Krampus’s Combat Rating: 5+11=16;
Clark’s Endurance: 10, Krampus’s Endurance: -1

181

You have conquered Krampus! The Christmas Devil has been defeated!

If you have the code word Kringle recorded on your Adventure Sheet turn to 347. If not, turn to 269.

Clark does have the code word Kringle recorded on his Adventure Sheet.

347

And then suddenly Father Christmas is there, standing over the defeated devil, looking like some mighty Teutonic god of old. He takes hold of one of Krampus’s chains and binds the demon with it, as he starts to chant something in what you think might be Latin.

As he does so, the top of the hill splits open, and you are hit by a gust of scalding air that rises from its hellish depths. You watch in awe, as the saint picks up the demon, raising him above his head before casting his vanquished foe into the pit with a shout of, “Begone, Satan!”

Turn to 500.

500

The anti-Santa defeated, his coven banished, and Father Christmas safe once more, the saint thanks you for coming to his rescue.

“What will you do now?” you ask him. “Krampus and his cronies have ruined everything.”

“It’s nothing that can’t be repaired or rebuilt,” Father Christmas assures you, his ancient eyes twinkling.

“But what about this Christmas?”

“What about it?” he asks.

“There isn’t enough time left for you to finish delivering your presents.”

“For Father Christmas, there’s always just enough time. But I agree, we have to hurry.”

“We?” you gasp, flabbergasted.

“You weren’t planning on walking home, were you?” chuckles the Big Man.

Returning to his workshop, Santa tethers his reindeer to his sleigh once more, and you join him in the driver’s seat.

“Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer! Now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! On, Cupid! On, Donner and Blitzen!” he shouts as he pulls on the reins. “Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!”

More rapid than eagles, his coursers take to the air, pulling the sleigh after them and leaving the arctic wilderness far behind in the blink of an eye.

As you soar through the sky faster than a rocket, you peer over the side and through gaps in the clouds hurtling past below you, you catch glimpses of seas, fields, forests and towns, until suddenly you are descending again, and, at their master’s command, the reindeer alight outside your house.



In a daze, your mind awhirl, you climb down onto the snowy ground in front of your own front door.

Father Christmas gives you a smile and a wink. “I’ll be seeing you again, my friend,” he says, laying a finger aside his nose.

He gives a shrill whistle, the reindeer take off in a flurry of snow, and away they fly once more, as if they were all as weightless as thistledown.

You watch them go as, from inside the house, you hear the grandfather clock in the hall chime one. For a moment you see the sleigh silhouetted against the glowing orb of the moon, before it vanishes from sight altogether, and the echo of a booming shout reaches your ears.

“Happy Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!”

The End

Phew! Things got rather tense at times, but our hero has successfully completed this adventure in one piece! I am personally glad that we were able to finish this Let’s Play before December was out, as I felt that having every part of the adventure take place within the Christmas month just adds the special flavor on making it enjoyable for everyone! Thank you to everyone for playing.

I am declaring a significant break from hosting Let's Plays, as I am busy spending time with family for the rest of the year before dealing with some large work challenges when 2026 starts. If things let up, I *might* be able to set up another Let’s Play, but this is far from guaranteed. Hopefully some other users will hold some other Let’s Plays while I am gone.

TWAS – The Krampus Night Before Christmas Adventure Sheet
Clark
Agility: 9
Combat: 9
Endurance: 10
Equipment:
Pyjamas
Dressing-gown
Bed Socks
Pair of Slippers
Blacksmith’s Axe (+1 Combat Rating in battle)
Key Embossed With ‘37’
Ice Sword (+2 Combat Rating and +1 Damage against imps, devils, and demons)
Ledger of Souls (Clark’s name appears on page 400)
Special Abilities:
The Pen Is Mightier: 0 uses
Naughty or Nice: 0 uses
Meals: 2
Codewords:
Kold
Kruel
Kind
Krowned
Kurious
Kringle

[deaddmwalking]

Thank you very much for running it. It was quite fun!

There are definitely a lot of code-words that we missed. Obviously we got a good ending so I don't think we missed anything super crucial, but what do you think were our three biggest missteps?

[Thaluikhain]

Thanks for running, this was certainly different from most that the board has seen.

[JourneymanN00b]

Thank you very much for running it. It was quite fun!

There are definitely a lot of code-words that we missed. Obviously we got a good ending so I don't think we missed anything super crucial, but what do you think were our three biggest missteps?

After a quick glance of the gamebook, here are the three missed opportunities that stand out:

1. Not going to the sitting room at the beginning of the adventure. Unwrapping the gifts in that area would have given Clark the chance of either giving a Silver Sword or clothing to grant the Kosy keyword, which would have prevented him from getting the Kold codeword later on in the adventure. Looking at the cards would have given Clark the chance to get the Box of Delights by completing a mini-adventure involving a frost fair that Clark gets sucked into.
2. Not sampling the spiced, mulled wine at La Befana’s place. Doing so would have granted Clark 2 Endurance points *and* removed the Kold codeword.
3. Using The Pen is Mightier against Venceslav’s polar bear form. Since Clark had the Mistletoe Spear, he would have been able to break the curse after winning three Combat Rounds against Venceslav’s form if normal combat was chosen. That would have given Clark one more use of The Pen is Mightier *and* Naughty or Nice.

This adventure is rather lenient, though, in terms of player mistakes, and there are quite a few ways to either make the Krampus battle easier or to defeat him outright without needing to fight him in combat. One of the better designed adventures in my opinion.


Appreciate all of the thanks sent my way!

[Beroli]

Thanks for running this!

What would have happened had we not used The Pen is Mightier on the Perchta, and what would have happened had we not used Naughty or Nice while crossing the kitchen?

[JourneymanN00b]

Thanks for running this!

What would have happened had we not used The Pen is Mightier on the Perchta, and what would have happened had we not used Naughty or Nice while crossing the kitchen?

Not using The Pen is Mightier on the Perchta would have Clark fight it, which has 7 Combat and 6 Endurance.

Not using Naughty or Nice would have Clark take a Toffee Apple which would be worth 1 Meal, but then be attacked by gingerbread men who would take 2 Endurance points off of him. He would then have to try offering them something (Clark could offer would be the savoury snacks that he obtained at the beginning at the adventure, which the gingerbread men would reject and cause Clark to lose 1 Meal, or boiled sweets that is the form of a Toffee Apple that *would* distract the gingerbread men enough to make an escape) or defend himself from the gingerbread men and then a Gingerbread Golem.