1I want a brooch of shielding!I want boots of striding and springing!If your player characters have been extra good this

year, treat them to a visit from Nicholas the Gift-Giver,better known as Santa Claus.

You may think youve got the skinny on Saint Nick,but how much do you really know about the jolly old elf?Case in point: Hes not really an elf, despite what youread in seasonal poetry. And the reindeer arent Tiny.

The only way to know all about the man readingyour PCs holiday wish lists is to check out these offi-cial D&D Santa Claus stats.

Whats that on the roof? Make a Listen check....

Santa Claus: Male human Drd13/Clr5/Rog2; CR20; Medium-size humanoid (Human); HD 13d8+13,5d8+5, 2d6+2; hp 125; Init +1; Spd 30 ft.; AC 24 (touch11, flat-footed 23); Atk +14/ +9/ +4 melee (1d6+1,staff ); SA sneak attack (+1d6), turn undead 6/day; SQ a thousand faces, animal companions (see below),evasion, nature sense, resist natures lure, search fortraps, trackless step, venom immunity, wild shape(Tiny, Small, Medium-size, Large, or dire animal4/day), woodland stride; AL NG; SV Fort +19, Ref +13, Will +23; Str 12, Dex 12, Con 12, Int 13,Wis 24, Cha 16.

Skills and Feats: Animal Empathy +13, Concentra-tion +22, Craft (toy making) +11, Diplomacy +8, EscapeArtist +6, Gather Information +8, Handle Animal +13,Heal +22, Intuit Direction +12, Knowledge (geography)+6, Knowledge (nature) +6, Move Silently +6, OpenLock +6, Profession (teamster) +12, Profession (toymaker) +12, Ride (horse) +3, Scry +11, Wilderness Lore +17; Craft Staff, Craft Wondrous Item, Expertise,Great Fortitude, Improved Disarm, Iron Will, Leader-ship, Magical Artisan (Craft Wondrous Item) (multiplybase price of wondrous item by 75% to determine costto create) .

Animal Companions: All of Santa Clauss reindeeranimal companions have been awakened with theawaken spell and no longer count as animal compan-ions (they are now magical beasts instead of animals).He may acquire other animal companions if he feelsthe need.

Cleric Spells Prepared: (5/6/5/4; base DC = 17 +spell level): 0create water, detect magic, guidance, resist-ance, virtue; 1stcommand, comprehend languages, detectevil, protection from evil*, remove fear, sanctuary; 2ndcalmemotions, detect thoughts*, make whole, resist elements, shieldother; 3rdclairaudience/clairvoyance*, magic vestment,remove curse, water walk.

* Domain spell. Domains: Good (cast good spells at +1caster level), Knowledge (cast divinations at +1 casterlevel).

A Holiday NPC

Santas HelpersDesigner: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sean K Reynolds

Editor and Typesetter: . . . . . . . . . Sue Weinlein Cook

Illustrator: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Arnie Swekel

Shockwave Designer and Colorist: . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jen Ponce

Web Producer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Julia Martin

Web Developer: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark A. Jindra

Wants to Be a Dentist: . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hermie the Elf

Based on the original DUNGEONS & DRAGONS game by E. GaryGygax and Dave Arneson and on the new edition of theDUNGEONS & DRAGONS game designed by Jonathan Tweet,Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, and Peter Adkison.

D&D and DUNGEONS & DRAGONS are registered trademarks owned by Wizards ofthe Coast, Inc. The d20 logo is a trademark owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. AllWizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof aretrademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States ofAmerica. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork con-tained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of

the Coast, Inc.This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actu-

al people, organizations, places, or events is purely coin-cidental.

This Wizards of the Coast game product contains noOpen Game Content. No portion of this work may bereproduced in any form without written permission. Tolearn more about the Open Gaming License and thed20 System License, please visit www.wizards.com/d20. 2001 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All rights reserved.

Made in the U.S.A.

Santa Claus

2Druid Spells Prepared: (6/7/7/6/5/4/3/2; base DC= 17 + spell level): 0create water, detect poison, knowdirection, light, mending, purify food and drink; 1stanimal friendship, calm animals, detect animals or plants,invisibility to animals, obscuring mist (2), pass without trace;2ndbarkskin, charm person or animal, hold animal (2),lesser restoration, speak with animals, wood shape; 3rdcuremoderate wounds, dominate animal, neutralize poison, pro-tection from elements, remove disease, summon natures allyIII; 4thcure serious wounds, dispel magic, freedom ofmovement (2), sleet storm; 5thawaken, control winds, treestride (2); 6thfind the path, healing circle, transport viaplants; 7thheal, true seeing.

Equipment: Bag of tricks (tan), belt of control weather(3/day), boots of spider climbing (as the slippers), bracers ofarmor +8, cap of all-speaking (understand and speak alllanguages), cloak of resistance +4, flying sleigh (as 6 ft. by 9ft. carpet of flying, needs reindeer for steering),Keoghtoms ointment (3), Santas staff of animals (seebelow), periapt of wisdom +6, ring of natural armor +5, sackof holding (as bag type 4) (holds about 9,000 gp worth oftoys and minor protective, healing, or nonviolentmagic items), vest of weather resistance (provides cold andfire resistance 5).

MAGICAL ITEMSantas Staff of Animals: This finely crafted woodenstaff is adorned with gold, detailed emerald enamel-work, and bells; its crowned with a carving of a rein-deer. It allows the use of the following spells:

animal trance (1 charge) calm animals (1 charge) charm person or animal (1 charge) dominate animal (1 charge) invisibility to animals (1 charge) speak with animals (1 charge)

Caster Level: 6th; Prerequisites: Craft Staff,animal trance, calm animals, charm person or animal, domi-nate animal, invisibility to animals, speak with animals;Market Price: 28,125 gp.

SLEIGH TEAMd Sleigh Reindeer (8): Awakened reindeer (as pony)Rgr2; CR 4; Medium-size magical beast; HD 4d8+4,2d10+2; hp 36; Init +1; Spd 40 ft.; AC 16 (touch 11, flat-footed 16); Atk +5 melee (1d3+2, 2 hooves); SQ favoredenemy (beasts, +1), scent; AL N; SV Fort +8, Ref +5, Will +1; Str 14, Dex 13, Con 12, Int 10, Wis 11, Cha 5.

Skills and Feats: Intuit Direction +5, Jump +5,Listen +5, Spot +5; Run.

Equipment: Harness of natural armor +5.

PERSONALITYSanta Claus is generous, kind, friendly, and jolly. Heloves a good conversation, good meals, and working withhis hands. He is particularly protective of children, andthreatening a child is one of the few things that canrouse his ire. He is patient with fools and the misguided,but deals harshly with bad-tempered or violent folk. Hegives small gifts to any children or innocent folk heencounters, and has been known to help out good-minded people in need with small magic items that canheal, protect, or aid without causing harm to others.

He often uses animal friendship to befriend local ani-mals, then dismisses the bond when he has to leave. Heeven uses awaken on pets of vulnerable children,entrusting them to secretly watch over their two-legged friends.

TACTICS Santa Claus dislikes violence and prefers to deal withopponents using words rather than direct action. Hecasts spells that soothe emotions, charm enemies, negatehostile magic, and remove people from harms wayrather than trying to harm his adversaries. He wouldmuch rather divert or distract an opponent, remove him-self, his allies, and any innocents from the area, thensend a more martial person to deal with the situation.