TEXT: What’s Going on?
  The good people of Hooverville liked 
  Christmas, a lot. But Gerald Goodman, who 
  lived just north of Hooverville, did not.
  Just why this hate grew in his tiny black 
  heart isn’t important any more, but what 
  he did because of it is the reason for our 
  Christmas tale of horror, woe, and maybe 
  even a little heroism and hope.
  Before we begin, Marshal, you’ll get the 
  reference fairly quickly as you read this 
  because you’re seeing the words in print. 
  Your party likely will not, and will not even 
  know the name of the creature they fi ght 
  in the end since there’s no one to name it. 
  That’s good, and the longer you maintain 
  the mystery the better. When the light 
  bulbs do fi nally blink on over your player’s 
  heads, hopefully it will be a very memorable 
  moment. 
  Ideally, it’s Christmas Eve, but anytime 
  around the holidays works fi ne. The 
  posse is travelling on a train to some 
  destination when the locomotive develops 
  a malfunction. It’s nothing catastrophic, 
  but it must stop in the small town of 
  Hooverville for a few days to make repairs. 
  The train pulls in just after breakfast on a 
  bright snowy day.
  The railroad (most likely Smith and 
  Robards) offers to let passengers stay and 
  sleep on the cars for free, but there will be 
  no heat and it’s quite cold. There’s a blanket 
  of snow on the ground and a chill in the air, 
  so the travelers’ best bet is to head on into 
  Hooverville and get a room.
  Hooverville
  Whether they travel singly or as a 
  group, the heroes eventually discover that 
  Hooverville is in something of a lockdown. 
  The townsfolk have literally barricaded 
  themselves in their homes. Signs of a fi ght—
  blood spatters on the snow, shell casings, 
  and a few broken and now boarded-up 
  windows—can be seen up and down Main 
  Street. Signs of life are visible, such as smoke 
  coming from chimneys or furtive glances 
  from behind dark windows, but otherwise 
  the town is dead and silent as a grave.
  There are people in the homes, but 
  they won’t come out. A recent raid by 
  the Goodman ranch has taken all of their 
  provisions. When the raiders rode off, the 
  townspeople realized they were without 
  food and began fi ghting. Town Marshal 
  LeSeig put an end to the fi ghting just before 
  being 
  grievously 
  wounded, and now the 
  people of Hooverville 
  have holed up in 
  their homes to avoid 
  further violence with 
  their neighbors.
  There are three 
  primary locations the 
  heroes can visit to 
  gather information.
  The Louis Home: 
  Sam and Ethel Louis 
  live with their small 
  daughter Cindy in the 
  fi rst private home the 
  strangers 
  approach. 
  Sam has a shotgun 
  and warns any visitors 
  off his front porch. “We’ve got nothing left 
  to steal!” he yells. If forced to talk, he relates 
  that men from the Goodman Ranch came to 
  town recently and went mad. They shot up 
  the place, invaded every single home, and 
  stole all their Christmas presents and food. 
  He has no idea why. He’s known Goodman 
  for many years, and while few liked him, he 
  was never an outright thief.
  Other private citizens tell similar stories. 
  Make up more names as needed until the 
  heroes realize there’s no new information 
  to be gained.
  The Geisel Saloon and Steakhouse: 
  Theo Geisel runs this small establishment 
  with his wife, Helen. It’s closed and he’s 
  accepting no customers. Geisel isn’t 
  armed, but he resists guests as sternly as 
  possible. He says the Goodman gang came 
  in, drank or stole all the liquor, then took 
  the food they’d stored up for the annual 
  town Christmas feast. They then went on a 
  rampage through the town and broke into 
  all the other businesses and private homes 
  to take their food and Christmas gifts. Geisel 
  has no idea what provoked these men to 
  such action—he knew many of the ranch 
  hands for years. “It was like pure meanness 
  got into ’em and wouldn’t let go til they’d 
  done the whole town harm,” he says.
  Mayor Hoover’s Home: The posse 
  might think about talking to the mayor 
  about the situation. If they do, they fi nd 
  his home ransacked and empty. The mayor 
  and his family took off after the attack and 
  haven’t been seen since.
  Jail: Town Marshal Ted LeSeig was shot 
  and wounded shortly after the rampage. 
  He’s laid up in his offi ce, barely conscious. 
  He can’t do much, but if the strangers want 
  to help, he’ll authorize an appropriate 
  reward (typically up to $300 for the whole 
  group). “The people here are good people, 
  but now they’re starving. That’ll make 
  ’em ornery and mean. Get that food back 
  and keep that bad side from comin’ out, 
  friends. Otherwise this good little town will 
  turn into just another frontier boomtown 
  SIlent Night, Hungry Night
  A Savage Worlds One Sheet™ By Shane Hensley
  for use with Deadlands™ or as a Western diversion
  Merry Christmas, Marshal. And welcome to a tale that’s been told before, but never quite like this... 
  Use the Deadlands characters found on our Savage Website www.peginc.com or make your own.
  Savage Worlds, Deadlands, One Sheets, Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Great White Games,  and 
  all related marks and logos are Copyright Great White Games, LLC. ©2007. All rights reserved.
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  wounded, and now the 
  
  without a conscience, and God knows we got enough of those 
  out here.” Ted offers to let the group borrow the town’s last 
  few horses if they need to, but swears to track them down and 
  kill them if they steal the beasts as they might be Hooverville’s 
  only source of food if the town’s stores aren’t recovered.
  The Goodman Ranch
  Given that all of the food in town was taken by the Goodman 
  gang (or is being hidden and hoarded by the townsfolk), the 
  posse should have little choice but to head out immediately and 
  see about exacting a little justice. If they need a little incentive, 
  tell them it looks like a blizzard is coming and they’ll defi nitely 
  want to store up with all the goods they can in case they get 
  snowed in. The fable about the ant and the grasshopper might 
  be a good push to those inclined to wait a bit. Or that whole 
  Donner party business a few decades back.
  Any of the sources can point the group toward the Goodman 
  Ranch. It’s a short fi ve mile trek north of town, just at the foot 
  of a high mountain. The estate is surrounded by barbed wire, 
  but the gate along the road is wide open. The top of the gate 
  is an arched, metal-worked sign that once read “G.G. Ranch.” 
  The fi rst “G” has fallen off however, and lies half-buried in the 
  snow.
  On the way in, the posse sees bits of discarded food, a few 
  simple presents, or scraps of wrapping paper lie along the road. 
  A few minutes later, they see smoke on the horizon. It comes 
  from the smoldering ruins of the main ranch house, as well as 
  two bunk houses and a barn. All have been burned, likely last 
  night, and are still quite hot.
  Around the yard are a score of dead ranch hands. Make the 
  scene as gory and graphic as you wish, but slowly let the heroes 
  realize the ranch hands died by their own hand. It seems they 
  fell to fi ghting among themselves once they got back to the 
  Double G.
  A Notice or Tracking roll reveals that at least some of the 
  ranchers must have gotten away. Sled tracks lead from the 
  smoking barn into the high mountains to the north. A Tracking 
  or Notice  –2 roll fi nds relatively fresh dog tracks pulling the 
  sled. As it’s snowing and some of the tracks are still visible, it’s 
  obvious the tracks are relatively fresh. If the group blows these 
  rolls, they still fi nd the tracks—it just takes them a bit longer.
  To the Top of Mount Crumpet
  Gerald Goodman is slowly and unwittingly selling his soul 
  to Famine. The jealousy in his heart for the good people of 
  Hooverville, the decimation of his herd through the winter due 
  to blight and prairie ticks, and a generally nasty disposition, 
  drew his sleeping mind to the madness of the Hunting 
  Grounds. There Gerald entreated with the most insidious of 
  manitous, and for the small price of starving an entire town full 
  of generally good people and murdering his own employees, 
  Goodman was promised great power. And with great power 
  comes...a change into a massive, nasty green demon of envy.
  Goodman infected his own ranch hands with his madness 
  and turned them loose on Hooverville. When they returned, he 
  turned them against one another and reveled in the slaughter. 
  At that moment he suffered a massive metamorphosis into a 
  green, demon-like thing. Goodman lost most of his humanity 
  in that moment. He doesn’t even know his own name. He saw 
  the single remaining G over the gate to his estate and the word 
  “Ranch” and strung them together to call himself “Granch.”
  Now the Granch has gathered up the stolen goods, lashed 
  them to his winter sled, and tethered up his corrupted hounds 
  to haul his ill-gotten gains high atop Mount Crumpet.
  The posse can easily follow the tracks, though they might 
  be amazed at some of the crevices and slopes the sled seems 
  to have traversed. Finally they come to the entrance to a cave 
  overlooking the valley far below, and the still quiet town of 
  Hooverville.
  The sled and dog tracks lead into the darkness beyond.
  A few twists and turns into the cavern lead into a large 
  chamber roughly forty feet across. If the group has no light, 
  they hear heavy breathing and smell the odor of wet dog. With 
  light, they just catch a blur of dark brown fur matted with 
  blood and gristle leaping at them through the damp air.
  Giant Mastiffs
  Two giant dogs, mutated with demonic energy, pulled 
  the Granch and his sled to the top of Mt. Crumpet. They’re 
  ravenous with hunger and cruelty and attack until dead. Both 
  have gnarled horns atop their heads, jagged teeth, and vicious 
  claws.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d12, Vigor 
  d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidate d10, Notice d10, Stealth d12
  Pace: 10 Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  • Bite: Str+d6.
  • Fear –2: The dogs are hideous and covered in blood and 
  chunks of meat.
  • Gore: The fi rst round a dog attacks it charges into combat 
  with its ragged horns. This is a wild Fighting attack at +2 to 
  hit and damage (but -2 Parry until its next action).
  • Improved Frenzy: Each dog can make two Fighting 
  attacks each action without penalty.
  
  Don’t get too technical about the chase itself—this is meant 
  to be a wild and fast-paced ride. On each action, have pursuers 
  make an appropriate roll (Riding for mounted heroes, Agility 
  for those on the Granch’s sleigh or on skis or sleds). Success 
  means they can attack normally (though with the usual –2 
  penalty for an unstable platform). Failure means they can’t—
  but describe their experience in quick detail, such as nearly 
  falling off the sleigh, steering precariously around a tree, etc. A 
  critical failure is more disastrous. The hero falls, crashes into a 
  rock or tree, or undergoes some other suitably dramatic tumble 
  resulting in 2d6 damage. Should the cowpoke survive, let him 
  get right back in the action a round or two later by putting his 
  skis back on, “shortcutting” the chase by jumping off a cliff to 
  the trail below, etc. Use your imagination and let everyone who 
  isn’t outright dead get back in on the fun.
  The goal is to stop the Granch before he gets to town, which 
  takes about 10 rounds (let the posse know this so they’re well 
  aware of the tension). Don’t hesitate to remind them that the 
  moment the Granch breaks up the celebration it’s likely to 
  become invulnerable again as well (it will).
  The Granch
  The Granch is a 9’ tall, gangly creature with a pot 
  belly, long arms, green fur, and yellow slitted eyes. Its jagged 
  teeth are horrible and filled with all manner of gristly bits. 
  Before mutating into this form, Gerald Goodman was wearing 
  the Santa coat and hat he used to wear for his children, long 
  since left with his estranged wife.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4, Spirit d10, Strength d12+2, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, Intimidate d10, Notice d6, Stealth d12
  Pace: 8; Parry: 7; Toughness: 8
  Special Abilities:
  • Fear –4: The Granch is a grisly demon straight from the 
  Abyss wearing the tattered remnants of a Santa suit.
  • Improved Sweep: The Granch’s flailing arms can hit 
  all targets within 2” of its body each turn. Ignore any hits 
  beyond the first two—the thin arms lose their momentum 
  after first contact.
  • Slap: Str+d6; Reach 2. The Granch’s long arms slap a victim 
  for damage and 2d6” of knockback, even if no damage is 
  actually caused (Shaken or wounds).
  The Big Finale
  There are two ways this could end. The awful ending is still 
  very dramatic and fun—though the party is likely wiped out 
  or has to run away (a wipeout is fun if this was a one shot). 
  The Granch smashes into town on the sleigh in an explosion 
  of stolen food, toys, and presents. It rampages through the 
  townsfolk, massacring them left and right until there’s not a 
  soul left in Hooverville (though a few should escape into the 
  nearby woods).
  The happy ending is just as dramatic. The heroes slay the beast 
  before it reaches Hooverville and it explodes in a scintillating 
  burst of green light. The sleigh rumbles on down into town with 
  the heroes in tow (or even better, on board), and comes to rest 
  just before the large bonfire where the citizens have gathered 
  to work out their differences and celebrate Christmas. 
  The posse are hailed as heroes and can begin handing out 
  presents to every Hoo down in Hooverville.
  And To All A Good Fright...
  The thing that was Gerald Goodman watches from the back 
  of the cavern. Once the hounds are dispatched, he slithers 
  through the darkness, hiding behind rocks and snow drifts. He 
  hisses at the party. “Merrrry Christmasssss....”
  Don’t go to initiative, but instead play this one for creeps. 
  Give the heroes Notice rolls to catch glimpses of the long, 
  gangly, pot-bellied thing. It has greenish fur with yellow slits 
  for eyes, and seems to be wearing the tattered remnants of a 
  red fur coat and cap.
  The first few attacks may seem to miss—or hit but the 
  effect is unclear in the darkness. Eventually, the thing hisses 
  “Yoooouuuuu cannnnotttt killl meeee! As looong assss 
  Hooovervilllleee hoardsssss....I am invincible....”
  When the next attack lands, a stray beam of moonlight 
  illuminates the truth. The hideous thing instantly regenerates 
  whatever damage the adventurers manage to inflict! Reveal 
  this with dramatic effect. The Granch rises to its full height in 
  the pale light and roars as the wound closes. The group can 
  see its tattered rags, the green-furred skin, the demonic yellow 
  eyes, and the jagged teeth filthy with gore. (Guts checks all 
  around!)
  The Granch truly is invincible, so it plays with the group 
  at first, taking only one of its two attacks or just batting them 
  around for pleasure. Let this continue for several rounds. You 
  want the party to feel increasingly desperate here. When that 
  seems to have sunk in—and maybe a character or two has 
  suffered an “incidental” wound of some severity—the Granch 
  suddenly pauses. On its action it takes a swipe as usual then 
  stops, as if listening. All the heroes can make Notice rolls to hear 
  the sounds of singing in the valley far below. Should anyone be 
  near enough to the entrance to see, the people of Hooverville 
  have built a bonfire and are singing Christmas carols (“Silent 
  Night, Holy Night,” at the moment).
  Proceed with the combat round after this revelation. Though 
  the Granch is still invulnerable, it definitely feels any further 
  punishment inflicted that round. On its next action, it glares 
  evilly at whoever “hurt” it last and screams “Musssttt killl...
  themmmm...alll!!!” At that, drop out of combat rounds for a 
  moment to properly set the next scene.
  The Granch races outside and leaps aboard the sleigh, which 
  slowly begins sliding down the side of Mount Crumpet toward 
  Hooverville. The creature is large enough that it can steer the 
  gift and food-laden sleigh much like a child’s sled.
  The party’s horses are hopefully nearby so they can give 
  chase. If not, several gifts which have fallen off the sled may 
  help. There are a couple sets of wooden skis and two children’s 
  sleds. All of these can be donned in the time it takes the Granch’s 
  sleigh to get up to speed so a heroic party can easily give chase. 
  The adventurers might also try jumping directly on the back of 
  the Granch’s sleigh as well, though they’ll have to climb over 
  awkward burlap sacks full of stolen goods to get nearer the 
  front. One way or another, make sure your posse can give chase 
  and let the fun begin.
  As the people of Hooverville sing—putting aside their 
  worries and fears over the lack of food and gifts—the Granch 
  loses its invulnerability. It’s still a tough old sucker but now it 
  can be killed.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Savage Worlds System (SWADE) [multi]/Deadlands Reloaded/Deadlands Reloaded - One Sheet - Silent Night, Hungry Night.pdf