Cleaning Crew Upgrade Unlocked!

Sometimes we get a chance to spruce up a previously prepped DnD encounter, as our game group just hasn’t quite gotten to that particular scenario just yet. Well, today just happens to be one of those days. Let’s dive in.

Let’s start with a brief recap for our first-time readers. Back in July, DM Ben was doing his “bare-minimum” encounter prep as he never knows how quickly the 3DRPG team will blow through his planned encounters. We’re currently combining our homebrewed scenarios with D&D Beyond’s Acquisitions Incorporated module. The second chapter of this free 5e adventure involves investigating another franchise that has mysteriously gone dark, and Omin Dran wants answers.

That missing franchise’s last known location was at Tresendar Manor in Phandalin. The players are ultimately going to have to throw down against a bunch of baddies in a nifty dungeon crawl. Once successful, the module calls for two hobgoblins to appear out of nowhere to clean the place up.

We initially picked out a couple of 3D-printed miniatures from Fat Dragon Games and EC3D Designs. They weren’t Hobgoblins, but we liked them just the same because they appeared more worker-like than any of the battle-ready prepainted miniatures we would have pulled from our WotC collection.

What made DM Ben go back and pick some different minis was a key descriptor in the module. The two hobgoblins, named Grunka and Fraht, were depicted in heavy armor and carrying an acid spray gun on one of their backs (see the picture above). So, they were more industrial and HAZMAT-looking than what we had originally pulled out. Once the party questions them on arrival, they explain that they were hired by Omin Dran to clean up the manor site and prepare it for annexation.

Every weekend, we comb through all our completed pieces to determine what we’ll write about for the upcoming week. While shuffling through our Construct and Steampunk boxes, we had several miniatures and a scatter terrain piece just leap out at us! Let’s start with these quirky robotic divers by Cobramode. They’re officially called Boondaburra Dive Corps and are from their fun Boondaburra Navy set.

Yes, their original setting is for deep blue water, but come on, we’ve got to use our imagination. This is Dungeons and Dragons after all! DM Ben thinks these aren’t actual Constructs, but instead, just a couple of goblins in bulky, protective suits.

Resident Painter Kimmy Utah was the color specialist on these lumbering mechanicals. We don’t mind that she did the bases blue. DM Ben will simply note that the suits emit a significant amount of condensation and liquid from their acid spray cannons and rinsing cycle.

The second DnD scatter piece we’re going to utilize in this cleanup crew encounter is this traveling steampunk contraption. This gearworks STL is by EC3D Designs and comes from their marvelous Bolts and Brimstone Kickstarter. Our hazardous suits are a bit bulky, and if they had to waddle-walk to each destination, it would take them forever. Our goblin crew needed something with a little speed!

Picture this lumbering gnome tinkerer machine sputtering up to the adventurers. DM Ben will probably play that hilarious string of sounds from the Everlasting Gobstopper machine in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Our two HAZMAT suits will be bolted on each side of it.

Our two goblins enter their suits from the inside of the machine and then dismount. One will talk in an echoey voice and explain why they just arrived and what they’re going to do next.

Until next time!