Hey, Hey, It’s Game Day (Apr 2025 P2)

Last time, DM Ben shared his Dungeon Master prep for our home game, which is a bit farther back in the D&D Beyond Acquisitions Incorporated 5e module. Today we’re setting up the work game for some Friday Night Dice, baby!

DM Ben can barely handle two different gaming groups, so to help ease his prep pain, he has both groups playing the same campaign but just at different points in the story. We started the office campaign first, but then DM Ben wanted to spend some quality time with his young adult kiddos, so he decided to run the same story.

This DnD strategy lessens the load tremendously. Even better, he can improve upon a particular encounter the second time around because he has more time at his hobbyist fingertips.

A quick list of encounters for our current home-brewed Cabin in the Woods chapter reveals the players still have plenty to do!

• Mirror Room | Cellar
• Trophy Room
• Jail Cell & the Whiteglove Twins
• Go-Away Golem | Unexplored
• Indentured Servant | Unexplored
• Animal Companion Rescue (Roper) | Unexplored
• Tunneling Clues | Unexplored
• Corederite Glass/Alchemy Room | Unexplored
• Eerie Eggs | Unexplored
• Which-way Water | Unexplored
• Bat Problems | Unencountered
• Rust Monster Munchies | Unexplored
• Tk421
• Sacred-to-Go Scarecrow | Unexplored

As you can see, the gang didn’t complete too many scenarios from the last session. That’s good and bad news for DM Ben. More on that below.

First, the group explored the Trophy Room, where they disarmed a trap and discovered a handy set of Sending Stones.

From there, they investigated the Mirror Room, and that was a blast as the Barbarian stepped up first to test its deep, dark secret-revealing powers. It disclosed that he was on the run from the law, and that startled the party’s Monk because he, too, was on the run from the very same people! DM Ben will have some fun with that new storyline.

From there, the group took a long rest, but it was short-lived thanks to a multiple d6 rolls on our free Wilderness Trek Wandering Monster Table. Thankfully, the group didn’t get a monster result. Instead, they got to meet one of our home-brewed NPCs, the eccentric Mr. Fenton Hindergrass, Esquire! He traded them a couple of free healing potions in exchange for the use of their toasty campfire and protection for the night.

We used that NPC meet-n-greet as our stopping point for the night. That perfect pause gave DM Ben some time to prepare Fenton’s list of available wares even further.

So, we covered all the good news for the players, but not the bad news for DM Ben. Yes, he does have a lot of content ready to roll. However, he doesn’t know if the group will clear out their new Bastion or instead head back to town to claim their recent mission rewards.

• Travel Time (two table rolls | two-day travel)
• Omin Dran Night Hag Reward
• Shamus Rescue Reward
• Delilah’s Rescue Reward
• Adrik Rescue Reward
• Chip Carver, Stone Cutter (new NPC)
• Town Job Board | Lost Cat
• Tink Urbelle & the Kinda Sorta Portal
• Forgotten Rails Strewn Prototype Clue
• Forgotten Rails Probe Droids Clue
• Inn Bar Games & Shop Restock

Plenty of options here too, right?! So, DM Ben has to have allllll these options within arm’s reach in case they hoof it back to Waterdeep instead of exploring the rest of the cavern.

Let’s briefly discuss their next chat with Waterdeep’s Omin Dran. He’s already gifted them their own Bastion for ridding the High Forest of the evil Night Hag. Still, he considers this adventurer group to be his rising star, so he passes them a little gold as well (1,000 gp) to spend around town to restock.

Additionally, he mentions that another development is brewing in Phandalin and that he might call upon the group (through TK421) to investigate why another Franchise is not responding to his recent calls. Always gotta plant those next teasers.

Until next time!