Pardon the Interruption

We had so much darn fun bringing you the inaugural entry for the Kinda, Sorta Portal series that we want to keep that energy going with our second random table entry. This time, we’re utilizing a fab Bathhouse Miniature by STL Miniatures to set the scene when our adventurers literally drop in for an unexpected visit.

The goal is to create 20 unique encounters that can be rolled with your d20 on a random table whenever the group’s arcane teleportation device malfunctions and places the group in a random location. Think of these like movie cut scenes – they’re meant to be quick but potentially quite intense, especially if the party is all banged up from a previous encounter. Your players will need to be quick on their feet!

First, a quick recap of this series for any new readers: the party was given a magical timepiece from Waterdeep’s master gnome tinkerer, Tink Urbelle, allowing players to return to their home base once per long rest. There’s just one small catch. This arcane doorway has a 30% chance of temporarily placing you at the wrong location…that’s the “Kinda, Sorta” part of the “Kinda, Sortal Portal” magic item.

Our main character in this encounter comes from STL Miniatures Bath House set. It’s got all sorts of nifty miniatures and detailed scatter terrain and feels very Roman-esque. We’re not going to place the party in that sorta environment, but there’s an imposing mini that we’ve been dying to integrate into our campaign.

First, we should explain how we will build these portal pitstop encounters. Since the party is likely to only stay at this inadvertent drop point for very long (3 rnds/18 sec), DM Ben doesn’t feel the need to create elaborate gameboards. Instead, he’ll utilize these key elements:

• 6×6 themed floor tile (1-2)
• Miniature(s)
• Accent pieces (2-3)

This dungeon master prep resembles how DM Ben creates a city store or tavern visit. We’re just trying to immerse the group and instill some flavor into the game whenever we can.

So, DM Ben starts with the right floor tile. He always keeps a larger d20 floor version for a tavern/house, dungeon, cavern, and forest within arm’s reach. This encounter will occur inside a tavern room, but the group probably won’t know for sure since these unplanned interactions can happen so fast.

This floor tile comes from Milestone Heroes and their amazing Village series. We even made a handy paint guide in case you need a fast tutorial with all the specific steps and paints.

Next, we grab a miniature from our collection that best fits the scenario. In this case, this mighty bathhouse guy is perfect. He doesn’t seem like someone who wouldn’t like his me-time routine disrupted. Colored by resident painter Kimmy Utah, we absolutely love the pose and mighty aura he gives off.

His name is Boris the Bruiser and he is a legendary pit fighter in Waterdeep. He stands at 6′ 8″ and is a monster of a man — think The Rock in his absolute prime. Our big man is a professional bar fighter rumored to have the most potent punch in the Realm. He lost his very first match but has never fallen since then. All this ring fighting is taking a toll on the poor guy, and he just wants to soak away the pain.

Now, we need some accent pieces for his room. We grabbed this large soaking tub with a small wooden stand to hold rags, bandages, and healing ointments. It can be a needle in a haystack to source these more common, smaller 3D scatter pieces, but these likely came from STL Miniatures or Cast n Play (who specialize in these dungeon-dressing 3D prints).

We’ve got everything we need for our encounter, so now we can set the scene. Poor Boris is in rough shape and is cleaning up after a particularly tough bare-knuckles match. Unfortunately, the party will be interrupting his post-fight routine by falling into his big bathtub! DM Ben envisions exiting the portal exit effect just like the classic movie, Time Bandits (where the group would fall from above).

The players will be falling from above and directly into the iron tub. DM Ben will have the players roll initiative to determine in which order they fall. The highest roll is bad news, as that person will take 1d4 bludgeoning damage for each character that lands on him.

That leaves us with a cool yet simple setup to set the mood and allow for plenty of DnD shenanigans. Boris has just drawn a nice warm bath and is starting to clean up his wounds from his last fight. His evening’s winnings (300 gp) sit in a simple pouch on the nightstand. As a seasoned brawler, he’s seen it all and will simply lift his head and let out a frustrated groan when the players come crashing in. He’ll say in a rugged, raspy voice, “You better have a great reason for  ruining my bath.”

If things get out of hand, DM Ben will use the Natural_Crit’s stats for an Ogre Brawler. This NPC build includes a multi-attack Haymaker, a Juggernaut Charge, and a Heavy Shove bonus action. We have a fourth-level party of six, so DM Ben might nudge the attack-to-hit from +6 to +8, so there’s a fighting chance he lands a few jabs.

What happens next is up to the group. There are plenty of possibilities here:

• Friends: apologize & introduce themselves.
• Foes: Grab the fight purse & hold him off.
• Charm: Talk their way out of it.
• Bargain: ask if Boris needs anything (sidequest).
• Bribe: Place a few coins on the table as a peace offering.

The group must stay in their undesirable location for at least 18 seconds. Still, they don’t have to leave immediately, so the encounter will unfold based on their uneasiness and whether any combat ensues. Either way, this is going to be a fun one!

Now, all we need to do is update our table!

Until next time!