[BONUS] Stewpot One Shot!

Summary of [BONUS] Stewpot One Shot!

by Dungeons and Daddies

1h 18m•November 17, 2025
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Overview of [BONUS] Stewpot One Shot!

This is a bonus episode from Dungeons and Daddies in which four cast members play Stew Pot: Tales from a Fantasy Tavern (a cozy, hangout RPG by Takuma Okada). The session is lighthearted and improvisational — worldbuilding a tree‑town (Philston in the kingdom of Delphia), running a tavern called The Big Cozy, and playing a string of vignette‑style minigames that explore life after adventuring. The episode also doubles as a soft plug for the crew’s Nail House film crowdfunding campaign.

Main takeaways

  • Tone: cozy, comedic, improvisational — the game focuses on small emotional scenes rather than combat.
  • The session models how Stew Pot plays: collaborative worldbuilding, short minigames, tavern progression, and character growth through sacrifices and “town experiences.”
  • The plot is episodic: character origin vignettes, a failed attempt to farm mysterious “bean” food, a dramatic guest (Jenga Stahl) visit, a Wives Night that results in an unexpected marriage, and a reflective ending.
  • The episode includes several sponsor reads (Smith’s, eBay, Alienware, Sleep Number) and promotes the Nail House crowdfund (nailhouse.film / Backerkit).

Characters & player roles

  • Tom Stahl — barkeep; Viggo Mortensen–type look; weapon: knife; armor: bulletproof vest; quirk: “loves wives.” Becomes owner/barkeep of The Big Cozy.
  • Jay Hoffman — coffee/barista (ex‑wizard); formerly a powerful wizard who traded away magic for the recipe/skill to make perfect coffee; quirk: finds beanbag chairs uncomfortable.
  • Makita Drill Press — swashbuckling ex‑sailor; weapon: “grass knuckles”; retired from swashbuckling (sacrificed boat), now works in the tavern (apothecary/drugs/more).
  • Bongar the Thongar — large poet/fighter; weapon: dead dad’s big sword (sacrificed or put down to stay in town); quirk: faints at the sight of blood; becomes a local beat poet and father (to a “bean” spawn).

Setting & the Big Cozy

  • Town: Philston (in Delphia) — a very cozy, treebound village famous for “beanbag chair trees.” Part whimsical, part mysterious (no one ever dies there; ancient carved bar exists).
  • Tavern: The Big Cozy — carved into the root/base of a giant tree. Level 1 ratings initially: Cuisine (cramped kitchen), Atmosphere (comfortable but slightly off), Service (basic staff).
  • Economy and lore: town exports beanbag chairs (beanbag seeds are highly protected); the mysterious beans found in bag interiors lead to surreal consequences.

Episode flow — minigames and key scenes

  1. The First Step

    • Each player describes their “life after adventuring” arrival to Philston; all gain one town experience.
    • Jay: gave up magic for perfect coffee (flat white as catalytic item).
    • Makita: gave up his boat and swashbuckling life to work in the tavern.
    • Tom: fled violent past and became barkeep.
    • Bongar: completed life’s violence, seeks to write a death poem, discovers coffee/poetry.

  2. Homegrown (tavern upgrade + farming minigame)

    • The group attempts to grow food; discovers beans inside beanbag chairs.
    • Experiments with the beans fail (raw bean causes odd effects; brewed bean causes immediate GI distress), Bongar swallows a bean and develops a swollen belly that appears to be gestating a bean creature.
    • Solution: partner with local orc food trucks to provide food; cuisine rating improvements and new food pairings (pastries/edibles) result.

  3. Distinguished Guest (Jenga Stahl scenario)

    • A famous stuntwoman (Jenga Stahl) visits. The tavern prepares a multi-course meal, atmosphere, and service to impress.
    • Challenges (cuisine/atmosphere/service) resolved with coin‑flip mechanics and roleplay; coin results determine success/failure outcomes.
    • Service failure: tavern had locked up help (Farmer Chris, Sergeant Chris), then hired a chaotic “Goatman” who ends up absconding with Jenga, stealing the guest and spoiling Tom’s proposal attempt.

  4. Romancing a Stranger (Wives Night)

    • Wives Night brings dozens of “wives” to the tavern; Tom meets an emotional stranger, courtship ensues, and he unexpectedly marries a new woman by episode end.
    • The scene resolves with Tom leaving on a honeymoon; later it’s revealed her husband (alive) shows up and ends up in the tavern basement (because no one dies in Philston).

  5. In the Rhythm of Things (ending)

    • Players trade their remaining adventuring tokens for town experiences; each character adopts a domestic habit and reflects on change.
    • Final beats: Bongar tends bean‑child, Jay wrestles with lost magic and a recurring ocean/Calypso motif, Makita gives up backflips/grounded, Tom settles into married life, and some NPCs remain imprisoned in the basement.
    • The episode closes with a cozy, bittersweet montage and a return to the “cozy” theme.

Game mechanics & campaign elements demonstrated

  • Town experience system: players earn town XP from minigames and use them to upgrade tavern stats or gain new skills.
  • Tavern stats: Cuisine, Atmosphere, Service — each minigame can affect levels and unlock dishes/benefits.
  • Sacrifices: players trade adventuring abilities/items (boat, staff, strength, etc.) for tavern life.
  • Minigames: short focused roleplay segments that test or develop tabern/character elements (coin flips, prompts, collaborative storytelling).
  • Tone tools: quirked characters, small moral choices, and recurring motifs (beans, coffee, beanbag chairs) shape a low‑stakes, character‑driven story.

Notable quotes & moments

  • “Under the banner of big blank” — a running joke about prefacing phrases with “big.”
  • “No one ever dies here” — Philston’s eerie and cozy premise.
  • Bongar’s poet refrain: “Coffee is good by Bongar” — captures the show’s absurd charm.
  • The group improvises an entire “Wives Night” concept and a surreal “bean gestation” plotline that becomes central to later beats.
  • Frequent meta/humor beats: Benihana‑style cooking, edible arrangements of pastries and edibles, Goatman chaos.

Sponsors, plugs & action items

  • Sponsors read in episode: Smith’s, eBay, Alienware, Sleep Number.
  • Film crowdfund: Nail House (nailhouse.film; also on Backerkit). The hosts promote limited rewards (Blu‑ray, dumpling dice, merch) and note the crowdfund supports their feature film project.

Who should listen to this episode?

  • Fans of Dungeons and Daddies who want a playful, short-form side adventure.
  • Players/GM’s curious about running low‑stakes, character-driven “cozy” RPG sessions (good model for hangout/one‑shot vibes).
  • Folks interested in improvisational roleplay with a focus on relationships, daily life, and tavern management rather than combat.

If you want a compact guide to running your own Stew Pot one‑shot: use collaborative worldbuilding, pick three to five short minigames (First Step, a farming/food minigame, a guest challenge, a romance/connection minigame, and a final “rhythm” wrap‑up), and let characters trade adventuring bits for domestic skills and tavern upgrades — the episode is a useful live example of that structure.