A romantic, immersive Dungeons & Dragons date night? Heck yeah! If you and your partner love storytelling, adventure, and a little bit of mystery, then transforming a one-shot into a cosy evening for two is the perfect plan.
Fishy Business is a charming one-shot from our book One-Shot Wonders. It begins with a meal at a seafood restaurant – so why not bring that scene to life and make it a DnD Valentine’s Day to remember?
Download the Fishy Business one-shot for free here, and keep reading for tips on how to make it a dream date night gaming session. Already played Fishy Business? Scroll to the bottom for more date night one-shot ideas.
Step 1: Set the scene with a real candlelit dinner
The adventure kicks off in a bustling restaurant, so how magical would it be to create your own intimate dinner to enjoy before the game begins? Here’s how to make it special:
- Create a Themed Menu: Serve seafood delights like shrimp linguine, clam chowder, or a simple fish-and-chips platter (recipes in the links!). If you or your partner don’t eat seafood, swap in a vegetarian option that fits the nautical theme like seaweed sushi rolls.
- Printed Menus: Go the extra mile and design a whimsical restaurant menu featuring dishes named after locations/characters from the adventure, like "Kardwall's Catch of the Day" or "The Goblin Hob Special".
Step 2: Adjust for a “Two Player” DnD one-shot
With just a Game Master and one player, the experience will feel more personal and immersive. But, without a group of adventurers to protect each other, there’s more chance of being knocked out in combat. Here are some tips to keep the one-shot balanced and running smoothly:
- Give your player a companion: Create an NPC using one of the Humanoid stat blocks (e.g. Scout, Bandit) and tag along for the adventure. Let the player lead the story and investigations, but use the NPC as a dialogue option and a boost in combat – and a date partner, of course!
- Make swaps for Balance: This one-shot was originally designed for a party of four Level 3–4 adventurers. To balance it for your one-on-one session, your player could use a Level 5 character. For the combat encounters, you can dial down the difficulty by swapping the Sea Hag for a Sahuagin, and swap the Sahuagin minions for Merfolk. Take into account your player’s HP and the amount of damage they can do on an average turn when you’re deciding what swaps to make.
- Throw in Some Healing Potions: Make sure your player has a stash of two potions of healing, in case the dice don’t roll in their favour. If the player or NPC goes down, their companion can use the healing potions to revive them.
Step 3: Enhance the Adventure with Sensory Details
To make the story feel more immersive, engage all the senses:
- Scent: Light a candle with a salty ocean breeze scent to match the seaside setting. Firelight Fables and Game Tee both make stunning, fantasy inspired candles, which double up as great Valentine's gifts for DnD fans.
- Touch: Give out tactile handouts during the adventure, like printed menus and Trina’s handwritten letter.
- Taste: Surprise your partner with a special themed drink to compliment your seafood dinner. A piña colada cocktail or mocktail is the perfect tropical flavour for sipping while you explore the docks.
- Sound: Play soft tavern music or ocean waves in the background to enhance the atmosphere. We use the Tabletop RPG Music on Spotify and The Pocket Bard phone app for fantasy backing tracks and sound effects in our games.
- Sight: Add drama and impact by pulling out the perfect maps when combat kicks off. You can get full sized printed maps for Fishy Business in The Map Library.
Step 4: End with a Sweet Surprise
Instead of wrapping up the adventure as soon as the mystery is solved, end the night with a heartfelt in-game moment – maybe a dance on the docks, a sunset toast, or a treasure chest containing a meaningful token.
Then, once the adventure is over, surprise your partner with a themed dessert – perhaps chocolate seashells or a simple berry tart – and reflect on your favourite moments from the night.
By blending immersive storytelling with a cosy, intimate setting, you’ll create a DnD date night neither of you will forget! Whether it’s solving mysteries, sharing laughs, or simply enjoying a magical evening together, Fishy Business can be so much more than a one-shot – it can be a truly memorable experience for two.
Other One-Shots for a DnD date night
If you’ve got a copy of One-Shot Wonders, and have already played the Fishy Business adventure, there are lots of other one-shots in the book that would be great for Valentine's Day:
- The Last Resort (page 157): take a relaxing break at a luxury wellness resort, where there are fiendish secrets to uncover.
- Hidden Gems (page 142-43): solve the mystery of disappearing stock at a high-end jewellery boutique
- Catch the Couriers (page 63): save a hopeless romantic from an embarrassing declaration of love.
Would you try a DnD one-shot for Valentine's Day? What other ideas would you add to make it extra special? Let us know in our Discord!
