Welcome to the table,
I really enjoyed the new D&D movie. Although mild spoilers follow, I don’t want to tell you about my experience right now. Rather, I want to tell you about a guy who was outside the theater as I was leaving.
After watching one of the most enjoyable fantasy films in recent years, I gathered myself, transferred from the reclining AMC seat back into my wheelchair, and tightened my mask to head back into the world of turmoil and chaos that is reality right now.
As I was entering the hall to the lobby a man with grey hair, glasses, cargo shorts, and a tie-dye dragon shirt holding a massive drink cup walked out of the men’s bathroom door that was directly across from the theater door I was exiting. He locked eyes with me and smiled. I don’t know this guy, but he looked at me with some deep level of camaraderie that was frankly stunning. “They finally made a good one!” he said.
I stopped and looked at him, two kids and a partner coming to his side, all with brightly colored clothing and hair. This guy’s grin was akin to something you see in a holiday commercial. He was so happy and the excitement he was feeling about how much he loved the movie was almost tangible.
He told me how he was in his late 40s, that he had been playing D&D since the second edition, that he had religious folks take his books away, and that he was getting back into the game. He seemed to indicate it was now a family-shared hobby and most importantly that he was overjoyed by the new movie being well-made and something they could all enjoy together.
I think that was one of my favorite takeaways from the experience. That, and how many fun and familiar monsters I was able to catch watching the film. I’ll attach a link to their D&D Beyond listings when there is no paywall to gain access.
First out the gate is the Bugbear that was imprisoned with Edgin (Chris Pine) and Holga ( Michelle Rodriguez). I was stoked when the movie opened with a Bugbear. These furry, bat-nosed, humanoids are a personal favorite of mine, and while they have a rich artistic culture and dress in fine silks in my ongoing campaign, the big bruiser presented in the movie was pretty rad to see.
The counsel who proceeded over the parole hearing of Edgin and Holga had what I think was a gnome, a blue Dragonborn (my personal favorite flavor of Dragonborn) and the now fan-favorite Aarakkoa Jarnathan, who the pair of heroes use to facilitate their escape.
Aarakkoa are a bird-like humanoid species who normally live on the elemental plane of air, so they do not feature heavily in my weekly game, but I think the way they depicted Jarnathan in the movie with practical effects and costuming was spectacular.
Rakor, the Black Dragon makes an appearance in a flashback where The Clan of the Elk is clashing with The Cult of The Dragon. It’s kind of an epic scene to see when Rakor unleashes their acid breath weapon onto the humans below, melting friends and foes alike.
While I expected to see some Dragonborn, and I even thought a dire catfish-like creature was probably in the cards because we got a glimpse of it in the trailer, what caught me totally off guard was the appearance of the feline humanoid race known as the Tabaxi!
These cat people are really cool and a favorite at my weekly table. Seeing Paladine Xenk (Regé-Jean Page) rescuing a baby one from the mouth of some dire-catfish thing and giving it back to its parents caused a chorus of delight from the audience.
The scene where two little Rust Monsters were fighting over a quickly dissolving cell lock really delighted me, as these creatures are feared far and wide by players who value their metal belongings. I really like using rust monsters in games and typically pair them with Stone Golems for added chaos on the battle map.
When the party ventured to the Underdark* there was a small band of roving Intellect Devourers who ignored the group and toddled off to get up to who knows what. These hibachi grill-sized body-snatchers are known for their ability to take over the bodies of those they feel are powerful, smart, or beautiful… hence the amusement that they skipped over our band of bumbling best friends.
Shortly after the group encountered the four-legged aberrations they woke the grand chunk of a dragon known as Themberchaud. Themberchaud is a red dragon one of the most iconic species of chromatic dragons in all the realms. Themberchaud is a particularly amusing dragon due to the fact he is more soft and squishy than most dragons depicted and he has been rumored to eat other dragons.
The merch for this round boy seems endless with Funko Pops, Diclings, Popcorn Buckets, NERF Guns and more hitting the market before the movie was even out of its first weekend. If we don’t see more of Themberchaud I will be very very surprised.
The party soon finds themselves in a bit of a sticky situation being forced to participate in a deadly game of shifting labyrinthian walls and more iconic creatures.
The Displacer Beast, a puma-like creature with long spine-tipped tentacles that can distort the perception of those looking at it making it appear in two places at once is rendered beautiful on the screen. I’m a fan of the 3rd edition version that is gaunter, but the bulked-up version in the film was just as cool to see.
The Games also had what seems to be the current mascot of recent D&D marketing, the Mimic. This shape-shifting monstrosity typically takes the shape of a wooden treasure chest and sits perfectly still until someone comes to open the lid. At this point, they learn that the little beasty is full of teeth, weirdly sticky, and possesses a lashing pseudopod that draws its prey closer for a quick meal.
Another iconic creature that makes its appearance in the games is the gelatinous cube. These large blocks of living slime are nearly invisible in low light and can be sat in hallways to catch your players unaware. The acid within them is so strong it dissolved all organic material leaving only metal and magic items floating in the Jell-O-like form.
Overall, the new D&D movie was a ton of fun for long-time fans and those new to the table alike. Familiar monsters and creatures make appearances throughout the film that surprise and delight and I for one am looking forward to more adventures in future installments.
Until next time, enjoy all this rad D&D merch we are getting! I keep worrying a day will come when pop-culture moves on and this will all be a thing of the past… for 30 years or so at least.
Underdark – A vast landscape of tunnels, mushroom forests, hidden kingdoms, and dark seas that exists far below the surface of Faerûn.
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