"Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves"
has cast a Charm spell on critics and fans alike, and a big part of the fun is questing
after all those "DnD" Easter eggs. "I've got a good feeling about this." An important tool a Dungeon Master has at
their disposal during a campaign, especially if the players are stuck or need some guidance,
is creating a non-player character -- or "NPC" -- that can help out. Special NPCs can be especially useful if the
Dungeon Master needs the players to be saved from what would otherwise be a potential "TPK"
-- or "Total Party Kill" -- encounter, where, without intervention from an NPC, all the
players' characters would end up dead. Essentially, Xenk seems to be an NPC who is
plot-relevant for one specific section of the film, and leaves when his role is fulfilled
-- even if it doesn't make much sense narratively. Why does Xenk leave our heroes to battle the
world-ending threat on their lonesomes when he's obviously more skilled and capable than
them? The argument could be made that, due to Edgin's
past as a Harper, Xenk felt the quest was in good hands and he was needed elsewhere. However, it's much more fun to imagine Xenk
as a powerful NPC, controlled by the Dungeon Master of this story to move the plot along. In "Dungeons and Dragons," players use their custom characters to role-play an epic adventure. This can include fighting monsters, discovering
ancient relics, and trying to avoid deadly traps. In fact, avoiding deadly traps is a major
component of playing a standard "Dungeons and Dragons" campaign. Dungeon Masters will often have fun devising
complicated and convoluted ways to navigate these various traps. The puzzles can also be overly complicated
by ambitious -- or possibly even vindictive -- Dungeon Masters who want to make their
players sweat. Towards the middle of "Dungeons and Dragons:
Honor Among Thieves," Xenk leads the protagonists into a secret underground dungeon, to find
yet another ancient magical relic. Once they reach a stone bridge, Xenk explains
that to cross the bridge, the heroes will have to do things like walking on evenly-numbered
tiles, then go back and forth to retrace their steps -- something that would require charts
and tables to complete successfully. However, all the techniques Xenk mentions
are real tricks and examples from "DnD" modules, which gives the scene a metatextual layer
of humor to those who have played with those kinds of Dungeon Masters. "I may have triggered the mechanism. So… sorry." In a classic "Dungeons and Dragons" game,
as the players explore a particular dungeon, city, or forest, they will always have a "party
order," defining who is in the front and the back of the line. This is because if an attack encounter occurs,
it helps the Dungeon Master visualize who to attack and flank initially -- though miniatures
and a board help with this as well. Now, in a regular campaign -- especially when
all the players are relatively low-level -- it's a good idea to keep magic users, whether they're
sorcerers or wizards, in the back of the party so that they're safer from enemies. That's because while magic is indeed powerful,
the magic users themselves aren't very good in a fight and can't take much damage. This is why their classes are often called
"glass cannons." With this in mind, it's pretty clear that
the filmmakers behind "Honor Among Thieves" are aware of how to play the game itself. For instance, at one point -- after the heroes
are tasked with going into a secret passage to a dangerous underground ruin -- the half-elf
sorcerer Simon bluntly states, "I'll go last." It's a funny line, but it's also a nod to
the logic of the game – namely, that Simon will need to be protected if the party is
attacked. Simon Aumar has one of the most profound character
arcs of the film, starting out as a struggling magic user and becoming adept enough to help
save the world from the evil Red Wizard Sofina. The surname "Aumar" should get diehard "Dungeon
and Dragon" fans' attention. It turns out that Simon is canonically related
to Elminster Aumar, a prominent magic user in the "Forgotten Realms" campaign setting
for "DnD." In the film, Elminster is Simon's ancestor,
who shows up once Simon puts on the magical helmet and attempts to attune with it. Elminster then taunts Simon, telling him that
he isn't worthy of the Aumar name. The "Dungeons & Dragons" roleplaying game
offers players a wide variety of settings, scenarios, character types, and just about
everything else a Dungeon Master and group of heroes could need. One of the most popular D&D settings is "Forgotten
Realms," which features many of the creatures, locations, and notable characters that you
might think of when you picture a D&D game. In "Forgotten Realms," Baldur's Gate is one
of the many major cities that DMs can set their campaign in, as well as the name of
the hugely-popular third-person isometric series of adventure games of the same name. Meanwhile, Neverwinter is another important
location in the "Forgotten Realms" setting; a large, bustling port city, it's also the
main setting for the critically-acclaimed "Neverwinter Nights" video game series, which
is yet another third-person isometric action game. The events of "Honor Among Thieves" are confirmed
to be set in the city-state of Neverwinter, and the film name-drops Baldur's Gate more
than a few times as well. Referencing both of these settings by name
gives the film an extra level of specificity… as well as delighting the old school D&D fans
in the audience. In the "Dungeons and Dragons" tabletop game,
if a player rolls a 20, it's a critical success, and the player automatically succeeds at their
task. However, if they roll a 1, it's an automatic
failure, and the results are often hilarious. As one fan put it on Twitter,
"Everyone expects DND to be Lord of the Rings but it always turns into Monty Python and
the Holy Grail." There are specific references to "Holy Grail"
in "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves," such as Simon saying "I got better" to the
incredulous Red Witch. It can't help but remind a viewer of John
Cleese's classic line delivery. "She turned me into a newt!" "A newt?" "I got better." There is also Forge's gaudy balloon that hovers
over his city throughout the film, which has a very Terry Gilliam-esque art style to it,
as do the closing credits. The main villain of the film "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" is Sofina, the evil Red
Witch of Thay. During a flashback set before the film, we
see Sofina hire Ed, Holga, Simon, and Forge to steal an ancient artifact for her in a
secret dungeon — but Sofina ends up betraying the team by trapping Ed and Holga in a Time
Stop spell. Later, it's revealed that she was in cahoots
with Forge the whole time. In the interim, Sofina's magical advice helps
Forge amass riches and political power, while she forces him to set up an event that will
get his town ready to be sacrificed in a dark ritual for her even more evil master. Turns out that master is none other than Szass
Tam. That name should get die-hard fans of "D&D"
lore excited, because, in the oft-mentioned "Forgotten Realms" setting from the table-top
game, Szass is kind of a big deal. In fact, he's one of the most powerful liches
and necromancers in the game's universe, commanding a legion of undead at his beck and call. And although his plans are thwarted by our
heroes at the end of the film after they collectively defeat his servant Sofina, he is still out
there, and could possibly return for a sequel to terrorize the heroes once more. One of the most fun aspects of starting a "Dungeons & Dragons" campaign is the ability
for players to create their characters from scratch. Players can choose to have elaborate and tragic
backstories, humorous and silly histories, or even dark and mysterious pasts that are
slowly revealed throughout the game. The possibilities are practically endless. Due to "DnD" being told via pen-and-paper
and good old imagination, it means that players aren't limited by much when it comes to defining
their roles. That means it's very easy for player backstories
to become overly convoluted and long-winded. This is parodied multiple times throughout
"Honor Among Thieves." One such instance finds Ed and Holga being
granted a hearing after two years stuck in a high-security prison tower. Ed gives an entire spiel about his tragic
past as a Harper leading to the death of his wife — with the fantasy creature parole
officers getting bored and annoyed in the same way other players in a real "D&D" game
might. Ed even does the same thing to Xenk later
in the film when the Paladin intones, "long ago" — getting ready for a long lore dump
— until Ed angrily cuts Xenk off to get a move on. This isn't the first time that "Dungeons and
Dragons" has been adapted outside the gaming table. In the '80s, "Dungeons and Dragons" was granted
its own Saturday morning cartoon that ran on CBS for three seasons from 1983-1985. The show followed the exploits of a group
of kids who find themselves transported into the dangerous and magical world of "Dungeons
and Dragons" by a wizard with a… unique name. "I am Dungeon Master. Your guide in the realm of Dungeons & Dragons." Regardless of its quality, it has its fans,
and in 2019 there was even a car commercial with live-action versions of the characters
in it. However, that wasn't the only time these characters
have been seen in live-action. Towards the climax of "Honor Among Thieves,"
the film's heroes find that there are other groups of adventurers stuck inside Forge's
dangerous maze. This includes the live-action versions of
the '80s cartoon characters – complete with the same brightly saturated costumes as their
animated counterparts. "Critical Role" is an extremely popular "Dungeons
and Dragons" podcast, and there's a subtle Easter egg in the "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor
Among Thieves" film that alludes to it. In "Critical Role," there's a fan-favorite
character named "Fresh Cut Grass," or "FCG." In the film, after escaping the botched heist,
the insecure sorcerer Simon is reintroduced barely making ends meet by performing sub-first-level
magical spells to an annoyed audience out in the middle of the countryside. This includes lighting his finger on fire
like a candlestick and creating a "fresh cut grass" scent from thin air. The spell's name is just a bit too specific
to not be nodding at one of the most popular Dungeons & Dragons-related media. 2023's "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among
Thieves" is not the first live-action film based on "Dungeons and Dragons." There was a "DnD" film that starred Jeremy
Irons, Thora Birch, and Tom Baker in 2000 – one year before "Lord of the Rings." There seems to be a very subtle Easter egg
in the recent "Dungeon and Dragons" film that could be a reference to the misbegotten 2000
original. Early in the film, Ed and Holga meet up with
Forge, who ends up betraying them and trapping them in a Rug of Smothering that acts like
magical quicksand. This is similar to what led to a surprisingly
grisly death in the 2000 film. While the Rug of Smothering comes from the
original game, "Honor Among Thieves" could've used any other spell to subdue Ed and Holga
- including the Time Stop spell Sofina used on them at the beginning of the film. That seems to have been a conscious choice
by the filmmakers to pay homage to the earlier film. The Easter eggs in "Dungeons and Dragons:
Honor Among Thieves" aren't just relegated to the original games, or various ancillary
media surrounding it. There are also references to other films. This includes almost shot-for-shot homages
to the 1993 Steven Spielberg-directed dinosaur-on-the-loose sci-fi disaster film, "Jurassic Park." Two scenes in particular seem to be direct
riffs from the film. One occurs during a scene where everyone is
running from an angry red dragon, and Doric falls and hangs over a ledge as the dragon
attempts to chomp at her legs - which is framed almost exactly like the scene in "Jurassic
Park" where Lex dangles from an air-vent as a velociraptor collects itself to jump up
and attack her. Later, an arguably even more overt reference
occurs during the climax in Forge's maze. At one point, a dwarf goes to kill a panther-like
Displacer Beast...but unfortunately, the beast casts an illusion of itself with one of its
magical back-tendrils, and the real beast pounces on the old dwarf. It's a short similar to the classic Jurassic
Park scene where Robert Muldoon gets outsmarted by two raptors in "Jurassic Park." "Clever girl." Speaking of that red dragon, "D&D" die-hards
might recognize the powerfully pudgy beast. Named Themberchaud, this character from the
"D&D" tabletop role-playing game is known to stalk The Underdark area of Gracklstugh,
AKA the "City of Blades." According to "Out of the Abyss," Themberchaud
trades his treasure-protecting services for the life of a pampered dragon. In lore, Themberchaud is intelligent, formidable,
and a different kind of force to be reckoned with than his simpler — and cuter — presentation
in "Honor Among Thieves." This was intentional. The film's co-writer and director John Francis
Daley told Polygon: "We really leaned into the fact that he's
not like any other dragon you've seen before on film. And what was so cool is that it doesn't feel
like we're betraying the source material by having a dragon so uniquely different, because
D&D itself is so unique." Simon is a wobbly young sorcerer suffering
from a seriously limiting bout of imposter syndrome in "Honor Among Thieves." As gratifying as it is to watch him grow more
confident and firmer on his feet over the course of the movie, there's a name that never
stops scaring him — Mordenkainen, of Arcane Seal of Mordenkainen fame. Mordenkainen's unbreakable seal protects the
vault our party needs to bust into in order to nab the Tablet of Reawakening. In fact, if there's an Arcane Seal named after
you in the world of "D&D," you're probably a total baddie, just like Mordenkainen. In tabletop game lore, Mordenkainen is a masterful
archmage responsible for creating countless powerful spells. To be the stuff of legend in a legendary game
is no easy feat, which makes sense considering Gary Gygax created Mordenkainen as a player
character in one of the earliest-ever "D&D" campaigns, according to this archived Q&A
with Gygax. In "Honor Among Thieves," The Harpers are
a secret society of good guys working as spies to protect the Realms. Edgin signs up with The Harpers for their
do-good brigade in an attempt to lend his Bard skills to keeping the peace. Edgin even carries around their giant little
book of oaths and pledges until he sours on the peanuts being a good guy tends to pay
— and steals some unfortunately marked Red Wizard gold. Ed's theft not only sets him apart from The
Harpers, but it ultimately costs him his wife, his home, and almost destroys his relationship
with his daughter. Ed's feelings about his actions are complicated
and more than a little shameful throughout the movie. Still, Xenk, a far more lawful good guy than
Ed, encourages him to take up the mantle of Harper once more. Perhaps Xenk is inspired to keep Ed in the
Harper game because of the sentiment shared in the Harper chant, recorded in Ed Greenwood's
1993 "The Code of the Harpers": "We are the Harpers. We are the Lord Protectors of the Realms,
Fools, all―but the Gods look down and smile glory upon us. Weep for us, watch for us, and hope in us. We shall not fail thee." If you're someone who loves "Honor Among Thieves"
but aren't super versed in "D&D" lore, Sophia Lillis' druid character Doric might seem the
most fantastic of the entire ragtag gang. Doric's a tiefling druid, gifted with "wild
shape" shapeshifting ability, has small horns, pointed ears, and is also a proud member of
a society known as the Emerald Enclave. Viewers who are up on their "D&D" lore, however,
know that the Emerald Enclave are the sworn protectors of nature, a druidic order that
cares for the green children of the Realms. While the society has its own circles of rule
and gods not explored in "Honor Among Thieves," the focus on protecting nature is shared both
onscreen and in the tabletop RPG world. In the movie, Doric looks out a window at
swathes of land destroyed by necromantic magic and urges her party to protect the land while
there is still something to protect. Just like in real life, the environmentally-focused
Emerald Enclave struggle for their concerns to be taken seriously by selfish spellcasters
and crooked politicians alike, as shown both in "Honor Among Thieves" and the tabletop
"Dungeons and Dragons" Forgotten Realms campaigns. One of the joys of "Honor Among Thieves" is
that it's entertaining whether you have an encyclopedic knowledge of "D&D" lore or are
simply a fan of good times and Chris Pine. The movie is accessible and enjoyable to any
level of viewer — but moviegoers on the hunt for Easter eggs won't be disappointed. One such example is the "D&D" version of profanity,
uttered by a shocked soldier after Simon's image spell goes sideways. But what are the "Nine Hells" anyway? "The Nine Hells" are the "D&D" world's version
of Hell. The Nine Hells of Baator boasts nine layers. Each layer, or plane, has its own ruler and
its own flavor. Fire, ice, astral hell, and bogs — there
is truly a layer of hell for everyone in The Nine Hells. Tabletop players can take the highway to hell
by playing the "Dungeons and Dragons" adventure, "Descent Into Avernus". To some, Revel's End is the blink-and-you'll-miss-it
name of the tower prison Edgin and Holga escape from using the power of birdman Jarnathan. To others, it is the panopticon standing sentry
in Icewind Dale, carved from the Windbreak, overlooking the Sea of Ice, heated by magical
continual flames. Revel's End is used to bookend the movie "Dungeons
and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves." The film opens with the aforementioned dramatic
window-leaping escape and closes with the crooked Forge Fitzwilliam attempting to jump
to his freedom the same way, only to crack right into a window, bricked up by an Absolution
Council that is slowly getting hip to its prisoners' ways. In the "D&D" tabletop games, Revel's End appears
first in the prison-break adventure "Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden." The adventure was developed by Wizards of
the Coast to support the world the movie makers were developing. The book came out in 2020 while the movie
came out in 2023, which makes Revel's End a sort of infinity loop Easter egg in both
properties. The snowy stronghold is even harder to escape
in these sessions, considered challenging to even experienced Dungeon Masters. "Rime of the Frostmaiden" features a dragon,
terrifying ice monsters, and a sperm whale. And to us at least, getting to see Chris Pine
ride one of those would have been quite the spectacle. One man's trash is another man's treasure,
but in "Honor Among Thieves" one man's treasure could also be a chest full of razor-sharp
teeth and a snake-like tongue determined to sap the life force of anyone nearby. The treasure chest that Holga and the gang
encounter in Forge's arena isn't a treasure chest at all — it's an old "D&D" villain
called a "Mimic." The Mimic first shows up in "Dungeons and
Dragons" lore in the original Monster Manual, published by Gary Gygax in 1977, and has appeared
in Monster Manuals ever since. Like quite a few early "D&D" villains, Mimics
use shape-shifting and ooey-gooeyiness to stun, deceive, and attack unsuspecting parties. In tabletop campaigns, Mimics get players
that get too close into a sticky situation — literally. Hitting or kicking a Mimic only makes it bond
more tightly to a player, which makes us happy Holga didn't try to land a punch on one in
the movie. The Gelatinous Cube is a classic "D&D" creature
that's part all-consuming monster and part JELL-O Jiggler. These monsters engulf unlucky players and
deal out relentless acid damage to those unlucky enough to get up close and personal with The
Gelatinous Cube. The disgusting danger of The Gelatinous Cube
makes its use in a key "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" escape scene all the
more delicious. Our heroes dive into the cube to escape Forge's
games — and the Displacer Beast that's hot on their tails. Due to Doric's Wild Shape ability, she's able
to wiggle out of trouble and yank the rest of the gang out. The Gelatinous Cube is an old "D&D" creature,
invented by "D&D" co-creator Gary Gygax along with many other canonical characters for the
legendary Greyhawk campaign – but it's had some brushes with movie stardom before. Notably, The Gelatinous Cube plays a role
in a movie saturated with "D&D" imagery — Pixar' "Onward." "A gelatinous cube!" Xenk leads our favorite band of ragtag thieves
into The Underdark to find the Helmet of Disjunction, and even saying the name of the place seems
to put a chill in Xenk's voice. If a subterranean environment sends a shiver
up the spine of a business-like and battle-ready semi-eternal paladin, it beyond terrifies
the rest of the "Dungeon and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" gang. But hey — a quest wouldn't be a quest without
at least one lair our heroes might never escape. Of course, The Underdark is also a setting
for "Dungeons and Dragons" campaigns in the world of the tabletop RPG. It's a massive, layered network of darkened,
demon-stuffed caverns and other hidey-holes that feature in many campaigns. One of the creatures they encounter in the
film — and an easter egg itself — is the Intellect Devourer. These hideous little scamps boast brain-shaped
bodies on webbed feet, and despite their looks are fearsome living death merchants. The Intellect Devourers show up as true forces
to reckon with in "Underdark" campaigns in the "Dungeons and Dragons" tabletop games. In "Honor Among Thieves," Xenk warns the party
that the approaching Intellect Devourers are more likely to attack prey with high intelligence. "Well that's a little hurtful." Filmmakers Jonathan Francis Daley and Jonathan
Goldstein have stated in multiple interviews that they were influenced by fantasy comedy
classic "The Princess Bride" when writing "Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves." Now that's a true genre-bending…
"…marriage." But we also see clear references to "Ocean's
Eleven" and other classic heist films. "Honor Among Thieves" uses the visual language
of crime capers to set up the plan of the great vault heist and then launch us right
into the middle of it not going to plan. There's also a classic "D&D" tabletop reference
in the heist portrait the party uses to cover Simon's Hither Thither staff-created portal. The man portrayed in this portrait is Volothamp
"Volo" Geddarm, recognizable to "D&D" players for his in-world guidebooks to the realms
of "Dungeons and Dragons." Volo rates the various inns and locations
he frequents with a pipe system and his opinions can be sought out in many guidebooks. If Danny Ocean ever had to put a team together
to infiltrate the Forgotten Realms, we bet he'd call on Volo. Who knew a hulking beast that is part bloodthirsty
bear and part giant owl could be so cute? Move over, "Cocaine Bear" – there's a new
cinematic bear in town, based on a classic "D&D" creature: The Owlbear. Viewers new to the world of "D&D" will see
The Owlbear in "Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves" for what it is — a powerful
beast of ultimate cuteness and destruction. Longtime tabletop RPG players might have a
bone to pick, however. In the movie, Doric is a Tiefling druid who
can transform into The Owlbear as part of her Wild Shape power. In the world of tabletop "Dungeons and Dragons,"
this transformation wouldn't be possible, because The Owlbear is classified as a "monstrosity"
and not a "beast." Classification has a different impact on the
games than on the screen. Still, some tie-in prequel novels at least
attempt to lay the groundwork for the "impossible" transformation, which should calm even those
with extremely Lawful Evil alignments.
