D&D Movie/TV D&D: Honor Among Thieves Open Discussion [Full Spoilers]

[Ralif Redhammer]

Hi guys. Sorry if I'm writing off topic, but have any of you seen the new Guardians of the Galaxy 3 trailer before the movie? If you have seen it, please describe it, because my cinema decided to skip all the trailers.

Don't worry, my theater had all of the trailers. I ran a hair late getting to the theater and still sat through half-a-dozen trailers. I'm convinced that when the heat death of the universe occurs, the Fast & Furious franchise will still be going.

I enjoyed the heck out of the movie. Once I got past the shock of how unabashedly D&D it was. I know the stigma is mostly gone in a post Stranger Things world, but like many of us, I grew up with gaming being something you didn't really talk about in public. I was surprised to find that that little kid was still hanging around. I routinely mention that I play D&D to my coworkers and friends now. So I told him "It's okay, really, times have changed. No one cares that they actually said the words Wild Shape or Mordenkainen," and we then sat back and enjoyed the movie.

 

[JohnSnow]

Don't worry, my theater had all of the trailers. I ran a hair late getting to the theater and still sat through half-a-dozen trailers. I'm convinced that when the heat death of the universe occurs, the Fast & Furious franchise will still be going.

I enjoyed the heck out of the movie. Once I got past the shock of how unabashedly D&D it was. I know the stigma is mostly gone in a post Stranger Things world, but like many of us, I grew up with gaming being something you didn't really talk about in public. I was surprised to find that that little kid was still hanging around. I routinely mention that I play D&D to my coworkers and friends now. So I told him "It's okay, really, times have changed. No one cares that they actually said the words Wild Shape or Mordenkainen," and we then sat back and enjoyed the movie.

Dungeons & Dragons isn't even always something you can talk about even among your hoard of Ren Faire friends, so I totally get you. Heck, I even remember when us D&D players were getting mocked by the Vampire, Rifts, and Magic players...

We've come a long way baby!!

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Dungeons & Dragons isn't even always something you can talk about even among your hoard of Ren Faire friends, so I totally get you. Heck, I even remember when us D&D players were getting mocked by the Vampire, Rifts, and Magic players...

We've come a long way baby!!

We have indeed!

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Dungeons & Dragons isn't even always something you can talk about even among your hoard of Ren Faire friends, so I totally get you. Heck, I even remember when us D&D players were getting mocked by the Vampire, Rifts, and Magic players...

We've come a long way baby!!

I think the poor Vampire players are flinching any time someone looks at them, at this point.

 

[Undrave]

I'll also note, when it comes to fashion, that some things that might seem to be "out of place" are, in fact, not. I'll give an example from discussions I've had with costuming directors at the Renaissance Faires I work at.

One of the most common lower-body garments worn by men in late-16th century were "Venetian Hose," (often just called "Venetians"), which are a 3/4 length (just below the knee) trouser of varying degrees of fullness pleated and attached to a waistband, with a closure (often buttons) in the front. Venetians were working trousers, and as such, were typically made of a durable material, like wool, lightweight leather or deerskin, corduroy, or cotton or linen canvas. You see them EVERYWHERE in Elizabethan art, sometimes worn with boots, but equally as often with low shoes.

Ironically enough, most Faires don't (can't) use two of the most common materials out of which working Venetians were made. The first, a blue-dyed corduroy from Genoa, Italy called jeane, and the second, a cotton canvas that was the precursor to what was later Serge de Nîmes, in France. Yes, basically, blue jeans (albeit slightly differently cut) are period-appropriate to the 16th-century. However, indigo cotton twill is banned by the costume directors as a fabric (for Venetians) at most Renaissance Faires, because it looks "too modern" to our customers, who immediately see "blue jeans" on anyone wearing them.

The Tiffany problem but with clothes.

 

[Hussar]

Wouldn’t be the first time WotC took the new popular edgy race that should be rare to encounter and blew them up.

I’d say it’s even worse though because they aren’t a natural species. They are 3rd Gen or more expression of a demonic grandparent sometime in the past. And I’m willing to bet not a lot of people want to lay with the a true demon.

Bit who knows I guess. Over a long enough period of time and the amount of demon assault that “bares fruit”. I guess.

Still reeks of just trying to make the new favorite species bigger than they should be.

I know right? What is WotC possibly thinking using the third or fourth most popular race in the game in a supplement? Just more proof they are completely out of touch with gamers.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Oh and also - world's most surprising Bradley Cooper cameo! I was like "WTH this Halfling is Bradley Cooper?! Am I seeing things?". I know he loves a good cameo or voice role, but I was still really surprised. It was kind of weird that they made him and the other halfling small all over rather than, I dunno, mapping them onto a differently proportioned 3D body, but I suppose budgets have limits.

That's what halflings were like in the 1980's Dragon illustrations: well-proportioned small people.

Remember this?

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

I thought the cast was uniformly excellent, but there was zero chemistry between Simon and Doric and it was painful watching them try to convince anyone otherwise. It would have been a relief for her to just say at the end, "I don't like boys" and let us all move on.

How differently we feel! I found that exchange at the end quite funny but also believable.

"Something, something... give it another go?"
[Loud sigh] "Yeah, all right."
"Yes?!"
"Calm down." [Said in a stern tone, but she has a little smile that says she enjoys being allowed to be the grump.]

Since it was Simon's annoying self-pity that turned her off the first time, and since Simon both displayed a backbone several times during their adventures AND seems to have turned a bit of a corner in terms of his self-confidence... I thought it was totally believable that she'd say yes to a mulligan. He's not really the same person who failed the first time.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Also an Ed Greenwood type could definitely be Simon's great-great-grandfather, I'm not sure why you're suggesting he couldn't? One of Justice Smith's parents is white, the other black.

On top of that, it wasn't until the third time I sat the movie, in the final attunement scene, that I realized "Elminster" didn't have a Caucasian skin tone. It wasn't like he was Mac "Anytime" From-Predator ebony black. It was subtle.

I agree with you that Simon's great grandfather could plausibly look like practically anything though.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Doric's NPC block get's 5 wild shape uses per day (rather than the short rest ability).

Whoever wrote that didn't bother to actually count how many times she wildshapes during the escape scene (7).