D&D 5E Is Dragons of Stormwreck Isle Based on the 80s D&D Cartoon?

We've known about the new starter set for D&D, Dragons of Stormwreck Isle, for some time, but we've known precious little about the boxed set.

The folks over at comic book.com have a theory, though -- they posit that the adventure is based on the 1980s Dungeons & Dragon cartoon. Looking closely at the cover art (which is very blurry) it looks a lot like Hank the ranger with his energy bow, and Diana the acrobat leaping over the dragon's lightning breath, while the one piece of interior art we can see features somebody with a glowing shield -- the signature magic item of Eric the cavalier in the cartoon.

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But that's not the only clue! WotC has been teasing the cartoon in various social media posts over the last couple of weeks, as has D&D Beyond.

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The cartoon ran in the 1980s and featured a group of children who found themselves in the magic world of Dungeons & Dragons, and were granted magical items by the mysterious Dungeon Master. Those children became Hank the ranger, Eric the cavalier, Diana the acrobat, Presto the magician, Shelia the thief, and Bobby the barbarian. The show also featured Uni the unicorn, plus the Dungeon Master, the villain Venger, and, of course Tiamat the 5-headed dragon.

A couple of years ago, a Brazilian car commercial featured a live action version of the D&D cartoon heroes.

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[bedir than]

you think Hasbro could to choose a strategy of distributed licencing? Disney with a line, for example Dragonlance, Paramount with FR, Discovery-Warner with Greyhawk, Capcom with Mystara....

We already know that Hasbro works with every significant distributor.

 

[Parmandur]

Disney owns the rights to the cartoon episodes themselves and distribution thereof. WotC owns the characters, stories, likenesses, etc. There’s no mention of Fox or Disney in the Animated Series book WotC put out for 3X. If Disney had a leg to stand on they would have sued or sent cease and desist letters back then. No such thing happened. WotC owns everything but the animation itself.

The "book" in question was part of the 2006 DVD set, not an independent product sold seperately. So, made in cooperation with the show rights owner at the time.

 

[Jer]

Disney owns the rights to the cartoon episodes themselves and distribution thereof. WotC owns the characters, stories, likenesses, etc. There’s no mention of Fox or Disney in the Animated Series book WotC put out for 3X. If Disney had a leg to stand on they would have sued or sent cease and desist letters back then. No such thing happened. WotC owns everything but the animation itself.

There is, however, a copyright statement on the box indicating that it's copyright Marvel productions/Dungeons & Dragons Entertainment corp. And the statement in the book is only one of trademarks, not character ownership. And the lack of cease and desist could be because Disney is in fact getting paid.

None of it is conclusive that Wizards actually owns these characters now - it's all just speculative.

 

[Parmandur]

Here is a photo of the package contents (thanks, Ebay): the 30 page booklet from WotC with 3.5 rules material and an adventure is in the upper middle of the photo.

 

[Jer]

Here is a photo of the package contents (thanks, Ebay): the 30 page booklet from WotC with 3.5 rules material and an adventure is in the upper middle of the photo.

View attachment 155186

Out of curiousity, how much did you have to pay to get it? (I got my copy in 2008 from half price books for $20).

 

[Parmandur]

Out of curiousity, how much did you have to pay to get it? (I got my copy in 2008 from half price books for $20).

I didn't get it, that's just Google image searching. That wasn't a live auction, but it seems several hundred dollars is the going rate for the full featured 2006 set.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

Carefully moves DVD set from my shelf to the lockbox...

I didn't get it, that's just Google image searching. That wasn't a live auction, but it seems several hundred dollars is the going rate for the full featured 2006 set.

 

[Yaarel]

I didn't get it, that's just Google image searching. That wasn't a live auction, but it seems several hundred dollars is the going rate for the full featured 2006 set.

Wow, I actually own that. I think I got it for a dollar from a sale bin with other cds, or something like that.

 

[darjr]

Remember when this hobby was slowly dying? Or at least that was the impression? Those dvd box sets where cheap then. I bought one for my son for about $5 new. He still has it.

 

[Yaarel]

Remember when this hobby was slowly dying? Or at least that was the impression? Those dvd box sets where cheap then. I bought one for my son for about $5 new. He still has it.

I am glad D&D made a recovery. WotC have been good stewards of the D&D tradition.