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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[beta-ray]

(Selfishly I'd love to hear that Hasbro and Disney have swapped the rights for Rom Spaceknight and the D&D cartoon to get both properties into the right hands. I doubt it, but I'd love to see Rom in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and it's not like Hasbro is doing with him. I suspect it's the nostalgia angle, but I'd love to be wrong on this one!)

Even outside the MCU, I'd love it. Just to have the comics reprinted (he was involved in some crossovers). Also, Micronauts.

 

[Parmandur]

Maybe all the cartoon references were for this and nothing else.

Dungeons & Dragons Strategy Game to Add Characters from the Classic 1980s D&D Cartoon - IGN

Dungeons & Dragons strategy game Idle Champions of the Forgotten Realms is launching its 100th Champion later this month, and it serves as a big surprise for D&D fans.

www.ign.com

I'd actually just take that as more evidence that more is coming: they added Critical Role characters to Idle Chanpions prior to announcing Wildemount, for example. Seems fo add further credence to the rights issues being worked out.

Does anyone here play idle championships ?

I played briefly. It is mindless, as one might expect from an "idle" game: you leave your party with madching orders, and check in on them periodically to see how they are doing.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

The thing I remember about the Saturday morning run of the D&D cartoon is it being in a dreaded late morning/early afternoon time slot. I only caught random episodes of the show, because it was constantly being preempted by sports programming.

 

[OblivionDrive]

I'd actually just take that as more evidence that more is coming: they added Critical Role characters to Idle Chanpions prior to announcing Wildemount, for example. Seems fo add further credence to the rights issues being worked out.

I played briefly. It is mindless, as one might expect from an "idle" game: you leave your party with madching orders, and check in on them periodically to see how they are doing.

Not to get too nitpicky here but the closest they have to a CR character (assuming the wiki is up to date that is - it’s been ages since I actually played this game) is Spurt, the kobold npc Perkins played on stream for… well I don’t wanna be spoilery for those who might care, but let’s just say his career was short lived. Heh.

None of the core CR characters or major npcs are in Idle Champions. Arkhan doesn’t count and also that waaaaay predated the Wildemount book.

Sorry. Carry on!

 

[Parmandur]

Not to get too nitpicky here but the closest they have to a CR character (assuming the wiki is up to date that is - it’s been ages since I actually played this game) is Spurt, the kobold npc Perkins played on stream for… well I don’t wanna be spoilery for those who might care, but let’s just say his career was short lived. Heh.

None of the core CR characters or major npcs are in Idle Champions. Arkhan doesn’t count and also that waaaaay predated the Wildemount book.

Sorry. Carry on!

Arkhan totally counts. As does Spurt.

Point is, I don't think this inclusion is the end of cartoon material.

 

[OblivionDrive]

Arkhan totally counts. As does Spurt.

Point is, I don't think this inclusion is the end of cartoon material.

While Spurt definitely technically counts, I still wouldn’t consider Arkahn a CR character in any way. But I get what you’re getting at.

It just felt like your post implied that they had added a whole raft of CR characters and npcs rather than one who existed pre-and-outside of CR and who was in IC almost since the beginning if I’m not mistaken, and one throwaway joke character.

Just wanted to clarify in case anyone reading rushed off to download the game thinking they’d find Vox Machina or The Mighty Nein playable. No drama meant.

 

[Dire Bare]

Just wanted to clarify in case anyone reading rushed off to download the game thinking they’d find Vox Machina or The Mighty Nein playable. No drama meant.

Being technically correct is the best kind of correct! You've saved us all from downloading a . . . free game.

 

[Nathaniel Lee]

I feel like I'm the only guy who watched and enjoyed the cartoon back in the day, but quite literally the ONLY THING I remember is the roller-coaster at the beginning and the bald head of the Dungeon Master. I don't remember a single other detail (other than Tiamat being involved somehow). Not a single bit about any of the characters, good or bad.

Loved that cartoon. It was my introduction to the game. I bought so many of those toys, too, and always regret having thrown out most of them since they were so beaten up from extensive play. To think I had Tiamat at one point... :crying:

I remember only a handful of things from the show. I have some DVD set, but I never even opened it.

I remember Bobby's whiny voice being the first thing you hear: "Hey! It's the Dungeons & Dragons ride!" And thinking, it would be freaking awesome to have a Dungeons & Dragons ride.

Also, Dungeon Master creeping me out when I was a kid. Venger being awesome. Tiamat being kinda absent. And the best NPC of all time Warduke.

 

[OblivionDrive]

Being technically correct is the best kind of correct! You've saved us all from downloading a . . . free game.

Hey man, some people have bandwidth caps or don’t like wasted time. I don’t claim to know everyone’s mind.

And my inner pedant it more than happy to be technically correct, trust me heh. Just wanted to make sure the info was out there.

(Also I’m doing my best not to get sucked back into playing it again because even though it’s an idle game, I still spent a lot of time at they keyboard micromanaging it.)

 

[OblivionDrive]

And the best NPC of all time Warduke.

I remember thinking Warduke was so unbelievably badass as a kid. I mean how can you not love that helmet?!? It’s a shame he canonically has such a one-note personality in Witchlight. I may have juice him up a bit if I ever get around to running that adventure.