Strangers Things Series 4 may be finished, but revisiting The Upside Down with Dungeons & Dragons is easier than you think.
The Hellfire Club is the name of the after-school Dungeons & Dragons group that Mike, Dustin, Lucas and Erica star in during the final series of Weird stuff. The club’s leader, and Dungeon Master, is Eddie Munson, played by British actor Joseph Quinn, who parades around Hawkins High as the physical embodiment of ’80s satanic panic. This is 1986 and geeks aren’t cool yet. Fast-forwarding 35 years and seeing the D20s roll on the small screen is an important part of the current Dungeons & Dragons revival where you’ll see groups playing weekly in every game cafe in the UK.
Dungeons & Dragons has been around since 1974 and has never been more popular. It can be a great way to navigate social situations now that lockdown is over, develop interpersonal skills and build trust. But how easy is it for those who want to participate in a campaign for the first time? Wizards of the Coast, the game’s modern publishers, want to make it as simple as possible.
An obvious starting point is playing as one of your favorite Stranger Things characters, with the Stanger Things themed Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set. While it uses the modern version of the rules (much has changed since the 1970s), the idea is that it otherwise mimics the game the kids played themselves, including the chance to be Will the Wise or Dustin the Dwarf and the to fight the Demogorgon.
The Stranger Things Starter Set includes a rulebook, five Stranger Things characters, six dice, and two Demogorgon figures (one painted and one not). Add to that Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill from Spotify and you’ve got everything you need for around £32.
If you and your friends want to start a Hellfire Club from scratch, the regular starter set is even cheaper, around £17, even if it has nothing to do with Stranger Things. That freedom can be overwhelming at first, though, so it’s a good idea to record exactly what you want to do before you start, including what kind of setting, characters, and story you want to pursue.
Do you like role-playing games more than combat? How strict do they want to be about the rules and dice? And how difficult do you want to make the game in terms of combat, puzzles and exploration? It’s important to get the tone of your campaign right before you start, especially since different people can have very different ideas about what they’re going to do.
Storytelling is always the foundation of a campaign, but not everyone wants to talk in person or care about the details of the Dungeons & Dragons stories. Your most confident friend or family member will usually take on the role of narrator and guide, called the Dungeon Master. In the beginning, it’s much easier for them to start a pre-existing adventure, rather than come up with their own story, and there are many designed specifically for new players.
Some of these are included with the Starter Set, which introduces the Forbidden Realms – the default vanilla fantasy setting for Dungeons & Dragons. This is home to areas such as Baldur’s Gate and the snowy Icewind Dale, both of which have been the subject of multiple classic video games.
Often referred to collectively as ‘The Realms’, The Forgotten Realms is inspired by stories Dungeons & Dragons writer Ed Greenwood grew up growing up in Toronto and originally appeared in the 2nd edition of the game, as it was thought to be a more accessible setting. than the Dragonlance used in 1982’s Advanced Dungeons & Dragons.
While they’re probably better left until you get a little more experienced, there are many settings other than these that can have more of a horror (Ravenloft) or steampunk (Planescape) vibe, as well as locations within the Forgotten Realms based on history and mythology of all over the world. This month Radiant Citadel also includes 13 standalone adventures written solely by people of color and is inspired by everything from Thailand to ancient Persia.
After you’ve mastered the rules and mastered the Forgotten Realms setting, you can think about creating your own adventure from scratch. The main rulebooks are the only ones you really need, with the Dungeon Master’s Guide and the Monster Manual in the Starter Set. As you get more into things, the Player’s Handbook is the next obvious purchase, as it’s a hardcover tome that’s very useful, with some beautiful art, maps, and references to inspire you.
For that reason, you may want to buy the Dungeons & Dragons Essentials Kit as it comes with both the Starter Kit and Player’s Handbook for a small saving. After that, there are plenty of other books to expand your experience with items and enemies, such as Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and the Monster Manual, which introduce additional enemies, spells, and locations to expand the scope of your adventures.
Not sure how many books fit in your backpack? Dungeons & Dragons doesn’t have to be an analog experience as there is a digital toolkit called D&D Beyond. This mobile app puts character creation and spelling stats at your fingertips, allowing you to create characters with more personal relationships, motivations, and temperaments.
If you’re not enrolled at Hawkins High, don’t worry, there are still plenty of game cafes across the country, serving special weekly specials. Dungeons & Dragons events you can participate inand run by experienced Dungeon Masters with fully formed campaigns you can be a part of.
In Dungeons & Dragons, creative thinking is always welcomed and players will often come up with ways to handle an adventure that the Dungeon Master hadn’t thought of. Even the most casual group can have an immersive and entertaining experience after a few sessions.
With the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves movie coming out next year and a major presence on the San Diego Comic Con on weekends, Dungeons & Dragons, and role-playing in general, has never been more popular with everyday people. Stranger Things has a lot to do with that, so there’s no better time to start your own Hellfire Club and see what it’s all about.
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