Dungeons & Dragonsis one of the most populartabletop RPGsof all time and, as a result, we can see it in our culture everywhere. Whether it’s featured on shows like Stranger Things or it’s just impacted the fantasy genre in general, the vibes and essence of a classic Dungeons & Dragons campaign can be found in a lot of media, especially movies.
You have to wonder if some of the films we know and love are really just the campaign of the director, screenwriters and actors that have been rewritten as a film and come to life. You’d be surprised just how well it can fit, so here are a few films that seem strikingly like they’re D&D campaigns.
8The Lord Of The Rings Series
Everyone’s Favourite Fantasy Series Seems Like A Fantastic D&D Campaign
It may seem obvious considering how famousThe Lord of the Ringsis in the fantasy space, and how it has undoubtedly left its mark on properties such as Dungeons & Dragons (halflings were even originally going to be called Hobbits). But yes, The Lord of the Rings fits well into being a classic high fantasy Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Legolas, Aragorn, Gimli, and Frodo are definitely player characters.
Gandalf is something akin to the party’s favourite NPC and the other characters are all just various NPCs who come in and out now and then. Granted, you may be wondering, if it’s a campaign, how come Frodo and Sam are split up from the others? After all, we all know the rule; don’t split up the party. But sometimes rules are just made to be broken.
7Pirates Of The Caribbean
Jack Sparrow Is The Definition Of Chaotic Neutral
Pirates of the Caribbean is a small campaign on a huge scale. Though it only has three players, Captain Jack, Elizabeth Swan and Will Turner, it feels like a campaign where the players came up with completely different characters, but it just works.
Davy Jones is the obvious major villain for the campaign and, although it does feel like it overstays its welcome, the players are having more than enough fun that they just keep on going with this pirate-themed campaign. And yes, Captain Jack Sparrow has the Lucky feat.
It may seem odd to have a post-apocalyptic world to be compared to a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, but there actually is one. Known as Dark Sun, it’s an official Dungeons & Dragons campaign set in an apocalyptic desert world where anything goes. Sound familiar?
So it’s just clear that Mad Max: Fury Road follows this. The party would be Max, of course, as well as Furiosa, Nux, and the wives of antagonist warlord Joe, such as Toast and Cheedo. The film is action-packed and keeps Max and the companions together a lot of the time, making it reminiscent of a combat-heavy campaign.
5Star Wars: Rogue One
Just Be Prepared For The TPK
From one unique campaign to another, Star Wars: Rogue One features a ragtagcast of characterswho join forces (pun intended) to try to steal the plans of the Death Star for the Rebel Alliance. It’s short, simple, and a fantastic prompt for a campaign following these characters on this intense journey.
It definitely would give the vibes of a very self-contained campaign, perhaps ten or so sessions at most. Much like the film, the game would be focused on the interpersonal relationships between the characters, their backstories and the tough combat they have to face.
4Die Hard
One Solo Campaign Plus A Rogue Equals Die Hard
Some campaigns are actually played by one player alone and nothing screams a solo campaign more than Die Hard. Although Home Alone comes close, Die Hard definitely fits better.
From the action-packed setup that ensures a lot of combat can be done to the convenient way that our protagonist, John McClane, can get into different rooms in the skyscraper, it makes sense. If you think about it, even the main setting of the film seems like a dungeon that the player has to get through.
3The Mummy
The Definition Of A Good Dungeon Delve
Out of all the treasure hunting films out there, The Mummy perfectly fits a Dungeons & Dragons campaign that is all about going to a tomb and finding some long-lost treasure and history. Rick O’Conell, Evelyn, Jonathan and Ardeth being the player characters ranging from a Bard, Rogue, Wizard (debatably) and Fighter.
It’s a classic setup for a dungeon crawl with a focus on a history background, probablyinspired by campaign moduleslike the Tomb of Annihilation with plenty of dungeon delving and of course, puzzles and riddles for your party to solve. Plus the film has more than enough comedic moments that harken back to the sillyness that can happen in a campaign.
2The Adventures Of TinTin
Every Good D&D Campaign Features Some Treasure
Another campaign with a small number of players would be The Adventures of TinTin. Think about it, TinTin and Captain Haddock are the player characters with TinTin’s own dog Snowy being his familiar. As a reporter, TinTin is likely a Rogue Inquisitive, perhaps with a Find Familiar spell, and Captain Haddock could just be a Fighter who focuses on unarmed combat rather than with a weapon.
The film chronicles TinTin’s first encounter with Haddock and the subsequent adventure that has them trying to track down the fate of a ship known as the Unicorn. It’s thrilling, fast, and certainly the type of adventure that would be fitting for a campaign even for as low as two players.
1Kung Fu Panda 2
The Furious Five Make A Great Adventuring Party
Although some may think Ku Fung Panda in the series would be more like a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, Kung Fu Panda 2 has something the first doesn’t and that’s team cohesiveness. By the second film, our protagonist Po is already friends with the Furious Five, meaning that all of them and Po can be counted as player characters. As well as this, they spend a good chunk of the film together.
Also, Po is the perfect character to represent a Monk and, in fact, it seems the Furious Five are likely all Monks of varying subclasses, which would admittedly make a pretty interesting party.
