This year’s Comic-Con in San Diego included a release of the first version of the trailer and so far the reaction from fans has been a positive one. The studio included several easter eggs and obscure references that only a dedicated fan would recognize, and here are a few examples.
8 An Owlbear
These monsters appear in other forms in role-playing games that hearken back to certain classic tabletop role-playing games, with the “Boomkin” in World of Warcraft being the most famous example, but this creature has its roots in the Dungeons & Dragons universe.
Despite the cute and fuzzy look that the owlbear takes on in fan art and some cosplay, this is one of the most dangerous animals that players can encounter. They have Darkvision, a +3 to their standard perception check, and a double attack that includes both beak and claws.
7 A Gelatinous Cube
These days D&D modules come in all shapes and sizes, with a design for every audience. Once upon a time, virtually everything in D&D was designed to maim or flat-out kill player characters, and death is often permanent even in recent versions.
It seems like a silly enemy to fear, this perfectly 10ft square of goo, but the Gelatinous Cube is immune to all charm and fear spells and is impervious to virtually any kind of damage, with some exceptions being acid or fire. Once a character is stuck in one, it’s almost impossible to escape.
6 The Underdark
A vast and mostly unexplored subterranean region inhabited by Drow, their faithful spiders, and much other dark and unknown denizens of the most fearsome settings in the D&D universe. Plenty of this wilderness includes vast, empty caverns, cities of bandits, and nests of vicious insects, and the trailer takes a moment to focus on what looks like a settlement of Drow elves.
The Underdark is a primordial place that was unknown in Faerûn for eons, even though it seemed to be located in a network of caverns beneath it. Characters can travel there in a variety of ways that include ethereal portals and magical doors. Some of the named and mapped realms include the Deep Wastes and the Glimmersea.
5 A Black Dragon
It’s in the title, so it’s not a surprise that we see a few dragons in the trailer, including the iconic red variety that appeared on the cover of one of D&D’s earliest rulebooks. There’s a brief moment when the viewers catch a glimpse of a black dragon laying waste to a battlefield, and those in the know understand the important different colors make when it comes to dragons in D&D.
Black dragons have a reputation for being the most diabolical of all the chromatic dragons, and as if in an expression of how vile they are inside, they breathe an acidic bile instead of conventional fire. They love gold and hoards as much as the next dragon, can be found in swamps, and smell like the bad water and pond scum in which they always wallow.
4 The Tiefling
Tieflings are one of the player character races in Dungeons & Dragons. They’ve been available since the 5th edition of the Player’s Handbook, and their bonuses to Charisma and Intelligence often mean they play as Warlocks, Bards, or Sorcerers.
These are only guidelines as opposed to firm rules. The Tiefling in the trailer, for example, is a Druid played by Sophia Lillis. That’s apparent not only because she’s listed as one in the credits, but her metamorphosis into an Owlbear in one segment of the trailer pretty much gives it away. Shapeshifting, especially into animals, is a talent unique to the Druid class.
3 A Bard Leader
The leader of the party doesn’t have to be the strongest, the most powerful, or even the smartest in the group. They just have to be the most charismatic, and that’s where the Bard class shines.
There is a brief moment when we see Chris Pine, listed as the Bard, cavorting with what looks like a lute, but the Bard doesn’t have to be an entertainer. Bards can also be orators, scholars, politicians, and writers, among other things, so it’s really up to the individual player’s role-playing build. Chris Pine’s Bard seems to have a con-artist vibe, so perhaps more of a trickster than a musician.
2 The Mimic
People who aren’t familiar with the Dungeons & Dragons universe will recognize this iconic character even if they don’t know what to call it. The perfectly named Mimic is like a chameleon, except instead of taking on the color of something, it takes on the shape of an object, or mimics it, to lure in greedy or unsuspecting prey.
This is why mimics are often seen taking the form of a treasure chest, because what better shape to lure in the average dungeon crawler? Which is exactly what the one in the trailer is doing.
1 Important Cities
It’s anyone’s guess which cities will be featured in the movies, and there weren’t any names specified in the trailer. However, fans who know their Faerûnean geography are guessing Waterdeep and Neverwinter.
One of the scenes shows a boat approaching a big coastal town, and this is likely the bustling metropolis of Waterdeep. It’s one of the major cities in the region and a hub for many adventures in the D&D universe. Only Baldur’s Gate is equal in importance, and this could be another possibility. Neverwinter, as the name suggests, is located in a northern region complete with volcanoes, very similar to a few moments in the trailer that include a frosted and mountainous landscape.
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