Viewers ofDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thievesfamiliar with the tabletop game know that the film will encounter a rather odd dilemma at the onset. Alongside the pressure of encapsulating almost 50 years’ worth ofDungeons & Dragonslore into a feature-length film,Honor Among Thievesis challenged with visually representing the various hijinks and wild roleplaying stories that often happen atD&Dtables. And represent it did, resulting in a fantasy flick with a visual spectacle that did justice to mere descriptions and illustrations inD&Drulebooks.
Behind every Meteor Swarm, colorful heists, and punch that Michelle Rodriguez deals out as Holga, viewers are furiously taking notes on how they can recreate these scenes in their heads and breathe life into them on the table. After all, the strict action pools in regularD&Dgameplay should make it hard to do multiple attacks and actions simultaneously, right? Thankfully, the right approach to roleplaying and proper technical guidance may allow fans to transform their Fighters and Wizards from characters who smack enemies once per turn into juggernauts that can do somersault piledrivers.
This article contains spoilers forDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves
6Magnetic Pickpocketing
Whenformer Harper memberEdgin and Barbarian Holga decide who to recruit in their quest, Simon Aumar comes to mind. Sadly, while Simon is indeed the descendant of the great Elminster Aumar, the young Sorcerer has yet to tap into his full potential. He is seen doing parlor tricks that fail to get the charm of audiences while at the same time trying to steal their belongings via the Transmutation spell Magnetism. Unfortunately, the shock of Edgin and Holga arriving breaks Simon’s focus, breaking the spell and revealing the act. Despite the spell failing, this opens up the idea of using Magnetism in-game as a means of pickpocketing random and unsuspecting citizens.
RELATED:Tabletop RPGs That Dungeons & Dragons Fans Should Try
Execution
The tricky part here is that Concentration is limited to only one spell at a time, meaning players in real-lifeD&Dgames can’t generate illusions while using Magnetism. However, this can be circumvented if players use Prestidigitation (Transmutation Cantrip), which doesn’t need Concentration, to deceive their unsuspecting targets. Alternatively, this could work as a two-man con: one player distracts the mark with an illusion; the other steals with Magnetism.
5Holga Against The Guards
Holga quickly demonstrates her combat prowess when she takes on an entire platoon of guards when she and Edgin were sentenced to be quietly executed outside Castle Never, inthe Forgotten Realms setting. In addition to showing just how skilled of a melee combatant Holga is even when bound, she demonstrates her keen instincts as aBarbarian.She doesn’t mind going recklessly into combat, provided she achieves her goals.
Holga the Barbarian has favorable odds throughout the encounter. If she used a Strength Save or a Reaction (with Strength Check) to block the attack with the cement piece, it would likely trigger initiative. Afterward, the rest of her Barbarian Features can secure advantages in this type of combat situation. These include boosts in defense when unarmored, risking higher damage to secure more damage to opponents, and extra attacks.
4Pursuing The Little Wild Shape
One of the most exciting parts of theDungeons & Dragonsstory is the beginning stages of the main heist, where Edgin had tasked their new friend andD&DDruid Doricto see if there’s a way to find the vault in Castle Never. Taking the shape of a fly, Doric sees that it’s hidden behind Mordenkainen’s Private Sanctum. Unfortunately, Sofina detects her intrusion. What comes next is an intense chase scene where Doric uses a myriad ofWild Shape (Druid Feature)forms to try and outpace the various guards of the castle.
RELATED:Which RPG Should You Play, Based On Your D&D Alignment?
Some tables may decide just to have Doric make various Stealth (Dexterity) and Acrobatics (Dexterity) checks to evade the guards, which something the movie’s version of an imaginaryD&Dtable could do. However, players can see Doric’s Wildshape attempts as unique ways of evading pursuit. For instance, she can enter an empty suit and return to human form, acquiring new armor. Likewise, druid players can also check with their DM to see if they can use the Wild Shape transformation to evade attacks such as arrows.
3Portal Carriage Heist
While Edgin and the crew traverse the dangerous Underdark of theirDungeons & Dragonssetting, Simon notices that Holga’s “walking stick” from her former loveris in fact a Hither Tither staff: an enchanted staff that allows its users to create portals. And when Edgin realizes that the staff’s version ofArcane Gate (Conjuration Level 6)can have portals move with its intended surface, he uses this to come up with a way to get into Castle Never’s magically-sealed treasure chamber. Essentially, they create a portal on the wooden frame beneath the canvas of a painting to be stored in the vaulted room. The tricky part is getting it in the carriage that’s currently en route, which the party bypasses by having someone put the painting beneath the carriage as it passes by.
The team’s version of Simon first casts the spell onto the painting, which the party’s Edgin then attaches onto the carriage with a potential Acrobatics and/or Stealth (Dexterity) check. Anyone may be able to dismantle the carriage’s flooring, with the group’s Doric then traversing the Gate and going inside the carriage to store the painting. The last hurdle here would either be a Sleight of Hand (Dexterity) or Athletics (Strength) check to return the flooring in place.
2Hole In The Gelatinous Cube
TheGelatinous Cuberemains one of the most iconic monsters inDungeons & Dragons, particularly in how innocent it appears even though it’s extremely dangerous. Despite its appearance as a giant ooze, it can enter any creature’s space and “absorb” them, dealing Acid Damage and restraining them.
TheGelatinous Cube is a notorious creature in the Forgotten Realms, appearing as one of the traps in the brutal High Sun Games near the film’s end. When faced with the threat of the Displacer Beast, Doric thought of having everyone enter the Cube and her getting them out. The trick worked as follows: she jumped into the Cube with one finger extended, ensuring it pierced through the end of the Cube as she got restrained. She then Wildshaped into a snake to slither her way out and pull the rest of the members out.
Dungeons & Dragons: Tips For Creating A Holiday-Themed One-Shot
An Acrobatics (Dexterity) check would determine if Doric can jump deep inside enough to have the length of her body fit the cube, and an Athletics (Strength) check would determine if her jump’s momentum is enough to pierce it. The Acrobatics Check can also be used to see if everyone jumps in time before the Displacer Beast reaches them, while the Athletics Check can be replaced with an Attack Roll.
1The Avengers Moment
Doric’s Owlbear form grabbing Sofina and throwing her around like a towel was a hilarious reference to the Hulk beating Loki inThe Avengers.But the Marvel references truly began during the brief “Avengers Moment” in the fight sequence where Sofina fights everyone else. The film shows Sofina using her keen skill in magecraft to take onD&DBardEdgin and the crew in a 4-versus-1 battle.
A Dungeon Master could propose a singular rolling phase for the party, and a corresponding rolling phase for Sofina to react. That way, every player in the Initiative Order can position themselves and make their respective attacks, while the Dungeon Master takes note of each Action, rolling the necessary Saves, and show Sofina’s reactions at a much paster face. This alternative route can make a boss battle more engaging, especially since players can declare their moves immediately while the DM’s rolling phase is a symbolic “time pause” that adds a layer of suspense.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieveswas released on July 13, 2025.
