Dungeons & Dragons Animated Series Ep. 22

Today we watch one of the most intense, most "D&D" episodes of the entire series!

You can buy the complete series right here. 

Check out the previous episode recaps: 

Part One (Episodes 1-6)
Part Two (Episodes 7-13)
Episode 14
Episode 15
Episode 16
Episode 17
Episode 18
Episode 19
Episode 20
Episode 21
Episode 22
Episode 23
Episode 24
Episode 25
Episode 26
Episode 27
Episode 28

Episode 22 - The Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn

The heroes are in a ruined city. Erik is carrying a black chest. It is a "box of balefire" that Dungeon Master requested. This alone sounds like it could be a great adventure - searching a ruined city for a mysterious chest.

Bringing the box to the group, Eric decides to open it. It shoots a shaft of light into the sky which apparently has alerted a powerful entity.

Shadow demonflies to a tower and alerts Venger. Is this another new Venger tower? Or is it the same one? It looks different. 

Venger is horrified to find out what the group has done.

As a storm rages, Dungeon Master instructs the group to bury the box.

A massive column of light and lightning approaches Venger's tower, destroying everything in its path. This thing is Venger's master. It is not pleased that Venger has failed to take over the Realm.

The entity blows up a mountain. It has found the group. Dungeon Master explains: "He is not life as we know it. He has many identities on many different worlds. All know him as Evil, the ruler of many universes. His goal is to rule the entire cosmos with evil."

Dungeon Master teleports the group far away, which tires him greatly. The entity catches up immediately and the group ends up back in the ruined city.

Dungeon Master actually blames Hank for allowing Eric to open the box, and urges the heroes not to look on the entity's face.

Eric, of course, looks it right in the face. This is Eric's lowest moment.

The evil entity, from above the clouds, fires energy down at the group. Dungeon Master tries to counter it using the magic of the group's weapons.

There is a flash of light, and the group finds themselves in a cavern. Their magic items aren't working.

Dungeon Master staggers into the chamber, fading in and out. He explains that he has teleported the group to the "underworld," and that he has very little power left. 

The entity thinks the group is dead. Dungeon Master explains that he must cross the plains of fire, recharging his magic and the magic items in the Dungeon at the Heart of Dawn.

Venger and Shadow Demon are also in the cavern, and Venger is also weakened.

As the heroes head toward the dungeon, Presto falls off a cliff and lands on a ledge. The group can't get him, he's stuck there. The heroes move on without him.

Diana is left behind to fight salamanders.

Venger recruits some... evil gnomes, I think.Svirfneblin?

The heroes come to a circular stairwell. At the bottom is the entrance to the dungeon.

There's a purple worm in here! This is insane.

The worm shatters a section of the stairs. Eric stays behind to deal with the worm.

In the entrance is a cavern with a doorway full of light. That's the Heart of Dawn. Venger and his gnomes follow in and attack. Hank says he'll hold them off. Seriously now, how is he going to do that?

Dungeon Master staggers into the heart - a pool of glowing green liquid, and his power is restored. He teleports the group to him.

Dungeon Master recruits Venger to teleport up above to face the entity. But.. it's gone. Apparently, the embodiment of evil went to wreak terror and destruction on other worlds.

We close with a shot of the land, which has been ravaged by the entity.

What a crazy episode! Action from start to finish. This is prime material for an adventure. I guess if you want to nitpick, you can say that there is no actual "dungeon" here. Unless you count one room that is hard to get to a dungeon. Actually, a one-room dungeon sounds like a fun idea.

This is a really strong episode, very inspiring. It reminds you to bring the intensity when running your game.

Stuff that Presto's Hat Does:

52. Summons safety flares, an emergency radio, and a copy of "Ranger Fred's Guide to Survival in the Amazon."

Eric's Life is Horrible Because:

19. He opened a box that summoned the personification of evil.
20. Even after being told not to, he looks the personification of evil in the face, causing it to attack.

Hank's Bow Can:

67. Shoot two arrows into the ground, creating a massive pit.
68. Tie up Venger with a single arrow.