Dungeons & Dragons Animated Series Ep. 19

 

This one has some cool stuff in it.

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 19 - The Last Illusion

Passing through a swamp littered with giant bones, the group complains about the smell.

A giant octopus rises up out of the swamp. Presto ends up being chased by the monster. He flees into the forest and meets a woman.. a translucent woman. She asks for help - she's trapped in a forbidden tower not far from here. Dungeon Master appears and explains that finding the woman may lead to the way home.

The heroes catch up with Presto and they encounter a crabby old man wielding a club, and his wife.

As the adventurers eat swamp lizard stew at their house in a small village, they can't help but notice that the old guy has severe anger issues.

It turns out that their girl is missing - the woman Presto met in the forest.

We cut to a Venger lair. Take a look at this contraption that is holding the girl prisoner.

Venger is using her to create illusions. He threatens her parents.

A huge storm hits the village. Presto has some kind of link with the girl, which ends up causing the villagers think Presto is causing the storm.

Presto tries to use his hat to help. It summons a blast of water. Venger forces the illusionist girl (Farla, I think her name is) turns it into fire.

Venger disguises himself as a centurion (which was an action figure in the D&D toy line) on a white horse who shows up to end the storm. He turns the villagers against the group. 

These 2 hit point commoners grab the magic items, and imprison the group. The villagers hand over the weapons to the centurion, who flies off and assuming his true form as Venger.

We get a better shot of Venger's forbidden tower.

As I watch these, I remember what it is I like about this show:

• The painted backgrounds.
• The music (real orchestra).
• The sound effects.
• The glowy effects.
• Seeing the occasional D&D thing in cartoon form.
• The setting: A land where two powerful villains (Venger & Tiamat) vie for control.
  

Each episode has two or three cool locations that are begging to be used in a campaign.

If you're running a game with people who have never seen and will never see this cartoon, there is no reason at all why you can't grab this stuff and keep it in your back pocket for your own game.

So! Venger has the weapons. He's wanted these things for the entire series. He hides them in an alcove and declares that now he needs to deal with the Dungeon Master. He tells Farla that once her power grows, the DM will be her next victim.

Farla's image appears in the group's prison cell. She explains Venger's scheme. Her parents see what's going on, and help the group escape. The torch-wielding villagers actually follow them to the tower.

Distracting two orc guards with frogs and Eric's metal boots, the heroes enter the tower and find Farla. Only Venger can release her from her weird energy prison.

Orc guards are on the way. Farla uses an illusion to make the group look like more orc guards.

Venger senses the illusion and starts shooting bolts of energy at the group.

They use a mirror to reflect a bolt which just so happens to smash the section of wall that is hiding the alcove containing the group's magic weapons, which are swiftly distributed to their respective owners.

The mirror reflects another bolt, which shatters one of the stone hands and frees Farla.

Farla creates an illusion of Tiamat, allowing the group to escape.

Somehow the whole tower explodes. The Tiamat illusion fades away.

These slow-on-the-uptake villagers are still after the group. 

Farla, it turns out, is alive. The grim village suddenly becomes lush and cheerful. The end.

I love that they put an "illusionist" in this show. This was all during the AD&D 1st edition "unearthed arcana" era with all these weird new classes that are embodied in the show - cavalier, acrobat, etc.

I don't think I have ever seen anybody, ever, play an illusionist-type character over a long term campaign. I'm sure it could be done, but it doesn't seem to be something people are that into.

Stuff that Presto's Hat Does:

46. Summons fresh air.
47. Summons a jet of water.

Hank's Bow Can:

53. Force an octopus to drop Uni.
54. Shoot an arrow at Venger, which seems to do nothing.