D&D pop culture references [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTimePost
WotC_AndyS

05-05-04, 04:15 PM
I'm collecting a list of pop culture references to D&D.

If you've seen D&D or other RPG references (dice, gaming terminology, the rust monster in the vet's office in Futurama) in TV, movies, books, or elsewhere list it here.

Thanks!
Sulaco

05-05-04, 04:29 PM
Originally posted by Andy Smith
I'm collecting a list of pop culture references to D&D.

If you've seen D&D or other RPG references (dice, gaming terminology, the rust monster in the vet's office in Futurama) in TV, movies, books, or elsewhere list it here.

Thanks!

Off the top of my head:


Futurama (TV)
- Rust monster in vet's office
- Beholder in the central bureaucracy
- Prof. Farnsworth wering a Dungeon Master t-shirt in a photo from his youth
- Numerous references in the "Tales of Interest" episode including Gary Gygax guest shot, Al Gore is a "10th level vice-president", polyhedral dice, +1 mace, 1e AD&D Monster Manual

Simpsons (TV)
- Homer: "We played Dungeons & Dragons for 3 hours, then I was slain by an elf"
- Comic Book Guy wearing a "Dungeon Master" t-shirt.
- Martin: "I'm the wizard of Latin, with a million hit points and maximum charisma"

Undergrads (TV)
- Gimpy refers to playing D&D in Nitz's basement

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
- Giles and a few others play D&D before the final battle int he last episode

The X Files (TV)
- One of the Lone Gunmen: "I didn't play Dungeons & Dragons all those years without learning a little something about courage"
- In an episode a bunch of guys, including one of the lone gunmen, are playing D&D (for cash IIRC)

Spiderman the Movie (film)
- 3e D&D poster on Peter Parker's bedroom wall

Nightmare on Elm Street 3 (film)
- A few of the teens play D&D (or a D&D-like game) in the film

ET (film)
- Several characters play D&D

GE Commercial (TV)
- Scientist guy gives his model girlfriend a 3e PHB as a gift

Disney's Recess (TV)
- One of the characters plays a D&D-like game while recovering form a broken leg (I just caught this one by sheer chance so I don't recall the details precisely and I haven't the faintest idea who the characetrs are)

The Dream Warrirors: And Now the Legacy Begins (album)
- Toronto-based hip-hop band had a song called "Roll of the 12 Sided Dice" on this debut CD, and IIRC refer to "the dungeonmaster" on another tune

Weezer: In the Garage (song)
- Line in this song about the DMG and 12 sided dice

Marcy Payground: Cloak of Elvenkind (song)
- Obvious references in the song

Vin Diesel (actor)
- Came out in the press as an avid D&D freak a year or two ago
- Had his fave PC's name prominently displayed as a tattoo in his film "XXX"

Lexa Doig (actress)
- Apparently she is on the show Andromeda. She came out as a D&D freak in the press

Mike Meyers (actor)
- Also came out as a past D&D player in the press

Jaques Villeneuve (Indy driver)
- Came out as a D&D player in the press
xorn king

05-05-04, 04:30 PM
A few threads down is a convo about "who killed Homer Simpson" It has 2 references in it;

1 Simpson, homer is killed by an elf

2 Futerama, When bender' brain was sent to the head office, they had to sneak past a beholder.

The rust monster, looks like you got that one.

When the professor creates the "What if" machine, fry asks it what his life would of been like if he didn’t fall into to cryo tube. Turns out the world would have ended but Gygax is part of a secret organization to stop him from not going. They end up playing D&D for the rest of eternity.
xorn king

05-05-04, 04:32 PM
Damn you Sulaco, you’re a major nerd lol. If I didn’t run my post through a spell-checker I would have gotten my post up first, lol Good job anyway
jafyfe

05-05-04, 04:35 PM
Salt Lake City Punk: Flash back to his youth
D&D the Movie: duh the movie made pop culture
Sulaco

05-05-04, 04:36 PM
Originally posted by xorn king
Damn you Sulaco, you’re a major nerd lol. If I didn’t run my post through a spell-checker I would have gotten my post up first, lol Good job anyway

I'm not a nerd, I just have a steel-trap mind for trivia.

It's weird really, stuff I learned in school often went in one ear and out the other, but I can tell you what film Anthony Edwards and Eric Stoltz both made their debut in or who was the Electric Best Boy on John Carpenter's The Thing.
Nived

05-05-04, 04:42 PM
Disney's Recess (TV)
- One of the characters plays a D&D-like game while recovering form a broken leg (I just caught this one by sheer chance so I don't recall the details precisely and I haven't the faintest idea who the characetrs are)


That was T.J. He broke his leg and had to stay inside with 'the pale kids'. Various D&D referances in that ep.
Sensei Gith

05-05-04, 04:49 PM
I saw a movie called Dungeons and Dragons and it had a beholder in it. I think that's about it.
Transit

05-05-04, 06:05 PM
One of Tom Cruise's early movies was a film called TAPS about boys in a military academy. There's a scene where a couple cadets pass each other in the hall, and one calls out "Hey, we still on for D&D tonight?"

The movie was made back in 1981. I'm sure the vast majority of movie goers had no clue what the letters "D&D" even meant.
Father Dale

05-05-04, 06:31 PM
Freaks and Geeks: episode 15 "Discos and Dragons"

Daniel, the cool guy freak ends up playing DnD with the geeks. His character was a dwarf named Carlos. (He didn't want to play a dwarf at first, apparently not knowing the DnD conception of dwarves, but the others were adamant that "Dwarves are cool. They make really good fighters.") He enjoyed it and asked to play again with them the next night. The geeks conclude that this doesn't mean that he is becoming a geek, but rather that they are becoming cool.

Its a real shame that this show got cancelled. One of the 5 best TV shows ever.
KardalysDelAranya

05-05-04, 06:54 PM
I think the movie is called "Airheads," the one where Adam Sandler, Brendan Frasier, and Steve Buscemi take over a radio station with squirt guns to promote their band.

Well, in the end, one of the main characters is being "outed" as a nerd instead of a grunge rocker, and various spectators chime in about being former nerds, including one who yells "I played Dungeons and Dragons too!"
Mordenkainen's Rubber Duck of DOOM

05-05-04, 07:42 PM
Originally posted by Sensei Gith
I saw a movie called Dungeons and Dragons and it had a beholder in it. I think that's about it.
That wasn't a beholder. A beholder would see those inept thieves and kill them at its leisure. And Beholdesr are not guard dogs, nor are they usually purple.
jafyfe

05-05-04, 07:47 PM
purple rhymes with urple
Hobbygoblin

05-05-04, 09:36 PM
The movie "Wet Hot American Summer" has D&D references in it. It takes place at a summer camp, which somehow is in the path of part of a falling space station. Prominent shot of a transparent d20. I think it was amber-coloured.
Lord_Soto

05-05-04, 09:58 PM
Foxtrot (Comic Strip): Has had several runs which prominently feature references to a role-playing game, including wizards, critical hits, etc.

Newsradio (TV): Has included refrences to "nat-20" and one episode (i can't remember which) one of the characters sings a song about mythril chainmail
Lord Gwydion

05-05-04, 10:12 PM
In Neal Stephenson's book "Cryptonomicon," the main character in the present story arc is a former D&Der, who also tends to classify people by Tolkeinian archetypes (he considers himself a Dwarf, since he works on the technical side of an internet company).
edgelett

05-06-04, 12:29 AM
my fav was in ET, the D&D game at the start of the movie...

The older boys are all playing & poor Elliot is making his character in the background, asking if he can join in yet - and in true D&D fashion, the players all order pizza!!!

One of the insults Elliot chants later on in the film to his big brother's friends is "Zero Charisma!!!"
Bulabase

05-06-04, 12:35 AM
IIRC, there is a reference in an episode of That 70's Show. One of the characters works at a radio station where the cool radio personality is in actuality a short, chubby gamer.
The Stray

05-06-04, 04:50 AM
In an episode of Dexter's Lab, Dexter and his friends are playing a game called "Mazes and Monsters," clearly a D&D-esque game.
Ranger REG

05-06-04, 05:09 AM
- Jessie TV Series (starring Christina Applegate)
Single mom Jesse (Christina) went on a blind date with a guy who took them to a (D&D?) fantasy RPG session at a local hobby store.

- Blind Date Reality TV Series (years later)
IIRC, one of the blind dates starts at a local hobby store, a guy tries to get the girl to play in a (D&D?) fantasy RPG session. Unlike the GE commercial, the relationship ended that night.
High Sorcerer

05-06-04, 07:57 AM
A band called Cud (sp), reference a Vorpal Sword in one of their songs!
Temmogen

05-06-04, 10:15 AM
Originally posted by Bulabase
IIRC, there is a reference in an episode of That 70's Show. One of the characters works at a radio station where the cool radio personality is in actuality a short, chubby gamer.

At the end of that episode, Alice Cooper slays a dragon with a Rod of Cancellation.
Grudthak

05-06-04, 10:49 AM
Angel
- Billionaire David Nebbit asks Angel if he is familiar with Dungeons and Dragons...

Angel replies "A few..."

Wesley then explains to Angel about the game...

The episode itself is based around a bunch of Uber-Geek D&D players who have been going to a Deamon *****house after LARP'ing
Sulaco

05-06-04, 10:56 AM
Originally posted by KardalysDelAranya
I think the movie is called "Airheads," the one where Adam Sandler, Brendan Frasier, and Steve Buscemi take over a radio station with squirt guns to promote their band.

Well, in the end, one of the main characters is being "outed" as a nerd instead of a grunge rocker, and various spectators chime in about being former nerds, including one who yells "I played Dungeons and Dragons too!"

Man, how did I forget that one?!? I love that flick!
jafyfe

05-06-04, 12:04 PM
Originally posted by The Stray
In an episode of Dexter's Lab, Dexter and his friends are playing a game called "Mazes and Monsters," clearly a D&D-esque game.

"mazes and Monsters" is a movie with Tom Hanks about gaming
GreyLord

05-06-04, 12:43 PM
Hmm, perhaps not as evident, BUT

Record of Lodoss War is perhaps the biggest Japanese Anime on Fantasy and it's almost obvious it has RPG elements in it! In fact it's a better D&D movie, then the D&D movie (not hard of course).

Then you have the other Record of Lodoss War, the Legend of the Heroic Knight.

In fact a lot of stuff by that artist/writer is RPG based.

Though one might not see it as obvious at first.

In reviews of the D&D computer games, there are so many different references about D&D and what all, that it's hard to list them all.

Obviously you have the computer games based on D&D which relate directly to the pop culture of the computer Gamer.

In fact, it's influenced a lot in gaming. I think it probably was the inspiration behind the Elven Rangers, the Paladins, and the Gnome inventors in Warcraft, but I can't be absolutely positive.

I'd also wager that the 3 classes in Diablo (Rogue, Mage, and Warrior) were directly based off the 4 general classes of AD&D at that time (Warrior, Mage, Rogue, and Cleric).

In that sense perhaps it still pertains to the grouping in Diablo 2 as well.

Just a few that come to mind off the top of my head.
Arbitrary Aardvark

05-06-04, 01:01 PM
Not sure if they count, but

Fritz Leiber's whole Lankhmar (I probably mispelled it) book series is based on an early RPG/board game he and his friends used to play. TSR published a very simplified version of it in the 70s or 80s.

Steven Brust's Vlad Toltos novels (and others set in that world) are based on his D&D world. (It has the interesting effect that with access to raise dead, one sometimes kills someone just to send a message, the way mobsters now might just break an arm.)
StormKnight

05-06-04, 02:28 PM
Another possible D&D reference in Buffy is when they refer to "...the Knights of Hack & Slash".
jafyfe

05-06-04, 04:37 PM
There was this game shop i went to once and they had a whole collection of D&D books, so do most book stores.

If that helps
AlexBurel

05-06-04, 07:42 PM
I can't believe no one has mentioned "the gamers". its an obvious parody on D&D and a total laugh riot. Everything from the "I steal his pants" scene to the clipat the end where the Players and slain by their characters made my fall over laughing.
celloshane

05-06-04, 07:50 PM
I recall watching an episode of Dharma & Greg featuring D&D. Dharma was trying to help a boy learn more self confidence. She agrees to play a game with him and his friends and when you see her next, she's wearing a Robin Hood-like hat and playing the Elf. She calls Greg, who admits to playing in college and reveals the only way to make it end: attack a higher level ally so she can "die" :).
Radagast

05-07-04, 12:45 PM
Probably references all over the place in that recent Simpsons episode where Principle Skinner gets dumped by Ms. Crabopple before she ends up with Comic Bookstore Guy for awhile. He tries to marry her at a convention in Klingon garb, speaking Klingon. What fun!
Rian Lightblade

05-07-04, 08:07 PM
Originally posted by Sulaco
I'm not a nerd, I just have a steel-trap mind for trivia.

It's weird really, stuff I learned in school often went in one ear and out the other, but I can tell you what film Anthony Edwards and Eric Stoltz both made their debut in or who was the Electric Best Boy on John Carpenter's The Thing.

Fast Times at Ridgemount High

And

Len Wolfe (I cheated on that one (looked at my DVD))
Ace-High

05-07-04, 08:43 PM
There was another D&D reference in a Buffy episode. The Scoobies were doing research on a demon and Xander declares that he found the demon. One of the other characters tells him he's reading the D&D Monster Manual.

I'm afraid I don't remember the specifics
Kheldren

05-08-04, 04:13 AM
There is one rather subtle one. The concept of a "paladin" now pretty much accepted in fantasy and normal use - ie that of a religious warrior for good - is taken from D&D.
Before D&D it meant a knight of Charlemaigne's court (If I remember correctly).

Oh - the vorpal sword reference probably does not count:His vorpal blade when snicker-snack
Lewis Carroll - Jabberwocky
The Vagrant

05-09-04, 06:05 AM
My uncle called my pokemon card collection the monster manual.

Though my uncle and pop culture are completly seprate.
PsionScribe

05-09-04, 06:32 AM
Originally posted by Kheldren

Before D&D it meant a knight of Charlemaigne's court (If I remember correctly).


Paladin \PAL-uh-din\, noun: 1. A knight-errant; a distinguished champion of a medieval king or prince; as, the paladins of Charlemagne. 2. A champion of a cause.

Nobody mentioned this but in Dexter, one of the gamer's names is Gygax, the chilvarous kn, kn, [stutters], paladin.
lordsathien

05-09-04, 09:13 AM
I'm sure anyone who's read this has either seen or heard a version of the classic Deadale Wives Watchtower radio bit about D&D. It was even an extra in the first Summoner game on the PS2 with the various characters providing imagery for the dialogue.

"Where're the cheetohs??!!"
"Roll the dice to see if I'm getting drunk."

Another internet deal being the Knights of the Dinner Table (also a comic book series)

"25 Xp for sewing my own wounds??!! Man, I'm ripping 'em out and doing it again."
jake_lex

05-09-04, 09:47 AM
Gary Gygax actually made a guest appearance on The Simpsons. If I'm remembering every detail correctly, it went something like this:

Lisa: How are you today, Mr. Gygax?

GG: Well, I'm...[rolls a d20]...fine.
ORC_Paradox

05-09-04, 10:40 AM
I can't belive nobody's mentioned Cloak and Dagger. D&D modules/games can be seen in the background in the game store. And although it opens with a spy RPG, seeing those huge d12's come crashing down on the fictional character "Jack" was priceless. (The scene cuts to the kid rolling a pair of d12s.)

If you're looking for Anti-D&D stuff there's Mazes & Monsters. And two quaint little made for TV movies based on the same murder case. Cruel Doubt, and Honor Thy Mother.

You Can't Do That On Televsion. (I miss that show. Not a kid anymore, but it was great way back when. A children's Laugh In on Nickelodeon.)

A couple of skits I remember: Prison scene where they're using a checkerboard.. (Go figure.).. Kevin> "I just love playing Dungeons & Dragons!"

Prison Gaurd (Dungeoneer, I think his name was) Yeah, me too! Because I'm the Dungeon Master... Just like in real life... Now roll!

Kevin (Rolls dice. Gets as 6. Moves checker about 6 spaces while counting.)

Gaurd> Oh! You landed on a trap door! Guess what's behind the trap door?

Kevin> I don't know. (At this point green slime is dumped on his head, as one of the show's schticks was to have green slime dumped on anyone who says the prhase "I don't know". They'd have all kinds of scenerios getting the kids to say it.)

Gaurd> Green Slime! Tee Hee!

In another quick segment, Christine (Moose) is playing a videogame (I think it was an Atari 2600...) "I could get in to playing Dungeons and Dragons, but they don't make a video game version of it."
Sssargoth

05-09-04, 04:58 PM
There are several DnD strips at Penny Arcade (http://www.Penny-Arcade.com) you will have to search for them but ul get atleast 5 seperait comic strips

8 bit theater is a huge refrence to DnD, especially Red Mage the munchkin. www.nuklearpower.com/index.php (http://www.nuklearpower.com/index.php)
Landor

05-09-04, 06:00 PM
They played Dungeons & Dragons in Dazed and Confused.

.

Oh, wait. It was drugs, not D&D.
Teh Lurv

05-09-04, 06:18 PM
IIRC, John Mayer (singer) is a D&D fan. I have forgotten where I read that though.
Mordenkainen's Rubber Duck of DOOM

05-09-04, 09:00 PM
The web comic PvP has many points where they play D&D.
One of my favorites being:

"Did you just touch my dice?!?!?!"
lordsathien

05-10-04, 07:15 AM
I just now remembered a true cartoon that's packed with gamer/geek pop culture references: The Eltingville Club. So far Cartoon Network has aired it one, maybe 2 times and there's only been one episode done so far. But I've never laughed or nodded in agreeance so much before.

memorable scenes:

Rich kid into pokemon-esque cards sees the guys at the "FNGS" (with vultures circling the place above), he runs to meet up with the guys and a motorcyle runs him over and keeps on going, causing him to dislodge his suitcase of cards, the 4 members of the club rush over asking if every's cool, they proceed to rummage through his entire collection blurting out "got it, got it, got it...man you suck" They enter the store, 2 of the guys' jaws drop wide open as they see a Mint-in-box 70's Kenner Boba Fett, this conflict on "I saw it first" results in a good 10 minute long "trivia-off".

In an earlier scene the guys are waiting to see a movie and in graffitti on the wall behind them is "All your base are belong to us"

"Sorry guys, my attempts at contacting the ghost of [the guy who created Star Trek] have once again met with failure."
Sulaco

05-10-04, 10:08 AM
Originally posted by Rian Lightblade
Fast Times at Ridgemount High

And

Len Wolfe (I cheated on that one (looked at my DVD))

The Electric Best Boy on The Thing was Charles E. Nippell.
Cyricist

05-10-04, 10:36 AM
The Dexter's Lab episode earlier referred to is called "Dee & Deedee".

Back in the eighties (not sure of anyone has mentioned this one yet, but it seemd so obvious) we had the Dungeons & Dragons cartoon TV series (ah good old Hank, Presto, Uni, Eric, Dungeonmaster, Venger.. etc) and several other cartoons directly referring to D&D like Jayce and the Wheeled warriors (where the main characters are a warrior, a paladinlike robot, wizard, elf-like plantgirl and a rogue-like ship's captain).
VirgilCaine

05-10-04, 11:58 AM
Disney's Recess (TV)
- One of the characters plays a D&D-like game while recovering form a broken leg (I just caught this one by sheer chance so I don't recall the details precisely and I haven't the faintest idea who the characetrs are)

There were two other episodes with D&D references:

1) T.J. shows another student who doesn't like him around the school through the ductwork (air ventilation). One place they visit is a room with several "geeks" where "game with mystical characters" are played, among other games. The students in the room are "testing the new edition for the company." The name was given but I don't remember it.

2) The black athlete kid fears he is turning into a "geek" or something. One "symptom" was playing a game called "Caves and Cauldrons."

One of the insults Elliot chants later on in the film to his big brother's friends is "Zero Charisma!!!":twitch:
wwundt

05-10-04, 01:58 PM
Originally posted by PsionScribe
Another internet deal being the Knights of the Dinner Table (also a comic book series)


&$%#, I was going to post KotDT just when I saw your post. Though, they were a comic long before they were a web site (and the Web site isn't by the same guy as a comic). If we listed all of the web sites this list would be awfully long.
Marros

05-10-04, 04:02 PM
There was an episode of South Park the was of parody of Lord of the Rings. All the neighborhood kids, in medeival costume, mentioned something about needing "a paladin with a high constitution."
Arrowhen

05-10-04, 04:33 PM
I just now remembered a true cartoon that's packed with gamer/geek pop culture references: The Eltingville Club. So far Cartoon Network has aired it one, maybe 2 times and there's only been one episode done so far. But I've never laughed or nodded in agreeance so much before.


Then you'll want to search your local comic shop for the current and back issues of Dork (http://www.houseoffun.com/dork/) which is where the Eltingvill Club came from. The Cartoon Network show was a pilot, which explains why there was only one.
You'll also want to check out Milk and Cheese, by the same author. It's not gaming related, but how could anyone resist a comic about a carton of milk and a block of cheese who get drunk and beat people up? Come to think of it, they trashed a rennaissance faire in one issue, so there's at least some IMPLIED D&D references there. I don't know if they came out and said D&D in it, but I wouldn't be surprised.
ante_up

05-21-04, 01:15 AM
Dieselboy (http://www.djdieselboy.com/) just released an album called "Dungeonmaster's Guide".
Sssargoth

05-21-04, 01:27 AM
Originally posted by lordsathien
"Sorry guys, my attempts at contacting the ghost of [the guy who created Star Trek] have once again met with failure."

The guy who created Star Trek is Gene Rodinbery. not sure i spelled his name right tho.
Incenjucar

05-21-04, 01:36 AM
I hate to admit to knowing this, but I've seen a D&D reference, and a likely D&D-inspired event in.. ... .. "Totally Spies" ...

I leave the fricking TV on while I type for background noise, so sue me.

During an episode involving a trip to the middle ages, "Let's Get out of this Dungeons and Dragons nightmare!" and I noticed a Mirror Image trick this evening.

I really really wish there were some decent stations on my cable listing...
Shadow Weaver

05-21-04, 03:19 AM
I've already typed this into two of these threads, but here goes...

Flashlight Brown (Flashlight in Cananda) released a song called "Ready to Roll" last spring.

It's all about playing D&D on Friday night being the best experience among friends.

My favorite line is probably "half-orc / full dork."
ORC_Paradox

05-21-04, 06:11 AM
In the movie Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, there is a copy of volume 4 of the Encyclopedia Magica in Harry's ransacked dorm room.
MrkGrismer

05-21-04, 10:40 AM
I can't believe I'm the only one that watches "Tru Calling."

There was a reference when Davies (the Medical Examiner, Tru's 'boss') is reminded to call one of his college friends, and comments "He was a great DM."

And Buff was filled with references, especially once the 'evil triumphate' got introduced.
Sulaco

05-21-04, 10:47 AM
Originally posted by MrkGrismer
I can't believe I'm the only one that watches "Tru Calling."

There was a reference when Davies (the Medical Examiner, Tru's 'boss') is reminded to call one of his college friends, and comments "He was a great DM."

And Buff was filled with references, especially once the 'evil triumphate' got introduced.

What are "Tru Calling" and "Buff"?
GSHamster

05-21-04, 10:53 AM
Originally posted by Sulaco
What are "Tru Calling" and "Buff"?

Tru Calling was the FOX show with Eliza Dushku that aired this past year. She could see dead people or something.

"Buff" is probably Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Big Dawg

05-21-04, 10:55 AM
can't believe I'm the only one that watches "Tru Calling

I'll watch Eliza Dushku in anything! Especially late night! wink wink. Actually, I never saw that one but I have watched that show just cause she's one of the hottest girls I ever seen. The show itself is crap, but she's about as hot as it gets IMO

Also that GE TV add was amazing! I was laughing for an hour after I saw that.
Shivago Saru

05-21-04, 12:26 PM
Stephen Lynch(Comedian) has a song titled D&D. It has lines like:

I've got my 12-sided die and I'm ready to roll with a wizard and my goblin crew.

I've got my big broadsword cardboard.

and

I practice in my room, or what I call the Dragon's Tomb, when i'm not out with my girlfriend. (Other guy butt's in): Wait, you have a girlfriend? (Reply): Yeah...No.
Big Dawg

05-21-04, 01:03 PM
Shivago:

OMG, I forgot about that! I've heard that, it's so funny.
Sulaco

05-29-04, 09:14 PM
I was just leafing through Dragon Mag #320, and in the article about D&D's 30th year history there are a number of sidebars listing D&D pop culture references.

Now it may not be the case, given the lead-time of the mag, but I can't help but wonder if this thread was anything to do with that...:confused:
mrpink213

05-30-04, 06:46 PM
Scud comics, scud travels to an alternate dimension based on dnd, haven't seen the comic in years, but i remember him having dual handheld repeating crossbows,

also funny in that comic, he starts speaking in "ye old english", the girl he's with asks if there's anything he wasn't programmed to be able to do, he replies "soccer".

i found it hilarious, btw anyone know where i could find a complete set of scud comics, i believe there were 20 of them.
WizO_Catoblepas

05-30-04, 11:41 PM
The Red Green Show.

In the segment, he's trying to get Harold, his nerdy nephew, to say the word "company" before time runs out.

Red Green: Ok Harold, what do you call a group of people that come over to your house?

Harold: My Dungeons and Dragons Club.

Red Green: Ok, ok ... that was my fault.

Sorry, but I just love the show.
Sulaco

05-31-04, 09:03 AM
It ocurred to me on the way in to work this moirning that it is far more likely that both this thread and the D&D Art thread are more probably seeking to gain material pertaining to the 30th Anniversary history of D&D book coming out later this year.

Based on some of the responses, I would not all be surprised to see a chapter devoted entirely to the controversy surrounding Erol Otus and his work. :smirk:
Yoho1.5

05-31-04, 11:51 AM
Vancouver Punk Rock band Dayglow Abortions hvae a D&D fight song called the Beast which is full of first edtion references. The lyrics contain stats for the beast in the old Deities and Demigods format. I no longer have the album, or anything to play it on for that matter, so I'm trying to recall some of the lines to the best of my memory: "The Beast he exsists, the Beast on the Astral Plane... " then the song goes on to list hit points, AC monk and bard abilites being "nil". Another Dayglow song was actually called Dungeons and Dragons it started out with the lines "you've created your character your destiny controlled by a die of six". Wow that takes me back if anyone remebers more of it than I do, I pity you.;).

On another note whats with all the pop references to D12s, the least used die in all the game has snatched the lime light, why is that?
its in weezers "in the garage", in the movie "Cloak and Dagger" and in Stepen Lynch's "D&D" song.
Sulaco

05-31-04, 12:42 PM
Originally posted by Yoho1.5
On another note whats with all the pop references to D12s, the least used die in all the game has snatched the lime light, why is that?
its in weezers "in the garage", in the movie "Cloak and Dagger" and in Stepen Lynch's "D&D" song.

And of course the titular song Roll of the 12 Sided Dice by Toronto group Dream Warriors. I think it just sounds good, rolls off the tongue as it were. :smirk:
TexasFriedCriminal

05-31-04, 02:18 PM
In the credits & special thanks listing of the album "Formulas Fatal To The Flesh" by Florida Death Metal band Morbid Angel, guitar player Trey Azagthoth is talking about "36HD Undead Beholders".

When I asked him about it after a concert, he confirmed to playing D&D.

Swedish Gothic Metal Band Lake of Tears mention Faerun ("Flames upon Faerun") in their Song Burn FIre Burn (which is obviously about a Flight of Dragons) which can be found on the album "Headstones",

On the same band's 3rd album, "A Crimson Cosmos", there are two songs referring to the Dragonlance setting/story: Lady Rosenred ("We turn the ghosts around and jam with angry mages. A drink with friends under three moons.") & Raistlin And The Rose (self explanatory).

Blind Guardian, from Germany, besides having various songs about various fantasy novels also have one song about Raistlin from the Dragonlance setting (though this is probably more about the books than the game): The Soulforged, from the Album "A Night At The Opera".
Dragonlover

05-31-04, 08:45 PM
Someone mentioned an episode of Recess where the air vents were being used to travel round the scholl and a room with DnD players was found. I've never seen it myself, but I'm pretty sure that I've seen the same thing happen in an episode of The Simpsons, with the Professor Finkel as one of the playtesters. Hey, gaming reference right there- Jon Finkel being at one point the worlds best Magic Player. Yes, I know it's not DnD, but it still exists.

Dragonlover
Druixin

05-31-04, 09:28 PM
The rock band now known as "Queens of the Stone Age" includes several musicians who used to play in a late '80s/early '90s outfit called "Kyuss," which, until they (presumably under pressure from TSR's attorneys) changed their name, were known as the "Sons of Kyuss."

"Sons of Kyuss," for the benefit of you non-oldtimers, are a form of undead found on page 83 of the 1st Ed. Fiend Folio: basically mummies infested with rot grubs (q.v.); the grubs leap (?) onto opponents and burrow into their brains.

I remember reading about the "Sons" in Rolling Stone and thinking they picked the second-lamest monster in all of D & D for their name. Thus inspired, I started a band called "The Flumphs," but we never went anywhere.

D.
Sulaco

06-01-04, 09:23 AM
Originally posted by Dragonlover
Someone mentioned an episode of Recess where the air vents were being used to travel round the scholl and a room with DnD players was found. I've never seen it myself, but I'm pretty sure that I've seen the same thing happen in an episode of The Simpsons, with the Professor Finkel as one of the playtesters. Hey, gaming reference right there- Jon Finkel being at one point the worlds best Magic Player. Yes, I know it's not DnD, but it still exists.

The character's name is Professor John Frink, not Finkel. He is named after one of the show's crew. Also, that never happened on The Simpsons.
Mel Kio

06-02-04, 03:05 AM
Originally posted by Lord_Soto

Newsradio (TV): ... one episode (i can't remember which) one of the characters sings a song about mythril chainmail [/B]

Was just watching that episode (418) Copy Machine. A little known co-worker kills himself with a copy machine, so a friend comes out to give the eulogy. He interviews the people in the office and gets to Matthew, who sings a song about "hobbits and gnomes have to keep the +2 sword from evil." After a cut away, he is singing about balrogs, dragons, and mythril chainmail. The guy asks him how long it is and he says it's 30 verses, but Ted (the dead guy) isn't in it. Ted is later described as a Star Wars fan.

Also in an earlier episodes:

???) Matthew is singing a song about "Frodo the gnome"

415) Dave installs a security door and explains what to do in case of disasters, including if a wizard attacks (for Matthew)
Bards R Us

06-02-04, 05:03 PM
Here are two excellent articles discussing DnD and the RPG community in general. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED to include these in the upcoming anniversary book:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/magazine/3655627.stm

http://www.boston.com/ae/games/articles/2004/01/03/the_adventure_continues/

The first one is to a BBC article. The second one is a Boston Globe one.
Dragonlover

06-02-04, 07:38 PM
Sulaco, cheers for the correction. I must be having a really faulty memory lately. Ah well, such is life.

Dragonlover
malakaiunseen

06-03-04, 09:05 AM
In a southpark episode called deathcamp of tolerance, Mr. Garrison puts Lemmywinks (the gerble) up his gay teaching aid's rear, the ghost of the Toad King sends him on a quest to escape, finiding the Sparrow Prince and the Catata Fish, it is alluded to that he goes up a level at the end of the episode, being given a "magic helmet torch" to help him on his way...


Bard-like theme for Lemmy's journey...
...A great adventure is waiting for you ahead, hurry onwards Lemmywinks or you will soon be dead, the journey before you may be long and filled with woe, but you must escape the gay man's ass or your tale can't be told...
... Lemmywink's journey has distanced far and back, to find the way out of a gay man's :censored:, the road ahead is filled with danger and fright, but push onwards Lemmywinks with all of your might...
...Take the magic helmet torch to help you light the way, there's still a lot of groun to cross inside the man so gay, ahead of you lies adventure, but your strength still lies within, freedom from the ass of doom is the treasure you will win...

Its sooo DnD I love it: recommended viewing for any fans...
Drone23

06-03-04, 10:54 AM
I can't remember the comedian's name (wish I could) but she does a bit about a gamer friend of hers who goes to the county clerk's office to officially change his name to his character's name.

The punchline: "What he didn't know is that when you go to the county clerk's office to change your name to 'Quest Akita', they don't let you keep the +4 armor."

The only thing worse than roleplayers, she claims, is Civil War reenactors. "The kind of guys who camp in their backyard every weekend and eat only hardtack with weevils in it."
cthulhu42

06-03-04, 06:26 PM
In another News Radio episode Jimmy James tells Dave that he's sorry, but he didn't bring his twelve sided dice to work today. I don't remember the exact conversation, but I remember breaking up pretty hard when he threw that one out there.

Here in the great northwest we used to have the finest metal band ever to walk the planet called Karp. They had a tune called D&D Fanatasy that was just too good.
Aramil_silverwind

09-24-04, 09:38 PM
that flashlight brown song kicks major... tail!
ImmortalBlueMage

09-25-04, 12:27 AM
Insane Clown Posse, The Wraith: Shangri-La, Track 3: "I got 18 plus speed with a +2 Dagger from the Tomb of Horrors DnD!"

Jumpsteady, The Chaos Theory, Track 1: "I'm slicker than a 20 sided die"

Additionally, Violent J mentions playind DnD back in high school on one of the tracks off of Bizarr (I don't have the album, so I can't quote it).
Gir

09-25-04, 01:35 AM
Not too long ago my younger siblings were watching Cartoon Network and I happened to be in the room. They were watching this show, I'm not sure which one it was, I'm pretty sure it was "Kids Next Door" though. A character in the show was going to get glasses and didn't want them. He said, "Glasses are for nerds... and I'm not a nerd!" Suddenly his friend shows up and says, "Hey, wanna play 'Dungeons and Dino-zoids' with us?" And the kid says, "Okay!" and runs off all excitedly. I personally found that amusing...

There's a music video I saw and toward the end it showed a brief shot of a rolling d20. For the life of me I can't remember what video it was and I keep beating myself up over it 'cause I know it's something really obvious! It was a popular song too. Has anyone else seen this?

And this isn't really pop culture but my math book had a story problem in it involving D&D... and the 12-sided dice again.
Harmor

09-25-04, 03:50 AM
OMG...you guys didn't even mention the Reno 911 episode when Officer Williams arrests a guy, Koga Meth the Demonic Lord of Conquest, who hits his friend with an axe:

Reno 911! - D&D Axe Scuffle (http://www.comedycentral.com/mp/play.php?reposid=/multimedia/reno911/206_wizard.html)
The WarOverlord

09-25-04, 09:25 AM
Beholder Like monster in "Big Trouble in Little China" Movie

Beholder like Demons in "The Rooms of Doom" PC Game

Movies like Connan the Barbarian, Legend, Willow, and Lord of the Rings.

Oops, my bad, the Makers or D&D were Lord of the Ring/Tolkien Fans so D&D general premises is based on Tolkien works :rolleyes:
Bedevere

09-25-04, 01:57 PM
Remember Goldeneye (The computer game, not the film)?

Well, in the multiplayer mode, one of the awards you could get was the AC-10 award, which since this was from the time of 2nd edition D&D, was for having hardly been hit during the game.

IIRC, there was also an AC10 award, for being hit a lot.


Thing is, while at uni, we played this game all the time. Then, once when goldeneye came on TV, we were watching it, and during the excape from the russian military archives (just before the tank chase scene), a friend yelled out "No! go the other way, theres some body armour down there!"
Ma'ElKoth

09-25-04, 07:23 PM
I loved the Reno 911 ep, but started screaming "It's Boots of STRIDING AND SPRINGING YOU IDIOTS!" I am so far gone...

Also, in Garden State there are a bunch of DnD books on the main character's bookshelves.
Tharivol

10-01-04, 03:57 PM
I just saw an episode of Futurama yesterday where Leela goes into some water that is supposed to make people mutate. She comes out with a small octopus over her head, but for the few seconds before she pulls it off, she looks just like an ithillid.
http://www.geocities.com/leaves_or/headshouldersknees.txt
And I think the in that Simpsons episode Homer actually says, "We played Dungeons & Dragons for 3 hours, then I was slain by Alf!" like he doesn't understand what he was talking about, but I could be wrong.
Ranger REG

10-01-04, 08:34 PM
The guy who created Star Trek is Gene Rodinbery. not sure i spelled his name right tho.
The late Gene Roddenberry.
Sssargoth

10-01-04, 09:28 PM
The late Gene Roddenberry.

The late, great, Gene Roddenberry.
Hurrichocobo

10-01-04, 10:01 PM
James Dio, singer for the band Dio. He admitted very early in his career that he was a avid D&D player and loved playing it, he even based alot of his songs out. His new CD is called "Killing the Dragon" for God Sakes!
Raymond_Luxury_Yacht

10-01-04, 10:59 PM
The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett also includes references to DnD, nth level spells, for example, as well as a knock at the Vancian spellcasting system.

DnD is given a brief mention in the 3rd to last Myth book, as well as the last Myth book.

The gargoyle in one of the Futurama episodes is named Pazuzu.

An episode of The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy includes multiple references to DnD, including leveling up and spellbooks.
Brent

10-01-04, 11:03 PM
The Game 'Munchkin' (Essential its a card game but a little more complicated...) its hilarious, even the name is a tribute to DnD.

Ever had to fight a "Gelatinous Octihedran" With your "Sword of Slaying Everything Except Squid"? It's hilarious!
Armoured Priest

10-01-04, 11:35 PM
In the newest issue of Game Informer, the editors put D&D on their list of the 25 most influntial games ever.
Raymond_Luxury_Yacht

10-02-04, 12:11 PM
Some more.

The cacodemon in Doom is the head of an astral dreadnaught.

Warcraft III has numerous references to DnD, such as...

The Wildkin are obvious ripoffs of the Owlbears. (Which, incidentally, is what they were originally called.)
Gnolls as hyena-like humanoids is straight from DnD.
Golems made out of various material is from DnD.
Dragons named according to their color is from DnD.
Dragons breathing something other than fire or poison is from DnD.
The breath weapons of the WCIII red, black, green, and bronze dragons are identical to the ones in DnD. (Fire, acid, poison, and lightning, respectively.)
Gargoyles as rocky, flying creatures that can freeze in place is from DnD. (They did the same thing in the original Diablo)
Druids as spellcasting shapeshifters is from DnD.
Death Knights are from DnD.
Paladins being good, evil-smiting warrior-healers with a Code of Conduct that they must follow lest they fall is from DnD.
Liches being undead spellcasters is from DnD. (Liches were also present in the Sierra expansion for the original Diablo, Hellfire. Demiliches were also present as more powerful liches, but not as floating skulls.)
Dragon Turtles are from DnD.
Trolls being tall, strong, long-nosed, regenerating creatures is from DnD. (Well, actually DnD ripped it off of some book, but given the huge number of DnD references in WCIII, it's a reasonable assumption that Blizzard got it from DnD.)

The Torrasque Ultralisk Hero from Starcraft is based after the Tarrasque. (It's a melee monster that you can't premanently kill. At least in the expert level mini-campaign.)
Random bloke

10-02-04, 01:57 PM
Two corrections:

While a lot of people remember the X-Files "Learn about courage" line as belonging to one of the lone gunmen, it actually belongs to a really stupid comic relief conspiracy theorist/geek/weirdo in that episode that was a lame self parody (when a guy was interviewing Dana for a book, and got conflicting versions about alien abductions/military testing).

The line in Angel is "What about Dungeons and Dragons?" "Yeah, seen a few". Or some-such.
Garith Dragonborn

10-02-04, 03:12 PM
Golems made out of various material is from DnD.
Druids as spellcasting shapeshifters is from DnD.

I'm sorry but golems are from Jewish Mythology, and Druids were Celtic Preists/Preistesses
Steelgryphon

10-02-04, 03:19 PM
Foxtrot (Comic Strip): Has had several runs which prominently feature references to a role-playing game, including wizards, critical hits, etc.

I belie it went like this
DM: you see an army of Orcs
Player: i fire my arrow of +208 Destruction
DM: Hit, The orc army is destroyed
Player: Clearly Tolkein never played D&D
Random bloke

10-02-04, 03:21 PM
All of his stuff can be explained as "not from D&D" per-se. But yeah, WCIII has a strong D&D influence/ was influenced by the same sources as D&D.
Raymond_Luxury_Yacht

10-02-04, 06:37 PM
Golems made out of various material is from DnD.
Druids as spellcasting shapeshifters is from DnD.

I'm sorry but golems are from Jewish Mythology, and Druids were Celtic Preists/Preistesses
I'm well aware of that. However, golems being made out of various materials and druids being shapeshifting spellcasters is from DnD.
The Vorpal Tribble

10-02-04, 08:11 PM
You guys have just about named all I've come across, though Real Life Comics also has featured quite a few D&D based strips. Here are a few offhand:

#1. Its a freaking Djinn! (http://www.reallifecomics.com/daily.php?strip_id=1126)

Several consecutive strips:
#2. Aww crap... you find a ring of three wishes. (http://www.reallifecomics.com/daily.php?strip_id=1136)
#3. Those are the smallest gold pieces I have ever seen... (http://www.reallifecomics.com/daily.php?strip_id=1137)
#4. My lawyer double checked this wish... (http://www.reallifecomics.com/daily.php?strip_id=1138)

#5. You gave him a vorpal pickaxe?! (http://www.reallifecomics.com/daily.php?strip_id=1272)

#6. I... am UBER! (http://www.reallifecomics.com/daily.php?strip_id=1271)

#7.My precious... (http://www.reallifecomics.com/daily.php?strip_id=911)

#8. Disturbance in the force... (http://www.reallifecomics.com/daily.php?strip_id=938)
Ranger REG

10-03-04, 03:30 AM
The late, great, Gene Roddenberry.
I didn't want to boast that. This place smell more like the Flanneled One's temple.

:D
Sulaco

10-04-04, 11:03 AM
And I think the in that Simpsons episode Homer actually says, "We played Dungeons & Dragons for 3 hours, then I was slain by Alf!" like he doesn't understand what he was talking about, but I could be wrong.


You are wrong.

I remembered another one. In an episode of Undergrads two of the characters (Gimpy and Nitz IIRC) talk about playing D&D in the basement.