Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons are a happy little pair. Fans of Stranger Things play Dungeons and Dragons; fans of Dungeons and Dragons watch Stranger Things, and we get a Venn Diagram that looks a whole lot like a circle. And we are no exception. As we await the finale of Stranger Things season 5 DND is on our minds, and we’re on the edge of our seats to find out what happens! So in honor of the occasion, we decided to bring all of our Stranger Things DND content in one place. If you’re a newcomer wondering if Stranger Things is based off of DND, what DND characters are in Stranger Things, how Stranger Things is connected to DND, or you’re a Stranger Things superfan hoping to know more about Stranger Things season 5 DND references, we’ll point you in the right direction!

DND in the 1980s is a bit of an iconic era. But not everybody who plays the game today got the chance to play Dungeons and Dragons in the 80s. This leaves them wondering what DND edition was played in the 1980s, whether DND was popular in the 80s, how DND changed over the years, when DND was at its peak, and, of course, what’s up with the 80s DND controversy. We’re here to answer all these and more as we share about the progression of Dungeons and Dragons from the 1980s to the 2020s. 

The game is filled with spells, familiars, and other timeless witchy elements, so of course there are witches in DND. Many players have already modified the core rules to create DND witch classes for their characters. But what about the non-player characters? It turns out that there are plenty of witch DND stats in the official materials, not to mention the rich Dungeons and Dragons witch lore to go along with them! We picked 5 of the coolest witches from the many worlds of DND and dug through their stats and lore to give you the highlight reel of famous witches in DND.  

Halloween is the ultimate holiday for Dungeons and Dragons fans. It’s filled with classic DND elements like witches, monsters and ghosts  – plus, it’s the perfect excuse to dress up as our characters! So, naturally, young DND enthusiasts are on the lookout for DNDHalloween books, spooky DND campaign ideas, or the perfect one shot for a Halloween Dungeons & Dragons game. Over the years, we’ve gathered lots of resources for spooky DND games and we’re here to share them with you.

Running Dungeons and Dragons combat encounters that are exciting, engaging, and fun can be a difficult task – believe me, I know! There’s so much to keep track of, from the DND combat rules to initiatives, hit points, and resources – plus, your players will inevitably throw a wrench in your plans and do something totally unexpected. I’ve learned from experience what works (and what doesn’t) when building and running a DND combat encounter. So here are some examples (pulled from my actual games!) to help you build your own DND combat encounters.

During a kind of lunar eclipse called a “blood moon,” the Earth gets right between the sun and moon, casting a shadow on the moon and turning it red! This got us thinking about different mythology, lore, and stories about the moon and its powers – which, of course, are plentiful in Dungeons & Dragons. From playing a D&D moon elf to wielding a D&D moon sickle to casting the moonbeam spell in D&D, there are plenty of cool options for moon-themed characters, stories, and abilities. We looked through the official lore and rules and picked our favorite lunar D&D campaign ideas and inspiration to share with you!

With the release of The Fantastic Four: First Steps in theaters, all of geek-dom is talking about this super-team, and we’re here for it. Like The Justice League and The Avengers, The Fantastic Four exemplify a truth that’s core to DND: when powerful individuals work together, they can accomplish so much more than they can alone. So why not make the Fantastic Four D&D characters? We’ve homebrewed some Fantastic Four D&D builds, tying in and explaining each of the Fantastic Four’s powers. So put on your super-suit and join us for an epic adventure!

We already shared some ideas for how to have an animal companion in Dungeons & Dragons using a character’s spells, magic items, and skills. But what if you knew you wanted your character to have an animal companion from the very beginning? Then you could create a whole D&D build around having a pet! Your character could specialize in communing with nature, creating arcane constructs, or summoning familiars…there are so many options. We’ve gone through all of them to create this list of the best D&D classes for having a pet!

Players from all across the internet love a funny D&D story – we know, because we’re among them! There’s nothing that feels quite like getting to hear awesome silly moments from a D&D campaign, unless it’s sharing your own epic D&D stories of natural 20s, plans gone wrong, or times the players stumped the Dungeon Master! We’ve been running games at Young Dragonslayers for five years now, and we’ve got the zaniest, most creative players in the world: tweens and teens! So sit back, relax, and enjoy these absolutely hilarious but delightfully wholesome D&D stories from our campaigns.

The pantheon of Dungeons & Dragons is vast, containing mythological deities from our world, like Asmodeus, alongside original gods, like Selûne. When playing a D&D character with divine powers, like a cleric or paladin, you get to choose one of these deities to get power from - plus you may encounter them along your adventures! If you’re a fan of Norse mythology, you may wonder what Norse gods are in D&D and how you could incorporate them in a Norse mythology campaign or into your own D&D character. If that’s you, read on!

The new Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual brings a fresh look at popular monsters in D&D 5e. You may be familiar with some monsters, but did you know that many of them were actually directly inspired by Lord of the Rings! Here are a few classic monsters from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, their Dungeons & Dragons counterparts, and how the new D&D monsters 2024 shape up. 

When most people think of a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, they usually picture the action happening on land: in castles, caves, cities, forts, mountains, roads, and, of course, dungeons. But some adventures are not content to stay landlocked - they call for the pull of the saltwater, to sail on a ship, fight aquatic monsters, and explore the depths of the ocean. If you’re an old or new Dungeon Master looking for unique D&D campaign ideas, why not look to the water? We’re professional DMs over here (I know, it is the coolest job), so we have a few ideas for themes, plot hooks, and settings to inspire exciting and memorable D&D sessions that your players will love.

Here at Young Dragonslayers, I’ve seen how Dungeons & Dragons can increase creative thinking, confidence, empathy, and so much more. What if the power of D&D could also help me keep my New Year’s resolutions? The safe play space of the game might make difficult things easier (and help me be more invested in following through). I’d certainly like to find out.

Some Dungeons & Dragons stories become legendary: a perfectly timed natural 20, a ridiculous use of a spell or item, or a plan of attack the Dungeon Master never expected. I've been a Dungeon Master for a while, so I’ve been witness to many such moments. Now, whenever I see a meme template, hear a song, or watch a movie, somewhere in the back of my head is a D&D story that fits right along. So of course, with the upcoming release of the Wicked movie (and the soundtrack I've had memorized since 2009), my brain has been pairing up my favorite songs with my favorite D&D stories, which I have decided to share with you. Enjoy these moments from my many D&D campaigns along with a matching song from the musical Wicked. 

We are big fans of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings here at Young Dragonslayers, and we aren't alone. Many of the very first people working on Dungeons & Dragons loved Lord of the Rings, taking inspiration from the books as they crafted the rules and world of the game. So, that got us wondering - what would Tolkein's stories have looked like in D&D? Could we use these classic tales to teach people how the game worked? Let's find out together!

If you're around the D&D sections of the internet, whether that's subreddits, YouTube channels, or even your TikTok FYP, you've probably at least heard about the upcoming release of a new version of D&D. This news raises a lot of questions, especially for new players. What is a new version exactly? What will happen to the old version? What changed? And, most importantly, how can my D&D group deal handle this? D&D is our bread and butter here at Young Dragonslayers™, so let us guide you through what this means for D&D and how you can expect the game to change (or not).

Summer is one of the best times of the year; freedom from school means lots of time for activities like sports, reading, games, and hanging out with friends and family. Playing D&D.0 rolls these all into one, and summer is the perfect time to roll your dice and go on epic adventures with your friends. If you’re thinking of running or joining a campaign this summer, you could adventure the high seas, explore the coastline, or dive deep below the surface of the ocean to find whole underwater societies. There are tons of cool water items, environments, and creatures in the world of D&D; here are a few of our favorites for your summer campaign.

June is Pride Month, where the LGBTQ+ community celebrates who they are and remembers where they came from. Many of the Dungeon Masters here at Young Dragonslayers (myself included) are a part of this community, which informs the way we play the game.

If you think about it, it makes sense; the roleplaying and fictional aspects of Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) are a great way to explore, express, and learn more about all kinds of identities - and do so in a safe place that doesn’t carry the pressure of “real life.” So it’s no surprise that D&D has a rich history of LGBTQ+ creators and players bringing their own ideas to the game. But, especially for those outside the community, trying to portray an LGBTQ+ character accurately and respectfully can feel like a lot of pressure. Here is some advice on how to create an LGBTQ+ character that is imagined with sensitivity, interesting to learn about, and, of course, fun to play!

Long day of cleaning ahead? Dog itching for an epic walk? The inevitable bore of a long road trip looming into your future? Fear not—an epic lineup of fun, engaging, and intriguing Dungeons and Dragons podcasts are here!

D&D podcasts (and podcasts in general) have seen a major renaissance since the pandemic, and there’s an endless backlog of worlds and settings when it comes to choosing your next adventure. Well-produced, theatrical D&D podcasts can be a great way to pass the time as an individual or as a family, and they can also be an engaging, practical way to familiarize yourself with the rules and mechanics of the game. So whether you’re an iTunes or Spotify fanatic, it’s time to find your next epic quest!

Dungeons & Dragons is known for its high-fantasy setting, with elements like elves, mages, dwarves, and clerics. This setting can be a ton of fun to play in (we often do!), but with the power of third-party content or good old-fashioned reskinning, you can play D&D in other settings: cyberpunk action, space exploration, or superhero adventures. If you’d like to play a superhero-style character in D&D, there are plenty of options in the core game resembling the powers and abilities of iconic superhero characters like Batman or Wonder Woman. Whether you’re going for a full-on superhero tale or you just want a little inspiration from your favorite heroes, here are our recommendations to get you started.