Strange Things Season 5 Fans Are Spoiled for Choice with Fitting Dungeons and Dragons Options

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The link between the show Stranger Things and the game Dungeons & Dragons was clear from the very beginning. The first episode of Season 1 opens with four friends playing Dungeons & Dragons, and their game features a battle with a Demogorgon as they finish a lengthy campaign.

The latest season of the hit Netflix show Stranger Things is here, and the first part is full of references to Dungeons & Dragons as the characters get ready for their final battle with Vecna. While fans wait for the remaining episodes, they can enjoy a game of Dungeons & Dragons themselves – there are lots of connections between the show and the game, as well as other related products.

Stranger Things Has a Long History With Dungeons and Dragons

Throughout its five seasons, Stranger Things has consistently celebrated 1980s culture, and Dungeons & Dragons has been a central part of that. The game has played a significant role in the show, with connections appearing in many different ways, including:

  • Mike, Dustin, Lucas, and Will are shown playing Dungeons and Dragons in the first episode of Season 1 and again after Will’s return. They name the season’s antagonist the Demogorgon after a monster they faced in their campaign.
  • Season 2’s antagonistic monster is named the Mind Flayer, another iconic Dungeons and Dragons creature, because of its ability to possess humans and lesser Upside Down creatures.
  • In Season 3, the party’s lessening interest in Dungeons and Dragons upsets Will, who repeatedly tries to organize games. When he leaves Hawkins, he leaves his Dungeons and Dragons books to Lucas’s sister Erica.
  • Season 4 sees the now high school-aged Mike and Dustin join the “Hellfire Club” to play Dungeons and Dragons with dungeon master Eddie Munson. They play a campaign called “The Cult of Vecna,” and later dub the season’s monstrous foe “Vecna” after the lich lord.
  • No spoilers, but Season 5 continues this trend.

Stranger Things Fans Can Enjoy Official D&D Adventures

  • The Stranger Things Dungeons and Dragons Starter Set
  • Welcome to the Hellfire Club

While the story of Stranger Things isn’t directly a Dungeons & Dragons game, the show has inspired official Dungeons & Dragons products. The Stranger Things Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set recreates the original campaign led by Mike in Season 1, and Welcome to the Hellfire Club features adventures created by Eddie for new members. Both sets are great ways for Stranger Things fans to get into Dungeons & Dragons, and they’re especially good for people who are new to tabletop role-playing games.

Official Dungeons and Dragons Gameplay Stranger Things Sets Gameplay
Characters can be fully customized and player-generated. It features pre-generated characters, with some options to switch out spells or items.
Characters can level up throughout, with 20 as the max level. Adventures are designed for low-level characters, with few or no leveling options (Level 3–4 in Starter Set, 1–3 in Welcome to the Hellfire Club).
A huge amount of monsters, spells, items, etc., to choose from, with dozens of published books. Generally designed for newer players, with a limited selection of monsters, spells, and items. Includes stats for fighting against the Stranger Things versions of the Demogorgon and Mind Flayer (but not Vecna)
A mix of linear and open-ended adventures, with many options for creating custom stories. Stories are generally linear, with some room for improvisation.

The Starter Set and Welcome to the Hellfire Club are perfect for people new to Dungeons & Dragons who are also fans of the show. However, they’re just a beginning. Experienced D&D players, or those who loved the Hellfire Club adventures and want to explore more of the game, can build their own stories or add a Stranger Things theme to their current campaigns.

Incorporating Stranger Things Into Dungeons and Dragons Campaigns

If you’ve outgrown the Welcome to the Hellfire Club adventure or want a more challenging and detailed game, there are many ways to bring the feel of Stranger Things into your Dungeons & Dragons campaign. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Adding Stranger Things Into a Homebrew Campaign

  • Bring a Stranger Things-style ‘flower-headed’ Demogorgon or many-legged Mind Flayer into the campaign as a monster for players to fight.
  • Have players visit an alternate realm or dimension similar to the Upside Down. The dismal Shadowfell plane is a great option for this—alternatively, use the Vale of Shadows from Welcome to the Hellfire Club.
  • Include an NPC inspired by a favorite Stranger Things character. DMs could use the character sheets featured in the Starter Set or Welcome to the Hellfire Club as a starting point for bringing in Will the Wise, Lady Applejack, and more.
  • Have players solve a puzzle like ones seen in Stranger Things. For example, they could interpret a message delivered via flashing Christmas lights, like how Joyce and Will ‘spoke’ during the latter’s time in the Upside Down.

Best Official Adventures for Stranger Things Fans

While fans wait for the final episodes of Stranger Things Season 5, they can explore official Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. Since Vecna is the main villain, players might enjoy confronting him in a D&D game. The Vecna: Eve of Ruin adventure, released in 2024, is a great choice. It’s a large-scale campaign designed for experienced players, taking characters from level 10 to 20.

  • Vecna: Eve of Ruin
  • Curse of Strahd
  • Candle Keep Mysteries
  • Tomb of Annihilation
  • Out of the Abyss

If you enjoy the spooky atmosphere of later seasons of Stranger Things, Curse of Strahd is a fantastic Dungeons & Dragons campaign. For fans who like solving puzzles and creating theories, Candlekeep Mysteries offers shorter, engaging adventures. Tomb of Annihilation feels like those classic 1980s adventures, giving off a similar nostalgic vibe. And if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to be trapped in a bizarre alternate dimension like the Upside Down, Out of the Abyss is the campaign for you.

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2025-12-01 21:35