“Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” introduces the audience to the magic system of “D&D” primarily through Simon, the group’s aspiring sorcerer. Upon Edgin (Chris Pine) and Holga (Michelle Rodriguez) reuniting with Simon, the spellcaster’s spell goes awry, with the villagers noticing he’s been stealing from them. A brawl ensues, and we see how Simon’s magic isn’t a guaranteed success. In the game “D&D,” many sorcerers gain power through wild magic, meaning that an untamed random magical effect happens whenever they cast a spell, which the movie shows when Simon accidentally reverses gravity.
Another way “Honor Among Thieves” boasts a more realistic magic system is through vocal components. In “D&D,” most spells require the caster to utter a phrase, and if they can’t speak for whatever reason, they won’t be able to cast it. Fans see this in the movie when, during the same brawl, a villager covers Simon’s mouth, preventing him from casting a spell.
However, the most important aspect of this magic system is concentration. “D&D” boasts a wide array of spells that require the caster to maintain concentration for it to have any effect. This prevents players from spamming multiple incantations and adds another level of realism to the magic system. “Honor Among Thieves” incorporates this really well into the movie. The most obvious example is when Simon’s foot gets stuck as they’re trying to find the Neverwinter vault, leading to his concentration breaking and his illusion of Edgin falling apart in the most hilarious way possible.