Josh Sawyer Roasts Stranger Things’ D&D Blunders: A Hilarious Take from the Role-Playing Universe!
RPG Fans Assemble!
Let’s talk about a hot topic in the gaming community: the latest season of Stranger Things and its questionable grasp of Dungeons & Dragons rules. Josh Sawyer, the design director at Obsidian, famous for hits like Fallout: New Vegas and Pentiment, chimed in on this with some serious sass!
In a now-famous BlueSky post, Sawyer dropped the bombshell, proclaiming, “Season ruined!” alongside a clip featuring Mike Wheeler (played by Finn Wolfhard) casually butchering the Cleric class’s abilities. I mean, come on, Mike! You’re talking about Dimension Door like it’s a pizza delivery order! Sawyer’s off-camera reaction of a fervent “BULLSHIT!” perfectly encapsulates all of our cringes.
When Accuracy Goes Out the Window
While it’s not the end of the world, it’s baffling how a series that gleefully pulls from the rich lore of D&D can still mess up the basics. It’s like watching your buddy do the Macarena at a wedding, blissfully unaware he’s five years behind the trend — painful yet oddly satisfying! Sawyer, a seasoned player himself, hinted that seeing inaccuracy in something so important to the show’s fabric is a mix of delightful and infuriating.
Adding a dash of humor, Obsidian’s narrative lead Kate Dollarhyde revealed: “I walked into Josh’s office, and there he was, clutching a copy of AD&D like a sacred text!” What was he doing? Just casually proving points, I bet!
Interestingly, Sawyer pointed out that the Duffer Brothers, the creators of Stranger Things, are about a decade younger than him and were more into Magic: The Gathering than D&D. He was like, “No shade, but my D&D experience is like their ‘Stranger Things’ experience on steroids!” Talk about leveling up!
In his youth, Sawyer learned from the best — an older kid named Tony who probably could’ve been Eddie Munson’s cool uncle. They dabbled in the chaos that was the D&D experience with rules being more of a suggestion than law. By the time high school hit, it was straight-up rule lawyering! But Sawyer argues that the character dynamics show they should be following the rules, not remixing them like a DJ at a backyard barbecue.
The Blunders Keep Coming
And don’t get him started on the show’s claims about D&D rules in the latest season — it’s not just that they made mistakes, it’s that they’re tossing around terms and classes that are all too new for the original vibe! It feels like they’re using the 5th Edition handbook instead of staying true to their 1st Edition roots. Come on, guys! That’s like dressing up for a medieval fair in a space costume.
Teasing that the audience may not care about these inconsistencies, Sawyer contemplates that perhaps this makes them relatable: “Kids play the game wrong all the time!” But let’s be real, if Eddie thinks he’s going to run the game like a drill sergeant, he should at least know the rules!
In conclusion, while it’s not the biggest issue in the universe, Sawyer made a solid point: as someone with decades of tabletop experience, the inaccuracies slightly overshadow the nostalgic homage this period piece attempts to pay. Viewers in the know are left grumbling over multiple cups of coffee while claiming their nerd badges post-episode. And let’s be honest, if they don’t fix these errors soon, it’s going to be a long season of eye-rolling for the oldheads like Josh Sawyer out there!