Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves surprised its audience with its imaginative portrayal of the beloved tabletop game, but a number of missing spells could have changed things in the party’s favor. Dungeons & Dragons is renowned for its inventive play style that enables players to build their character and play almost any way they choose. For magic-based characters, it gets even more fun as they level up. However, there are still limitations on the number and kind of spells that can be used to keep characters from being too overpowered.
It seems that was also the case with Honor Among Thieves, set in the Forgotten Realms campaign of the original game. It’s understandable that the characters weren’t at full magical power, as that would have made for a rather short movie. The characters faced numerous challenges, and some of the most classic D&D powers that were absent could have been a real game-changer. Here are 10 D&D spells and magical abilities that would have saved the party numerous times had they existed in Honor Among Thieves.
10 Edgin’s Bard Class Spells
In Paramount’s live-action version of D&D, Edgin (Chris Pine) did not fit the typical form of a Dungeons & Dragons bard. In every edition of D&D, bards have had access to spells. With the help of this class ability, a bard can temporarily boost the attack rolls, saving throws, or ability checks of their allies. Edgin’s bard spells could have been useful to escape execution for him and Holga, played by Michelle Rodriguez, while battling the dragon statue or during the big fight with Sofina the Red Wizard (Daisy Head). However, the bard class hasn’t always had magic spells. The earlier D&D games actually didn’t feature bards with many spellcasting abilities. Ultimately, Honor Among Thieves‘ bard class change still created another classic D&D homage.
9 Mage Hand
A popular D&D spell, Mage Hand, allows the mage to control a huge, floating hand that can carry out tasks even when the mage is far away from the target. This spell wasn’t among every D&D spell and ability in Honor Among Thieves, and it would have helped the party get into the vault faster and more efficiently. Doric the druid, played by Sophia Lillis, was able to overcome these obstacles by using her incredible Wild Shape ability to shape-shift into smaller animals and help the party. Still, she was almost killed a few times while pulling off these dangerous missions, something that Mage Hand might have helped mitigate.
8 Polymorph
In D&D, Polymorph spells give creatures the ability to change into a beast, while True Polymorph gives the caster the ability to change into any creature of any kind. Unlike Doric’s Wild Shape, Polymorph also grants the caster the ability to direct the spell at someone else and transform them. If this ability had been used in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, the characters might have taken on different forms to do certain jobs or gain strategic advantages. Edgin and Holga could have used it as a clever way to sneak up and get out of jail by disguising themselves, or by turning their jailers into crabs. The use of Polymorph could have been among a long list of hidden D&D abilities in Honor Among Thieves, adding to the amazing visual effects and complexity of the plot.
7 True Seeing
The absence of True Seeing is notable given the centrality of illusion and trickery to the plot of Honor Among Thieves. This D&D spell allows the caster or someone of their choosing to see through illusions and disguises, including detecting hidden doors enchanted by magic. It could have provided more clarity for the characters’ understanding of unfolding events. The party would have avoided being caught by the Black Tentacle spell cast by Forge, played by Hugh Grant. If True Seeing had been employed, both characters and the audience could have benefited from escaping this one.
6 Stoneskin
With the casting of this spell, either the caster or a person or creature they touch would have gained the durability of stone, rendering them immune to the majority of physical attacks. Although it gives temporary protection, this is an extremely useful ability in combat of any kind, but especially in the confrontation with Sofina. This spell was able to give the party a brief but significant advantage whenever it seemed as though the odds were stacked against them in their combined fight against her.
5 Geas
In Irish folklore, a geas is an agreement a prohibition that is magically imposed upon someone. The Geas spell in Dungeons & Dragons is the same, giving the caster the ability to place another creature under a command that it is obligated to carry out. It would have been possible for Edgin and Holga to use this to convert a guard running after them into an ally, even if only temporarily. The implementation of such a spell has the potential to open up a wide variety of interesting narrative avenues. Honor Among Thieves would be enhanced with the additional layers of depth and potential hilarious scenes that Geas could bring to it.
4 Fly
The name of this spell says it all. If Holga and Edgin had had this spell in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, they would have been able to break out of jail more quickly and wouldn’t have needed to wait for Chancellor Jarnathan to free them. The brilliant scene in which they tricked the court and kidnapped him to fly out of jail makes for excellent comedy. The Fly spell could also have been used in other scenarios, such as passing passages or evading the dragon trap scene. The flexibility of flying would have given the characters more options for how to solve problems because they could use it in different ways.
3 Levitate
The Levitate spell would have let the group float over obstacles, such as drowning in the Tomb of the Nine Gods. This magical ability would have been a nice change from some of the more physically demanding challenges the party had to face in Honor Among Thieves. By getting around some obstacles, the party might have been able to save their energy for later challenges. This would have changed the pace and stakes of their quest. It could have also led to even more visually impressive scenes in movies, with the characters floating through the air. On the other hand, without their hardships, they may not have been battle-tested enough to defeat Sofina at the end.
2 Druidcraft
Druidcraft lets the character control natural elements such as animals, plants, or the weather. The Druidcraft spell could have been used to distract enemies, call animals to attack them, or hide behind plants and trees. The more the tactical options are, the more interesting the adventure could get. Doric’s animal shapeshifting ability in Honors Among Thieves was arguably the most effective and useful tool the party had. Using Druidcraft, the party would have been able to use natural forces as well to fight the Red Wizard of Thay and her army.
1 Wish
As one of the strongest spells in D&D, the Wish spell has the capability to change the events of reality. Including it in Honor Among Thieves would have potentially resolved complex issues in an instant. The spell would act as a total game-changer, setting new directions for the story to explore. For example, when Edgin saw the dragonfly toward the end of the film, he thought of his wife Zia and wanted to prevent his daughter Kira from losing another mother. He used the Tablet of Reawakening to bring Holga back instead, losing the chance to resurrect his wife. Wish would have helped him achieve his long-life mission and altered the plot of the movie. The audience is left wondering what might have been had these spells and abilities been included in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, with endless possibilities for new story arcs.
