Dungeons And Dragons (TV Series)

''Dungeons & Dragons'' is an American animated television series based on TSR's ''Dungeons & Dragons'' role-playing game. It is a co-production of Marvel Productions and TSR, with the Japanese Toei Animation. It ran on CBS from 1983 through 1985 for three seasons, for a total of twenty-seven episodes.

The show focuses on a group of six friends who are transported into the realm of ''Dungeons & Dragons'', following their adventures as they try to find a way home with the help of their guide the Dungeon Master while combating an evil wizard.

Overview

The show focuses on a group of friends aged between 8 and 15 who are transported to the realm of ''Dungeons & Dragons'' by taking a magical dark ride on an amusement park roller coaster. Upon arriving in the realm they meet Dungeon Master (named for the referee in the tabletop role-playing game), who gives each child a magical item granting each of them powers appropriate to a ''D&D'' character class.

The children's main goal is to find a way home, but they often take detours to help people or find that their fates are intertwined with that of others. The group comes across many different enemies, but their primary antagonist is Venger. He is a powerful wizard who wishes to rule the realm and believes the power from the children's weapons will help him to do so. Another recurring villain is Tiamat, who is a five-headed dragon and the only creature that Venger fears.

Throughout the series, a connection is suggested between Dungeon Master and Venger. At the end of the episode "The Dragon's Graveyard", Dungeon Master calls Venger "my son". At the end of another episode, he states "We all make mistakes. Venger... was mine." The final unproduced episode "Requiem" would have confirmed that Venger is the Dungeon Master's corrupted son (making Kareena the sister of Venger and the daughter of Dungeon Master), redeemed Venger (giving those trapped in the realm their freedom), and ended on a cliffhanger where the six children could finally return home or deal with evil that still existed in the realm.

Said unproduced episode would have served as both a conclusion to the story and as a re-imagining of the show, had it been picked up for a fourth season, but was canceled before the episode was made. The script has since been published online and was performed as an audio drama as a special feature for the BCI Eclipse DVD edition of the series.

Characters

Heroes

* Hank, the Ranger (voiced by Willie Aames) – at 15 years of age, he is the leader of the group. Hank is brave and noble, maintaining a focus and determination even when presented with grave danger. Hank is a Ranger, with a magical bow that shoots arrows of glowing energy. These arrows can be used in many different ways such as a climbing tool, to hurt enemies, to bind them, to create light, or to form temporary makeshift cages.
* Eric, the Cavalier (voiced by Don Most) – the Cavalier, at the age of 15, is the spoiled child, originating from a rich home. On the surface, Eric is a big-mouthed comic relief coward. Eric has a heroic core, and frequently saves his friends from danger with his magical griffin shield, which can project a force field. Despite his aloofness and several instances of selfishness, Eric shares the common camaraderie of the group, and occasionally steps to the fore as a substitute leader in Hank's absence.
* Diana, the Acrobat (voiced by Tonia Gayle Smith) – a brave, athletic, and outspoken 14-year-old girl, she is an Acrobat who carries the javelin quarterstaff, which can change size to suit her needs and be easily reconstructed if broken. Diana is also known to provide inspiration, guidance and support for her friends at times of peril or worry.
* Presto, the Magician (voiced by Adam Rich) – the 14-year-old Wizard of the team, equipped with a magic hat. Friendly and fiercely loyal to all in the group, Presto fulfills the role of the well-meaning, diligent magic user whose spells frequently—though not always—either fail or produce unintended results.
* Sheila, the Thief (voiced by Katie Leigh) – as the Thief, Sheila, aged 13, has the Cloak of Invisibility which makes her invisible when the hood is raised over her head. Although occasionally emotionally vulnerable and with a great fear of being alone in the realm, Sheila regularly utilizes the stealth attributes of her cloak at great peril to herself for the benefit of the common goals of her group.
* Bobby, the Barbarian (voiced by Ted Field III) – the youngest member of the team at eight years old and the younger brother of Sheila. He is the Barbarian, as indicated by his fur pants and boots, horned helmet, and cross belt harness. Brash, brave and selfless but occasionally impulsive, Bobby's personality frequently puts himself and his friends in danger. His cudgel saves the protagonists from peril on numerous occasions.
* Uni (vocal effects provided by Frank Welker) – Uni is Bobby's pet, a baby unicorn. Markedly timid, Uni is closest to Bobby. She is remarkably intelligent, shown to be capable of using Presto's hat's magic on at least one occasion, and can teleport once per day.
* Dungeon Master (voiced by Sidney Miller) – the group's friend and mentor, he provides important advice and help, but often in a cryptic manner that does not make sense until the team has completed the quest of each episode. Dungeon Master supplies the companions with their weapons and clues for their numerous opportunities to return home.

Villains

* Venger, the Force of Evil (voiced by Peter Cullen) – the main antagonist

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