Josh Sawyer, design director at Obsidian Entertainment and known for his work on titles like Fallout: New Vegas, has openly criticized the inaccuracies in the representation of the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons in the series Stranger Things. Through a clip from the fifth season shared on BlueSky, Sawyer reacted to the statement made by Finn Wolfhard, who plays Mike Wheeler, about the abilities of the Cleric class from the 1st edition of AD&D, exclaiming “BULLSHIT!” in response to the obvious errors.
A very lazy execution
In his comments, Sawyer emphasized that the creators of Stranger Things, the Duffer brothers, are ten years younger than him and have admitted to having a greater affinity for Magic: The Gathering than for D&D. This possible lack of familiarity may have influenced the inaccuracies of the series. However, although the discrepancies are not a “crime,” according to Sawyer, they represent a disconnection from the authentic experience of D&D during the time period in which the series is set.
Additionally, Sawyer has pointed out that some errors in the fifth season are not only incorrect for the 1st edition of AD&D, but also turn out to be correct for the 5th edition, suggesting that the writers may have consulted materials from this more recent edition. “It is less plausible that the young people are making mistakes or applying house rules. Most likely, the writers consulted materials from the 5th edition,” he explained.
Despite the fact that certain mistakes can be considered part of the game and creative freedom, Sawyer sees these discrepancies as a missed opportunity in a series that is based on a historical context. As he himself points out, “old players will notice these things”. Since Stranger Things is a period piece, it is essential for its authenticity that the representation of the role-playing game is truthful and accurate.
