Welcome to the Hellfire Club! Stranger Things and Dungeons and Dragons

From the very first season, when (a very young!) Mike, Lucas, Will, and Dustin formed 'The Party' to face off against the Demogorgon and the Mind Flayer, D&D has proved central to the events happening in Hawkins. In the Stranger Things universe, D&D is more than a game, it mirrors and names the terrifying evils and challenges faced within the Upside Down.

Ready to pick up your D20 and defy the odds? Let's discover what makes this new set a must-have for both D&D newcomers and die-hard Stranger Things enthusiasts; get ready to roll some initiative...

Often credited as the very first roleplaying game (RPG), Dungeons & Dragons was first published in 1974, born from the minds of wargaming enthusiasts Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. Although the game as a whole has gone through many changes since it began, the core concept remains unchanged: a Dungeon Master (DM) guides players through a shared, imaginative world, with outcomes determined by the players' choices, the characters' abilities, and the unpredictable nature of rolling dice.

Fundamentalist groups and activists genuinely feared the game was a corrupting force, proclaiming it promoted "demonology, witchcraft, murder, satanic rituals," and that it would make young players unable to differentiate between fantasy and reality. In 1983, an organization called Bothered About Dungeons and Dragons (BADD) was formed and its work very nearly led to the game being banned, and we see the direct and terrifying effect this paranoia has on the character of Eddie.

This collaborative 3–6 player board game centres on Eddie Munson’s lost adventures, keeping the flames of the Hellfire Club burning!

Welcome to the Hellfire Club includes a Quick Start guide and a handy rules and reference table based on the up-to-date 2024 mechanics and the 5th Edition ruleset. The set even contains some helpful tips from the Dungeon Master himself, Eddie Munson! It also includes four self-contained adventures, designed for characters from Level 1 to Level 3, all taking place within the fictional location of Greyhawkins:

• The Vanishing Gnome

• Scream of the Crop

• Ballad of the Rat King

• Devil, Metal, Die!

The box also contains the following pieces to help you complete the campaigns:

• 11 Dice

• 15 Printed Character Sheets: Including pre-made sheets for Lady Applejack, Nog the Dwarf, Sundar the Bold, Tayr the Paladin, and Will the Wise.

• 36 Spell Cards, 20 Magic Item Cards, and 30 Monster Cards (featuring foes like Demobats and Demodogs).

• A double-sided poster map of Greyhawkins and numerous character/monster tokens.

• Mike Wheeler: Dungeon Master / Tayr, a Halfling Paladin

• Will Byers: Will the Wise, a Cleric/Wizard

• Lucas Sinclair: Sundar the Bold, a Human Knight

• Dustin Henderson: Nog, a Dwarf Bard

• Erica Sinclair: Lady Applejack, a Half-Elf Rogue

So, whether you are a seasoned Dungeons and Dragon player, a fan of the 1983 Expert Edition (played by the original 'Party,') or have never touched a D20 before; Welcome to the Hellfire Club gives you the chance to step into the Upside Down and play alongside your favourite characters. It’s an easy-to-learn set that pays homage to Stranger Things while providing a complete, high-quality D&D experience. If you prefer your Dungeons and Dragons campaign to be a little less... Stranger Things, there is always the Heroes of the Borderlands starter set, which is an all-in-one gateway to your first D&D quest. Much like Welcome to the Hellfire Club, Heroes of the Borderlands contains everything you need to get started, from making your own characters to exploring your own worlds. Check out some of our other posts on Dungeons and Dragons as well!

Ready to become an honorary member of the Hellfire Club? Head over to Chaos Cards today. And as we all wait for the new season of Stranger Things, what are your biggest predictions for the final season? More importantly, which character from the set (Lady Applejack, Nog, Sundar the Bold, Tayr, or Will the Wise) will be your first choice? Let us know over on our socials, we love to hear from you!