D&D DM goes above and beyond by adding fire to the table in dramatic boss reveal
Wizards of the CoastWhat’s scarier than a Fireball spell? How about actually setting part of your D&D gaming table on fire, which happened amid a dramatic boss reveal in one group?
It’s common for D&D groups to use minis to represent the party members and the monsters. Some people use props for items that are found in dungeons, such as potion bottles or maps.
It’s rare for groups to use special effects with their D&D props unless they’re LARPing. While it’s not completely unheard of, it depends on what kind of effect you want to use in a room in your home, as you don’t want to damage property.
One DM took the extra step with an awesome display using flash paper, which was set aflame during a D&D game, revealing the boss mini underneath. A video of the blazing intro was uploaded to the DnD Reddit by Adzyrl.
The reveal didn’t totally go as planned, however, as the boss mini also went up in flames, as can be seen near the end of the clip.
(The boss in question was intended to be a corrupted version of Poseidon that used a Marid figure, so it’s ironic that it got burned, considering how they’re both closely associated with water.)
Luckily, the party loved the reveal – as did the commentators online – which is all that matters as long as no one’s house gets burned down.
Buying expensive minis, making dioramas, mixing liquids in potion bottles, spilling tea to make paper look old, and putting on silly hats when playing certain characters are all unnecessary for playing D&D. All you need for D&D is pencil, paper, dice, and your imagination.
DMs put in the extra work because of the happy look players get when the game takes on that extra semblance of realism. Their imagination can take a backseat to the piece of fantasy that has become a reality. I, personally, wouldn’t set part of my home on fire to get a reaction from my D&D group, but I can see the appeal.