Essential Episodes of the Dungeons and Dragons Original Cartoon: Season 1

This guide suggests only the absolute essentials from the Dungeons And Dragons Original Cartoon series for anyone curious about the show but not wanting to invest time in watching all 27 episodes. For Season 1, there are 13 episodes in total, and I’m going to highlight three essentials, which provide a solid introduction to the core of the series and its world. My criteria for selection include well-written plots, minimal excessive goofiness, reasonable authenticity to the D&D game world, and episodes that possess genuine heart or significant character moments. This analysis aims to provide a helpful resource for fans of classic cartoons and the Dungeons & Dragons franchise.

The show, a Marvel/TSR co-production developed by the legendary Mark Evanier, features six American kids transported to a realm of sword and sorcery via a magical carnival ride. Upon arriving in this fantasy world, they are assigned character classes aligned with Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (AD&D) – ranger, barbarian, thief, cavalier, magician, and acrobat – and granted magical “Weapons of Power” by the enigmatic, Yoda-like figure known as the Dungeon Master. This old cartoon character basically torments them with riddles and teases them with quests promising a return trip to the good ol’ USA. Predictably, they never manage to escape the realm of D&D within the series’ run.

Six American kids transported to a fantasy realm with a carnival ride

Because it’s an 80s cartoon, a mandatory cute mascot is included – in this case, Uni, a baby unicorn, voiced by the prolific Frank Welker. The recurring villain is Venger, voiced by Peter “Optimus Prime” Cullen. Secrets about Venger’s past are revealed in later episodes, adding depth to the ongoing conflict with the heroes.

The score for the series is excellent and shares some tracks with contemporary Marvel Spider-Man and Hulk series. The animation also occasionally rises above typical Saturday morning cartoon fare, featuring impressive “money shot” sequences, such as a castle dramatically crumbling into a volcano or Venger’s imposing immortal spirit towering over the heroes.

As a Dungeon Master myself, I approach this series from a unique perspective. I evaluate whether certain episodes are friendly for adaptation into D&D adventures. Could a particular scenario be run successfully with your home gaming group? I have personally adapted some episodes, detailing my experiences in older blog entries. The charm of the dungeons and dragons old cartoon lies not just in watching it, but in seeing its potential application at the tabletop.

Season 1 Episode Analysis

Season 1 consists of 13 episodes. Here’s a breakdown of each, with a focus on identifying the essential viewing experiences.

The Night of No Tomorrow

• Essential? It’s fine, but you can skip it if you’re focusing on the essentials.
• Game adaptation friendly? No, too much of the plot relies on specific, potentially unpredictable decisions a player group might not make.
• AD&D Monsters: Tiamat, plus fire-breathing wyverns.
• Summary: Presto, the nerdy magician, is tricked into releasing a swarm of dragons that had plagued the town of Helix a century prior. The kids manage to defeat Tiamat twice due to her apparent lack of intelligence.
• Notes: Commentary is available from the author’s perspective as a storyboard artist, voice actor, and DM.

The Eye of the Beholder

Beholder with snail people and giant scorpionBeholder with snail peopleThe Beholder monster from Dungeons and Dragons cartoon

• Essential? No. While I’m a fan of beholders, the episode doesn’t truly capture the monster’s terror, and the plot is somewhat slow.
• Game adaptation friendly? I doubt player characters could survive this scenario in a typical D&D game, so I’d say no.
• AD&D Monsters: Beholder, giant scorpion, blue dragon.
• Original monsters: Giant snail people, hyena-like creatures.
• Summary: The kids become entangled with a cowardly knight named Sir John. Dungeon Master guides the kids towards a portal home, which is guarded by a beholder. Disappointingly, the beholder primarily attacks using lasers or energy tentacles from its eyes rather than its full array of eye rays. Venger appears, intending to kill John, prompting the kids to sacrifice their chance to go home to save the knight.
• Notes: Frank Welker provides the voice for Sir John. A video commentary is available.

The Hall of Bones

Lolth Demon Queen of Spiders from Dungeons and Dragons cartoon

• Essential? Yes, this episode is highly recommended. It’s one of the stronger entries in the season.
• Game adaptation friendly? I believe this could be adapted for a game, although it relies on the players trusting the NPC Hector, which might not always happen in a real game session.
• AD&D Monsters: Tiamat, shadow demon, troll, orcs, various townsfolk including a bugbear and potentially a lizard man or troglodyte. Notably features Lolth, the demon queen of spiders!
• Original monsters: “Simian bats”.
• Summary: The kids’ magical weapons lose their power and need to be recharged at an ancient tomb known as the Hall of Bones. Hector, a halfling without pants, serves as their guide on this perilous journey.
• Notes: Frank Welker voices the “don’t stop!” background line and Hector the Halfling.

Valley of the Unicorns

Kelek the bad wizard pondering an orb

• Essential? Yes, this is another essential episode. The introduction of the new villain, Kelek, is a highlight.
• Game adaptation friendly? If your player group doesn’t happen to have a unicorn companion, this episode might be difficult to adapt directly.
• AD&D Monsters: (Dire) wolves, unicorns.
• Summary: Kelek, an evil wizard, seeks to collect the horns of the few remaining unicorns. In this episode, Uni, the baby unicorn mascot, discovers she possesses the ability to teleport, though this power is rarely utilized in subsequent episodes.
• Notes: Analysis is available through the author’s video commentary.

In Search of the Dungeon Master

Warduke in Search of the Dungeon Master episode

• Essential? It features a standard plot but has moments of charm. However, you can skip it if you are only watching the absolute essentials.
• Game adaptation friendly? Yes, I successfully adapted and ran this episode as a D&D game scenario.
• AD&D Monsters: Sprite, zombie, bullywugs, lamassu, earth elemental, orcs, giant snapping turtle, shadow demon.
• Original monster: Giant snail, “Know Tree”.
• Summary: The mercenary Warduke captures the Dungeon Master with the intention of selling him to Venger. While attempting to rescue DM, the kids are captured and thrown into slave mines where they encounter a dwarf who speaks with a distinctively Yoda-like voice.
• Notes: Warduke was a popular character who received an action figure and was later given official game statistics in Dragon Magazine and a miniature figure. This was the only episode the author could find on VHS tape back in the day.

Beauty and the Bogbeast

Bogbeasts and an ogre mage named Kalimung

• Essential? This is a decent episode focusing on Eric’s character. Watch it if you find Eric’s character arc interesting; otherwise, it’s skippable.
• Game adaptation friendly? Possibly, but I haven’t personally attempted to adapt it.
• AD&D Monsters: Giant metal golem, ogre mage.
• Original monsters: Bog beasts.
• Summary: Dungeon Master directs the kids towards a portal home that opens only once a year for a mere 60 seconds. However, Eric is transformed into a croaking “bog beast” by a magical flower. To break the spell, they must find other bog beasts who are threatened by Kawamung, the ogre mage. The kids actually reach home but choose to return to the realm to restore Eric’s human form.

The Prison Without Walls

Stone Golem from Dungeons and Dragons cartoon

• Essential? It’s a pretty good episode, but not strictly mandatory for an essential viewing list.
• Game adaptation friendly? Maybe, but the riddles presented in the episode are quite obvious, and it requires a character capable of casting a specific magic spell, meaning one of the player characters would likely need to be a spellcaster.
• AD&D Monsters: Shadow demon, orcs, violet fungus, shambling mound, zombies, animated statues or a stone golem.
• Summary: Dungeon Master informs the kids that a gnome wizard trapped in ‘a prison without walls’ can help them find a way home. However, they must first free him and liberate his people from Venger’s enslavement.

Servant of Evil

A salamander monsterXill, also known as "the creature" or 'slime beast'

• Essential? Yes. This episode is essential viewing. I believe this particular episode is highly emblematic of the show’s overall quality, effectively showcases character development, possesses genuine heart, and accurately portrays elements of the Dungeons & Dragons game world.
• Game adaptation friendly? Yes, and I have successfully run this episode as a D&D game session.
• AD&D Monsters: Lizard men, a giant, xill.
• Original monsters: Unidentified land tadpoles, lavender serpentine prisoner, lava hydra (possibly a magical effect rather than a creature).
• Summary: With the exception of Bobby, who is celebrating his birthday, Venger captures all the kids, seizes their magical weapons, and imprisons them in the Prison of Agony. Dungeon Master provides Bobby with a magic amulet and sends him on a quest to rescue his friends. Bobby succeeds with the help of the noble fighter Strongheart and a kind-hearted giant who serves as a gatekeeper.
• Notes: Strongheart was one of the characters featured in the D&D action figure line, making his appearance noteworthy for fans of the merchandise. The dungeons and dragons old cartoon often tied into related product lines.

Quest of the Skeleton Warrior

Dekkion, the Skeleton WarriorDekkion in human form

• Essential? No. While it has some good qualities, parts of the episode can be frustrating.
• Game adaptation friendly? Not easily adapted – the plot involves separating the player characters and subjecting them to their individual phobias, which can be challenging for a Dungeon Master to run effectively.
• AD&D Monsters: Grimlocks, swamp hags, giant eagle AKA war bird.
• Summary: Dungeon Master informs the kids that a powerful artifact called the Circle of Power, located within the Lost Tower (of the Celestial Knights), could provide a way home. Dekkion, the last surviving Celestial Knight (currently cursed by Venger), allows the kids entry into the tower where their deepest fears are manifested against them.

The Garden of Zinn

A ridiculous looking creature from The Garden of Zinn episode

• Essential? No, you can skip this one.
• Game adaptation friendly? I would say no.
• AD&AD Monsters: Baby green dragon (?), phantom stalkers, bloodworm, choke creeper (?).
• Summary: Bobby is poisoned during a fight with a monster, and the only known cure comes from the garden of an evil queen. The queen needs to marry a king to avoid losing her throne, and prospective applicants must survive the Trial of the Worm. The kids find an unexpected ally in the monstrous Sorlarz, who has a secret past of his own.

The Box

Kids opening a magical box in the mountainsKids looking into the magical boxThe magical box opening on Skull Mountain

• Essential? It presents a neat, inventive concept, but if you’re short on time, it’s okay to skip this episode.
• Game adaptation friendly? Yes, I think it could be adapted, although I haven’t personally tried running it.
• AD&D Monsters: Bullywugs, shadow demon, Tiamat, giant wasps.
• Summary: The kids are tasked with taking the sorceress Zandora’s magical chest to Skull Mountain and opening it precisely at noon to reveal a way home. The kids actually manage to return to Earth through the box, but Venger follows them through the portal and threatens to destroy the planet, forcing them to return to the realm to stop him. The concept here ties back to the core premise of the Dungeons And Dragons Original Cartoon.

The Lost Children

Spelljammer ship in the skyGroup of alien kidsAlien creatures riding mounts

• Essential? This episode stands out due to its unusual “space stuff” element, which is quite unique for the series. If you are a fan of the Spelljammer setting from D&D, you might want to check it out. Otherwise, it’s okay to skip.
• Game adaptation friendly? Yes, I think this could be adapted for a game!
• AD&D Monsters: Shadow demon, orcs, lizard men, possibly a grimlock.
• Original monsters: Some cloaked one-eyed humanoids and the creatures they ride.
• Summary: Dungeon Master tells the kids about a ship and a group of children from another planet. They find and befriend this group. Together, they must rescue the elder of the alien group and their spaceship, which are being held captive in Venger’s castle.

P-R-E-S-T-O Spells Disaster

Presto casting a spell with unintended consequences

• Essential? Definitely not essential viewing.
• AD&D Monsters: Stegosaurus, orcs, a xill, a three-headed giant/firbolg? a giant and 2 gold dragons.
• Game adaptation friendly? Possibly, though the chaotic nature might make it tricky.
• Summary: One of Presto’s spells goes awry and transports the other kids to the house of a hairy giant. The giant torments his new “playthings” with his pet “slime beast,” Willy. The giant has also been stealing eggs from a gold dragon’s nest, adding another layer of conflict.

Summary: The 3 Essential Episodes from Season 1

Based on the criteria of being well-written, representative of the show, and having heart, the three essential episodes you should watch from Season 1 of the dungeons and dragons original cartoon are:

1. The Hall of Bones
2. Valley of the Unicorns
3. Servant of Evil

These episodes provide a solid foundation for understanding the characters, the setting, and the typical challenges faced by the kids in the Realm. They also feature notable D&D monsters and engaging storylines.

Learn more about the dungeons and dragons old cartoon on Shock Naue.

Check out the essential episodes from Season 2 to continue your viewing journey.

Reference:

Evanier, M. (n.d.). POV Archives: Column 145 Part 2. News From Me. Retrieved from https://www.newsfromme.com/pov/col145-2/