Stranger Things Season 2 May Be Inspired by a Dungeons and Dragons Adventure

Netflix‘s Stranger Things used the classic role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons as the basis for its explanation for the sci-fi/supernatural events that took place in the show. Terms like “The Upside Down” or “Demogorgon,” which are now such commonplace staples of the series, were all mined from the Dungeons and Dragons game. It would be no surprise, then, if Stranger Things season 2 continued to used that association in its storytelling.

Now that the first Stranger Things season 2 trailer has been released, Eagle-eyed fans have spotted something that may give us insight into the specific Dungeons and Dragons game the new season may as its references point.

/Film pointed out a stack of papers on Will’s desk during the Stranger Things season 2 trailer – papers which contain a drawing of a freaky-looking monster, and also a reference to a particular Dungeons and Dragons game known as Ravenloft.

As /Film describes: “In the game, the players must gather two magical weapons (the Holy Symbol and the Sunsword) before locating and destroying the evil vampire. The page that the book is opened to in the Super Bowl TV spot features short descriptions of the places and people that players could encounter as they work together towards Strahd’s castle. Strahd von Zarovich is noted as being one of the first well-developed villains to appear in D&D.”

The vampire Strahd is known for kidnapping victims from their own dimension and bringing them to his, in order to feed on their life force. Given the strange new abilities that Will was seen displaying in the trailer, it could follow that the strange monster in season 2 may have some kind of vampiric or parasitic connection to Will.

What do you think – what are your latest Stranger Things season 2 theories, based on the trailer?

The first season of Stranger Things starred Winona Ryder, David Harbour, Finn Wolfhard, Millie Brown, Gaten Matarazzo, Caleb McLaughlin, Noah Schnapp, Natalia Dyer, Cara Buono, Charlie Heaton, and Matthew Modine. The second season will feature Sadie Sink as Max, a tough and confident girl whose appearance, behavior and pursuits seem more typical of boys than of girls in this era, and Power Rangers star Dacre Montgomery as Billy, Max’s hyper-confident, and edgy older step-brother.

Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer (Wayward Pines, Hidden) serve as writer, directors, and co-showrunners of the series, and are executive producers along with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen via their 21 Laps entertainment banner (The Spectacular Now, Night At The Museum, Real Steel, Date Night). Shawn Levy also serves as director.

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