The Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves trailers have given a promising glimpse of the tabletop adaptation, but they may have also spoiled the franchise’s strangest monster. The tabletop giant is known for its bevy of strange beasts, from monstrous Beholders to the titular Dragons. While the dragons are always impressive creatures to see onscreen, the full breadth of D&D’s bestiary is not often explored.
When the Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves trailer released, eagle-eyed viewers caught something that shows that the filmmakers have a much deeper understanding of the source material than previous attempts. Characters in a gladiatorial battle are seen diving into a translucent cube of blue jelly that appears to contain several bones. Aside from being very much in line with the kind of trap one might expect in a magical gladiator maze, this matches a monster straight out of the Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual.
Dungeons & Dragons’ Strange Gelatinous Cube Explained
While Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is clearly leaning into some the enormous range of bizarre D&D creatures with appearances from Owlbears, no Dungeons & Dragons monster is quite as strange as the Gelatinous Cube. According to Dungeons & Dragons game guides, the Gelatinous Cube is a semi-rigid glob of acidic goop that can take the entire width of a dungeon corridor, dissolving and eating any creature unfortunate enough to stumble into it. But it isn’t just stationary, the thing can move (albeit slowly), trundling along and snapping out the occasional pseudopod to grab creatures that rightfully try to keep their distance.
The monster in the Honor Among Thieves trailer certainly ticks all the boxes for Dungeons & Dragons‘ Gelatinous Cube. They are usually found in more enclosed spaces like dungeons or caves, but as this appears to be an arena it’s entirely possible the proprietor has collected monsters for unfortunate adventurers to battle (as evidenced by the Displacer Beast in the same shot).
Why The Gelatinous Cube Might Be More Important Than You Think
While these Cubes aren’t typically known for being intelligent, there is one in the lore of Dungeons & Dragons that breaks that mold: Glabbagool is a Gelatinous Cube granted sentience by Jubilex, Demon Lord of Oozes. While it seems odd for such a unique creature to be here, the owner of this arena is clearly a collector. Placing it in a location where it could be killed may be a way to show off his obscene and conspicuous wealth.
Another hint that this cube might be unusual is the fact that the Dungeons & Dragons’ party of heroes are seen willingly diving into it. Gelatinous Cubes as described in the Dungeons & Dragons Monster Manual are incredibly deadly, and not something a seasoned thief or adventurer would touch on purpose. But Glabbagool was known for being a pacifist, choosing to help and understand people rather than attack them. When possible, they are even known to give weapons and magical items to those in need. So Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves viewers may even see the party utilize this unique NPC to get them out of a jam.
Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves releases on March 31, 2023.
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