But Barley still believes there's magic in the world, and it's through his geekdom that Ian can survive the imminent challenges ahead. In the world of Onward, the epic adventures of paladins, druids, and dragons have become ancient history, with Barley's collectible trading cards and tabletop board games (which aren't named 'Dungeons & Dragons') memorializing a nearly forgotten cultural heritage. It's through the brutish Barley that most of Onward derives its love for fantasy role-playing games. When the spell goes wrong and their father is only restored halfway, Ian and his slacker brother Barley (Chris Pratt) embark on a quest to complete the spell before time runs out. Centuries after electricity replaced spell-casting, elf teenager Ian Lightfoot (Tom Holland) receives a birthday gift from his late father: A magic staff and a hand-written spell to bring dad back for 24 hours. Tolkien and Gary Gygax get a makeover after magic is exchanged for modernity.

In Onward from director Dan Scanlon, the fantasy worlds of J.R.R. Minor spoilers for Disney and Pixar's Onward ahead.

For the Level 1 adventurers who want to further appreciate Onward's dorky deep cuts, here are three of the most essential Dungeons & Dragons references explained. Still, there's so much love for things like Dungeons & Dragons embedded in Onward that watching the movie can only be enriched with familiarity for its many roleplaying game Easter eggs. You can enjoy its imaginative story, its colorful characters, and clever humor just fine even if you've never once rolled a twenty-sided die. The reliable magic in Pixar's storytelling means Onward, the latest movie from the fabled animation studio, isn't hard to grasp despite its many references to fantasy role-playing games.

Dungeons and dragons manticore