Damsel got middling reviews, and I’d say that’s fair. It’s a great looking film for the most part, but the pacing is slow and there aren’t a whole lot of surprises. If you’ve got Netflix and some time, I think it’s worth the watch. You’ll probably have a second screen up. I much preferred The Princess. Not going to drop any real spoilers here, although I will be writing about crafting similar scenarios for D&D campaigns, so reader beware.
It did get me thinking structuring that sort of scenario of a DnD campaign: Our heroes, normally well equipped and ready for trouble find themselves in yet another sticky wicket. Cultists or fiends or treacherous nobles have captured them. They’ve taken the party’s gear, and tossed them into a perilous network of caves. Our heroes must navigate the dangers of the caverns without their weapons, or most of what they need to cast spells.
This sort of scenario gets played out in a lot of games as being imprisoned. The PCs must plot how to escape their jail cells and get their equipment back. Usually, the emphasis is on getting equipment back. The players are back up to full power and ready to fight. Where’s the fun in that.
What if instead, the players must stay in that state until they solve a problem? They have to find food and water in the caves without the benefit of their supplies. The fighter makes do with damaged or maybe even cursed weapons. The wizard collects spell components instead of relying on an arcane focus. Even with the odds and ends they can find, the bard might have to put a little more effort into making friends and talking their way out of situations. That is, if they can figure out how to talk to the fish people who live in these caves.
Dragons aren’t bad, but here are the nastiest monsters in D&D, IMHO.
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