Roll for Narrative: A Cinematic Reimagining of Interactivity and Emergent Storytelling in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023)

Abstract

This paper investigates how Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves (2023) adapts the collaborative narrative structure and core gameplay mechanics of the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing game into a linear cinematic format. Using Richard Dyer’s tripartite model of textual analysis, integrated with social semiotic multimodality and affordance theory, the study examines how combat, magic, and probability mechanics, as well as class archetypes (namely, the bard, barbarian, and paladin), are reinterpreted through filmic techniques. Through close scene analysis, the research highlights how cinematic conventions simulate interactivity and emergent storytelling while accommodating the affordances and constraints of the filmic medium. The findings reveal that while the film alters mechanical fidelity for narrative coherence and audience accessibility, it preserves the ludic and collaborative spirit of its source material. Ultimately, this thesis positions the adaptation as a form of adaptive negotiation, offering insight into the creative translation of game-based structures into cinematic language.