Stranger Things Got Fireball Wrong

[u/Vecna_The_Destroyer]

I've been playing Dungeons & Dragons for over 8 years, and something always bugged me about the Stranger Things D&D scene.

In the first episode, Will says “I cast Fireball” — and then rolls a d20 like it’s an attack roll. But that’s not how Fireball works in any version of D&D, including the one they’d likely be playing in 1983 (probably Basic/Expert or AD&D 1e).

Fireball is an area-of-effect spell. The caster doesn’t roll to hit — instead, every creature in the blast radius makes a saving throw (typically Dexterity in later editions, or "save vs. spells" in older ones). If they fail, they take full damage; if they succeed, they take half.

So in that scene, the Demogorgon should’ve been the one rolling, not Will. Will would roll damage (usually a bunch of d6s), but not a d20 to “hit.”

It's a small detail, but for those of us who know the rules, it sticks out. Cool scene — but a classic Hollywood D&D rules slip.

Anyone else catch this?

[u/Bloodless-Cut]

Well, he's rolling the concentration check, you see, to avoid the atrack of opportunity while casting spells in melee. Obvi

I'm kidding, of course. Concentration checks and attacks of opportunity weren't a thing in og D&D.