D&D rules signify that Chris Pine's character is much scarier than he seems in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. By all indications, Chris Pine's Edgin is the leader of the party in Paramount's live-action Dungeons & Dragons adaptation. And as the trailer confirms, his hero is based on the bard class.
In addition to packing its story with various monsters and spells from the Dungeons & Dragons universe, the upcoming film will represent a handful of the character classes associated with the tabletop game. The Honor Among Thieves trailer revealed the chosen classes for each of the heroes in Edgin's party and sample of what they'll be pulling from the D&D ruleset. Edgin, for his part, will play the lute and "make plans." These reveals from the trailer indicated that he won't be as fearsome as his allies in the movie.
Chris Pine's D&D Bard Might Have Powerful Spells
So far, Chris Pine's characters looks to be the weakest member of the party. Interestingly though, that fits with how bards are commonly perceived in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. In a D&D campaign, the bard has a reputation as one of the most difficult classes to play effectively. The bard isn't a warrior, so they're not extremely reliable on the frontlines, nor can they be as good at archery as a ranger or a rogue. They do possess arcane magic, though, but admittedly don't have access to the massive arsenal of spells enjoyed by wizard and the sorcerer. That being said, when a bard gets to a high enough level, they can cast some truly powerful spells. Granted, wizards and sorcerers of the same level will have even more spells, but that doesn't take away from the bard's capabilities.
If Pine's character is an experienced bard, he could have what it takes to cast a potent combination of offensive and defensive spells. With Power Word Kill, he could immediately render his victim lifeless (depending on how powerful they are). By casting Dominate Monster, a bard can mind-control a Dungeons & Dragons creature and turn it against its allies. Another option is Prismatic Spray, a multicolored array of beams that have unpredictable effects on the opponent.
Why Chris Pine's Bard Might Still Look Silly
Even with the assistance of high-level arcane spells, Chris Pine's character may still come across as a bit silly in Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves. When not casting spells, bards play their instruments in order to create buffs that boost the abilities of their party members. While the benefits that come with Bard's Song in Dungeons & Dragons shouldn't be underestimated, a bard hanging back and playing the lute while his friends are fighting for their lives won't be a great look if it happens in the movie. True to how the bard class works in the game, Pine's Edgin may look useless, but he has the potential to be a invaluable asset in their adventure.