The Ready Player One novel found Dragon & Dragons Tomb Of Horrors adventure playing a role in the story, but it didn't make it to the movie. Ernest Cline's Ready Player One takes place in a dystopian world where people can escape in the vast VR world of the OASIS. This virtual reality paradise allows players to become whoever they want, which includes many, many characters from pop culture. The story centers around young Wade Watts - whose avatar is dubbed Parzival - as he goes on an epic quest to find a hidden Easter Egg left behind by late OASIS creator James Halliday.

Ready Player One became a bestseller in 2011 and was later adapted into a movie directed by none other than Steven Spielberg. The film is loaded from top to bottom with nods to other movies, shows and games, including King Kong, Jurassic Park and Last Action Hero, with some references being easier to spot than others. Ready Player One was a solid hit but while Cline is writing a sequel novel - fittingly titled Ready Player Two - there's no word on if a movie sequel will happen too.

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In the Ready Player One novel, there's a passage where Parzival must brave a virtual recreation of the Tomb Of Horrors, which is one of the most infamous Dungeons & Dragons adventures. Creator Gary Gyrax designed this module with the intention of giving high-level players a robust challenge, and while it's not a huge map, it's positively littered with traps and monsters, making it one of the most brutal. In Ready Player One, Parzival enters the Tomb Of Horrors for the Copper Key and must defeat Acererak the Demi-Lich at the end, who challenges Parzival to a game of Joust.

d&d tomb of horrors artwork

Ernest Cline is a lifelong fan of Dungeons & Dragons and has credited it with making him passionate about writing, which is why it became such an important part of the book. Fans hoping to see Tomb Of Horrors on the big screen were disappointed, however, as the Copper Key challenge is replaced in the Ready Player One movie with a huge race in New York. A massive car chase filled with vehicles like Back To The Future's DeLorean or Kaneda's bike from Akira makes for a more cinematic setpiece, but it would have been nice to see D&D's creepy tomb brought to life.

The chase also made for a more dynamic first meeting between Parzival and his love interest Art3mis - AKA Samantha Cook - which is likely the reason it replaced the Tomb Of Horrors passage. The Ready Player One movie does have a nod to it, however, with the back of Aech's van in the real-world featuring artwork of the demon featured on Tomb Of Horrors' artwork.

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