‘Dimension 20’: Say Hi to Your Intrepid Heroes
There are lots of actual play podcasts and shows out there. And Dimension 20 is one of the best of the best.
There are a ton of actual D&D play podcasts and webshows out there. It’s become its own subgenre and one that does extraordinarily well at times. We’ve talked about the success and influence of Critical Role– which has gotten so big that it’s spawned a multi-season animated series. So let’s now shine the spotlight on another huge actual play show and chat about Dimension 20. Say hi to your intrepid heroes.
What is Dimension 20?
Dimension 20 is an actual-play tabletop role-playing game show produced by and streamed on Dropout. Since 2018 he show has produced 21 seasons and counting. Most seasons use the Dungeons and Dragons Fifth Edition ruleset as well a the talents of Brennan Lee Mulligan as dungeon master, but a few seasons change this up.
Dimension 20 was introduced as one of the original shows produced by Dropout when the service first launched. Dropout was introduced in 2018 as service where CollegeHumor’s more adult focused or generally unusual content could be streamed. But since the streaming service has taken on a life of its own, consistently making some of the most entertaining and unique shows of any of the streaming services.
“It is a horrifying responsibility to think that because things cannot remain the same, each and every one of us must shoulder some responsibility for how they will become different.”
– Brennan Lee Mulligan, Dimension 201002233.
Unlike many other actual-play style shows, Dimension 20 doesn’t tend to stick to one genre or style. Games may have a fantasy focus, but they can take place anywhere from a magical school to a candy kingdom to a seemingly regular suburban neighborhood, to space.
READ MORE: Critical Role: Everything You Wanted to Know but Were Too Afraid to Ask
The Intrepid Heroes (the Dimension 20 Cast)
There are seven core cast members of Dimension 20 including DM Brennan Lee Mulligan.
Emily Axford has appeared in nine of the seasons. Her husband, Brian Murphy has been in eight seasons. Both Axford and Murphy also play on the popular actual-play podcast, Not Another D&D Podcast (NADDPOD) where Murphy primarily acts as the DM.
Ally Beardsley, Siobhan Thompson and Zac Oyama have all been ten seasons. And Lou Wilson has played in a whopping eleven Dimension 20 seasons.
Brennan Lee Mulligan has been on nineteen of the show’s seasons, four times as a player and the rest acting as the game’s DM.
Additionally, Dimension 20 has been known to have big names in CollegeHumor, Dropout, D&D, and general comedy guest-star in various campaigns and one-shots. Matthew Mercer has played in two games and DM’d another. Aabria Iyengar has GM’d three times and played three others. Other guests include Ify Nwadiwe, Erika Ishii, and the McElroys of Adventure Zone and MBMBaM fame.
The Campaigns
There are 21 seasons of Dimension 20.
Fantasy High has been played for seasons one, three, and twenty-one. Set in Elmville it has a John Hughes style high-school-movie feel with a fantasy twist.
Escape from the Bloodkeep is a Lord of the Rings parody where villains try to hide the death of their Sauron-like leader.
The Unsleeping City takes place in modern-day New York City and features magic-using residents protecting the normies from having to face the magic underground of their city. It is played in seasons two and eight.
Tiny Heist follows a few of ‘tiny people’ living in the walls of a normal suburban home. It has a similar feel as The Borrowers, Arrietty, or Toy Story, but with an organized-crime spin.
A Crown of Candy is Game of Thrones if it took place on a Candy Land board.
Pirates of Leviathan takes place in the same universe as Fantasy High and follows a group of pirates working to protect their floating pirate city of Leviathan.
Mice & Murder is an Edwardian murder mystery inspired by Sherlock Holmes, but with andromorphic animals like in The Wind and the Willows.
Misfits and Magic follows American exchange students to a British magic school. This game featured the Kids on Brooms game system and Aabria Iyengar as guest GM.
The Seven also takes place in the world of Fantasy High and features the Seven Maidens, an adventuring party formed after freshman year.
Shriek Week uses the Mythic System created by guest GM Gabe Hicks. Children of horror icons solve mysteries and find love at Bram University.
A Starstruck Odyssey follows a space ship crew trying to save the galaxy. This game uses the Star Wars 5E system and takes place in a universe co-created by Elaine Lee, Brennan Lee Mulligan’s mother.
Coffin Run is a vampire road trip.
A Court of Fey and Flowers takes place in a Regency era inspired Fae Court during a fae aristocrat event known as the Bloom.
Neverafter features classic fairy tale creatures that have been corrupted into twisted, violent versions of themselves.
The Ravening War is a prequel to A Crown of Candy.
Dungeons and Drag Queens is fairly normal a D&D adventure, but all of the players are famous drag performers, many from RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Mentopolis is a noir-style detective story using a homebrewed version of the Kids on Bikes game system.
Burrow’s End features a family of stoats trying to survive the treacherous Blue Forest. This season is inspired by stories like Watership Down and Secret of NIMH.
How to Watch Dimension 20
You can watch bits and pieces of Dimension 20 on Youtube, but for full campaigns and seasons, you’ll need to subscribe to the Dropout streaming service. I know, I know, nobody wants to subscribe to another streaming service. But this one is actually pretty great.
Where to Start Watching Dimension 20
There isn’t a wrong way to do this. For the full Dimension 20 experience, I’d generally suggest picking any of the games GM’d by Brennan Lee Mulligan. That’s everything but Misfits and Magic, Shriek Week, Coffin Run, A Court of Fey and Flowers, The Ravening War, and Burrow’s End.
Go through the list of descriptions above, and pick whatever sounds the most fun to you. Every campaign is stand-alone so there’s truly no wrong answer.
And then come back for the games without Mulligan! And the ones he plays-but-doesn’t-DM in. They’re all great.
What Sets Dimension 20 Apart From Other Actual Play Shows?
Mulligan’s DMing style is a highlight of the Dimension 20 experience. But the show is also known for imaginative stories, unique settings, compelling characters, and an incredible set of custom minis.
That Set, Though…
Dimension 20 battles are some of the most visually interesting because of a huge collection of custom built and painted miniatures. Many games use minis, but Dimension 20 has detailed and fully immersive sets. These take hours and a small army to assemble between sessions.
Happy adventuring!
