Dimension 20

Tabletop role-playing web seriesTemplate:SHORTDESC:Tabletop role-playing web series

2018 Template:Country2nationality TV series or program{{SHORTDESC:2018 Template:Country2nationality TV series or program|noreplace}}

***Dimension 20*** is a tabletop role-playing game show produced by CollegeHumor, and generally hosted by Brennan Lee Mulligan as the show's regular Dungeon Master. Most of the games use *Dungeons & Dragons* 5th edition. Seasons of the show alternate between major campaigns, featuring a returning cast of players with fifteen or more episodes, and side quests with rotating guests lasting ten episodes or fewer.

## History

*Dimension 20* originated as a production for Dropout, a streaming service aimed at delivering content with R-rated material or unusual formatting which launched in 2018. *Dimension 20* was among the shows listed for the service when it was first unveiled. Mulligan cited a number of existing tabletop shows as inspiration for *Dimension 20*, including *NADDPOD* (*Not Another D&D Podcast*), *The Adventure Zone* and *Critical Role*. The format for the show, with distinct arcs based on different settings, was determined early on in the show's development.

The show debuted in 2018 with *Fantasy High* as the first campaign presented. The strong fan response from the first season resulted in *Fantasy High* being renewed for a live season, known as *Fantasy High: Sophomore Year*. Episodes of *Fantasy High: Sophomore Year* were streamed live on Twitch, as opposed to pre-recorded, edited, and uploaded to YouTube. The season concluded with a two-part finale titled “Spring Break! I Believe in You!”, which was streamed remotely. Through social media, the Dimension 20 team confirmed that they have plans to continue the story of “The Bad Kids” with a third season in the *Fantasy High* series.Template:Citation needed

In January 2020, major layoffs took place at CollegeHumor, including much of the cast. The show nevertheless continued production remotely as California’s Stay at Home orders were put into effect.
On May 24, 2021, Brennan Lee Mulligan announced in a video on Dropout that Dimension 20 and other CollegeHumor projects would resume production in-person and in-studio, adhering to COVID safety guidelines set by SAG-AFTRA and other film guilds and production unions.

## Format

Dimension 20 usually features its main cast as players (Ally Beardsley, Emily Axford, Lou Wilson, Brian Murphy, Zac Oyama, and Siobhan Thompson), but for alternating seasons nicknamed "side quests," the show invites guest players, generally other members of CollegeHumor or figures from the TTRPG community. As of October 2022, Dimension 20 has had nine side quests: *Escape from the Bloodkeep* (featuring Matthew Mercer of *Critical Role*, and Erika Ishii of *L.A. by Night*), *Tiny Heist* (featuring the cast of *The Adventure Zone*), *Pirates of Leviathan* (featuring Marisha Ray of *Critical Role*, with Mercer returning), *Mice & Murder* (featuring many CollegeHumor alum), *Misfits and Magic* (the first campaign to feature a guest DM, Aabria Iyengar, with Brennan Lee Mulligan as a player), *The Seven*, *Shriek Week*, *Coffin Run*, and *A Court of Fey and Flowers*. Brennan Lee Mulligan is usually the Dungeon Master, but beginning with the ninth season, *Misfits & Magic*, the show adopted rotating Game Masters. The change was announced via a trailer with an attached FAQ document.

### Campaigns

The campaigns use the *Dungeons & Dragons* 5th edition system with Brennan Lee Mulligan as the Dungeon Master (DM) unless otherwise stated. The DM also creates house rules that make the game run differently from the normal system.

### Supplementary shows

CollegeHumor publishes additional videos that discuss elements of role-playing (*Adventuring Academy*) or specifics about the first season (*Dimension 20 Fantasy High Extra Credit*). These are released via YouTube.

Dropout also features a Q&A and talkback show tied to various seasons of *Dimension 20* called *Adventuring Party.* The first four seasons centered around *A Crown of Candy,* *Pirates of Leviathan,* *The Unsleeping City: Chapter II,* and *Mice and Murder* were all filmed remotely and aired live following the release of the episode of *Dimension 20* aired that week, where fans submit questions that Mulligan and the cast will answer. Once filming resumed in The Dome, however, the format changed to that of a commentary talkback show pre-recorded immediately after the filming of the previous episode.

### One-Shots

Dropout has released multiple one-shot adventures additional to their full length campaigns, such as *Dimension 20: Fantasy High! Live! at The Bell House**, Fantasy High LIVE at RTX Austin*, *Boys' Night! (Roll20Con)*, and *College Visit (RTX @ Home Live)*.

## Reception

*Comic Book Resources* warmly received the show, describing it as "among the best of its kind". The review highlighted the arc based format, which keeps the story fast paced and allows the rotation of new players and voices in the space. The show has also been praised for its positive LGBTQ representation, with multiple characters exploring their sexualities during the two seasons of *Fantasy High*.

Glen Weldon, for NPR in 2021, wrote: "Mulligan is such a good DM and he's got so many improv skills. He's such a close and responsive listener that no matter what the players throw at him, he can always roll with it, without breaking the game. And that is a very rare skill, so it's terrific stuff". Weldon compared the show to *Critical Role* and highlighted that the cast is "sketch and improv comedians. While the folks at Critical Role are often very funny, they're actors. [...] At *Dimension 20,* if they can go for a joke, they're going to go for the joke, and that might line up closer to my sensibility".

Justin Carter, in a review of *A Starstruck Odyssey* for *Gizmodo*, stated that "the consistency with which *Dimension 20* shakes things up has helped give it a different kind of longevity compared to some of its fellow Actual Play titans, and each season [...] is able to feel like a natural part of the franchise while also its own distinct thing". Carter highlighted that "several of the season’s best events are too good to spoil, but every episode has at least two moments of incredible, often hilarious roleplaying from the cast. [...] *Starstruck’s* blend of strange humor and character drama feels a little bit more reined in than some earlier seasons and not prone to bits that could admittedly go on a little longer than necessary". Carter commented that this season has an infectious joy to it and that it takes the "fun to new, cosmic heights".

## References

1. ↑ CollegeHumor Launches Brand New Comedy Subscription Service, DROPOUT (September 26, 2018).
2. ↑ Sheehan, Gavin (December 17, 2018). INTERVIEW: CollegeHumor's Dimension 20: Fantasy High.
3. ↑ Stephen, Bijan (January 8, 2020). Almost everyone at CollegeHumor is fired as new owner asks the internet for help.
4. ↑ Template:Cite tweet
5. ↑ DIMENSION 20 Brings Aabria Iyengar in to GM MISFITS AND MAGIC Releasing This Month.
6. ↑ Dimension 20: Fantasy High – Lord of the Rings Meets John Hughes On College Humor (March 23, 2019).
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Dungeons & Dragons: How Actual-Play Shows Are Boosting LGBTQ Representation (June 14, 2020).
8. ↑ CollegeHumor's Dimension 20 Prepares For New Season of 'Dungeons & Dragons' Madness (en) (May 2, 2019).
9. ↑ Best D&D podcasts and web series, from Critical Role to High Rollers (April 2, 2021).
10. ↑ Plante, Corey. 'Dimension 20' Season 3: Meet the D&D Cast of "Unsleeping City" (Exclusive) (en).
11. ↑ Dimension 20's The Unsleeping City Shows the Flexibility and Storytelling Power of Dungeons & Dragons (en) (August 19, 2019).
12. ↑ Queer Dungeons & Dragons Players Are Adventuring From Home (February 23, 2021).
13. ↑ Dimension 20 Teams Up With the McElroys for Next Dungeons & Dragons Campaign (en) (October 7, 2019).
14. ↑ Dimension 20's A Crown of Candy shows the sweet and sour sides of nobility (July 19, 2020).
15. ↑ DIMENSION 20: A CROWN OF CANDY Is and Isn't What You'd Expect from a Mix of D&D, CANDY LAND, and DROPOUT (June 2020).
16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Dungeons & Dragons: Dimension 20 Is a TOTALLY Different Take On Actual-Play (October 8, 2020).
17. ↑ Pirates of Leviathan Continues to Push the Boundaries of Dungeons & Dragons (en) (October 12, 2020).
18. ↑ Sheehan, Gavin (October 30, 2020). Dimension 20 Announces The Unsleeping City Season Two.
19. ↑ INTERVIEW: Dimension 20 - Brennan Lee Mulligan Unravels the Mystery of Mice & Murder (April 8, 2021).
20. ↑ DIMENSION 20 Brings Aabria Iyengar in to GM MISFITS AND MAGIC Releasing This Month (en-US) (June 2021).
21. ↑ Template:Cite AV media
22. ↑ Template:Cite tweet
23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 Good, Owen S. (July 28, 2021). Dimension 20 goes back to school with a new season this August (en).
24. ↑ 24.0 24.1 Hall, Charlie (October 27, 2021). Dimension 20's next season is a 4-part series called Shriek Week (en-US).
25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Template:Cite tweet
26. ↑ Template:Cite tweet
27. ↑ Watch the Trailer for the New DIMENSION 20: A STARSTRUCK ODYSSEY Based on the STARSTRUCK Comics (January 8, 2022).
28. ↑ Dimension 20: Coffin Run is Next Season of Dropout TTRPG Show (en-us) (2022-05-25).
29. ↑ Dimension 20: A Court of Fey & Flowers Trailer (en).
30. ↑ Dimension 20's Adventuring Party. Template:Subscription required
31. ↑ doNYC (June 24, 2019). Dimension 20: Fantasy High! Live! at The Bell House.
32. ↑ Template:Cite tweet
33. ↑ Template:Cite tweet
34. ↑ Template:Cite tweet
35. ↑ 35.0 35.1 <templatestyles src="Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css"></templatestyles>Weldon, Glen; Rosario, Daisy; Searles, Jourdain; Klimek, Chris; Holmes, Linda (October 8, 2021). "What's making us happy: A guide for your weekend watching, listening and reading". *NPR*. Retrieved May 13, 2022.
36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 36.2 Dimension 20 Gets Its Sci-Fi Heist On with A Starstruck Odyssey (en-us) (May 6, 2022).