Tabletop role-playing games have been around forever, but many people have misconceptions about the reality of the games, especially Dungeons & Dragons (D&D). With the advent of the internet, there have been many shows which serve as pathways into the game. College Humor, an entertainment company which got its start on YouTube, has its own video series Dimension 20 where their cast of comedians play D&D and provide amazing entertainment as well as a gateway into this strange and wonderful world. 

“John Hughes meets D&D” is the slogan for the first season of Dimension 20, titled Fantasy High. The campaign follows a group of six adventurers—Siobhan Thompson as Adaine Abernath, Ally Beardsley as Kristen Applebees, Lou Wilson as Fabian Aramais Seacaster, Brian “Murph” Murphy as Riz Gukgak, Zac Omaya as Gorguk Thistlespring, and Emily Axford as Fig Faeth—as they navigate the woes of high school and also work to uncover the mystery of disappearing students. 

The early episodes of the show are some of the best as the viewers learn alongside some of the people at the table the mechanics of the game. D&D has long had the reputation of being complicated and full of math, and this is true, but through the lens of people learning the game, it all becomes a little easier to parse. The story progresses naturally with the game master Brennan Lee Mulligan helping flesh out the world that each of the castmates’ characters can explore. 

“The story is predicated on the dreams, and hopes, and actions of the player characters,” said Mulligan.

D&D is unique as a medium because, more than anything else, it is a form of collaborative storytelling. Each person at the table adds a little bit to the experience as their characters create their own stories. The game master creates a setting and problems for the characters, but the driving force of the story are the actions of each of the players at the table and the dice. 

The way that D&D introduces random chance and fate is by making certain actions of the players dependent on the outcome of a dice roll. This means that a player can choose to attack someone, but it is up to the dice to decide if they actually hit them. The dice add an extra element of entertainment to Dimension 20 as the story can progress in unexpected ways, all according to the dice. Some of the most impactful moments in Dimension 20 are when characters make wild choices to attempt to save their friends and it all comes down to the roll of the dice. 

Dimension 20 is an anthology show. Each season is set in a different setting and genre, ranging from fantasy New York City to political intrigue Candyland. Five seasons star the main cast and there are three mini seasons with guest cast members. This means that there is a plethora of content to binge watch. However, the common factor between all the seasons is the genuine friendship between the cast, and addictive humor that ensures that each season is just as funny and heartwarming as the last. 

Photo courtesy of IMDB.COM