#ally beardsley the comedian that you are

[itsgonnagetinspiringsoon]

This is the wildest shit I've ever seen goddamn

[thebitchlapin]

The one time (up to all three times if you also count Noah and/or Sylvester) any of Ally's PCs have had romantic feelings for male characters that relationship was already established before the start of the campaign and I like to think (because it's the funniest interpretation) that that's because for the life of them, Ally cannot figure out how to play someone falling in love with a man

[mazeyphaedra]

was rewatching fabian’s baron moment on account of it being the most delicious piece of pvp in my recent memory and ally beardsley’s growth as a player just shone through so brightly and with such clarity. after dusting off their shock they immediately asked about the nemesis ward, had enough knowledge about fellow pcs stocked to remember adaine’s ac with such like frustrated confidence and certainty, suggested to siobhan to dimension door out of adaine’s room, like. they came into this making a character with 4 dex. and now the dice deity offered to roll a check to sense if adaine was in danger. making decisions, asking questions, getting invested in the story, trying so hard with the tools they have to save characters from danger; ally beardsley is an incredible d&d player.

[punkbarbarian]

for folks who don’t follow them on instagram— ally beardsley wrote part of an op-ed in the washington post for the 50th dnd anniversary about a moment playing dnd that really stuck with them and i wanted to share it here!

“a character’s journey — and my own”

I was an aspiring comedian in Los Angeles and had just landed a salaried job at the comedy website CollegeHumor. My co-worker and friend Brennan Lee Mulligan was looking for six comedians to create a show that would be like an at-home game of D&D. Why not? “Dimension 20” became a weird punctuation to my day.

I remember there being too many rules to remember. I kept turning to my friend, Brian Murphy, to ask which dice I should be rolling. I wasn’t paid overtime, but I loved the group and was having a lot of fun.

For the second season, I had my sea legs. I created a character for the campaign who was transgender. I had started going by the gender neutral they/them pronouns at work and among friends, but sourcing hormones or getting surgery seemed equal parts expensive and invasive. A fun thing about fantasy is stripping away the crunchy, real-world limitations and asking yourself: “What would I do if I could do anything?”

That season’s arc for my character, Pete, was extremely euphoric for me. I had described him as a trans cowboy you might see at Burning Man, and the artist drew him dressed as a freaky Hunter S. Thompson in an open shirt to show his top surgery scars. He has wild magic — uncontrollable and dangerous in the game mechanics — which we used to explore the painful chaos of leaving a family that doesn’t accept you.

Since then, I’ve started testosterone HRT and had top surgery. It’s funny to listen back to myself playing a character who had transitioned in ways I hadn’t. It’s full of inaccuracies that make me smile. Pete takes a testosterone pill every day; I now know it’s a weekly injection or a topical gel. I see my face, one wrapped up in playing something so new but instantly right. It was like an oracle. A near-future me who has health insurance! Who’s talked to their mom about being trans and even spent a week post-top surgery on that mom’s couch in Temecula, Calif!

As I started transitioning my appearance, seeing that in front of the camera felt raw. I was starting hormones, and my voice was cracking. Realizing it was all being recorded felt naked at times, but it has been really nice to talk to fans and friends about how important it is to see someone that looks like you taking a big risk on themself.

With Pete, it was really important to me to tell a story other than the dramatic lead-up to a medical transition. So we started with him having just gotten out of surgery, but that’s all you see of that process. Part of his backstory is that he doesn’t have a relationship with his transphobic parents, and before shooting the first episode, I felt sick to my stomach. I’ve been on a journey with my parents, and our starting place didn’t have much common ground. When my character meets with his father, it felt as though I was actually running into my own on the street.

Brennan could sense that discomfort, and as my character’s dad was about to call Pete by his deadname, Brennan shut the interaction down, surrounding his dad with bubbles that carried him into the sky. Magic is the power and freedom to manipulate your reality, and you can banish the awful voices in your life — let them swirl away into the air.

[coupleofdays]

I think I've been temporarily posessed by the @astercontrol Pattern Recognizer. Or maybe the universe is just trying to tell me something, though I have no idea what it might be.

See, I have had this half-joking, half-serious headcanon for a while, about the character Allenby Beardsley from the anime Mobile Fighter G Gundam. For those of you not familiar with her, she's a mech pilot hailing from Sweden (or technically "Neo-Sweden" in the sci-fi future universe of the series), and she pilots a giant robot named the Nobel Gundam, which inexplicably is designed to look like Sailor Moon. This is especially weird in the context of the series, which contains multiple mech pilots from different countries, all piloting robots that are somehow based on national stereotypes. So while the name "Nobel Gundam" makes sense (named after Alfred Nobel and the Nobel Prize), I have no idea what a Japanese magical girl anime has to do with Sweden.

Anyways, my headcanon is based on the following aspects of the character:

The name “Allenby Beardsley” is definitely not a traditional Swedish name. In fact, it consists of two English surnames, and is thus gender neutral.

Allenby pilots a mech that looks very feminine, but is named after Alfred Nobel, a man.

The blue hair.

From this, I have decided that Allenby Beardsley is nonbinary, goes by they/them pronouns, and that they chose their name themself.

Now, here's where things get weird. I've had this half-joking headcanon for a while, but yesterday, I discovered that there's a comedian/actor who goes by they/them pronouns, named... Ally Beardsley. And I thought "haha, that's a funny coincidence"...

...but then, today, I discover "Alienby Comics" ( @alienbycomics ), by a they/she creator, who has explained that the name is a portmanteau of "Alien" and "Enby".

So now I'm basically like this:

[musicalcastingideas]

Internet Personalities Do The Guy Who Didn't Like Musicals

The rules I am setting for myself:

No one who has already been in a musical set in the Hatchetfield universe

The actors will be portraying the same characters the actors did in the original (so the person cast as Zoey would also play Alice, etc)

This is not like "influencer" internet personalities, I'm pulling more from like, Dropout people, ex-buzzfeed, internet comedians, etc.

Also if you don't see a name of a side character, assume I just forgot their name, I'm writing this as I think of it so I don't forget my ideas.

Paul: Shane Madej

The famous skeptic, playing a man forced to believe AND think of the implications? Plus, we know he can sing, thanks to Puppet History.

Emma: Jen (from Fundie Fridays)

I love Jen, and their vibes are just absolutely perfect for Emma. They have that "I've worked customer service jobs long enough that I have lost the ability to feel anything but contempt for mankind" vibe that Emma has.

Charlotte/Nora/Deb: Aabria Iyengar

She's such a talented performer, I could see her absolutely nailing Charlotte's sweet naivete, and then fucking annihilating Join Us (And Die)

Ted Spankoffski/Homeless Man/ (he is) Dan Reynolds: Grant O'Brien

The Heel of Dropout, Grant excels at playing the asshole, so who better to fill the role of everyone's favourite douchebag?

Mr Davidson/Sam/ Man In A Hurry/Sargent MacNamara: Zac Oyama

I'm not factoring in the ability to hit Jeff Blim's ungodly high notes, but acting wise, Zac is absolutely perfect. For Sargent MacNamara, we have Zac being amazing as the Skipper in A Starstruck Odessey, and the rest of the characters are weird little guys with something in their brains so... I won't say more so as to not spoil Starstruck but, those who know, know. Basically, make Zac Oyama all the weird little guys 2026.

Professor Hidgens/Hot Chocolate Boy: Keith Habersburger

He would absolutely DEVOUR Show Stopping Number. You cannot convince me otherwise.

Alice/Zoe/ Greenpeace Girl: Emily Axford

She's incredibly charming, versatile, snarky and thanks to Dimension 20 Fantasy High, we know she's excellent at playing a rebellious teen.

Bill: Brennan Lee Mulligan

I want to see Brennan and Emily do the scene with Bill and Alice in the school. It will make me sob my eyeballs out but they would destroy it.

Backup choices/Hard cuts:

Ally Beardsley as Paul

Reason they were cut: They are too cool.

Lou Wilson as Ted:

While he would kill this part, he's too hot

[hypahfixations]

~ Hello One and All! ~

And Welcome to a Thrilling Breakdown of Dimension 20!

You’ve met our humble dungeon master Brennan Lee Mulligan, and now you’re curious on what other stories he and his crew have told. Whether you have encountered Brennan as a player from his various one-shots across different Actual Play TTRPG brands or have fallen from the heights of Avalir itself during Exandria Unlimited: The Calamity, it can be a little daunting figuring out where to start.  

Allow this Intrepid Hero to be your guide, Gang!

~ Who is the Core Cast? ~

The core cast for Dimension 20 are a group of seven improv comedians, but don't let that fool you into thinking that they are not masterful storytellers.

From Left to Right: Brian Murphy, Lou Wilson, Emily Axford, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Siobhan Thompson, Zac Oyama, and Ally Beardsley.

~ Where to Watch ~

The first episode of every campaign can be watched for free from Dimension 20’s YouTube channel, with some of the older seasons being fully available for free. To gain access to all Dimension 20’s content, along with everything else on Drop Out (including Game Changers and Um, Actually?), you can either become a member on College Humor’s YouTube channel or sign up for DropOutTV. The subscription price is the same for both, just $6 a month, but the DropOut app allows you to download as many episodes as you’d like to watch in offline mode, as well as offer podcast versions.

~ List of Campaigns ~

Dimension 20 has 17 seasons, nearly half of which are played by the core cast while the others are a rotation of guest players and GMs. Rather than listing the campaigns in just release date order, I opted to list by congruency as well for those of us who like to experience one story fully.

~~~

In the World of Spyre

Genre: Fantasy John Hughes movie

System: DnD 5e

Fantasy High

Core Cast

Meet our Intrepid Heroes in their first recorded DnD campaign as teenagers attending Aguefort’s Adventuring Academy! Watch as they overcome the trials and tribulations of high school life…oh, and saving the world.

Full Season Available Here

Pirates of Leviathan

Players: Aabria Iyengar, B. Dave Walters, Carlos Luna, Krystina Arielle, Marisha Ray, and Matthew Mercer

Aboard the floating city of Leviathan, our players discover an incredibly powerful artifact and an incredibly devious scheme. Will they be able to contain it or will they sink the city into the briny depths.

**Note: This was recorded at the start of the 2020 pandemic partially through the recording of Sophomore Year.

Fantasy High: Sophomore Year

Core Cast

It’s sophomore year, baby, and you know what that means! That’s right, time for young love, tragic backstories, and hiring your parents as your employee while on a quest that 70% of your final grade!

First Six Episodes Available Here

** Note: This season is a bit heavier and has aspects of psychological horror.

The Seven

Players: Aabria Iyengar, Becca Scott, Erika Ishii, Isabella Roland, Persephone Valentine, and Rekha Shankar

Playing as the Seven Maidens set a year and a half after the finale of Fantasy High, the girls have to come to terms that their party will be broken up at the end of the year due to being in different graduation classes…or do they?

~~~

Escape From the Bloodkeep

Players: Amy Vorpal, Erika Ishii, Ify Nwadiwe, Matthew Mercer, Mike Trapp, and Rekha Shanker

Genre: Lord of the Rings Parody

System: DnD 5e

Fighting for the side of Darkness and Evil, the players are the elite advisors of the Lord of Shadows. Except the Dark Lord just suddenly died and now they have to figure out how to thwart Good once and for all!

Full Season Available Here

~~~

In the World of Actual New York City

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Superhero Adjacent

System: DnD 5e

The Unsleeping City

Core Cast

Inspired by concepts from Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, natives of the Big Apple discover the city has so much more than meets the eye. They must come together and discover their power to defeat corruption before it destroys everything.

Full Season Available Here

The Unsleeping City: Chapter Two

Core Cast

Taking place three years after the finale of the first chapter, the players must reunite to confront the evilest enemy of them all: Capitalism Part Duex Electric Boogaloo!

~~~

Tiny Heist

Players: Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Jessica Ross, Justin McElroy, Lily Du, and Travis McElroy

Genre: Ocean’s 11 meets Toy Story

System: DnD 5e

Our players embody the whimsical personas of bugs, toys, and Bitty folk to take down an overreaching mafia boss. After all, there is only one thing more motivating that the love of a child, and that’s a roll of quarters.

~~~

A Crown of Candy

Core Cast

Genre: High Fantasy / Medieval Political Intrigue

System: DnD 5e

The epic story exploring the world of Calorum, where each kingdom is comprised of different food groups that their citizens are made of. Our players are members of the House of Rocks, rulers of Candia, on their way to the naming of the next Emperor of Calorum during a time of great strife.

** Note: This campaign is perhaps the most serious out of anything else in their compendium. They explore themes of war, death, and betrayal with the gravity those topics deserve.

~~~

Mice & Murder

Players: Ally Beardsley, Grant O’Brien, Katie Marovitch, Raphael Chestang, Rekha Shankar, and Sam Reich

Genre: Whodunit / Murder Mystery

System: DnD 5e

In a world where the denizens are anthropomorphic woodland critters, the players have been invited to a fancy birthday party…where a tragedy most foul occurs.

~~~

Misfits And Magic

Guest GM: Aabria Iyengar

Players: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Danielle Radford, Erika Ishii, and Lou Wilson

Genre: Harry Potter Parody

System: Kids on Brooms

Set in the modern day, our players are invited to a prestigious wizarding school to participate in the foreign exchange pilot program, where they discover magic, themselves, and just how impractical this school can be.

** Note: There’s a Holiday Special too!

~~~

Shriek Week

Guest GM: Gabe Hicks

Players: Ally Beardsley, Dani Fernandez, Lily Du, and Ify Nwadiwe

Genre: Monster College

System: The Mythic System

Follow our players in their final semester of university as they try to find a Roëmænce Partnær before the end of year rager, as well as fend off some unwelcome visitors to their campus.

~~~

A Starstruck Odyssey

Core Cast

Genre: Sci-fi / Space Opera

System: Star Wars 5e

The players are a rag-tag group of down-on-their luck spacers just trying to survive the rough and tough galaxy of Starstruck, a technicolor multiverse based on the series of comic books created by Elaine Lee and Michael Kaluta.

~~~

Coffin Run

Guest GM: Jasmine Bhullar

Players: Carlos Luna, Erika Ishii, Isabella Roland, and Zac Oyama

Genre: Gothic Horror

System: DnD 5e

The followers of Count Dracula eagerly await his return home only to find their dark lord has been ambushed. The players are tasked with desperately trying to get his coffin back to the safety of the Castle.

~~~

A Court of Fey & Flowers

Guest GM: Aabria Iyengar

Players: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Emily Axford, Lou Wilson, Omar Najam, Oscar Montoya, and Surena Marie

Genre: Whimsical High Regency

System: Homebrew blend of Good Society & DnD 5e

Fey from all corners of the Faerie gather for The Bloom - a celebration of society, propriety, and abundance of arcane power. Sipping and serving piping hot tea, all eyes and ears are upon the players as they navigate rumors, scandals, and mysteries.

~~~

Neverafter

Core Cast

Genre: Twisted Fairytales

System: DnD 5e

Once upon a time has been cast into happily neverafter; a drought of shadow and misery plaguing the land and players of timeless storybook fame. When awareness of the wrongness is gleamed, and stories intersect in ways they should not, a glimpse between the lines and into the maw of cosmic horror spur our heroes to define destiny.

~~~

TBD

Guest GM: Matthew Mercer

Players: TBD

Genre: TBD

System: TBD

Release Date: May 2023

~ That's a lot. Recommendations? ~

Honestly, I would start with Fantasy High! It's a really good introduction to both the core cast and the way Dimension 20 sets itself apart from other Actual Play shows. From there, you can either go in order (release or series), or simply dabble with whichever genre or campaign trailer catches your eyes most.

As for my personal favorites:

Core Cast would be between A Crown of Candy and A Starstruck Odyssey. A Crown of Candy has some of the most incredible storytelling I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing - Game of Thrones wishes it could be as good! Meanwhile A Starstruck Odyssey is perhaps the funniest games I have ever watched.

Guest Cast is A Court of Fey and Flowers with a very close second being The Seven. I had never understood the appeal of regency before A Court of Fey and Flowers absolutely rocked me with the slightest brush of an ungloved hand. And no media has truly captured what it's like to be in that weird, volatile transition of teenager to young adult quiet like the Seven in the most unhinged way possible.

Wanna do a deeper dive? Visit the Dimension 20 Fan Wiki!

[asimovsideburns]

Ally Beardsley: I am the most experienced dnd player on this season

Me, knowing that the first time they ever played dnd was fantasy high season 1:

[image ID: two gifs of standup comedian John Mulaney, who is a white man with short brown hair wearing a grey suit.

In the first gif, he says, “That would be like if you were going out of town for the week and you paid a horse to watch your dog.”

In the second gif, he says, “Like alright, here is the number where we’ll be and here’s where we keep the dog food, and you’re a horse.” He is miming petting a horse as he finishes his sentence. End ID.]

[oots-digitalmedia]

Queer Rep in Dimension 20

Title: Dimension 20

    Status: Ongoing

    Core Cast: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Emily Axford, Zac Oyama, Siobhan Thompson, Lou Wilson, Ally Beardsley, Brian Murphy (with guest seasons)

    Queer Cast Member: Yes

    Accessibility: Captions on YouTube and Dropout, fan transcripts available.

Summary: Welcome to Dimension 20, where comedians, improvisers, and all assortments of goofs play D&D! Led by Game Master Brennan Lee Mulligan, each season of Dimension 20 will bring you to a new world, filled with new characters and new dangers. Sign up for dropout.tv for the full experience!

Fantasy High 

    Cast: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Emily Axford, Zac Oyama, Siobhan Thompson, Lou Wilson, Ally Beardsley, Brian Murphy

    Tags: lesbian PC, bisexual woman PC, asexual man PC, queer man guest PC, lesbian NPC, bisexual man NPC, gay man NPC, queer woman NPC, non-binary NPC, multiple LGBTQ+ NPC,

Escape from the Bloodkeep

    Cast: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Amy Vorpahl, Mike Trapp, Matthew Mercer, Erika Ishii, Rekha Shankar, Ify Nwadiwe 

    Tags: queer PC

The Unsleeping City

    Cast: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Emily Axford, Zac Oyama, Siobhan Thompson, Lou Wilson, Ally Beardsley, Brian Murphy

    Tags: trans man PC, non-binary NPC, multiple gay men NPC,

Tiny Heist

    Cast: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Justin McElroy, Clint McElroy, Jess Ross, Lily Du, Griffin McElroy, Travis McElroy

    Tags:

A Crown of Candy

    Cast: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Emily Axford, Zac Oyama, Siobhan Thompson, Lou Wilson, Ally Beardsley, Brian Murphy

    Tags: asexual man PC, lesbian NPC, queer woman NPC

Pirates of Leviathan

    Cast: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Matthew Mercer, Marisha Ray, Aabriya Iyengar, B. Dave Walters, Carlos Luna, Krystina Arielle

    Tags: non-binary NPC, queer NPC,

Mice & Murder

    Cast: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Ally Beardsley, Raphael Chestang, Grant O’Brien, Rekha Shankar, Sam Reich, Katie Marovitch

    Tags: non-binary PC, multiple queer men NPC, non-binary NPC, multiple queer woman NPC

The Seven

     Cast: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Aabria Iyengar, Rekha Shankar, Persephone Valentine, Erika Ishii, Becca Scott, Isabella Roland

    Tags: pansexual trans woman PC, multiple queer PC

Shriek Week

    Cast: Gabe Hicks, Ify Nwadiwe, Ally Beardsley, Lily Du, Dani Fernandez

    Tags: lesbian PC, poly lesbian PC, trans man NPC, multiple non-binary NPC, multiple queer NPC, poly queer NPCs,

A Starstruck Odyssey

    Cast: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Lou Wilson, Siobhan Thompson, Zac Oyama, Ally Beardsley, Emily Axford, Brian Murphy

Tags: Queer PC, Non-binary PC,

More details and/or spoilers under the break!

Check out our other queer podcast recommendations here.

Fantasy High

ID tags: Kristen Applebees (PC): lesbian, Fig Faeth (PC): bisexual woman, Riz Gukgak (PC): asexual man, Hargis (guest PC): queer man, Tracker O’Shaughnessey (NPC): lesbian, Ragh Barkrock (NPC): gay man, Jawbone O’Shaughnessey (NPC): bisexual man, Ayda Aguefort (NPC): queer woman, Garthy O’Brien (NPC): non-binary, Shellford Turtleperson (NPC): LGBTQ+, Torek Railgrinder (NPC): LGBTQ+

Details and/or Spoilers: Kristen comes to terms with her sexuality in the first season, begins dating Tracker, Fig begins dating Ayda in the second season, Riz comes out as ace in the second season, Shellford and Torek are in the LGBT alliance at their school

Escape from the Bloodkeep

ID tags: Leiland (PC): queer

Details and/or Spoilers: Leiland used to be in love with Zaul'Nazh

The Unsleeping City

ID tags: Pete Conlan (PC): trans man, Nod (NPC): non-binary, Perry Pidgeon (NPC): gay, Orlando (NPC): gay, Rovias (NPC): gay,

Details and/or Spoilers: Orlando and Rovias are lion statue boyfriends, Perry is a pigeon in love with Kugrash, who leads him on.

A Crown of Candy

ID tags: Liam Wilhelmina (PC): asexual man, Captain Annabelle Cheddar (NPC): lesbian Queen Caramelinda (NPC): queer,

Details and/or Spoilers: Liam comes out as ace, the Queen is revealed to have previously been in love with woman,

Pirates of Leviathan

ID tags: Garthy O’Brien (NPC): non-binary, Ayda Aguefort (NPC): queer

Details and/or Spoilers: Garthy and Jack have a platonic one-night stand (x|m)

Mice & Murder

ID tags: Lars Vandenchomp (PC): non-binary, Jeremy Brockhollow (NPC): gay man, Osmond Sheffield (NPC): gay man, Millie Molton (NPC): queer women, Molly Milton (NPC): queer woman, Lady Calliope Fawnbrook (NPC): queer, Lady Tabitha Fawnbrook (NPC): queer

Details and/or Spoilers: Jeremy and Osmond are married, Millie and Molly are married, Calliope and Tabitha are married,

The Seven 

ID Tags: Sam Nightingale (PC): pansexual trans woman, Ostentatia Wallace: fluid sexuality, Danielle Barkstock: sexuality is “yes”, Antiope Jones: queer,

Shriek Week

   ID Tags: Seven (PC): lesbian, Megan (PC): poly lesbian, Cleetus (NPC): trans man, Drusille (NPC): poly lesbian, Yui (NPC): poly lesbian,  Vander Van Helsing (NPC): non-binary, queer,

A Starstruck Odyssey

ID Tags: Margaret (PC): queer, Riva (PC): non-binary

[hypahfixations]

~ Hello One and All! ~

And Welcome to a Thrilling Breakdown of Dimension 20!

You’ve met our humble dungeon master Brennan Lee Mulligan, and now you’re curious on what other stories he and his crew have told. Whether you have encountered Brennan as a player from his various one-shots across different Actual Play TTRPG brands or have fallen from the heights of Avalir itself during Exandria Unlimited: The Calamity, it can be a little daunting figuring out where to start.  

Allow this Intrepid Hero to be your guide, Gang!

~ Who is the Core Cast? ~

The core cast for Dimension 20 are a group of seven improv comedians, but don't let that fool you into thinking that they are not masterful storytellers.

From Left to Right: Brian Murphy, Lou Wilson, Emily Axford, Brennan Lee Mulligan, Siobhan Thompson, Zac Oyama, and Ally Beardsley.

~ Where to Watch ~

The first episode of every campaign can be watched for free from Dimension 20’s YouTube channel, with some of the older seasons being fully available for free. To gain access to all Dimension 20’s content, along with everything else on Drop Out (including Game Changers and Um, Actually?), you can either become a member on College Humor’s YouTube channel or sign up for DropOutTV. The subscription price is the same for both, just $5 a month, but the DropOut app allows you to download as many episodes as you’d like to watch in offline mode, as well as offer podcast versions.

~ List of Campaigns ~

Dimension 20 has 14 seasons, nearly half of which are played by the core cast while the others are a rotation of guest players and GMs. Rather than listing the campaigns in just release date order, I opted to list by congruency as well for those of us who like to experience one story fully.

~~~

In the World of Spyre

Genre: Fantasy John Hughes movie System: DnD 5e

Fantasy High

Core Cast

Meet our Intrepid Heroes in their first recorded DnD campaign as teenagers attending Aguefort’s Adventuring Academy! Watch as they overcome the trials and tribulations of high school life…oh, and saving the world.

Full Season Available Here

Pirates of Leviathan

Players: Aabria Iyengar, B. Dave Walters, Carlos Luna, Krystina Arielle, Marisha Ray, and Matthew Mercer

Aboard the floating city of Leviathan, our players discover an incredibly powerful artifact. What? Did you think they were going to give it back? They’re pirates, duh! Will they be able to contain it or will they sink the city into the briny depths.

**Note: This was recorded at the start of the 2020 pandemic partially through the recording of Sophomore Year.

Fantasy High: Sophomore Year

Core Cast

It’s sophomore year, baby, and you know what that means! That’s right, time for young love, tragic backstories, and hiring your parents as your employee while on a quest that 70% of your final grade!

First Six Episodes Available Here

** Note: This season is a bit heavier and has aspects of psychological horror.

The Seven

Players: Aabria Iyengar, Becca Scott, Erika Ishii, Isabella Roland, Persephone Valentine, and Rekha Shankar

Playing as the Seven Maidens set a year and a half after the finale of Fantasy High, the girls have to come to terms that their party will be broken up at the end of the year due to being in different graduation classes…or do they?

~~~

Escape From the Bloodkeep

Players: Amy Vorpal, Erika Ishii, Ify Nwadiwe, Matthew Mercer, Mike Trapp, and Rekha Shanker

Genre: Lord of the Rings Parody

System: DnD 5e

Fighting for the side of Darkness and Evil, the players are the elite advisors of the Lord of Shadows. Except the Dark Lord just suddenly died and now they have to figure out how to thwart Good once and for all!

Full Season Available Here

~~~

In the World of Actual New York City

Genre: Urban Fantasy / Superhero Adjacent System: DnD 5e

The Unsleeping City

Core Cast

Inspired by concepts from Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, natives of the Big Apple discover the city has so much more than meets the eye. They must come together and discover their power to defeat corruption before it destroys everything.

Full Season Available Here

The Unsleeping City: Chapter Two

Core Cast

Taking place three years after the finale of the first chapter, the players must reunite to confront the evilest enemy of them all: Capitalism Part Duex Electric Boogaloo!

~~~

Tiny Heist

Players: Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Jessica Ross, Justin McElroy, Lily Du, and Travis McElroy

Genre: Ocean’s 11 meets Toy Story

System: DnD 5e

Our players embody the whimsical personas of bugs, toys, and Bitty folk to take down an overreaching mafia boss. After all, there is only one thing more motivating that the love of a child, and that’s a roll of quarters.

~~~

A Crown of Candy

Core Cast

Genre: High Fantasy / Medieval Political Intrigue

System: DnD 5e

The epic story exploring the world of Calorum, where each kingdom is comprised of different food groups that their citizens are made of. Our players are members of the House of Rocks, rulers of Candia, on their way to the naming of the next Emperor of Calorum during a time of great strife.

** Note: This campaign is perhaps the most serious out of anything else in their compendium. They explore themes of war, death, and betrayal with the gravity those topics deserve.

~~~

Mice & Murder

Players: Ally Beardsley, Grant O’Brien, Katie Marovitch, Raphael Chestang, Rekha Shankar, and Sam Reich

Genre: Whodunit / Murder Mystery

System: DnD 5e

In a world where the denizens are anthropomorphic woodland critters, the players have been invited to a fancy birthday party…where a tragedy most foul occurs.

~~~

Misfits And Magic

Guest GM: Aabria Iyengar

Players: Brennan Lee Mulligan, Danielle Radford, Erika Ishii, and Lou Wilson

Genre: Harry Potter Parody

System: Kids on Brooms

Set in the modern day, our players are invited to a prestigious wizarding school to participate in the foreign exchange pilot program, where they discover magic, themselves, and just how impractical this school can be.

** Note: There’s a Holiday Special too!

~~~

Shriek Week

Guest GM: Gabe Hicks

Players: Ally Beardsley, Dani Fernandez, Lily Du, and Ify Nwadiwe

Genre: Monster College

System: The Mythic System

Follow our players in their final of university as they try to find a Roëmænce Partnær before the end of year rager, as well as fend off some unwelcome visitors to their campus.

~~~

A Starstruck Odyssey

Core Cast

Genre: Sci-fi / Space Opera

System: Star Wars 5e

The players are a rag-tag group of down-on-their luck spacers just trying to survive the rough and tough galaxy of Starstruck, a technicolor multiverse based on the series of comic books created by Elaine Lee and Michael Kaluta.

~~~

Coffin Run

Guest GM: Jasmine Bhullar

Players: Carlos Luna, Erika Ishii, Isabella Roland, and Zac Oyama

Genre: Gothic Horror

System: DnD 5e

The followers of Count Dracula eagerly await his return home only to find their dark lord has been ambushed. The players are tasked with desperately trying to get his coffin back to the safety of the Castle.

~ That's a lot. Recommendations? ~

Honestly, I would start with Fantasy High! It's a really good introduction to both the core cast and the way Dimension 20 sets itself apart from other Actual Play shows. From there, you can either go in order (release or series), or simply dabble with whichever genre or campaign trailer catches your eyes most.

As for my personal favorites, that would be between A Crown of Candy and A Starstruck Odyssey. A Crown of Candy has some of the most incredible storytelling I have ever had the pleasure of experiencing - Game of Thrones wishes it could be as good! Meanwhile A Starstruck Odyssey is perhaps the funniest games I have ever watched.

[thebitchlapin]

Wait wait wait I just realised something. Sometimes, people workshop bits together eg someone will go "no that's too obvious" or "no we need to still be able to put the first episode on YouTube" so. I simply HAVE to know. Was his first draft name Russell Grindr?

Just checking with y'all: is everyone who's enjoying nsbu aware that Feeld is also the name of a pro-queer poly hookup app or is this how anyone's finding out? Then again it might be a common way to spell that name over there, who knows