Second Star Show brings Kolb’s Neverland Setting to life

Second Star to the Right (SSTTR) is a Dungeons and Dragons actual-play show developed by Second Star Productions and led by professional Dungeon Master and WizKids RPG Producer Joe Nuzzo. Airing bi-weekly on Fridays at 7pm CDT, SSTTR boasts a glorious line-up of seasoned TTRPG players: Faeforge Academy actor and Into the Motherlands star Michael Sinclair II, psychology expert Desirée Strother, who explores relationship dynamics through D&D, creative producer for The Initiative Order and ambassador for Jasper’s Game Day Breanna Flaim, host of Roll for Persuasion and Head of Marketing at Dwarven Forge Andrew Strother, and TV producer, voice actor, and 20 Sided Stories cast member Emily Ervolina.

The Neverland Setting

SSTTR follows Andrew Kolb‘s Neverland setting, a feature-length hex crawl campaign intended for sandbox exploration published by Andrews McMeel. Kolb takes inspiration from the classic world of Peter Pan’s adventures, adding a unique twist that makes for a more appropriate, and perhaps more interesting, environment to wade through for mature TTRPG players. To this, Second Star Productions affix Nuzzo’s many years of pro DMing experience and distinct hands-on narrative style. As the players are guided through an at times comical, at times emotional journey to retrieving a fallen star, each hex of the map reveals new aspects and components of Neverland’s island, championing its characteristically spontaneous setting.

Fantasy London

Before exploring Neverland however, SSTTR does a great job in its first episode at making its community feel immersed in the setting of Fantasy London. Dipping its toes into WWII England, the show makes a point to mention the “cool crisp air”, the “loud bells”, Big Ben, and Whitehall Street. Imbuing the city with magic, the players are introduced to a mystical version of the British Museum, as the DM paints an upgraded picture of what the world might look like right around the corner of the Darling’s household, had they been NPCs in a D&D campaign.

An honourable mention to the show’s vibrant, fairy-tale style art by Lucas @laserlazuli.

Complementary, self-reflective acting

SSTTR’s acting is both genuine and funny, not to mention consistent. As a native South West Londoner, I’m a harsh critic, but the English colloquialisms are there when they need to be. The cast have no qualms when it comes to making fun of themselves, highlighting their lack of a repertoire of UK accents: “I’m gonna put on my worst British accent because I don’t know how to do that.” (Michael Sinclair II, playing Dante).

Each party member adds an invaluable layer to SSTTR’s story, with well-balanced pairings. Genevieve is a careful, intelligent, and poised Wizard. Sharing some of those characteristics, Dante embodies the more serious and forthcoming persona any adventuring team needs to accomplish their goals. Despite this, he often finds himself in the most unlikely of comedic situations, sometimes spearheaded by nonchalant, mysterious, happy-go-lucky Talith. Finally, leaving a memorable impression are investigative Síofra and strongwoman Helen, two opposites of a sorely-needed spectrum; small ball of energy meets fount of knowledge, and buff Hollywood one-punch wonder.

Face to face with the dead, the Second Star players consider their options.

Dedicated to an upward path

The campaign moves at a slower pace than some TTRPG productions, but the storytelling and person-to-person synergy are especially captivating. This is no easy feat for the podcast format, as seen in SSTTR’s first episode, but the cast and crew managed anyway, eventually switching to incorporate video as well. From there on out, the sessions begin to benefit from both the added imagery, as well as intro music by Travis Reaves and recently acquired gameplay music by Alexander Nakarada.

A stand-out quality of SSTTR’s production is the considerable progress it has been dedicated to since first airing, fixing any sound issues, upgrading camera quality, working with sponsors, and at times weaving audience suggestions into their canon.

Second Star Show’s new camera quality.

Sharp comedic quality

SSTTR is all laughter from the get-go. The big bad behind the missing pixie dust is the British Museum, and brief introductory filler baddies include a guy with “Tattoos all over his face, not that there’s anything wrong with that!”, described in the wokest of ways.

The comedy has a skilfully improvised feel, and the humour of the least carefree characters finding themselves in the unlikeliest of situations is not lost on the audience. None should be so bold as to discount the fun in Dante being assailed by both husk dolls and water in equal measure. An opinion piece would also be remiss if it didn’t mention the meta-level anachronisms and self-referential material that has the show’s Twitch viewers in stitches. We love a Walt Disney name drop and a fantasy OSHA violation warning.

Maps and minis

DM Joe Nuzzo drops his players onto the map.

True to his style, Nuzzo did not disappoint when he showed up with a mini terrain. Customising these builds and making minis for D&D gameplay is time-consuming and sometimes difficult to arrange (camera placement, lighting, perspective), and even more so when the game is remote. Although the players can’t directly interact with the field, it gives them an idea of their exact surroundings, as well as offering viewers some nice visuals to look at.

Teamwork makes the dream work

What I love most about SSTTR is that every player cares about the next. There’s nothing worse than a tabletop game where everybody cuts each other off, no one pays mind to anyone else’s backstory, and characters don’t pick up on subtle cues to play off of. The total lack of disrespectful roleplaying edgelordery is a breath of fresh air. Without a shadow of a doubt, it seems that the cast are both professionally and emotionally in tune with what it means to be a good and considerate TTRPG player.

This consideration bleeds into the crew, with Twitch mods Fluffysnowfall and Drama0890 taking care of the audience, and Twitch producer Ryan Smith from nerd-centric podcast The Chumpcast making sure the actual-play runs smoothly. Backed by a plethora of sponsors (Demiplane, Laser Wolf Attack, Black Oak Workshop, Hero Forge, First Aid Comics Chicago), viewers have also shown their support of the show through its Patreon.

Second Star Show is, in essence, an incredibly well-produced experience tailored to Dungeons and Dragons enthusiasts on the hunt for a light-hearted setting with a beautifully narrated and acted story, full of intriguing turns, and the occasional plunge into the darker, more obscure moments.

Second Star to the Right airs every second Friday at 7pm CDT on Twitch.

Session 0: Planning your first D&D Game

The Dungeon Master’s Guide, D&D Spellbook Cards Cleric, Condition Rings and Dice | Flo | Basic Snitch

New Year, New Dungeons and Dragons Campaign? Perhaps you’re not quite there yet and hosting a one-shot or two is more up your alley. Whatever the motive, planning the first game of any adventure can seem daunting. Luckily, the core event of your session is pre-determined; the heroes have to meet. All you need now are a place, plot, and some people – the definition of a manageable workload. Except, your wizard rolls a Nat 20 Intelligence Check, figures out that her father is her brother, pulls out some bat guano and pulverises your starter BBEG for 96 points of fire damage. Holy shit, sick and rad indeed, but… now what?

Here are some suggestions on how to maximise your chances of running a smooth and interesting first Dungeons and Dragons game.

Playtest or Kick-off

Typically, a session 0 and session 1 of Dungeons and Dragons differ in structure and level of preparedness. Session 0s can act as improvisational games where adventurers playtest class and race combinations, try out roleplay accents that they are unsure of, or metagame and ask questions that might otherwise disturb the natural flow of the session. On the other hand, nothing says that a session 0 cannot or should not be the actual kick-off of your campaign or two-shot. You might well feel more comfortable with a pre-written set of intrigues. What matters above all is transparency between Dungeon Master (DM) and players. Talk to your party about what they expect of a first game – this includes addressing triggers and consent – and being honest with them about the kind of adventure you’re looking to run.

Set the mood

Determining the type of game you’re hosting includes setting the appropriate tone and mood. Whether you tend to rely entirely on theatre of the mind, or have a proclivity for fully-fledged battle maps, D&D is always about immersion. Even diehard metagamers rely on a constant commitment to breaking character. To that effect, there are ways in which a game can be made to feel like quasi-VR madness, where everyone is an actor in the universe woven collectively by DM and players.

Narrative

• Adopt the mindset of becoming your Non-Player Characters (NPCs)
• Adjust your tone of voice to fit the mood of narrative descriptions
• Consider register and mood; for example, formal RP English for a Victorian Era setting
• Consider word choice and mood; “deep dark pit” is serious, and “big-ass hole” is comedic
• Make use of silences and pauses to heighten suspense and punctuate important information
• Rely on fast-paced narrative for (pre-)combat, urgency traps, and timed missions
• Practice accents, timbre, pitch, tone, pace, and linguistic quirks
• Study sound effects and try to incorporate them into your narrative

Audio-visual

• For the hearing and seeing community, audio-visual stimuli can be a crucial step to achieving immersion
• Make use of tabletop audio programmes or cherry-pick your own music and ambience playlist
• Platforms such as Watch2Gether, or bots like Groovy on Discord, facilitate autoplay and looping
• Free battle maps, ideal for combat, can be made on Inkarnate, as well as other platforms
• Online whiteboards like AWW Board provide a backdrop for your session for maps, NPCs, and minis

“The Haven Inn, Calinthia” Battle Map | Inkarnate | Flo | Basic Snitch

First encounters

The mood has been set and the main event is certain: forming a party of people who trust each other enough to venture out on deadly quests together. Though the topic is simple enough, allowing for players to become a cohesive unit organically without engaging in illusionism or railroading is a big question mark DMs often grapple with.

With only two or three players at your table or on your screen, the possibilities of planning a narrative-only session 0 that allows for players to find each other naturally are endless. The story can jump from player to player until they find each other, or follow a linear timeline. The goal will almost always be to end up in the same location with a mission that is, to some degree, shared. Having some plot elements that tie characters together beforehand is helpful, and will have them wanting to work together, either out of empathy, sympathy, or necessity. Although this might give the narrative a “chosen ones” feel, injecting this into the larger picture early on means less railroading overall.

Flashbacks not railroads

Due to the tedious nature of meeting sans Deus Ex Machina and how time consuming it can be, Dungeon Masters who have more than a couple of players might lean towards preparing a session 0 that relies heavily on railroading the players into meeting up at a tavern, palace, shop, or battlefield. Upon arrival, five or more strangers are suddenly thrust into the same situation and must all find time to quickly develop a connection.

Though railroading players in a session 0 is, in my opinion, entirely acceptable and sometimes even necessary for sheer practicality, there are ways of avoiding this. Instead of having players travel to the same location in real time, give them a chance to delve into their past. They could all start off in the same location, together in a room for example, and are in each other’s company already for reasons that will soon be revealed. Cue a series of flashbacks that allow them to snoop on each other, so to speak, and catch a glimpse of what other characters are like without engaging in unreasonably deep and meaningful conversations on day one.

A flashback is also a useful tool for DMs as it provides them with a steerable narrative that is limited; as we are in the past, not much can be changed about where the players find themselves now and what their quest is. However, players can impact the “how”, and some choices or rolls might affect the future, i.e., the present. In tandem with this impact, players are able to develop their characters and roleplay what kind of backstory they intend to embody.

Of course, a more light-hearted approach that handles relationships with humour could erase the need to care about meeting organically, or about bonding as companions altogether. The vibe of your game might just be listen here you piece of shit gnome, I don’t give a hoot about your problems, but you’re coming with me, and that’s hilariously okay too.

The Tavern Trope

First encounters inevitably beg the question of where the party will meet. If you’re a seasoned Dungeon Master, you’ll probably want to show your players something unique, and discount the idea of a medieval tavern entirely. That said, if you’re dealing with a bunch of first-timers, The Tavern™ often fulfils novice player TTRPG expectations, and denying them this so-called rite of passage could be a disservice to their entry into D&D.

The answer to this conundrum is simple enough – ask your players about the fantasy worlds or locations they are interested in. Of course, DMs should take their own preferences into account too – never put forward a proposal that doesn’t speak to you, and always be honest with your table, lest you be unexpectedly stuck for five years in a K-Pop-themed campaign set in outer space. Come to think of it, that sounds kind of interesting…

Nat 20s, Nat 1s, and Flukes

For DMs that prefer to be overprepared like myself, it’s often hard to come to terms with the improvisational nature of D&D, and the very real possibility of having to deal with many unforeseeable events determined by dice rolls alone, or unanticipated Player Character (PC) choices.

Strokes of luck

Beyond making sure you aren’t too set in the story you have in mind, there are techniques you can use to deal with the unplanned, or the improbable. For example, a PC might roll a Nat 20 Intelligence Check on a piece of lore you were hoping would remain a mystery for half of the campaign. This is a stroke of good luck that has the potential to warp any DM’s plans, and yet the best way to avoid feeling defeated is by 1) understanding from the get-go that anything you prepare can be subject to a Nat 20 or a Nat 1, 2) recognising that this is a moment of utter satisfaction for the player and reward them with the answer. After all, there will be other obscure mysteries to come.

Narrating improbabilities

Other times, Nat 20s and Nat 1s have less to do with taking the DM by surprise, and more to do with managing a situation that seems improbable, or virtually impossible. Dungeon Masters and D&D players Brennan Lee Mulligan and Lou Wilson discuss such tactics in detail in Dimension 20’s Adventuring Academy episode Creating Rounded Characters. Other than the by now well-known “yes and” rule of improv that seems to fix any situation, unlikely events can be narrated in ways that make them seem more probable. Here are some examples from my own campaigns and one-shots (hosted and played):

• Half-elf Cleric rolls a Nat 20 on dragging an unconscious polymorphed Firbolg Monk (bear) out of a pit
• Kenku Rogue rolls a Nat 1 Dex Check on tinkering with a lock in a Silverymoon library
• Warforged Druid with proficiency in Perception rolls a Nat 1 Perception Check on seeing a house, twice
• Halfling Wizard rolls a Nat 20 Strength Check on pulling a 6ft Warforged Druid out of a village well
• Fire Goliath Barbarian rolls a Nat 20 on an Acrobatics Check to jump over a dozen fragile tavern stools
• Fire Goliath Barbarian rolls a Nat 1 on a melee attack roll, inside a closed tavern against one enemy

All of these situations seem unlikely, and can be difficult to justify on the spot; however, adapting your perspective to favour each PC’s individual qualities and flaws can help. The Half-elf Cleric was suddenly inspired by God, the Kenku Rogue hasn’t slept for 2 days, the Warforged Druid is lost deep in thought, the Halfling Wizard cleverly repositions her companion so that they may use their own Strength to get out of the well, and the Fire Goliath Barbarian is so strong that his momentum pushes him forward, somersaulting over all the old furniture, unfortunately causing him to mistime the swing of his axe.

Balanced encounters

Fluke rolls can also be tackled with balanced encounters. Preparing beforehand that X amount of enemies at level Y will storm a tavern if the BBEG drops below 50% HP before a specified time can often solve PCs being accidentally overpowered (OP). Balancing also makes combat fairer and more interesting.

Though some might interpret this type of balancing as a form of railroading, relying on logic is enough to support this method; how many times has a superhero or supervillain prepped some backup in the event that they should meet their demise? You know, the whole “If I’m not back in 10 minutes, send in the tanks.” You get the gist.

Remote D&D

Despite all of these pointers, the 2020+ covid-19 pandemic has led to a decrease in IRL gameplay, and a huge shift towards remote Dungeons and Dragons. As Ari would say, when all is said and done, virtual D&D sessions could end up being your biggest challenge yet; your internet might let you down, and awkward silences can stack like Jenga blocks.

Tech mishaps and solutions

• Computers crash; prepare to temporarily join Discord (or the platform you use) via phone if possible
• For cuts in PC audio, the DM can switch to narrative describing scenery, or move on to other players
• Any general technical difficulties with a short waiting time can be solved with a water or food break
• If a single player’s internet connection drops for a long time, narrate the character’s sudden departure
• Discord flops happen; try a temporary switch to Skype, Zoom or Google Meets
• Digital dice page won’t load? Siri rolls polyhedral dice too! Or ask a fellow player to determine your fate
• Frozen or broken battle maps might be your cue to go off-script and engage in theatre of the mind combat
• Silences, they’re unavoidable. Call for a break, load some cricket noises, further describe the scene
• Mistimed music can be humorous; AC/DC combat music on at a romantic date? Narrate the stage bard’s strange take on what a candlelit dinner ambience means. Her manager will be having a word with her…

Rule #1 – Have fun

Although the DM is in charge of gameplay prep and keeping an overview of the direction of each session – especially the first session – the point of TTRPG is ultimately to have fun. In the end, it doesn’t matter how many Nat 1s you roll or how far you stray from the intended path. All that matters is that you’re having a great time at the table, be it a material, or virtual one.

Calling All Gamers! Critical Role Launches Non-profit Organisation

Critical Role has just launched its new non-profit organisation, Critical Role Foundation, calling on all gamers to take action and donate to various causes at criticalrolefoundation.org.

On Thursday, Critical Role released a short animated video on their YouTube channel detailing the launch of Critical Role Foundation (CRF). This launch comes after Critical Role’s many successful years as a Dungeons and Dragons-focused company, show, and much-loved ttrpg community. What was once a small D&D game run and played by a bunch of nerdy-ass voice actors is now an independent media company housing arguably the most popular weekly D&D show, with an average of 15K viewers and 600K subscribers. Their increasing popularity within the ttrpg world, and their loyal and diverse fanbase, makes the decision to launch a non-profit all the more important.

Introducing Critical Role Foundation! / Critical Role / Animation by OffStudios.

CRF partners with other non-profit organisations to organise fundraising campaigns in support of various charitable causes. Their current fundraiser asks for donations to revive the Native Youth & Culture Fund for two nonprofits located at Zuni Pueblo and Cochiti Pueblo.

With several long-running shows on YouTube and Twitch, live shows (pre-pandemic), a merch store in the US, UK, and Australia, as well as a soon-to-be released Animated Series, it made sense for Critical Role to continue on its upward path and add a non-profit foundation to its list of accomplished goals.

Critical Role also announced in the caption of their launch video that “10% of every donation, across every campaign, goes toward an emergency relief fund giving CRF the ability to provide donations in the event of a natural disaster or other instance that requires immediate humanitarian aid“. With 2020 having been an inexplicably tragic year; the company’s choice to set aside a portion of donations for an emergency relief fund is crucial. It comes in the wake of the 2020 California Wildfires, an hour or so away from Los Angeles where the cast and crew of Critical Role are based, and the worldwide devastation of the coronavirus pandemic. This year also saw earthquakes in Turkey and the Caribbean, the killing of George Floyd by a white police officer, the mass deadly explosion in Beirut, the Australian bushfires, floods in Jakarta, bloody riots in Delhi, and the ongoing perpetuation of injustices across the board.

Of course; it’s not the first time the cast and crew of Critical Role have used their platform and growth to encourage their overwhelmingly supportive community to donate to good causes. The company has raised money for Red Nose Day, OutRight International, OSD, and Pablove. Critical Role is also an ongoing supporter of 82LA; “a non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students ages 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write.”

Head on over to Critical Role Foundation to donate. Keen on supporting but unable to donate? Please help the ttrpg community spread the word, at no cost.

TTRPG: The illusion of choice in Dungeons and Dragons

Created in the mid 70s and currently resurfacing as a popular fantasy tabletop role playing game, Dungeons and Dragons is an open world pencil-paper-and-dice game that lets your imagination run wild. But how limitless should the world be, and where do Dungeon Masters draw the line?

I recently stumbled across an archived thread in the r/DnD subreddit on the topic of railroading versus illusion of choice. Both forms of deception offer TTRPG players two or more options, with all or several of them resulting in the same outcome. The crossroads example is classically drawn on to illustrate this strategy; the party has the option to go left or right, but both paths lead back to the dungeon. If they decide on neither, the dungeon inevitably comes to them.

Railroading vs. Illusion of choice from DnD

Is there a difference between illusion of choice and railroading?

Illusion of choice and railroading seem to be distinct in that they connote different intentions. The former is likely to occur when Dungeon Masters are ill-prepared for a twist in narrative or action, and are obliged to quickly improvise. Sometimes the only option is to put the party back on track, whatever the costs. The opposite hypothetical also warrants some attention; being overly prepared can come at a price. As a DM, I have hundreds of options laid out for my players with each choice and outcome promising to be unique and significant. Regardless of gameplay style, I know beforehand that it’s downright impossible to prepare for every scenario. When taken by surprise, I eventually come up with an improvised solution, but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t relied on illusionism once or twice.

Similarly, railroading is a deliberate manoeuvre used to force player characters back into whatever situation the DM had intended them to be in. It leaves little room for any meaningful choices at all, and is largely more transparent than illusionism. Constant and reoccurring railroading might well be a sign of an inexperienced DM, or in the worst of cases, an uncooperative DM.

So aren’t illusion of choice and railroading, in essence, cut from the same cloth? Dungeon Solvers are of the opinion that illusionism is indeed “a form of railroading where the players can make a decision, but their choice has no effect on the game’s direction.” Illusionism is then an umbrella term that encompasses railroading. In either case, using deception too often risks affecting the level of trust between DM and PCS, and impinging on player morale.

A careful balance between deception and trust

Of course, every player’s ideal DMing style is entirely subjective, and might even depend on the edition of DnD the participants are acquainted with. Many 3e enthusiasts enjoy the idea of being pitted against their DM in a Battle Royale style massacre where no one can be trusted, and in this sense, maybe illusionism matters less, as they are essentially fighting against the DM as well.

This dynamic has evolved in 5e, and many feel that trust between the DM and the Player Character is absolutely essential for a good campaign. This relationship makes it harder to know when and if you should deceive your PCs. Are you confident that your PCs rely on you, and trust you to be helpful and honest? Avoiding illusionism as much as possible might be the best solution.

Illusionism is the easy way out

From the DM’s perspective, illusionism might just be a blessing in disguise. Presenting irrelevant choices to your party can sometimes be exactly the breather you need.

Some of the benefits of illusionism

1. There is no longer a need to prepare as many outcomes as possible if you are not well-versed in improvisation.
2. It can take pressure off of DMing and allow for narrative or descriptive development. Release those quirky NPC one-liners.
3. Worldbuilding immediately becomes a lot easier; there are a limited amount of places you can and will end up.
4. Generally speaking, it saves hours of preparation time.
5. It’s a wonderful tactic for lighthearted, action-packed, non-RPG-heavy one shots.

At the end of the day, one could argue that what matters most is the DM’s ability to cover up these illusions and make them seem like meaningful choices. That said, the sheer thought of denying agency to the players is enough to cause distrust. Personally, I need to be able to trust my DM not to deceive me more than what is strictly necessary. In turn, players are honest about their rolls, their stats, the amount of spell slots they have left, whether they have already burned their reaction.

Video games are restrictive; TTRPG should be limitless

It’s worth emphasising that Dungeons and Dragons is unique exactly because it operates on an open world model in which literally anything can happen. These realms thrive on a plethora of meaningful choices, and if DMs choose to railroad their characters to the point of enforcing a singular set of paths, then PCs might as well play a video game.

Unlike DnD, video games are exclusive, and, prohibitively expensive (not only due to the price of the game, but also that of the console, monitor, controller, reliable internet connection…). They depend on restricted choices, be it by way of fixed quests, or the reductive binary male vs female avatar selection. Heck, Ubisoft didn’t even provide us with gender options.

DnD is about inclusivity, which should extend itself to meaningful decisions beyond choosing a class and race. Escapism seems less valuable if it’s only to perform in yet another closed off universe. Or what do I know, a one shot with an all-male human fighter cast collectively called Arno could admittedly be entertaining.

How to avoid railroading

A rough draft

In order to avoid being ill-prepared for a session, always plan out a rough draft of a few possible options. Instead of meticulously sketched out dialogue and encounter scenes, write up a page per NPC and opponents with their possible reactions, one-liners, loot, and the information they can supply the party with. If this suits your style, continue with a page per location complete with loot, traps, and monsters. Stick to bullet points!

Creative solutions

Instead of defecting to your original plan, come up with a series of creative solutions that have been pre-planned before the session and that you can fall back on when you’re in a rut. Perhaps you operate in a world where there are evil creatures spawning from set of locations (forests, towns, cities, mountains). If a radically different outcome or path is pursued and they find themselves near a spawn location, roll a d6 and choose from a list of homebrew (or existing) monsters. The inclusion of a closing combat leaves room for the modifications next game’s prep will now undergo. This allows you to be the kind of DM that won’t render player choices meaningless, but delay them enough to give you time to adjust accordingly.

Redirect with clues

Your players might be derailing themselves from your main plot because there aren’t enough clues per session to peak their curiosity and redirect it back to the larger picture. Alternatively, you might have too many clues and pieces of information, giving them an overwhelmingly unapproachable air. Simplify your hints without taking away from their mystery, and allow for ways in which the dots can be connected.

Improvise

Easier said than done, the key to smooth flowing narrative and storytelling is to match your players’ level of improvisation. Are they responding differently to a dilemma than you had expected? Perhaps you had assumed they would save a child from a burning building, but instead they ran. Huzza! A perfect backstory for your new villain; a vengeful, burn-ridden baby warlock of a fiend patron. Creepy.

Is illusionism ever acceptable?

All that said, sometimes the DM is, ironically, left without a choice. Fortunately, non-toxic ways of dabbling in illusionism do exist. For example, if your party is having fun advancing in a particular quest but are way off track, nudging them in the right direction shouldn’t be frowned upon. See it as a help action that is in their best interest rather than your own. By no means is this participating in toxic railroading where the outcome is always the same no matter what the players choose to do. If you put in the work, it’s likely that participants will instinctively feel the difference between a forced path, and an intelligent choice that aligns with their quest. Despite the modicum of extra DM prep it might imply, there really is nothing better than imbuing your players with genuine curiosity, and newfound purpose.

10 Reasons Why Dimension 20’s Fantasy High is a Hit

dropout.tv

Dimension 20 is a tabletop RPG comedy show hosted by DM and actor-writer Brennan Lee Mulligan. Produced by CollegeHumor‘s subscription service Dropout, Fantasy High is set in a 1950s through 1980s American-style city Elmville, Solace. This campaign follows the exploits of six courageous High School students from the Aguefort Adventuring Academy. Here are ten reasons why this Dungeons meets Detentions campaign played by a group of talented comedians should be at the top of your binge list.

1. Complex character building in a digestible timeframe

With a group of comedians behind the wheel, the potential for a show lacking in depth and complete with farcical chaos was necessarily on the table from the very start. This comedy campaign, however, is refreshingly well-structured and thought-through, all whilst remaining lighthearted; no easy feat to accomplish when also doing justice to world building, character development, and narrative coherence.

All players, including DM Brennan Lee Mulligan, have built complex characters with unexpected depth, questionable flaws, and personable qualities. Fantasy High has few clear-cut bad guys vs good guys, and even NPCs who at first seemed almost devoid of emotion might unintentionally divulge their gut-wrenching ails to the party through a Detect Thoughts spell.

Yet what truly stands out about Fantasy High when compared to other campaigns is not its fully-fledged out characters with emotional background stories (the likes of which can be found in many DnD adventures), but its ability to include this level of profound character building in such a short amount of time. Rarely surpassing the 2-hour mark, Dimension 20’s sessions are half the length of a Critical Role episode, and therefore perhaps better suited and more digestible to excited DnD newcomers.

2. Incomparable and yet complementary to Critical Role

Though its generally ill-advised to compare any unique DnD campaign to the next, Critical Role has set the bar so high in all that it does that the juxtaposition has become inevitable. As an advocate of everything Critical Role with a profound admiration for Matt Mercer’s DMing skills, I was formerly convinced that no other set of players, and no other DM, would ever come close to inspiring the emotions and relatability that Vox Machina and the Mighty Nein do.

Dimension 20, by virtue of not being comparable to Critical Role but instead complementary to it, does not pressurise the viewer into favouritism, but lets their fans add another gem to their shelf of unparalleled campaign shows. Simply put, Dimension 20 is Critical Role’s silly sister; though they share many qualities, their DNA is different.

3. High quality improvisation, description, and narration

imdb.com

If you put aside the perfectly produced set, amazing camera quality, and professional lighting and sound, all of which can be prohibitively expensive to a lot of players, one key factor that makes Fantasy High thrilling to watch is the solid acting and storytelling. Never a dull moment, the players find a way to solve the main quest whilst still making time for inappropriate hospital ER romances, strange sex talks with their parents, and killing a villain with a spoon – no, a ladle.

Similar to other campaigns that are also made up of professional actors, the storytelling and improvisation (CollegeHumor’s forte), is so spot on that the show almost seems scripted. Mulligan whips up long monologues about arcane lore in response to a random dice roll, and player characters have comebacks spilling out of their mouths when confronted with High School bullies and vicious villains. Was the Episode 7 one-liner “keep cadaverously cool” conjured in the moment? I sure hope so.

4. Dramatic irony and opposing imagery

One of the comedic strategies used in Fantasy High is constant contrast; everything you thought was set in stone is now up for grabs, and an endless flux of hilarious dichotomies permeate the entire campaign.

Fantasy High uses external character-to-character contrast; for example between half-elf teenager Fabian Seacaster, a wealthy grade A snob played by comedian Lou Wilson, and his father Bill Seacaster aka Papa, a loud-mouthed, overly assertive, and imposingly proud pirate privateer. This same contrast is found between sturdy half-orc barbarian Gorgug Thistlespring, played by Zac Oyama, and his happy-go-lucky, always smiley gnome parents who live in a tree.

Dimension 20 also employs internal character contrast; Kristen Applebees (Ally Beardsley) is a Cleric who pretends to drink alcohol to fit in at parties. Though she repeatedly questions her faith, she does so whilst trying to convert all of her friends to her religion and add them to her Prayer Chain group chat. Figueroth ‘Fig’ Faeth (Emily Axford) is a badass, no BS, bass guitar wielding tiefling whose rebellious nature coats a nucleus of emotions and daddy issues; her elf stepfather Gilear Faeth is a yoghurt-eating, university-educated cuckold, and her biological father is a demon who is partial to a bit of ice cream.

Fantasy High’s mastery of the unexpected, much of which can be credited to Mulligan’s side-splitting NPCs, is without a doubt its biggest selling point.

5. From recurring themes to well-rounded storytelling

As much as this campaign thrives on the unforeseen, the DM and players take heed to one-liners and oddball situations that might make for a quirky comeback later. Riz Gukgak (Brian Murphy) is unanimously referred to as ‘The Ball’ throughout the campaign after having been dunked into a trash can a total of once in the first session, and rolling a NAT 1 Insight Check on an NPC for Gorgug is now synonymous with him believing them to be his dad. When Adaine Abernant (Siobhan Thompson) casts Identify, it is narrated by an immaterial arcane voice that reappears frequently to add some flavour to the spell.

6. Party respect, cohesiveness, and team player attitude

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Perhaps most satisfying to watch for seasoned DnD players is the level of inter-party respect displayed by the cast. Both friends and colleagues, the high regard with which the players treat each other is evident in their team player attitudes, willingness to work together to develop each other’s character quirks and backstories, and the caution they proceed with when participating in dialogue.

The advantage of being professional actors and friends is that the cast have an eye for recognising the difference between added dialogue that can take a moment from funny to priceless, and added dialogue that is superfluous, and even bordering on disrespectful. Rarely interrupting each other, instead the seven participants lean back and watch when their pals are having a moment, without the need to insert themselves for the sake of it.

7. The pros of meta-commentary

Meta-gaming is often frowned upon in the DnD community by hardcore RPG lovers, yet Fantasy High makes good use of meta-commentary that has this aforementioned added value. As comedians, the Dropout TV crew play their comedic selves as well as their DnD characters, and are able to expand upon a joke so that it can be appreciated from a meta standpoint. This further encourages the DM to build on the moment, as it is clear that his players are having fun.

In terms of entertainment, this meta-commentary could be seen as part of the campaign’s bi-fold show format, as they are being watched both as CollegeHumor comedians and as DnD characters. The show format also presupposes performativity and impacts gameplay choices. As the party knows they are being watched for the purpose of entertainment, performing meta-commentary provides that extra layer of relatability, and lets us imagine ourselves with our own friends at the table. Because everyone meta-games sometimes. Not only is it funny, but the players are likeable because of it.

8. A twist on your typical Breakfast Club High School stereotypes

Some criticism that a setting such as the Aguefort Adventuring Academy is likely to receive is that it utilises and relies on overused and potentially discriminatory High School stereotypes and tropes, which are extended to gender and race as well. Of course, the same can be said about virtually any DnD campaign or setting, yet the High School scapes seem to lend themselves particularly well to these stereotypes; the half-orcs are the bullies, the jocks are bad boys, the coach can be bribed, and the pretty girls are airheads. The shy and nerdy kids get are tormented, whereas the rebellious party members befriend the seniors, and sneak into the teachers’ lounge to flirt with the Vice Principle. The goblin’s parent can’t afford cereal milk, the elves are rich, and the lead cigarette-smoking tiefling in a leather jacket is literally called Danny Johnny.

At first sight, Fantasy High is like any other loser High School: not very woke at all. But when you dig deeper, it becomes clear that Aguefort is more than what it seems, with a geeky AV club too cool even for Gorgug, a hot greaser who ‘doesn’t fuck’ and embodies cringe-worthiness, a formerly drug-selling bouncer who turns out to be a great guidance councillor, and an angry orc who is coming to terms with the fact that he might be gay.

9. A supportive DM you can trust

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Most importantly, it is without a shadow of a doubt that Brennan Lee Mulligan, much like Matt Mercer, Deborah Ann Woll, or Mark Hulmes, is a DM you can trust. He is always supportive of his player’s decisions, frequently starting or ending his sentences with “Hell yeah” and “Rad” in response to their creativity, and rewarding them with advantage rolls or extended dialogue. He claps when a PC rolls a NAT 20, and ‘oofs’ when enemies roll high on their damage.

With several gameplay and DMing styles out there, there is truly nothing better than feeling completely free to make bold and creative choices under the wing of your DM, without unnecessary punishment for attempting a clever move. Not only does Mulligan excel at accents, improvisation, sound effects, character building, world building, and comedy, but he puts up a great DnD fight whilst still remaining fun and fair till the very end.

10. It’s just good fun

If you remain unconvinced, all I can say is that you will be laughing on your sofa, in your bed, and at your desk throughout the whirlwind of crazy that is Fantasy High, and Dimension 20 campaigns in general. You won’t know what you’re missing, until you give it a shot.

Asking My Campaign: Why You Should Give Dungeons and Dragons a (One)Shot

How do I sacrifice my estranged little brother to a potent god? Maybe you don’t ask yourself that question too, but it’s possible that you’re off daydreaming about other universes, tinkering with machines, or concocting potions: whatever your fantasy world is about, you can probably find it in Dungeons and Dragons.

Dungeons and Dragons, or D&D (also stylised DnD) is the first modern role-playing tabletop game, and the most un-board-gamey-game out there. Created in the mid 70s and recently re-popularised with newer editions surfacing, DnD is different from traditional wargaming in that each player creates their own completely unique character, with a huge amount of mix-and-match possibilities and very few limitations.

All players choose a race (such as goblin or elf) and a class (such as druid or rogue) and pick from a long and elaborate list of spells and/or combat tricks. They roll some polyhedral dice (ranging from d4s to d20s) to come up with their in-game statistics, complete with ability scores and modifiers. These scores, which players roll for and allocate themselves, will determine their abilities: how good or bad they are at lying, convincing, dragging, jumping, sneaking around, recalling information, and so on. Left to fend for themselves with only a modicum of guidance, they walk into a spontaneous, or maybe fully-fledged, fantasy world.

Led by the Game Master (GM), also called Dungeon Master (DM), the characters meet each other, or have already met beforehand and must weave their encounter(s) into their respective backstories. They tackle the world they are in with a simple dice roll determining their ability to accomplish a certain task: perceive, investigate, attack… Unexpected enemies or allies can appear at any time, and players might run out of spell slots, or even die.

The purpose of the game is to go on several, often improvised quests, and the beauty of it all, is that it is essentially never-ending: DnD is not just a game, but a story that involves a lot of character-based calculations, consideration for other players, and commitment to meeting up and playing the part. Conversely, many also choose to partake in ‘one shots’ for a riveting DnD session lasting one night and one night only.

That all sounds pretty funky already, but here are a bunch of expert opinions sourced directly from my own completely unbiased party on why you should borrow a set of dice and sign up for your very first game of DnD.

RISK-TAKING

Our quick and cunning thief likes to take bets on her luck and creative mind. Chantal, who plays Earing the Halfling Rogue, will tell you that her favourite thing about playing DnD comes in packs of three:

“The combination of skill, chance, and creativity. Going on a prolonged journey into the imagination of other people whilst they play a character who does not necessarily represent their own [out-of-game] choices and how that collective effort brings life into the in-game world.”

And try as you may, the dice will determine your fate. But if you think creatively and way, way outside of the realm, then your DM might be humoured into lowering the number needed to succeed. So why not take a chance!

Benefits of the halfing rogue combo

• Nimble
• Dexterous
• Good with traps
• Lucky
• Sneaky
• Able to communicate in thieves’ cant
• A lock’s worst enemy

GAMING, MINUS THE SCREEN

Photo 2 by Espen Meisfjord.

If you’re looking for orphaned royalty, we’ve got that too. Our mysterious and untrusting half-elf ranger was once a noble paladin. Sebastian plays (Tar-)Darion Beluarian, The Strayer, and he likes the idea of gaming without the adverse effects of screen-time:

“There’s no screen, and actually, no writer or director telling you what the fictional world should look like. It just allows everyone in the group to have their own world, and yet play together, in real life. You’re totally free, you can eat and drink at the same time, you can leave quickly to the kitchen and come back, and the freedom extends to you as an actor.”

In DnD, players are free to choose what kind of a person they’d like to play, whereas video-gamers are often limited to a list of pre-made avatars:

“Here, you not only choose your own spells and abilities, but your entire background story, look, and personality.”

And it’s not untrue; there isn’t always a list of narrative A, B, C, D options to choose from, and you could spend years on creating a backstory, or invent it on the spot. If you’d like to swap genders, professions, political parties, or philosophies, go ahead. No one is stopping you.

Benefits of the half-elf ranger combo

• Charismatic
• Diplomatic
• Ability to multi-attack
• Knowledge of various terrains
• Bow expert

LARP THE NIGHT AWAY

*The artwork for these minis have been sourced from the internet and most have been modified to fit our needs with photoshop. The artwork has only been used for our miniatures and non-commercial poster. We do not recommend using artwork that is not your own if you are going commericial or pro.

Live Action Role Playing, or LARPing, is not just an activity you can participate in to see what it would be like to be a catastrophically elite version of yourself. Vulnerability is key, so don’t shy away from taking on an insecurity or belief you might not have in real life. Becoming someone else and building a common narrative is tricky, but ultimately very rewarding. As a relatively confident person, recent graduate, and atheist, I play Elyssee Elwing, the paranoid half-elf cleric student. It makes no sense, but it’s a lot of fun.

All of it comes with a no-strings-attached policy, because it’s only a character. At the same time, if you dedicate yourself to it enough, it’ll become you. Players in-game usually only refer to each other by their character names, team-members will adopt strange accents and quirks, and, when you die, you die. Back to the drawing board for your new character.

Benefits of the half elf cleric combo

• Charismatic
• Diplomatic
• Necessary healer
• Always useful
• Banish the dead
• Befriend the dead?

MAP-MAKING, WORLD-BUILDING

And just when you might begin to think that DnD sounds unmanageably free and off-the-usual-track, you’ll be pleased to know that the game also offers a wealth of information on how to play. Gimble the Gnome Wizard, played by Espen, dreams of worlds built on travel narratives.

“It gives the gameplay a coherent structure and shifts between an emphasis on ontological and subjective approaches to documentation of places and people encountered.”

You’ll find many maps and treasure troves of information on DnD, which include The Player’s Handbook and Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide. Our well-travelled gnome is thankfully our living map guide, but there are many digital resources, such as Roll 20, DND 5th Edition, and D&D Beyond’s 5th Edition Maps, if you’re not too sure about investing in costly tabletop books quite yet.

Benefits of the gnome wizard combo

• Intelligent
• Unparalleled knowledge of the Arcane
• Naturally gifted illusionist
• Able to communicate with animals
• Chaotic good fun
• So many spells

BY THE BOOK, OR NOT

With all its books and platforms, any rule in DnD can be interpreted as a long list of suggestions at the discretion of your group’s Dungeon Master. Frank, the team’s hilarious bear-who-was-revealed-to-actually-not-be-a-real-bear (it was shocking), or Varen the Firbolg Monk, is all about the in-game freedom:

“Whilst it’s true that the game involves many rules, they don’t operate by restricting creativity, but rather by guiding it, helping to make the game fun for you and your group. When playing DnD, each player has the freedom to invent their own game, which results in an unbelievably rich and unexpected adventure.”

As a bear who walks and talks in the country’s capital without care, Varen embodies freedom of game, exemplified by his quirky tangential mini-adventures, such as the quest for a decent yet rustic pipe to smoke.

Benefits of the firbolg monk combo

• Giant
• Naturally detect magic
• Naturally disguise yourself
• Invisibility
• Mulitattacks
• Ability to stun and delay

Our inscrutable barbarian agrees. Though he initially had many existential questions on the game’s lack of necessary structure and coherence, Nil, or Tork the Orc, now finds the idea of a freer world built on a semblance of reality to be comforting:

“The people I come across, the places I visit. Do they exist before I encounter them? […] The future could be predetermined, yet I have no means of knowing. Where does free will lie under such an argument? Although these questions occupy my mind often, I have learned to not think about them. It is likely that the DM improvises as he goes, and I have found peace in not questioning his ability to [lead us].”

Coming to terms with the at times strange nature of the game has led to a number of absurd occurrences, such as when Tork killed a wizard in one blow for purely narrative reasons. He didn’t seem to mind, though. Tork smash!

Benefits of the barbarian orc combo

• Strong
• Resilient
• Robust
• Naturally intimidating
• Deal 40 points of damage in one swing

BE THE GAME

There’s one last actor, hidden behind a dividing screen. Arvid, our smiling Dungeon Master, also loves the narrative and geographical world-building that DnD has to offer; after all, the game we play is in many ways the seed of his creative mind intermingled with our own individual and joint choices. In other ways, the game is out of his control almost entirely:

“The reason why I play and act as the Dungeon Master in DnD is mostly as a creative outlet. Whether I play or act as the DM, I see it as a performance of story-telling and as immersion for the players and for myself. I like to improvise and I love to write short little stories in my mind that I can act out in front of the players. I am always curious as to what the players will do and where they will end up. This gives me, as a Dungeon Master, the opportunity to express my imagination both in terms of world-building, and in terms of being an improvisational actor.”

According to our DM, an opinion I am sure our players would back up vehemently, the rich fantasy world of DnD us unlike any other game out there:

“I know of no other game that allows for such freedom of expression and after not having played for a while, I always feel drawn back into this fantasy world to see what ideas may present themselves.”

Benefits of DMing

• Narrative storytelling
• Worldbuilding
• Character creation
• Practice accents
• Surprise your players
• DM and NPC – double the fun!

Think you’ve got what it takes to DM? Check out professional voice actor and DM artist extraordinaire Matt Mercer and his top tips on leading a campaign of players.

So, are you ready to play?