Dimension 20 is again with Pirates of Leviathan, a brand new Dungeons & Dragons mini-campaign that follows a gaggle of pirates exploring a floating metropolis. Since 2018, Dimension 20 has wowed followers with its progressive use of the Dungeons & Dragons system, its fantastical units and miniature dioramas, and among the finest roleplaying on the Internet. Typically filmed on set, Dimension 20 needed to make modifications to its most up-to-date “Side Quest” marketing campaign (shorter campaigns with visitor gamers) as a result of COVID-19 pandemic. Pirates of Leviathan, which launched in September, was filmed remotely however nonetheless options all the appeal and surprises you’d count on from the present.
When Dimension 20 Dungeon Master Brennan Lee Mulligan spoke to ComicBook.com about Pirates of Leviathan, the challenges of manufacturing the present throughout the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly got here up. Not solely did the producers need to cope with the logistical hurdles of filming six gamers from their flats (every with their very own ISP and gear), Mulligan nervous whether or not the present would retain its spirit now that the gamers weren’t sitting across the identical desk.
“One fear we had once we went distant was if we had been going to overlook that important spark that solely comes with bodily presence,” Mulligan stated. “I’ve a bit of little bit of an previous fogy streak in me of like, ‘If we’re not bodily on the desk collectively, how would ever be taught to chuckle?’ But the second we began taking part in, there’s laughter and we’re gregarious, and we’re having an superior time. So that concern evaporated straight away. The emotional, artistic hurdle fully evaporated the second we really began taking part in. The magic was instantly there with these superior gamers distant or in any other case.”
As with previous “Side Quest” campaigns, Pirates of Leviathan incorporates a solid of TTRPG all-stars, together with Critical Role’s Matt Mercer and Marisha Ray, B. Dave Walters, Carlos Luna, Aabria Iyengar, and Krystina Arielle. “We had been so psyched to play with our solid for this Side Quest,” Mulligan stated when requested about how he introduced the solid for this season collectively. “There had been those who I’ve performed with earlier than on Dimension 20, there have been those who I had performed with earlier than in residence games. And then there have been some those who I had simply discovered a few couple months prior and was like, ‘Man, that particular person guidelines, I wish to play with them.’ It all got here collectively so seamlessly and awesomely. Truly a gang of simply all stars, what a privilege.”
Playing remotely additionally introduced different new challenges for Dimension 20, particularly because the present lacked the breathtaking set, dioramas, and miniatures from previous seasons. “A lot of the issues which have grow to be a part of the artistic language of Dimension 20 had been reactions to limitations,” Mulligan stated, declaring that a lot of what set the present aside got here from the choice to not air Dimension 20 dwell. While Pirates of Leviathan lacked the “toys” of earlier seasons, the producers of the present continued to search out methods to innovate, utilizing animation and art work to assist convey the motion and world of the game to life for viewers.
Mulligan likened the modifications to Dimension 20 to what each D&D marketing campaign has skilled with the shift to distant play. “Players are sharing audio, so what are you able to do with audio cues now that everyone is on a shared audio observe? What are you able to do with a digital tabletop that you would by no means do earlier than with miniatures, proper?” Mulligan stated about residence games making an attempt new issues on-line. “Limitations are at all times a secret benefit if you happen to get artistic.”
Dimension 20’s largest energy continues to be its unbelievable roleplaying, pushed alongside by progressive and genre-defying plots. And with a number of episodes left to air, this season’s finest moments are nonetheless coming. “I believe among the most enjoyable moments in your complete facet quest are across the nook,” Mulligan stated. “Not solely is the conclusion to the facet quest one of the crucial thrilling ends we have seen, there are moments arising that reveal these characters hearts in methods which can be extremely touching and significant. I’ll say that among the finest contributions within the upcoming episodes usually are not solely from our good solid of gamers, but additionally from our good buddies, the cube. People have loads to sit up for.”
Of course, the pandemic is not over and Dimension 20 is constant to movie remotely. Mulligan famous that they’ve a full season in post-production, they usually’re getting ready to movie one other facet quest with extra visitor gamers. He additionally famous that the Dimension 20 staff continues to develop and adapt to the distant challenges. ” Every season of Dimension 20 presently within the works has some large development throughout the manufacturing high quality of what we had been capable of do whereas nonetheless residing in COVID world,” Mulligan stated. “So what’s very cool isn’t any season that’s presently in manufacturing or pre-production, can have the identical visible language or technical features to it as a result of our game simply retains getting stepped up as we acquired our COVID sources collectively, which is admittedly, actually thrilling.”
New episodes of Pirates of Leviathan air each Wednesday on DROPOUT. Past Dimension 20 episodes can be discovered on their YouTube channel free of charge.
