D20 Storms MSG: Heroes, Dragons, & Dice Triumph!

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On a bustling Friday evening, Madison Square Garden was completely filled to capacity and resonating with enthusiastic shouts, yet it wasn’t a Grammy-winning musician or a New York sports team that had the crowd enthralled: Instead, it was a band of fearless champions who have made waves in the realm of Dungeons & Dragons.

The gaming group known as Dimension 20, renowned for their monster-slaying exploits and humorous improvisations on the streaming platform Twitch, electrified Madison Square Garden during their debut major live performance, “Gauntlet at the Garden.” Guided by their dungeon master Brennan Lee Mulligan, the Dimension 20 team, comprising Zac Oyama, Emily Axford, Lou Wilson, Brian Murphy, Ally Beardsley and Siobhan Thompson, returned to their beloved NYC-inspired Unsleeping City campaign. But, the excitement for D20 enthusiasts escalated as characters from various games unexpectedly appeared on stage, triggered by audience dice rolls. Once thought of as a specialized, geeky pastime, Dungeons and Dragons has surged into mainstream acceptance, with Dimension 20 among its swiftly rising stars.

A multitude of enthusiasts queued outside Madison Square Garden, an occasion that might have seemed like a Knicks game or a packed-out music event if not for the multitude of individuals dressed as their preferred D20 role-playing characters. Inside, “Gauntlet at the Garden” was anything but an ordinary D20 spectacle. The celebrities were stationed in the center of the floor, bathed in blue lights that flashed a startling red during intense battle scenes. Explosions of fire or cascades of sparks would burst around them during dramatic points, and large screens displayed character animations when a new character was unveiled.

In the continuation of the series, the D20 group resumed their roles from Season 1 in the show, which is known as The Unsleeping City. This fictional setting is based on New York City, expanded to include a mysterious sixth borough filled with magic. The Unsleeping City group found themselves up against monsters that originated from other D20 storylines. In this cast, Oyama embodied the character of firefighter Ricky Matsui, Wilson took on the role of elderly Harlem nurse Kingston Brown, Axford portrayed Staten Island native Sofia Bicicleta, Thompson brought Broadway star Misty Moore to life, Beardsley played drug dealer Pete “the Plug” Conlan, and Murphy gave voice to the talking sewer rat Kugrash.

In the unconventional tale of “Gauntlet at the Garden,” strange occurrences akin to those found in multiple universes saw three unusual beings infiltrate New York City. Among them were Kalvaxus, the dragon principal from “Fantasy High,” the sugar-coated fairy from “Crown of Candy,” and the robot matriarch Junkmother from “Starstruck Odyssey.” The Gramercy Occult Society presented these characters and briefed them about their mission. Then, the D20 heroes passed control to the viewers, who used their smartphones to roll a digital 20-sided die to determine whether an ally or adversary would join the story. Two disappointing rolls brought forth Gilear Faeth, a divorced elf from “Fantasy High,” and Calroy Cruller, a malevolent confectionery villain from “Crown of Candy.” To even the odds, Mulligan granted the audience an advantage (a D&D mechanic that allows you to roll two dice and take the higher number), resulting in a perfect 20. This summoned Plug Strutt, an elderly vendor from “Starstruck Odyssey,” and Ayda Aguefort, a half-phoenix sorceress from “Fantasy High.

In alternating sequences of improvised drama and intense battles, the Unsleeping City team successively vanquished monsters in diverse manners. They clashed with the sugar-plum fairy at a “The Nutcracker” production at Lincoln Center, then navigated around the Junkmother who resided at Freshkills Park in Staten Island by means of charm. In critical instances, Mulligan instructed cast members to throw dice into the Box of Doom, an ominous, skull-shaped box with its own camera capturing close-ups of each roll. The most dramatic die roll occurred during the climactic confrontation with Kalvaxus, when Thompson tried to enchant the dragon with a spell that made it dance uncontrollably and weakened its defenses. Mulligan produced a comically oversized, 20-sided die for this crucial roll on the floor – after an underwhelming miss that the audience requested to be re-rolled – the heroes emerged victorious, stunning the dancing dragon. After additional assaults and spells, the adventurers sent the last villain back to his home dimension, thereby saving New York City.

Due to some fortunate dice throws, the Dimension 20 team exited Madison Square Garden as heroes, although their ardent followers would have adored them just as much if they had lost. With an additional three stadium shows scheduled this year, it’s evident that Dimension 20 has achieved a critical success (a natural 20) and raised the bar for live Dungeons & Dragons performances.

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2025-01-26 17:46