Worlds Beyond Numbers
A new scifi campaign DMed
by Aabria Iyengar
TABLE TOPICAL CRITICAL ROLE
The DnD group enters a new season with big changes
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CRITICAL ROLE BRENNAN LEE MULLIGAN
DIMENSION 20
LEGENDS OF AVANTRIS
WORLDS BEYOND NUMBERS
Brennan Lee Mulligan
By Brendan Gouveia
Brennan Lee Mulligan has built a distinctive career at the intersection of comedy, storytelling, and tabletop role-playing games. Emerging from the world of improv and internet sketch comedy, he has become one of the most recognizable figures in the “actual play” genre—where performers play tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons for an audience. His trajectory reflects both the evolution of digital comedy platforms and the growing cultural legitimacy of tabletop gaming as entertainment.
Mulligan’s career began in the New York comedy scene, where he trained and performed at the Upright Citizens Brigade. There, he honed skills in improvisation, character work, and collaborative storytelling—tools that would later define his work as a game master (DM).In addition to performing, Mulligan also worked as a teacher and storyteller, including involvement in live-action role-playing (LARP) environments and youth programs. These experiences shaped his narrative instincts and his ability to guide collaborative stories—essential to his later success in tabletop media.
Breakthrough at CollegeHumor and Dropout
Mulligan’s major career breakthrough came when he joined CollegeHumor in 2017 as a writer. He contributed to projects like Um, Actually, a comedy trivia show, and appeared in numerous sketches that showcased his sharp comedic timing and satirical voice.As CollegeHumor transitioned into its subscription platform Dropout, Mulligan became a central creative force. He expanded into performing, producing, and developing original programming, eventually becoming one of the platform’s most recognizable talents.Mulligan’s most significant contribution to entertainment is the creation of Dimension 20 in 2018. Serving as its primary Dungeon Master, he blends improvisational comedy with complex narrative storytelling.The show is structured as an anthology, with each season presenting a new setting and story. Mulligan’s style—fast-paced, emotionally grounded, and highly responsive to players—has been widely praised. Critics note his ability to balance humor with dramatic stakes, a rare skill in the genre. Dimension 20 emerged during a broader resurgence of tabletop gaming content and helped redefine Dungeons & Dragons as a performative, narrative-driven medium rather than just a hobby.
Beyond Dimension 20, Mulligan has expanded into multiple formats. He co-founded the podcast Worlds Beyond Number, where he continues to serve as a Dungeon Master, and has appeared in major actual-play productions such as Critical Role. His involvement in Critical Role—including running high-profile campaigns—signals his influence within the broader tabletop entertainment industry. His storytelling approach, which emphasizes pacing, ensemble balance, and thematic cohesion, has been noted as a distinct evolution from more traditional tabletop formats.
Writing and Creative Work Beyond Performance
Mulligan is also an accomplished writer. He co-created the webcomic Strong Female Protagonist with artist Lee Knox Ostertag, which received critical recognition and awards.His writing often explores themes of power, ethics, and social systems— concerns that also appear in his tabletop narratives. This thematic consistency demonstrates how his work across media forms a cohesive creative identity.
What distinguishes Mulligan’s career is his synthesis of comedy and narrative design. His work is characterized by:
-Improvisational mastery rooted in sketch and improv training
-Narrative ambition, with intricate world-building and emotional arcs
-Political and social awareness, often embedded in storytelling
-Collaborative storytelling, elevating players and ensemble casts
As tabletop gaming has entered mainstream entertainment, Mulligan has become a key figure in that transition. Shows like Dimension 20 now draw large audiences and even live performances, reflecting the genre’s growing cultural relevance.
Brennan Lee Mulligan’s career illustrates a broader shift in contemporary media: the blending of performance, gaming, and digital storytelling. From improv stages to streaming platforms, he has helped redefine what storytelling can look like in the 21st century. By merging comedy with collaborative narrative, Mulligan has not only built a successful career but also helped shape an emerging entertainment form.
Welcome to Daggerheart, a new epic TTRPG from Darrington Press. Powered by an innovative card and Duality Dice design, Daggerheart blends tactical depth with narrative freedom, empowering each group to make the game their own.
Daggerheart is a system where GMs and players share in narrative worldbuilding, and every choice matters as the adventure hangs in the balance between hope and fear! With streamlined rules, 279 beautifully illustrated cards, easy onboarding for fast pick up and play, story-first mechanics, and more, Daggerheart is calling!
This is how we play—with bold choices, unforgettable characters, and stories that last long after the dice and cards are put away. Now, it’s your turn.
Purchasable from Amazon, Barns & Noble, Indigo, Books-A-Milion, and more. Books and materials can be purchased from your local game store.
NEW CAMPAIGN
The company Critical role embarks on a entering a new era of it existance. This is the fourth campaign to be started by Critical Role since they started way back in March of 2015. Since starting out as a small side show on a nerdy Youtube channel they have grown into their own company and expanded from just playing Table Top Role Play Games(TTRPG) in front of a camera to turning their famous games of Dungeons and Dragons into beloved animated shows through there production company: MetaPigeon and even producing TTRPGs of their own through their own publishing company: Darrington Press. In this new campaing the forever GM Matthew Mercer will be steppingdown as Game Master and will be handing of that job to long time frind of the company: Brennan Lee Mulligan.
Starting in this new campaign one of the main changes to the Critical Role crew is the extended cast, five new members added to the cast. To Accomidate this larger cast the new GM, Brennan Lee Mulligan has seen fit to split the group into three seperate tables: Soldiers, Seekers, and Schemers.
The soldiers table is comprised of Travis Willingham, Laura Bailey, Sam Riegel, Robbie Daymond, and Whitney Moore.
The soldiers table will focus on action and combat filled adventures. The soldiers tables follows a tale of vengance and justice to save old allies and avenge old friends.
The seekers table is comprised of Matthew Mercer, Ashley Johnson, Alexander Ward, and Aabria Iyengar. The seekers table is focussed on lore and history. The seekers table will be about following the path of knowledge and secrets to find the truth
behind many cruel and unjust actions that have befallen them. The final table is the schemers table comprised of Liam O’brien, Luis Carazo, Taliesin Jaffe, and Marisha Ray. The schemers table will focus on intrigue, espionage, and navigating political power. These citizens of a noble city will have to grapple and unravel a plot most fowl that lead to a great tragedy in their home
CRITICAL ROLE
Campaign IV
Enter the brand new world of Aramán with your new game master; Brennan Lee Mulligan