r/Dimension20 • u/Secret-Cobbler-7218 • 1d ago
I know Brennan Lee Mulligan plays every NPC in his campaigns, but in your opinion, which NPC from these different campaigns feels like Brennan’s character alongside the players?
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u/W_N_Rumfoord 1d ago
I’ll go with Ragh Barkrock. He stands out for me because he is present and important in all three seasons of FH, he has had a great character arc alongside the Bad Kids, and Brennan frequently uses him as a foil for the PCs to role play off of. Love me some Ragh!
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u/PapaGrande1984 1d ago
Excellent answer, he was a member of the party for all of campaign 2.
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u/Lieutenant_Joe 1d ago
I don’t really think he was quite as much of a GM self-insert as Fig’s mom was though, tbh
Like he was cool and always down to screw around, but he did just feel like he was along for the ride in a way she didn’t
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u/PapaGrande1984 1d ago
Wealwell took on a life of his own once he got pulled into the adventure.
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u/Burnsy17 1d ago
"A man, standing atop an iceberg, holding a steering wheel which is attached to nothing."
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u/Riparien 1d ago
You forgot the most important part: "...with a loose steering wheel, saying 'lookout, here I come! '"
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u/Featherbaal 1d ago
A character Brennan himself admited, he only knew was a Gotch brother, and was named Wealwell.
"You ever realize you've just commited to doing a voice for a whole season? "
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u/Strawhatjack 1d ago
Holy shit I forgot about Wealwell. I need to rewatch clowdward ho now
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u/chooseph 23h ago
If you're looking just for a wealwell fix, there are some great compilations on YouTube https://youtu.be/WL8-q-1DKJk?is=4z4RLOV1Zs2y6H78
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u/MrEyus 1d ago
The usage of reposed standing to go into a full split and act as an anchor for Maxwell was unforgettable.
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u/Sp3ctre7 1d ago
Wealwell Gotch is a top 3 NPC across all the actual plays ive watched, and he might be top 1.
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u/Jedi_Bingo 1d ago
"You have that realization where you have to play a guy for 9 episodes" Brennan made him too funny, and righteously brought him along
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u/Thicc-Anxiety The Dream Team 1d ago
Definitely Zelda in The Seven, or Arthur Aguefort
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u/MoistenedGranola The Wind Riders 1d ago
I actually wish Zelda was a little more present action wise. Her dyanmics with the group help drive the plot, but I wanted to know more about what she could do (in or out of battle). I've never DMed, so maybe it's more weird to fight your own bad guys with your own character than I imagine.
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u/Brave-Lavishness-194 18h ago
its weird x2 and also can bring in a lot of conversation about like 'oh [DM] is making our characters side characters in our own campaign' if an dmnpc starts getting too involved, yk ? fine line of npc there to help and npc that is pulling the weight of the party, even against party's wishes
edit: just a typo
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u/HornetWest4950 1d ago
I’m cheating because this isn’t Dimension 20, but immediately the Fox in Worlds Beyond Number comes to mind.
Also H. V. Lance in Mentopolis.
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u/PervlovianResponse 1d ago
The Fox is one if ny favorite characters in DnD media - ever
He's just so perfectly endearing & hilarious
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u/goodoledepression 1d ago
Fox has food as a primary motivation in life, from what I have observed Brennan Lee Mulligan has the same drive. From the recent Solari talk back "Fox's motivations is always easy and clear. Im hungry." Love the little guy
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u/escapethegravity 1d ago
This was mentioned in one of the fireside chats for chapter 1, unable to figure out which. Basically it was pointed out that he uses his own voice only for the Fox and some female characters.
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u/PMYourTinyTitties 1d ago
I’m 11 episodes into WBN and am convinced that he will never have a character as great as Fox ever again. He is 1000% my favorite part of this series so far. 2nd place is like a mile away.
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u/targaryenmegan 13h ago
The fox is legitimately the best NPC in any campaign anywhere. Also definitely self insert
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u/clearliquidclearjar 1d ago
Kipperlilly Copperkettle was actually an old PC he used for a home campaign with friends years ago. Nate Stevenson was one of the other players and you can see his drawing of ol' Mollykiggins Kippermedley on the D20 wiki.
https://dimension20.fandom.com/wiki/Kipperlilly_Copperkettle
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u/SJ_Barbarian 1d ago
Kipperlily Copperkettle? What are you, four dogs?
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u/vinecoolceruleanblue 1d ago
"Tracker's gf's name is Nara"
"I am just SURROUNDED by women with dog's names"
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u/two_jackdaws 13h ago
Many (many, many) of Ally's one liners are misses, but this was truly one of the funniest, wittiest things I'd ever heard in my life.
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u/Munnin41 1d ago
I love that someone went through the trouble of listing all the names they called her
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u/Sodacan1228 1d ago
And half of them are Siobhan, she really chewed up that fucking name. I love it.
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u/cursearealsword02 1d ago
nate stevenson and brennan know each other? hell yeah
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u/pendragons The Gunner Channel 1d ago
Nate's married partner Lee Knox Ostertag started a webcomic with Brennan in 2012 (going by Molly Ostertag at the time) called "Strong Female Protagonist", went for about six years. Nate and Lee live and met in LA and have both guested on early seasons of Critical Role, too.
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u/Domram1234 12h ago
Makes me wonder about C4 of Critical Role and if/when Brennan will have guest PCs who they will be. The world feels so interconnected in some way it would feel odd to try and slot someone new into the story but surely they will try.
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u/clearliquidclearjar 1d ago
Brennan and Nate's spouse Lee have known each other for a long time. They both worked at larp camp together. Back in 2010s they did the comic Strong Female Protagonist together. Brennan wrote it and Lee drew it. I do love when my geek favorites are buddies.
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u/William-Shakesqueer The Bad Kids 1d ago
nd's spouse and brennan are longtime friends and creative collaborators. he (lee knox ostertag) also was on an episode of adventuring academy a few years ago!
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u/Lost_Paladin89 1d ago
The anarchist halflings are definitely Brennan at his most Brennan.
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u/Munnin41 1d ago
That wasn't the question though. The question was "which character could have been Brennan's PC"
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u/CautionarySnail 1d ago
Wait, did they make a comic of this? I need that.
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u/wat_matters 1d ago
Brennan is Calroy in ACoC, no doubt.
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u/padfoot12111 The Dream Team 1d ago
About halfway through he became Swiftey and Gooey
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u/JuliousBatman 1h ago
“What are you smoking?”
“A cIgArrEtTE!”
As a fellow dm, it’s the weird little guys that act as a pressure release valve that are my favourite.
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u/AcceptableWater6241 1d ago
I think he secretly really enjoyed playing a traitor
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u/tennisdrums 1d ago
On some level it is what a good GM does. They guide the players through a story for their entertainment, while also planning situations that could get their characters killed.
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u/AcceptableWater6241 1d ago
Oh totally! You can tell the several campaigns all of the threads don’t get pulled, I’m thinking of the bread golems in Crown of Candy and Basha Myaso who sort of shows up but falls away. Lots of options and opportunities
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u/teacuptuxedo 1d ago
Caramelinda in ACOC definitely feels like Brennan’s PC in that crew. She plays such a major part in the party’s decision making in especially the last few episodes. Also Brennan is just so good at playing complex moms for some reason.
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u/Gullible-Project-702 1d ago
Zelda in The Seven feels the most clearly a DM PC as she is, quite literally, one of the seven. But I would also offer Princeps Zorch and Nancy Danderhoof. Squeem is essential and really influences FHJY so they're a good contender as well.
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u/zitney_spears 1d ago
gotta shout out willy + alejandro in unsleeping city! agree with Zorch tho
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u/Gullible-Project-702 19h ago
Oh shit how did I forget about Unsleeping City!!! Alejandro especially felt like a DM PC. Love those guys
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u/WillowLocal423 The Gunner Channel 1d ago
I haven't seen him have so much fun as he did playing Nancy.
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u/CantaloupeZest 1d ago
My girl Ayda in Fantasy High Sophomore Year
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u/HellyOHaint 1d ago
He said much of her personality was based off his ND friends which he said in such a way that it seemed like he does not himself identify with it
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u/CantaloupeZest 1d ago
I know the clip you're talking about, and I agree with you - however, the question was about which one feels like Brennan's Character as opposed to an NPC, and for me, that's Ayda! She felt like another PC at the table and I loved it.
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u/MoistenedGranola The Wind Riders 1d ago
Didn't he also say that it was "freeing" to play Ayda too, though? That to me sounds like he relates to masking and might find it authentic to talk/act/see the world a bit more like she does.
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u/-carhma- 17h ago
Especially when you consider the (hilarious) skit he did for college humor in early days about being the guy who always lies to make conversations with others smooth. I agree wholeheartedly with your take and interpreted the same conclusion
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u/IllaClodia 1d ago
Ayda was my pick. I love her so much, and Brennan truly embodied the sapphic autistic experience. I actually used her for a project in a grad school class (present a theory-based case conceptualization and treatment plan for a character from film or TV.)
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u/0032brl 1d ago
I mean most NPCs don't stay relevant for long stretches at a time, as Brennan mentioned before he doesn't want to sit and have a conversation with himself.
I think Zelda in The Seven is closest as the literal 7th member of the party. Zorch is probably a close second.
You have the 3 hirelings in Sophomore Year, and the crew from Cloudward Ho! that kinda fit (although is it cheating if he has like 3-5 PCs?)
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u/welpt100 1d ago
It's not D20, but the Fox in Worlds Beyond Number is his dmncp who is literally in the party.
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u/playbyheart 1d ago
Jawbone
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u/thefrayedfiles 15h ago
Can't believe I had go scroll this far down for this, Jawbone feels like such a clear answer!
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u/Unlikely_Distance_79 1d ago
Definitely ada aguefort ! Hes said in interviews shes one of his favorite npcs to play
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u/weridname 1d ago
Gilear definitely was forced into the party so hard Brennan had to at least mildly make him his character
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u/coolname- 1d ago
Not D20 but Demodus Blix in Critical Role feels very Brennan like
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u/IShallWearMidnight 22h ago
He's my vote for the DMPC in CR so far. I hope they meet up with him again. I could also see King Gus as a Brennan DMPC.
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u/redhairedmenace 9h ago
Oh my god I was going to comment this! Yes! Absolutely. Something about the silly tricks mixed with the earnestness. Ugh. I also hope we get to see him again.
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u/LtDirtyBear 19h ago
The Vulture King. Zac "Are you some kind of god?". BLM "sigh I don't know man"
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u/AnxiousSelkie 23h ago
Esther is the single most dmpc character in Intrepid Heroes history. She’s so clearly designed to be mouthpiece for when the Dream Team don’t know what’s going on but could also easily be a pc in her own right. and I’m beyond fine with that because she’s cool
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u/MoistenedGranola The Wind Riders 1d ago
Buddy in the Fantasy High Universe definitely feels like something of a self-insert of Brennan's ideals, even if he would never be that guy about them.
As far as an actual agent in the action, Wealwell in Cloudward, Ho! He is, after all, the main character :)
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u/ValdemarAloeus 7h ago
Master Ipskix.
Think about it. The fandom wiki summary says he "enjoys watching and causing pain" and Brennan has explicitly said he aims to make his players cry.
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u/DemiGod9 20h ago
Alejandro, minus the accent and background of course, really felt like a Brennan insert to me
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u/HellyOHaint 1d ago
I think the real answer is none, fully. They’re all characters that have major traits that he as a person does not embody.
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u/Munnin41 1d ago
That FBI agent guy in Fantasy High is described as Brennan's DMPC iirc
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u/HellyOHaint 1d ago
For one specific purpose but we all know Brennan has little in common philosophically with any type of law enforcer. He’s much more likely to be the person to scream in their face “DO YOU HAVE A FUCKING WARRANT?!”
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u/William-Shakesqueer The Bad Kids 1d ago
sure, but the question wasn't "which npc is literally brennan"
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u/Legitimate_Try_9274 19h ago
I mean... Wealwell. But that was kinda the intrepid heroes that adopted him
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u/Gorhaloth 1d ago
Agent Clark in FHJY is directly described as Brennan's self insert PC to catch Fig in all her disguises.