The Dungeon Run

Started by Jeremy Blackman, September 20, 2019, 12:07:40 PM

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Jeremy Blackman

The Dungeon Run is a new D&D show that premiered in the spring. There are a few of these around, but The Dungeon Run has some key distinguishing features:

  • High production value, including multiple cameras, music, models, maps, and figures. This is not a random streaming show; it could air on television.
  • Emphasis on great storytelling
  • Everyone on your screen is a trained actor & improvisor
I am not exaggerating when I say this: The Dungeon Run contains some of the most surprising, rich, exciting, profound moments I've experienced in any form of media recently.

And listen, I had little to no interest in D&D. I was brought to this thing by Jeff Cannata. It's his passion project. You might know him from podcasts: The Slashfilmcast, DLC, We Have Concerns, or The Totally Rad Show. I've been a huge fan of his for a while, but this... this is on a new level.

The Dungeon Run is collaborative improvised storytelling in the truest sense. It takes the most interesting part of D&D and amps it up. Jeff (the DM) has created this world and an overarching narrative path, but from there it becomes a collaboration. The actors/players affect the story dramatically through their choices and interactions and improv, and they have true ownership and investment in their characters.

The third element of collaboration is the live viewers, who can influence the game by submitting (buying) items — force of good cards, force of evil cards, advantage, disadvantage — for specific players. (This is how the show is funded. No ads or anything.) This direct interaction from the viewers has dramatic and often delightful consequences in every single episode.

Think of it as a three-way collaboration between the storyteller, the actors, and the audience. It feels like an actually innovative form of storytelling.

There are a few different options for consuming The Dungeon Run:
Watching live is a lot of fun, because you can follow along with chat, but I usually consume it via a combination of podcast and youtube.

Jeff gives a very helpful recap at the beginning of each episode, so you can really start wherever/whenever. But I would personally recommend starting with Episode 5. By this time the show has really hit its stride:

Podcast - Episode 5: Locks, Shocks, and 2 Smoking Perils

Go to 2:53 if you want to skip the intro:


https://youtu.be/UDFePtFN820

Jeremy Blackman

I tuned in to last night's episode live. It ran 3 1/2 hours, and there was a lot of D&D combat (some of which goes over my head), so I was doing some things around the house while watching/listening. But I finished up and sat down for the last ~45 min. And so glad I did. As the episode came to a close with a very lush, mysterious, stirring finale, I was actually brought to tears just by the beauty of the descriptions. Good lord does this show reward your investment. It is really something special.

Jeremy Blackman

#2
The cast of The Dungeon Run just ran a Fiasco game last night. It's a one-shot improvised story, this one in a noir setting. And as expected it was a pure delight.


Jeremy Blackman


Jeremy Blackman

https://twitter.com/thedungeonrun/status/1470877329899409412

The wizard attempted to use the Dream spell to contact her father. Ended up in a nightmare.

Jeremy Blackman

https://twitter.com/MorganPeteBrown/status/1499276835196071944

https://twitter.com/bathtimefunduck/status/1499268499960745995

Christ, what an episode. This is some of the very best storytelling I've experienced in any medium. Arcs fulfilled, big swings, bold choices, no compromises.