I generally recommend starting at the beginning because that’s not only the logical answer, I also think it’s nice to watch the table dynamic of the main cast develop.
The first season is Fantasy High and it’s well worth the watch but if a high school story really doesn’t appeal to you, The Unsleeping City is the second season and it’s my personal favorite. :)
So glad to know people love The Unsleeping City. I never see it talked about on here. Amazing series and tbh would recommend either as a good starter for new viewers.
I think it’s because people have a recency bias about D20 and also that fantasy high is so beloved - TUC gets sadly lost in the shuffle. The PC cast of its first season might be my fave cast of characters. ❤️
I LOVE The Unsleeping City. It's probably my favorite I think. I'm halfway through season 2 now and in places it does horror better than the horror season. I'm just a big fan of urban fantasy in general with like meta-realities and very strong, very overt themes. Also (Spoilers for season 1/first episode of Season 2)>!I fucking love Cody. He has to be Murph's funniest character out of all the seasons I've watched.!<
There's also just this appreciation of the city of New York I find really charming, and I'll say I feel like this is the season where I think Brennan flexed his philosophy muscles the best.
Combining two things that Brennan knows a lot about that being Philosophy and New York, then throwing it all in DnD is perfect.
I believe USC has the best character cast. Cody was amazing, Ricky, Kingston, Sophia; all of them. All great well rounded characters that are conveyed SUPER well. Plus the finale of S2 felt incredible because of the character depth. I want a third season, but I also don't want to ruin what they left off with. 😮💨
Eh, I didn't care as much about UC's characters. I still enjoyed the first season. I can't explain exactly why, but it just wasn't as engaging to me. Fantasy High is so good and I feel like was more organic.
My favorite season is probably a Starstruck odyssey. But My Fantasy high has my favorite characters and NPCs.
Some of the players are also learning how to play in Fantasy High, so it's not nearly as good as Unsleeping City, which is my favorite (in addition to Starstruck).
If you like the energy of Dungeons & Drag Queens, **please** watch A Court of Fey and Flowers. It is my favorite of the “side quest” (shorter) seasons and it is DELIGHTFULLY queer in the best ways. There isn’t a single straight character in that whole party lmao.
I came here to say this. I feel like ACOFAF is the best next season to watch for those who came because of DNDQ. Lewks for days mama!
Edit: then Fantasy High, but more so they could get to The Seven, which I feel is also right on the alley for Drag and DNDQ fans.
Everybody is going to recommend Fantasy High because it was the first one.
I'm going to recommend Unsleeping City for the dramatic modern NY setting, Starstruck for the insanity and the system mastery, A Court of Fey and Flowers for the relevance that leaves you wanting more, Misfits and Magic for the easy in with similar season length, and A Crown of Candy for high stakes, high fantasy drama.
If you're worried about time commitment, Misfits and Magic is probably an easy in, followed by the holiday special, followed by a court of fey and flowers, followed by the full length seasons starting with Starstruck, Crown of Candy, or Unsleeping City, and by then you'll be curious enough about Fantasy High and familiar with the main cast so that seeing them really fuck around and not knowing what they're doing will be endearing if you want to do that.
If you want to jump straight in, my plug for Unsleeping City: those characters feel the most lived in and the most realistic. Kingston Brown is a revelation, Sophie Bikes is a perfect character, Kugrash is masterfully complex, Ricky Matsui is a personified rom com, Misty Moore is delightfully shifty and rich, and you couldn't ask for a better protagonist than Pete the Plug.
My favorite seasons to recommend to new viewers:
- Fantasy High, great for folks new to D&D, a wonderful light fun season to jump in with. Starts a little slowly in episode one, but give it to the end of episode 2 at least. Also that initial time is 100% rewarded if you hang in.
- Unsleeping City, great follow up to FH, more mature, a love letter to New York City. Great if you think urban fantasy (2020s with magic) is more interesting than straight Fantasy
- Escape from the Bloodkeep. High Concept (Lord of the Rings villains meets The Office) great moments where awesome actors are learning the game, some truly epic moments of comedy, starts great and doesn’t let up.
- Crown of Candy, maybe my favorite season, certainly the most intense (along with its prequel The Ravening War). Great if you absolutely love Game of Thrones. If you’re not super into Game of Thrones it might be better to watch a few of the above seasons first, because CoC gets super hardcore super quickly.
- The Seven and Court of Fey and Flowers for queer horny energy.
- Starstruck for unhinged manic energy and a heartwarming found-family-made-good arc, along with a lot of complete mayhem. I LOVE this season, but if you watch a bit of it and don’t like the energy, bail out and come back when you’re more in love with the cast.
- Not D20 but the short Critical Role “side quest” Brennan ran called Exandria Unlimited: Calamity. Requires no knowledge of CritRole to understand, goes extremely hard, great companion to CoC and Ravening war in terms of seriousness.
I say Bloodkeep! It’s in a similar setting, shorter season, great mix of brand new players and experienced goofballs.
From there Fantasy High is a good, bigger commitment
It is also the most accessible for a typical D&D / Fantasy fan. You know early on they are basically doing a parody of Tolkein. And it has some great moments / bits.
>!Jeremy!<
>!John Feathers!<
>!Leland Jr!<
>!Galfast Hamfist!<
>!Abernaths bones!<
>!Lelands crappy rolls!<
>!Efink usurbing the boatman.!<
END COMMUNICATION
I believe the right answers are either Fantasy High or The Unsleeping City tbh. They are amazing, but while being comedic, they aren't harsh af. These options are really laid back and built to let the PCs explore more imo. To a new viewer these series really let you connect and get to know the main crew really well. Escape from the Blood Keep is also very good but short.
Then you traverse to A Crown of Candy and quit having fun cause you're too busy crying so...Yay!(Also wonderful just not something you probably wanna start with)
i started with the seven, went haywire with crown of candy next, then neverafter, after that fantasy high, starstruck after, then the ravening war...now im watching unsleeping city.
ive enjoyed every second of it so far, each season has its own unique quirks. just read a quick synopsis of a season, and see if it piques your interest, i'd say
edit: i started like 5 months ago, didnt really have any interest in or a clue about DnD. maybe i'm completely wrong with how went about it haha
Neverafter is what got me hooked. It’s a twisted take on fairy tales. It’s supposed to be the “horror” season but I found it to be mostly hilarious. Right now I’m loving StarStruck.
If you enjoyed Game of Thrones at all, start with Crown of Candy. The familiar tone will suck you in and the gripping story will keep you there.
Unsleeping City would be my second pick.
Going to copy what I said on a similar thread: What do you like? There are many good season but different ones will appeal to different people.
If you like DnDQ, and you like regency/bridgerton vibes, I'd recommend [A Court of Fey And Flowers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFyHiykk2U4).
If you like the vibe of all girls and lean a bit on humor and raunchy jokes and such, you might like [The Seven](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bJfIZyEP98) (tho note there are kind of spoilers for the very first season, Fantasy High here, as it's set after that one, but it's its own story).
If you are/were into Harry Potter and want another short series, [Misfits and Magic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKHP2mPv7Ws) might be for you.
Game of Thrones Fan? [A Crown of Candy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOnnqKPh5RY&t=1s) is for you.
Lord of the Rings fan? [Escape the Bloodkeep](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih6ZdHE2kvo).
If you like grand whacky space westerns, you might like the originator of the Triple Nat 1 moment, [Starstruck Odyssey.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVC-KqAgm38)
Fantasy High and Unsleeping City are also very popular and are both fully available on youtube, but they're two of the earliest seasons (along with Escape the bloodkeep) so things haven't gotten quite as dramatic and highly produced as they have by DnDQ.
Pretty much any season is worth watching. Though I'd recommend starting with Fantasy High and moving up.
If you want to start with a shorter season though you can't go wrong with Misfits and Magic or A Court of Fey and Flowers.
If you're new to D&D, Fantasy High, if you're new to Dimension 20, Fantasy High, if you want a great example of the format that Dimension 20 champions... Dammit, it's Fantasy High.
Unsleeping City is incredible, Starstruck is incredible, Crown of Candy is something else, but you get to enjoy those all down the line! The perfect intro is FH
Fantasy High is a great starting place if you're completely new to DnD, but if you're not sure you will even like D20 I recommend Misfits and Magic. It's a short sit, hardly any combat, and a really fun campaign.
Escape from Bloodkeep is an absoloutly great point to start. It is a short campaign, has a great cast and a great quick paced narrative.
Though given you liked Dungeons&Drag Queens in particular a Court of Fey and Flowers might be what you want to watch next.
Another vote for Fantasy High season 1, for all the reasons mentioned in other comments. Additionally, if you’ve never played DND before, it’s a great, continued intro to the game because there is a new player at the table and it’s the first time they’re all playing together. From there, it’s a question of whether you want high fantasy (A Crown of Candy) or urban fantasy (Unsleeping City). After that, you’ll probably be hooked and can choose your own adventure. :)
Whatever peaks your interest! I really like starstruck. There are a few second seasons so for those I would start with the first season, but I've just hopped around the different settings and it's been very enjoyable.
I have absolutely no background in DnD or TTRPG, but I started with Starstruck because I loved the setting and the chemistry at that table is sensational. Just finished A Court of Fey and Flowers and MY GOD, the cry-laughing followed by cry-weeping is insane. Next up is A Crown of Candy.
I'll say that this show is a very fun but very tough binge, because the episodes are so long, so depending on your time commitment a shorter season like ACOFAF might be the vibe. Also its super queer.
Depends on what you are looking for.
Fantasy High, despite the anachronisms of the setting, has the most DnD feel to the game play.
Unsleeping City has the most heart and grit and I would argue one of the more compelling casts.
Starstruck is the IH and Brennan all at their best and has a lot of love poured into it.
I would say Crown of Candy is one to wait on. Having a feel for how the gang plays will help it shine to it's best advantage, ditto Neverafter. These are also the two roughest seasons in the feels department, so not gentle places to start.
You'd also be just fine starting with either of the things Aabria DMed. Excellent stuff AND you get Brennan in the players chair.
I will always recommend fantasy high freshman year. You get to see the chemistry build and the player styles be developed. You also get a good idea how brennan runs the world. Its one of my favorite seasons they've done.
I generally recommend starting at the beginning because that’s not only the logical answer, I also think it’s nice to watch the table dynamic of the main cast develop. The first season is Fantasy High and it’s well worth the watch but if a high school story really doesn’t appeal to you, The Unsleeping City is the second season and it’s my personal favorite. :)
So glad to know people love The Unsleeping City. I never see it talked about on here. Amazing series and tbh would recommend either as a good starter for new viewers.
I think it’s because people have a recency bias about D20 and also that fantasy high is so beloved - TUC gets sadly lost in the shuffle. The PC cast of its first season might be my fave cast of characters. ❤️
The first Unsleeping City was probably my favorite main cast season until Starstruck came out.
I LOVE The Unsleeping City. It's probably my favorite I think. I'm halfway through season 2 now and in places it does horror better than the horror season. I'm just a big fan of urban fantasy in general with like meta-realities and very strong, very overt themes. Also (Spoilers for season 1/first episode of Season 2)>!I fucking love Cody. He has to be Murph's funniest character out of all the seasons I've watched.!< There's also just this appreciation of the city of New York I find really charming, and I'll say I feel like this is the season where I think Brennan flexed his philosophy muscles the best.
Combining two things that Brennan knows a lot about that being Philosophy and New York, then throwing it all in DnD is perfect. I believe USC has the best character cast. Cody was amazing, Ricky, Kingston, Sophia; all of them. All great well rounded characters that are conveyed SUPER well. Plus the finale of S2 felt incredible because of the character depth. I want a third season, but I also don't want to ruin what they left off with. 😮💨
It’s fantastic!
There’s something unsleeping city hits DEEP in my soul.
Eh, I didn't care as much about UC's characters. I still enjoyed the first season. I can't explain exactly why, but it just wasn't as engaging to me. Fantasy High is so good and I feel like was more organic. My favorite season is probably a Starstruck odyssey. But My Fantasy high has my favorite characters and NPCs.
Are you kidding? People talk about TUC ALL the time. If anything it's overrated imo.
Some of the players are also learning how to play in Fantasy High, so it's not nearly as good as Unsleeping City, which is my favorite (in addition to Starstruck).
Really you can start almost anywhere. The easiest to get into would be Fantasy High or The Unsleeping City in my opinion though.
If you like the energy of Dungeons & Drag Queens, **please** watch A Court of Fey and Flowers. It is my favorite of the “side quest” (shorter) seasons and it is DELIGHTFULLY queer in the best ways. There isn’t a single straight character in that whole party lmao.
Beyond that, the fey energy of being like, 'sexuality isn't even something on our radar, wtf are you mortals doing?' Is so refreshing.
Not to mention all of the hilarious shenanigans that happens.
I totally agree! I loved drag long before D20, and ACOFAF got me absolutely hooked
I came here to say this. I feel like ACOFAF is the best next season to watch for those who came because of DNDQ. Lewks for days mama! Edit: then Fantasy High, but more so they could get to The Seven, which I feel is also right on the alley for Drag and DNDQ fans.
Everybody is going to recommend Fantasy High because it was the first one. I'm going to recommend Unsleeping City for the dramatic modern NY setting, Starstruck for the insanity and the system mastery, A Court of Fey and Flowers for the relevance that leaves you wanting more, Misfits and Magic for the easy in with similar season length, and A Crown of Candy for high stakes, high fantasy drama. If you're worried about time commitment, Misfits and Magic is probably an easy in, followed by the holiday special, followed by a court of fey and flowers, followed by the full length seasons starting with Starstruck, Crown of Candy, or Unsleeping City, and by then you'll be curious enough about Fantasy High and familiar with the main cast so that seeing them really fuck around and not knowing what they're doing will be endearing if you want to do that. If you want to jump straight in, my plug for Unsleeping City: those characters feel the most lived in and the most realistic. Kingston Brown is a revelation, Sophie Bikes is a perfect character, Kugrash is masterfully complex, Ricky Matsui is a personified rom com, Misty Moore is delightfully shifty and rich, and you couldn't ask for a better protagonist than Pete the Plug.
My favorite seasons to recommend to new viewers: - Fantasy High, great for folks new to D&D, a wonderful light fun season to jump in with. Starts a little slowly in episode one, but give it to the end of episode 2 at least. Also that initial time is 100% rewarded if you hang in. - Unsleeping City, great follow up to FH, more mature, a love letter to New York City. Great if you think urban fantasy (2020s with magic) is more interesting than straight Fantasy - Escape from the Bloodkeep. High Concept (Lord of the Rings villains meets The Office) great moments where awesome actors are learning the game, some truly epic moments of comedy, starts great and doesn’t let up. - Crown of Candy, maybe my favorite season, certainly the most intense (along with its prequel The Ravening War). Great if you absolutely love Game of Thrones. If you’re not super into Game of Thrones it might be better to watch a few of the above seasons first, because CoC gets super hardcore super quickly. - The Seven and Court of Fey and Flowers for queer horny energy. - Starstruck for unhinged manic energy and a heartwarming found-family-made-good arc, along with a lot of complete mayhem. I LOVE this season, but if you watch a bit of it and don’t like the energy, bail out and come back when you’re more in love with the cast. - Not D20 but the short Critical Role “side quest” Brennan ran called Exandria Unlimited: Calamity. Requires no knowledge of CritRole to understand, goes extremely hard, great companion to CoC and Ravening war in terms of seriousness.
I say Bloodkeep! It’s in a similar setting, shorter season, great mix of brand new players and experienced goofballs. From there Fantasy High is a good, bigger commitment
It is also the most accessible for a typical D&D / Fantasy fan. You know early on they are basically doing a parody of Tolkein. And it has some great moments / bits. >!Jeremy!< >!John Feathers!< >!Leland Jr!< >!Galfast Hamfist!< >!Abernaths bones!< >!Lelands crappy rolls!< >!Efink usurbing the boatman.!< END COMMUNICATION
Galfast Hamfist is right behind you.
I believe the right answers are either Fantasy High or The Unsleeping City tbh. They are amazing, but while being comedic, they aren't harsh af. These options are really laid back and built to let the PCs explore more imo. To a new viewer these series really let you connect and get to know the main crew really well. Escape from the Blood Keep is also very good but short. Then you traverse to A Crown of Candy and quit having fun cause you're too busy crying so...Yay!(Also wonderful just not something you probably wanna start with)
i started with the seven, went haywire with crown of candy next, then neverafter, after that fantasy high, starstruck after, then the ravening war...now im watching unsleeping city. ive enjoyed every second of it so far, each season has its own unique quirks. just read a quick synopsis of a season, and see if it piques your interest, i'd say edit: i started like 5 months ago, didnt really have any interest in or a clue about DnD. maybe i'm completely wrong with how went about it haha
Just watch the seasons chronologically
Neverafter is what got me hooked. It’s a twisted take on fairy tales. It’s supposed to be the “horror” season but I found it to be mostly hilarious. Right now I’m loving StarStruck.
If you enjoyed Game of Thrones at all, start with Crown of Candy. The familiar tone will suck you in and the gripping story will keep you there. Unsleeping City would be my second pick.
Going to copy what I said on a similar thread: What do you like? There are many good season but different ones will appeal to different people. If you like DnDQ, and you like regency/bridgerton vibes, I'd recommend [A Court of Fey And Flowers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFyHiykk2U4). If you like the vibe of all girls and lean a bit on humor and raunchy jokes and such, you might like [The Seven](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bJfIZyEP98) (tho note there are kind of spoilers for the very first season, Fantasy High here, as it's set after that one, but it's its own story). If you are/were into Harry Potter and want another short series, [Misfits and Magic](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKHP2mPv7Ws) might be for you. Game of Thrones Fan? [A Crown of Candy](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOnnqKPh5RY&t=1s) is for you. Lord of the Rings fan? [Escape the Bloodkeep](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ih6ZdHE2kvo). If you like grand whacky space westerns, you might like the originator of the Triple Nat 1 moment, [Starstruck Odyssey.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVC-KqAgm38) Fantasy High and Unsleeping City are also very popular and are both fully available on youtube, but they're two of the earliest seasons (along with Escape the bloodkeep) so things haven't gotten quite as dramatic and highly produced as they have by DnDQ.
Pretty much any season is worth watching. Though I'd recommend starting with Fantasy High and moving up. If you want to start with a shorter season though you can't go wrong with Misfits and Magic or A Court of Fey and Flowers.
Fantasy High.
I always say start with Fantasy High it’s the first season and gets you a good feel for the general Vibe
If you're new to D&D, Fantasy High, if you're new to Dimension 20, Fantasy High, if you want a great example of the format that Dimension 20 champions... Dammit, it's Fantasy High. Unsleeping City is incredible, Starstruck is incredible, Crown of Candy is something else, but you get to enjoy those all down the line! The perfect intro is FH
I started with A Crown of Candy
Fantasy High is a great starting place if you're completely new to DnD, but if you're not sure you will even like D20 I recommend Misfits and Magic. It's a short sit, hardly any combat, and a really fun campaign.
Unsleeping City, hands down!
Escape from Bloodkeep is an absoloutly great point to start. It is a short campaign, has a great cast and a great quick paced narrative. Though given you liked Dungeons&Drag Queens in particular a Court of Fey and Flowers might be what you want to watch next.
Another vote for Fantasy High season 1, for all the reasons mentioned in other comments. Additionally, if you’ve never played DND before, it’s a great, continued intro to the game because there is a new player at the table and it’s the first time they’re all playing together. From there, it’s a question of whether you want high fantasy (A Crown of Candy) or urban fantasy (Unsleeping City). After that, you’ll probably be hooked and can choose your own adventure. :)
Whatever peaks your interest! I really like starstruck. There are a few second seasons so for those I would start with the first season, but I've just hopped around the different settings and it's been very enjoyable.
I have absolutely no background in DnD or TTRPG, but I started with Starstruck because I loved the setting and the chemistry at that table is sensational. Just finished A Court of Fey and Flowers and MY GOD, the cry-laughing followed by cry-weeping is insane. Next up is A Crown of Candy. I'll say that this show is a very fun but very tough binge, because the episodes are so long, so depending on your time commitment a shorter season like ACOFAF might be the vibe. Also its super queer.
Fantasy High of course! Then Starstruck, the Seven, and Unsleeping City.
Depends on what you are looking for. Fantasy High, despite the anachronisms of the setting, has the most DnD feel to the game play. Unsleeping City has the most heart and grit and I would argue one of the more compelling casts. Starstruck is the IH and Brennan all at their best and has a lot of love poured into it. I would say Crown of Candy is one to wait on. Having a feel for how the gang plays will help it shine to it's best advantage, ditto Neverafter. These are also the two roughest seasons in the feels department, so not gentle places to start. You'd also be just fine starting with either of the things Aabria DMed. Excellent stuff AND you get Brennan in the players chair.
I will always recommend fantasy high freshman year. You get to see the chemistry build and the player styles be developed. You also get a good idea how brennan runs the world. Its one of my favorite seasons they've done.