Summary
Fantasy High: Junior Year marked the third series ofDimension 20’s popularDungeons & DragonsLive Play, set in the town of Elmville. It follows six intreprid heroes, known as the Bad Kids, who attend the Aguefort Adventuring Academy.
Fantasy High was Dimension 20’s debut D&D campaign, and the players: Emily Axford, Ally Beardsley, Brian Murphy, Zac Oyama, Siobhan Thompson, and Lou Wilson all had varying amounts of exposure to the game. Over the next five years and three seasons, Game Master Brennan Lee Mulligan would lead them on a long journey. Here are some of the highlights from their third year at Aguefort.
Warning: Contains Heavy Spoilers For Fantasy High: Junior Year From The Outset
9"So Tactical, So Late"
Episode 1: Summer Scaries and Episode 2: Summer Breakdown
Junior Year begins in medias res, when we join the Bad Kids racing in The Hangvan towards the Night Yorb, the manifestation of a joke bit from the end of Sophomore Year. This whole battle spans two episodes and sets the tone for the season. There are hijinks galore, and we are also introduced to Squeem, an adorable crystal construct.
However, the highlight comes at the very end of the battle when Axford asks if there are any enemies left. Onto the empty battleground spring two Yorbies, who promptly roll two nat ones and shoot themselves. Cue Murphy branding them “so tactical, and so late” as he dissolves into hysterics.
8Wanda Childa Joins Bard Classes
Episode 3: Not All Who Wanda
Axford has a penchant for using Fig’s disguise spell to create unpredictable new characters. The first was Hilda Hilda, from 22 Hilda Boulevard, an old woman she disguised herself as in Sophomore Year and frequently used as a scapegoat. In Junior Year Axford upped the ante with Wanda Childa.
Axford created Wanda Childa when she didn’t want to reveal her identity to fellow bard and emo musician Ruben Hopclap. Childa is the epitome of a manic pixie dream girl stereotype and debuted when Fig attended her very first bard class - yes it took that long.
7The Shrimp Jump Nat 20
Episode 5: Mall Madness and Episode 6: Party Politics
One of the most memorable Bad Kids moments from the early term is the Shrimp and Crab party from episodes five and six. Initially interrupted by the gang having to go to the Mall in order to solve an inter-dimensional crisis involving Cassandra, the party gets wild when they return.
Honorable mention toConor Counterspellfor his sterling work in the battle at the mall.
There’s a pool filled with shrimp into which Fig (disguised as Kristen) skateboards into with an epic Nat 20 roll. The Bad Kids also get drunk, mostly on “bad baby milk”, and Fabian is called a “maximum legend” for the first time.
6The Lawnmower Arrives
Episode 8 - Fracas At The Frostyfaire Folk Festival
We couldn’t let this list pass by without a mention of the robots that the Bad Kids have to fight during the Frostyfaire Folk Festival. It’s long been known that Gorgug’s adopted parents, Wilma and Digby Thistlespring, are very sex-positive and this episode really highlights that in a new way.
Already reeling from Kristen rounding up some unclothed gnomes from the Nudity Tent, Oyama looks genuinely as mortified as Gorgug would when the Thistlespring’s modified Lawnmower makes a startling appearance.
5"You Are Entering The Vulture Dimension"
Episode 8 - Fracas At The Frostyfaire Folk Festival and Episode 9 - Vulture Clash
The Vulture Dimension is the culmination of a five-year-long joke. Beardsley in particular got very fixated on a vulture that was part of a set back in the very first season. They were convinced that it was hiding a secret but neither that, nor any other other vulture did. Until now.
you may find the full history of the Bad Kids trying to discover hidden meanings in the vultures on sets since the very first seasonhere.
Encouraged by Oyama, Beardsley focuses in on a vulture and starts to try and communicate with it. Calling on the power of her Goddess Cassandra, and ignoring the complete chaos around her. Going all in on the bit finally pays off as the Bad Kids are sent into the Vulture Dimension.
4The Return Of The Sexy Rats
Episode 11 - A Very Merry Moonar Yulenear
Fantasy High Season One became known for its creation of the original Sexy Rat, Edgar. In this season of payoffs from jokes started five years ago, there are many mentions of rats and even a reappearance of Edgar. However, it’s a simple gift to Fabian that stands out as the peak rat-based moment.
Adaine’s gift to Fabian is a set of Pipes of the Sewers, which summons rats. The idea starts off fairly normally and ends in, well typical D20 fashion. This particular gift also ends up deeply embedded in canon as the summoned rat-ettes - while showing hole - uncover the name Ankarna, and kick off the central plot for the second half of the season.
3The Last Stand Exam
Episode 14 - Dawn of Justice and Episode 15 - The Last Stand
After a series of bizarre incidents, which have surprisingly little to do with Fig attending any class except the ones she’s supposed to be in, the Bad Kids have to take The Last Stand. This involves them answering exam questions while also fighting a series of monsters.
The Last Stand also includes thelong awaited Pentacorn.
While Oyama’s style with the pass stamp must be applauded, one of the funniest full circle moments is when anagrams come into play. The anagram Bony Girth should have been unscrambled to Night Yorb, but Thompson’s first instinct was Garthy O’Brien. An incident linking to the introduction of the Night Yorb, which came from Garthy O’Briens name.
2K2 Causes Brennan To Quit
Episode 18 - Rock The Boat
K2, often called British Kristen, is a simulacrum of Kristen Applebees created by Adaine Abernant in Episode 16 to shield Kristen from the Rat Grinder’s Assassination attempts. Since she was created by Adaine, who has a British accent, she also has one. The difference is that Thompson (who plays Adaine) is British, while Beardsley (who plays Kristen) is not.
The absolute chaos Beardsley causes with K2 comes to a head when she rolls successfully for K2 to use Divine Intervention and prevent what was likely supposed to be an epic end season battle. As K2 says “Blimey” Mulligan walks off set, leaving Oyama to lead a little more chaos in his absence.
1Ice Feast Dominates
Episode 19 - Ragenarok Part 1 and Episode 20 - Ragenarok Part 2
In Season One Beardsley was completely new to D&D. They had never played before and got several spells muddled up. At one point they tried to cast “Ice Feast” a spell which does not exist. As reward for the progress Beardsley has made over five years of Dimension 20, Mulligan homebrewed it as a spell.
A brief history of Ice Feast and the progress Beardsley has made in D&D can also befound here.
Despite having some negative effects, the party was able to dispel them, leading to the buff giving them an incredible advantage in the final battle. As the party sees the lava ahead of them you’re able to see in real time the glee in their faces as they realise they are immune to fire damage, at the same time Mulligan remembers his final fight takes place near lava…
