D20 Deathmatch is a cult classic Dungeons & Dragons actual play series where champions fight to the death in the Grandmaster’s arena.
Every episode, heroes, villains, monsters and beasts, created and played by guests from the D&D and streaming community, are ripped from their own worlds and dropped into The Void. In the arena of The Dread Fortress they fight for survival against each other and the chaos of the arena, while chat bears witness live. Your hosts are Mudcat as The Arbiter, the DM who runs the match, and Caustic Phoenix as Grandmaster Elusia Skypiercer, ruler of the Void. Brought to you by Bad Guys Studios.
How a deathmatch works
- The champions: each guest brings a character built for the fight. Most matches are one on one, with team fights, gauntlets and battle royales along the way.
- The arena: a new battlefield every time, full of hazards, traps and whatever chaos the Arbiter has planned.
- To the death: whoever doesn’t die wins. If nobody dies, it’s a shared victory. Death in the arena isn’t always the end, and plenty of champions have come back.
- Dried Blood: after the match, the cast hangs around for the after-show to talk about what just happened.
Is it real Dungeons & Dragons?
Yes. It’s played live with D&D 5e rules (now the 2024 rules), plus a lot of homebrew chaos. Underneath the fights runs a full story about the Grandmaster, the Arbiter and the Void that has built up over seven seasons. That story is what this wiki, the Black Tome, records.
Who is it for?
Anyone who loves D&D actual play, DnD PvP battles, or watching a perfectly good plan go horribly wrong. Fair warning: it’s an adult show, with crude humor, gore and a lot of swearing.
Where to watch
- Live, and 24/7 reruns: twitch.tv/D20Deathmatch
- Every full episode: YouTube
Run your own deathmatch
Want to throw your own champions into the arena? Champions of Chaos is our own PvP add-on for D&D 5.5e, and it’s free: play Champions of Chaos.
Where to start
- The Story So Far: the whole story in one read
- Match Results: every episode, its champions and who survived
- Seasons and Timeline: every season and story arc in order
- Or pick any episode from the Episodes folder in the sidebar. Most matches stand on their own.
Become an Acolyte
Join the chaos. D20 Deathmatch is on every platform: