Lou Wilson is the King of D&D Characters

"I was faithful! I am faithful! I would have continued to be faithful!" There are very few deliveries in D&D actual plays of a line that I will never forget. This is one of them. Kingston Brown (and to a lesser but still large extent, Pete) is a big part of why TUC1 is still my favorite season of D20 so far.

Lou was initially going to be the Prince of D&D Characters, but he said "please let me win" and they just gave him the crown no questions asked

Lou is the good version of those player's who go "ThAtS WhAt mY cHaRaCtEr wOuLd dO" to justify being an jerk of a player

One of my favorite moments with Lou is his unsleeping city character when Liz refers to his centaur friend as a "crazy horse person" and he yells "SHE IS A GODDAMN CENTAUR!" Which just hit me as such a powerful moment of defensive behavior.

I feel we need to address Lou’s funniest character Lord Squak Airavis. Airy Pearry? The Green Hunter? Jeremy Renner?

Honestly. He has natural charisma as a person. He EXTENDS it to his characters. If not wise or perceptive of his characters. HE creates an imaginable and, as you say relatable, character with a level of consistency. He enjoys them.

I revisit that scene between Liz and Kingston so many times, it’s crazy. The fact that they can make me forget I’m watching two thirty year old men arguing at a table is insane. It really feels like I’m watching two very heartbroken people. I love all of Lou’s characters. I can’t wait to see what he does with Pinocchio in Neverafter. That scene with Stephan made me cry laughing as Lou’s literally leaning over the table and yelling “I’m the Prince of Shoeberg, motherfucker!” Come to think of it, that’s another great example of embracing character flaws. Lou 100% knew that wasn’t gonna turn out great for him and he still did it.

lou wilson went from asking to be a baker in his first dnd game to playing some of the most complex, flawed, wonderful characters I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing; what a king

The first time I saw Lou Wilson roleplay was watching Fantasy High on YouTube, and he embodies his characters so well that I mistakenly assumed he was just playing himself as a character. And then I watched The Unsleeping City and my brain exploded

Came back to this video to add Lou's incredible acting as Pinocchio in Neverafter, especially in episode 12 where he willing gave up a Nat 20 perception just to stay in character!

The immediate descent into "I fucked up" laughter is just amazing

Kingston Brown's lack of fatal flaws makes a lot of sense. He probably wouldn't still be the voice of the city if he wasn't a more or less stable man. But cleverly, this allows his counterpart, Pete, to be a total mess, and creates a beautiful story of Kingston becoming Pete's mentor, and for Pete to see what Kingston has sacrificed and what it means to be responsible to a community (the museum of memory segment is not only an incredible bit of on the spot roleplaying with Brennan and Lou, but also one of the most beautiful and sad scenes in D20 history). Also the scene you highlighted contains what is likely Lou's heartbreaking pinnacle right at the end of their conversation: Right before she leaves, the heartbreaking, quiet, "Please don't call me Mr. Brown" (honorable mention though to him holding the body of Sir Morris Brie in Port Syrup). His instincts for both comedy and drama, and allowing each to have its time are simply incredible. Kingston Brown is also a great example for all role-players of a sort of character they can play: an earnest and good one. Sometimes we play kooky or deep flawed people, but sometimes its okay to play an aspirational character as well, which is what Lou has said of Kingston. ALSO HE NAMED HIS DOG AFTER KUGRASH AND THAT MADE ME CRY

his understanding of his own characters and all of their influences and motivations is so impressive. he’s got to be hands down one of the most intelligent role players i’ve ever seen, like the total opposite of a meta gamer. he just loses himself in the character and accomplishes amazing storytelling. also he’s hysterically funny which doesn’t hurt

His Pinocchio is non stop hilarious and I can't wait to see where it goes and how dark it gets.

Lou commits so hard to his Nat ones that it's genuinely scary to watch. Like you can tell he knows what hes doing is more than likely going to lead to his characters death and he does it anyway. That's why he loses it so hard because he knows what he's doing is insane but it's like he's determined to let it play out anyway. Also he's just a genuinely good actor, truly the best player I've ever seen.

As soon as I saw the title of this video, I knew you were going to include that scene from Sophomore Year. One of the funniest and scariest moments ever in D20 and made all the better by Lou howling with laughter. Thanks for showcasing such an amazing show and offering more insight into it.

Pinocchio spilling the beans to Cinderella is by far my favorite moment where Lou embodies his character. It is perfect.

Fabian leading his crew to death against Mindflayer Davy Jones will never get old.

I know it's not d20, but Lou's character Jammer deserves attention. Jocks get a bad rap in this nerdy space. Jammer is the bro we all need. Edit* seems to have created confusion. For sure a d20 show. Not the familiar 5e d20 vs DC rule system. That's all.

He is so good at leaning in to character flaws that make his characters relatable, engaging, and funny. It is clear that he is very interested in the character arch above everything else. Something that I definitely tip my hat to Brennan for is that he used this opportunity to help Lou change Fabian's class. He goes from being a champion (a pretty boring class overall) to a battle master/sword bard. This is a pretty powerful multiclass with a lot more crunch for Lou to sink his teeth into. I could see Lou getting bored with champion fighter and talking to Brennan about it. Because Lou was willing to lean into a weakness, this allowed Brennan to help him overcome it and become more powerful. Great example of a DM and a player working together to make the story better.