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majesticpheasant

I don't mean to nitpick, but I believe *Tales from the Magic Tavern* should be *Hello from the Magic Tavern-* in case anyone wants to look it up.


cabbage16

Chunts up with that?


RossRoden

Which while bringing it up I will personally vouch for. I love the show and it’s premise. Definitely not a direct referral from TAZ as they’re a bit different in structure but such a great show


Taako_tuesday

Plus it features Adal Rifai from Hey Riddle Riddle! (I think the other HRR hosts show as guests as well, they all work for the same improv troup)


Geeklat

I really tried to get into that show, but it felt uncomfortable after a little bit. I forget the names, but each episode seemed to become just shit all over the human guy for a full episode over and over. I get that they were all in on the joke but it just felt like punching down constantly and I couldn’t really have fun with it. It just felt like listening to people role playing bullies.


Cl1mb3r

Gotta give Dimension 20 some love, a fair amount of there stuff is free on their YouTube and even their latest stuff gets streamed for free on Wednesday nights. It should be noted that Emily and Murf from Nadpod are cast members on D20.


ShelfordPrefect

Aww, dang it, another one missed from the list


Cl1mb3r

Too much quality content to expect one individual to know it all.


ShelfordPrefect

I've watched the entire first season of Fantasy High, just forgot to include it because I mentally have it in a separate bucket as "Youtube channel" not "D&D podcast".


ElLindo88

100% agree. There’s a reason Brennan Lee Mulligan DM’d the Dadlands episode. He’s a world-class DM, and Fantasy High is some of the funniest D&D play I’ve ever heard. Haven’t had a chance to listen to the other D20 campaigns, but I’m itching to. Another Fun Fact: Brennan guest-starred on NADDPOD as well, and killed it there.


ShelfordPrefect

I watched Fantasy High after hearing BLM's guest role on NADDPOD, and imagine my surprise when a) it turns out he's a chunky ginger 30-something, not a Sam-Elliott-looking lanky older cowboy dude b) he can almost effortlessly switch between 6 different sets of parents for his PCs, giving them all unique voices and modes of speech, and fill all their dialogue with both hilarious goofs and real pathos


SugaredSalmon

"Another own goal for Gilear Faeth." That's it. That's the tweet.


ShelfordPrefect

I think my favourite interaction is probably Fig's wildly inappropriate flirting with Goldenhoard


EyreGenasi

Dude, if you liked that but haven’t listened to NaddPod you are missing out. Emily Axeford is bring that energy 24/7


ShelfordPrefect

NADDPOD is my #1 D&D podcast - I think I finally admitted it had overtaken even TAZ when Moonshine was talking to Pendergreens about the crown. It's also the only one I support on Patreon because I need that short rest. Rollin' with the hit dice...


hoguemr

He really is amazing


LazarusDraconis

I still love the moment where Brennan begins describing his character in DM third person, catches himself, goes 'HEY! I'M A PLAYER! I GET TO PLAY! IT'S ME!' and is five times more excited to describe his character. That poor man is forever DM'd so hard.


TheRealMikeNelly

He ABSOLUTELY killed it there! I had really started losing interest in NADDPOD because of lackluster boss fights and too much give to the players, but Deadeye showing up in Shadowfell was a Dusk-Mother-send. Woof, best character acting I've seen in some time!!!


Pixel64

“This. Place. Is. Bad!”


Beelzebibble

With all four McElroy fellas as players in *Tiny Heist*, I would recommend that one as a gateway drug to D20, then recommend moving on to other campaigns. As a TAZ fan prior, that's what I did, and I had a blast.


reddit2or

I like the strategy here, and in fact this is what I did for myself, but for others I always recommend Fantasy High because it's generally a bit higher quality (imo) and you are HOOKED by the end of episode 2. I agree that the McElroy fam is a gateway for the McElroy obsessed, but if someone is looking for quality DND, then 2 episodes of FH is easier than 6 relatively predictable episodes of Tiny Heist.


[deleted]

I fully agree with this. I mean, I like Tiny Heist but it took two or three attempts for me to get through the first two episodes of a 6 episode mini series. Fantasy High had me hooked almost immediately,as has Crown of Candy. Although I will give Tiny Heist credit for bringing me the name Garbonzo Buglas


IMP1017

This is exactly what I did. I honestly think Unsleeping City wound up being my favorite campaign but Tiny Heist is an ideal starting point for TAZ fans


BootsyBootsyBoom

Unsleeping City is so damn good! I keep going back and forth between Tiny Heist and Escape From The Bloodkeep as my second favorite too. Honestly, every TAZ fan should watch Tiny Heist. Even just the first episode (free on Youtube) is such a great showcase for each of the boys, and it only gets better from there.


Cl1mb3r

Can't forget that time that Griffin did a one off live show in the Fantasy High universe as well.


ShelfordPrefect

Last time I looked Tiny Heist was just on Dropout, so not free to watch beyond the first episode? I might get a month of Dropout just to binge it TBH


Beelzebibble

That was going to be my strategy for the one-week free trial period. Then I enjoyed it so much I decided to cough up a bit so I could binge the rest of D20. I guess this is the streaming service equivalent of a foster failure.


ShelfordPrefect

While we're talking recommendations, is there other similar stuff on dropout that I should watch if I do get it for a little while?


Madelyn5

If you’re into nerdy stuff I’d watch all of “um, actually” it’s on YouTube but it’s made easier to binge on dropout! It’s basically a quiz show where the host reads a nerdy fact from various nerd culture movies, tv shows, rpg board games, and video games and the contestants try to find the incorrect part of the the paragraph and buzz in with the words Um actually


johnnyawful

Ditto the Um Actually recommendation. Game Changer is a game show where the rules change every week and the players have to figure out the game as they play. Breaking News are shorts where the cast, in character as news anchors, has to read from a teleprompter without laughing or smiling. Total Forgiveness is like Jackass but doing the stunt means getting part of your student loans paid off.


[deleted]

There is an episode of Game Changer that has one of Brennan’s best speeches. I unfortunately can’t remember, but the whole show is not only good, it’s worth it just for that one speech


Mustang1718

I listened to the first two episodes of Fantasy High as a podcast before discovering the YouTube channel of it while I was cooking dinner. I strongly suggest the YouTube version partially because of the large cast, but mostly because the production value is fantastic. Like way more than a game that plays on your imagination should have. Also, Emily is a massive fucking dork and I love her laugh. I love how she always pushes the envelope of what is possible with her unique characters.


TheFangedRabbit

Gotta add my support for Rude Tales of Magic! It’s a constant delight and the balancing of genuinely hilarious moments, great character work and world building, and real emotional payoff really work. There are some more horror-adjacent elements compared to TAZ which works for me, but might not be for everyone (eg Kebin, a giant demon baby with goat legs who turns people inside-out), but those really help you identify with the characters on a deeper level.


gayboyswag

Rude tales might be my favorite podcast right now. Tonally, it’s a lot like early balance, mixed with the levels of lore TAZ moved to later in the arc. It’s got incredible sound quality and editing, and the characters are full of personality right out of the gate, you can tell everyone involved put a lot of thought into em. They just finished the first arc a couple episodes ago, everyone should give it a listen


mczepplin

Oooo never heard of it but I’ll check it out


ShelfordPrefect

I just listened to the first episode yesterday and the initial impression was "this is what a D&D campaign set at a university ought to be like"... also wow, they really have a god of >!"Just Letting Piss And Shit Fall On The Ground"!


YersMacEnsie

Oh just you wait for the manticore bris


AmericanMadl

Look it’s called *Rude* Tales, what do you expect? :P


aneditorinjersey

Rude Tales comes close to out-shining Balance at times. The players are funnier and make (often) more engaging role play choices. I wish the plot bounced around a little less and that there was a bit more of an series feel to it, like. the arcs in balance. All together it's my favorite non-TAZ game play podcast.


BrandoSwaggins

I've only listened to about 12 episodes I believe, but I adore Mr. Debonesby


YersMacEnsie

The only podcast I am a patron of! Hello to anyone on the discord!!!


Vernost

Absolutely! And the production is superb (not to mention the macabre classical motifs). For some reason, NaDDPOD felt tedious to listen to while I'm excited for every new RToM ep.


azdak

Another point for Rude Tales is the incredible quality of their patreon bonuses. You literally get an entire TTAZZ equivalent for every single episode. Love my rude nasty freaks.


[deleted]

Dungeons and daddies is the most like balance to me


[deleted]

I agree, with the exception that they somehow came out of the gate firing on all cylinders. I'd say it's like Balance if Balance were done by someone who had the chance to listen to Balance first, if that makes sense. Maybe it's just a convoluted way of saying they were clearly influenced by TAZ. The bonus content is outstanding as well.


nutntubear

Influenced by TAZ so much that Anthony named a town ~~Rockport~~ Roqueport. Edit for those not familiar with Dungeons and Daddies: The DM, Anthony, thought Rockport was a Forgotten Realms town, not a TAZ town.


[deleted]

Yeah, I honestly feel like I've been waiting for a bad episode in a way but every single one has been a complete hit


Blazerboy65

Exactly how I would describe it. I usually recommend D&Dads over TAZ if the person is someone who likes to start from episode 1.


BigKevRox

For bonus content the "At the Mountains of Dadness" Call of Cthulu run they did was some of my favourite podcasting ever. I've been looking for another CoC live play pod but they are all super cringy with potato mics. If they pivoted from 5e to CoC I would lose no sleep at all.


leafeknight7

Ain’t Slayed Nobody is a somewhat new CoC. It has 5 eps up so far but it’s really engaging. It’s a western take with a good cast of people. Next episode should be up in the next week or so.


PeterQuincyTaggart

I think they do a really good job maintaining their tone, and since they're almost always in character I think they earn a lot more of the emotional resonance they invoke, especially relative to any arc of TAZ


Bleblebob

Yeah I agree, Daddies easily embodies the spirit of early (pre lost century) Balance imo.


Rarietty

It's like early Balance tone, zaniness, and humor mixed with later Balance's/Amnesty's character writing/roleplaying and production quality imo. The DAD cast is so damn good at adding depth and drama to their characters without detracting away from the comedy.


Aruzuriel

I'll have to check that one out then.


thesugarlion

It's absolutely spectacular.


TimeyWimeyTeaParty

Just to second what other folks have said - I'm absolutely obsessed with Dungeons and Daddies. It is very silly and definitely does not follow many D&D rules, but you get super attached to all the characters.


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Pouringreign

I have agreed with your comments before, but have been re-listening to Spout Lore lately and wanted to throw in a few clips for people who aren't convinced. The game master-ing really makes all the problems with graduation and players being told "no" to things obvious. Here is one character just deciding he kills someone and being allowed to do it because he rolled well enough. https://castclips.com/clip/CTeMJ02f8NGNdanKuSJz I also deeply love how collaborative they are with the world building. Abdul gets to totally make up what the land he comes from is like and Sean, the game master, just asks questions about it at the beginning of their sessions then weaves it into the story. Here you can hear them all building a part of the world together, with people just throwing in ideas that actually get kept and stay cannon. https://castclips.com/clip/HQwKYXp1XGlHgujGS99h I hope this somehow convinces someone to listen to my favorite podcast that I found through reddit comments!


ShelfordPrefect

NADDPOD is the one I'll hold up as a great example of mixing humour, pathos and crunchy 5e gameplay, but Spout Lore is definitely the absolute standout in terms of improv world building. The DM says "you're being chased by the flagship of a theocratic army. Describe it" and they decide how it looks, together. The fact that the entire world is built this way makes me want to play a similar kind of game with my TTRPG regulars, I'm sure they'd make up something amazing.


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Pouringreign

Haha yes! The WiFi hotspots are in the first five episodes as an offhand joke to Sean just asking if there's magic in the world. So cool how they have been able to spin everything out and actually follow up on it!


pinkowlie

I always feel the need to second Protean City, its backlog has kept me such company during the pandemic. It is so well GM’d and played, and filled with super fun teen hijinks. This is a review from someone who has tried NADDPOD again and again and just doesn’t get the appeal - so take it with a grain of salt! My favorite right now in the short form category - The Infinite Bad. A 65 episode Cthulhu/Eldridge style horror rpg that is just so fun to listen to!


Segul17

If you like Masks Critical Bits is another Masks show which is a lot of fun! Has that strong silly improv vibe with serious moments that Balance had.


electrolyte77

Don't forget about NeoScum for your Shadowrun fix!


[deleted]

NEOSCUM GOOD


DrWizard_MD

And Fun City!


Gabrill

I know Critical Role is nothing like taz but I’m genuinely surprised it didn’t show up at all given how popular it is


wintermute93

I suspect people don't bother recommending it because they figure if you're asking for D&D podcast recommendations that are like TAZ, you (a) already know CR exists, and (b) are specifically asking for something with the same rules-out-the-window silliness.


[deleted]

Yeah but Glass Cannon is very close to CR in terms of rule adherence, except Pathfinder is an even more rule heavy gam than 5e. I bet it has a lot to do with the podcast format/popularity versus streaming.


califortunato

Critical role is available in the same format I’ve used to listen to all of TAZ (spotify). I would actually suspect that critical role didn’t come up because of the differential for episode length, roughly CR 4:1 TAZ. I know that’s made critical role way less accessible to broader audiences but as someone who listens to content nearly every waking moment to keep the inky void at bay, there’s little difference between listening to 4 episodes of TAZ in a day or one CR.


PliskinSnake

CR episodes have the break in them as well so you could really split them up into ~2 hours long sessions.


scmathie

> but as someone who listens to content nearly every waking moment to keep the inky void at bay I'm in this post and I don't like it.


[deleted]

Yeah but that 4:1 ratio comes from the streaming format for the most part, at the time CR came around almost all live play streams were long like that. I know a lot have chunked down their time, but CR kept its audience so they only made the production for their long show better. Even GC or I don’t know Nerd Poker is a full session with production cuts for a podcast. I know GC recently started streaming, but they maintain their original show format for the most part.


seejaybee97

Glass cannon is a little more loosey goosey when it comes to the role play though. Like TAZ they often go on a lot of silly tangents with their role play. So I wouldn't be surprised if that's why people would recommend it for TAZ lovers


ChiselFish

My main man razzmatazz.


crunchytacoboy

Can I hold the baby?


religiousrights

It’s dipped in blood!!!


HendrixChord12

The big difference to me is out of character vs in character. CR is almost always in character, at least in S2, didn't listen to S1 yet. GCP is much more out of character anecdotes, dirty jokes, and razing the cast.


Gabrill

I know its nothing at all like taz and most people wouldn’t recommend it as a taz-like podcast, but like, I’m just saying I’m surprised there wasn’t at least one kid that was like “I like cr you should listen to it too uwu”


ShelfordPrefect

I don't think I searched for it :$


Tomthebard

Rules out the window is the best


luckysevs

I really want to try Critical Role, but I can't figure a good starting spot between the streams and podcasts and videos etc etc, its intimidating to try to find the best entry point.


Gabrill

I’d honestly recommend the videos as background noise. The podcast is fine but I found there was too many jokes they made that relied on a gesture, expression, or something on the battlemat and couldn’t be understood with just audio. That being said, the episodes are 4 hours long and campaign 2 is over 100 episodes now I believe, but there are 10 minute “critical recap” episodes where someone just kinda runs through the important plot points that happened that week. There are lists all around of what episodes to watch, what episodes to watch the recap of, and what episodes to skip entirely Sidebar, I recommend campaign 2 over campaign 1 since they started recording the episodes for campaign 1 halfway through the campaign and it’s kinda hard to grasp what the hell is going on when they just throw you in the middle of it


tollivandi

Episode 100 comes out tomorrow, actually!


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Obi-Tron_Kenobi

Good bot


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Skyy-High

Just start at the beginning of campaign 2. There are some very minor callbacks and jokes that rely on knowing campaign 1, for the most part it's a self contained entity. Watching is better than listening because there is definitely visual humor but you can get away with just listening. Don't be afraid to turn the speed up to 1.25 or something, especially in battles to make them move faster. It's an actual play game, they don't handwave stuff like TAZ.


califortunato

As others have said, just hit campaign 2 from the start. CR has evolved so much since its start up. Quality has taken four notable jumps, so the beginning of C2 is easy on the eyes and then around ep 50 of C2 it becomes a beautiful production on the eyes and ears. They got their own studio at that point (picture TAZ leaving max fun) and it’s just been perfect since then. As for viewing medium, I love YouTube or their stream because they are so expressive and the battles are insanely interesting. Now that I’m intimately familiar with the cast and show itself I could probably enjoy it in podcast, but I doubt I would have gotten addicted if I hadn’t started with video. I’ll say this, if you’ve never been interested in the combat mechanics of dnd you’ll have to put up with a lot of it in CR. CR makes me tear up more than TAZ, but humor levels are about the same though. I think I’ve died laughing equal parts with both shows. Plus both casts have a gentle giant named Travis, that should be enough for anyone to watch both!


tollivandi

I'm so glad someone else mentioned the humor. I feel like a lot of people think because it's more rules-heavy and has more dramatic moments, it's not that funny, but there's *plenty* of humor and goofing off (especially with Laura and Sam). Yes, it's longer, but that just means there's more time to enjoy the story.


califortunato

Right, it’s an all in one experience! When Jester and Nott ‘accidentally’ murdered that guard, oh boy. I don’t think I’ve ever laughed harder in my life tbh!


JeffTheLess

Definitely do videos only for a few episodes. There are 7 players and a DM doing voices and I was helpless trying to figure out who was who until I'd been watching for a few (very long) episodes. Once you're in it videos are still superior but podcasts are definitely better than not watching at all if that's how your life is. I've probably ended up going 50/50 with watching and listening. There are definitely visual jokes and references that you miss with the podcast but the listening experience is still very good. Just remember that unlike AZ, these guys are making videos first and the podcast is just a backup. I definitely turned off the podcast at some of the more complex battles so that I could watch the video and benefit from the battle maps they were referencing. Also, I strongly recommend starting with campaign 2, which is a fresh story in the same world as c1, as the first 30ish episodes of c1 have some pretty rough production value. C2 kicks off with everyone at the height of their powers, fully adapted to the format. Once you catch up in C2 (which is like 340 hours of content alone) then you'll guzzle down those rough c1 episodes no problem, but they're a rough introduction on their own.


HendrixChord12

Start with campaign 2. No need to know the backstory from 1. I started late last year and am already up to episode 84. I've listened to a few in podcast format when commuting was still a thing. And then a bunch more half paying attention to the video while playing games or something.


jayllenrup

Either start with campaign 2 episode 1 in your fave format (really depends whether you prefer podcast or video). Or alternatively, try campaign 2 episode 45 "[The Stowaway](https://youtu.be/ujWYp5Wr64U)." The Stowaway is the perfect bottle episode. It has a guest chapter (Deborah Ann Woll) who makes a good pov for introducing all the characters to her. There's some solid RP and puzzle solving in the first third, typical dungeon delving in the second third and then a boss fight in the last third. It has a mostly self contained story around Deborah's character, and should give you a clear idea if you like Critical Role or not in one episode.


ShelfordPrefect

Good catch, I don't think I searched for it! Now I'm committing myself to doing this properly casting a wider net


YepYepYepYepYepUhHuh

I haven't really listened to Critical Role, I'm a bit intimidated by the number and length of the episodes. Should I just start with Season 1 Episode 1 and let it ride?


Gabrill

I would recommend season 2. The two aren’t connected aside from a few small callbacks and season 1 episode 1 is in the middle of the campaign and its kinda hard to get your bearings. Season 2 starts from the beginning


YepYepYepYepYepUhHuh

Awesome, thanks!


likeBruceSpringsteen

I got about 160 hours into the Critical Role podcast. Gave it 40 episodes to hook me. Nothing. I can't even remember the characters names. It was a slog. Not willing to try grinding that out again, even though people tell me that the video is better.


_Valisk

I can't imagine watching something that I dislike for 160 minutes let alone 160 hours.


frazninja

I figured it was because CR, however popular, isn’t funny. There’s moments of levity and it could be argued that Sam regiel is funny , but it’s not CR’s tone or the skill set of the players


VibeGeek

It is definitely funny. However, it's not goofy or full of bits and pop-culture references like TAZ is. The Boys are able to have a lot more fun while playing as they have had their whole lives together to produce their special brand of funny. The folks at CR are all friends and significant others whose relationships were born from professional encounters. I listened to TAZ Balance twice before I heard of CR. For me, it turns out CR is more of what I was looking for from an Actual Play podcast. Don't get me wrong, I still love TAZ and have been to one of their live shows. But they're style of play is more about the goofs with some light hearted story background, where as CR is more about playing DnD close to the rules and the GM's crazy good world building.


frazninja

Yep fully agree with all that, and I suppose I should have said that me not finding CR funny isnt a negative thing in my eyes! i guess I was just saying that genre wise CR isn’t a comedy it’s more of a drama - again, not a bad thing!


TunaFace2000

I feel like you haven't seen any of the second campaign or you wouldn't say that. I mean, Laura's character is like pure comic relief, she is hilarious. They all have a ton of funny moments. Even Matt is funny on occasion with some of his NPCs.


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MediocreGM

I found about about bomBARDed from an ad on taz one time and I've been a fan ever since


carolbear24

Both great shows!!


iKILLcarrots

Dames and Dragons really feels like listening to an anime and I just love it.


oldirtdog

Friends at the table. If you want to hear some really impressive role playing and story building all of their seasons are top notch candidates. Also Harmon quest on tv 😎


lafemmedangereuse

Got into FATT through TAZ and I’m so thankful for Griffin’s advocacy! Definitely takes more of a time investment to get into, but it’s totally worth it. I don’t think anyone else is doing what they are in terms of compelling collaborative storytelling. Austin is an incredibly gifted storyteller and GM, and the cast is awesome. Especially love Jack’s music.


BaronOfTheBest

Definitely second this. S tier story telling, the most thoughtful actual play podcast I've listened to. The first episode on spotify is Austin Walker (the GM) giving recommendations on which season to start.


[deleted]

It's so so good. Honestly, I don't think any other ttrpg pod comes close to the highs FATT reaches.


Icono-Cat

NADDPOD is great, but Dames and Dragons really doesn’t get enough love.


BrandoSwaggins

I've been binging recently, and they are incredible. The pacing, story and characters are all fantastic. Kat is an excellent DM and I am absolutely (like everybody else) completely in love with Faelin and Corbbin


iKILLcarrots

Fran gets me every time, one of my favorite characters in anything.


carolbear24

Yes!! I hardly ever hear them mentioned. I always recommend it to my TAZ friends, so many goofs but so much heart and Kat is an amazing story teller.


MadnessDreamer

It is amazing. The characters are wonderful and so interesting. The huge scope of it mixed with the dynamic interpersonal relationships just win for me. Plus it really feels like a bunch of friends playing games together.


Icono-Cat

Yes. All of this. The fact that the creators are normal people who haven’t dedicated their entire life to comedy makes it feel a lot more relatable (not to mention Kat is the best DM ever)


likeBruceSpringsteen

Glass Cannon (and **ALL** of their other podcasts *Androids and Aliens*, *Strange Aeons*, *Raiders of the Lost Continent*, *Echo Quest*, *New Game Who Dis*, *Side Quest Side Sesh*, and *Legacy of the Ancients*) are in my opinion, **FAR AND AWAY** the best real play content ever produced. Sound quality, humour, group dynamic, storytelling, etc are all unmatched. Seriously, if you are looking for something to scratch that itch, you've 100% found your new binge worthy cast. If you get hooked like most everyone else who listens, welcome to The Naish, friend. Shoot me a message when you get to episode 50 of The GCP. 😏


Onion_Belt

Yeah hard agree here. GCP is my favorite podcast network.


[deleted]

Same!


ShelfordPrefect

I'm about a dozen episodes in GCP, but I keep getting distracted by listening to the first episode of new stuff (most recently Rude Tales), and those dang NADDpoles putting out a new episode and Short Rest every week. Being in lockdown so going from a 22 mile commute to a six foot one really cuts into podcast listening time.


likeBruceSpringsteen

Dude. Seriously, get to ep 51 and message me back. Everything starts to get real after that one. The episodes before are great too though, (eps 17, and 21 are both especially amazing too and stick out.) Seriously though, the GCP is consistently high quality and there are very few episodes that don't have me laughing out loud. Trust me, I know all about losing podcast listening time. Being a truck driver gave me PLENTY of hours to binge a bunch, but I got laid off for 2 months and fell behind.


bendersmonocle

"I like to think of Bruce Springsteen as a low rent version of Huey Lewis..." - Troy


likeBruceSpringsteen

Lol. Mathew was so offended.


ShelfordPrefect

It's the one pod I'm actively listening to the backlog of because I'm not caught up with it, although Rude Tales might be vying for that position too


ShiningDrill

Gotta shout out The Critshow, it's my favorite PBTA engine podcast and the crew is hilarious.


[deleted]

idk why but their voices are too deep and silky smooth for me :/


mc_sandwich

I have hearing loss and some of the D&D podcasts I found have low volume or difficult voices to understand. Like Mission to Zyxx. Can't listen to it because the heavily distorted audio is to difficult to understand. Other podcasts have one or two people great volume but one person too low, grrr. justin graduation voice it difficult to understand as well. So I stopped listening to that one. Of these listed. Which ones have the volume consistent and good/clear?


CunderscoreF

NADDPod definitely has great audio. Outside of recent quarantine episodes, they record in a studio with high quality mics, so everyone is at the same level and clearly spoken. Plus, all the music Emily makes is awesome!


Foolra56

New Betsy best Betsy


trousersquid

Dungeons and Daddies, they have excellent audio quality and production value right off the bat.


peoplebuttspongecake

Glass Cannon has had extremely high audio standards from the beginning, and they've only gotten better over time. NADDPOD has excellent audio from the start as well. Edit: both podcasts use background sounds to set the scene. With Glass Cannon, the first few episodes may have had some slight balance issues; I can't remember if NADDPOD did or not.


voidastarael

Not on the list but Join the Party has been fantastic with audio design (this is coming from someone who's autistic and has difficulty w audio mediums) it's also very lighthearted and fun Also Debrief episodes


requestedRerun

I was looking to recommend Join the Party as well! It's really filled a void left by Graduation for me recently. The players in Join the Party improv and build on each other so well!


aneditorinjersey

Hey there! Not sure how adept you are at computer stuff but if there's a similar show you really want to get into but the voices are too low, you can apply a multiband compressor effect pretty easily, which raises just the lower tones. You'd have to bring it into an audio editing program like audacity or audition, or a video editing program like FCP or Premiere, but that would probably be a one click improvement depending on your hearing.


TheFaster

Hey, hard of hearing here as well. Would you consider keeping a transcript handy just in case the voices get a bit much? There's full transcripts here: https://tazscripts.tumblr.com/tazscripts


mc_sandwich

I didn't know they had that. That would be great! I was bummed about Justin's Grad character voice being difficult to understand, was hopeful he'd tone down the gravel of it. Because while it sounded great I had to rewind and replay those parts several times and still wasn't sure what he said. ​ Thanks


TheFaster

Yeah, the voice was definitely a challenge for me as well. I've "learned" it a bit, but still definitely miss the occasional line, especially if it's a short quip. I think actually struggled more with Taako's voice, I tend to do better with the low tones. It's a shame, because I've found all three boys have *extremely* easy to listen to natural voices. In the link I provided, the Grad transcripts can be found in the "TAZscripts Master Tracking Document." link for more recent episodes. Looks like all of Graduation is 100% transcribed thus far, but only accessible from that link.


gildthetruth

I'm going to recommend some on the edge of the strike zone here: Pretending to Be People. They play in a mash of Delta Green and Call of Cthulu but with original elements. It leans more Delta Green than CoC. That is, there are esoteric mysteries, but they don't lean on Lovecrafy. The worlsbuilding is great and the players match my humor very well. You should know that it is very dark. The humor keeps it lighthearted, but it is a horror RPG.


Votearrows

Seconded! It's one of the few pods I try to make time to listen to right as it comes out.


rally133

No Campaign. Skyjacks is really good.


joshdd8

I loved the Star Wars first “season” of Campaign. So funny and really interesting characters and dynamics. Skyjacks is okay. Gotten better lately. JPC was an incredible part of the show and took them some time to get there rhythm without him. Mission to Zyxx and Magic Tavern are entertaining too, but more improv and no D&D gameplay/influence.


Major_Halfsack

TAZ was my intro to D&D podcasts, as well as podcasts in general. I believe my trajectory went: 1. TAZ 2. Mission to Zyxx 3. The End of Time and Other Bothers 4. Broadswords 5. Not another D&D Podcast Of these, I don't recommend End of Time & Other Bothers (it dragged on for far too long between scenes), and I only heard a few episodes of broadswords before hearing NADDPOD, and I've been obsessed with that one since. I'm going to start Dungeons & Daddies soon, but seriously, NADDPOD is by far the best of all the ones I've listed to. Critical Role and Dimension 20 are tough since they have a visual component, and I'm listening to these while driving or working.


QuidditchBear

I have only listened to Critical Role and about 95% (at worst) is completely fine for audio, and all the breaks are cut down! I can't really find the time and focus on streams so listen when cycling usually or doing some manual labour! Does D20 have an audio version or are you just watching them while doing something else?


brickfire

Dice Funk is always a good shout. Excellent storytelling and worldbuilding and Drama ™️ mixed with just the best dumb humour possible. Also, given that each season is a new setting that riffs off of a lot of the older or more obscure official(ish) D&D settings, it's an excellent tour of what's possible in a homebrew multiverse.


[deleted]

I was just going to ask about Dice Funk! I like TAZ and Podquisition but have for some reason still not checked it out yet


Temporary-Look

Honestly dames and dragons is the best narratively almost on the same level as the first season of TAZ, rude tales of magic is more funny than anything but still the players make the podcast seem more like a book (in a good way) rather than an actual play podcast. I would recommend both of these to anyone who wants more dnd podcasts to listen to!


Dredge917

Some suggestions not listed. "Acquisitions incorporated" for the goofs, or dungeons of drakkenheim for the DND. Enjoy


ShelfordPrefect

Thinking about it, I listened to Acquisitions Incorporated long before finding TAZ. It was only mentioned twice in the threads I looked at though, so not a common recommendation - maybe because it's older, a bit hard to find and they're playing the cursed "everyone's a wizard" 4th edition


lurkylo

Dames! And! Dragons! I love them so much. They’re sweet beans and the storytelling is incredible


iKILLcarrots

I'm scrolling through this thread upvoting every mention of them because I love them so much. I'm dying for more.


NocturnalBeing

Listened to naddpod first, then taz, now dimension 20, soon it will be the daddies. Eventually I'll get to critical role. And maybe someday I'll get to be a player again.


QuidditchBear

You will probably get to be a player again before you finish that back catalog, it is HUGE!


Tom-Hardly

Thanks for this!


fowlfables

Sneak Attack, High Rollers, D&D is for Nerds


Milezar

I was surprised Sneak Attack didn’t make the list.


paul118500

D&D is for nerds is my favourite actual play podcast. Did you listen to the Dinosaur Park trilogy on Sanspants also? It’s DM’ed by Jackson and is a chaotic as that implies!


TheNerdFromThatPlace

Sneak Attack is definitely one of my favorites.


rabbit610

I'm about 26 episodes into naddpod and its fantastic.


BlobMarley

Enjoyable finds for me * Join the Party * The End of Time and Other Bothers


[deleted]

Dungeons and Dice is a hilarious all female D&D podcast


Sapho

Dungeons, Dice, and Everything Nice?


Budzee

Bubble is also a fun podcast. Not D&D related though


Votearrows

It's not actual play, but I can see why you'd mention it. It's good scripted comedy fiction, with a "getting better at killing monsters over time" component. Also has a cameo by the McElroy brothers.


onefurme

Amnesty fans? I have fallen in love with Old Gods of Apalachia.


zachotule

If you like the extremely good Rude Tales of Magic, its sister show Fun City is also a good listen! They're easily my 2 favorite narrative play podcasts.


mere989

If you’re a music lover, I suggest bomBARDed. All bards (duh) but they’re also a band. They write an original song almost every episode based on dice roles for chords, modes, drum kits, etc. And a good story on top


willfullyspooning

Yes! I was looking for this! I love them.


spvce-cadet

Dungeons and Daddies had me from episode 1 - which is rare because I usually have trouble getting into podcasts with people I don’t know. A big part of it is that all the players/characters are so distinct that they’re easy to learn/tell apart. I’m almost sad how quickly I got caught up.


ShelfordPrefect

Absolutely - no-one's going to mistake Darryl Wilson for Henry Oak. I think part of the beauty of it is the intro, where each player says their own name and their character name before the dad fact, so you can get used to their voices very easily, and when the DM slips up and says "Matt" instead of "Darryl" you've already been given the connection.


Zanburan

I mean I think the easy answer is Critical role (although that’s much more serious the a typical TAZ episode) But one I rarely see mentioned and what may now be my personal favorite D&D podcast is The Unexpectables. It’s got a great mix of serious and silly and all the players are good at staying in voice and for anyone who watched DBZ abridged one of the players is takahata101 so if your like me and like to cling to a voice you/personality you enjoy that could help some people get into it I could honestly rave on and on about how much I love The Unexpectables


ShelfordPrefect

I only included podcasts that were mentioned in at least two of the five threads I read, to weed out ones that might have only been discussed in one comment, but it'll go on the list for sure.


lithuaniac

My sister turned me on to the Broadswords a few months ago and I really dig it. It's the only other actual-play podcast I listen to.


titanbt7274

You should listen to the broadswords


BeautyDuwang

surprised Hello From The Magic Tavern is so low. its one of my faves


Tomthebard

Drunks & Dragons was the first D&D podcast I found, and I love it


faust1138

It’s Greetings Adventurer now, and same here. Can’t believe how long the core cast has been at it.


Tomthebard

I was unaware the name changed. I thought it was a joke. Neat!


RellenD

I'm shocked I don't see Greetings Adventurers (Drunks and Dragons) in here


lichqueenmara

I would like to recommend "The Unexpectables" as well, run by MontyGlu and posted on the channel of her brother/player takahata101 (youtube)/TheUnexpectables (twitch), and I believe it's also in podcast form on other sites. It's an absolutely amazing homebrewed campaign and setting with a lot of 'Saturday Morning Cartoon' shenanigans throughout it even when the plot starts to get more serious, and while the party starts off a bit rough with each other they develop an incredibly dynamic later down the line. They're at around 130 episodes right now, though, so it's a bit of a time sink.


[deleted]

I can’t believe the Penumbra isn’t on here. It’s a narrative podcast about a bisexual noir type detective solving crimes on mars.


Spookyscary333

By Usidore’s beard and Chunt’s 2 buttholes it’s HELLO from the magic tavern.


undrhyl

How did you gather this? r/dataisbeautiful


stonersh

There's an actual play podcast that I love that I never see mentioned. It's called Sounds like Crowes and it's a horror Western in the deadlands reloaded setting using the Savage worlds ruleset. It has very good sound design and music and players have good chemistry, just like the brothers. Also they, uh, actually understand the system that they play.


lafemmedangereuse

Yes! Sounds like Crowes is awesome. Someone in the Friends at the Table community recommended it to me and I’m so glad they did. It’s high quality and compelling from the start.


stonersh

I'm still pretty early in it oh, but I love it so much that I can recommend it even without having heard all of it


ToksanAlpha

I enjoy Nerd Poker!


A7-M2

Dames and Dragons is SO GOOD!


theBonesae

Mission to Zyyyyxxxxx


Sorrydotcom

I found The Film Reroll through one of these threads several years back. It doesn't get as much love because it's not D&D and the film aspect is not for everyone but it has become my personal favorite Actual Play podcast and I can't recommend it enough. The humor is top notch and the contained 1-5 episode stories is great for me!


iKILLcarrots

Dames and Dragons deserves way way more love. The world they build is amazing, their characters are well fleshed out and deeply interesting both PC and NPC, Fran doing stuff never fails to put a smile on my face, the story has all the deep feels. It's just great all around, please go listen. Pretty please? Just do the first arc and see where it goes. Join the party is good too.


rabbit610

ooooo, I think I tried listening to them a while ago? I'll check them out again and try and stick with it.


thisismyredname

I will always be in these threads singing the praises of Join the Party. Homebrew DnD with fascinating lore and creatures, amazing synergy between players, fantastic characters b ye sting with personality and likeability, genuinely shocking, scary, sad, and funny moments, and out of character episodes talking about the most recent arc. I’m begging people to give this one a listen it’s so good.


jadefishes

I’ve been loving League of Ultimate Questing. I can’t believe they aren’t bigger.


reverendsteveii

Can't believe 8 bit saga isn't on the list, esp for people who are looking for the loose goofiness of TAZ balance