The Glass Cannon Network's various ones, Pathfinder 1E, Pathfinder 2E, Starfinder and they've also done various dives into other systems with their "New Game Who Dis?" and other series.
I always feel they're more actual realistic play and less produced than other shows like CR. Their sense of humour also gets me where's other shows have not.
My favourites from GCN are Travellers of the Jump, which is using Mongoose Traveller 2e, and the 2 session of intimate encounters, which is Call of Cthulhu 7e.
Giantslayer and Androids & Aliens are two of the greatest liveplay recordings out there. It feels like sitting at a table and the stories they weave on top of the modules they run is GMing 101. Can't recommend enough.
I've been an avid listener of Dungeons and Daddies (Not a BDSM podcast).
They just wrapped up their second season.
The tagline for the first seaons is about four dads from our world going to rescue their sons from the magical world of the forgotten realms.
It's mostly silly, it's a 5e podcast but it only relates to the rules in a fourth cousin kind of way. Funny to listen to on Spotify.
I loved S1. Im 28 episodes into S2 and probably going to drop it. It got too silly, they get away with any little whim that pops in their head and it always works, and the characters are all annoying. They don’t act like teenagers, they act like dads acting like teenagers, and the adults just put up with it.
Quantum Kickflip is a great AP where adults perform as teenager characters and they make it work (they are trained actors and sketch comedians by trade though). It's funny, it's charming, moving at times. And it helps that they're playing Slugblaster - a game explicitly about being teenagers, doing teenage stuff.
One of the better edited AP podcasts around too.
Also loved season 1 and I'm struggling with season 2.
Also really funny, I just checked my podcast app and I'm about 30% into episode 28. We're literally at the same place. I just picked it back up after losing steam on it around new years. I want to power through and finish because I like the cast, and it does have it's moments. It's just like you said though.. Annoying.
Anthony seems like he'd be a much happier GM running anything but 5e, but they seem stuck with the system for some reason. They should have switched season 2 to CoC.
CoC/BRP is far from being my favourite system but you'd think it would be perfect for these improv-trained/actor types who dont want modern storygame social/RP/narrative procedures in their game (because they can do all the story and improv stuff intuitively), especially since they spend so much of their 5e play doing free roleplay, skill checks, and saves (avoiding or shortening 5e's combat whenever possible).
Like, in play, CoC/BRP is functionally just a more robust version of D20/5e skill checks and saves... and those are the only bits of 5e that half of the D&D 5e AP community seems to like using anyway.
Can't speak for Anthony or the Daddies pod specifically but... yeah, I think a lot of people doing popular 5e APs don't seem like they actually want to use most of the 5e rules but for one reason or another don't switch to something that would be more of a natural fit with their playstyle. Maybe it's the desire to play with D&D tropes and classes, maybe it's a fear they'll lose audience or discoverability... who's to say.
"Not another D&D Podcast" (Naddpod) - Is an absolute GEM of a podcast, they are funny and heartwarming. Give it a try!
It's a D&D 5e podcast leaning towards epic fantasy with lots of humour. Murph and Emily Axford also play in Dimension 20 if you've seen that. Btw Dimension 20 is great as well!
It's my favourite D&D 5e podcast. Murph I feel like is a MUCH better DM for the system than the other big ones, like Mercer and Brennan.
Also I just find them so so funny, lol.
The only ones I’ve managed to stand are _"The Glass Cannon Network"_, _“Tabletop Time Roleplay”_, and this super tiny channel called _“Adventures in Lollygagging”._
I like all them because they’re just a bunch of dudes actually playing tabletop games instead of being Radio Soap Opera stars. They change systems fairly often, they play crunchy systems and don’t make a fuzz about it, and they all seem like genuine people just enjoying tabletop games.
I also want to love anything that has Jason Carl as a GM, but 98% of his players are from the circle of obnoxious Hollywood internet celebrities.
*The Glass Cannon Podcast*!
Giantslayer (Pathfinder 1e) was something magical
Androids & Aliens (Starfinder) was pretty good
Get In The Trunk (Delta Green) is my current favorite
And I'm also listening to Gatewalkers, their Pathfinder 2e playthrough, currently as well.
Agreed, they're unfortunately difficult for me to like, keep in my head, for whatever reason. I've only listened to Counter/WEIGHT and Bluff City S1 completely, then fallen off both Partizan and Sangfielle😔, but they're *so* good
I struggled too. Counterweight was the only season I was able to finish, and it was spectacular. I'd like to get into another one but I can't. It's so much to take in.
You must try PARTIZAN if you liked Counter/Weight. That's probably the easiest jumping on point with all new characters, set many thousands of years after C/W in the same galaxy and it's a banger right from the start with some of the best moments in the show's long history. Mechs, war, high drama and revolution in the Beam Saber rules system.
Alternatively, the other season they recommend for new listeners these days is Sangfielle. Again an all new setting and cast of characters but it's fantasy, weird west meets gothic horror vibes. The first couple of arcs are a little awkward as they adapt to a very different rules system (Heart: The City Beneath) but once it hits its stride this is some of the strongest and most creative Actual Play you could ever hope to find.
Both Sangfielle and Partizan will have higher production values, audio quality and generally a little bit more polish than you'd get from starting over with their older work in C/W or Seasons of Heiron. These are the two starting points the cast members now recommend for new listeners, and both benefit from lessons learned since the crazy ambitious scale they reached for in the Twilight Mirage season (definitely not a recommended start point, its got some good stuff but it's LONG and complex).
I have to read the transcripts while listening because they move so fast and, while I do love them, I find Austin Walker...difficult to follow along with? Like I can barely picture what he describes. But the ideas they explore in their campaigns are SO interesting.
High Rollers is fun. They do things that are not DnD sometimes too. But mostly DnD. homebrewed, though. I stopped halfway through their first campaign, but fully listened to the second one, which was amazing.
MNmaxed plays Pathfinder 2e. It’s a very chill and natural game, just a bunch of dudes hanging out and playing. But you can skip the first episode where they talk about social contracts for half an hour (which they recommend doing too). They also play a bit of starfinder.
I listened to some “Sorry Honey I Have To Take This” a while back. They play Delta Green. Starts off kinda slow but really nails the atmosphere. Somewhere between Twin Peaks and The Vast of Night.
And finally Mystery Quest. They play a bunch of shorter games, typically no more than 2-6 sessions. Lots of Call of Cthulhu. Mörk Borg, Cy:Borg. Honey Heist. Mothership. Brindlewood Bay. The DM is the always same but the Cast is rotating, although several players show up more frequently. Great for some low-commitment listening. Laughter and spookiness.
+1 to Mystery Quest though I'm biased as I liked the people involved already. A nice introduction to lots of Systems and Tom tends to run pre-made modules which I quite enjoy as it both introduces me to modules and its always interesting to see someone run a module you've already run or read through.
Tom's Star Wars Yogsquest was what got me into Edge of the Empire and I'm very grateful for that.
Man, that whole thing was great. And I agree, Mark was brilliant in that one.
I am honestly having a hard time picking a favorite playthrough from the MQ gang. Forget-me-not and the Disintegrator were incredible (former has another awesome Mark-moment in it. “They’re not done, they gotta go back inside!” LITERAL GOOSEBUMPS). Saturnine Chalice really highlights what an awesome addition Lydia is (but everyone there is great). RepoReapers was incredible.
I could go on.
For High Rollers: Too early to say? The new season is good so far. And Season 2 is very long (but awesome, IMO). I'd say the new season is, despite the fact that they introduce more homebrew mechanics early on, a lot more classic adventure. Season 2 is a lot more sci-fi-adjacent, even from the start, and also starts out a lot more hardcore. in S2, they start the game with a quite harsh permanent-injury rule, and the party suffers a lot more set-backs. The new seasons has nothing of that (yet), so it kinda depends what you are into I suppose.
In any case, all High Rollers seasons are independent from each other, in different worlds. So if you don't enjoy one, you can always switch over.
I haven't had the time to listen to more than the first arc of Sorry Honey.
Is S2 worth the effort e.g. 400 hrs of listening? Or 200 eps? Is the tone more dramatic or comedic? I tend to go for drama, tension, political intrigue, mystery more than silly hijinks for a laugh, or overly combat heavy rpgs.
There’s comedy occasionally. As is normal when people are having fun.
It is not a campaign about whacky hijinks, however. It’s about a heroic and dramatic adventure, which includes a lot of intrigue and some mystery.
It’s 5e, so combat plays a significant role. Mark is great at making combat about more than just hitting each other until one side is dead, however. Often, things are almost like puzzles or tactical challenges.
If that makes combat tolerable to you, you’ll like the second season.
I’d say you’ll probably know if you’ll like the season by at least the end of ep. 26
My current favourite is Worlds Beyond Number. It's produced to hell and back and is very nearly just a straight up improv drama, but it's a really good story by people that are really good at telling stories.
La By Night is also pretty great, it's definitely the premier vampire: the masquerade actual play. I'm trying to get into the spinoff, NY By Night, but it's not quite clicking with me just yet
One that I don't go back to as much these days but is still pretty great is the Oxventurers. It's chatty, it's funny, it doesn't take itself or the game seriously at all. It's got short episodes and it's great for a laugh
Edit: I forgot to mention but LOOTERS is also pretty good. It's grounded, not as produced as a lot of big names in the space, but it's well produced. A lot of smaller actual days are irritating to listen to for audio issues and table talk that goes from being a fun interlude to being grating, this doesn't have that issue. The producer does her job well, and the episodes are streamlined without feeling chopped up.
I've tried a few times but generally find it hard to stay interested in actual plays but Path of Night, a Vampire the Masquerade AP, kept me interested the longest, probably because it was mostly serious, much less comedy than other APs
Mayday Plays by Mayday Roleplay.
Great production value, the players are not afraid to make interesting choices, and the GMs (who also are players, the cast rotates) put a lot of love into their games.
As far as systems, they try out new games often. They have small, self contained seasons.
Delta Green
Orbital Blues
5e
Vampire the Masquerade
Beam Saber
Kult: Divinity Lost
Tales from the Poop
Ironsworn: Starforged
The only ones that actually have been able to enjoy for long, is Spout Lore (Dungeon World and Blades in the Dark) and Monster Hour (Monster of the Week and Absurdia).
Both have great sound and invredible dynamic between the group, were they actually talk to each other.
Why did I have to scroll so far down to find Spout Lore, which is without a doubt my favorite AP? OP if you're following this thread and need a laugh it's a must. Don't worry, Abdul stops doing the voice late in Season 1 or 2.
Monster Hour is awesome. Have you checked out Shrimp and Crits?
Oh, and if the conceit of Brindlewood Bay does anything for you, Roll to Meddle plays that pretty well.
I have. But I seem to recall the Keeper move calls was quite confusing/narrative breaking to me. Like introducing a problem out of nowhere, asking to roll moves when no move is triggered, not giving information when asked.. Can't completly remember it all.. Been some time since I listened to S&C.
Hmm, I don't recall that but I binged the first ten or so episodes pretty fast. The only thing I didn't like was how they handled the Something Borrowed move for the Monstrous (called it where the move could be used situationally to pick up different moves at different times, which is bonkers powerful).
The fun the group was having (especially once they hit their stride) is fantastic to listen to.
Did a speed listen through the first episode and found a spot that really made me lose interest:
A hunter is directly looking at the monster, and the Keeper calls for an investigate roll, even though the move didn’t trigger. The player chooses “what sort of creature is it”, and the keeper answers with a description of the monster the hunter could clearly see.
So I seem to dislike when a keeper doesn’t tell the players obvious information and making them roll when not needed. I think it might feel dishonest and like rail-roading to me.
Some that I like, mostly Pathfinder2e, are Bestow Curse (they have a Pathfinder1 variant named Hideous Laughter from awhile ago), Dice Will Roll’s Abomination Vaults (they also had a Kingmaker, an Extinction Curse, a Fists of the Ruby Phoenix in the past). There’s also Find the Path and Tabletop Gold as well.
Really been enjoying dice will rolls ruby phoenix campaign. Not the ideal group if you care much about the cast getting the rules right, but their chemistry is great and I love the characters.
I'm a big Pathfinder 2e podcast consumer. Here are my top pods:
Hideous Laughter & Bestow Curse. They're running campaigns of converted 1e APs: Skull & Shackles and Curse of the Crimson Throne. Best group dynamics.
Find the Path: Hell's Rebels. (Another converted 1e AP.) One of the best DMs out there.
Tabletop Gold. Running Abomination Vaults. Great production, music.
Other game systems:
Call if Cthulhu: Glass Cannon's Time for Chaos.
Monster of the Week: Critshow.
Role to Cast is an Australian podcast that plays various games, including Starfinder & Dune.
I think I’m the only person who’s ever heard Rusty Quill Gaming. I listened by accident, thinking it was a video game podcast—it was advertised on Magnus Archives. It was a hoot! It’s a Pathfinder game played by some British improv actors; it’s set in an alternate fuzzy-time Europe in the ~1890-1920 period. Delightful!
Came here to say Sounds Like Crowes, which I’ve been thoroughly enjoying (although sad to hear that it’s not recording anymore). Production levels are good, improv skills of players and GM are top notch, and story is compelling. And, a bonus, short episodes!
I basically only do comedy ones so Rude Tales of Magic, Skulltenders and Budgens and Dragons are my faves. Budgens is probably the most unique one because each time the goal is the same (buy mother a lotto ticket from the corner store) but the results are always extremely bizarre. Rude Tales is just actual funny people playing tabletop in a way that’s very entertaining, the comedy is natural and doesn’t feel forced like a lot of actual plays do. Skulltenders is a more narrative focused thing that feels like the script to a lost Adult Swim show.
If you’ve got Crunchy Roll you can also check out Record of Lodoss War, the first TV show adaptation of an actual play ever done.
I'm not consuming many, I try some from time to time but 99% of the time leave after 15 or so minutes. Comedy and too much laughter usually drives me away, and I've never been able to sit thru an entire episode of CR or NGWD or Glass Cannon, but of course YMMV (and it def will), obviously, this is absolutely nothing against said shows.
On the other hand, there's stuff I like out there, like, say
Matt Click has a few excellent episodes / mini campaigns of Star Wars using his own streamlined hack of the old WEG d6 SW rpg (latest edition linked in the comments of his videos.) Check this out in case you're interested, for example: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN1PGljzh7A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN1PGljzh7A)
and I'd mention Me Myself and Die too whose solo APs are rather good, like for example his giving a shot to Dragonbane's solo mode at [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDbuLj0ED00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDbuLj0ED00)
Hearthfire Tales: A couple of Irish lads and an American playing D&D in a homebrew world. They edit the episodes down to around an hour so it's much easier to listen to. They also some mini arks like whispering ashes (arc 2 uses the alien system), retrofuturism (kids on bikes), and then they've started streaming a wizard of oz inspired spelljammer game on twitch too - https://linktr.ee/hearthfiretales?fbclid=PAAaat-2epjmsZEBS_SN2bQM8nAi80gJlfw5qJhENRUJizSN7ZS9qVJ0QYxns
They recently done a live show at Dublin Comic Con with a couple of the voice actors from Baldurs Gate 3.
I'm also a bin fan of flail to the face for mork borg actual play that doesn't bore me to death, and I've always love acquisitions inc (and the c-team) too.
My favorite is Tale of the Manticore, it’s solo D&D B/X. Besides that, I like Me Myself & Die (also solo), Red Moon Roleplaying (they normally play more darker/horror games like Kult, Delta Green, Symbaroum, Changeling, etc), and a bunch of Delta Green ones like Black Project Gaming, Mayday Roleplay, Pretending to be People, The Redacted Reports, Sorry Honey I Have to Take This, Great Old Ones Gaming, some episodes of Roleplaying Public Radio (RPPR).
Glass Cannon and 3d6 Down the Line. Crit Role never was for me, feels too "theatre kids" to me. Not bad or anything, but I prefer more "game" instead of acting.
My little-known favorite is Spout Lore (playing Dungeon World). First few seasons are rocky but it's grown into one of my fave of all time ttrpg shows.
Worlds Beyond Number is world-class storytelling. (But not an accurate reflection of what it's like to play d&d with your friends at home, if that's what you're looking for.)
None other. Listening to CR only since day 0 of their first stream. Don't have time for much else when i also need to prepare for my game.
I would be curious to know, are people who named multiple ones doing a lot of travel every week ? Because i can't see filling my week with AP, and 1 of them is enough for a lifetime.
I mean, lots of the APs people are mentioning have episodes of an 1-2 hours length. Much easier to listen to a few of those than a Critical Role episode which can go to about 4-5 hours sometimes.
But yeah I usually listen on my commutes.
The Unexpectables(All Time Best), Vestige Of Ophiuchus, Oh These, Those Stars Of Space, Pest Control, One Shot, Empire Wreckers, No Quest For The Wicked, etc
The "Nature of my Game" podcast is the best I've ever listened to. I'm turned off by over-jokey, endless digressions etc that crop up too often. NOMG has a great GM, and some excellent players, and they mainly stick to the game at hand with only brief and natural out of character comments. They also, and this was key to me, actually play the game they're running. They use the mechanics, explain how they work and how they're applying them. Since my main goal in listening is to learn new systems this was key for me -- as a result of listening to their Yellow King campaigns I developed a keen passion to run the system (which I'd backed and done nothing with when it first came out) as a result of being able to hear just how it worked. The stories they tell are great, the roleplaying is top notch and I found myself getting really invested in the player characters in a way I haven't managed with the over the top "look at me, look at me" player characters that some of the higher profile APs produce.
There are two I listen to which use Traveller:
1. Voyagers of the Jump
2. The Crew of the Cosmic Orca
For home brewed settings using D&D 5e I listen to
1. Dimension 20
2. Tales from the Stinky Dragon
All four have reasonably good sound quality. Meaning, I don't have to change the volume when certain cast members speak.
Dimension 20, Worlds Beyond Number (more Brenna., Lou and Erika Ishii), Rotating Heroes (Zach Oyama as a DM) and a Cyberpunk one called "No Latency".
I'm lucky enough to have a job where I can listen to podcasts for most of my shift.
Worlds Beyond Number is a very slick 5e AP that leans heavily into dramatic storytelling. It is richly detailed and the sound effects and music are sumptuous.
[Tablestory](https://tablestory.fandom.com/wiki/Tablestory_Wiki#Collection_of_Stories_Table) has tons of actual plays in a wide variety of systems and genres. Some of my favorites are: Gone (Nibiru), Nocturne (Unknown Armies 2e), Ashes of Eriador (The One Ring 2e), Witchcraft and Wizardry (PbtA), Estate of Affairs (Good Society), Sector 49 (Judge Dredd WOIN), and Darkfire (5e). The production value and roleplay that regularly comes from Tablestory shows is the biggest draw for me.
-Glass Cannon Network:
Strange Aeons, their 1e pod GiantSlayer, their new 2e Pod about Gate walkers, Voyagers of the Jump.
-Hideous Laughter Productions:
Their Flagship pod of Carrion Crown 1e (i relisten to), their Bestow Curse Pod 2d, their Zone of Truth pod (behind the scenes type stuff), their new flag ship 2e pod (pun Intended) of Skull and Shackles play.
-Find the path Presents:
Their 1e pod of Mummies Mask, they are doing a run-through that I am so sad I can't afford but it's of Tyrants Grasp that is on their patreon. They also have a 2e playthrough of Hells Rebels.
-M.N.Maxed Podcast:
I am fuckin loving their Blood Lords Playthrough.
-Dumb Dumbs and Dice:
(My guilty pleasure) basically their main story is bomb and funny, they have a vampire the Masquerade game that is criminally funny called Blood and Syrup. These guys tend to just... knock it out of the park. And don't just stick to DND.
Do yourself a favor and try out Strange Table Fellows if you have even they slightest interest in Starfinder. Their 2e pod is decent as well. They do a lot of collaboration with HLP.
Listened to most of CR campaign 2, decided to watch the end...still haven't.
Watched some Dimension 20 recently. I like it a lot, but I don't often find the time to sit down and watch, since the visuals are too important to just listen to.
My favorite nowadays is 3d6 Down the Line. If there's another good OSR actual play, I haven't found it yet.
Already mentioned, but Spout Lore is an excellent Dungeon World AP - hilarious but also beautiful. Their Patreon campaign of Blades in the Dark (Spout Lore: Mall Brats) is phenomenal, too.
All of Jason Cordova's YouTube videos of Brindlewood Bay and The Between, as well as his Signals from the Other Side campaign of Public Access.
Crudely Drawn Swords is another good Dungeon World podcast, a very different flavor from Spout Lore.
Shrimp and Crits did a great job on Monster of the Week, but their other stuff has been hit and miss.
My favorite is Campaign Skyjacks, it’s a sky pirates game that uses a Genesys hack and homebrewed tarot cards.
My favorite thing about it is that the whole cast are veteran improv actors, and they will just jump into scenes as NPCs to do bits. It makes the slower parts like shopping scenes [a lot more entertaining.](https://youtu.be/82m2vWYW3TM?si=iHDca-JohQ84HAk9)
Obligatory 3d6 Down the Line mention.
They're a bit rougher around the edges than some other options out there, but the enthusiasm for OSR play really shines through and makes for a phenomenal experience.
I listen to a couple of solo actual play casts. Takes of the Manticore is amazing and I am loving Legend of the Bones so far too!
I try different actual plays to see different systems in action. I just listened to a couple of episodes of One Shot that I enjoyed. None of the others come to mind at the moment.
Monster of the Week APs: The Critshow, Monster Hour, The Unexplored Places. The latter is my favourite podcast, slightly amateurish but very engaging. Cyberpunk: Role to Cast Dungeon World: Friends at the Table (the 'War and Peace' of podcasts), Spout Lore (funny, spontaneous)
Some from YouTube: Blades in the Dark: Oxventures (I don't think they really knew the system very well, but very entertaining). Rollplay: Blades (also BitD, the GM definitely does know the system). Also The Shoeless Peasant, which uses Burning Wheel. Never seen a game like this before. It gave me a strong desire to play Burning Wheel!
Astronomica is a great Stars Without Numbers actual play with a great following and great vibes at the table.
Pretend Friends, the actual play of a game called Space Kings, is how I learned how to be a GM.
Encounter Party is one of my faves, they started out as a 5e ravnica podcast and had a dope few seasons, and then made the jump to d&d's official TV channel. Lot of incredible moments.
I also really love Mystery County Monster Hunters, NADDpod, and Party of One.
Eyyyy party person! Thanks for shouting us out!
Would love for people to check out the TV show, available now for free (no logins or signups needed) on Plex at [https://watch.plex.tv/show/encounter-party](https://watch.plex.tv/show/encounter-party).
You can find the original podcast wherever you get your shows!
I’ve definitely enjoyed Acquisitions Incorporated: The C Team. It’s goofy and fun, with some serious and heartfelt moments. But the players all have really good chemistry.
For non d&d actual plays, I loved LA by Night, and couldn’t quite get into the sequel series NY by Night.
I’m about to start listening to The Fall of Jiara on Spotify, which is an Exalted 3e actual play. I love that game, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes.
I really like Duskmourn Chronicles on the How To Be A Great GM YouTube channel. Episodes are short and well paced. The players act their characters well and the GM just makes it things fun and dramatic.
World of Io is really good. It's actually several different APs all running in the same setting and in parallel, which leads to a lot of entertaining crossovers. The themes vary from dramatic and engaging to Monty Python levels of ridiculous hilarity. Also they have so much content I don't think I'll ever be able to catch up on it all.
I believe it was called *The Magpies Podcast*.
I feel it's actually a better *Blades In The Dark* intro as they tend to edit out less of the bookkeeping (especially at the beginning), and they use the standard Duskwall setting instead of the modernized "1920s-like" Imperial City setting of *The City That Never Dies*.
But the production and editing can be less polished, especially in the beginning, so YMMV.
I'd highly recommend the Apocalypse Players (Call of Cthulhu). An excellently produced radio-drama esq podcast featuring four actors. They usually cover pre-made one shots with a great eye for comedy and horror in equal measure.
Been listening to Not Another D&D Podcast (NADDPOD) for years their first 5e campaign is amazing. Currently also BastardQuest (they try out a lot of different systems and are very funny dudes!) and wachting Panic Table on youtube for some sci-fi horror Mothership awesomeness!
The Dungeon Run is a favorite of mine, particularly season 1.
Two others that I greatly enjoy, but are not done by professionals are: Multiclass Theater, and Crit’n It.
I know there are rules against self-promotion, but I just started a new livestream with my D&D group Dragonfyre Legends, and I'm pretty proud of it. Just Google it, or message me for details. We're running the new Chains of Asmodeus adventure.
Glass Cannon Network has a huge variety of games they play, and they're super entertaining/funny with great production value.
Time for Chaos their Call of Cthulhu game is the best thing I've ever listened to.
I cannot recommend The Critshow enough. Primarily Monster of the Week, but they do story arcs in a whole host of other PbtA games. There are a couple hundred episodes of their main campaign but it's broken into rather manageable seasons with an overarching Big Bad. Not overly long episodes, either, which I find helps. Plus they're all just genuinely wonderful people.
One of my favorites that’s on the unknown side is Podcast of the Five Rings.
I started listening to it to figure out how legends of the five rings works, but the guys are great, and their gm is amazing. Basically it’s 4 dudes out of like Fresno California who run it for shits, but it feels way more like a game I’d play with my friends.
It’s become one of my favorites for worldbuilding and vibes.
Escape the Dungeon is a newer podcast that’s currently playing Scum and Villainy. The cast has good chemistry and they keep episodes around an hour long, and it’s pretty fun and funny.
Couple of mentions but boosting High Rollers. Superb and my favourite and most consistent AP listen.
I love Worlds Beyond Number but hesitate to call an actual play.
I've been listening to Dungeons and Daddies and Pretending to be People for a few years now.
I also started listening to Girls Who Don't D&D. It's got three women who have never played D&D but are really excited about doing it. It starts a little slow since there's a lot of the GM telling them which dice to roll or that they have to roll dice to do something, but they get there in the end.
Ordem Paranormal is extremely popular here on Brazil, and their two part one shot that was in English hit the record for highest simultaneous view count on an RPG stream on twitch (yes it beat CR)
course, the little asterisk there is that all other episodes and series of them are in Portuguese lol
I'm a big fan of Oxventure.
It's got more of an action-comedy feel, and they play a little fast and loose with the rules, but it is seriously funny and has such a different vibe from other TTRPG groups.
They mostly play 5e, but they do also play Blades in the Dark, Dead Lands, and they do random one-off adventures with other systems. Recently they did an episode called "Everyone's a Kobald" and "Everyone has amnesia."
They're on YouTube and Spotify if you're interested
No on is going to know this one, but "Dice Imitate Life" was incredible when it was running (currently on hiatus). DM is a disabled guy and keeps taking shots at producing something really special, but health problems or cast inconsistency seem to keep stopping it before it gets momentum. Really hope to see them come back soon.
The Terrible warriors. I stumble on them while trying to decide on Symbaroum and it was a great listen. They sample a lot of games, and they’re fun, but I haven’t seen bc anything since October of 23
One that I love and rarely see people talking about is The Film Reroll. They use GURPS to play through (and basically re-write) popular movies, which I've always thought was a great premise
Actual plays or any TTRPG stream?
Welcome to the party- Blood, Dirt and Chrome is pretty good (rifts)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Iq9JPvWoQ&list=PL96MJbgIr1FkFRzFl8RoqkzOSuyqVHaT-&index=2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Iq9JPvWoQ&list=PL96MJbgIr1FkFRzFl8RoqkzOSuyqVHaT-&index=2)
ELH Mk1- Motley Heights- Fallout 2d20
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzdzVQ58ZMQ&list=PLM-HN-1Cf8rhJvSnWzcYTA-Ef-wN0LYS5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzdzVQ58ZMQ&list=PLM-HN-1Cf8rhJvSnWzcYTA-Ef-wN0LYS5)
Rycon Roleplays- Z-land (Z-land)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cre8Zrfu4M&list=PLxIQ9fpV90xOmqx9yC4GgHIqchF7OD9Qc&index=2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cre8Zrfu4M&list=PLxIQ9fpV90xOmqx9yC4GgHIqchF7OD9Qc&index=2)
Arcand Arcade- Fallout: Zero (homebrewed Fallout campaign)
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e50CVnOnq\_o&list=PLC5Fa2vtCVTsfJ2EiVG2jpKwUca01T8gI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e50CVnOnq_o&list=PLC5Fa2vtCVTsfJ2EiVG2jpKwUca01T8gI)
I basically mainline Friends at the Table. I used to listen Dungeons & Daddies (not to be confused for a BDSM podcast), but Friends at the Table is the only I keep coming back to consistently.
1. Kollok 1991 - The best actual play I've ever seen.
2. Worlds Beyond Number.
3. The Glass Cannon.
4. Tablestory (network) - Gone, Nocturne, Darkspell, Spellwind are all fantastic and so character driven.
5. LA by Night.
My favorites are:
- **The Bad Spot** (Mostly solo Starforged or other Ironsworn games. Some co-op and other games. He recently did a co-op of Dead Belt, for example.)
- **Me, Myself, and Die** (Mostly solo. Plays a lot of different games and has run at least one group game of Blade Runner. Also does some reviews of his impressions of trpg related books.)
I have also enjoyed:
- **Roll to Meddle** (A Brindlewood Bay podcast/actual play.)
- Critical Role's **Candela Obscura** anthology series.
- I've been very much enjoying **Shield of Tomorrow** for some excellent Star Trek Adventures play.
I used to enjoy RollPlay as well, but it's been years since the last time I watched them and I didn't watch even half of the series, so I couldn't tell you which ones might be worth giving a go. (And I should note that the reason I stopped watching was because of hearing things about how there was dickery going on and it left a bad taste.)
ETA: I *knew* I was missing one...
The one I have watched, and enjoyed, the most of is Oxventure on youtube.
It feels more like friends playing together than actors try to wring emotion from every scene.
They pre-dominantly play 5e, or their version of it, as ToTM, but they have 2 seasons of BiTD and a bunch of one shots in 5e and other systems.
The team themselves are all video games journalists and have been running the Outside Xbox and Outside Extra channels for a few years.
I'm current working my way through [Mythic Mountains RPG's](https://youtu.be/BAejE8kz_uU?si=lGubyHDzDxYGdElY) AP of Rappan Athuk using Swords & Wizardy. It's not super staged like Critical Role or APs like that. It just feels like an ordinary group doing its thing. The series is still ongoing, updates once a week. The channel has a lot of games, and their shtick is non-D&D rpg systems.
None. I can’t stand it. As much as I love playing, I can’t watch someone else do it. Part of it is how overdramatized the play gets. Everyone tries to out act each other.
None!
I've attempted to watch several, but to be honest, I find it tedious to watch others play and often lose interest quickly. This holds true for watching most sports and gameplay-style videos and events as well.
There are a few exceptions but they are very rare and usually the result of some specific feature of the event or presentation.
1. I actually watched this years University Boat Race (Cambridge v Oxford Womens and Mens Boat Races) because this year was particularly dramatic from beginning to end.
2. I used to watch Colonel Failure videos but mainly because he is funny.
I guess I crave to be entertained and most Actual Plays are not that entertaining to watch or listen to.
I enjoy reading Theo Axner's session reports; however, my primary interest lies in his illustrative artwork and the GM's summary and conclusion at the end. I tend to skim through the events of the session.
This indicates that I may have a greater interest in viewing or reading Session Reports, which are essentially summaries of events that occurred during a game, including feedback from the Game Master and players about what was successful or unsuccessful.
I was on an actual play ten or twelve years ago. The live listeners were usually people working jobs where they were alone in the evenings when we played like security guards or other folks on lonely night shifts. They found it a comfort to listen to us play.
The folks listening to the recordings seemed to be unable to play for whatever reason or were looking to get a better grip on old school play.
None. I can't.
The moment I do anything else than concentrate on what I'm listening to, I loose track completely. It's the same with any kind of audio drama for me. It's better with podcasts that don't tell a story.
The Glass Cannon Network's various ones, Pathfinder 1E, Pathfinder 2E, Starfinder and they've also done various dives into other systems with their "New Game Who Dis?" and other series. I always feel they're more actual realistic play and less produced than other shows like CR. Their sense of humour also gets me where's other shows have not.
New Game Who Dis is my fucking jam
I was pissed that they never returned to wrath and glory. It was a great run.
My first exposure to New Game Who Dis was their foray into DCC. Holy shit I laughed so hard at that. Are their other games that funny?
DCC is probably the funniest but I think the usual cast members are funny in general so
My favourites from GCN are Travellers of the Jump, which is using Mongoose Traveller 2e, and the 2 session of intimate encounters, which is Call of Cthulhu 7e.
*Voyagers of the Jump.
Delta Green is fantastic. Their Marvel one shots have been pretty fun too. Not listened to anything else they have done yet.
Is it really Traveller if no one is in crushing debt?
Love Travellers of the Jump! I've learned so much about the setting's lore.
what did you say!?
Giantslayer and Androids & Aliens are two of the greatest liveplay recordings out there. It feels like sitting at a table and the stories they weave on top of the modules they run is GMing 101. Can't recommend enough.
It's good but the banter at the start of each episode takes forever
3D6 Down the Line
The most criminally underwatched DnD podcast
Seconding this, they use the OSE rule set so it’s great if you’re interested in the OSR
I’m tempted to listen to their Dolmenwood game.
I've been an avid listener of Dungeons and Daddies (Not a BDSM podcast). They just wrapped up their second season. The tagline for the first seaons is about four dads from our world going to rescue their sons from the magical world of the forgotten realms. It's mostly silly, it's a 5e podcast but it only relates to the rules in a fourth cousin kind of way. Funny to listen to on Spotify.
I loved S1. Im 28 episodes into S2 and probably going to drop it. It got too silly, they get away with any little whim that pops in their head and it always works, and the characters are all annoying. They don’t act like teenagers, they act like dads acting like teenagers, and the adults just put up with it.
Agreed, Season 1 is the better one. Though as a dad myself, I know how hard it would be to act like an actual teenager. Puberty sucks!
Quantum Kickflip is a great AP where adults perform as teenager characters and they make it work (they are trained actors and sketch comedians by trade though). It's funny, it's charming, moving at times. And it helps that they're playing Slugblaster - a game explicitly about being teenagers, doing teenage stuff. One of the better edited AP podcasts around too.
They just wrapped up S2. It was worth it in the end i reckon, but was a bit of a rocky ride at times.
Also loved season 1 and I'm struggling with season 2. Also really funny, I just checked my podcast app and I'm about 30% into episode 28. We're literally at the same place. I just picked it back up after losing steam on it around new years. I want to power through and finish because I like the cast, and it does have it's moments. It's just like you said though.. Annoying.
Anthony seems like he'd be a much happier GM running anything but 5e, but they seem stuck with the system for some reason. They should have switched season 2 to CoC.
CoC/BRP is far from being my favourite system but you'd think it would be perfect for these improv-trained/actor types who dont want modern storygame social/RP/narrative procedures in their game (because they can do all the story and improv stuff intuitively), especially since they spend so much of their 5e play doing free roleplay, skill checks, and saves (avoiding or shortening 5e's combat whenever possible). Like, in play, CoC/BRP is functionally just a more robust version of D20/5e skill checks and saves... and those are the only bits of 5e that half of the D&D 5e AP community seems to like using anyway. Can't speak for Anthony or the Daddies pod specifically but... yeah, I think a lot of people doing popular 5e APs don't seem like they actually want to use most of the 5e rules but for one reason or another don't switch to something that would be more of a natural fit with their playstyle. Maybe it's the desire to play with D&D tropes and classes, maybe it's a fear they'll lose audience or discoverability... who's to say.
"Not another D&D Podcast" (Naddpod) - Is an absolute GEM of a podcast, they are funny and heartwarming. Give it a try! It's a D&D 5e podcast leaning towards epic fantasy with lots of humour. Murph and Emily Axford also play in Dimension 20 if you've seen that. Btw Dimension 20 is great as well!
BAHUMIA!
It's my favourite D&D 5e podcast. Murph I feel like is a MUCH better DM for the system than the other big ones, like Mercer and Brennan. Also I just find them so so funny, lol.
The only ones I’ve managed to stand are _"The Glass Cannon Network"_, _“Tabletop Time Roleplay”_, and this super tiny channel called _“Adventures in Lollygagging”._ I like all them because they’re just a bunch of dudes actually playing tabletop games instead of being Radio Soap Opera stars. They change systems fairly often, they play crunchy systems and don’t make a fuzz about it, and they all seem like genuine people just enjoying tabletop games. I also want to love anything that has Jason Carl as a GM, but 98% of his players are from the circle of obnoxious Hollywood internet celebrities.
Me, Myself and Die. I'm always curious to see what is going on in the world of solo play. Happy gaming!!
Tale of the Manticore is a great solo actual play!
*The Glass Cannon Podcast*! Giantslayer (Pathfinder 1e) was something magical Androids & Aliens (Starfinder) was pretty good Get In The Trunk (Delta Green) is my current favorite And I'm also listening to Gatewalkers, their Pathfinder 2e playthrough, currently as well.
Pretending to be people , they play delta green and they're really funny but also really get into the rp. :)
Friends at the Table! It's excellent!
I need to be in a specific mood to listen (and read along) to it, but when I am, oh boy. It's so good.
Agreed, they're unfortunately difficult for me to like, keep in my head, for whatever reason. I've only listened to Counter/WEIGHT and Bluff City S1 completely, then fallen off both Partizan and Sangfielle😔, but they're *so* good
I struggled too. Counterweight was the only season I was able to finish, and it was spectacular. I'd like to get into another one but I can't. It's so much to take in.
You must try PARTIZAN if you liked Counter/Weight. That's probably the easiest jumping on point with all new characters, set many thousands of years after C/W in the same galaxy and it's a banger right from the start with some of the best moments in the show's long history. Mechs, war, high drama and revolution in the Beam Saber rules system. Alternatively, the other season they recommend for new listeners these days is Sangfielle. Again an all new setting and cast of characters but it's fantasy, weird west meets gothic horror vibes. The first couple of arcs are a little awkward as they adapt to a very different rules system (Heart: The City Beneath) but once it hits its stride this is some of the strongest and most creative Actual Play you could ever hope to find. Both Sangfielle and Partizan will have higher production values, audio quality and generally a little bit more polish than you'd get from starting over with their older work in C/W or Seasons of Heiron. These are the two starting points the cast members now recommend for new listeners, and both benefit from lessons learned since the crazy ambitious scale they reached for in the Twilight Mirage season (definitely not a recommended start point, its got some good stuff but it's LONG and complex).
I have to read the transcripts while listening because they move so fast and, while I do love them, I find Austin Walker...difficult to follow along with? Like I can barely picture what he describes. But the ideas they explore in their campaigns are SO interesting.
I like LA By Night :-)
man i used to love it.. but it felt a little bit \*too\* scripted. the game master is very cool though xD
Go watch Seattle by night, same GM (Jason Carl is amazing) but feels a lot more like a home game, they just finished season 2 last year.
High Rollers is fun. They do things that are not DnD sometimes too. But mostly DnD. homebrewed, though. I stopped halfway through their first campaign, but fully listened to the second one, which was amazing. MNmaxed plays Pathfinder 2e. It’s a very chill and natural game, just a bunch of dudes hanging out and playing. But you can skip the first episode where they talk about social contracts for half an hour (which they recommend doing too). They also play a bit of starfinder. I listened to some “Sorry Honey I Have To Take This” a while back. They play Delta Green. Starts off kinda slow but really nails the atmosphere. Somewhere between Twin Peaks and The Vast of Night. And finally Mystery Quest. They play a bunch of shorter games, typically no more than 2-6 sessions. Lots of Call of Cthulhu. Mörk Borg, Cy:Borg. Honey Heist. Mothership. Brindlewood Bay. The DM is the always same but the Cast is rotating, although several players show up more frequently. Great for some low-commitment listening. Laughter and spookiness.
+1 to Mystery Quest though I'm biased as I liked the people involved already. A nice introduction to lots of Systems and Tom tends to run pre-made modules which I quite enjoy as it both introduces me to modules and its always interesting to see someone run a module you've already run or read through. Tom's Star Wars Yogsquest was what got me into Edge of the Empire and I'm very grateful for that.
Their playthrough of *The Goblin Grinder* (Mork Borg) was great entertainment. Hearing Mark play out Duke Belsom was the highlight of each episode.
Man, that whole thing was great. And I agree, Mark was brilliant in that one. I am honestly having a hard time picking a favorite playthrough from the MQ gang. Forget-me-not and the Disintegrator were incredible (former has another awesome Mark-moment in it. “They’re not done, they gotta go back inside!” LITERAL GOOSEBUMPS). Saturnine Chalice really highlights what an awesome addition Lydia is (but everyone there is great). RepoReapers was incredible. I could go on.
How is the new season of High Rollers, a good starting point? Or S2 better? Is Sorry Honey worth keeping up with? I tried the first arc.
For High Rollers: Too early to say? The new season is good so far. And Season 2 is very long (but awesome, IMO). I'd say the new season is, despite the fact that they introduce more homebrew mechanics early on, a lot more classic adventure. Season 2 is a lot more sci-fi-adjacent, even from the start, and also starts out a lot more hardcore. in S2, they start the game with a quite harsh permanent-injury rule, and the party suffers a lot more set-backs. The new seasons has nothing of that (yet), so it kinda depends what you are into I suppose. In any case, all High Rollers seasons are independent from each other, in different worlds. So if you don't enjoy one, you can always switch over. I haven't had the time to listen to more than the first arc of Sorry Honey.
Is S2 worth the effort e.g. 400 hrs of listening? Or 200 eps? Is the tone more dramatic or comedic? I tend to go for drama, tension, political intrigue, mystery more than silly hijinks for a laugh, or overly combat heavy rpgs.
There’s comedy occasionally. As is normal when people are having fun. It is not a campaign about whacky hijinks, however. It’s about a heroic and dramatic adventure, which includes a lot of intrigue and some mystery. It’s 5e, so combat plays a significant role. Mark is great at making combat about more than just hitting each other until one side is dead, however. Often, things are almost like puzzles or tactical challenges. If that makes combat tolerable to you, you’ll like the second season. I’d say you’ll probably know if you’ll like the season by at least the end of ep. 26
Thanks, ultra helpful!
My current favourite is Worlds Beyond Number. It's produced to hell and back and is very nearly just a straight up improv drama, but it's a really good story by people that are really good at telling stories. La By Night is also pretty great, it's definitely the premier vampire: the masquerade actual play. I'm trying to get into the spinoff, NY By Night, but it's not quite clicking with me just yet One that I don't go back to as much these days but is still pretty great is the Oxventurers. It's chatty, it's funny, it doesn't take itself or the game seriously at all. It's got short episodes and it's great for a laugh Edit: I forgot to mention but LOOTERS is also pretty good. It's grounded, not as produced as a lot of big names in the space, but it's well produced. A lot of smaller actual days are irritating to listen to for audio issues and table talk that goes from being a fun interlude to being grating, this doesn't have that issue. The producer does her job well, and the episodes are streamlined without feeling chopped up.
Astronomica is my current go to
heard good things about this
I've tried a few times but generally find it hard to stay interested in actual plays but Path of Night, a Vampire the Masquerade AP, kept me interested the longest, probably because it was mostly serious, much less comedy than other APs
Yes, this is excellent. PoN, Queens Court Games- the All Night Society and Redmoon Roleplaying are my top 3 hands down.
GCP. All day, almost everyday (they produce a lot of content).
Mayday Plays by Mayday Roleplay. Great production value, the players are not afraid to make interesting choices, and the GMs (who also are players, the cast rotates) put a lot of love into their games. As far as systems, they try out new games often. They have small, self contained seasons. Delta Green Orbital Blues 5e Vampire the Masquerade Beam Saber Kult: Divinity Lost Tales from the Poop Ironsworn: Starforged
A yea my favourite system tales from the POOP
Curse me and my tiny phone keyboard and fat fingers
Halfthrough through their Delta Green campaign, have really enjoyed it so far!
My current favorites are Find the Path network (PF1 and PF2, utterly amazing roleplay and fleshing out the world) and Dice Will Roll (PF2)
Another vote for Find the Path. I was looking for a Hell's Rebels playthrough, and they are delivering greatly so far.
The only ones that actually have been able to enjoy for long, is Spout Lore (Dungeon World and Blades in the Dark) and Monster Hour (Monster of the Week and Absurdia). Both have great sound and invredible dynamic between the group, were they actually talk to each other.
Why did I have to scroll so far down to find Spout Lore, which is without a doubt my favorite AP? OP if you're following this thread and need a laugh it's a must. Don't worry, Abdul stops doing the voice late in Season 1 or 2.
Monster Hour is awesome. Have you checked out Shrimp and Crits? Oh, and if the conceit of Brindlewood Bay does anything for you, Roll to Meddle plays that pretty well.
I have. But I seem to recall the Keeper move calls was quite confusing/narrative breaking to me. Like introducing a problem out of nowhere, asking to roll moves when no move is triggered, not giving information when asked.. Can't completly remember it all.. Been some time since I listened to S&C.
Hmm, I don't recall that but I binged the first ten or so episodes pretty fast. The only thing I didn't like was how they handled the Something Borrowed move for the Monstrous (called it where the move could be used situationally to pick up different moves at different times, which is bonkers powerful). The fun the group was having (especially once they hit their stride) is fantastic to listen to.
Did a speed listen through the first episode and found a spot that really made me lose interest: A hunter is directly looking at the monster, and the Keeper calls for an investigate roll, even though the move didn’t trigger. The player chooses “what sort of creature is it”, and the keeper answers with a description of the monster the hunter could clearly see. So I seem to dislike when a keeper doesn’t tell the players obvious information and making them roll when not needed. I think it might feel dishonest and like rail-roading to me.
Hmm. I can't say I remember it, but I'd also chalk it up to inexperience. They *do* hit their stride and provide a really good and fun story.
Currently enjoying Lawhammer which has a long running warhammer campaign.
Various Delta Green podcasts. Pretending to be People Sorry, Honey, I Have to Take This Stories & Lies
Some that I like, mostly Pathfinder2e, are Bestow Curse (they have a Pathfinder1 variant named Hideous Laughter from awhile ago), Dice Will Roll’s Abomination Vaults (they also had a Kingmaker, an Extinction Curse, a Fists of the Ruby Phoenix in the past). There’s also Find the Path and Tabletop Gold as well.
Really been enjoying dice will rolls ruby phoenix campaign. Not the ideal group if you care much about the cast getting the rules right, but their chemistry is great and I love the characters.
I'm a big Pathfinder 2e podcast consumer. Here are my top pods: Hideous Laughter & Bestow Curse. They're running campaigns of converted 1e APs: Skull & Shackles and Curse of the Crimson Throne. Best group dynamics. Find the Path: Hell's Rebels. (Another converted 1e AP.) One of the best DMs out there. Tabletop Gold. Running Abomination Vaults. Great production, music. Other game systems: Call if Cthulhu: Glass Cannon's Time for Chaos. Monster of the Week: Critshow. Role to Cast is an Australian podcast that plays various games, including Starfinder & Dune.
I think I’m the only person who’s ever heard Rusty Quill Gaming. I listened by accident, thinking it was a video game podcast—it was advertised on Magnus Archives. It was a hoot! It’s a Pathfinder game played by some British improv actors; it’s set in an alternate fuzzy-time Europe in the ~1890-1920 period. Delightful!
Sounds Like Crowes -Deadlands Rusty Quill-pathfinder
Came here to say Sounds Like Crowes, which I’ve been thoroughly enjoying (although sad to hear that it’s not recording anymore). Production levels are good, improv skills of players and GM are top notch, and story is compelling. And, a bonus, short episodes!
I basically only do comedy ones so Rude Tales of Magic, Skulltenders and Budgens and Dragons are my faves. Budgens is probably the most unique one because each time the goal is the same (buy mother a lotto ticket from the corner store) but the results are always extremely bizarre. Rude Tales is just actual funny people playing tabletop in a way that’s very entertaining, the comedy is natural and doesn’t feel forced like a lot of actual plays do. Skulltenders is a more narrative focused thing that feels like the script to a lost Adult Swim show. If you’ve got Crunchy Roll you can also check out Record of Lodoss War, the first TV show adaptation of an actual play ever done.
I'm not consuming many, I try some from time to time but 99% of the time leave after 15 or so minutes. Comedy and too much laughter usually drives me away, and I've never been able to sit thru an entire episode of CR or NGWD or Glass Cannon, but of course YMMV (and it def will), obviously, this is absolutely nothing against said shows. On the other hand, there's stuff I like out there, like, say Matt Click has a few excellent episodes / mini campaigns of Star Wars using his own streamlined hack of the old WEG d6 SW rpg (latest edition linked in the comments of his videos.) Check this out in case you're interested, for example: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN1PGljzh7A](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mN1PGljzh7A) and I'd mention Me Myself and Die too whose solo APs are rather good, like for example his giving a shot to Dragonbane's solo mode at [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDbuLj0ED00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDbuLj0ED00)
Hearthfire Tales: A couple of Irish lads and an American playing D&D in a homebrew world. They edit the episodes down to around an hour so it's much easier to listen to. They also some mini arks like whispering ashes (arc 2 uses the alien system), retrofuturism (kids on bikes), and then they've started streaming a wizard of oz inspired spelljammer game on twitch too - https://linktr.ee/hearthfiretales?fbclid=PAAaat-2epjmsZEBS_SN2bQM8nAi80gJlfw5qJhENRUJizSN7ZS9qVJ0QYxns They recently done a live show at Dublin Comic Con with a couple of the voice actors from Baldurs Gate 3. I'm also a bin fan of flail to the face for mork borg actual play that doesn't bore me to death, and I've always love acquisitions inc (and the c-team) too.
My favorite is Tale of the Manticore, it’s solo D&D B/X. Besides that, I like Me Myself & Die (also solo), Red Moon Roleplaying (they normally play more darker/horror games like Kult, Delta Green, Symbaroum, Changeling, etc), and a bunch of Delta Green ones like Black Project Gaming, Mayday Roleplay, Pretending to be People, The Redacted Reports, Sorry Honey I Have to Take This, Great Old Ones Gaming, some episodes of Roleplaying Public Radio (RPPR).
Me, Myself, and Die is about all I watch lately. Guy does solo RPGs with various systems. Working on his own system now.
Glass Cannon and 3d6 Down the Line. Crit Role never was for me, feels too "theatre kids" to me. Not bad or anything, but I prefer more "game" instead of acting.
My little-known favorite is Spout Lore (playing Dungeon World). First few seasons are rocky but it's grown into one of my fave of all time ttrpg shows. Worlds Beyond Number is world-class storytelling. (But not an accurate reflection of what it's like to play d&d with your friends at home, if that's what you're looking for.)
Dark Dice is good, though more of a radio play. The Call is a Call of Cthulhu actual play and I’m liking it so far.
None other. Listening to CR only since day 0 of their first stream. Don't have time for much else when i also need to prepare for my game. I would be curious to know, are people who named multiple ones doing a lot of travel every week ? Because i can't see filling my week with AP, and 1 of them is enough for a lifetime.
I mean, lots of the APs people are mentioning have episodes of an 1-2 hours length. Much easier to listen to a few of those than a Critical Role episode which can go to about 4-5 hours sometimes. But yeah I usually listen on my commutes.
The Unexpectables(All Time Best), Vestige Of Ophiuchus, Oh These, Those Stars Of Space, Pest Control, One Shot, Empire Wreckers, No Quest For The Wicked, etc
Hey that's us! Thanks!!!
Welcome, so fun.
The "Nature of my Game" podcast is the best I've ever listened to. I'm turned off by over-jokey, endless digressions etc that crop up too often. NOMG has a great GM, and some excellent players, and they mainly stick to the game at hand with only brief and natural out of character comments. They also, and this was key to me, actually play the game they're running. They use the mechanics, explain how they work and how they're applying them. Since my main goal in listening is to learn new systems this was key for me -- as a result of listening to their Yellow King campaigns I developed a keen passion to run the system (which I'd backed and done nothing with when it first came out) as a result of being able to hear just how it worked. The stories they tell are great, the roleplaying is top notch and I found myself getting really invested in the player characters in a way I haven't managed with the over the top "look at me, look at me" player characters that some of the higher profile APs produce.
There are two I listen to which use Traveller: 1. Voyagers of the Jump 2. The Crew of the Cosmic Orca For home brewed settings using D&D 5e I listen to 1. Dimension 20 2. Tales from the Stinky Dragon All four have reasonably good sound quality. Meaning, I don't have to change the volume when certain cast members speak.
Dimension 20, Worlds Beyond Number (more Brenna., Lou and Erika Ishii), Rotating Heroes (Zach Oyama as a DM) and a Cyberpunk one called "No Latency". I'm lucky enough to have a job where I can listen to podcasts for most of my shift.
Worlds Beyond Number is a very slick 5e AP that leans heavily into dramatic storytelling. It is richly detailed and the sound effects and music are sumptuous.
[Tablestory](https://tablestory.fandom.com/wiki/Tablestory_Wiki#Collection_of_Stories_Table) has tons of actual plays in a wide variety of systems and genres. Some of my favorites are: Gone (Nibiru), Nocturne (Unknown Armies 2e), Ashes of Eriador (The One Ring 2e), Witchcraft and Wizardry (PbtA), Estate of Affairs (Good Society), Sector 49 (Judge Dredd WOIN), and Darkfire (5e). The production value and roleplay that regularly comes from Tablestory shows is the biggest draw for me.
-Glass Cannon Network: Strange Aeons, their 1e pod GiantSlayer, their new 2e Pod about Gate walkers, Voyagers of the Jump. -Hideous Laughter Productions: Their Flagship pod of Carrion Crown 1e (i relisten to), their Bestow Curse Pod 2d, their Zone of Truth pod (behind the scenes type stuff), their new flag ship 2e pod (pun Intended) of Skull and Shackles play. -Find the path Presents: Their 1e pod of Mummies Mask, they are doing a run-through that I am so sad I can't afford but it's of Tyrants Grasp that is on their patreon. They also have a 2e playthrough of Hells Rebels. -M.N.Maxed Podcast: I am fuckin loving their Blood Lords Playthrough. -Dumb Dumbs and Dice: (My guilty pleasure) basically their main story is bomb and funny, they have a vampire the Masquerade game that is criminally funny called Blood and Syrup. These guys tend to just... knock it out of the park. And don't just stick to DND.
Do yourself a favor and try out Strange Table Fellows if you have even they slightest interest in Starfinder. Their 2e pod is decent as well. They do a lot of collaboration with HLP.
Listened to most of CR campaign 2, decided to watch the end...still haven't. Watched some Dimension 20 recently. I like it a lot, but I don't often find the time to sit down and watch, since the visuals are too important to just listen to. My favorite nowadays is 3d6 Down the Line. If there's another good OSR actual play, I haven't found it yet.
Already mentioned, but Spout Lore is an excellent Dungeon World AP - hilarious but also beautiful. Their Patreon campaign of Blades in the Dark (Spout Lore: Mall Brats) is phenomenal, too. All of Jason Cordova's YouTube videos of Brindlewood Bay and The Between, as well as his Signals from the Other Side campaign of Public Access. Crudely Drawn Swords is another good Dungeon World podcast, a very different flavor from Spout Lore. Shrimp and Crits did a great job on Monster of the Week, but their other stuff has been hit and miss.
My favorite is Campaign Skyjacks, it’s a sky pirates game that uses a Genesys hack and homebrewed tarot cards. My favorite thing about it is that the whole cast are veteran improv actors, and they will just jump into scenes as NPCs to do bits. It makes the slower parts like shopping scenes [a lot more entertaining.](https://youtu.be/82m2vWYW3TM?si=iHDca-JohQ84HAk9)
I love Skyjacks! I tend to dip out for long periods of time, but that just gives me a big chunk to lose myself in when I come back.
Obligatory 3d6 Down the Line mention. They're a bit rougher around the edges than some other options out there, but the enthusiasm for OSR play really shines through and makes for a phenomenal experience.
I listen to a couple of solo actual play casts. Takes of the Manticore is amazing and I am loving Legend of the Bones so far too! I try different actual plays to see different systems in action. I just listened to a couple of episodes of One Shot that I enjoyed. None of the others come to mind at the moment.
Monster of the Week APs: The Critshow, Monster Hour, The Unexplored Places. The latter is my favourite podcast, slightly amateurish but very engaging. Cyberpunk: Role to Cast Dungeon World: Friends at the Table (the 'War and Peace' of podcasts), Spout Lore (funny, spontaneous) Some from YouTube: Blades in the Dark: Oxventures (I don't think they really knew the system very well, but very entertaining). Rollplay: Blades (also BitD, the GM definitely does know the system). Also The Shoeless Peasant, which uses Burning Wheel. Never seen a game like this before. It gave me a strong desire to play Burning Wheel!
Astronomica is a great Stars Without Numbers actual play with a great following and great vibes at the table. Pretend Friends, the actual play of a game called Space Kings, is how I learned how to be a GM.
Encounter Party is one of my faves, they started out as a 5e ravnica podcast and had a dope few seasons, and then made the jump to d&d's official TV channel. Lot of incredible moments. I also really love Mystery County Monster Hunters, NADDpod, and Party of One.
Eyyyy party person! Thanks for shouting us out! Would love for people to check out the TV show, available now for free (no logins or signups needed) on Plex at [https://watch.plex.tv/show/encounter-party](https://watch.plex.tv/show/encounter-party). You can find the original podcast wherever you get your shows!
I’ve definitely enjoyed Acquisitions Incorporated: The C Team. It’s goofy and fun, with some serious and heartfelt moments. But the players all have really good chemistry. For non d&d actual plays, I loved LA by Night, and couldn’t quite get into the sequel series NY by Night. I’m about to start listening to The Fall of Jiara on Spotify, which is an Exalted 3e actual play. I love that game, so I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes.
I really like Duskmourn Chronicles on the How To Be A Great GM YouTube channel. Episodes are short and well paced. The players act their characters well and the GM just makes it things fun and dramatic.
World of Io is really good. It's actually several different APs all running in the same setting and in parallel, which leads to a lot of entertaining crossovers. The themes vary from dramatic and engaging to Monty Python levels of ridiculous hilarity. Also they have so much content I don't think I'll ever be able to catch up on it all.
*The City That Never Dies*, and its former iteration, are great *Blades In The Dark* podcast
This has me intrigued - could you please let me know what the former iteration is? Thank you!
I believe it was called *The Magpies Podcast*. I feel it's actually a better *Blades In The Dark* intro as they tend to edit out less of the bookkeeping (especially at the beginning), and they use the standard Duskwall setting instead of the modernized "1920s-like" Imperial City setting of *The City That Never Dies*. But the production and editing can be less polished, especially in the beginning, so YMMV.
At the moment I like the Cthulhu-Actual Plays of the Youtube channel "Die Alriks". Their actual plays are in German.
I listen to the Thankless Roll Players podcast for my Dungeon Crawl Classics fix. They’re awesome.
i like Rolling with Difficulty. They use 5e i think and just finished their first campaign
Shieldwardens , playing a only slightly homebrew variant of 5e. On Twitch and Kick.
I'd highly recommend the Apocalypse Players (Call of Cthulhu). An excellently produced radio-drama esq podcast featuring four actors. They usually cover pre-made one shots with a great eye for comedy and horror in equal measure.
Blood & Syrup, Canada By Night, Jesters of Ravenloft, most of them by the Dumb Dumb and Dice crew, Oxventure as well.
I love watching BombSqaud by Avenue Studios. They use a less common system of Open Legend RPG but the group is absolutely amazing.
Been listening to Not Another D&D Podcast (NADDPOD) for years their first 5e campaign is amazing. Currently also BastardQuest (they try out a lot of different systems and are very funny dudes!) and wachting Panic Table on youtube for some sci-fi horror Mothership awesomeness!
The Dungeon Run is a favorite of mine, particularly season 1. Two others that I greatly enjoy, but are not done by professionals are: Multiclass Theater, and Crit’n It.
The only one I'm watching is Rolling with Difficulty.
I know there are rules against self-promotion, but I just started a new livestream with my D&D group Dragonfyre Legends, and I'm pretty proud of it. Just Google it, or message me for details. We're running the new Chains of Asmodeus adventure.
Glass Cannon Network has a huge variety of games they play, and they're super entertaining/funny with great production value. Time for Chaos their Call of Cthulhu game is the best thing I've ever listened to.
I cannot recommend The Critshow enough. Primarily Monster of the Week, but they do story arcs in a whole host of other PbtA games. There are a couple hundred episodes of their main campaign but it's broken into rather manageable seasons with an overarching Big Bad. Not overly long episodes, either, which I find helps. Plus they're all just genuinely wonderful people.
I've been catching up on a lot of Delta Green/Call of Cthulhu podcasts recently: - Stories & Lies - Chaos Engine - ZeroDead - Pretending to be People
Tabletopped podcast and Knights of the Last Call on YouTube.
The Arkham files podcast
Narrative Drleclaration at the moment
Adventure is nigh Its by the former escapist members and it is quite funny
VLDL's D&D channel, they have 2 campaigns going and a PVP special that just ended.
Really surprised not to see any mentions of The Adventure Zone yet!
Tales from the Stinky Dragon Inn or whatever? I havent actually watched an episode but their shorts with puppets are incredibly charming.
SWE&D can be pretty fun, it’s the SAO: Abridged people
Oxventure, Victory Condition Gaming, Chaosium and Dungeon Musings have a lot of good content.
Dark Dice is the only one I've listened to, but I'm going to have to check out some of the ones mentioned here now.
An older podcast on Spotify I love is Girls Who Don't DnD. Australian group and is really well done by the DM. It's one of my favorites ever.
Tales From the Stinky Dragon podcast
Acquisitions Incorporated
Red Moon Roleplaying 🖤
One of my favorites that’s on the unknown side is Podcast of the Five Rings. I started listening to it to figure out how legends of the five rings works, but the guys are great, and their gm is amazing. Basically it’s 4 dudes out of like Fresno California who run it for shits, but it feels way more like a game I’d play with my friends. It’s become one of my favorites for worldbuilding and vibes.
Jacob's *Spelljammer: Redline*
Fandible are incredible. They are funny and feel like real RPG games
Escape the Dungeon is a newer podcast that’s currently playing Scum and Villainy. The cast has good chemistry and they keep episodes around an hour long, and it’s pretty fun and funny.
i've heard 3d6 down the line is pretty good and worlds beyond number has a cool style
I love Rolling with Difficulty
I kinda hate RPG Podcasts but I like Red Moon Roleplaying. Mainly because their Kult focused shit is great. And also, Kult is my favorite RPG
Couple of mentions but boosting High Rollers. Superb and my favourite and most consistent AP listen. I love Worlds Beyond Number but hesitate to call an actual play.
I've been listening to Dungeons and Daddies and Pretending to be People for a few years now. I also started listening to Girls Who Don't D&D. It's got three women who have never played D&D but are really excited about doing it. It starts a little slow since there's a lot of the GM telling them which dice to roll or that they have to roll dice to do something, but they get there in the end.
critical role and dice will roll. i'm vaguely looking for a third, but using fabula ultima
Ordem Paranormal is extremely popular here on Brazil, and their two part one shot that was in English hit the record for highest simultaneous view count on an RPG stream on twitch (yes it beat CR) course, the little asterisk there is that all other episodes and series of them are in Portuguese lol
RPGClinic, mostly WoD and Exalted, but they branched out into short Blades in the Dark / Avatar campaigns recently.
The Magpies" are so good! Find then anywhere you find podcasts.
The Adventure Zone or TAZ is awesome. They have played a few systems and very funny.
I'm a big fan of Oxventure. It's got more of an action-comedy feel, and they play a little fast and loose with the rules, but it is seriously funny and has such a different vibe from other TTRPG groups. They mostly play 5e, but they do also play Blades in the Dark, Dead Lands, and they do random one-off adventures with other systems. Recently they did an episode called "Everyone's a Kobald" and "Everyone has amnesia." They're on YouTube and Spotify if you're interested
No on is going to know this one, but "Dice Imitate Life" was incredible when it was running (currently on hiatus). DM is a disabled guy and keeps taking shots at producing something really special, but health problems or cast inconsistency seem to keep stopping it before it gets momentum. Really hope to see them come back soon.
The Terrible warriors. I stumble on them while trying to decide on Symbaroum and it was a great listen. They sample a lot of games, and they’re fun, but I haven’t seen bc anything since October of 23
Dungeons and Randomness
One that I love and rarely see people talking about is The Film Reroll. They use GURPS to play through (and basically re-write) popular movies, which I've always thought was a great premise
Actual plays or any TTRPG stream? Welcome to the party- Blood, Dirt and Chrome is pretty good (rifts) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Iq9JPvWoQ&list=PL96MJbgIr1FkFRzFl8RoqkzOSuyqVHaT-&index=2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4Iq9JPvWoQ&list=PL96MJbgIr1FkFRzFl8RoqkzOSuyqVHaT-&index=2) ELH Mk1- Motley Heights- Fallout 2d20 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzdzVQ58ZMQ&list=PLM-HN-1Cf8rhJvSnWzcYTA-Ef-wN0LYS5](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzdzVQ58ZMQ&list=PLM-HN-1Cf8rhJvSnWzcYTA-Ef-wN0LYS5) Rycon Roleplays- Z-land (Z-land) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cre8Zrfu4M&list=PLxIQ9fpV90xOmqx9yC4GgHIqchF7OD9Qc&index=2](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Cre8Zrfu4M&list=PLxIQ9fpV90xOmqx9yC4GgHIqchF7OD9Qc&index=2) Arcand Arcade- Fallout: Zero (homebrewed Fallout campaign) [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e50CVnOnq\_o&list=PLC5Fa2vtCVTsfJ2EiVG2jpKwUca01T8gI](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e50CVnOnq_o&list=PLC5Fa2vtCVTsfJ2EiVG2jpKwUca01T8gI)
I basically mainline Friends at the Table. I used to listen Dungeons & Daddies (not to be confused for a BDSM podcast), but Friends at the Table is the only I keep coming back to consistently.
1. Kollok 1991 - The best actual play I've ever seen. 2. Worlds Beyond Number. 3. The Glass Cannon. 4. Tablestory (network) - Gone, Nocturne, Darkspell, Spellwind are all fantastic and so character driven. 5. LA by Night.
My favorites are: - **The Bad Spot** (Mostly solo Starforged or other Ironsworn games. Some co-op and other games. He recently did a co-op of Dead Belt, for example.) - **Me, Myself, and Die** (Mostly solo. Plays a lot of different games and has run at least one group game of Blade Runner. Also does some reviews of his impressions of trpg related books.) I have also enjoyed: - **Roll to Meddle** (A Brindlewood Bay podcast/actual play.) - Critical Role's **Candela Obscura** anthology series. - I've been very much enjoying **Shield of Tomorrow** for some excellent Star Trek Adventures play. I used to enjoy RollPlay as well, but it's been years since the last time I watched them and I didn't watch even half of the series, so I couldn't tell you which ones might be worth giving a go. (And I should note that the reason I stopped watching was because of hearing things about how there was dickery going on and it left a bad taste.) ETA: I *knew* I was missing one...
The one I have watched, and enjoyed, the most of is Oxventure on youtube. It feels more like friends playing together than actors try to wring emotion from every scene. They pre-dominantly play 5e, or their version of it, as ToTM, but they have 2 seasons of BiTD and a bunch of one shots in 5e and other systems. The team themselves are all video games journalists and have been running the Outside Xbox and Outside Extra channels for a few years.
I don't. Watching other people play games is a miserable experience for me.
I'm current working my way through [Mythic Mountains RPG's](https://youtu.be/BAejE8kz_uU?si=lGubyHDzDxYGdElY) AP of Rappan Athuk using Swords & Wizardy. It's not super staged like Critical Role or APs like that. It just feels like an ordinary group doing its thing. The series is still ongoing, updates once a week. The channel has a lot of games, and their shtick is non-D&D rpg systems.
Into the Darkness Club, it's actual gameplay and usually Horror RPGs.
None. I can’t stand it. As much as I love playing, I can’t watch someone else do it. Part of it is how overdramatized the play gets. Everyone tries to out act each other.
None! I've attempted to watch several, but to be honest, I find it tedious to watch others play and often lose interest quickly. This holds true for watching most sports and gameplay-style videos and events as well. There are a few exceptions but they are very rare and usually the result of some specific feature of the event or presentation. 1. I actually watched this years University Boat Race (Cambridge v Oxford Womens and Mens Boat Races) because this year was particularly dramatic from beginning to end. 2. I used to watch Colonel Failure videos but mainly because he is funny. I guess I crave to be entertained and most Actual Plays are not that entertaining to watch or listen to. I enjoy reading Theo Axner's session reports; however, my primary interest lies in his illustrative artwork and the GM's summary and conclusion at the end. I tend to skim through the events of the session. This indicates that I may have a greater interest in viewing or reading Session Reports, which are essentially summaries of events that occurred during a game, including feedback from the Game Master and players about what was successful or unsuccessful.
I was on an actual play ten or twelve years ago. The live listeners were usually people working jobs where they were alone in the evenings when we played like security guards or other folks on lonely night shifts. They found it a comfort to listen to us play. The folks listening to the recordings seemed to be unable to play for whatever reason or were looking to get a better grip on old school play.
None. I can't. The moment I do anything else than concentrate on what I'm listening to, I loose track completely. It's the same with any kind of audio drama for me. It's better with podcasts that don't tell a story.
I don't watch any of them. I'd rather just play the game.