There’s nothing quite like playing D&D.
The ability to use your imagination to tell a collaborative story with friends, to go on grand adventures, and to act out entirely different personas are what draw so many people to the TTRPG.
….Buuuuut we all know that actually managing to play D&D can be difficult sometimes due to scheduling, the pandemic, or simply a lack of willing participants.
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Well, the next best thing is watching/listening to others play D&D — especially when they’re hilarious and incredibly creative storytellers.
There are a number of actual-play D&D campaigns to be found on the internet that both entertain and inform (especially for would-be players who are just getting into the hobby), and we’ve decided to put together a list of our favorites for you to check out.
So, in no particular order:
Not Another D&D Podcast
Brian Murphy, Emily Axford, Jake Herwitz, and Caldwell Tanner (all of whom you may recognize from their time at College Humor) run the Not Another D&D Podcast. This audio-only, theatre of the mind format is perfect for those who want to experience a hilarious, yet oh-so emotionally touching campaign without having to be anchored to a screen for hours at a time.
NADDPOD is currently on its second main campaign, having wrapped up its Bahumia storyline with 100 episodes.
The Adventure Zone
The campaign of the McElroy family, The Adventure Zone is reaching its seventh consecutive year of shenanigans by brothers Travis, Justin, Griffin, and their dad Clint.
This is another actual-play podcast that will have you laughing throughout.
Critical Role
No list of D&D actual-play shows would be complete without including the goliath that is Critical Role.
With a massive fanbase and over 1000 hours of content, Critical Role’s DM Mat Mercer and his cast of professional voice actors have significantly contributed to D&D’s rising popularity.
Critical Role episodes can be found on YouTube and live shows are streamed on Twitch.
Dimension 20
College Humor alumni are big into D&D these days.
Dimension 20 features a few familiar faces (or I guess, voices?) from NADDPOD, with Brian Murphy and Emily Axford joining their old College Humor crew at a table helmed by Brennan Lee Mulligan.
Dimension 20 features a number of different campaigns, with settings including high school, New York, and a land of candy. You can check out many episodes on YouTube, but if you want to see it all you’ll need to sign up to Dropout.
Dungeons and Daddies
Launched in January 2019, Dungeons and Daddies follows four dads thrown into a fantasy world and left to fend for their suburban selves. With a number of writers and actors at the table, Dungeons and Daddies does not lack for deep storytelling and stunning settings.
The audio-only show can be found in Apple iTunes, Spotify, Acast, and their own website “if you’re some kind of deviant who uses web browsers to listen to podcasts.”
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Did we forget your favorite campaign? Let us know in the comments and we’ll add it to the list!