Much as we’d like to, we’ve yet to find a way to play DnD 24 hours a day – sometimes we have to cook, or ride the bus, or other such nonsense. Fortunately, that’s where DnD podcasts comes in: actual play adventures, DM tips, and creator interviews all scratch that DnD itch when it’s just not possible to roll the dice.
Wargamer has oodles of DnD content to keep you entertained of course, whether that’s DnD news, our excellent guides to DnD classes or DnD races, or our rundowns of the best DnD movies. But for those occasions when you really shouldn’t be looking at a screen, such as when you’re driving a car or operating heavy machinery, you can’t beat a good podcast.
These are our recommendations for the best DnD podcasts to listen to now:
- Critical Role – the ultimate DnD actual play podcast
- Dimension 20 – all hail Brennan Lee Mulligan
- Acquisitions Incorporated – the first DnD actual play podcast
- Join the Party – great for beginners
- Dungeons of Drakkenheim – urban adventures with a big release on DnD Beyond
- Oxventure – charmingly British
- Tales from the Stinky Dragon – as funny as they come
- Girls Who Don’t DnD – who cares about the rules?
- Bardic Mystery Tour – the musical, all bard DnD podcast
- Death, Drag, and Decadence – queer DnD joy
- Three Black Halflings – DM tips and racial diversity
- The Dungeoncast – top DM tips and lore deep dives
- Mastering Dungeons – industry veterans talk shop
- The Lazy RPG Podcast – tips for time-poor dungeon masters
DnD Actual Play podcasts
1. Critical Role
The ultimate DnD actual play podcast
The breakout hit of DnD actual play, Critical Role is so popular its campaign setting has been printed as an official DnD book and its adventures have been adapted into Netflix series The Legend of Vox Machina. If you’re waiting for The Legend of Vox Machina Season 3 release date, there are years of Critical Role podcasts to get back into.
2. Dimension 20
All hail Brennan Lee Mulligan
Dungeon mastered by the inimitable Brennan Lee Mulligan, Dimension 20 has a packed cast of talented voice actors and comedians. It also has some of the most out-there concepts for DnD campaigns you’ve ever seen: A Crown of Candy sees kids board game Candy Land reimagined as a Game of Thrones-style political epic, and there’s loads more.
3. Acquisitions Incorporated
The first DnD actual play podcast
When gaming webcomic Penny Arcade partnered with Wizards of the Coast to promote the launch of Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition, they accidentally invented a whole new genre – the professional DnD actual play podcast. Through highly produced live games at Penny Arcade’s PAX conventions, masterfully DM’d by DnD designer Chris Perkins, Acquisitions Incorporated showed the world what DnD actual play could be like. Find out where it all began!
Check out our three part interview with Penny Arcade’s Jerry Holkins, aka Acquisition Incorporated CEO Omin Drann.
4. Join The Party
Great for beginners
Join the Party is a fantastic DnD podcast to start with if you want to learn how to play DnD. For every session of the adventure, there’s a follow up “afterparty” podcast, breaking down the game and answering questions from listeners. It’s a welcoming actual play podcast for newcomers and long-timers alike.
5. Dungeons of Drakkenheim
Urban adventures with a big release on DnD Beyond
Dungeons of Drakkenheim has a unique urban adventure setting, taking place in a catastrophically ruined city with vibes of Bloodborne and Dark Souls. Drakkenheim is now available as a campaign pack on DnD Beyond – so if you’re planning to DM the adventure for your home group, the podcast is a fantastic way to get master DM tips.
6. Oxventure
Charmingly British
The Oxventure crew approach DnD with great enthusiasm and fantastic characters. Though they’re all talented video presenters who usually make video game content for YouTube, they’re not voice actors, and they play like a group of really enthusiastic friends who are actually playing DnD rather than the cast of a fantasy TV show.
7. Tales from the Stinky Dragon
As funny as they come
Tales from the Stinky Dragon is a long-running actual play series which you may have seen without realising it. Comedy highlights from the series have been re-enacted using puppet actors for videos that pop up all over social media. That’s no bad thing – they’re cute as anything and absurdly funny.
8. Girls Who Don’t DnD
Who cares about rules?
Australian podcast Girls Who Don’t DnD starts with a simple premise: three players who’ve never played DnD before, and a DM who owns the rulebooks but has never read them. Years later, they probably know some of the rules by now, but they’ve never lost the energy that makes them unique.
9. Bardic Mystery Tour
The musical, all bard DnD podcast
Bardic Mystery Tour crams more Bard 5e content into a DnD podcast than you imagined possible. Not only are all the characters Bards, but all the players are real musicians, who write original songs each session to use their Bardic inspiration.
10. Death, Drag, and Decadence
Queer DnD joy
Death, Drag, and Decadence is a short, self-contained lets play series from 2023 with a 100% drag queen cast – and you won’t find a more high-energy group of players anywhere. You can learn more about it in Mollie Russell’s interview with the cast.
DnD Official Podcasts
Wizards of the Coast has made two DnD Official Podcasts. Dungeon Delve ran until 2020, while Dragon Talk is technically ongoing, though the last episode aired in July 2023. With unparalleled access to the people behind your favorite DnD adventures, these are an amazing resource to get in-depth insights into official DnD releases.
DnD lore and DM advice podcasts
11. Three Black Halflings
DM tips and racial diversity
Presented by tabletop actors and journalists, Three Black Halflings focuses on DM advice and diversity, interviewing an incredible range of creators and talking all things DnD.
12. The Dungeoncast
Top DM advice and lore deep dives
If you want to know how to DM DnD, or want to get deeper into DnD lore, look no further than The Dungeoncast. This long-running podcast explores DnD from every angle, and it’s sure to inspire you, whichever side of the DM screen you sit on.
13. Mastering Dungeons
Industry veterans talk shop
The hosts of Mastering Dungeons are both game designers, and their wide-ranging podcast covers everything from industry news, to product reviews, to deep dives exploring particular topics.
14. The Lazy RPG podcast
Tips for time-poor dungeon masters
The Lazy RPG podcast is a mixture of news, analysis, and advice, with the main focus on quick to use tips to help dungeon masters run games no matter how little time they have to prep.
If that’s somehow not enough RPG goodness for you, check our out guide to the best tabletop RPGs other than DnD.
Source: Wargamer
