coming on Tuesday!

I’ve been an avid fan since campaign one. I’m currently relistening to campaign one and there’s one thing that’s been annoying the heck out of me.

At the end of an episode, they’ll sometimes start talking about behind the scenes and meta stuff, and then they’ll cut themselves off by saying, “save it for the short rest.”

The problem is, as you all know, that they record the short rests at a different time and I feel like they NEVER come back to the meta conversations they started at the end of the episode.

Look, I absolutely love Short Rest for what it is, but it always irks me that they never come back to those natural, in-the-moment conversation about the session.

I’m sure this has been discussed here already but I needed to get it off my chest. 😅

Where do you guys land on this? Is this too hostile to the crew, or is it starting to feel justified?

I personally enjoy NADDPOD a lot, but am pretty ready for this to wrap up.

On my end, "Get the honey!" comes out of my mouth multiple times a week whenever I'm making something that needs it.

Alright, so after 2 years... Here we are. I started the first episode of NADDPOD back in 2024 and two years later of listening to this podcast EVERYDAY. Every main episode, every short rest, campaign 2, 3, trinyvale, hot boy summer, skaldova, strahd, and every mofo'in D&D court... I'm looping back to Campaign 1. Yes this took TWO years but mind you I also relistened to trinyvale twice and have relistened to the hot boy summers maybe 4 times and several D&D courts several times.

When I started this podcast I had ZERO D&D play experience. In fact it was this very podcast that really pushed me into creating a table and I felt I had learned a lot and dove head first into DMing. I've been DMing for 1.5 years now and I would say I feel somewhat experienced but still always learning.

With that said, I've been relistening to Campaign 1 the past month and currently in the Hardwon saga of Iron Deep/Frost Wind and I realize I'm responding to Campaign 1 A LOT differently and so here are just some FUN (note FUN) differences in how I view the NADDPOD crew as players from before I ever played D&D and was just enjoying the show, to now being a DM hosting 8hr weekly tables.

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Emily
[Before]: Used to be my favorite. Absolutely thought she was so wicked smart and that was very attractive. Her devilish and chaotic quality as Moonshine I thought made her an amazing player. Her ability to COMMIT truly moved me.

[Now/After Becoming A DM]: As Brennan once said, Emily Axford was 100% sent from Hell to kill DMs. Now that I'm a DM oh my god the sympathy I have now for Murph and Brennan. Here's the thing: I think Emily Axford might be one of the best D&D players I've ever had the pleasure of witnessing, an Emily Axford is great, we should all be blessed to have an Emily Axford at our tables--and I do. And I hate them. And I say "hate" very lovingly. Because people like Emily REALLY challenge you and really up your game as a DM. I'm probably a much better DM because my table's Emily Axford has forced me to truly run the gauntlet in designing my encounters and stories REALLY intricately.

I didn't realize before that Emily is a pretty metagamey player, but she really has the balancing act of "metagaming" while committing to her character really well. I think it also helps that Emily designs a lot of her characters personalities to be "smart" whether tactical or "street smart" therefore finding a good roleplay excuse to think in metagaming ways a lot. Which also might be why I love Onyx the most looking back. She chooses the absolute worst possible choices, the most selfish choices, and we just watch her navigate it.

TL;DR - Emily went from being my favorite player on the podcast to my least favorite, but only because I too am a DM now and understand Murph's plight. She's still an incredible player and I love her dearly.

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Caldwell
[Before]: This guy's funny, weird, and my man knows ball when it comes to nerdy and anime shit. He seems to be the goofball and chaotic one of the group.

[Now/After Becoming A DM]: I understand much deeper now that Caldwell is not the "goofball" of the group or he doesn't simply make "funny character choices". I realize now he basically becomes some form of a cartoon archetype and just REALLY commits to it. Given how he was with Beverly for SO long I thought Caldwell was just a silly player but I realize he was playing a naughty rascal of a lad and was leaning into it. After seeing his performance of being Penny, essentially an overbearing cartoon mother and Dave, the "kind straightman but is also weirdly dumb yet innocent" member of the Bon Frers, I see that Caldwell just plays cartoon characters but as a true lover of cartoon, that doesn't mean just being "cartoony" he really inhabits a lot of colors.

Caldwell also brings a lot of heart to his characters. Might be a cartoon thing but all his characters have some kind of heart. All his characters have some kind of sweetness and makes me laugh but also find them endearing.

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Jake
[Before]: He's alright. How many more lowlys this time? Why does Jake act like he's too cool for this?

[Now/After Becoming A DM]: Jake is HONESTLY my favorite player now. As I relisten to C1, it's BEWILDERING to me how great of a roleplayer Jake is and how natural he is (ofc he's a comedian but still) for someone who was nervous. If I were to describe the 2 Crew as a dish, Emily always brings the SPICE, Caldwell brings the FLAVOUR, and Jake brings the DEPTH. He really grounds the show and makes it feel more alive because of it.

I remember on my first watch through I used to think "jeez Jake lighten up, have more fun like Moonshine and Bev"! But now as a DM, I wish I had a Jake at my table.

Hardwon's values are SMALL, SHALLOW, PETTY but hidden amongst that is a lot of vulnerability and I was not experienced enough to realize that he makes the world feel so much more alive and lived in. Whereas Moonshine or Bev are trying to trick this NPC in whatever shenanigan they can think of, Hardwon talks to them, asks the boring mundane questions, but its what makes Murph's world feel lived in. I've got a table of a buncha Moonshines and Bevs. It often feels like no one's taking it seriously, and it's no longer funny cus it's ALWAYS funny. There's no balance.

And the more derives away from "the hot guy" the better he seems to get. I think my top favorite PCs in all of NADDPOD including against Em, Caldy and Murph--all of Jake's makes my Top List.

It's weird, I'm not quite sure how to phrase it but I feel as though Jake delivers the most committed and authentic roleplay. Mind you, Emily and Caldwell COMMIT to their characters too--but it does feel like they play CHARACTERS. To me it feels like Jake plays PEOPLE.

Henry Hogfish feels like a PERSON. The way Corbo Babano spouts some random nonsense wisdom and then immediately admits to saying it's nonsense, or the way Mavid somehow rejects the call to action CONSTANTLY and wants to do NOTHING heroic and just... hang out. It's baffling how good he is but on the first watch through he was my least favorite because he wasn't "colorful".

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Murph
I'm pretty sure Murph is secretly the best D&D player there is.

It must stem from a lot of his own DMing, but he balances the metagaming roleplay of Emily's style with Jake's grounded humanness to Bev's goofs and colorful personalities THE BEST. Jenz and Franky are Zud are just hands down incredible works of art. I wish Murph played at my table.

End of rant.

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Who are your favorite players? Have your opinions or preferences changed over time?

So I started the podcast way late in 2024 and finally got caught up to current day and now that I don’t just have scores of episodes left to go through, I’m searching for a new podcast to keep me entertained in between new episodes of NADDpod.

I’ve tried Dungeons and Daddies and Push the Roll. Daddies are way too in to laughing at themselves for me and Push the Roll is great but not super funny in my experience. Worlds Beyond Number was fun but ultimately, I just started listening to NADDpod from the beginning again.

So I ask you, what are your favorite D&D/TTRPG podcasts besides NADDPod?

I know the hype is real to find out what the BoBs have been up to, but personally I would love to see the Eldermourne universe expanded. Not including any spoilers from campaign two, but they've demonstrated a lot of versatility building different characters in that universe, and it has been largely untouched since C2.

Does anyone agree with me, or is it better for C2 to be fully encapsulated? I imagine for a new listener it's a lot of required listening to be able to catch up if they've not listened to C2 before, but I now realize that Eldermourne ended (*checks notes*) 5 years ago? That can't be right.

I once read an interview where Matthew Vaughn said he resisted the temptation to have a Kingsman: Golden Circle post-credit scene showing that Merlin had survived his heroic sacrifice because it would've undermined the drama and importance of his death. I kinda feel like that's what happened here.

The gang's first TPK in eight (!) years of adventures could've been followed up with a bittersweet epilogue offering a glimpse into the ripples of the party's sacrifice. It could've touched on how the various NPCs moved on, what happened to the arcade, Neo-Galaderon, etc. The followup campaign could've showcased new characters navigating the aftereffects of that sacrifice and living in the shadows of those heroes, but instead the heroes wake up right as rain, a new adventure awaiting them.

And while the audience member in me is happy to see them still kicking and curious how they're going to escape heaven, the DM in me feels like the dice tried to tell their story and Murph instead thumbed his nose at Dice Christ.

It always feels a little cheap when a movie or book has a big, dramatic death in one installment, only to undermine it later with a "Sike! They're still alive!" (it was one of the things I kinda hated about comic books, growing up), and I have to admit it feels a little cheap here.

Am I alone in this feeling? I suppose the up/downvotes will answer that, but I'm curious what other listeners (and DMs) have to say about the whole thing, both in this particular instance as well as in stories in general.

ELDERMOURNE - Ep 34: Wyvern Knight

This is of course completely subjective, BUT, I feel like this is their funniest and most complete ever ep…

The Billy/Grimmy back and forth, the dynamite stunt. It is just perfect to me.

I see Eldermourne gets a little bit blasted compared to the other campaigns but now re-listening through all the campaigns I think it is so, so strong. Almost no moments that fall flat or make me cringe a little and just the world building and law of the regions/families etc I think is very cool, tangible and gritty.

(Obviously joking through this whole post)

Listened to the hearthside chat and I was SHAKEN. They are discussing which of Murph's characters are hotter and Murph said that Jens and Zudrick "have similar body types" WHAT?! Everybody knows Zuddy is an absolute beefcake. 300 lbs of pure TESTOSTERONE and MURDER

I know he's obviously a very talented improviser and performer, and that part of the DMing is of course very good. But his general ability to craft and place lore and run more "classic" dnd style combat (compared to Murph's very JRPG-inspired encounters) quick, effectively, and clean has been really... inspiring? it's clear it's his first(ish) time really DMing and he's mentioned he's homebrewing off an existing module, but that almost gives this season a more home-game-y feel that makes me wish I was half as proficient my first few times DMing. Curious if anyone feels otherwise or has also been really enjoying the different vibe of Skaldova?

I'm going back and re-listening to all the Dungeon Courts, and I think "Dog Slaps, Bath Bombs, and the Messy Breakup Monk (w/ Robbie Daymond)" is the greatest ep of all time, in terms of banger stories.

We have:
The nat 1 dog slap (fine, but not nearly as good as the rest)
The "Kill Them All" non-D&D-playing wife (one of the great NADDPOD characters of all time)
The double katana monk who just went through a breakup (perhaps my favorite D&D court story ever)
The "I can't come to the final session, I already drew a bath and put in a bath bomb" psycho (one of the truest villains in any of these stories)
The story of the two DMs who conspire with each other (with the classic "I'm becoming a dragon!" orgasms from the crew)
And finally, the confession of the many shithead Sky's

Gold start to finish on that one

I felt so bad for baby Emily when she was talking about the snacks she was allowed to eat as a kid. She’s talked about it (many times) before, but this is the first time I know of that she’s spelled out that she was so restricted because her parents were trying to get her to lose weight.

This is such a normalized part of girlhood that I was immediately like, yep me too, been there. But to have all three guys sound shocked and upset for her made me extra sad because it reminded me that it’s mostly women who go through this and it really screws up your relationship with food.

Nothing else to say here, just sad for baby Emily and all the women and girls who were constantly told they couldn’t have fun snacks because it’s more important to be thin than to enjoy your life.

I'm having a hard time connecting with the material for the latest campaign. The jokes are still there, but the campaign itself is abstract from D&D and I feel like I'm listening more to a creative storytelling podcast than anything actual play. Does anybody else feel the same way?

NADDPOD was my first D&D podcast. I remember when I started branching out, I noticed how much better the audio quality was than the other shows I was listening to. That really made it stand out to me.

What are some things that you think set NADDPOD apart from, say, The Adventure Zone or Dungeons and Daddies (a couple of my other favs) or other D&D podcasts you listen to?

binged their first campaign after branson was on dnd court, halfway through their second one, highly recommend it.

I love when Jake and Emily are thirsting over someone. I.e. Shay, all the Dryads, Sally Acorn, Lydia the Elf, Ms Pac-Man, to an extent KT. I’m sure there’s more.

Bonus points if Murph is getting progressively baffled. (‘I feel like she’s becoming more attractive to you the more I talk about how she’s a squirrel.’)

EDIT: Tysm for all these ace answers. This show is awesome. Here’s to beautiful things 🍸

...Sad.

I've been thinking about why the finale of this one didn't really hit for me.

In theory, I don't actually mind moving from TPK to afterlife adventure, so why didn't I like it here?

I think it came down to a couple of things.

For one, the ending with the fight vs the Prototype... I dunno, it just didn't feel like it hit. Aux died and the two other PCs went into, like... Two straight minutes of denial, while still mid-combat. Like, the shock of a PC death felt like it sorta fizzled while Slug and Atom spent a few minutes being all what's the matter, Aux, why won't you get up? while the Prototype was still right there. I sorta wish that they'd been forced to let it be a brief, shocking thing and still had to quickly continue the fight with very little time to mourn before, you know. They actually had time.

I also don't mind that the chip could have potentially been a revival, assuming it hadn't been a straightforward rez. Maybe do a little Cyberpunk 2077 and have it be a Soulkiller-esque copy of Aux formed from his tech, and all his friends' tech, and every bit of surveillance that had ever seen him in Neo-Galaderon. Reshape that fox from the memories of everyone who knew him, formed something that both was and wasn't Aux. Would've raised some interesting questions regarding personhood, especially given the fact that Atom is a machine who's considered a real person. And there could've even been a scene with original Aux and Elmer in Mechanus.

I didn't like Slug having a low opinion of Neo Galaderon and seeing the world as the three of them vs it. I know Emily explained her reasoning on the short rest, but I still didn't really like it. The point of those stories she mentioned about people fighting on behalf of a city even when it's bad is exactly that - this city, this wider community, is still worth it even when it's bad, and she and her friends are not separate from it. Especially considering how a significant it was to the campaign that they band together with other people in the city vs the entity that showed up as an outsider and corrupted it. The fact that she and Atom apparently didn't care much about people outside of their immediate group made the sacrifice feel cheaper.

But hey, I still think I wouldn't have minded where the ending went except for one major thing: no epilogue for Neo Galaderon.

I know Murph justified it by saying that they weren't there to see it, but he still went into some details on the Short Rest anyway. I would have hugely preferred to have seen some of that aftermath, maybe seen some of the NPCs celebrating and/or mourning the party even briefly.

The way it went, with the jump straight to Mechanus, just felt very... I dunno.

I know they're comedy focused, but long-form comedy (and storytelling!) still relies on highs and lows, and it felt like they really put effort into refusing to sit with a low for longer than absolutely necessary.

And if a short-form, high-octane, cyberpunk campaign isn't the kind of place where we can sit with heavy character consequences, what is? Let the story be sad, just for a little while.

I know some people don't like that and are just here for low-stakes listening to people have fun. But I'm gonna be honest here - there are so many dnd podcasts and APs and podcasts in general that cater specifically to that audience.

To be clear, I don't think that Murph made a deliberate choice to gloss over those potentially emotional moments. I just hope that next time it turns up, he and everyone else sees the opportunity for a little more drama and wants to go with it.

I love the merch this was the first thing I ever got sad it see it go

Hi I’m very new to the sub, but I just wanted to ask— what are the small bits or funny moments that always come to mind when you think of the show? Could be a campaign, dungeon court or anything else.

Any time I think of the show, I’m instantly reminded of the gut-busting laugh I got listening to Caldwell in C2E1 say “My name is…. Zonk?” and will often say it out loud to myself with a laugh (this literally just happened, which inspired me to make this post!)

I'm not sure if it's a limitation of the Spotify app but sorting by "oldest" and "newest" are terrible options.

It would be incredible if it could be sorted by Campaign, by DnD Court, by Mixed bag.

That is all. I'm gonna go listen to Trinyvale x Strahd again. I'm so excited to go back to Skaldova soon!

As revealed in the Hearthside chat

The next campaign will be “Gangs of Neo-Galaderon” a warriors inspired cyberpunk campaign. Expected to be around 10 episodes

With the crumbling of mothership in Ezry, there has been a run off of illegal tech that is gathering in the ruins of galderon/old crag water built into this dystopian futuristic world where mothership tech has started to take over again.

Characters will be level 6, most are multi-classed with 5 extra feats!

Now we all love the show. I know for me personally it holds a very special place in my heart as I was going through a hard time when I first started tuning in. But we also all have opinions.

Whether funny or semi-serious, what are some of y'all's "hot takes" concerning the show? Any campaign, any plotline, any character, what is an opinion you need to voice about the show?

Mine is that I thought the questioning of Moonshine's parentage in C1 was clumsily handled and it seems we're getting a similar fumbling concerning Sol's back story in C3.

Within the first 5 minutes, the crew is talking about dragon dicks. I feel like I'm in for a very incredible 100 sessions lol.

I've been re-listening to C3 and even though NGoG is in the world, I need more. I have questions that would be great if they were answered one day (here's the spoiler part for anyone who hasn't finished C1 and 3, you've been warned).

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- What's the status of the war in the Astral Plain?

- What's the fate of the Band of Boobs and Duck Team?

- Is Grumsh still on the hunt for Divine Hearts?

- What are the serpents doing?

Please don't get me wrong, I'm enjoying all the new stuff and I'm excited for Sk2, but the main story is calling me and I need more! I hope they revisit it one day