10 TTRPG Podcasts (that are not Critical Role)

Oh Gods, am I going all Buzzfeed?

I’m not sure myself. But I wanted to share some tabletop roleplaying podcasts I enjoy listening to, and ten makes such a nice round number. And there definitely would be more to list.

Also, you might notice there are 11 on the list. Because of course there are.

I am not really fond of Actual Plays, as I find the process of listening to them somewhat grating. There still are three on there which I find enjoyable enough to share. I also in general don’t like Interview shows, as those often interrupt the comfort of listening to those specific hosts talking it out. Funnily enough guest hosts are fine with me.

Happy Jack’s RPG Podcast

Happy Jack’s is one of those long-runners that had their rise to fame before being overtaken by other, more prominent podcasts. It might be because of the evolution in playstyles it went through. Originally started as a 4th ed. DND podcast (the name chosen because the previous host had a domain with that name around) it evolved into a general interest ttrpg show with attached actual plays and online convention. Some of the best material comes from their convention live shows. By now running as a general advice show for ttrpgs it has scaled down in terms of crass humor in comparison to the early years, and provides thoughtful and interesting discussion.

Monster Man

A show about monsters, where host James Holloway goes through the monsters of old monster manuals, and discusses their origins and uses in game. Very nice, occasionally very enlightening discussions about the variety of dnd monsters.

Vintage RPG Podcast

A podcast not only about DnD, but often focused on it. They two hosts go through an amazing range of interesting books, toys, and ephemera, somehow connected to roleplaying, and often with DnD. And sometimes they find topics I might have never heard about, or never thought about their connection with the hobby at large.

The Shadowrun Origins Podcast

I do generally not like Actual Play podcasts. Most of them are rather grating to me, not unlike watching a football match (either). This is one of the few exceptions. The group plays through adventures from the early times of Shadowrun, and for some reason all the characters just click, and I want to hear more about them. Unfortunately their updates are very sporadic, and I periodically wonder if that show has been abandoned before getting another episode into my inbox.

Fear of a Black Dragon

More in the old school vein: this podcast goes through a lot of interesting modules, looks at how they work, how they play, how they were used in their games, and basically makes a deep dive into the module perfect for a GM who wants to prep that particular scenario. They have more of an OSR bent, but also sometimes go for classic stuff.

Wandering DMs

Dan “Delta”Collins and Paul Siegel talk about Dungeons and Dragons, and the various things found withing, through all editions. Often more from an OSR perspective because that’s what they play. Not every episode is a hit (I dislike interview episodes in most shows), but they can have fascinating discussions about a whole variety of topics.

Fear the Boot

Fear the boot talks about a variety of ttrpg topics across all kinds of topics, now for over 600 episodes already. Their discussions are lighthearted and often fun to listen to.

Tale of the Manticore

Tale of the Manticore could be called an Actual Play, or maybe a dice-powered drama. The host plays all the characters in a mostly osr-style system, and then contextualizes it in the larger narrative. This can be pretty dark though.

Pink Fohawk

Pink Fohawk is another Shadowrun Actual Play, “only for immature audiences.” The play is an often hilarious series of misadventures through the 6th world.

Roleplaying Public Radio

Yet another game advice show, also featuring reviews and discussions about the hobby at large. I enjoy listening to them, although sometimes their topics veer a bit too far into areas that don’t really interest me.

Bonus: Gruftschrecken (German-only)

A bonus because it’s one of the few German-language podcasts I like listening to. I don’t know what it is about listening to podcasts in German, but most of them are grating on me. This one doesn’t though. The hosts discuss old school roleplaying things in German. Not every episode is a hit (I sometimes am completely disinterested in the supplements they describe, while some of the ones they seem to hate actually feel much more useful to me, but I appreciate their opinions).