Dungeons & Daddies is an actual playcomedypodcast. First aired in January 2019, the podcast has featured three main seasons, as well as some mini campaigns. Primary cast members are Matt Arnold, Anthony Burch, Will Campos, Beth May, and Freddie Wong.
Description
Dungeons & Daddies is an unscripted comedy podcast recorded as an ongoing series of role-playing sessions. The first two seasons were loosely based on the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons; the third season uses the Call of Cthulhu game system.[6] The podcast first aired in January 2019.[7]
Plot
During a trip to a soccer tournament, four suburban dads and their sons are teleported into the Forgotten Realms.[8] When their children are kidnapped, the dads begin a quest to rescue them.[9] Season two takes place 25 years later, in a post-apocalyptic version of San Dimas, California.[10] The teenage grandchildren of season one's characters are tasked with finding their fathers, who have disappeared with little explanation. The early episodes of season two loosely follow a "Monster of the Week" format.
Season three of Dungeons and Daddies is not connected to the characters or events of the first two seasons, and follows four citizens of Peachyville, a fictional 1950s suburban town.[11]
Cast
Being an actual-play podcast, the principal cast features not only players but a gamemaster responsible for game management and the portrayal of most minor characters. This role is taken by Anthony Burch in seasons one and two, and by Will Campos in season three. There are four other principal cast members, who play four dads in season one, and four of those characters' grandchildren in season two.[6] Both seasons one and two have had guest players, though not all guests have had characters with standard player classes. Season three departed from the characters and events of the first season, and uses the Call of Cthulu game system.[11]
Major and minor characters from the self-contained mini-campaigns.
Campaign
Player
Character
At The Mountains of
Dadness
Freddie Wong
Meryl Streep
- Actor
Matt Arnold
Robert Wilson
- Line producer
Will Campos
Hildy Russet
- Makeup girl / Journalist
Beth May
Stuart "Stud" Stampler
- Carpenter
Gungans and Daddies:
All That Jizz
Freddie Wong
Beef Himbo
- Droid / Manager
Matt Arnold
Yap Yappa Yowza
- Yuzzum / Bass player
Will Campos
Olp Mondez
- Human / Kloohorn player
Beth May
Gurdy Vanda
- Pa'Lowick / Singer
Fetch Quest
Freddie Wong
Mochi
- Cat
Matt Arnold
Donut
- Truck stop dog
Anthony Burch
Beignet
- Influencer dog
Beth May
Cookie
- Spy dog
Sons and Sonsability
Freddie Wong
Fanny Mothman
- Piano player
Matt Arnold
Cynthia Nixon née Mothman
- Cowboy
Will Campos
Eunice Mothman
- Sickly / Religious
Beth May
Elizabeth Mothman
- Crazy / Dancer
Reception
On the website Geekiary, Em Rowntree liked the podcast, noting that knowledge of Dungeons & Dragons was not necessary, the content was hilarious, and the technical production values were very high. Rowntree concluded, "Once you've listened to the podcast, you will feel the urge to share your love for it with others. You'll want to spread the word of its hilarity to your nearest and dearest."[7]
Cast member Freddie Wong said that early in the COVID pandemic, the podcast, which earns money via subscription and Patreon donations, lost a significant number of subscribers, many of whom had been laid off. However, by July 2020, the podcast had begun to regain subscribers.[27]
As of September 2023, the podcast had over 40,000 supporters on Patreon and was in the top 100 podcasts by listeners on Spotify.[28][29]
Awards
At the 2019 AudioVerse Awards, Dungeons & Daddies won the award for "New Improvised Production", and Anthony Burch won the award for "Player Direction of a New Production".[30]
