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Dungeons & Daddies
GenreComedy
adventure
roleplaying
LanguageEnglish
Cast and voices
Hosted byAnthony Burch
Freddie Wong
Matt Arnold
Will Campos
Beth May
Music
Opening theme"Alright"[1] (season 1)
"On My Way"[2] (season 2) by Maxton Waller
"A Hole In The Stars"[3] (season 3) by Maxton Waller
"Conventional Wisdom"[4] (season 4) by Maxton Waller
Production
ProductionFreddie Wong[5]
Publication
Original releaseJanuary 2019 (2019-01)
ProviderAcast[6]
UpdatesFortnightly
Related
Websitedungeonsanddaddies.com

Dungeons & Daddies is an actual play comedy podcast hosted by Matt Arnold, Anthony Burch, Will Campos, Beth May, and Freddie Wong, playing Dungeons & Dragons and Call of Cthulhu. First aired in January 2019, the podcast features four main seasons, as well as some mini campaigns.

Description

[edit]

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.[7] The fourth season uses a science fiction conversion of the 5th edition of D&D called Dark Matter.[8] The podcast first aired in January 2019.[9]

Plot

[edit]

During a trip to a soccer tournament, four suburban dads and their sons are teleported into the Forgotten Realms.[10] When their children are kidnapped, the dads begin a quest to rescue them.[11] Season two takes place 25 years later, in a post-apocalyptic version of San Dimas, California.[12] 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. The season uses the Call of Cthulhu system, as opposed to D&D 5th edition used for the other seasons.[13]

Season four of Dungeons and Daddies, subtitled "Grandpas and Galaxies" is self-described as a "...grand space popera..."[14] and follows four grandfathers attempting to rescue their grandchildren who get abducted by aliens during a video game tournament.[15]

Cast

[edit]

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, two and four, 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.[7] 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.[13]

Dungeons & Daddies Player Characters
PlayerSeason 1 characterSeason 2 character Season 3 character Season 4 characterRef
Anthony Burch Gamemaster Gamemaster Francis Farnsworth Gamemaster
Freddie WongGlenn Close – Human Bard (Shifter stats)Taylor Swift – Tiefling Ranger (Tiefling Rogue after se. 2 ep. 44)[16] Tony Collette and Blake Lively Ashley Birch – Human Gadgeteer[17][12][18][15]
Matt ArnoldDarryl Wilson – Human Barbarian (Goliath stats)Lincoln "Link" Li-Wilson – Human Paladin Kelsey Grammar Dale Elliot – Human Monk[17][12][15]
Will CamposHenry Oak – Human Druid (Wood Elf stats)Normal "Norm" Oak – Human Cleric Gamemaster Ralph Estarellas – Human Sorcerer[17][12][15]
Beth MayRon Stampler – Human Rogue (Tiefling stats)Theresa "Scary" Marlowe – Human Warlock Trudy Trout Herb "The Worm" Quigley – Human Barbarian[17][12][15]
Ashly BurchDennis Anderson – Human Rogue- [19]
Jenna StoeberRatticus Finch- [20]
Jimmy WongJodie Foster – Human Paladin Jodie Foster – Demon Oathbreaker Paladin [21][22][23]
Elyse Willems-Erica Drippins [24]

Campaigns

[edit]

Major and minor campaigns are listed below. Includes Patreon-only campaigns as well.

CampaignEpisodesGame systemGame masterRelease dateRef
Season 1: Odyssey68.5 (69)D&D 5th editionAnthony BurchJanuary 22, 2019 – October 19, 2021[17][25]
At The Mountains of Dadness3Call of CthulhuAnthony BurchNovember 1, 2019 – December 3, 2019[26]
Gungans and Daddies:

All That Jizz

 3 Edge of the Empire Anthony Burch March 29, 2021 – June 22, 2021
Fetch Quest3D&D 5th editionWill CamposNovember 16, 2021 – December 13, 2021[27]
Sons and Sonsability 3 Custom-made

(Cross between The Good Society and Marrying Mister Darcy: The Board Game)

 Anthony Burch

Amanda Shuckman[28]

 May 7, 2022 – July 3, 2022
Season 2: Quest53D&D 5th editionAnthony BurchJanuary 25, 2022 – March 26, 2024[12][29]
Season 3: The Peachyville Horror 39 Call of Cthulhu Will Campos May 7, 2024 – Dec 2, 2025 [13]
DADHAMMER 40,000 3 Wrath and Glory Matt Arnold October 22, 2024 – February 7, 2025 [30]
Season 4: Grandpas and Galaxies TBD Dark Matter

(science fiction variant of D&D 5th edition)

 Anthony Burch February 11, 2026 – present [15]

Mini-campaign characters

[edit]

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

[edit]

In 2023, Book Riot rated Dungeons & Daddies as one of the "10 Best D&D Podcasts" alongside Critical Role and Not Another D&D Podcast.[31]

In 2025, ComicBook.com ranked Dungeons & Daddies among the "Top 10 Best D&D Actual Play Podcasts", comparing it favorably to Dimension 20 and The Adventure Zone as a comedic alternative to Critical Role.[32] Later that year, Inverse made a similar comparison.[33]

The website Collider wrote, "Dungeons and Daddies is an often hilarious, often heartfelt, and always entertaining podcast that manages to both be an insightful look at life and parenting, while also being silly, with characters who are both playing into the dad stereotypes and have an impressive depth. If you're looking for a well-written, funny, and almost addicting campaign to listen to as you go through your daily tasks, this is the one."[34]

Molly Olmstead of Slate hailed the series as her current obsession. "Maybe it's that Dungeons & Daddies essentially ignores real complex gameplay in favor of creating chaos; maybe it's that I had room for only one D&D podcast in my life. Whatever it was, it worked." Later, she admitted she kept her sanity in a tumultuous election year by binging "68 hour-plus episodes of five nerds playing a board game."[35]

The website MovieWeb praised the series for its anarchical humor and depictions of healthy masculinity, as the dads embark on a quest "to break cycles generational trauma and give their sons more love and protection than their fathers ever gave them... alongside the jokes, the tears, and the epic combat, Dungeons & Daddies: Odyssey is a story about family."[36]

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."[9]

The website Lifehacker gave Dungeons & Daddies a very positive recommendation, positioning the series as a less intimidating version of Critical Role. "You’ll be laughing hard enough to chisel your dad bod gut into a six pack, but the storytelling is also deceptively clever."[37]

Durant Welsh of Grimdark Magazine gave Dungeons & Daddies a highly positive review. "The production is so slick and choreographed that one suspects it is scripted to a degree, with some room for improv, but that doesn't at all detract from the enjoyment... And it is hilarious. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it is the one of the funniest podcasts I've ever listened to." Durant concluded, "The chaotic humor of the series lends the show a realism that really makes you feel like you're sitting around the table with a bunch of old mates. It's just damn good fun, plain and simple. Thoroughly recommended, and not just for D&D buffs."[38]

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 regained subscribers and the audience grew beyond its initial numbers.[39]

As of April 2026, the podcast had over 36,000 paid subscribers on Patreon and Discord, millions of monthly downloads, and was in the Top 100 Podcasts by listeners on Spotify.[40][41][42]

Music and merchandise

[edit]

Dungeons & Daddies has produced two music albums based on songs and comedy from the show. Released in 2020, Rocks Rock! purports to be a geology-themed educational rap-rock album written by the Season One character Henry Oak.[43] Released in 2023, Sophomore Slump is an angsty high school garage rock-inspired album from the perspective of the goth teen Scary Marlowe, a character from Season Two.[44] Both albums were released on vinyl and digital formats.

Since 2023, the Dungeons & Daddies podcast has sold out multiple national and international live theatre tours featuring actual play RPG comedy performances and music from the podcast.[45][46]

In May 2026, a Dungeons & Daddies tabletop RPG sourcebook was announced.[47] On July 21st, the book was launched as a crowdfund on BackerKit, reaching $1.1 million dollars in less than 24 hours.[48][49] It is still rising and due to close on August 14th.[50]

Awards

[edit]

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".[51]

References

[edit]
  1. ↑ "'Alright' by Maxton Waller". Bandcamp. April 10, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  2. ↑ "'On My Way' by Maxton Waller". Bandcamp. January 25, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  3. ↑ "'A Hole in the Stars' by Maxton Waller". Bandcamp. May 7, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  4. ↑ "'Conventional Wisdom' by Maxton Waller". Bandcamp. February 11, 2026. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
  5. ↑ Nakiesha Koss (June 1, 2020). "Stepping into the Adventurous World of Podcasting with "Dungeons & Daddies"". Adobe Blog. Retrieved December 12, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  6. ↑ "Dungeons & Daddies". Acast. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  7. 1 2 "Podcast/Dungeons & Daddies". TV Tropes. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  8. ↑ "Dark Matter - Sci-Fi 5E by Mage Hand Press". Mage Hand Press. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
  9. 1 2 Rowntree, Em (2020-09-30). "Dungeons and Daddies: 8 Reasons You Should Be Listening (And One Reason You Shouldn't)". Geekiary. Archived from the original on 2020-10-21. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  10. ↑ "Interview with D&D Podcast "Dungeons & Daddies"". Cosplay Realm Magazine. 2020-04-08. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  11. ↑ "Dungeons & Daddies". Dungeons & Daddies. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "S2 Ep. 1 - Dungeon and D.A.D.D.I.E.S." Dungeons & Daddies. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  13. 1 2 3 "S3 Ep. 1 - Strangers on a Lane". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  14. ↑ "Season 4 Trailer". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "S4 Ep. 1 - Grandfather Paradox". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
  16. ↑ "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ep. 1 - A Man and His Handshake". Dungeons & Daddies. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  18. ↑ "S3 Ep. 13 - The Door Into Plumber". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  19. ↑ "Ep. 34 - Dedicated Involved Loving Fathers (ft. Ashly Burch)". Acast. May 26, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  20. ↑ @thejenna (10 November 2020). "I guest as Ratticus Finch, prosecutor and single parent to 40 beautiful mouse children, on this week's episode of @dungeonsanddads!" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  21. ↑ "Ep. 48 - Carry On My Wayward Son". Acast. December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  22. ↑ "S2 Ep. 28 - King of the Hell". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  23. ↑ "S2 Ep. 29 - S.O.C.C.E.R.: Shadow Of Scorenogoal". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  24. ↑ "S2 Ep. 4 - Barf Bum Movie Men". dungeonsanddaddies. March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  25. ↑ "Ep. 68, Pt. 2 - Hi "Going Home," I'm Dad!". Dungeons & Daddies. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  26. ↑ "At the Mountains of Dadness". Dungeons & Daddies. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  27. ↑ "Episodes - Dungeons & Daddies". Dungeons & Daddies. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  28. ↑ "Sons and Sonsability - Ep. 3 - The Time Traveler's Wife".
  29. ↑ "S2 Ep. 53 - Urination (Friends Forever)". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  30. ↑ "BONUS: DADHAMMER 40,000". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  31. ↑ Martin, Emily (2023-02-20). "The 10 Best D&D Podcasts for Everyone from DMs to Newbies". BOOK RIOT. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  32. ↑ Oaks, Amanda Kay (2025-03-13). "10 Best D&D Actual Play Podcasts (Besides Critical Role)". ComicBook.com. Retrieved 2026-04-17.
  33. ↑ "The World's Biggest D&D Campaign Is Changing Forever". Inverse. 2025-08-05. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  34. ↑ Stoddard, Sebastian (2022-02-26). "7 Dungeons and Dragons Podcasts to Listen to After 'The Legend of Vox Machina'". Collider. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
  35. ↑ Staff, Slate (2024-12-28). "The Embarrassing Trash That Got Us Through the Election". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  36. ↑ Clough, Ray (2023-04-24). "Why Dungeons & Daddies: Odyssey Should Have an Animated Adaptation". MovieWeb. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  37. ↑ Passell, Lauren (2022-11-04). "11 Dungeons & Dragons Podcasts That Roll a Natural 20". Lifehacker. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  38. ↑ Welsh, Durand (2023-09-26). "REVIEW: Dungeons and Daddies Podcast". Grimdark Magazine. Retrieved 2026-04-17.
  39. ↑ "Content creators look for more fan support as brands pull back ad spending". marketplace.org. 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  40. ↑ "Spotify: United States of America: Top Podcasts". Chartable. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  41. ↑ "Dungeons & Daddies on Patreon". Patreon. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  42. ↑ "Muck Rack | For journalists and public relations". muckrack.com. Retrieved 2026-04-04.
  43. ↑ "Dungeons & Daddies | Rocks Rock! EP (Digital Download)". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  44. ↑ "Dungeons & Daddies | Sophomore Slump & Rocks Rock Official Vinyl". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  45. ↑ "Live". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  46. ↑ "Dungeons & Daddies: The Areas Tour". Apple Podcasts (in German). Retrieved 2026-04-18.
  47. ↑ "Dungeons and Daddies: Not a BDSM Sourcebook". Dungeons & Daddies. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
  48. ↑ "Dungeons and Daddies: Not a BDSM Sourcebook". BackerKit. 2026-08-14. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  49. ↑ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  50. ↑ "Dad-core meets DnD 5e in this sourcebook of fatherly fantasy". Wargamer. 2026-05-30. Retrieved 2026-07-22.
  51. ↑ "2019 Audio Verse Award Winners". Audio Verse Awards. 2020. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
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