Dungeons & Daddies

Last updated

Dungeons & Daddies
Logo of Dungeons and Daddies podcast.png
Presentation
Hosted by Anthony Burch
Freddie Wong
Matt Arnold
Will Campos
Beth May
Genre Comedy
adventure
roleplaying
LanguageEnglish
UpdatesFortnightly
Production
ProductionFreddie Wong [1]
Opening theme"Alright" [2] (season 1)
"On My Way" [3] (season 2) by Maxton Waller
"A Hole In The Stars" [4] (season 3) by Maxton Waller
Publication
Original releaseJanuary 2019 (2019-01)
Provider Acast [5]
Related
Website dungeonsanddaddies.com

Dungeons & Daddies is an actual play comedy podcast. 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.

Contents

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. The season uses the Call of Cthulhu system, as opposed to D&D 5th edition used for the other seasons. [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]

Dungeons & Daddies Player Characters
PlayerSeason 1 characterSeason 2 characterSeason 3 characterRef
Anthony Burch GamemasterGamemasterFrancis Farnsworth
Freddie Wong Glenn Close – Human Bard (Shifter stats)Taylor Swift – Human Ranger (Human Rogue after se. 2 ep. 44) [12] Tony Collette and Blake Lively [13] [10] [14]
Matt ArnoldDarryl Wilson – Human Barbarian (Goliath stats)Lincoln "Link" Li-Wilson – Human PaladinKelsey Grammar [13] [10]
Will CamposHenry Oak – Human Druid (Wood Elf stats)Normal "Norm" Oak – Human ClericGamemaster [13] [10]
Beth May Ron Stampler – Human Rogue (Tiefling stats)Theresa "Scary" Marlowe – Human WarlockTrudy Trout [13] [10]
Ashly Burch Dennis Anderson – Human Rogue- [15]
Jenna StoeberRatticus Finch- [16]
Jimmy Wong Jodie Foster – Human PaladinJodie Foster – Demon Oathbreaker Paladin [17] [18] [19]
Elyse Willems -Erica Drippins [20]

Campaigns

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 [13] [21]
At The Mountains of Dadness3 Call of Cthulhu Anthony BurchNovember 1, 2019 – December 3, 2019 [22]
Gungans and Daddies:

All That Jizz

3 Edge of the Empire Anthony BurchMarch 29, 2021 – June 22, 2021
Fetch Quest3D&D 5th editionWill CamposNovember 16, 2021 – December 13, 2021 [23]
Sons and Sonsability3Custom-made

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

Anthony Burch

Amanda Shuckman [24]

May 7, 2022 – July 3, 2022
Season 2: Quest53D&D 5th editionAnthony BurchJanuary 25, 2022 – March 26, 2024 [10] [25]
Season 3: The Peachyville HorrorTBDCall of CthulhuWill CamposMay 7, 2024 – present [11]
DADHAMMER 40,0003Wrath and GloryMatt ArnoldOctober 22, 2024 – February 7, 2025 [26]

Mini-campaign characters

Major and minor characters from the self-contained mini-campaigns.

CampaignPlayerCharacter
At The Mountains of

Dadness

Freddie WongMeryl Streep

- Actor

Matt ArnoldRobert Wilson

- Line producer

Will CamposHildy Russet

- Makeup girl / Journalist

Beth MayStuart "Stud" Stampler

- Carpenter

Gungans and Daddies:

All That Jizz

Freddie WongBeef Himbo

- Droid / Manager

Matt ArnoldYap Yappa Yowza

- Yuzzum / Bass player

Will CamposOlp Mondez

- Human / Kloohorn player

Beth MayGurdy Vanda

- Pa'Lowick / Singer

Fetch QuestFreddie WongMochi

- Cat

Matt ArnoldDonut

- Truck stop dog

Anthony BurchBeignet

- Influencer dog

Beth MayCookie

- Spy dog

Sons and SonsabilityFreddie WongFanny Mothman

- Piano player

Matt ArnoldCynthia Nixon née Mothman

- Cowboy

Will CamposEunice Mothman

- Sickly / Religious

Beth MayElizabeth 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 February 2025, the podcast had over 66,000 supporters on Patreon and has been 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]

References

  1. Nakiesha Koss (June 1, 2020). "Stepping into the Adventurous World of Podcasting with "Dungeons & Daddies"". Adobe Blog. Retrieved December 12, 2020.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. "'Alright' by Maxton Waller". Bandcamp . April 10, 2019. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  3. "'On My Way' by Maxton Waller". Bandcamp . January 25, 2022. Retrieved April 4, 2022.
  4. "'A Hole in the Stars' by Maxton Waller". Bandcamp . May 7, 2024. Retrieved August 5, 2024.
  5. "Dungeons & Daddies". Acast . Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  6. 1 2 "Podcast/Dungeons & Daddies". TV Tropes. Archived from the original on July 14, 2024. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  7. 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.
  8. "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.
  9. "Dungeons & Daddies". Dungeons & Daddies. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "S2 Ep. 1 - Dungeon and D.A.D.D.I.E.S." Dungeons & Daddies. Retrieved April 21, 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 "S3 Ep. 1 - Strangers on a Lane". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2024-05-13.
  12. "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved 2024-02-17.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ep. 1 - A Man and His Handshake". Dungeons & Daddies. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  14. "S3 Ep. 13 - The Door Into Plumber". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  15. "Ep. 34 - Dedicated Involved Loving Fathers (ft. Ashly Burch)". Acast. May 26, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  16. @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.
  17. "Ep. 48 - Carry On My Wayward Son". Acast. December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  18. "S2 Ep. 28 - King of the Hell". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2023-03-02.
  19. "S2 Ep. 29 - S.O.C.C.E.R.: Shadow Of Scorenogoal". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2023-03-14.
  20. "S2 Ep. 4 - Barf Bum Movie Men". dungeonsanddaddies. March 8, 2022. Retrieved March 8, 2022.
  21. "Ep. 68, Pt. 2 - Hi "Going Home," I'm Dad!". Dungeons & Daddies. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  22. "At the Mountains of Dadness". Dungeons & Daddies. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  23. "Episodes - Dungeons & Daddies". Dungeons & Daddies. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  24. "Sons and Sonsability - Ep. 3 - The Time Traveler's Wife".
  25. "S2 Ep. 53 - Urination (Friends Forever)". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2024-04-23.
  26. "BONUS: DADHAMMER 40,000". Dungeons and Daddies. Retrieved 2024-11-24.
  27. "Content creators look for more fan support as brands pull back ad spending". marketplace.org. 2020-07-02. Retrieved 2021-01-10.
  28. "Spotify: United States of America: Top Podcasts". Chartable. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  29. "Dungeons & Daddies on Patreon". Patreon. Retrieved 22 September 2023.
  30. "2019 Audio Verse Award Winners". Audio Verse Awards. 2020. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2020.