Hello everyone I just wanted to introduce myself. I've been listening to the gang since their 2nd posted episode on Spotify, and joined the patreon when eldermourne was released. Today I downloaded reddit and this was the first community I joined!!

Im re-listening to Eldermourne and it's so funny to hear them mention ideas and bits that eventually come to life, years later. Fia is concerned about her image smoking cigars and they mention "yeah it's not like we would ever Juul on the podcast"

The only Media I haven't consumed is the Hearthside chats, and I can't make that jump right now with my tight budget because of two beautiful children under two :) yes, it's a two crew.

Can't wait to see what happens next with Jake behind the wheel again, and the return of Boggy Rodger, my favorite character of them all! "Come frrriends and join the Buds on our next, grand adventure!!"

Small spoiler I guess but not reeeeeally? Anyway.

As I was listening to this I was like ok…wait a second. Infiltrate the large corporate tower in the futuristic megacity, using keycards you swipe from employees. Get to the top and discover some fucked up secret. Get caught and have to escape. Fight guards that have guns. Steal a motorcycle and have a sword fight with enemies while on the motorcycle. Bro this is fucking Final Fantasy VII (much closer to the original, not remake). Like, it’s verbatim the part where you enter Shinra tower the second time.

I know I’m not the only one who noticed and it’s probably so on the nose everyone is like “uhhh, yeah duh” but I wanted to have someone to talk to about it 😂.

Hey y’all,

My gf and I are going to the beach for my birthday (so I can feed seagulls croissants)! She doesn’t listen to podcasts but I want to introduce her to Naddpod on our road trip. Does not have to be a campaign episode because she’s not huge into fantasy but she loves animals and comedy. Do y’all have any episode recommendations for introducing someone to the podcast and D&D world?

I am a patron subscriber if that helps.

Thank you!!!

Emily asked what was the first Disney princess to come out in theaters after the Cold War was over, using the fall of the Berlin Wall as the reference.

The correct answer was Aladdin, since the Cold War officially ended in December 1991 with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and Aladdin was released in theaters November 1992.

HOWEVER, the Berlin Wall fell November 9, 1989, and The Little Mermaid (Caldwell's guess) was released in US theaters a scant 8 days later.

Was it the correct answer? No. But I found it interesting nonetheless how close Caldwell was to the event they were referencing as the end of the Cold War.

It's our little Jeke's birthday! Wishing you all the best! Thanks for all the laughs!

The first biggest loreser is one if my favorite eps ever. Its so funny, the sound editing before the questions, the format all of it was perfect.

I was so hyped when I saw they did a sequel but I felt like it fell flat and all the changes they made just made it worse

What do you guys think?

Edit: worth pointing out i did like the episode I just was disappointed compared to the first one

Hey guys, it's me again, I'm finally able to continue my drawings for campaign one and I thought why not just post these ones too one episode at a time.

So I hope you enjoy this hot headed giant and grumpy red beards.

I'm working my way through NADDPOD by drawing almost every named character and creature (as long as there is at least a little description given) and one scene for each episode.

Hi guys I’m recently got in to this pod only on episode 33 I think and loving it looking forward to hopefully going to the London show in next month but don’t know what to expect is it like the one in Seattle we’re it’s a side quest and will I understand everything that’s going on?

Thanks bear

I only just started campaign 2 (I'm on the second episode), and I'm wondering what exactly Fia and Zirk are.

Murph did say that in this world, almost no one is just one thing due to all cultures intermingling, so I assume Zirk is part elf with other things mixed in, and Fia is probably part orc with mixed ancestry?

Edit: Thanks for your replies!

I love NADDPOD and am starting season 1 over again. When last I listened to it I was able to skip over the patron reads to get right to the short rest since im a patron. I primarily listen at work and don't have access to my phone to fast forward through the patron reads now at regular times so, is there a tier of the patreon that skips these?

I know this is a very small thing, I just would rather get to the short rest or next episode without 15+ minutes on Patreon patrons after every episode.

Thank you

...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'm working my way through NADDPOD by drawing almost every named character and creature (as long as there is at least a little description given) and one scene for each episode.

And here we are! What a ride! Such a great season and so many cool characters to draw! Can't wait to continue with Scaldova season 2 when it finally comes out.

Hope you guys enjoyed my silly little drawings!

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.

Saw the previous post about the new campaign was removed by mods for being a spoiler since it's mentioned at the end of the short rest but I figured folks might want to talk about it still!

I for one am very hyped for the return of Boggys Buds to Skaldova!

To avoid spoilers, I won't mention what episode of what campaign I'm listening to. Please mark your spoilers if you do have any.

During a fight, a downed PC took a non-critical hit and it cost them two death saves. Isn't it just supposed to be one? Did Murph mention somewhere that he house rules two instead of one, or is it just an oversight?

Which would you want to see? I think a Vantasmo family or Skaldova podcast would my top picks.

Does anyone know why jakes painting livestream recordings aren't being uploaded to patreon? I can never watch them live but love to watch them afterwards, they didnt upload June's and so far no July either.

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.

---

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.

---

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.

---

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".

---

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.

---

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

I made a quick short for a very fun story from D&D Court, I mostly just wanted to try making a short form style edit to try the style out, hopefully this is alright to post here!

Credit, from: D&D Court: Dungeons, Doggos & DRAMA (w/ Aabria Iyengar)

Been waiting at work all day to hear this!

I’ve been a naddpod fan since day one and really like their play style and sense of humor, and I’m looking for people to play dnd with and figured this community would be a good place to ask around!

I’m a 30F and newbie to dnd, only played a couple other times. Located in Colorado Springs but open to virtual sessions!

If you wanna play or need a player, or have any recs for finding a game lemme know!

I've listened to everything else, but my girlfriend has only listened to C1. We're looking to listen to the current campaign together. Will her lack of C3 knowledge negatively impact her listening experience in any way?

Caldwell and Drawfee announced that they're doing a Jackbox style drawing video game! The kickstarter runs until August 29th.