Adventuring Academy

Adventuring Academy

Adventurers, alight! Veteran gamemaster Brennan Lee Mulligan dives deep into role-playing games, with tips for everyone from first-time players to other pros.

Talk

Seasons

Creating Rounded Characters (with Lou Wilson)

1. Creating Rounded Characters (with Lou Wilson)

Air Date: 2018-12-19

Lou Wilson joins Brennan for Fantasy High secrets, first-time DM fails, and tips for scary villains.

Keeping a Game Going (with Amy Vorpahl)

2. Keeping a Game Going (with Amy Vorpahl)

Air Date: 2019-01-09

Amy Vorpahl and Brennan talk antisocial orphans, nine-year campaigns, and babies that ruin games.

Raising the Stakes (with Brian Murphy)

3. Raising the Stakes (with Brian Murphy)

Air Date: 2019-01-23

Brian Murphy and Brennan discuss when to kill off PCs and reveal what's behind their DM screens.

Playing in a Safe Space (with Erika Ishii)

4. Playing in a Safe Space (with Erika Ishii)

Air Date: 2019-02-06

Erika Ishii and Brennan chat about honing social skills through DnD and building trust with players.

Being the Mean GM (with Noah Diamond)

5. Being the Mean GM (with Noah Diamond)

Air Date: 2019-02-20

Noah Diamond and Brennan dig into overpowered magical items and what to do when PCs just wanna loot.

Finishing a Campaign (with Molly Ostertag)

6. Finishing a Campaign (with Molly Ostertag)

Air Date: 2019-03-06

Molly Ostertag and Brennan get into the ethics of fudged dice rolls and why 5e is so queer-friendly.

Building Your Own Campaign Setting (with Matthew Mercer)

7. Building Your Own Campaign Setting (with Matthew Mercer)

Air Date: 2019-03-20

Matthew Mercer and Brennan get into Harry Potter's rad world building and those tricky NPC accents.

Leveling Up (with Satine Phoenix)

8. Leveling Up (with Satine Phoenix)

Air Date: 2019-04-03

Satine Phoenix and Brennan chat about level splits, bending the rules, and letting your PCs fail.

What to Do With a Nat 20 (with B. Dave Walters)

9. What to Do With a Nat 20 (with B. Dave Walters)

Air Date: 2019-04-17

B. Dave Walters and Brennan talk about making twists more twisty and manifesting character traits.

Giving Yourself Permission to Feel (with Marisha Ray)

10. Giving Yourself Permission to Feel (with Marisha Ray)

Air Date: 2019-05-01

Marisha Ray and Brennan tackle crying during gameplay and players with different ways of listening.

Playing a Cooperative Game (with Nick Marini)

11. Playing a Cooperative Game (with Nick Marini)

Air Date: 2019-05-15

Nick Marini joins Brennan to talk about making characters to fit a world and being a flexible PC.

Healing Through D&D (with Krystina Arielle)

12. Healing Through D&D (with Krystina Arielle)

Air Date: 2019-05-29

Krystina Arielle joins Brennan to talk about playing as the nervous newbie and the experienced one.

Reunion with the Cast of Escape From the Bloodkeep (1)

13. Reunion with the Cast of Escape From the Bloodkeep (1)

Air Date: 2019-06-12

Ify Nwadiwe, Amy Vorpahl, & Erika Ishii join Brennan to discuss the big moves & ships of the season.

Reunion with the Cast of Escape From the Bloodkeep (2)

14. Reunion with the Cast of Escape From the Bloodkeep (2)

Air Date: 2019-06-26

Matthew Mercer, Rekha, & Trapp join Brennan to discuss all the surprises and challenges of the show.

Introducing Horror to a Game with Ivan Van Norman

15. Introducing Horror to a Game with Ivan Van Norman

Air Date: 2019-07-10

Ivan Van Norman joins Brennan to discuss setting horror expectations and how to play traitorous pcs.

Finding Fun in Failure with Siobhan Thompson

16. Finding Fun in Failure with Siobhan Thompson

Air Date: 2019-07-24

Siobhan Thompson joins Brennan to generate random characters and talk about The Unsleeping City.

Killing Off Characters with Jack Covell

17. Killing Off Characters with Jack Covell

Air Date: 2019-08-07

Jack Covell joins Brennan to talk about letting go and running campaigns without intense planning.

Storytelling As a Game Master with Peter Warren

18. Storytelling As a Game Master with Peter Warren

Air Date: 2019-08-21

Peter Warren joins Brennan to discuss how studying screenwriting made them better DMs, & vice versa.

Balancing Comedy and Drama (with Freddie Wong)

1. Balancing Comedy and Drama (with Freddie Wong)

Air Date: 2020-09-14

Freddie Wong joins Brennan to talk shifting tones, keeping stakes high, and the power of audio.

See Me In Six Months (with Aabria Iyengar)

2. See Me In Six Months (with Aabria Iyengar)

Air Date: 2020-09-21

Brennan and Aabria talk about remote DMing, leaving room for improv, and how to fail.

Bardic Inspiration (with Omega Jones)

3. Bardic Inspiration (with Omega Jones)

Air Date: 2020-09-28

Omega Jones (aka CriticalBard) joins Brennan to talk merging music with D&D and more.

The Joy of Mistakes (with Kelly Lynne D'Angelo)

4. The Joy of Mistakes (with Kelly Lynne D'Angelo)

Air Date: 2020-09-28

Kelly Lynne and Brennan talk storytelling, representation, and dungeoncrawling inside an octopus.

Fantasy Shapes Reality (with Jennifer Kretchmer)

5. Fantasy Shapes Reality (with Jennifer Kretchmer)

Air Date: 2020-10-05

Jennifer and Brennan talk accessibility, communication, and the importance of breaks.

There Are Gray Areas In Life (with Orion Black)

6. There Are Gray Areas In Life (with Orion Black)

Air Date: 2020-10-12

Orion Black joins Brennan to talk actualplay vs. shows and more.

I'm Gonna Have To Prod You, Sparta-Style (with Alicia Marie)

7. I'm Gonna Have To Prod You, Sparta-Style (with Alicia Marie)

Air Date: 2020-10-19

Alicia Marie joins Brennan to talk accessibility in gaming, overcoming social insecurity, and more.

Murph and Emily's Friend (with Caldwell Tanner)

8. Murph and Emily's Friend (with Caldwell Tanner)

Air Date: 2020-10-26

Caldwell Tanner joins Brennan, to discuss being Murph & Emily's friend and DMing.

No Introduction Needed (with Emily Axford)

9. No Introduction Needed (with Emily Axford)

Air Date: 2020-11-02

Emily joins Brennan to talk chaos, DMing, music, and more.

Leave the Table Better Than You Found It (with Honey and Dice)

10. Leave the Table Better Than You Found It (with Honey and Dice)

Air Date: 2020-11-09

Honey and Dice joins Brennan to talk self-care, the intimidation of D&D, learning to say no.

Story Pirates Reunited (with Branson Reese)

11. Story Pirates Reunited (with Branson Reese)

Air Date: 2020-11-16

Rude Tales of Magic's Branson Reese joins Brennan to talk shop.

An IRL Paladin (with Tanya DePass)

12. An IRL Paladin (with Tanya DePass)

Air Date: 2020-11-23

Tanya joins Brennan to discuss Into the Motherlands, TTRPGs, and more.

The Story of Now (with Deborah Ann Woll)

13. The Story of Now (with Deborah Ann Woll)

Air Date: 2020-11-30

Deborah joins Brennan to talk choices, rewriting your past, and wise villains.

Control the Narrative (with Jasmine Bhullar)

14. Control the Narrative (with Jasmine Bhullar)

Air Date: 2020-12-07

Jasmine Bhullar joins Brennan to talk vile villains, running games on camera, and more.

Chasing Noises (with Becca Scott)

15. Chasing Noises (with Becca Scott)

Air Date: 2020-12-14

Becca Scott joins Brennan to talk horror, one-shots, and Um Actually.

Animating Your Table (with Benjamin Scott)

16. Animating Your Table (with Benjamin Scott)

Air Date: 2020-12-21

Benjamin Scott (aka Puffin Forest) joins Brennan to talk D&D, animation, and more.

Grand Design (with Gabriel Hicks)

17. Grand Design (with Gabriel Hicks)

Air Date: 2020-12-28

Game designer Gabe Hicks joins Brennan to talk about building & tweaking games and more.

Shout Out To Fluff (with Griffin McElroy)

18. Shout Out To Fluff (with Griffin McElroy)

Air Date: 2021-01-04

Griffin talks with Brennan about getting into 5e and finding what's important in storytelling.

Sincerity Is the Key (with Travis McElroy)

19. Sincerity Is the Key (with Travis McElroy)

Air Date: 2021-01-11

Travis joins Brennan to talk theater of the mind, player choices, and more.

You've Been Called (with Dael Kingsmill)

20. You've Been Called (with Dael Kingsmill)

Air Date: 2021-01-18

Dael Kingsmill joins Brennan to talk homebrew, running games, and more.

Artwork is 360 Degrees (with Carlos Luna)

1. Artwork is 360 Degrees (with Carlos Luna)

Air Date: 2021-03-01

Carlos Luna joins Brennan to talk improv, D&D, and more.

What Does 'Ready' Mean? (with Zac Oyama)

2. What Does 'Ready' Mean? (with Zac Oyama)

Air Date: 2021-03-08

The Rotating Heroes' Podcast's Zac Oyama stops by to talk DMing, being ready, and more.

Represent (with Daniel Kwan)

3. Represent (with Daniel Kwan)

Air Date: 2021-03-22

Daniel Kwan joins Brennan to talk representation, using TTRPGs to educate, and more

Conflict Resolution (with LaTia Jacquise)

4. Conflict Resolution (with LaTia Jacquise)

Air Date: 2021-04-05

LaTia joins Brennan to talk DMing vs. being a player character, Rivals of Waterdeep, and more.

Give People More Room (with Diana Gaeta)

5. Give People More Room (with Diana Gaeta)

Air Date: 2021-04-19

Diana Gaeta joins Brennan to talk writing, TTRPGs, and more!

Making Dinner For Friends (with Eric Silver)

6. Making Dinner For Friends (with Eric Silver)

Air Date: 2021-05-03

Join the Party's Eric Silver joins Brennan to talk dinner / DMing parallels and more.

Let's Poke the Lich (with Persephone Valentine)

1. Let's Poke the Lich (with Persephone Valentine)

Air Date: 2022-10-18

Persephone Valentine joins Brennan to talk DMing origins, discovering yourself, and paladins vs. sorcerers.

For the Price of a Dream (with Ross Bryant)

2. For the Price of a Dream (with Ross Bryant)

Air Date: 2022-11-01

Ross Bryant joins Brennan to discuss improv, theater of the mind, and Tide pods filled with chili.

The Braid of Character, Plot, and World (with Connie Chang)

3. The Braid of Character, Plot, and World (with Connie Chang)

Air Date: 2022-11-15

Connie Chang joins Brennan to talk GMing influences, world building, and metal dice.

The Mythological Meets the Logistical (with Matthew Mercer)

4. The Mythological Meets the Logistical (with Matthew Mercer)

Air Date: 2022-11-29

Matthew Mercer returns to the show to talk logistics, butterfly wing effects, and worldbuilding.

The New Mr. Peanut (with Lou Wilson)

5. The New Mr. Peanut (with Lou Wilson)

Air Date: 2022-12-13

Lou Wilson returns to the show to talk GM growth, dice variety, and face masks.

Sneak A-Snack (with Sam de Leve)

6. Sneak A-Snack (with Sam de Leve)

Air Date: 2023-02-07

Sam de Leve joins Brennan to talk about being a jock-nerd, opera, and chosen one narratives.

Blight, Plants, Birds, and Almonds (with Aabria Iyengar)

7. Blight, Plants, Birds, and Almonds (with Aabria Iyengar)

Air Date: 2023-02-21

Aabria Iyengar returns to the show to talk about how she deals with the pressure of running large campaigns, emotional world building, and how to play as unlikable characters.

Studying and Training (with Johnny Stanton)

8. Studying and Training (with Johnny Stanton)

Air Date: 2023-03-07

Johnny Stanton joins Brennan to talk about using D&D as a creative outlet, why he loves DMing for new players, and how much gum should come in a pack.

Honor the Absurd (with Jasmine Bhullar)

9. Honor the Absurd (with Jasmine Bhullar)

Air Date: 2023-03-21

Jasmine Bhullar returns to the show to talk setting expectations, how she creates NPCs, and min-maxing.

Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck (with Sam Reich)

1. Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck (with Sam Reich)

Air Date: 2024-07-01

Sam Reich joins Brennan to talk creative north stars and why failure is more interesting than success.

Six Out of Six (with Rekha Shankar)

2. Six Out of Six (with Rekha Shankar)

Air Date: 2024-07-29

Rekha Shankar joins Brennan to discuss how improv is like solving a puzzle and why Frasier is the best tv show.

Shinji and Batman (with Ify Nwadiwe)

3. Shinji and Batman (with Ify Nwadiwe)

Air Date: 2024-08-26

Ify Nwadiwe returns to the show to talk about his nerdy origins and which D&D class is the horniest.

Edit While They're Killing It (with Zac Oyama)

4. Edit While They're Killing It (with Zac Oyama)

Air Date: 2024-09-23

Zac Oyama returns to the show to talk railroading versus sandboxing and why you can't be polite in improv.

Be Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable (with Anjali Bhimani)

5. Be Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable (with Anjali Bhimani)

Air Date: 2024-10-21

Anjali Bhimani joins Brennan to discuss speculative fiction and why actors should play TTRPGs.

Applying Logic to the Illogical (with Brian David Gilbert)

6. Applying Logic to the Illogical (with Brian David Gilbert)

Air Date: 2024-11-18

Brian David Gilbert joins Brennan to discuss lore and why all sandwiches should be pressed.

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Rating

0.0/10

Release Date

2018-12-19

Episodes

59 (5 seasons)

Status

Returning Series

Cast

Brennan Lee Mulligan

Brennan Lee Mulligan

Self - Host

Videos

Production Companies

Dropout

Dropout