Friends at the Table is an actual play podcast hosted by Austin Walker. The podcast has been active since September 2014, and episodes are released weekly. The collaboration between the gamemaster and the players is a major component of the show, in contrast to many tabletop role-playing games where the gamemaster has total control over worldbuilding.

Friends at the Table
Friends at the table in black sans-serif capitals, aligned on a diagonal baseline from the bottom left to the top right
Presentation
Hosted byAustin Walker
Genre
LanguageEnglish
Publication
Original releaseSeptember 2014
Related
Websitefriendsatthetable.net

Production

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The show is an actual play podcast, but due to its heavy editing, the show is similar in presentation to a radio drama or audiobook.[1] Players on the show contribute to worldbuilding more than in many tabletop role-playing games, where worldbuilding is often left to the gamemaster.[2] The show has been producing episodes since September 2014, and releases episodes on a weekly basis.[3]

Cast

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  • Austin Walker (gamemaster)
  • Art Martinez-Tebbel
  • Alicia Acampora (editor, producer)
  • Jack de Quidt (composer)
  • Sylvia Clare
  • Janine Hawkins
  • Keith J. Carberry (editor, producer)
  • Andrew Lee Swan
  • Nick Scratch (former)[4][5]

Seasons

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The show is split across two feeds: the main feed, which is accessible for free on the website and on podcast platforms, and a paid feed via Patreon. The main feed includes weekly episodes, which are split into seasons. The end of a season is marked with a "post mortem" episode, where the cast answers questions about the season.

Seasons one and two of the show were based on Apocalypse World.[6] According to Walker, he drew inspiration for season six from Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt, Code Geass, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Aldnoah.Zero, and Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team.[7] Various other seasons of the show have drawn elements from many different tabletop role-playing systems,[8] including Dungeon World.[9]

Main Feed[citation needed]
Season no. Season name Originally released Systems used
First episode Last episode
1 Autumn in Hieron

(formerly Seasons of Hieron)

September 12, 2014 June 19, 2015 Dungeon World

Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective (holiday special)

The Sundered Land (episode 20)

2 COUNTER/WEIGHT July 15, 2015 June 26, 2016 The Sprawl

TechNoir (beginning episodes)

Stars Without Number (faction game episodes)

Microscope (faction game episodes)

Kingdom (interlude)

Mobile Frame Zero: Firebrands (finale)

2.5 Marielda July 14, 2016 October 14, 2016 Blades in the Dark

The Quiet Year (beginning episodes)

3 Winter in Hieron November 18, 2016 June 28, 2017 Dungeon World

Follow (holiday special)[10]

Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective (holiday special)

4 Twilight Mirage June 29, 2017 September 10, 2018 The Veil

Follow

Scum and Villainy

Futura Free (finale)[11]

5 Spring in Hieron October 10, 2018 September 19, 2019 Dungeon World

The Quiet Year (finale)

5.5 The Road to PARTIZAN October 3, 2019 August 3, 2020 Dialect: A Game About Language and How It Dies

Armour Astir: Advent

Ech0

Dusk To Midnight

Beam Saber

For the Queen

Microscope

6 PARTIZAN December 19, 2019 February 5, 2021 Beam Saber

Kingdom (holiday special)

War in the Year 3000 (finale)

7 Sangfielle March 11, 2021 June 16, 2022 Heart: The City Beneath

The Ground Itself (beginning episodes)

Inhuman Conditions (episode 21)

Anamnesis (episode 52)

A Visit to San Sibilia (episode 56)

7.5 The Road to PALISADE August 26, 2022 January 20, 2023 HOUNDs

Stealing the Throne

Last Shooting

Wagon Wheel

Lancer

Orbital

Serious Reading

My Way

Upstairs & Downstairs

City Planning Department

8 PALISADE March 10, 2023 TBA Armour Astir: Advent[12]

Questlandia (Palette of Colors arc)[12]

The Patreon feed consists of one main campaign (Bluff City) along other show formats and extras.

Patreon Feed
Show name Description
Bluff City The main Patreon campaign, released parallel to any ongoing main feed seasons.
Clapcast A collection of bloopers and off-topic discussions cut from various episodes.
Live at the Table Oneshots or short series played live, usually on a stream previously only available to Patreon patrons.
Tips at the Table An advice show where the cast answers questions about roleplaying.
Drawing Maps Austin Walker's show where he discusses preparations for games as a GM.
Gathering Information A behind the scenes show where Alicia Acampora discusses specific aspects of the current ongoing season with other cast members.

Reception

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The podcast had more than 3,929 Patreon supporters as of July 2021.[13] The show was featured on iTunes in 2020.[14] Dan Neilan wrote in The A.V. Club that it is an "intimidating podcast to jump into" and a "bit overwhelming", but despite this the story had "rich, complex lore."[15] It was cited by The Adventure Zone GM Griffin McElroy as an inspiration for elements of that podcast's first campaign.[16]

Awards

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Award Date Category Recipient Result Ref.
Discover Pods Awards 2019 Best Overall Podcast Friends at the Table Finalist [17]
Audio Verse Awards Instrumental Composition in a Production "Spring In Hieron" by Jack de Quidt Won [18]
Vocal Composition in a Production "Tell Me" by Jack de Quidt Won
Player Direction of a Production Austin Walker Won
Player in an Improvised Production Ali Acampora as Hella Varal Won
Improvised Production Friends at the Table Won
2020 Instrumental Composition in a Production "RADIOSTATIC. HIATUS. REDSKY" by Jack de Quidt Finalist [19]
"TANAGER. PERFECT. TOUCHPAPER." by Jack de Quidt Finalist
Player Direction of a Production Austin Walker Finalist
Cover Art for a Production Craig Sheldon Finalist
Improvised Production Friends at the Table Finalist

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Parker, Felan (June 29, 2016). Vossen, Emma (ed.). "The Power of Imagined Worlds: An Interview With Austin Walker". First Person Scholar. OCLC 5814711976. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  2. ^ Stevens, Ryan (March 31, 2021). "How Friends at the Table Spreads Around Authorship". Discover Pods. Elite CafeMedia. Archived from the original on September 9, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  3. ^ Modak, Sebastian (July 24, 2020). "Amid a Pandemic and a Racial Reckoning, 'D&D' Finds Itself at an Inflection Point". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings. ISSN 0190-8286. OCLC 2269358. Archived from the original on July 30, 2020. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  4. ^ Figa, Alenka (October 25, 2018). Brinks, Melissa (ed.). "Games for Your Ears: Our Favorite Tabletop Podcasts and Let's Plays". Sidequest. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  5. ^ "Winter in Hieron 16: Is There Anyone Else?". Friends at the Table. March 24, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  6. ^ Jackson, Gita (August 13, 2016). "How Tabletop Games Make My Life Better". Kotaku. G/O Media. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  7. ^ Wescott, Adam (September 30, 2020). "Interview: The Best Mecha Anime of 2020 is a Podcast—They Could Have Made Them Look Like Anything, but They Made Them Look Like Podcasts". Crunchyroll. Aniplex. Archived from the original on September 11, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  8. ^ St. James, Emily (April 3, 2020). "Beyond Dungeons & Dragons: A guide to the vast, exciting world of tabletop RPGs". Vox. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  9. ^ White, Jordan (January 31, 2018). "'The Adventure Zone' Is a Dungeons & Dragons RPG Podcast That Breaks All the Rules". The Ringer. Retrieved October 25, 2022.
  10. ^ Walker, Austin (January 1, 2017). "Winter in Hieron: Holiday Special 01: Homes and Promises". Friends at the Table. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  11. ^ Walker, Austin (August 10, 2018). "Twilight Mirage 64: Futura Free Part 1". Friends at the Table. Archived from the original on September 9, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  12. ^ a b Walker, Austin (May 3, 2024). "PALISADE 46: A Palette of Colors Pt. 1". Friends at the Table. Archived from the original on May 23, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024. For the finale, we are playing Questlandia 2nd Edition. This season we played Armour Astir: Advent with additional playbooks from Strangers in the Night and 106th Astir Squadron.
  13. ^ Carter, Chase (July 20, 2021). "Honey Heist and the Legacy of the One-Page RPG: An Interview With Tabletop Designer Grant Howitt". Polygon. Vox Media. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  14. ^ Abigail (September 3, 2020). "16 Best D&D Podcasts to Listen to With Friends". Robots.net. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  15. ^ Neilan, Dan (October 22, 2018). "Horny 4 Horror Applauds the Practical Effects of the Stuff and Other '80s Cult Hits". The A.V. Club. G/O Media. Archived from the original on June 13, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  16. ^ "TRANSCRIPT The The Adventure Zone Zone - MaxFunDrive 2017". Maximum Fun. March 30, 2017. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  17. ^ Goldberg, Kevin (November 21, 2019). "Announcing the Winners of the 2019 Discover Pods Awards". Discover Pods Awards. Elite CafeMedia. Archived from the original on November 21, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  18. ^ "Congratulations to This Year's Winners: These Are the Winners of the 2019 Audio Verse Awards". The Audio Verse Awards. 2019. Archived from the original on August 18, 2021. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
  19. ^ "This is the List of Finalists for the 2020 Audio Verse Awards". The Audio Verse Awards. 2020. Archived from the original on February 14, 2022. Retrieved October 5, 2022.
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