“Four low life thugs with hearts of pyrite play D&D on the worldwide podcast phenomenon ADVENTURE.EXE.”
Unless you live in the Underdark, you’re aware of the massive surge in live-play D&D games, both as podcasts and on video streaming channels like Twitch. I have been thoroughly enjoying one such game called, Adventure.exe.
Adventure.exe is bitingly funny, deliciously crude at times, and refreshingly unreserved. (Have I used up my adverb quota for this post? Get off my ass, Steve). One area where I think this podcast excels and sets itself apart from the masses is in its audio quality. This may seem like a weird thing to point out, but after being at the helm of B3 for the last six years, I’ve been asked to listen to several podcasts and videos with poor audio quality that hampered my ability to immerse myself in the game. The cast at Adventure.exe puts forward a quality show that is crystal clear. Speaking of the cast, they have a great back and forth that makes for some quick-witted comedy.
Their characters:
- Iados – Tiefling – Rogue – LVL 6
- Paula – Half-elf – Sorcerer – LVL 6
- Blorpo – Human – Barbarian – LVL 6
I’m still early in my journey into the worlds of Adventure.exe, but I’ve loved everything I’ve heard so far. Sometimes it can be daunting to start a series in the middle of their story arc, but if you start
here, with the summary episode you’ll be fine. If you have the time (maybe you’re a long-haul trucker or sitting on death row for choking an uppity mime) start
here with episode one and enjoy the ride.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Sarah, who plays Paula, and she was able to give me some first hand insight into the game. Here is a portion of our conversation:
1.) Give your elevator pitch for the podcast. Sum it up in one sentence.
Adventure.exe is a story-driven, comedic D&D podcast where four friends slash their way through fantastic encounters and become far too emotionally attached to their chronically KO’d characters.
2.) What makes Adventure.exe different from other live play podcasts?
I work as a video editor and writer, so I try to approach Adventure.exe like it’s an ultra low-budget TV show (minus the parental rating system). I spend a lot of time editing each episode, both for audio quality and to ensure the story is always moving forward.
Matt (our DM) is an incredibly talented storyteller. He weaves storylines and NPCs into his campaign in such a clever way that we often have these moments of horrible clarity as players– one of his characters will have offhandedly mentioned something innocuous a few sessions before, and when a major plot point is suddenly revealed we’ll all remember that moment and all go, “Oh my god, it all makes sense!”. He also does the voice of our party’s pet dog, Marv. What’s not to love?
3.) What wine pairs best with stirge kabobs?
Anything that comes in a box, no stemware required. Let’s face it– stirge kabobs aren’t exactly the epitome of class.
4.) What is the most difficult part about hosting a podcast?
I’d say that the hardest part about hosting this podcast is when I have to put the show aside and go back to my actual job. I would love to do this kind of thing full time.
5.) Do you find yourself playing differently when you’re being recorded?
We record our sessions with the four of us gathered around a super tiny table that’s loaded with audio equipment and Player Handbooks, so the actual setup is a lot less comfortable than a regular game of D&D, where I’m usually sprawled out on a couch like an animal.
When it comes to actually playing, it’s definitely a different experience knowing that I’ll have to edit the episode at the end of the day. Often when something major happens in our campaign I’ll get one of the guys to do a cliffhanger take that I can end a show on, or use to build up the anticipation. Sometimes this works, and sometimes it leads to super awkward speeches that are usually hilarious, that I end up leaving in (see the intro to #015: Enter the Monastery). The reason we started this podcast is we were all playing together and laughing so much at the insane direction our campaigns usually went, and we wanted to capture that energy and share our stories with other people– so that part has stayed consistent.
If you enjoy cultist frat boys, the juicy taste of Blorpo fruit, perverted lions, and just a hint of cannibalism, then I strongly recommend Adventure.exe.
Boccob's Blessed Blog 