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Dungeons + Drama Nerds is a podcast produced by Todd Brian Backus, Percy Hornak, and Nicholas Orvis, three dramaturgs interested in the intersection of theatre and tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGS). Episodes release weekly alternating between Actual Play and Commentary episodes investigating a certain TTRPG system. Season 2 will feature: Blades in the Dark, Bluebeard's Bride, Kids on Bikes, Oh Dang! Bigfoot Stole My Car With My Best Friend's Birthday Present Inside!, and Lancer. Season 1 featured: Dungeons & Dragons (Eps 1-13), Apocalypse World (Eps 14-33), and Paranoia (Eps 34-46).
Episodes

Wednesday Oct 08, 2025
Escheresque Nausea
Wednesday Oct 08, 2025
Wednesday Oct 08, 2025
With their charge disappeared into a box of phony ballots and the threat of a lost payday hanging over them, the voidminers descend (for the most part reluctantly) into the Escheresque. But once you go into that other dimension, you never know where you’ll come out…
Dungeons and Drama Nerds is produced by Percival Hornak and Nicholas Orvis, and this episode was co-produced, mixed, and edited by Ben Ferber. Our core ensemble are Todd Brian Backus, Jovane Caamano, Anthony Sertel Dean, Christopher Diercksen, Ben Ferber, Kory Flores, Mieko Gavia, Tess Huth, Romana Isabella, Jon Jon Johnson, CJ Linton, C. “Meaks” Meaker, Leo Mock, Dex Phan, and Tristan B. Willis.
Our game of Wythe Marschall’s Stillfleet features Christopher Diercksen as Geshra Veedle, Kory Flores as Peanut, Mieko Gavia as Kyrannis, Jon Jon Johnson as Private Taps, special guest Wythe Marschall as Cherric Shaddams, and Ben Ferber as the GM.
The music for this episode featured:
- Tack, Banshee by Will Savino from the Stillfleet Original Soundtrack
- Snakeman by XeroPulse from the Stillfleet Original Soundtrack
- C-mol Blues by Jazz at Mladost Club
- Three by Pat Thomas from Live at Cafe OTO
If you’d like to help us continue exploring the intersections of theatre and tabletop roleplaying games, consider leaving us a review on your podcast app of choice or supporting us - and getting access to our patron-only bonus content - at patreon.com/dungeonsanddramanerds. You can find our social media and website links, including our cast bios, at the linktree in our show notes. And be sure to tune in soon for another episode of Dungeons and Drama Nerds!

Wednesday Oct 15, 2025
They Will Find You and Kill You
Wednesday Oct 15, 2025
Wednesday Oct 15, 2025
Far from home on a strange planet, our heroes(?) are faced with a daunting new foe: a flying saucer full of horrifying Void Elves! Even worse: they’re artists.
Dungeons and Drama Nerds is produced by Percival Hornak and Nicholas Orvis, and this episode was co-produced, mixed, and edited by Ben Ferber. Our core ensemble are Todd Brian Backus, Jovane Caamano, Anthony Sertel Dean, Christopher Diercksen, Ben Ferber, Kory Flores, Mieko Gavia, Tess Huth, Romana Isabella, Jon Jon Johnson, CJ Linton, C. “Meaks” Meaker, Leo Mock, Dex Phan, and Tristan B. Willis.
Our game of Wythe Marschall’s Stillfleet features Christopher Diercksen as Geshra Veedle, Kory Flores as Peanut, Mieko Gavia as Kyrannis, Jon Jon Johnson as Private Taps, special guest Wythe Marschall as Cherric Shaddams, and Ben Ferber as the GM.
The music for this episode featured:
- Snakeman by XeroPulse from the Stillfleet Original Soundtrack
- Shake by Nul Tiel Records
- sjcongolpc by sjcongo, in an original remix by DJ A Fluid Thing
If you’d like to help us continue exploring the intersections of theatre and tabletop roleplaying games, consider leaving us a review on your podcast app of choice or supporting us - and getting access to our patron-only bonus content - at patreon.com/dungeonsanddramanerds. You can find our social media and website links, including our cast bios, at the linktree in our show notes. And be sure to tune in soon for another episode of Dungeons and Drama Nerds!

Wednesday Oct 22, 2025
Whistling Is Not a Skill: Modes of Character Creation
Wednesday Oct 22, 2025
Wednesday Oct 22, 2025
Nick and Percy sit down with ensemble member Christopher Diercksen to talk about different methods of creating characters in TTRPGs and how those methods affect the kinds of storytelling each game affords.
Dungeons and Drama Nerds is produced by Percival Hornak and Nicholas Orvis, and this episode was mixed and edited by Percival Hornak. Our core ensemble are Todd Brian Backus, Jovane Caamano, Anthony Sertel Dean, Christopher Diercksen, Ben Ferber, Kory Flores, Mieko Gavia, Tess Huth, Romana Isabella, Jon Jon Johnson, CJ Linton, C. “Meaks” Meaker, Leo Mock, Dex Phan, and Tristan B. Willis.
Our game of Wythe Marschall’s Stillfleet features Christopher Diercksen as Geshra Veedle, Kory Flores as Peanut, Mieko Gavia as Kyrannis, Jon Jon Johnson as Private Taps, special guest Wythe Marschall as Cherric Shaddams, and Ben Ferber as the GM.
If you’d like to help us continue exploring the intersections of theatre and tabletop roleplaying games, consider leaving us a review on your podcast app of choice or supporting us - and getting access to our patron-only bonus content - at patreon.com/dungeonsanddramanerds. You can find our social media and website links, including our cast bios, at the linktree in our show notes. And be sure to tune in soon for another episode of Dungeons and Drama Nerds!

Wednesday Nov 05, 2025
Any Other Lies We Wanna Go Over?
Wednesday Nov 05, 2025
Wednesday Nov 05, 2025
The voidminers return to Spindle to report to their supervisors at the Worshipful Company. Surely there’s a way to turn their failures into a string of sparkling successes…and avoid the Rebranding Hall?
Dungeons and Drama Nerds is produced by Percival Hornak and Nicholas Orvis, and this episode was co-produced, mixed, and edited by Ben Ferber. Our core ensemble are Todd Brian Backus, Jovane Caamano, Anthony Sertel Dean, Christopher Diercksen, Ben Ferber, Kory Flores, Mieko Gavia, Tess Huth, Romana Isabella, Jon Jon Johnson, CJ Linton, C. “Meaks” Meaker, Leo Mock, Dex Phan, and Tristan B. Willis.
Our game of Wythe Marschall’s Stillfleet features Christopher Diercksen as Geshra Veedle, Kory Flores as Peanut, Mieko Gavia as Kyrannis, Jon Jon Johnson as Private Taps, special guest Wythe Marschall as Cherric Shaddams, and Ben Ferber as the GM.
The music for this episode featured:
- Little Wetana by Sam Tyndall from the Stillfleet Original Soundtrack
- Backed Vibes Clean by Kevin MacLeod
- Sexy by LaFaena from Not Shift Free Will
- Blink Dogs by human gazpacho from Arcane Resonance
- Wii Shop Channel by Kazumi Totaka
If you’d like to help us continue exploring the intersections of theatre and tabletop roleplaying games, consider leaving us a review on your podcast app of choice or supporting us - and getting access to our patron-only bonus content - at patreon.com/dungeonsanddramanerds. You can find our social media and website links, including our cast bios, at the linktree in our show notes. And be sure to tune in soon for another episode of Dungeons and Drama Nerds!

Wednesday Nov 12, 2025
So Long and Thanks for all the Piss
Wednesday Nov 12, 2025
Wednesday Nov 12, 2025
The voidminers return to the Escheresque under orders to neutralize the fearful Void Elves, but they find that their enemies’ ship is of a nature they never expected - and bears power that they could never have imagined. But access to that power comes at a terrible price…
Dungeons and Drama Nerds is produced by Percival Hornak and Nicholas Orvis, and this episode was co-produced, mixed, and edited by Ben Ferber. Our core ensemble are Todd Brian Backus, Jovane Caamano, Anthony Sertel Dean, Christopher Diercksen, Ben Ferber, Kory Flores, Mieko Gavia, Tess Huth, Romana Isabella, Jon Jon Johnson, CJ Linton, C. “Meaks” Meaker, Leo Mock, Dex Phan, and Tristan B. Willis.
Our game of Wythe Marschall’s Stillfleet features Christopher Diercksen as Geshra Veedle, Kory Flores as Peanut, Mieko Gavia as Kyrannis, Jon Jon Johnson as Private Taps, special guest Wythe Marschall as Cherric Shaddams, and Ben Ferber as the GM.
The music for this episode featured:
- Veinstumbling (Stillfleet Theme) by Sam Tyndall from the Stillfleet Original Soundtrack
- Subtle Fluid by Will Savino from the Stillfleet Original Soundtrack
- Tinnitus Dance by Dancefloor is Lava from La Boum 2020
- Two and Three by Pat Thomas from Live at Cafe OTO
- 20 Minute Meditation 5 by HoliznaCC0 from Space - Sleep - Meditation
- Living in the Dark by Myuu
If you’d like to help us continue exploring the intersections of theatre and tabletop roleplaying games, consider leaving us a review on your podcast app of choice or supporting us - and getting access to our patron-only bonus content - at patreon.com/dungeonsanddramanerds. You can find our social media and website links, including our cast bios, at the linktree in our show notes. And be sure to tune in soon for another episode of Dungeons and Drama Nerds!

Wednesday Nov 19, 2025
“Not Just Anarchist Shitposting”: Leftist TTRPGs with PB Berge
Wednesday Nov 19, 2025
Wednesday Nov 19, 2025
This week, Percy and Nick sit down to discuss the politics of games and the different ways that TTRPGs have engaged with leftist and antifascist themes with a special guest: scholar of analog games PB Berge.
You can see more work by our guest PB Berge at https://persephone.blue/ and https://gravesnail.itch.io/. You can read PB and Percy’s recent co-authored article in the Analog Game Studies journal!
Dungeons and Drama Nerds is produced by Percival Hornak and Nicholas Orvis, and this episode was mixed and edited by Percival Hornak. Our core ensemble are Todd Brian Backus, Jovane Caamano, Anthony Sertel Dean, Christopher Diercksen, Ben Ferber, Kory Flores, Mieko Gavia, Tess Huth, Romana Isabella, Jon Jon Johnson, CJ Linton, C. “Meaks” Meaker, Leo Mock, Dex Phan, and Tristan B. Willis.
Our game of Wythe Marschall’s Stillfleet features Christopher Diercksen as Geshra Veedle, Kory Flores as Peanut, Mieko Gavia as Kyrannis, Jon Jon Johnson as Private Taps, special guest Wythe Marschall as Cherric Shaddams, and Ben Ferber as the GM.
If you’d like to help us continue exploring the intersections of theatre and tabletop roleplaying games, consider leaving us a review on your podcast app of choice or supporting us - and getting access to our patron-only bonus content - at patreon.com/dungeonsanddramanerds. You can find our social media and website links, including our cast bios, at the linktree in our show notes. And be sure to tune in soon for another episode of Dungeons and Drama Nerds!

Wednesday Dec 03, 2025
Donuts is Bread
Wednesday Dec 03, 2025
Wednesday Dec 03, 2025
In the thrilling finale to Start the Steal, the Voidminers must figure out how to complete their ultimate mission: beating up some “artists” whose “gallery” they’re seizing on behalf of the “Dutch East India Company in space.” Hell sciences ignite, guns blaze, and various bodily fluids flow as our time in Stillfleet comes to a glorious end.
Dungeons and Drama Nerds is produced by Percival Hornak and Nicholas Orvis, and this episode was co-produced, mixed, and edited by Ben Ferber. Our core ensemble are Todd Brian Backus, Jovane Caamano, Anthony Sertel Dean, Christopher Diercksen, Ben Ferber, Kory Flores, Mieko Gavia, Tess Huth, Romana Isabella, Jon Jon Johnson, CJ Linton, C. “Meaks” Meaker, Leo Mock, Dex Phan, and Tristan B. Willis.
Our game of Wythe Marschall’s Stillfleet features Christopher Diercksen as Geshra Veedle, Kory Flores as Peanut, Mieko Gavia as Kyrannis, Jon Jon Johnson as Private Taps, special guest Wythe Marschall as Cherric Shaddams, and Ben Ferber as the GM.
The music for this episode featured:
- Subtle Fluid by Will Savino from the Stillfleet Original Soundtrack
- Aanverder by Will Savino from the Stillfleet Original Soundtrack
- Jet of the Morning by Joo-Young Kim from the Stillfleet Original Soundtrack
- mimeophanix cimexadust by kaleidoplasm
- Girl from Petaluma by the Cocktail Shakers
- Living in the Dark by Myuu
If you’d like to help us continue exploring the intersections of theatre and tabletop roleplaying games, consider leaving us a review on your podcast app of choice or supporting us - and getting access to our patron-only bonus content - at patreon.com/dungeonsanddramanerds. You can find our social media and website links, including our cast bios, at the linktree in our show notes. And be sure to tune in soon for another episode of Dungeons and Drama Nerds!

Wednesday Dec 10, 2025
“Behaving Like a Cult Already”: Stillfleet Debrief
Wednesday Dec 10, 2025
Wednesday Dec 10, 2025
At the conclusion of our Stillfleet campaign, Nick sits down with the cast to discuss the experience, the ways success and failure are framed in it, and what it’s like to play such profoundly non-human characters in a far-future setting.
Thanks for listening to Stillfleet, and be sure to stay tuned for an announcement about the next project from Dungeons and Drama Nerds!
Dungeons and Drama Nerds is produced by Percival Hornak and Nicholas Orvis, and this episode was mixed and edited by Percival Hornak. Our core ensemble are Todd Brian Backus, Jovane Caamano, Anthony Sertel Dean, Christopher Diercksen, Ben Ferber, Kory Flores, Mieko Gavia, Tess Huth, Romana Isabella, Jon Jon Johnson, CJ Linton, C. “Meaks” Meaker, Leo Mock, Dex Phan, and Tristan B. Willis.
Our game of Wythe Marschall’s Stillfleet features Christopher Diercksen as Geshra Veedle, Kory Flores as Peanut, Mieko Gavia as Kyrannis, Jon Jon Johnson as Private Taps, special guest Wythe Marschall as Cherric Shaddams, and Ben Ferber as the GM.
If you’d like to help us continue exploring the intersections of theatre and tabletop roleplaying games, consider leaving us a review on your podcast app of choice or supporting us - and getting access to our patron-only bonus content - at patreon.com/dungeonsanddramanerds. You can find our social media and website links, including our cast bios, at the linktree in our show notes. And be sure to tune in soon for another episode of Dungeons and Drama Nerds!
