Friends at the Table
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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.
Production
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. Players on the show contribute to worldbuilding more than in many tabletop role-playing games, where worldbuilding is often left to the gamemaster. The show has been producing episodes since September 2014, and releases episodes on a weekly basis.
Cast
- 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)
Seasons
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. 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. Various other seasons of the show have drawn elements from many different tabletop role-playing systems, including Dungeon World.
| 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)Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective (holiday special) |
| 4 | Twilight Mirage | June 29, 2017 | September 10, 2018 | The Veil FollowScum and VillainyFutura Free (finale) |
| 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: AdventEch0Dusk To MidnightBeam SaberFor the QueenMicroscope |
| 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 ThroneLast ShootingWagon WheelLancerOrbitalSerious ReadingMy WayUpstairs & DownstairsCity Planning Department |
| 8 | PALISADE | March 10, 2023 | August 30, 2024 | Armour Astir: Advent Questlandia (Palette of Colors arc) |
| 9 | Perpetua | March 13 2025 | Ongoing | Fabula Ultima Cartograph: Atlas Edition (Prelude arc) |
The Patreon feed consists of two main campaigns (Bluff City and Realis) along other show formats and extras.
| Show name | Release period | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Bluff City | 2017-Ongoing | The main Patreon campaign, released parallel to any ongoing main feed seasons. |
| Clapcast | 2017-Ongoing | A collection of bloopers and off-topic discussions cut from various episodes. |
| Live at the Table | 2017-Ongoing | Oneshots or short series played live, usually on a stream previously only available to Patreon patrons. |
| Tips at the Table | 2017-2021 | An advice show where the cast answers questions about roleplaying. |
| Drawing Maps | 2018-2023 | Austin Walker's show where he discusses preparations for games as a GM. |
| Gathering Information | 2023-Ongoing | A behind the scenes show where Alicia Acampora discusses specific aspects of the current ongoing season with other cast members. |
| Realis | 2025-Ongoing | An actual play show in Austin Walker's Realis system, released parallel to the main feed seasons. |
Since 2023, Friends at the Table has also produced podcasts outside of the actual play genre, which appear in their own public feeds.
| Show name | Release period | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Media Club Plus | 2023–Ongoing | A discussion show about specific pieces of media, beginning with Hunter x Hunter and moving on to the films of M. Night Shyamalan. |
| Side Story | 2025–Ongoing | A discussion show about video games. |
Reception
The podcast had more than 3,929 Patreon supporters as of July 2021[update]. The show was featured on iTunes in 2020. 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." It was cited by The Adventure Zone GM Griffin McElroy as an inspiration for elements of that podcast's first campaign.
Awards
| Award | Date | Category | Recipient | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Discover Pods Awards | 2019 | Best Overall Podcast | Friends at the Table | Finalist | |
| Audio Verse Awards | Instrumental Composition in a Production | "Spring In Hieron" by Jack de Quidt | Won | ||
| 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 | ||
| "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 |