Shocking Gasp

1) In one sentence what is your podcast about?

We are five brand-spanking-new podcasters running a Dungeons and Dragons actual play podcast telling the tale of four adventurers whose lives are interrupted when an immensely powerful being falls from the sky.

2) Who should listen to your podcast?

Anyone looking to hear the tales of exciting adventure that can only be crafted through the world’s foremost tabletop role-playing game Dungeons and Dragons. Major sources of inspiration include Lord of the Rings, Stephen King’s the Dark Tower saga, and Brandon Sanderson’s Cosmere novels.

We’re new to all of this, and we think that brings a certain degree of comfort to the show. Our listeners know we’re average folks and not professional voice actors or anything like that, which we think lends a degree of familiarity and relatability to the show; people know we’ll play the game the same way they do.

I guess what I’m saying is any fellow nerds, geeks, or dorks that want to listen to someone they can relate to while enjoying a tale of high fantasy adventure would find themselves right at home with our show.

3) How long have you been podcasting and how did you get into podcasting?

We started dreaming of the show in May of 2018. Recording began in June with the first episode launch occurring in late September. We really had to push to learn how to do all this in a relatively short time.

I had never listened to a podcast until Jake (another cast member) told me to check out The Adventure Zone by the McElroy family. I was instantly hooked and wrapped up several years’ worth of content in two months. And that fire spread to other shows like Critical Role, Sneak Attack!, The Critshow, Fate and the Fablemaidens, and more (I admit, I’m a ttrpg actual play junkie now). But it was The Adventure Zone that started it all and made me want to run my own show.

I’ve been playing D&D for almost two decades and have been the Dungeon Master for nearly the entire time. That’s a lot of stories I’ve created, and the thought of sharing them with more than just a handful of people at a time is simply amazing. Even if we top out at 40 subscribers, that’s 40 people that never would have heard my stories otherwise. And that’s a wonderful thing. My primary drive is to entertain folks and hopefully get some more people involved in tabletop gaming. It’s a spectacular community of open-minded people and I’ve never seen a better time to jump on board.

4) What non-podcasting hobbies do you have?

I’ve always been a big video game person, and have run the gauntlet of games since the original Nintendo. On top of that my dad raised me on Star Wars and Star Trek, and comic books were major players in my childhood. I don’t think there’s a classically nerdy genre I’ve not danced with at least once. Other hobbies include brewing beer, woodworking, and getting my read on.

5) Tell us about your setup (recording equipment, studio, etc)!

We searched for the basic beginner setup while researching for the show. Four of the five cast members settled on the AT2005 microphone with pop filter and boom. The other member uses a Blue Yeti set inside a homemade mini sound booth. I use a set of Bose QC25 headphones I already had. We all record remote, so our recording spaces vary. Mine is just my office desk, which is in dire need of upgrading and soundproofing. We record separate tracks in Audacity and talk together over Discord. If mixing is needed, I use Voicemeeter Banana. Pretty standard low-cost, entry-level equipment.

6) What is one show (other than your own) that you think everyone should listen to?

I doubt anyone reading this far will be surprised that it is without a doubt The Adventure Zone, particularly the first campaign called the Balance Arc. It was simply a wonderful piece of storytelling that I doubt even the McElroy’s will ever be able to top. It’s a perfect mix of adventure, compelling plot, and comedy with dramatic accents.

7) Anything else interesting you’d like to share?

My list is called “CotD for Shocking Gasp” Just the basics to get you started on entering the world of Telunor! We’ve got an introduction to D&D, an introduction to Telunor, and the first three episodes of the show. Enjoy!

“Creator of the Day” is a series by Podchaser, featuring podcast creators and the stories behind their podcasts. If you’d like to be featured on our social channels and blog as a “Creator of the Day”, go here for step-by-step instructions.