Dungeons & Dragons enthusiasts often satiate their fantasy appetite with actual-play shows such as Critical Role and Dimension 20, but narrative audio dramas present a varied outlet in which to explore and subvert beloved tabletop role-playing themes and tropes. Award-winning fantasy podcast The Once and Future Nerd has served up a smorgasbord of referential fantasy hijinks to fans for nearly a decade and proves the perfect adventure for those seeking an actual play adjacent listen.
Much like the '80s Dungeons & Dragons cartoon, The Once and Future Nerd thrusts unsuspecting teens into a fantasy realm brimming with magic and intrigue. The podcast's first arc, "The Prince of Iorden," follows Pennsylvania high school students Jen, Billy, and Nelson as they're unexpectedly transported to the fantasy world of Iorden. The audio drama's fantasy realm has unfurled beyond its stranger-in-strange-land origins to explore the many rich stories and characters of Iorden over its 10 years.
The Once and Future Nerd Is Influenced By Skyrim and Cabin in the Woods
Zach Glass and Christian Kelley-Madera, the creative team behind The Once and Future Nerd, were inspired to start their podcast after spending a lot of time playing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Not only do video game mechanics and quests inspire the podcast's narrative, but its real-world teenage characters recognize and call out these patterns themselves. Nelson represents a fantasy-fluent audience surrogate as his extracurricular hobbies such as Dungeons & Dragons and World of Warcraft inform his running commentary on the fictional world of Iorden.
Though occupying the audio drama space, The Once and Future Nerd's self-aware tone and whimsical narrator infuse the world with comedic reprieve. Madera has cited that the podcast hopes to achieve Cabin in the Woods' tightrope act of blending genre parody and awareness with a genuine entry into the genre itself. The show exemplifies this hybrid genre send-up, borrowing its namesake from T. H. White's Arthurian fantasy series The Once and Future King.
The Once and Future Nerd Is a Supplement to DnD Actual Play Shows
Despite its decade-long catalog, The Once and Future Nerd offers accessibility in its manageable half-hour episodes. Actual play audiences are accustomed to hundreds of hours' worth of commitment and bingeing, particularly when it comes to big-ticket shows such as Critical Role and Dimension 20. The Once and Future Nerd has plenty of what TTRPG fans have come to love from actual play shows, but it delivers this in a scripted format.
In literature, video games, and TTRPGs, fantasy has long been dual-wielded as an allegory or catalyst to discuss real-world issues such as class, politics, and war. Despite its sometimes-lighthearted approach, The Once and Future Nerd does not shy away from exploring heavier topics such as racism and sexual assault. The audio drama plays into beloved fantasy tropes such as found family and subverts others with characters such as Yllowyyn, a high-elf with a distinctive Southern drawl.
The Once and Future Nerd boasts a talented cast of voice actors, writers, and audio engineers who bring the ongoing fantasy narrative to life with each new installment. The podcast blends humor and high-stakes intrigue in a manner that betrays a long-standing love of the fantasy genre from Skyrim to Dungeons & Dragons and beyond.