Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast

32 episodes listed below

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A Traveller table where the rolls stay on mic.

The gist

Dicehaven is an actual play podcast whose Imperium episodes follow a science-fiction Traveller campaign, with Mason running the game for five players. The mechanics stay in the recording, with checks named and damage tallied, while the table jokes its way through firefights, forced locks and a debate over drive-thru sauce.

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About Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast

Dicehaven is an actual play podcast, and its episodes marked Imperium S01 follow a single science-fiction campaign in the Traveller roleplaying game. Six people share the table. Mason is the GM, and Stan, Bailey, John, Chris and Jeff play the party: among them a warrior priest named Jadis Gant, a human computer specialist, a harpoon engineer named Ruben Glazer and a Katal warrior. Episodes typically open with a roll call of players and characters, and the introductions often pick up a joke or two along the way. After that comes play as it sounds at an actual table. Checks are called by name, from athletics and recon to deception and intelligence, and the totals are read out. When Jadis fires stun shots at checkpoint guards during a reckless drive, the damage comes off endurance, their rudimentary armor absorbs five points, and the GM tags the targets as guard one and guard two to keep them straight. The table even pauses over whether firing from a moving vehicle should cost a penalty before letting the point go. When a roll to force something open fails, the GM flags it, for anyone wondering, as a fail-forward moment: it opens, just very loudly. That openness about the rules is as much a part of the listening as the plot. The plot covers a lot of ground. The episode list includes 'Into the Warzone', 'Battle of the Biodome' and 'Escape from Lanteen', and one excerpt finds the party under a giant glass dome as bombs fall closer, stowing face masks in a van in case the barrier against the toxic atmosphere is breached. Other scenes are quieter. Bailey's computer specialist takes a keen interest in one character's cybernetics, including eye implants that magnify, see in different spectrums and project a heads-up display steered by gaze and blinking. Elsewhere the party follows an address found in a scanned phone book from a space station, then wonders aloud whether the book might be out of date. The humor is loose and frequent. On a bachelor-party outing to an adult club, Jadis is offered credits to win a convert, the offer climbs, and someone observes that nothing is holier than converting for money. A back-and-forth about sweet sauce versus spicy surfaces in the middle of forcing a lock. Someone at the table calls naming the episodes half the fun, and one session wraps with the table settling on 'Lanteeni’s Chicken' as its title. Background music and ambient sound from tabletopaudio.com run beneath the play. The opening minutes also point to a Patreon with bonus content and an Instagram account that posts spoiler-free notes on new episodes, along with pictures Bailey comes up with. Sessions close with a round of thanks and a quick 'Traveller out'.

Made for: Suits a listener who likes hearing a tabletop game's rules calls, checks and damage totals left in the recording, and who enjoys a busy six-person table joking its way through a science-fiction campaign.

What sets it apart: Dicehaven keeps the mechanics audible, from armor soaking stun damage to the GM flagging a failed roll as a fail-forward moment, so the Traveller campaign also shows how the game actually runs. Bombardments and checkpoint shootouts share the recording with sauce jokes and a priest being bribed to win a convert.

In their own words

Dicehaven is an actual play podcast featuring various tabletop RPGs. We're currently playing the Traveller RPG (Mongoose 2nd Edition).

Why you'd press play

One bad cryopod roll and you're suddenly relieved the computer specialist knows when to step away.

Press play if you want

  • to sweat cover penalties and missed shots alongside the players
  • to care whether a crashed crew makes its medical situation worse with one touch
Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
Traveller science-fiction campaignSkill checks and damage rollsStun combat and firefightsCybernetics and future techStealth, locks and deception checksInvestigation from scraps of informationOut-of-character table jokes

Talks about

Best episodes of Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast

Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.

Imperium S01 E32 — Escape from LanteenSep 29, 2020

A checkpoint firefight turns into a messy, funny sprint to orbit.

Episode 32 turns a checkpoint stop into a frantic escape, as Jadis Gant fires non-lethal stun damage from a moving vehicle and the group works out how to get off-planet.

Imperium S01 E31 — Battle of the BiodomeSep 22, 2020

A crate tears open, drones dock, and the city's artificial gravity cuts out beneath a glass dome.

Episode 31 turns a storage-facility scramble into a tense, practical problem. Dasan hacks open the south-side parking lot gate and later shuts down two drones, Ta'ari tears into a metal crate, Jadis stays exposed on the roof, and explosions press closer to the giant glass dome…

Imperium S01 E30 — Lanteeni’s ChickenSep 15, 2020

A noisy storage-facility break-in turns failed checks, circling drones, and a dumpster slide into a tidy cliffhanger.

The episode turns a storage-facility break-in into comic stealth without losing the shape of the action. A noisy metal lock is opened, slid back into place, and left looking locked before anyone comes around, while a food-order detour through Lantine sweet sauce, spicy sauce,…

Imperium S01 E29 — Into the WarzoneSep 8, 2020

A cybernetics check points toward higher technology, an unexplained language, and a ship the available explosives still cannot breach.

Episode 29 stays with Dice Haven's Traveller table as a talk about cybernetics becomes a quiet gauge of how far this setting's technology can reach.

Imperium S01 E28 — Bachelor PartySep 1, 2020

A late-night club visit turns Traveler's party banter into a comic test of Jadis's missionary ambition.

A late-night club stop gives this episode its comic engine, as the Traveler crew turns hidden nuts, light security, and Jadis's possible dancer conversion into a string of practical problems.

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Episodes

  1. 1

    Imperium S01 E32 — Escape from Lanteen

    ["Dice Haven episode 32, \"Escape from Lanteen,\" opens with Mason recapping a giant robot fight, a blast outside the city, and the failure of artificial gravity.", "The table checks the alarms, confirms the dome is still intact, and learns the crew is roughly a month from Imperial space when jump time is counted.", "Jadis spots a bright strike from the sky and identifies it as orbital bombardment, turning the scene into a space-backed ground assault.", "Ta'ari, Ruben, Tasson, and Cradnall Elmasorian Kane pile into a van, drift through low gravity, and hit a checkpoint where smoke, armor, and guards block the airlock."]

    Sep 29, 2020·1h 6m·4 clips
  2. 2

    Imperium S01 E31 — Battle of the Biodome

    Hidden gem

    A storage-facility raid in Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast's "Battle of the Biodome" gets tighter as artillery flashes move closer outside the dome.

    Sep 22, 2020·1h 29m·5 clips
  3. 3

    Imperium S01 E30 — Lanteeni’s Chicken

    Hidden gem

    ["Dice Haven Actual Play Podcast episode 30 follows Mason, Stan, Bailey, John, Chris, and Jeff as they plan a warehouse approach in Lantine on Cavill.", "The crew spots two rooftop security drones with mounted stunners and starts comparing smoke grenades, IR goggles, and range.", "Daxon sketches a chain-link fence, two gates, an attached office, and a two-story storage layout with a middle hallway.", "Lantini's Chicken becomes the cover story for the stakeout, and the menu bit runs through Kick the Bucket meals, chicken gumbo, and puddings before the team debates phone lines and the power transformer."]

    Sep 15, 2020·1h 6m·5 clips
  4. 4

    Imperium S01 E29 — Into the Warzone

    Hidden gem

    Dice Haven episode 29, "Into the Warzone," starts with Daxon unconscious in a limousine after the Double Six escape and two recovered stunners on board.

    Sep 8, 2020·1h 29m·5 clips
  5. 5

    Imperium S01 E28 — Bachelor Party

    Dice Haven's Imperium S01 E28, "Bachelor Party," follows Mason, Stan, Bailey, John, Chris, and Jeff as they stage a covert night around the Double Six while watching for a tail.

    Sep 1, 2020·1h 39m·5 clips
  6. 6

    Imperium S01 E27 — What’s a Telephone Book?

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast episode 27 sends Dasan Nar, Jada Scant, and Ta'ari from a space station over Kavel to locate a woman named Daxon on a planet near an active front line.

    Aug 25, 2020·1h 32m·5 clips
  7. 7

    Imperium S01 E26 — Armed and Ready

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast's "Imperium S01 E26 — Armed and Ready" follows Captain Amasorian Kane's crew as they prepare to locate Daxon in Dane, a city controlled by the Kingdom of Cavill during a planet-wide war.

    Aug 18, 2020·54m·5 clips
  8. 8

    Imperium S01 E25 — WarGames

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast episode “Imperium S01 E25 — WarGames” follows Mason, Stan, Bailey, John, Chris, and Jeff as their Traveller crew travels from Claudius to Thessaly and then Surtalob.

    Aug 11, 2020·1h 17m·5 clips
  9. 9

    Imperium S01 E24 — The Hunt in the Biosphere

    Hidden gem

    Dice Haven Actual Play Podcast episode 24 follows Mason, Stan, Bailey, John, Chris, and Jeff’s Traveller crew as they shop for equipment aboard the Cat’s Claw and meet the Lasset family at the Wiggly Squid.

    Aug 4, 2020·1h 23m·5 clips
  10. 10

    Imperium S01 E23 — Rendezvous on Claudius

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast's “Imperium S01 E23 — Rendezvous on Claudius” follows the Cat's Claw crew as Tassan arranges passage for his mother and sister using fake IDs.

    Jul 28, 2020·1h 17m·5 clips
  11. 11

    Imperium S01 E22 — Landing on Vishna

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast’s “Imperium S01 E22 — Landing on Vishna” resumes after Khatal’s surgery as Captain Kane prepares the Cat’s Claw for its first landing.

    Jul 21, 2020·1h 27m·5 clips
  12. 12

    Imperium S01 E21 — Attack From the Void

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast's Episode 21 follows Mason, Bailey, John, Chris, and Jeff as their Traveler crew treats K'taw after all three physical characteristics reached zero.

    Jul 14, 2020·1h 9m·5 clips
  13. 13

    Imperium S01 E20 — Ktal vs. Ktal

    Hidden gem

    Dice Haven Traveler episode 20 resumes with Mason's crew outside a prison-ship engineering door after Dr.

    Jul 7, 2020·1h 6m·4 clips
  14. 14

    Imperium S01 E19 — The Enigmatic Dr. Firtzgerg

    Dicehaven's Imperium S01 E19 follows Ruben, Katal, Jadis, Captain Kane and Tassan Nar as they push toward engineering on the prison ship Altron after securing a batch of prisoners.

    Jun 30, 2020·59m·2 clips
  15. 15

    Imperium S01 E18 — Imperial Prison Ship Altron

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast, “Imperium S01 E18 — Imperial Prison Ship Altron,” resumes with the crew boarding Altron after a power event freed roughly 500 prisoners.

    Jun 23, 2020·1h 16m·5 clips
  16. 16

    Imperium S01 E17 — Distress Call in Vishna

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast's "Imperium S01 E17 — Distress Call in Vishna" follows the Cat's Claw responding to the prison ship Altron after a power fluctuation disables its lockdown systems.

    Jun 16, 2020·1h 4m·4 clips
  17. 17

    Imperium S01 E16 — Khtao the Ktal

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast’s “Imperium S01 E16 — Khtao the Ktal” introduces Jeff’s new Katal character as he boards the Cat’s Claw for its maiden voyage.

    Jun 9, 2020·1h 36m·5 clips
  18. 18

    Imperium S01 E15 — Leaving Eureka

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast’s “Imperium S01 E15 — Leaving Eureka” follows Tassan Nahr, Admiral Amasorian Kane, Jadis, and Ruben after they rescue Tassan’s sister Shailene.

    Jun 2, 2020·1h 9m·5 clips
  19. 19

    Imperium S01 E14 — Shots in the Dark

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast follows Mason, Stan, Bailey, John, and Chris as their characters prepare a nighttime rescue mission at a warehouse.

    May 26, 2020·1h 22m·5 clips
  20. 20

    Imperium S01 E13 — The Gangs of Eureka

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast’s “Imperium S01 E13 — The Gangs of Eureka” follows Tasson’s search for his kidnapped twin sister while Admiral Amasorian Cain weighs Imperial law against an extraction.

    May 19, 2020·1h 21m·5 clips
  21. 21

    Imperium S01 E12 — Family Ties and Moral Conundrum

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast's "Imperium S01 E12 — Family Ties and Moral Conundrum" follows the Cat's Claw crew from a ship-christening ceremony into Dasan's family visit on Eureka.

    May 12, 2020·1h 18m·5 clips
  22. 22

    Imperium S01 E11 — Maiden Voyage of the Cat’s Claw

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast follows Admiral Amasorian Kane, Jadis Gant, and Tassan Nahr as they reach Eureka to inspect the newly built Cat’s Claw.

    May 5, 2020·1h 16m·5 clips
  23. 23

    Imperium S01 E10 — Talk Amongst Yourselves

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast's Imperium S01 E10 follows Jadis Gant, Tasson, and Admiral Amasorian Kane as they travel from Methodium toward Eureka after the events on Yance.

    Apr 28, 2020·1h 10m·5 clips
  24. 24

    Imperium S01 E09 — The Dogyssey

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast's "Imperium S01 E09 — The Dogyssey" follows Mason's Traveler session as Jadis Gant, Tasson, and Ruben Glazer leave Yance and regroup at the Kowloon barony hub.

    Apr 21, 2020·1h 18m·5 clips
  25. 25

    Imperium S01 E08 — Space Exercises

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast's Traveler episode follows Jadis Gant, Tassan Nahr, Ruben Glazer, and referee Mason as they seek transport off Yance after a crash and attacks by a large creature.

    Apr 14, 2020·1h 3m·4 clips
  26. 26

    Imperium S01 E07 — Running Low on Bullets

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast’s “Imperium S01 E07 — Running Low on Bullets” follows the party’s attempt to retrieve remaining survivors before a facility’s resupply ship arrives around midday.

    Apr 7, 2020·1h 32m·5 clips
  27. 27

    Imperium S01 E06 — The Secret Base

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast's "Imperium S01 E06 — The Secret Base" follows Mason's Traveler campaign as Jadis Gant, Tassan Nahr, Admiral Amasorian Kane, Buzz, and Doc Narlin investigate a mountain doorway beneath an enclosed skybridge.

    Mar 31, 2020·1h 36m·5 clips
  28. 28

    Imperium S01 E05 — Adding a Bit of Spice

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast's “Imperium S01 E05 — Adding a Bit of Spice” follows Mason, Stan, Bailey, and John as survivors of a crashed ship investigate observers near a mountain range.

    Mar 24, 2020·1h 8m·4 clips
  29. 29

    Imperium S01 E04 — Cats Attack!

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast's Imperium S01 E04 follows survivors of a crashed ship as genetically modified alien creatures repeatedly attack their base camp.

    Mar 17, 2020·1h 6m·4 clips
  30. 30

    Imperium S01 E03 — Is There a Doctor in the House?

    Hidden gem

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast’s “Imperium S01 E03 — Is There a Doctor in the House?” follows the Tenderfoot survivors as they search for Keith Narwin, a surgeon listed on the ship’s manifest.

    Mar 10, 2020·1h 24m·5 clips
  31. 31

    Imperium S01 E01 — Crash Landing!

    Dicehaven Actual Play Podcast begins the Imperium campaign at Zemus, where Admiral Kane, Reuben Glazer, and Jadis Gant board the Tenderfoot for a three-to-four-week trip to Eureka.

    Mar 4, 2020·1h 10m·5 clips
  32. 32

    Imperium S01 E02 — A Ship in Two Pieces

    Hidden gem

    Mason's Dice Haven Traveler Actual Play Podcast episode follows the Tenderfoot's crash on Yance after a misjump during its route from Zamas toward Eureka in the Concordia subsector.

    Mar 4, 2020·1h 12m·5 clips