Spout Lore - Podcast Rankings and reviews

Spout Lore is all of the chaos and fun of a bunch of friends playing make believe–and accidentally crafting a world that is rich with unique lore and refreshing takes on common fantasy tropes. Fans of The Adventure Zone: Balance and Dimension 20’s A Crown of Candy will really enjoy this show—assuming you don’t mind plenty of toilet jokes and crass sex humor.

When Wizards left the world a hundred years ago, they took magic with them, and the world was thrown into chaos as its magical infrastructures dissolved.

Tuk, Vyng and Billie are a standard triad of adventurers who have been working together for a few months when the story begins. We meet them after they’ve been hired by Colonel Dan to escort him to the Hot Dog Festival, where they learn about nearby monsters that are wreaking havoc on local townspeople. When they stumble upon a mysterious box coveted by some local bollywogs (newly sapient frog people), they get recruited by a secret society dedicated to keeping magic and magical artifacts divorced from the world.

While this might sound like standard (albeit silly) fantasy, the Dungeon World system allows the cast to craft a beautifully unique world that becomes richer and more interesting with each episode, especially once the players themselves completely buy in.

What’s most refreshing is having a fantasy setting that heavily explores non-Western fantasy elements. Makaal specifically is a wonderfully crafted setting that pulls heavily from middle-eastern mythology and culture, spearheaded by Egyptian-Canadian comedian Abdul Aziz. The party also ventures to the Frozen North, which is inspired by the harsher parts of the players’ native Canada. Both of these locations get more airtime in the second half of the show, with bits of their culture, history and folklore sprinkled throughout the episodes leading up to their respective arcs.

Of course, an actual-play podcast is nothing without a strong cast, and they are the true lifeblood of Spout Lore, both as players and characters.

Paul Oppers plays the half-elf Druid, Vyng Vang Zumba. The shapeshifter provides silly wanderer energy, which becomes a rich family drama. Paul is a very balanced player and acts as a strong glue for the family that The Wandering Three become. Paul also has a quick wit, and his ability to find a punchline within moments is unmatched.

Abdul Aziz plays the human barbarian, Tachome Dhaume (Tuk). He is by far the goofiest player and most likely to go off the rails, but once he buys in, his character and world-building become some of the best parts of the show.

Jessica Tai plays the halfling child-thief, Fat Billie. Jessica as a player is the only cast member who has not worked as a professional comedian, and at the beginning of the show, I worried she was going to be left behind by the others or just talked over. Once she gets comfortable with both performing and playing the game, however, she brings the HEAT. Billie’s character, especially as his background is revealed, is so complex and interesting, and Jessica’s ideas lead to some of the best moments of the show.

Shawn O’Hara ties it all together as the Game Master. It is a true testament to his strength as a storyteller, worldbuilder, and GM that he can so consistently “yes, and” his players’ stupid jokes and create something truly beautiful.

Spout Lore is, at its core, a story about found family. The players and characters have great chemistry together, and they always gas up each other’s ideas. It’s a shame that I’m coming in to this show when it is so close to finishing, but I’m glad I’m here and very excited to see where the show goes.

I’ve listened to Spout Lore since nearly the beginning and it’s my most beloved podcast. The mix of stupid humor with truly creative world building and moments of emotional weight ticks all the boxes for me. Shawn, Jessica, Paul & Abdul have such fun banter and support each other’s ideas so well. This game has made me laugh & cry, and brought me so many hours of comfort and entertainment as I work. Their recent performance expansion to video content is also great because they’re all adorable to look at. I’m currently on a re-listen between new episodes; I think season 4 is where things really get into a groove.

I’ve listened all the way through this show twice. It’s wholesome, dirty, funny, the world building is insane, and the music…everyone works together so well. Check it out if you love D&D or other RPGs.

This show is truly a masterpiece of comedy, storytelling and world building.
Season 6 alone may be my favorite piece of content across any media ever.
Truly these 4 bumbling idiots (with love) deserve more praise for their work than any of us listeners could possibly give.