Bards of Aratai is a D&D AP show designed to be accessible to tweens and grown ups alike! This story follows the adventures of three very different bards as they uncover mysteries, sing songs, and look fabulous doing it!

*Note: I have listened to episodes 1-9. Content past episode 9 may differ from what is in the review below.

*Second note: I try to not give away major spoilers, but there may be some light spoilers throughout the review so that I can talk about some of the key points for you to check out

• What is Bards of Aratai about?
• Who would Bards of Aratai be great for?
• What is unique about Bards of Aratai?
• Favorite parts and episodes from Bards of Aratai
• Where to find Bards of Aratai?

What is Bards of Aratai about?

Bards of Aratai is a D&D actual play show on Youtube featuring a cast of one GM and three players… who are all playing bards! Starting with a high action chase scene, the adventure takes them on a quest to uncover mysterious potion-themed plots and a cursed conspiracy across a lively city.

I REALLY am trying hard to not say anything further on the plot so I don’t spoil anything, so I’ll mostly leave it there, saying that it is a GREAT story, and I seriously enjoyed finding out where it was all going. There was definitely an “oh no!” kind of moment when the baddie’s plot was revealed… and we found out how far along it had already gone.

Who would Bards of Aratai be great for?

Bards of Aratai is made to be pretty accessibile to a wide audience – toned in a way that kids can connect but that adults are still interested in as well. It’s fast paced, exciting, and full of a variety of encounters, social interactions, and other events that keep you guessing and engaged.

Combat descriptions don’t get gory, and I don’t recall there being any foul langague while I listened along. One of the bards is a bit flirty, but there’s nothing explicit. There is a scene where the players are trying to get info from an alchemist (who did some pretty bad stuff) that ends with the alchemist dying, so, with that, I would say this is maybe OK for 8+ or 10+ depending on your kid. Again, nothing explicit or gory, just a heads up that it’s got that one scene in case it might bother some younger players.

What is unique about Bards of Aratai?

In real life, all three players in Bards of Aratai are singers, so they sprinkle in bits of singing throughout the game while playing their troupe of bards. The GM, Vahid, also has a background in composing music and in children’s television.

All this means that the sound quality is GREAT and there are lots of fun musical bits and reference integrated into the story! It makes for a fun experience, plus you can see how everyone involved knows what they’re doing and seems to really enjoy using their talents for the show.

Favorite parts and episodes from Bards of Aratai

One of my favorite parts was early in the campaign where the chase scene took our heros across a family gathering… and everyone (from the courrier that they were chasing to the party) failed their rolls and crashed into various parts of this family’s feast! It was slapsticky and a fun way to end the pursuit.

I also really liked how the players found out what was going on with the potions. There was a moment of… oh, let’s use [ITEM] to help this hurt person! Wait… what’s going on? OH NO!!!

And then they did it again.

That was a GREAT reveal moment and a great summary of how the party’s chaos drove the plot forward in a wonderful way.

Where to find Bards of Aratai?

You can find Bards of Aratai here on the Dice Legenz Youtube channel!

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