About Us
Mage Hand High Five is a multiple award winning, queer-led Actual Play adventure podcast.
Join our nationwide gang of established actors from Seattle to NYC as they delve into genres not normally explored in tabletop gaming.
Our first major campaign, “The Badlands,” is a fantasy western epic about a trio of outlaws searching for family and the nature of magic as they rebel against capitalist warmongers across a ravaged frontier.
We’ve also had multiple smaller adventures using a range of indie systems, from the horror pastiche “Terror at Camp Craven” to the CRIT award-nominated “Welcome to the Silly Goose Convention.”
Meet the Team
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DUNGEON MASTER in “THE BADLANDS”
Casey Papas (he/him) is an award-winning podcaster, actor, and writer. A more recent TTRPG player, he was first turned on to D&D by The Adventure Zone, and is still an avid fan. Before podcasting, he worked as a touring actor, performing on stages in Alaska, Canada, and Japan. When not working on The Badlands, Casey spends his time writing poetry and playing with his cat, Jinx.
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MARKETING MANAGER, HAYDEN KINCAIDE IN “THE BADLANDS”
Robin Langenhop (they/them) is an accomplished performer of stage, screen, and audio, currently based in Seattle, WA. Outside their award-winning work as Hayden Kincaide in “The Badlands,” they’ve also sat in the Dungeon Master’s chair for the recurring horror pastiche “Terror at Camp Craven” with the podcast and guested on other shows such as The QueerXP. They’ve performed across the country, including Cleveland’s Great Lakes Theater, Kenny Rogers’ Christmas Special, and the annual White House Easter Egg Roll in our nation’s capitol.
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EDITOR, SALOME BRIAR in “THE BADLANDS”
Rowan McStay (they/them) is an award-winning actual play editor and performer based in Brooklyn, NY. Catch them as Salome Briar in The Badlands, Lane deMar in the Cravenverse, and as a frequent guest on Twice Rolled Tales. Outside of tabletop, they work as an actor, arts administrator, and long-suffering cat parent. Select credits include Into the Woods (Cinderella), Company (Amy), Cabaret (Ensemble), and Sondheim on Sondheim. MA Musical Theatre, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
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BUSINESS MANAGER, STUHMP STEENLING/WYATT FORSYTHE in “THE BADLANDS”
MaxWeinberg (he/him) is a Western Massachusetts based actor. He first discovered Actual Play as an entertainment medium while studying for his MA in Musical Theatre at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. When not working on Mage Hand High Five he spends his time playing Magic: The Gathering, watching the various Boston sports teams, or going for hikes with his dog and partner.
50,000+ Downloads
50+ Episodes
5.0 Average Spotify Review
4,500+ Monthly Listens
What You Can Expect
Narrative-focused actual play
Immersive sound design
Balance of drama/comedy
Strong ensemble cast
Queer stories
Found families
Anti-capitalism
Genre Stories
Epic adventure
Adult humor (PG 13)
Guests and Collaborators
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Elliott Davis
GUEST GM — SILLY GOOSE CONVENTION
Producer and Designer from “Many Sided Media”
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Jacob Kerzner
COMPOSER — THE BADLANDS
Musician, Conductor, and Associate Editor for the George and Ira Gershwin Critical Edition
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Jasmin Malave
GUEST PLAYER — THE BADLANDS
Actor, Star in the Off-Broadway production “Twenty-Sided Tavern”
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Evan Noone
GUEST GM — ART HEIST: A VYDAL CITY LEGEND
Game Designer of “Twice Dead in Terminus” and “Vydal City”
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Imani Russell
GUEST PLAYER — CRAVENVERSE
Singer/Actor, Star in the Original Broadway Cast of “How to Dance in Ohio”
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Linnie Schell
GUEST GM — THE NOT-SO-GREAT LANDS
Game Master of “Twice Rolled Tales,” Game Designer of “Tabletop Gone Mad”
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Kendo Smith
GUEST INTERVIEW
Creator and Producer of “Tales Yet Told”
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Shane Smith
ART DESIGNER
Creator of the Mage Hand High Five Logo and “The Badlands” Cover Art
Awards & Nominations
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CRIT Awards (2024)
Best One Shot - “Welcome to the Silly Goose Convention” (Nominated)
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New Jersey Webfest (2024)
Outstanding Fantasy Actual Play Podcast (Win)
Best Ensemble Cast of an Actual Play Podcast (Win)
Best Editing of an Actual Play (Win)
Best Original Player Character in an Actual Play Podcast - Rowan McStay (Nominated)
Best Original Music in an Actual Play - Jacob Kerzner (Nominated)
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Cusco Webfest (2025)
Best International Actual Play Podcast (Win)
Best Ensemble Cast (Win)
Best Sound Design (Win)
Best Editing (Win)
Best GM - Casey Papas (Nominated)
Best Player Character (Nominated)
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LA Webfest (2025)
Best Actual Play (Nominated)
Best Story (Nominated)
What People Are Saying…
“If you’re not a player of DND but interested in the experience, this is your podcast! All of the characters make me feel like I’m in the game and they’re taking me along on their journey. I’ve laughed out loud in every episode.”
— LambeauLeapin, Apple Podcasts
“This podcast takes the fantasy western genre to new highs with sharp storytelling, great voice acting, and a quality score. Lots of fun for Dungeons and Dragons fans looking for a fun, new variation of this kind of podcast.”
— rationale01, Apple Podcasts
“My ultimate metric on whether or not I like an Actual Play is if it makes me feel like I’m sitting at a table playing with friends, and this show has that in spades!”