About Us

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Mage Hand High Five is a multiple award winning, queer-led Actual Play adventure podcast.

A smartphone displaying a podcast app playing episode 32 of 'High Five The Badlands', titled 'Peacemaker', with a cover art featuring a desert landscape with a train crossing a bridge and a castle on a hill in the background.

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.

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100,000+ Downloads

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80+ Episodes

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130+ Perfect Spotify Review Scores

7,000+ Monthly Listens

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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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    Anjali Bhimani

    GUEST INTERVIEW

    Stage, Screen, and Voice Actor, Player on Critical Role and Dimension 20

    LISTEN TO ANJALI'S INTERVIEW
  • A young man with dark hair tied back, beard, wearing a yellow hoodie and plaid shirt, outdoors with blurred trees in the background.

    Elliott Davis

    GUEST GM — SILLY GOOSE CONVENTION

    Producer and Designer from “Many Sided Media”

    Listen to Elliott's Episode
  • Portrait of a woman with dark hair in a ponytail, wearing a multicolored shirt and a blue jacket, against a plain white background.

    Jenn de la Vega

    GUEST PLAYER — LEGENDS OF MAHL

    Author, Chef, Player in “Fun City Ventures”

    LISTEN TO JENN'S EPISODES
  • Smiling man with glasses and beard, wearing a brown shirt, standing against a dark background with colorful lighting.

    Robin Ekberg

    GUEST PLAYER — THANK GOD IT’S DOOMSDAY

    Producer and GM of “The Atomless”, Co-Host of Dorkspawn

    Listen to Robin's EPISODES
  • A man with glasses and a beard smiling outdoors with autumn orange and red leaves in the background.

    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”

    Listen to Jasmin's Episodes
  • A woman with curly black hair wearing stylish glasses, a septum piercing, and bold makeup, smiling in front of a wall with a framed artwork.

    Candace the Magnificent

    GUEST PLAYER — LEGENDS OF MAHL

    Co-Host of “3 Black Halflings”

    LISTEN TO CANDACE'S EPISODES
  • Man with a beard and shaved head, smiling with arms crossed, standing in front of a wall decorated with picture frames and a wall light.

    Dain Miller

    GUEST INTERVIEW — THE DICE CABINET

    Cast Member of “No Quest for the Wicked”

    LISTEN TO DAIN'S EPISODE
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    Evan Noone

    GUEST GM — ART HEIST: A VYDAL CITY LEGEND

    Game Designer of “Twice Dead in Terminus” and “Vydal City”

    LISTEN TO EVAN'S EPISODE
  • A young woman with short dark hair smiling in front of a bookshelf filled with books and photo frames.

    Sophia Ricciardi

    GUEST INTERVIEW — THE DICE CABINET

    Cast Member of “Rolling With Difficulty”

    LISTEN TO SOPHIA'S EPISODE
  • Close-up portrait of a young person with short curly dark hair, wearing a red crochet top, gold earrings, and a septum piercing, against a peach background.

    Imani Russell

    GUEST PLAYER — CRAVENVERSE

    Singer/Actor, Star in the Original Broadway Cast of “How to Dance in Ohio”

    Listen to Imani's Episodes
  • A woman with short hair styled in a side part, wearing earrings, red lipstick, a black blazer, and a necklace, leaning against a white brick wall.

    Linnie Schell

    GUEST GM — THE NOT-SO-GREAT LANDS

    Game Master of “Twice Rolled Tales,” Game Designer of “Tabletop Gone Mad”

    Listen to Linnie's Episode
  • A man with short hair and a beard, wearing a light-colored shirt with small skull patterns, stands in front of a backdrop with blue and white cloud-like patterns, looking off to the side.

    Kendo Smith

    GUEST INTERVIEW

    Creator and Producer of “Tales Yet Told”

    LISTEN TO KENDO'S EPISODE
  • Portrait of a smiling man with short dark hair and stubble, wearing a denim jacket over a white and blue striped shirt, against a turquoise wall background.

    Shane Smith

    ART DESIGNER

    Creator of the Mage Hand High Five Logo and “The Badlands” Cover Art

  • A woman with curly hair and dark lipstick looking over her shoulder in a colorful, blurred background.

    Amelia Som

    GUEST INTERVIEW — THE DICE CABINET

    Cast Member of “Unprepared Casters,” Co-Host of “Critical Lit”

    LISTEN TO AMELIA'S EPISODE
  • Close-up of a man with dark hair and a beard, smiling, against a white brick wall.

    Shenuque Tissera

    GUEST PLAYER — THANK GOD IT’S DOOMSDAY

    Co-Founder of “Many Sided Media”

    LISTEN TO SHENUQUE'S EPISODES
  • Close-up of a woman with long wavy brown hair, wearing clear glasses, a beige beanie, and a patterned top, standing indoors near a wall with small wall-mounted planters.

    Kenzie Tartaglione

    GUEST INTERVIEW — THE DICE CABINET

    Creator and GM for “queeRPG”

    LISTEN TO KENZIE'S EPISODE

Awards & Nominations

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    CRIT Awards (2024)

    Best One Shot - “Welcome to the Silly Goose Convention” (Nominated)

  • Award badge with red laurel leaves, black and red text that reads 'Award Winner NJ Web Fest 2024'.

    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)

  • Design for the 2025 Cusco WebFest award with a stylized outline of a llama, event name, and the text "Award Winner" on a dark background.

    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)

  • Logo for APULIAWEBFEST 2025, featuring colorful geometric shapes, with a laurel wreath surrounding the text 'APULIAWEBFEST NOMINATION 2025' on a white background.

    Apulia Webfest (2025)

    Best Actual Play Podcast (Nominated)

  • Logo for NZ Web Fest with purple background, yellow cross, and white text reading 'NZ WEB FEST'

    New Zealand Webfest (2025)

    Best Cast of an Audio Actual Play Podcast (Nominated)

  • Rio Web Fest logo with an orange circular symbol and black text.

    Rio Webfest (2025)

    Best Audio Actual Play RPG (Nominated)

    Best Player in an Actual Play - Robin Langenhop (Nominated)

  • Digital neon-style outline of a hand giving a thumbs up, with the words '2026 OFFICIAL SELECTION' written in neon text around it, indicating an awards or film festival recognition.

    Cusco Webfest (2026)

    Best Game Master - Casey Papas (Win)

    Best Player Character - Robin Langenhop (Win)

    Best Audio Actual Play (Nominated)

    Best Sound Design - Rowan McStay (Nominated)

  • Logo for BNM Webfest 2026 featuring a stylized pair of scissors and a film strip with purple accents.

    Baltimore Next Media Web Fest (2026)

    Best Cast in an Actual Play - Audio (Win)

    Best Actual Play - Audio (Nominated)

    Best GM of an Actual Play - Casey Papas (Nominated)

    Best Performance in an Actual Play - Rowan McStay (Nominated)

    Best Sound Design in an Actual Play - Audio (Nominated)

    Best Soundtrack in an Actual Play (Nominated)

    Best Art in an Actual Play (Nominated)

    Most Creative Actual Play (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!”

— Diceroller,

Apple Podcasts