Do We Play RPGs Better Now Than in the Past? Ep 012 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-06-03 | Today, we talk with one of the most significant game designers of his generation: Jonathan Tweet. Best well known for being the lead designer on 3rd edition D&D, Tweet's D20 rolling fantasy game, 13th Age, is Kickstarting its second edition right now!
The Best Defense of Orc as Other We’ve Heard: Ep. 29 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-10-16 | If you give your villians psychology, do they lose their mythic status? Scott & Ben examine that and the debate between narrative-ism and game-ism in the TTRPG space on today's show!
A Tolkien Scholar, a Tolkien Game Designer, and Me: A talk with John Rateliff and Gareth Hanrahan Reading D&D Aloud 2024-10-07 | Gollum getting Sam those rabbits seems out of character somehow... Could there be something more behind it? I run a podcast, so I got Tolkien scholar John Rateliff and The One Ring game writer Gareth Hanrahan on the show to discusss!Buy The History of the Hobbit by John Rateliff here! As I write this, it is 50% off on Amazon!Sign up to be notified of the launch of Trail of Cthulhu 2nd edition here: backerkit.com/call_to_action/34bae629-fe97-4643-97b1-d6efc8a14267/landingLearn more about the Tolkien collection at Marquette University here: https://www.marquette.edu/library/archives/tolkien.php
Time is a Flat Circle Ep. 27 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-09-30 | It's digression all the way down on this one folks!Are you looking for the juiciest of juice and the hottest of tea? Well, Ben has released his Gen Con 2024 seminar, "The Battle for the Soul of D&D," which is the culmination of dozens of hours of interviews with former Wizards of the Coast employees, and may be a sort of rough draft of his next book. The things he's heard will shock you! But the only way to get it is to become a subscriber on Patreon. Patreon subscribers will be getting a special seminar once per month from Ben, access to our Discord, and the joy of knowing they are supporting journalism and history through their current dark age.
Who Really Created Dungeons & Dragons? Ep. 26 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-09-17 | A reading of the spell Cure Blindness leads to the King James Bible, and a discussion of the most-controversial of D&D topics: the contributions of Gygax vs. Arneson in the creation of D&D.Are you looking for the juiciest of juice and the hottest of tea? Well, Ben has released his Gen Con 2024 seminar, "The Battle for the Soul of D&D," which is the culmination of dozens of hours of interviews with former Wizards of the Coast employees, and may be a sort of rough draft of his next book. The things he's heard will shock you! But the only way to get it is to become a subscriber on Patreon. Patreon subscribers will be getting a special seminar once per month from Ben, access to our Discord, and the joy of knowing they are supporting journalism and history through their current dark age.Patreon: patreon.com/user?u=121641556&utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
Was Gary Gygax Great or Lucky? Ep. 25 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-09-09 | Was Gygax a great game designer? Or was he merely in the right place at the right time to connect and publish world-shaking ideas? We discuss, along with the implications of "Continual Light" from that 1st Ed DMG.
Interview with Dr. Thomas Malaby Ep. 24 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-09-02 | In this erudite and thoughtful episode, world-renowned anthropologist Dr. Thomas Malaby joins Scott & Ben to discuss the practice and history of the tabletop role-playing game.Fascinated by the ideas of Dr. Malaby? Get more of him on September 9th, when he teaches an online class at the Royal Anthropological Institute entitled, "Legitimacy through Contingency, or How to Do Things with Games. Click here to register to attend: therai.org.uk/events/events-calendar/eventdetail/894/-/anthropology-of-play-and-games-thomas-malaby?filter_reset=1
D&D Should Be More Like Reading, Less Like Playing Risk Ep. 23 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-08-26 | Does D&D succeed in translating the mythology of the vampire to the gaming table?Is the ritual of the tabletop role-playing game a rehearsal and practice for our own deaths?Today, we ponder these and other questions in our continuing discussion of combat as war vs. combat as sport with Harvard's own, Dr. Christopher Robichaud! Pick up the Robichaud-edited Dungeons & Dragons & Philosophy here: wiley.com/en-us/Dungeons+and+Dragons+and+Philosophy%3A+Read+and+Gain+Advantage+on+All+Wisdom+Checks-p-9781118397640Get a primer on old school gaming by Matthew J. Finch here: friendorfoe.com/d/Old%20School%20Primer.pdfNext month, we'll be releasing another of Ben's Gen Con seminars to Patrons. If you want that juicy historical goodness, join our Patreon here: patreon.com/posts/110790187?pr=true
Vampires, Combat as War or Sport, and Satanists at Harvard Ep. 22 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-08-20 | This conversation goes places I'd never imagined it going. Today, we discuss 1E vampires, whether combat is war or sport, Satanists at Harvard, and zombie pandemics with Dr. Christopher Robichaud, the senior lecturer in ethics and public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Dr. Robichaud's TED talk is here: ted.com/talks/christopher_robichaud_how_i_used_dungeons_dragons_to_teach_ethics?subtitle=enMy interview with the Hickmans about Curse of Strahd is here: plotpoints.libsyn.com/68-dds-next-release-will-be-curse-of-strahd-0Join us on Patreon! Hear Ben's seminar on 4th edition D&D from Gen Con 2023 with your Patreon subscription! We'll be releasing a seminar a month to our Patreon supporters. Join our Patreon here: patreon.com/user?u=121641556&utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkIf the Sentients Kickstarter sounded good, you can back it here: kickstarter.com/projects/t3db0t/sentients-the-role-playing-game-of-artificial-consciousness
Is this the worst sentence in the 1st ed DMG? Ep. 21 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-08-12 | "Animate Dead: It is, of course, possible to animate the skeletons or corpses of demi-human and humanoid, as well as human, sort." -pg. 41 of the 1st edition Advanced Dungeon Masters Guide.Is that the worst sentence in the book? It is confusing, ill-constructed, and hideous to the ear. Or is it merely the worst sentence so far? Scott and Ben discuss!Join us on Patreon! Hear Ben's seminar on 4th edition D&D from Gen Con 2023 with your Patreon subscription! We'll be releasing a seminar a month to our Patreon supporters. Join our Patreon here!
The Spells in the 1st Ed PHB Don’t Match the DMG! Ep 20 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-08-05 | Scott & Ben continue their exploration of spells as described in the DMG, and discover more examples of spells with contradictory instructions in the two AD&D corebooks!
Source Says Weekly WotC Meetings Like “Christians being thrown to lions.” Ep 19 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-07-29 | Regrettably, sources are confirming what we all fear: that Hasbro's digital future will leave little room for Dungeons & Dragons as we know it. Ben & Scott discuss.
It Doesnt Matter Who Is CEO at Wizards of the Coast Ep 18 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-07-22 | Last week, the empty position of CEO at Wizards of the Coast was filled. But does it really matter at all when Chris Cocks, the gentleman who thought ending the OGL was a good idea is still running Hasbro? Ben and Scott discuss, and also talk over the spell light from both the 1st edition PHB and DMG.
Nets in 5E with Vocal Talent Madeleine Craig! Ep 17 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-07-15 | Today, we take time to talk to the third voice of our show, Madeleine Craig! Madeleine is an actress and long-time DM who got her start with 5th edition.
In Which We Discuss The New Orc Art- Ep 16 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-07-09 | Given the racist tropes baked into the fantasy genre, how does the institution of D&D move forward into a brighter, better future? Are there also questions of stories for children versus stories for adults to be weighed? And all that is bookended by a discussion on spells in AD&D 1st edition.
Cthulhu in 1st Ed AD&D Ep 008 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-07-08 | Cthulhu is an unknowable eldritch blasphemy. How many hit points does it have? Was it copyright infringement for this octopoid monstrosity to appear in an AD&D product? Find out today when Ben & Scott talk to Jim Lowder, TSR alumnus, master freelancer, and specialist on the big green guy.
The Religious Work of D&D Ep 009 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-07-08 | If you have not heard Dr. Joseph Laycock speak about the religious elements of tabletop role-playing games, prepare to have your mind blown. This conversation is like nothing you've heard before. Check out his book on D&D and other RPGs here: amazon.com/stores/author/B002I728MQWe enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that deep down, you really are the best: patreon.com/user?u=121641556&utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
The Ugly Portrayal of Indigenous Cultures in AD&D- Episode 15 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-06-24 | We read aloud "Tribal Spellcasting" from the 1st edition AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide, and reflect on how it codifies ugly stereotypes into the game. We also read sections from "Hack the Orcs, Loot the Tomb, and Take the Land" by Daniel Heath Justice, which you can and should read here:https://www.rascal.news/hack-the-orcs-loot-the-tomb-and-take-the-land/
How Does D&D Magic Compare to the Occult Tradition? Ep 14 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-06-17 | You will not hear a conversation like this anywhere else.Today, historian of magic, author, and eldritch librarian Dan Harms joins Dr. Scott Bruner, TTRPG academic, & Ben Riggs, D&D historian, to discuss a simple question: Was the D&D magic system a break with existing western occult tradition, or a break from it? The conversation takes us from real-world wandering medieval mage-priests to the pages of the blasphemous Necronomicon itself!Dan recommended a few books for our audience:Defining Magic: A ReaderWitch BottlesThe Book of Four Occult PhilosophersAuthentic ThaumaturgyThe Necronomicon FilesWe enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that deep down, you really are the best.
What Fuels the D&D Magic System? Ep 13 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-06-10 | When you cast Fireball, what really happens in the fiction of the game? Today, Scott Bruner & Ben Riggs take a look at that very question by continuing to examine the "Magic" chapter of the 1st edition AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide.We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that deep down, you really are the best: patreon.com/user?u=121641556&utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkImage by Jeff Easley and courtesy Wizards of the Coast.
Does the D&D Magic System Suck Ep 010 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-05-29 | Would anyone designing a magic system for an RPG today use D&D's fire-and-forget magic system? A reading from the DMG on how the Illusionist gets their spells spins into RPG history and, shockingly, a link to Scott's dissertation.We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that deep down, you really are the best.
How the 1st Ed Wizard Got Their Spells- Ep 007 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-05-29 | A discussion on how 1st edition Wizards got their spells leads us down unexpected paths, and leads us to Dr. Joseph Laycok's Dangerous Games...
Whats Worth More XP? Nuclear Weapons or Satans Own Pitchfork? Ep 011 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-05-28 | Scott & Ben read an ancient OSR oddity aloud with D&D and 13th Age designer Rob Heinsoo! The book is both deeply weird and incredibly inspiring. Imagine a TTRPG world with phasers, machine guns, ESP, evil wizards, demigods, and reincarnation. Did you know that 13th Age, the premier D20-rolling fantasy TTRPG, is funding a 2nd edition right now? Back 13th Age here: kickstarter.com/projects/pelgranepress/13th-age-second-edition-storytelling-action-fantasy-gameYou can buy Arduin Grimoire here: drivethrurpg.com/en/product/373165/Arduin-TrilogyWe enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that deep down, you really are the best: patreon.com/user?u=121641556&utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
How Would You Save D&D if You Were the New CEO? Ep 006 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-05-21 | Cynthia Williams is out at WotC, which begs the question: If you were hired as the new CEO, what would you do to right the ship of game and sail us all to safer waters? We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that deep down, you really are the best.
How Faithful Does a Polytheistic Cleric Have to Be? Ep 005 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-05-06 | Today, we examine how clerics get their spells, and discuss what did and did not influence Gary Gygax in the creation of the cleric. We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that deep down, you really are the best: patreon.com/user?u=121641556&utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
Reading Time Aloud From the 1st Ed DMG Reading D&D Aloud 2024-05-06 | This week, Scott & Ben look at a piece of text which has proved shockingly influential: "Time." Click here to read about Ben Robbins's original West Marches campaign: arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/78/grand-experiments-west-marchesClick here to read more about West Marches: secretsofthebarrowmaze.com/what-is-a-west-marches-campaignWe enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that deep down, you really are the best: patreon.com/user?u=121641556&utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
The TSR Tolkien Letters Ep 003 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-04-25 | In 1992, TSR attempted to acquire the rights to produce Lord of the Rings roleplaying products. How much do you think they offered for the rights?Thanks to Tolkien scholar John Rateliff, we now know the answer! Ben & Scott read aloud the actual correspondence between TSR and Tolkien representatives that reveals the shocking answer.We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that deep down, you really are the best. Patreon: patreon.com/user?u=121641556&utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
The Truth About the Last 10 Years at Wizards of the Coast Episode 002 Reading D&D Aloud 2024-04-22 | In December, Wizards fired numerous key members of the D&D team. Ben, of course, has been interviewing them. In another episode in which we fail to so much as read a single sentence of D&D aloud, Ben and Scott discuss the truth of what has been happening at Wizards these past 10 years... Let's talk on Discord! Join our Patreon and for the price of a cup of coffee per month, keep the show up and releasing episodes weekly, and chat with Scott and Ben on the Discord! Ben promises to talk, even though he hates Discord! Patreon: patreon.com/user?u=121641556&utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
Reading Aloud Zeb Cooks Intro to the 2nd Ed Players Handbook Reading D&D Aloud 2024-04-08 | A historian and an academic read and talk over the intro to the 2nd edition Player's Handbook for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons!Let's talk on Discord! Join our Patreon and for the price of a cup of coffee per month, keep the show up and releasing episodes weekly, and chat with Scott and Ben on the Discord! Ben promises to talk, even though he hates Discord! Patreon: patreon.com/user?u=121641556
