GM Word of the Week

Latest Episodes:

Water Clock Jun 03, 2017

Show notes

We've explored exploration, sailed through sailing, and navigated our way around navigation, but, at last, the time has come to wrap it all up in the final part of our three part series. What better way to do it than by discussing the final invention that made it all what it is today? Inside, you'll find information on Egyptians, Galileo, Huygens, Greece, Ptolemy, Mathematics, Science, and more. Along with one of the saddest stories we've ever told. About a man who didn't have enough time. Support the show on Patreon.

Dead Reckoning May 26, 2017

Show notes

Last time we talked about boats and sailing. This time, in part 2, we talk about navigation, or "why it's so hard to get from here to there if you don't have any idea where you are". And even harder if you don't know where you're going. Along the way we'll meet Genghis Khan, a Norseman and his bird, and someone from Greece who may or may not exist. There's high seas adventure, getting permanently lost, finding stars, bears, needles, and bits of wood. You'd hardly believe we can fit it all into one episode. Which is why next week is part 3. We are entirely supported by listeners like you on Patreon.

Carrack May 19, 2017

Show notes

Just sit right back and you'll hear a tale, A tale of a fateful trip That started from this tropic port Aboard this tiny ship.... Speaking of ships, let's talk about travel, science, Archimedes, Final Fantasy, crowns, wars, Egypt, China, and flying academies. That should be enough to convince you that there is a pretty major problem with travel in Dungeons & Dragons and a few other fantasy world's as well. The edge of the world awaits! Support us on Patreon.

Ninjato May 12, 2017

Show notes

One of our listeners wrote in to correct us on a fact we gave some time ago. It has something to do with Ninja Turtles. And swords. And ancient Japan and comic books and the '60s and Star Wars and museums and... well... a lot, really. As these things do. We're always happy to hear from our listeners and to be corrected about our errors. Letting us know we've made an error is perfectly acceptable. When we have made one. Which we haven't. Because this listener is wrong. Maybe next time.

Lost Episode 3 Apr 28, 2017

Show notes

Sometimes we goof up. Errors are made. Mistakes happen. It's no big deal and we're happy to correct them. Other times, we hit a topic we think you'll be interested in in the middle of an episode and off we go on one of our tangents. And then again, there are somethings, for reasons of editing or time constraints or what have you, that are really neat, but just don't fit into the topic we've chosen for a given episode. This has all three. Have a listen as we correct, clarify, and complete some things we've said. We are entirely supported by our listeners on Patreon.

Orichalcum Apr 21, 2017

Show notes

Ever get that sinking feeling? Like, you know there's something important you've overlooked that's just bound to crop up at some point and cause problems? Well, Dungeons and Dragons has overlooked this thing called Orichalcum for years. Which is odd, because it's been around in mythology forever. And there are certainly SOME fantasy realms that make use of it in one way or another. Really though, Orichalcum comes from a place that never existed and was just a construct in the mind of a very influential philosopher. Or was it? Let's listen and find out. You can support us on Patreon.

Adamant Apr 14, 2017

Show notes

One of the hardest fantasy substances known to man, adamant, or adamantium, or adamantite, or... look, it's complicated. But at least we know we're firmly in the realm of fantasy. Except, of course, we're not. At least, not entirely. Adamant is a real thing, in spite of being some sort of metal inside mutant Canadians, or mythical metal used to make dwarven armor, or some kind of crystal worn by elves, or... well, look, even that is complicated. We should probably just sit down and talk about it. Straighten a few things out. It's not as tough as it seems. You can support us on Patreon.

Quicksilver Apr 07, 2017

Show notes

You know quicksilver. Chances are you've even seen it before. Possibly in some movie featuring killer robots or something. It's one of those things that a lot of geeks form a variety of fandoms have come across at some point. Most people call it mercury though. Still, what is it, and what does it have to do with brimstone and the composition of the human body? We'll take you on a grand tour of history, chemistry, and even our old friend alchemy to find out. You can support us on Patreon.

Flumph Mar 31, 2017

Show notes

We've covered a lot of strange creatures from Dungeons & Dragons recently. Some real oddballs. But none so odd, perhaps, as the flumph. We all know it, of course. Some even claim to love it unironically, which seems unlikely, but there you go. Most just treat it as some sort of joke. So what's the story behind the flumph? And is there more to it than it seems? While we're at it, let's take a look at another big joke and dig into the history of a pseudo-holiday you either love or you hate. Because it is very nearly that day again. And it's dangerous to be on the internet on that day. You know what day we mean. That day. You can support GM Word of the Week on Patreon.

Alchemy Mar 24, 2017

Show notes

Dungeons & Dragons doesn't have a lot to say about Alchemy beyond letting you craft certain potions of a magical nature. Pathfinder is barely better, with it's weird Alchemist class. This isn't really the fault of RPGs, though. It's hard to sort through the historical record and find anything that provides a concrete them specific enough to latch onto. But never fear, we've concocted an episode from the available ingredients and distilled them down into the the history of alchemy and how we got from there, to here. You can support us on Patreon.

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