GM Word of the Week: Recent Episodes

Brian Casey

You can’t spell Game Master without “pretentious.” Well, you can, actually. But let’s pretend you can’t so I can make a point. My point is a good Game Master needs a lot of big, fancy words at their disposal to make their flavor text as confusing as possible. Oops. I mean engaging, not confusing. More at www.GMWordoftheWeek.com

We all know about the tricky little devils in D&D known as the gnomes.

Which, of course, means we don’t know anything at all about the very interesting and misunderstood people we call gnomes. Because that’s how this show works. So here is a gnome-centric episode to tell you all the things you don’t know about them. And yes, this is part of the magic series.

Step back into the classroom that is GM Word of the Week as we continue our look at the history of magic and some of the influential people involved. In this episode, the man, the myth, the marketing opportunity, Faust. Are deals with the devil all they are cracked up to be? Probably not. But then again, it depends on what your eventual goal is.

Join us on a spellbinding voyage through history as we unveil the enthralling connections between natural magic, scientific evolution, and the ominous era of witch hunts. From Renaissance luminaries shaping the mystical landscape to the perplexing dance between science and pseudo-science, this episode unravels the threads that wove through centuries. Dive into the intrigue of trials by combat, Charlemagne's stern decree, and the Lombard code's caution against witchcraft accusations. As we navigate this mesmerizing tapestry, the late 1700s beckon, marking the subtle retreat of magic amid political upheavals. Discover the untold stories and captivating mysteries in this riveting episode that unfolds the magical secrets of bygone eras.

Part three of our ongoing series about magic and the people who use it.

In this episode we discuss why you can’t mix your Madonna and Kabbalah, the history of Jewish Mysticism, why the name of God is so hard to say, and how there’s just one magic potion we are aware of that actually, truly, works. And then we tell you how to make it.

Here it is the second part of our Magic series which contains the first part of the history of magic.

But of course, there are several complicated things to get out of the way first before we can really dive in and get to grips with what it is Dungeons and Dragons is trying to do with magic in the first place. One of the biggest questions being, where do you start with the history of magic? And it’s not easy to answer. But we make a beginning of it by way of a bowl and a book. So sit back and enjoy another lengthy episode of GM Word of the Week

The long awaited first episode in a series all about Magic in Dungeons and Dragons.

But first, we have to do some ground work before we can really talk about Magic in D&D. We have to clear up a popular misconception about what magic is, then work out what we mean by magic, and define what isn’t actually magic in the first place.

As you might expect, it takes some time.

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Yes, you read that right. Another Lost Episode has arrived.

And wouldn’t you know it, there’s just a bit more on Nostalgia that we had laying around. Fortunately, this brings our Nostalgia series to a final close and completes a request made quite some time ago by the shows original researcher and writer, The Angry GM, to actually cover the topic. And so we have. Finally and at last.

Also, there’s a bit about why Charisma is so screwed up as an ability stat. So enjoy that as well.

We explore the rich history of AI, starting with the works of Hero of Alexandria, who created mechanical devices that paved the way for future advancements in automation.

We also dive into the Islamic Golden Age and the contributions of Al-Jazari and Al-Khwarizmi, who played a key role in developing mathematical algorithms and automated machines. From there, we trace the evolution of AI through the ages, covering key developments and milestones along the way. Finally, we touch on the potential risks and rewards of AI and the ongoing debate around its impact on society.

Never ask a writer where they get their ideas. They haven’t got a clue.

Fortunately for everyone, the Ancient Greeks did have a clue. Several clues in fact. But in order to understand what was really going on, you need to get to grips with muses. And some Greek history. And a bit of what passes for the Greek religion, such as it was. And then, of course, you have to make sure everyone who wants a muse has one. Including people you wouldn’t think needed one.

Here is an episode inside of which is contained a red herring or two. For once, though, it's a common phrase that we use regularly that means exactly what you've always thought it meant. And that's great, don't you think? How nice.

Except… Well, you and I both know we wouldn’t be here if there wasn’t something that needed explaining about this phrase we all know so well. But what could it possibly be? And just how could it help you run a better game session? I guess you’ll just have to listen to find out.

It’s the final episode of the year, and the final episode of a series that began with a retread and amplification of a previous episode, Nostalgia.

Naturally, you’ve been using the phrase “Steep learning curve” incorrectly. And equally naturally, this episode will set you straight by talking about cats, plateaus, Souls games, and Downton Abbey. Can’t quite see how it all fits together?

That’s why we make these episodes. Load it up and listen.

Plus, stick around for the announcement at the end.

We, that is the collective we known as the internet, oftern refer to games as Skinner Boxes of one sort or another. Particularly if it isn’t a game we like, or one we find very compelling.

But, is it really? What’s a Skinner Box? What are we saying about the game? What does it have to do with Pavlov? And Freud? And most importantly of all, why are we totally wrong about Skinner Boxes. Listen in and find out.

The last time we were here we talked a bit about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and then swiftly passed on to other things.

But there were some things we left out. Some things that need to be mentioned. Because, you see, there is much made of Maslow and his Hierarchy and maybe, just maybe, it’s a little too much. Even though we think we understand it, there are problems. Not just with our understanding, but also with the Hierarchy itself. If you are going to pay attention to it you might want to know what its faults are. So let’s take a look at Maslow and try to avoid making any unwarranted assumptions.

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Series 3 begins with a fond look back at an earlier episode.

Yes, we’re looking at nostalgia once again and boy, that sure was a great episode wasn’t it with all it’s references to the swiss army and pointing out how nostalgia was really just a disease. But, of course, as with all things fondly remembered, the spectacles of time have become a bit smudged. Perhaps we aren’t seeing as clearly as we might. Or, perhaps, there’s just more to know.

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We made a plan, but that plan didn’t go… to plan. So we made a new plan. Which also, didn’t go… to plan.

But the third plan? That stayed up. And it brought us a little episode that was far different than we thought it would be, all on the strength of a listeners writing in to ask a question. Which is why we encourage that sort of thing. So, if you want to know about spell components in D&D and how to entice your players to go on an adventure that features some amazing animals this is probably exactly the episode you want. After all, nothing in magic is as it appears to be.

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The name Helena Blavatsky was certainly one to watch, for a variety of reasons.

Was it because of her immense talents as a spiritual medium? Or perhaps it was because she was a font of spiritual leadership both at home and abroad? Or maybe it was because she helped bring eastern religions to the west? Or maybe it was all the various great writers of the day who both impressed and were impressed by her?

Or maybe it was just because she started something that lead to someone else doing terrible things in the 20th century.

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What happens if you mix a bit of as-above-so-below with a bit of animal magnetism?

Well, if you’re a regular listener to this show, you’ll know that what you get is a journey that starts at Appleseed and ends at Fox. But you’ll also know that along the way you’ll hear many interesting bits about new churches, new religions, and old tricks.

Along with a surprising amount of Benjamin Franklin.

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Let’s take a historical journey with a mystic seer played for laughs.

And while we’re at it, let’s also look into the far reaching effects of someone who didn’t really exist in the first place. But boy was he sure influential. So let’s settle in and learn about Hermes Trismegistus and everything he’s responsible for. Even though he definitely didn’t exist.

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There are many classic episodes of GM Word of the Week, including this one.

Which is sort of the problem. What does ‘classic’ even mean any more? And what do we imply when we use the word? Well, it’s complicated of course, and classically, that’s exactly what attracts our attention. So let’s see if we can figure it out and make some sense of it. In our usual, classical, style.

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A small change in the way paper was made lead to a huge change in what you can read.

And the weird part is that it all starts with an execution and ends up with people on Mars. Of course, if people hadn’t got better at reading, it might not have made a difference. But they did, thankfully, and now you can dream about swinging from tree to tree, or sailing the seven seas. Really. Go ahead. It’s okay.

Find out what I read at Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8834981-brian

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Welcome to season two of GM Word of the Week.

Confused? Don’t be. We’ll explain. Or rather I’ll explain. And while I’m at it, we’ll discuss things Dickens along with the confusing difference between American TV seasons, and British Television series. And probably that won’t confuse you anymore than you already are. Unless you thought I meant the other kind of season. Listen and find out.

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Happy Holidays!

In this part:

Coral Castle

Cardiff Giant

Themistocles

Exploding Animals

Shark Gods

Psyche and Cupid

Nearly an hour of information and entertainment for your holidays.

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Happy holidays!

In this part:

Transi

Doctor Knox

Naming Conventions

Sporks

Brocade

Fra Mauro Map

Nearly an hour of information and entertainment for your holidays.

If you’d like to help support GM Word of the Week and get access to more monthly bonus episodes head over to https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Fiddleback and join our Head Librarian tier.

The second part of our two part spice series focuses on the history of the spice trade.

And in large part that history can be encapsulated in the history of the nutmeg. So let’s dig in to what nutmeg is, why it was so popular and how that drove the demand for the spice until it became so popular everyone had to have it. But not for the reasons you might think. The nutmeg, and why Manhattan loves it.

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They taste good, they smell good, but sadly they are terrible.

At least, they were in the past. Even though today they seem to be blessed with some sort of magical property that everyone wants a piece of. From your coffee to your candles to the ingredients for making little girls, spices are everywhere and everyone wants some. Which is not dissimilar to the way it used to be.

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The second part in our mini-series on cadavers.

So, how did Burke and Hare change the state of the game when it came to dissection? And what happened after that?

Well quite a lot really, but keep in mind that a lot of what we know today wouldn’t have happened without those two gentlemen, and those similarly inclined. Still, the real heroes of the piece are those who were just… laying around at the time. And thanks to their efforts, or lack thereof, your life is what it is today.

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Welcome to October, the easiest theme month of them all.

Let’s discuss, briefly, the reason for the season and then go on to talk about why we’ve already lost the battle. Well, the first part of why we’ve lost the battle against the dead; the historical context. Which, if you know the history of the cadaver, you already know where we’re going to end up. And we do. But we have a point to make, which probably will become more obvious in the next episode. Part 2.

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Yes, once again it is time for another of our world famous Lost Episodes.

The problem is, there’s been a whole bunch of extenuating circumstances, which we try to explain somewhat unsuccessfully. But at least you get to hear some bits about swords, socks, and ninjas, along with a couple of people who really were in charge, like it or not. The whole episode just oozes with predicaments for you to try to sort through.

We’re switching up our means of support. Now, if you’d like to help support the show and want less of a hassle than Patreon used to be, we can direct you straight to Buy Me A Coffee, instead. Check it out at: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Fiddleback

How’s the weather up there? Well, if you were a giant, you would know.

But since you aren’t, we’d better have a discussion about what makes giants giant. Should be easy, right? Because we all know what a giant is. But then again, do we? And what does it all have to do with basketball and the Air Force? Find out, inside.

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Everything is already in shape around here, so we’ll discard that pun immediately. But otherwise, we have an episode for you about whips and their varied uses. Except, obviously, we have to agree to some ground rules about our discussion before we start. They aren’t the most popular of Dungeons and Dragons weapons, but maybe there’s a reason for that. Let’s find out.

And then! After the credits roll on GM Word of the Week, let’s take a listen to the new show, FolkLiar. What could that possibly be about?

It’s in the theaters, but what’s it all about?

We discuss the main players of the new film. But really mostly we discuss the characters of Gawain, whose name you are pronouncing wrong, and the reasons why that is, and the Green Knight and enigma or meaning that no one seems to agree on. So, it’s probably best we take a look at what might have inspired him. Oh, and we can’t help but feel as if we forgot something in this episode. Hmmm.

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We started with a question about types of books. But after answering it, there was a whole lot of episode left to go.

Fortunately, we ran across a book that helped us talk about other books, in particular, the very interesting books in a xylothek. But first, as we always do, there was some explanation to be had about where they came from and why they existed in the first place. Along the way, we meet some important renaissance figures.

You can get The Madman's Library: The Strangest Books, Manuscripts and Other Literary Curiosities from History by Edward Brooke-Hitching on Amazon.

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We’ve all seen jousts in the movies and probably enjoyed them.

Well, shame on you. That’s not what jousting is like at all, and it certainly wasn’t the only kind of jousting available at the tournaments of the Middle Ages. Of course, the real problem is that we don’t understand what we, or even they, meant when they said jousting and tournament. So maybe we can help straighten things out and increase your actual appreciation of all things jousting.

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There’s a whole world of things in our adventuring worlds and it’s really very important to keep track of it all for consistencies sake. Which is why such things as canon exist.

Not the shooty bang bang kind of canon, but rather the body of work which explains what is right and proper and what isn’t. And it really is vitally important, as we’ll demonstrate with two very solid examples. First, one of religious importance, and second, one about the Word of God. So, join us and listen to this episode of GM Word of the Week to find out what is and isn’t true.

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Sometimes we give advice along with our helping of information and today we’re going to talk about how GMs can make best use of the supernatural.

But first we have to understand what counts as supernatural in the typical fantasy world. You might be tempted to think that anything magical counts, but that’s not the case, as we will happily explain to you. In the real world, supernatural might mean magical, but not so in a world where actual magic actually exists. Let’s take a look at one particular supposed supernatural phenomena and see how understanding it in this world can make it useful in the game world.

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We often think of nostalgia as a pleasant memory associated with happier times. Which is nice.

But also, not true. Which is often the case with nostalgia, the things we remember fondly, were never as good as we remember them and the thing about remembering how nice nostalgia feels is that it was never that nice to begin with. No, indeed. Nostalgia can make you sick, or worse, it can kill you. So let’s see what’s going on with nostalgia and the Swiss Army.

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We’ve done this before, but it didn’t go so well. In fact, it went so badly we removed it from the feed.

But now it’s back and it is much, much better. See, sometimes we make embarrassing mistakes, but it’s always nice to finally fix them. In this episodes you’ll hear about coolness, dual-wielding, guns akimbo, exciting stories of weird science, dominance, and, of course, the main gauche.

Which we do know how to pronounce.

Support the show on Patreon for more interesting episodes.

He’d sell you your own grandmother if he could, but the Merchant turns out to be one of those essential fantasy characters which no town can do without.

But how did they get that way and what, if anything, can be done about it? The answers are, not much, and let us explain. Let’s take a look at the Merchant from the very beginning to the very right now. CONTENT WANRING: We use the word fungible. More than once.

GM Word of the Week is proudly supported by our patrons on Patreon.

We found it! We found it!

It’s Lost Episode 16! In which we reconnect with our Connections, go a little bird brained, and finally hear from the number 10,001 fan. It’s a brief but exciting tour from ancient Greece to South America and mostly about things that fly. So, please return your tables to the upright position and let’s go!

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How do you say it?

The sordid history full of lies and deceit about the origins of the Sahuagin.

Err. That is to say, the poorly recalled and potentially easily forgotten history of the Dungeons and Dragons NPC known as the Sahuagin. Who, we’re sure, are very nice people if you happen to meet them socially. Once you get past the cannibalism.

Thanks to Retroist for the unwitting help.

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We get letters from time to time from our listeners and most of the time, they make some kind of sense.

But, every so often a listener will write in that makes us wonder just exactly which show they’ve been listening to. This is one such case. Never mind though, we’re happy to take the time to explain why it might sometimes appear that we’ve drifted far from our original charter but really haven’t. Come along with us in this episode of the show as we make an example of the word Chalcedony.

We are, of course, always happy to hear from our listeners. And even more happy when our listeners choose to support us.

The last thing we want to do is provide too much information, but it seems inevitable that we’ll need an extra episode to complete our four-part series on Persia.

See, the problem is the Battle of Marathon and the need to discuss it in order to put a cap on Darius’ reign as King of Persia and the etceteras as well as everything that happened after. There’s just no way around it. So, we did our best to be brief, concise, and remain informative. And we still ended up with a longer episode. Enjoy.

Persian Fire by Tom Holland is still the text of choice.

Your support is gratefully received on Patreon.

Darius' position was precarious. He might have been just a bit nefarious. The Persians were mad that he took a little stab, but he ended up becoming imperious!

And to see how he did it all, listen to this episode. Just keep in mind one thing: Persia was a big empire, and to get around it successfully, Darius had to use a Mazda.

Persian Fire by Tom Holland is available on Amazon.

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Will he or won’t he? King Croesus, we mean.

But beyond that, what is it that makes Cyrus the Great, so great? Is it the size of his empire? Perhaps. But, arguably, it’s more to do with the way he treated those he conquered and the legacy he left to his sons. And what a pair of sons they were. Granted, they might have tried to follow in their father’s footsteps, but you might almost think they were doomed from the start. Find out what happens to everyone inside this episode.

Persian Fire by Tom Holland

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Long ago there was a great empire. Probably the greatest ever seen.. But for some reason, it gets left by the wayside when Empires are discussed.

Which is unfortunate, because the Persian Empire is at least as interesting as anything the Greeks or Romans ever did. In any case, we’ve resolved to talk about the Persian Empire for the entire month, and what better place to start than at the very beginning. Before there even was one. Meet the Medes.

Persian Fire by Tom Holland

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Where did all this history come from and why has so much of it been left laying around the place?

History must be important. We spent so much time learning so much of it in school. It has to count for something right? But what did we really learn and what can you really say about it? Was it really important to know all those names and dates? Or was there something more we should have been told? Let’s see if we can figure out by going all the way back to ancient Greece and meeting the person responsible for all this history stuff. What is the History of History?

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Warm, delicious, and comforting pretty much describes Hot Chocolate to a tee.

Which makes it hard to explain why we forgot to do an episode about it when we were talking about warm, delicious, comforting drinks all that time ago. But here we are at last with the story of Hot Chocolate. Not Chocolate, Hot Chocolate. There’s a difference. Let’s find out what it is.

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It’s lovely to look lovely and cosmetics help that happen. But only up to a point.

See, one of the problems with cosmetics is that you never quite know what you are putting on your face. Certainly not if you were, to pick a completely random example, Queen Elizabeth I or, indeed, a whole lot of other Elizabethan era men and women. Basically, no one knew or cared what was going on their skin as long as it had the desired effect. Which, by and large, it did. But it also had a whole bunch of other effects, so let’s talk about those.

Thanks to The Royal Art of Poison: Filthy Palaces, Fatal Cosmetics, Deadly Medicine, and Murder Most Foul by Eleanor Herman

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Even some of the greatest minds the world has ever known can make mistakes, but when Edmund Halley made his he was only doing the best he could with the information at hand.

Aside from not writing down how to pronounce his name, or even spelling it consistently, his biggest mistake was made while trying to explain why two things that should have been relatively fixed points kept moving around. But thank goodness he made that mistake. If he hadn’t, the worlds of fiction and gaming would be much less interesting.

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The fourth and final part of our series on The Silk Road.

It is important to understand the impact of The Silk Road both in its own time and in ours. And few better symbols exist to help us do that than The Silver Tree Fountain of Karakorum.

To understand why, you have to put yourself in the shoes of the man who first described it for the Western world. Unfortunately, that man is William of Rubruck and he doesn’t much like anyone. At all. No, sir.

Check out our shiny new YouTube Channel.

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Part three of our series on The Silk Road.

It was inevitable, really. Once you mention The Silk Road you practically have to talk about silk. So we will.

But, let’s get a few things straight first. Silk was being traded around long before The Silk Road was even a thing. And it wasn’t just the Chinese who were making silk cloth and garments. Really, the story of silk and the Silk Road wasn’t even about silk itself. Sure, people liked silk, but it was the method of production that was the big to-do on the Silk Road.

The Silk Road: A Very Short Introduction by James A. Millward: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BBCQROE/

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The Silk Road: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

We promised you more about the Silk Road this month and we’ll deliver it. But first, a word about horses.

Because really, the whole thing is about horses and the problems China had with their and how everyone else’s horses were better. But especially the Heavenly Horses. So in this episode we discuss why horses are responsible for the whole mess.

The Silk Road: A Very Short Introduction by James A. Millward: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BBCQROE

The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes: The Ancient World Economy & the Empires of Parthia, Central Asia & Han China by Raoul McLaughlin: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MA3TAQ5

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The Silk Road: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)

The Roman Empire and the Silk Routes: The Ancient World Economy & the Empires of Parthia, Central Asia & Han China

Marco!

Few things in the world have had more influence on the entire world and the way it has developed than the Silk Road. And few people are more responsible for making the world as a whole aware of the Silk Road than Marco Polo thanks to the book he wrote about it.

But, what was Marco Polo all about? And, more importantly, what was the book all about? Is it a tale of daring do and high adventure that captivated millions when it came out? Or is it something else entirely? Well, if you are any kind of regular listener to this show, you know which way to bet.

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Polo!

The third in our three part series on trickster characters: The Rabbit.

There are a bunch of things that are rabbits and a bunch of things that look like rabbits but aren’t, so let’s get that cleared up first. Then we can get into the history of the rabbit as a significant character both in history and folklore and xplain why it is the world’s most famous rabbit probably isn’t one. Finally, we’ll discuss why rabbits are both good and bad and how they came to be one of the best Tricksters in all of folklore.

You can support the show at https://www.gmwordoftheweek.com/support . Any help is welcome.

Join us for part two of our series on tricksters in folklore and mythology, Coyote.

Coyote is a mixed bag of foolishness and cleverness, but his role is important to several cultures, as we’ll show with two stories. In the first, Coyote brings fire down from the mountain. In the second, he gets into trouble.

Of course, we couldn’t tell coyote stories without dealing with the most famous member of the species. And finally, you’ll find out what the ‘E’ stands for.

So sit back and listen and, if you enjoy the show, consider supporting us on Patreon by going to https://www.gmwordoftheweek.com/support and clicking the button.

For reasons which may, or may not, become clear, we’re going to spend the month of January talking a little bit about Tricksters.

As loose themes go, this is probably the loosest, but we start with a pair of stories about Ravens. Tying them together is a discussion about smart animals and just what exactly it means to be one. So prepare for mirror tests and mask wearing in this, the first episode of GM Word of the Week for 2021, “Raven”

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Happy Holidays!

In this part:

Microwaves

Cochineal

Following Eyes

Not Tornadoes

Yogurt

Ester / Esther

Nearly an hour of information and entertainment for your holidays.

If you’d like to help support GM Word of the Week and get access to more monthly bonus episodes head over to https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek.

Happy Holidays!

In this part:

Thunderbirds

Korea

Hand of Glory

Maid Marian

Kung Fu Films

Snow White

Nearly an hour of information and entertainment for your holidays.

If you’d like to help support GM Word of the Week and get access to more monthly bonus episodes head over to https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek.

The second part of our two-part Lost Episode 15 is now ready for your ears.

In this: Follies, follies, follies! And also some Ha-has.

It’s an exciting time as we go to the deserts of Africa and the gardens of England.

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Welcome to the end of the year. Honestly, we’re as surprised as you are.

In fact, we’re so surprised that we’ve been caught a bit off guard and left a lot of things laying around the place. Words mostly. It’s time to get them picked up and put away in an effort to leave this year behind us.

But there are so many we can’t do it all in one episode, so we’re going to do two Lost Episodes in a row. No really. This is just the first. Inside you’ll find words about words, words about almost calendars, and words about the shortest president ever.

Help support the show by going to https://www.gmwordoftheweek.com/support and selecting any of our fine support options.

Oh sure, you can sit anywhere you like, but when certain people sit in unexpected places, people will comment.

Which is why we’re looking at a very specific desk’s very specific story. Because some folks got all jumpy and you might as well know the story behind the story. So join us on at least two ill-fated explorations and find out what all the fuss is about as we take a close look at the Resolute Desk.

Head over to our website at https://www.gmwordoftheweek.com/home and click the yellow banner at the top to support the show on Patreon.

We use them everyday, but most of us never stop to really consider the contributions of the knife, fork, and spoon.

But we should, because they marked a hallmark change not just in the tools available for feeding ourselves, but also the way we fed ourselves and how we behaved while doing it.

You can find Bee Wilson’s book “Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat” at our affiliate link on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2V2BP6Q

You can offer you support for No Shave November at https://no-shave.org/team/GM_WotW_Podcast

Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat

This year, as part of our annual Thanksgiving tradition, we’re looking at the things that make the food on our tables possible.

We started with ovens in the last episode. So naturally it’s time to look at the pots and pans that go on that oven and help make the foods we like so much happen. From the earliest days we follow right along to the modern times and learn some surprising things along the way about how cooking pots not only changed the way we cooked, but also the things we could cook. And that changed everything.

You can get Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat by Bee Wilson at our Amazon link: https://amzn.to/2K91HvI

Help support Cancer Research and Prevention at our No Shave November page: https://no-shave.org/team/GM_WotW_Podcast

Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat

We enter the month of November eagerly anticipating Thanksgiving. Well, American Thanksgiving at least.

And, as we have in the past, we will spend the month looking fondly at the feast. Except, this time, we’re looking at the tools and utensils that get the feast to the table. And to start with, we’ll discuss the most fundamental item of them all when it comes to preparing food, the oven.

This month, we’d like to ask you to help support No Shave November and donate any amount you’re comfortable with to fund cancer research and prevention. You can read more about the program and make your donation at our team donation page: https://no-shave.org/team/GM_WotW_Podcast

To end our warm and fuzzy themed month, we’re asking you to help support cancer prevention and research through a donation to No Shave November at https://no-shave.org/team/GM_WotW_Podcast.

Thank you. Enjoy the episode.

First off, it’s not a tale as old as time.

Other than that, of course, everything is completely totally accurate just as you believe it is. Except it isn’t. No, instead, the story of Beauty and the Beast was about some very different things when it was first written and you just won’t believe your ears when you hear us retell the original version of the story.

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In our month long pursuit of the warm fuzzies we were reminded of a listener request that definitely fit the bill.

The love potion is a frequent contributor to the sort of fantasy adventure in which the participants are expected to participate in a regular comedy of errors. And, who but Shakespeare could be more responsible for such a thing. But in order to understand potions, and particularly love potions, we first have to look at the history and motivations for their use. So let’s do that shall we? You’re going to love it. We’re certain of it.

Your support keeps the show going. Head inside https://www.gmwordoftheweek.com/ and click the yellow banner at the top of any page to find out how you can help.

We begin October with a case of the warm fuzzies.

See, we used to know a lot about cryptids and cryptozoology. One of our favorites was bigfoot. So, in this episode we’re going to go back in time to our younger selves and regale you with some of the stories about Sasquatch that really captured our imagination back then. Sit back and enjoy.

And, if you have enjoyed, please consider supporting the show by going to https://www.gmwordoftheweek.com/home and clicking the yellow banner at the top.

We really enjoy words.

So much so that whenever we hear interesting facts about words, we kind of perk up and take notice.

But sometimes the facts we here are a little suspect and so we do a bit of investigating to find out what the truth of the matter really is. And that’s how, if you aren’t very careful indeed, you start out talking about oranges and end up on YouTube.

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We found ourselves between a rock and a hard place recently when we discovered our schedule was a bit off and we needed another episode.

Caught on the horns of a dilema, we thought we’d be able to get some mileage out of one of the supposed siblings of the Chimera, Scylla. On the surface, it all looked good and made perfect sense. But, once we started digging we realized we were still stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea, and you can certainly see what that’s done to us. Maybe you can help us figure it out.

If you’d like to help us out in other ways, say by making a small pledge to our Patreon or partaking of some of our merchandise, you can do so by heading to https://www.gmwordoftheweek.com/ and clicking the yellow banner at the top. It helps to keep the show ad free and you get some neat perks to boot.

We’ve had quite the week on the West Coast, what with most of it burning, so naturally our attention turned to fixing the problem.

Well, maybe not fixing, but certainly to those people and machines used ot make the problem go away. How did the first organized fire fighters come to be? Who thought it was a good idea and why? And more importantly, what does insurance have to do with it all? Listen in and find out on this late episode of GM Word of the Week.

You can support the show in a variety of ways, to find out more, head over to https://www.gmwordoftheweek.com/ and click the yellow banner inside.

As lost episodes go, this one has been pretty lost. For at least a year.

But, never fear. We found enough bits laying around unused to make a healthy episode just for you. Together we can learn about poisoning, moose, some kind of owl goat cross breed, and bits of the sea. It’s all good fun on this episode of GM Word of the Week podcast.

The Angry GM article on Bear Cavalry

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The Chimera has what one might call a complicated genealogy.

But that’s okay because we like complicated things around here. No, really, we do. And nothing is more complicated than trying to figure out how the Chimera got to be like it is. So, that’s what we’ll do in this episode, figure out how the Chimera got it’s weird mix of traits. Along the way you’ll hear about Chimeras both real and imagined and learn a thing or two about genetics while we’re at it.

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It’s the end of August and we have no idea what we’re doing, so we pulled a listener request and here’s what we came up with.

In this episode you can find out about horses named Silver, horses that might be dragons, and horses that fly except when attacked by a horse fly. And to get there, we only have to discuss a bit of genetics, a bit of Greek mythology, and bit about horses on hills. If that makes no sense to you, welcome to this episode of GM Word of the Week. Have a listen.

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Oh we all know where this is going. Obviously, we’re going to discuss Robin Hood. Big whoop.

Except, we’ve already talked about Robin Hood. A lot. Quite a lot, in fact. So, we’re going to have to do something else, something entirely unique within the world of games and gaming. We’re going to have to discuss reality. And what it really meant to be an outlaw in medieval times. That whole Robin Hood thing, as we have mentioned before, is definitely the product of a later time that had clearly swallowed the non-specific flavored sugar-water children’s drink of choice.

Once again, we relied on Terry Jones’ Medieval Lives by Terry Jones and Alan Ereira to help inform this episode. You can find the book at our Amazon link here: https://amzn.to/3hbdHZj.

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Terry Jones' Medieval Lives

How can you talk about the people of medieval times, if you don’t include the most important people in them, the kings.

We discuss three kings that we all think we know everything about, but few folks actually do. In part because one of history’s most famous writers, turns out not to have been too truthful when he wrote about them. But it isn’t his fault as we’ll see, he just believed all the things everyone said about them and then wrote it down. And that’s why even the one he didn’t write about was still mistreated by those who did write about him.

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This episode was informed by the incredibly interesting book that is Terry Jones’ Medieval Lives by Alan Eriera and Terry Jones. Available on Amazon through our link.

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We consider them the lowliest of the low and just using the word peasant can cause offense in some circles.

But it’s only because we don’t really know what we are talking about. If we did, using the word might be considered a good thing representing, as it does, a move towards independence, status, a greater freedom as well as an acknowledgement of where the real power lay in medieval society. But to find out about all that, you’ll need o listen to this episode.

And, if you enjoy this episode, head over to https://www.gmwordoftheweek.com/ and click he yellow banner at the top to join our Patreon.

We’ve talked about natural disasters before, but we definitely left out one big one: the tornado. Let’s correct that.

Amid the discussion about how tornadoes work and why they always hit trailer parks, we’ll talk about the history of tornado science, what '“F numbers” really mean, and explain why for 40 years tornadoes didn’t exist. It’s a complicated business, these tornadoes, and we’re all a-whirl to talk about it.

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Keeping track of what day it is is the least of our worries.

But it is the most basic and therefore, the most important. Without keeping track of the days we can’t keep track of anything else but, how hard can it be? Well, come to find out, pretty darned hard as we’ll explore in this episode in which we discuss the development of calendars and just what makes it so difficult to have an accurate one. Join us, won’t you? Today.

Matt Parker’s book Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World can be found through our Amazon Affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3hnjc6T

Support the show on Patreon, by going to https://www.gmwordoftheweek.com/ and clicking on the Yellow Banner at the top of any page.

Humble Pi: When Math Goes Wrong in the Real World

In our favorite RPGs, there is always a bit about sailing and naval combat. And that bit is usually wrong.

Well, not entirely wrong, just mostly misplaced when you think about when our pseudo-medieval worlds are supposed to happen and compare it to when the sort of naval ships we’re meant to be sailing in were around. Once you do that, you start to see the problem: They weren’t around. So, let us help you sort the problem out by outlining the evolution of naval combat in three easy battles.

You can grab a copy of Sons of the Waves: The Common Seaman in the Heroic Age of Sail by Stephen Taylor from our handy Amazon Link.

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Spectacles are important. So important that they’ve been around a lot longer than anyone thought.

They had a rough start though and several of the things we take for granted about eyewear were a long time coming. But at last, here they are and in this episode we talk you through their history. We take you from early Egyptian eye glasses to totally useless decorative eyeglasses all in the same show. And by the end, we hope you see our point.

You can grab a copy of The Clock and The Camshaft by John W. Farrel from Amazon with this link.

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Consider the aurumvorax. It used to be, in D&D, that you could make some use out of the various parts of some of the monsters you defeated. But you had to be careful with this one.

Really though, we wanted to talk about fur trapping and trading as it developed throughout history. In doing so, we pay particular attention to Russians, beavers, John Jacob Astor, and the political turmoil of the 19th century. All of which are interesting and exploitable dynamics for your own D&D game. Assuming they still do that sort of thing.

You can get Robert Silbernagle’s book The Cadottes: A Fur Trade Family on Lake Superior by clicking the amazon affiliate link located in the episode description here or on our website.

You can support the show directly by following the yellow banner at the top of our home page at GMWordoftheWeek.com.

We’ve long relied on water as a means of transport and sustenance, but let’s not forget it is also a source of power.

And no medieval machine was better suited to take advantage of that power than the waterwheel. And thanks to the waterwheel, the dark ages were made a little less dark and took less time than they might have. It’s thanks to the harnessed power of water, via the waterwheel, that we can even be here today to hear what we have to say.

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Melted, shredded, grated, sliced we don’t much care, any cheese is nice.

Well, almost any cheese. Some run afoul of our cultural expectations. But, that aside, most people enjoy a nice bit of cheese on a fairly regular basis. So what is it about this stuff that makes it so special? And why do we make so much of it? And how can I possibly make some of my own? You’ll never guess how many of those questions we answer inside this episode, so you should definitely listen. But first, some nice bouzouki music.

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We’ve known about butter for more than 10,000 years. It’s been a well understood product of the cow for at least that long.

Well, sort of. Understood is maybe a stretch. We knew how to make it, but understanding how and why it happened took longer than that. In fact, it took so long, that some folks worked up quite an extensive mythology to ensure that butter would keep happening. And then they threw it all away, along with the butter. Just like we’ve done in more recent times, so much so that fewer and fewer people know what actual butter tastes like any more. And all because some people were so well intentioned. Maybe we can fix that. Find out inside.

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n this episode, part 2 of our cow-centric series, we take a look at one of the greatest, and worst, products of the cow: milk.

It is pretty great. From serving as a substitute for our earliest foods to the basic ingredient of so many others. But it’s not just cows milk we talk about in this episode. It’s all milks and the things milk does for us, and to us. And frnakly, if it weren’t for one particular man, we probably wouldn’t care about milk at all, really. But first, pigeons.

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Cows? Really?? Cows???

Yup. Cows. Because there’s lots of interesting things to know about cows that are off the general cow knowledge beaten path. In fact, we promise not to tell you anything about cows that you could have learned in primary school. Promise. We’ve got genetics and breeding and etymology and more in an episode you can really…. ruminate over.

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A bit of the history of wood finishing and the contributions of one tiny insect.

But it goes beyond even that. The lac bug is a marvelous source of one of the most useful naturally occurring substances known to man with applications not only across a variety of fields, but back through time as well. So listen in as we tell you all about shellac, make a bet we’re pretty sure we can win, and explain why you probably wouldn’t be able to listen to the show without it. We set the record straight on shellac.

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There’s more to the drum than just keeping the beat. In fact, so much more that we had to really dig in to appreciate its full versatility.

As humans, we respond to drums in a variety of ways, but we’re not the only ones and it’s not all about marching. So on this tour we examine some of the uses of the drum through history, and look at the latest science to see what drumming and tapping can do for us. Along the way we talk about some boys and what used to be one of the fastest communication methods around. All that and more, inside.

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In all the talk we’ve had about specific swords over the years, we’ve never really talked about swords as a group of things all by themselves. So, let’s fix that this week.

In this episode we talk about the history of swords, how they developed, and which ones were really important. It’s an overview of the whole things from their primitive beginnings to what we know think of when we think about swords in fantasy and gaming. And even fantasy gaming. Along the way we discover something very important about swords and discussions of them, and maybe ghet some insight into why D&D doesn’t really bother explaining much about them.

You can support us on Patreon if this is the sort of thing you enjoy, and we hope it is. Find it at: https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

Any time you experience some form of entertainment and want to bring it to your gaming table, you’re thinking about adaptation.

Taking something from one form of media and moving it to another is no easy task. So, in this episode, we decided to take a look at the process of adaptation and examine some of its pitfalls and some of its triumphs. And you’d never know it to listen to it, but even this episode is an adaptation of something entirely other. So adapt yourselves to a slightly different episode than usual and give it a listen.

And if you like what we do here, come visit us at https://www.gmwordoftheweek.com/ and follow the yellow banner at the top to join our Patreon.

Getting around on water has always been a bit tricky. It’s bad enough just working out how to sail on the wind, but, when you are part of a society that derives nearly all its worth from one particular river, you have a vested interest in sorting things out as quickly as possible.

Which is what the ancient Egyptians and Chinese did. They dammed their rivers and sailed up and down them in the pursuit of trade as much as they could. Except for the bits they dammed. Which was a whole new trick they had to learn. So they invented locks.

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Mirror, Mirror on the Wall, what’s your story, after all?

The magic mirror is a staple of fairy tales and fantasy fiction. The go to source when you need something mundane to spice up the place with a bit of magic. And it’s true, most mirrors you run into in Fantasy movies, books, and games, tend to be magical if they show up at all.

But there’s more to mirrors than meets the eye, so lets set our gaze on them and see what we can learn with a bit of reflection in this episode of GM Word of the Week.

Support the show at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

When we were confronted by a video game with an in game system that seemed to make things harder rather than easier, we went looking for help.

In so doing, we stumbled upon the path of the mason, a profession so old, some folks consider it to be the worlds second oldest profession. And it is very old indeed. Another of those “before people wrote things down” things where no one knows exactly how it started but the evidence for it being a long time ago is everywhere. So let us take you on a journey that starts in a zoo, goes to the coast of Ireland, and then swings by some pyramids you probably haven’t even heard of. it’s all fun and games.

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We’re all wound up about scrolls in this episode and most of it is Gary’s fault.

See, back in the bad ol’ days of Advanced Dungeons and Dragons, Gygax went on a bit about how to make magical scrolls, and we thought, “Hang on. that all seems a bit much. What’s all the fuss about?” So we went and had a look. As it turns out, Gary was mostly a lot wrong about things related to scrolls, magical or not, and how to make them. Good thing it’s only a game and there’s nothing to get excited about. Right? Right??!!

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Accounting for accountants, we find ourselves a-counting. Thankfully, it’s not a math heavy episode, otherwise we’d have to count ourselves out.

But this is a bit of the story about how counting came to be, and how it took us a long time to get to the point where we could count anything we wanted. Because it wasn’t easy at first and, for many of us, it isn’t easy now either, but there is a device that might make the whole thing go more smoothly if only we still valued its use: The abacus.

There’s no accounting for taste, but if yours aligns with ours, why not join our patrons on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

Last week, we talked about real people who became the subject of tall tales and folklore. This week, we talk about made up people who started out as folklore.

Except many of them didn’t. At best, they were made up as new stories based on folklore. At worst, they were just made up entirely. And this tends to annoy some folklorists who sometimes refer to these sorts of things as fakelore. To find out what makes it so annoying, and hear some great stories along the way, warm up your headphones and give the show a listen.

This episode is sponsored by the good folks at Patreon, who’ve chosen to be our Patrons. Won’t you join them? https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

There’s something about Tall Tales that really capture the imagination. Whether they’re about real people or not, they tell amazing, unbelievable stories meant to entertain and educate us.

But there is a down side to tall tales as well. And in part one of a two part series, we’ll look at some of the real mean and women behind the stories we hear and how the tales both help and hurt. So let’s gather around the camp fire and listen as we discuss the likes of Danial Boone and Molly Pitcher and what we can and can’t learn from tall tales.

Join us on Patreon for early episode, transcripts, live chats and more at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek.

Amulet was suggested to us, quite a while ago, by one of our Patrons on Patreon, but we put it off for a very long time because we couldn’t find much to say that wasn’t just a definition and an admonishment to use the word correctly.

But then we did, and we hope you agree it’s a story worth telling. It’s an episode full of dangers and curses, faith and hope, and a tale of times both ancient and modern. It’s got everything you could possibly want including some Dungeons and Dragons.

And it’s all thanks to our Patrons who you can join in supporting the show here: https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

The modern idea of the Jester is not entirely incorrect. In many respects, it’s pretty close. But there are one or two things we’d like to clarify.

Along the way we’ll talk about historical Jesters, their jokes, and what their lives were like. We’ll see Jesters from around the world and get to know more about how they worked. And, lest you think Jesters are all dead and gone, we’ll talk about two of the biggest fools we know about from the modern world.

Join in the jokes and japes on our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

It seems obvious, doesn’t it? I mean, we clearly know where Gary Gygax got the inspiration for the Barbarian Character Class in Dungeons and Dragons. He even references it in the famous Appendix N. Obviously, what he had in mind was Conan. Duh!

Ah but wait. Would we even be here if that were true? If the most obvious and plain explanation was the one that was correct, why even bother with the episode? Something must be up. And it is, because once you start digging into it, you learn several surprising things. Like, barbarian is kind of a no-no word. Conan doesn’t really fit the definition of barbarian. And Gary, once again, wasn’t really on point with his character design. But to find out more you have to listen to the show.

And if you like what you hear, join our Patrons on Patreon and support the show: https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

Once there was a very smart man who lived in Ancient Rome. He wrote a book called Naturalis Historia and for the next 1400 years, it was the best book ever. Everyone had a copy, read it, and referred to it. Why? Because it contained everything ever known about the whole world. And who doesn’t want that on their shelf?

But just how good was it, and how much did Pliny the Elder really know? Was he the authority on everything? Or was he just a second rate collector of information who got lucky? We’re glad you asked, let’s find out in this episode of GM Word of the Week.

GM Word of the Week is supported by the kind contributions of our patrons on Patreon. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to our website at GMWordoftheWeek.com where you can find out how to support the show yourself, subscribe to it on all your favorite podcatchers, and find even more episodes to enjoy.

This episode was Written, Researched, and Produced by Brian Casey.

Today’s music was provided by Blue Dot Sessions.

Welcome to the new format. We hope you enjoy it.

In this episode we are talking about unicorns, but more specifically we’re talking about unicorns horns, or alicorns as they are officially called. And to do so, we have to go all the way back to 1660 and then all the way backer to the 33rd century BCE.

It’s quite the trip, but go ahead and have a seat. Right over there. On that chair made out of unicorn horn. Because that chair is really important.

GM Word of the Week is supported by the kind contributions of our patrons on Patreon. If you enjoyed this episode, head over to our website at GMWordoftheWeek.com where you can find out how to support the show yourself, subscribe to it on all your favorite podcatchers, and find even more episodes to enjoy.

This episode was Written, Researched, and Produced by Brian Casey.

Today’s music was provided by Blue Dot Sessions and Epidemic Sound.

We’ve briefly talked about animated statues before, but we really didn’t dig into statues in particular at the time. So herein, said discussion.

And we do really go way, way back into history and travel right up to the present day. What’s all this statue stuff about really? Can we learn anything from them? What are they trying to tell us? Most importantly, how has all this statue history impacted the present day and is there anything we can do about it?

If you’ve enjoyed the episode, please consider supporting us on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

Welcome to an unusual episode of GM Word of the Week, in which we eventually talk about tigers.

But it is so much more than that. A peak behind the curtains here at the GM Word of the Week writer’s room where we show you how some of our episodes come together. And along the way, we dish some interesting bits of info about tigers and, even more relevantly to the gaming community, some stuff about weretigers, too.

So listen in and enjoy! And here’s that link to our Patreon for you to follow and pledge in support of the show: https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

Welcome to the New Year!

We’re happy to see you, but we know you’ve got a brand new calendar just waiting to be filled up with schedules, appointments, birthdays, and anniversaries and that’s cool.

But we also know that there are going to be a lot of blank spaces left. Even with all those actual holidays already printed on there. Never fear, though. We’re here to help. We’ve got lots of neat days to help you fill up those big blank stretches of time. Days like National Frisbee Day and National Coffee Day and National Fire Awareness Day and oh so much more. We know you’ll thank us later for it.

We’ll thank you right now for a pledge to our Patreon to help keep the show coming. Sign up at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek Thank you!

First, apologies.

Then, news about some of the most dangerous creatures ever encountered. From Tolkien to Germany to Santa to Germany again then a bit of a stop in various Nordic countries and on to England, you’d think we were flying on of Santa’s routes. But we’re not. No, at this time of year we have a dire warning for you about the little creatures you let into your house. Take care and be well.

Merry Christmas indeed.

Get access to transcripts, bonus episodes and monthly creator chats by becoming a patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

We’re pretty sure you can name eight or nine reindeer just fine all by yourself. But the real question is, just how many reindeer does Santa have altogether? And, what are their names?

In this episode we take a completely serious look at all the known sources for our modern Santa Claus lore with regards to reindeer. From Clement Clarke Moore’s contribution, to the offering of one Robert Lewis May, to the random bits and bobs that have been scattered over the landscape from other sources. As far as we’re concerned, every source is as valid as every other and we encourage you to keep and open mind as we go through this episode made with an eye on the little ones.

You can help support GM Word of the Week on Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

We all like to give and get gifts. Particularly around the holidays.

Well, herein is our gift to you and it’s about gifts and gift giving. And trying to make those things more tolerable for everyone concerned. Oh, and also the story of the worst gift ever given.

Links as promised:

Helmig, Bryan. “Conspiracy Santa: A Better Secret Santa for Teams.” Zapier. Zapier, June 4, 2019. https://zapier.com/blog/conspiracy-santa/.

Jeeves, Roberta. “Official White Elephant Gift Exchange Rules.” White Elephant Rules, October 24, 2019. https://www.whiteelephantrules.com/.

You can give a gift of subscription to our Patreon for transcripts and extras at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

Look! It’s a big bird! But not that Big Bird, let’s be clear.

No, the roc is a bird of myth and story, but a myth and story with a long tradition that crosses some of the world’s biggest religions. More importantly, it also crosses two of the most famous pieces of popular culture ever created. One that is enshrined for posterity by the biggest library in the land. And one that has existed for centuries as the finest feat of tale telling ever told. Let’s find out what we’re talking about together.

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Every Thanksgiving a little thought runs through our heads. Could the turkey be replaced with something else?

And every year the same suggestion presents itself. The turducken. So, where does this frankensteinian dish come from and who thought it up? Is it a delicacy worth the effort and expense? Or is it just another in a long line of suspicious dishes that date all the way back to the medieval period? And what does football have to do with it?

Thank you to all our patrons on Patreon for their continued support of the show. Without you, we are nothing. https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

It’s the color of royalty. And magic. And mystery. And piety. Which seems like a lot really for just one color.

But purple — well, a certain kind of purple — has a long complicated history. Understanding where it comes from and how it got here can help us understand other things as well. Like the significance of color, the importance of laws, and whether it rhymes with anything at all.. Purple even helps make you smarter.

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Look. It’s weird, right? There’s some little flying elephant thing in this Dungeons and Dragons adventure and, even if you don’t think so, we find it weird.

Like, really mind bogglingly weird. But not for any of the reasons you might think. So, come along with us and let’s try to figure out the weirdness of the hollyphant. By way of, well, everything. Because when it gets right down to it, the source of the weirdness is a real lulu.

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Now that Halloween is out of the way, it’s time to bring in the harvest. And boy are there a lot of different harvest traditions.

But before we get into that, let’s talk about one of the biggest harvest celebrations of all. That’s right, Thanksgiving. Because it’s coming up sooner than you’d believe. But the thing is, in America, the Thanksgiving holiday isn’t really celebrating what you think it is celebrating. So, what’s going on? Let’s find out.

A big thanks to all our PAtreon supporters this year. You can join them at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

You’ve seen them in movies and 70s TV shows. They’re practically everywhere. The Ghost Town.

But how did they get there? What happened to them that left them empty? And why did certain kinds of sitcoms spend so much time in them?

We can’t really answer that last one for you. But those other questions? We’ve got those covered. And along the way, we’ll explain why what you don’t see is the scariest thing of all.

If you’ve enjoyed our October series, why not join our Patreon? https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

They say every artist puts a little bit of their soul into their art. Here are some folks who took that literally. Some more than others, but still…

From paintings that kill to paintings that burn to paintings that are just really, really creepy, we cover them all. But then someone gets caught in a loop. The other half of the story of cursed paintings caused some problems. Where did the idea come from? And why did it become so prevalent in so many of our favorite games? Will we ever figure it out?

Probably not. But come along for the story anyway.

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With tattered sails unfurled to catch a ghostly wind, the ship comes at you out of the fog and you know all aboard are doomed.

At least, that’s what the stories say, but what’s the truth of it all? What are the real stories behind the stories? Well, that’s the best part. It’s so hard to tell. Not that many people haven’t tried over the years. And are still trying. We think.

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Creaking doors. Rattling chains. Dishes that won’t stay in the cupboard. Should you be calling the contractor to have them make good on the repairs, or is your house haunted?

Well, haunted houses go back a lot further in history than you might think. Or rather, stories about them do. And mostly it is thanks to the usual culprit so often brought up in these episodes. But one tale of a haunted house stands out as so remarkable, so striking, and so very very haunted, that we just had to tell you about it again.

Because this is October. Halloween month.

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It’s that time of year again where we all gather around the campfire and tell spooky stories.

But First! We have to tell you about some spooky stories. And some not-so-spooky stories about spooky stories. And some just regular old informational stories about stories that aren’t very spooky at all.

Fortunately, it is all in the name of warming up for an October that’ll scare your pants off. Assuming you wear pants. Spooky.

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It’s where they keep all the books you aren’t reading. But certainly there is more to a library than that.

Naturally we had to do the research, which is also a thing you can do at your library. in fact, it’s one of the oldest things you were allowed to do at a library even before you were allowed to actually check books out. But more importantly, what libraries were really good for was introducing philosophers to their future students. what are we talking about? Check out the episode.

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200!

We’ve done 200 Episodes!

200!!!!!

Support us on Patreon for 200 more. https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

We’re very, very, very, sorry. No, really. Very sorry.

And you can tell, because we have atoned for our errors in some very specific ways. Like all Paladins do, eventually, in D&D. Because as we all know, to err is human, but to forgive…requires special training and a deep devotion to one’s god. For which you should atone to ensure you can.. well, it’s some kind of circle isn’t it? Around and around the atonement circle we go. And you can come with us.

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Inside your favorite book of bad beasties is one particular critter steeped in deeply mythological lore. That is, the lore itself is mythological. Made up, in fact.

But why is this the case and what does it have to do with wars with Spain and things astronomical? There’s only one way to find out short of doing all the research yourself, so why not follow along with us and learn all about this non-ancient ancient creature.

As always, your help and support is greatly appreciated. You can offer yours at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

Jackie Chan! Jet Li! Bruce Lee! Ninjas! David Carradine! Wait…David Carradine? Oh. Right. Monks.

Except those are all the wrong sorts of monks for a Western Medieval-Style fantasy adventure. But, since it is about 40 years too late to correct that, I guess those are the ones we have to talk about. So, fair enough, here is an entire episode devoted to the one class that is absolutely incorrect for D&D and other similar RPGs. Except… Well, except if someone had been reading the right material, things could have been a whole lot cooler and a lot less wrong.

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Yup. We lost another one. Fortunately though we found it laying around in bits and pieces on the harddrive of knowledge. And so it was assembled and then presented to you, dear listener.

Interesting information about Egypt, Rome, vacations, and triskaidekaphobia as well as several interesting stops in between are contained herein. Please do enjoy them all and remember, this episode and this show is made possible by listeners like you on our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

Snakes. Why did it have to be snakes? We quite like snakes actually, given their similarity to gamers in general and the neat way they’ve adapted to survive.

Sure, they can make you die in several different, fairly horrible, ways. But really, they’ve just found an edge they’ve learned to exploit very well.And that’s what this episode is all about, how to find an edge and exploit it as well as you can. Well, if you’re a snake. Or a Medici.

This episode is brought to you by our patrons on Patreon. Come join them at: https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

It’s inconceivable that you don’t know what we’re about to reference, or why. But, just in case you aren’t aware, it contains one of the greatest word nerd lines ever uttered, and we’re not about to let the opportunity to use it pass us by.

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.”

Let’s carry on then and learn something about Iocaine powder and poisons in general. Including things about an ancient king who became a proper medical term for a general cure all.

This show is supported by the kind donations of our patrons on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek and to them we say, “As you wish…”

The wild world of D&D is full of all kinds of weird, strange, and deadly creatures. Fortunately there is always some real-world explanation behind them that we can tap into.

Except, what if there isn’t? Then what do we talk about? What if no one knows where a particular critter came from? Well, how about we provide some context, then? And we might as well discuss a few other things that we don’t know the answer to, but are all connected to the first thing. How does that sound? Good? Good.

We are supported by the kind ongoing donations of our listeners at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

These little blood-sucking parasites are the worst! No group of so-called brave adventurers likes to face a swarm of stirges, especially not just as they are setting out on their career as brave adventurers.

But wait, something isn’t quite right with the stirge. In fact, a lot of somethings aren’t quite right about the stirge, and many of the things related to stirges. But to find out exactly what’s wrong, you’re going to have to listen to this episode. And, if you’d like to help things be a little less wrong, try https://www.nothingbutnets.net/about/ or http://www.umc.org/topics/imagine-no-malaria.

We’re supported by our generous listeners on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

Oh sure, your longbows and your short bows gets lots of love in your basic fantasy roleplaying game of choice. And that’s fine. But there is a particular class of ranged weapon that gets scoffed at and given to the character that has the worst ranged attack in the party in the hopes that somehow, some way, they’ll be able to accidentally hit something with it and do more than a point of damage.

But that ends now. Because once you’ve heard what an arbalest is and can do, you’ll wonder why you haven’t had one yourself. So let’s dive in and get to the point while discussing this particular art of war.

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If you’re stuck on a planet by yourself and need to, for example, defend yourself against some alien species, saltpeter is definitely one of the things you want to be able to find and use.

But where does it come from and how did we figure out how to make it? Why is it such a major part of certain national celebrations? Whose idea was that? All these questions and more answered with a hot dog in one hand, a beer in the other, and sparkler in the third.

Your support helps make the show happen. Join us at: https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

As a regular font of information, we felt it was time to actually explain what a font was. And, as you stare at this messages typeface, that is exactly what we’ve done.

Of course, it’s simple really and you probably think you already know all there is to know about letter punches and screw presses and so forth. But we’re willing to bet there are at least a few things you’ve got wrong. So get the lead out and see where this lead has led.

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Oh, it’s just the censer. And you may be wondering why we’ve chosen something so obviously already a thing most people know about as our word. But then again, it may be that we all make assumptions about things and how well known they are. For example, what do you know about elementals? We’re willing to be at least some of it is wrong. Also, we get to giggle like school children who’ve just heard a rude word. And so will you.

We’re all in a whirl here with everything that has been going on. So what better time learn about maelstrom?

But what is a maelstrom really? And what does it have to do with trademarks, Poe, mythology, zippers, and Norway? There’s only on way to find out and that’s to give this episode a spin.

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Do you feel lucky? Well, do you, punk?

Gosh we hope so, because this episode is all about punks, from criminals to cybers, queens to steams, there is so much punkery going on here it’s hard to believe it all.

Which is why we go to the trouble of pointing out a great big lie about an elephant before we even get started. Come join us!

And join us on Patreon to help support the show. while you are at it. You can get early access to episode, transcripts and more. See you there! https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

A ubiquitous mark of the English countryside, the hedge has earned a place not only in scenes of idyllic pastoral beauty, but as common parlance in our everyday speech.

So, let’s examine the hedge and see where it gets us. Possibly you know what a hedge is already, but, as you should know by now, this show is about more than what you already know. If we can’t tie it all in to recent events, then nobody can. And we can.

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Mark this one down. In fact, chalk it up to some good information that came our way and that we now pass on to you. It’s the science, history, and best usage of that little white stick all the teachers used to have. A little bit of chalk.

Of course, now-a-days, you don’t see it quite often as you once did. It has fallen out of favor, both in real life and at the gaming table. Fortunately, there are still chalk aficionados who really appreciate a good thing when it comes along. Oh, and while we’re at it, we’ll tell you how to never, ever get lost in a maze.

As always this podcast is brought to you by the kind contributions of our patrons on Patreon. Join them, won’t you.

Welcome to spring and with it, a long-held tradition of tidying up around the place.

So come along with us as we shake out the rugs, sweep up the dust, and generally just freshen things up around the Word of the Week studios. While we’re at it, we talk about where the tradition of spring cleaning might have come from, where we might have come from, where Zagyg went wrong, and, finally, where Nimrod really went wrong.

All this and more is supported by you, our listeners, on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

This one is quite the reach, but there are things to know about ten-foot poles that aren’t immediately obvious.

And towels. Honestly, quite a bit about certain towels. And measurements. It’s probably mostly about measurements in fact. But that’s okay. Because we’re all really hoopy froods. Honestly.

This episode brought to you by our patrons on Patreon. https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

Look, there are some weird critters in Dungeons and Dragons, but perhaps none is more weird than the gelatinous cube. And why not? Who’s to say that it isn’t the perfect representative of D&D?

What do we mean by that? Well, listen to this episode and we’ll explain. Mind you, the explanation involves old movies, older philosophers, and a good bit of science both old and new. Let’s go exploring in a 10’x10’ corridor and see just how iconic the gelatinous cube is.

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With a purposeful grimace and a terrible sound

He pulls the spitting high tension wires down

Helpless people on a subway train

Scream bug-eyed as he looks in on them

He picks up a bus and he throws it back down

As he wades through the buildings toward the center of town

Oh no, they say, he's got to go

Go go… Tarrasque??

Your support makes it all possible: https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

It’s where everyone who doesn’t trust their mattress keeps their money. if you’re lucky, it grows a bit while it’s there and hopefully you have a keen understanding of how it all works.

But, if you don’t, or if you’d like a refresher on how it came to be that you let someone else hold onto your money for you we’ve got just the episode you need. After all, you should take an interest in these things.

Plus, we have our own accountant, so…

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Diamonds aren’t really all that special. Just saying.

Oh, we know, you’ve been convinced they are. In fact, it’s fairly likely that you think they are the rarest of all gemstones. But it just ain’t so. Not by a long shot. So what we’re going to do in this episode is teach you everything you need to know to understand that gemstones, despite what you’ve been told, don’t work like you think they do.

In some cases, they work better.

Support this sow on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

This episode is about Burl Ives. Well, about a song Burl Ives did. Or rather, it is technically about the things mentioned in a song Burl Ives did during a program about a reindeer. Sort of.

This is a touchstone episode showcasing the kind of shenanigans we get up to just to make an episode for you. The real acid test, however, is whether you learn anything interesting. We’re confident you will.

Support GM Word of the Week on Patreon if this is the sort of thing you enjoy. https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

We spend them and hoard them and make our lives about them so what is there to know about coins?

Well, plenty, because there’s more to the simple coin than just marking down your score in life. There’s practically the whole history of civilization behind it for one thing. So count your change and come along for the story of a coin.

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Ahhh tea. The best of all hot drinks with which to start your morning.

What else can we say? Tea is, simply, the best bar none. Look at it’s long and storied history. Look at its ability to create change. Look at its place in both politics and the home. How can anything surpass tea?

Sit back, relax, put your feet up. And enjoy this cup of tea we’ve brewed just for you.

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It keeps us up during the day and sometimes at night, too. That lovely brown liquid full of go-go juice.

Start your morning properly with a cup full of your favorite joe and an ear full of your favorite podcast. The history of coffee and the science of what it does. And why we wouldn’t be here if it didn’t do it’s thing.

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What’s worse than an evil wizard? And evil, undead wizard. And that’s precisely what you get with the Lich.

Let’s head back into the ancient mists of…. oh… The ‘70s? Are you sure? They certainly seem older than that don’t they? Well, there’s a very good reason for that. So let’s dig in.

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Let’s talk about the game that is similar to, but legally distinct from, that other game we like to play. You know the one.

And while we explore its history, lets also talk about where the name came from. Well, one possibility for it at least. Lets talk about if because for once we know exactly where the name came from and we also have other fine examples of things bearing that name. So you should definitely listen if you want the true history of Pathfinder.

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There are many stories that instruct, but few are so well known as those of Aesop. And there’s really only two problems with that statement, both having to do with Aesop himself. But that’’s okay because there is a lot else to know about fables. In fact, if there is one lesson you can take from this episode, it’s that …. Well, that is…. I mean…. No, you’re not going to learn anything, I guess.

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We’re going to tell you a story about stories. From how they help us learn things to how they help us understand things. And why A Square was as important as MC Squared.

Here’s a story: If you’re a regular listener of GM Word of the Week, head over to Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek and sign up. You can support the show for as little as a dollar and get early episodes and Transcripts. For five dollars, you can participate in monthly chats with the hosts. And for $10 you can get one of ten limited slots for exclusive GM Word of the Week notebooks from Silverwing Armoury. Your contribution are put towards making the show better through improved equipment and skills. Head over and check it out.

“Things…don’t go smooth,” as a great philosopher once observed, and some of the places where they go least smooth are right here at GM Word of the Week Towers.

Maybe you’ve experienced it. You have a nice, simple little plan, but bits of it just keep going wrong. Things go missing. Equipment refuses to work properly if at all. Things are out on the wing ripping pieces off. That sort of thing. Well, fortunately we have identified the culprits. Right here. Right now.

If everything goes right.

Once again we’ve left a few things out of the edit. OR just plain got stuff wrong. Or maybe didn’t explain well enough. It all depends.

In any case, here is yet another lost episode. You’d be forgiven for thinking this happens to us all the time. Because it does. But at least we try to correct ourselves.

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https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

Welcome to 2019.

This week we discuss the Sphinx(s), love our mothers, sit briefly on a couch, answer the biggest riddle of them all, and then tease next week’s show.

Sounds like a lovely time, doesn’t it? All thanks to our patrons who support us on Patreon at www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek Join us there for transcripts of each episode and monthly chats.

It’s here, it’s here! Christmas is finally here! And boy did we get you a heck of a present. Yes indeed. A fine, fine present. Open it!

Hey, wait a minute. Why so glum? Don’t you like our present? You seem disappointed. Well, maybe the problem is, you just don’t know enough about it. Maybe you think socks are dull and boring. Maybe you lack a proper perspective. Because let me tell you chum, socks are important! And after this episode, you’ll thank us.

You can always put a little something in our stocking and support GM Word of the Week on Patreon.

It’s cold outside. Better bundle up. And few items are better for bundling up than a good coat. The kind you’d formally address as Surcoat.

Just our little joke. Keep in mind, though, that along with coat you’ve got the jacket, the jerkin, and a whole host of other things that may or may not be as important to your daily dress and overall comfort. Depending on who you are, of course.

This holiday season, why not become a Patron of GM Word of the Week on Patreon.

It wraps you up and keeps you warm on those cold winter nights. And, at Christmas, it looks really terrible. That’s right, it’s wool.

Don’t be sheepish, give it a listen.

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It’s something of a tradition around here that we theme our December episodes. Or if it wasn’t before, it is now.

So, please find wrapped up herein, the very nice episode about Hoods. Good, bad, and… different than you might expect.

We’re supported by our Patrons on Patreon.

A brief historical foray into the origins of utopia await you inside this very episode. But, before we can talk about utopias, we have to discuss dystopias, because really you can’t have one without the other. At least, from a literary perspective.

As always, your support keeps the show going. Join our Patreon at www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek for as little as $1.

You are what you eat. In which case, many adventurers in RPGs the world over are made of iron. Or is it tin?

In any case, this edition of our traditional Thanksgiving episode bring the Iron Ration into focus. What period of ancient history did the Iron Ration concept come from, what’s in one, and is one pound of food really enough to keep a healthy, growing baby adventurer going for a day?

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Names are funny old things. Especially if you have a bunch of gamers trying to name a bunch of characters. We can’t all be Dave, right Dave 3.59?

Still, some names you run into in Dungeons and Dragons have a little bit of story behind them, and once you figure out how it works, it’s hard not to find these word games elsewhere. And pretty soon you’re accidentally enjoying yourself.

Support the show on Patreon and keep us going through the New Year.

Hello? Cthulhu, you say? No, we definitely WON’T be accepting the charges. Goodbye.

Well, that was easy. But where did all this Cthulhu stuff get started and how does it relate to last week’s episode? And just exactly what sort of world would let such otherworldly horrors exist? This sort, as it turns out.

Join us on Patreon to help support the show.

Did we mention Halloween is approaching? Well it is and that means we are going to be getting into the spirit of things over the next few episodes. So beware.

Especially in this episode, as we discuss one of the biggest bads in D&D. Where did Orcus come from, and where did he go? We’ve got the answers inside this very episode.

Please consider supporting us on Patreon where you can get early access to the episodes, transcripts, and more.

We frequently leave a bit on the table when we settle down to the meal that is GM Word of the Week, but we don’t feel bad about it because that’s how we get lovely leftovers like this tasty combination of facts and stories left out of our previous few episodes. Sit down and enjoy.

And while you are enjoying, consider supporting GM Word of the Week on Patreon.

We’re not done telling you about bad guys yet. For example, the brigand. Join us on a world tour as we look for the origins of the word in several wrong places, but one right one.

Along the way? Napoleon, England, Mongols, Italy, a bit of Spanish and German, and some Celts. We’re very excited.

Join our Patreon for early access, transcripts, and some neat Campaign Notebooks all while supporting the show.

There are any number of various bad guys, thieves, and ne’er-do-wells in your basic sort of medieval-style fantasy.

But only some of them belong there. For a variety of reasons, but mostly because they aren’t really timeline appropriate. Of course, it is fantasy, but even we have our standards.

We encourage you to support the show on Patreon.

Everyone remembers that penguin from that one movie. You know, "Slide." Clearly that was Jack's totem animal. And we all have totem animals, right? Wellllll... Maybe you should pay careful attention to this episode and see what's really going on with totems. You support on Patreon keeps us ad free: https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

We all know witches come with black cats and wizards have their toads and rats and pretty much that’s all there is to that. But what about the brownies and the little friendly kitchen elves who can’t help but leave kitchen drawers slightly ajar? Those all count, too. But still, there’s a lot of cat in it.

We’d like to invite you to support GM Word of the Week on Patreon.

This episode is a real problem. In fact, it's something of a bugbear.

But what is a bugbear you ask? That, my friends, is an excellent question and one we intend to answer just as soon as we figure out where to look and what it's based on and how the name has changed and...

.... well, like we said, it's a real bugbear.

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We're talking about tiny people, remember?

Sure you do. And this is another one. From herbology class to magicians, we've got a lot of ground to cover, and some of the strangest ground of all is the sort of ground that grows mandrake. Which doesn't mean what you think it means. But some of our oldest stories about mandrake, gave birth to some of our newest stories. Like things about cats. And technicolor.

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Ever notice a thing, and then keep on noticing it as it seems to crop up over and over again in the following days?

Well, there's a name for that. And while we explain what that's all about, we also have to talk about the thing that kept cropping up, the homunculus. It's in D&D, but it's also in some very old folklore along with some modern day trickery. Naturally, we let the idea incubate for a bit.

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This whole natural hazards thing really got away from us. We've been through volcanoes and quicksand, wildfire and lightning until, at last, we come to avalanche.

And before it all comes tumbling down, lets just take a moment to consider how hard it must be to come out on top of these things. With or without elephants.

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We had a bright idea. A real shocker. And that idea was, let's make some lightning puns. Before we bolted out the door to celebrate, we realized we would have to explain what lightning is and how it works. In a flash of inspiration, we struck and jotted down this little episode here for your enjoyment. So weather the storm and listen along.

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One of us lives in the Pacific Northwest. It is mid-summer and, as is traditional here for this time of year, the skies are covered in a thick blanket of smoke. In fact, it's not just the skies, but the ground as well. And where does all that smoke come from you may ask yourself? Wildfires, naturally. So, let's see what's so good about them that we have to stay indoors for half the summer.

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Used to be, you couldn't have an adventure film without some and then all of a sudden it was gone. Much like the people who stepped into this particular hazard. So, where did it go and why was it so popular for so long. Come along with us and get stuck in.

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We're still going with the flow-- Ok ok, I'll stop. Look, this one is, as promised last time, about lava. And the differences between it and magma. And some nudist guy. I don't know, it's complicated. By the end of it though, you'll know a lot more about lava and what it is than you expected.

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We erupt with a fountain of information about volcanoes and how they work and then spill over into more earth science.

In fact, let's go with the flow and discuss plate tectonics while we a magmanimous about submarines. And now I have to stop so you can listen to the show.

Support us on Patreon and we promise not to do more puns regarding volcanoes.

You know the fire pit, the spike pit, the quicksand pit, the crocodile pit and all those other pits? Of course you do, because you play video games.

But those can hardly be described as natural hazards, can they? No, of course not, but before we start discussing the natural ones, let's talk about what got us to this point in the first place. And then where we are going after.

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You don't have to be a captain to be a captain. And really, that says it all. We encapsulated the confusion of rank versus role in one simple sentence. And we're going to go on doing it, too.

Because we are now prepared to tell you how most, if not all, military ranks came to be and where most, if not all of them, came from. And hopefully you'll be able to work out who to salute and when. Just like we've made a belated salute to Memorial Day.

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Here arriveth yet another collection of the best bits that didn't fit into their proper shows.

And it's all very interesting and informative and contains some things even we didn't know we didn't know. So it's bound to have something for you, too. Even though they are just bits and pieces of things.

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Just as promised we bring out the Man in the Moon for this episode.

Except, it's very likely not the man in the moon you think it is. Perhaps it's not even a man. Maybe it's a rabbit. And technically, whatever it is you see, it doesn't matter because it isn't really there anyway, the moon is just a... well... What is it exactly? And what's wrong with us that we keeping seeing things that aren't there? And what IS the thin tissue of lies at the heart of every one of these episodes?

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You see them everywhere. Or, at least, you think you do. And that's the point of the game, really; what do you think you see in that cloud?

So we need to look into it -- the phenomena, not the face -- and find out what's behind it all. Naturally, we'll have to look at poetry, how atoms are made, and a certain shroud. Oh, and someone called Lex Salica.

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Sure, we've touched on it before, but that doesn't necessarily mean we were entirely done with it. Sometimes you have to go back and look again. So we did.

One of the best reasons to go back and look again was the window into Science Fiction the Apparatus opened. Because really, the roots of Sci-Fi go right back to the earliest times. And there are some pretty important people with pretty important discoveries to meet. And so many of them are about a kind of undeath.

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Let's rekindle an age old argument that was never really much of an argument in the first place. Because that's exactly the sort of thing we do around here.

Money in role playing games, especially Dungeons and Dragons, has always been a sort of fiddly subsection of the game rules that no one really pays attention to or cares about. But then again, sometimes an error of fact is made. And we're hardly ones to let that slide by. So let's talk about Electrum.

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The Grognard is either the feared ambassador of a bygone age, or a living repository of ancient gaming knowledge. It depends on your point of view.

But how did they get that name and what does it really mean? We'll help you work the kinks out of that question and finally explain everything.

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What is the difference between a cave and a grotto? The answer is inside this very episode.

But first! Queen Victoria and Nero have more in common than you think. No, not fiddles. Fiddles weren't even invented in Nero's time. Nor was he in Rome at the time of the 'incident'. Maybe you should just start listening from the top.

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Up the river. Down the river. No matter where you look, you aren't going to find any Amazons.

Or will you? These warrior women have a long, mostly mythical, history. But maybe, just maybe, there's more to the myth than mere wishful thinking. Plus, we do have one modern Amazonian to consider.

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Two things confuse us about the monsters in the Dungeons and Dragons Monster manual every time they come out with a new one. Well, more than two, really. But THESE two in particular have always been something of a conundrum.

How can a snake-haired lady and a big metallic bull share two part of the same name? Really, tell us how. No. Wait. We're supposed to tell you how. Right. Here we go then. Explaining the seemingly unexplainable.

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It's time once again for a collection of facts and stories we just couldn't squeeze into their origin episode.

So, let's talk about seasons, giants, gods, video games, and one very large goat. We're not yanking your chain, this is a real Lost Episode.

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If you can remember who this is, you're doing better than we were. But never let it be said we shy away from the obscure.

Besides, this was handed to us all nicely wrapped up by one of our listeners, @Galev_PH on Twitter. So, blame him for the whirlwind tour we go on for both a nearly forgotten D&D deity, and the complete history of Hungary.

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Everything everywhere is falling apart. It's total chaos!

Or, maybe it's entropy? Frankly, past the bits about dinosaurs, most folks didn't really bother. Whichever it is, we're sure we can figure it out with the help of some ping pong balls, the Greeks, and Gary Gygax's alignment system. Oh no. We're not seriously going to talk about alignment, are we??!!

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The sword in the stone. Lady of the Lake. King Arthur. Camelot. A fish?! Squirrels...? A giant rabbit?? What's going on here?

What's going on is the weird mix of lore, fairy tales, feature films, and just plain old making things up that goes along with the story of a sword that isn't the one you're thinking of, and a king who might not have existed. The problem is, he might or might not have existed for several hundred years before anyone even thought to write anything down. So let's see if we can clear it up a bit.

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There are so many castles in modern film that it's hard to keep them all straight. Until, that is, you realize that many of them are all the same castle, just with different hats on.

But then, of course, many castles are similar in many ways. And almost all of them have very humble origins. So let's dig in and see if we can't pile up some castle knowledge for you.

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We've done it before and we're doing it again. There are still things to know about Typhoons that we didn't cover the first time.

So, come along with us as we revisit an early episode and more deeply explore everything there is to know about typhoons. And cyclones. And two entirely different hurricanes. Because someone has to make it all make sense.

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Let's all sail to that nice little island over there that isn't on any of the maps. That'll be cool, right?

Well sure. As long as it doesn't turn out to be any one of several kinds of things that look like islands but then turn out to be some sort of giant creature with trees growing on it. Because that's no good. And more than one captain has lost ship and crew to such things.

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Two heads are better than one, but only up to a point. And more heads than two heads can be the head of a problem that two heads are needed to solve.

But we all know how to deal with hydras no matter where they are encountered and we all know what not to do when we encounter them. Don't go it alone, bring a friend. Fortunately for the hydra, it can make its own friends. Well, in biology class anyway.

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Did that creepy looking statue just move? No? Yes? Chances are, especially if you are in an old building, it's probably a gargoyle. Isn't that nice to know?

Of course it is, but don't let your gargoyle knowledge stop there. Consider the case of Disney, or an old dragon. Or maybe you'd just like to hear about a really neat Christmas present and the little journey it took us on. Even while we were laid up.

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It's still cold out there. And we're still not happy about it. So let's take a look at why it even exists in the first place.

Although, of course, you might be surprised at the amount of familial problems involved in winter coming into being, at least unofficially. And of course we'll take a stab at explaining why we really have winter. But, in truth, the stories are more entertaining.

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We don't think much about gloves unless it's cold outside or there is work to be done. We certainly hardly ever think of them as status items.

But that's just what they have been for hundreds, maybe thousands, of years. From Egypt, to Greece and into more modern times, they've allowed the highborn and refined to impress everyone else. And then there came a pair of gloves that were used as evidence of a crime.

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As our friends in the North East may have noticed, it's a tiny bit cold outside. Perhaps you've had a smattering of snow yourself. While snow can be very fun and quite pleasant to look at, for real beauty, you want to check out the frost.

Specifically, hoarfrost and it's many varieties. And while we're at it, we might as well cover one of two other varieties of frost as well. Because all of it has it's place not only in the real world, but as a descriptor for various degrees of cold in your game. So bundle up and let's head outside looking for the frost.

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It's the end of the world as we know it. Except, is it? Of course not. You know how this works by now.

Happily, we and you have survived the New Year, so let's find out exactly what it was that worried us so. From youthful fears to the final battle, we're taking off on a whirlwind tour of the words that have brought Western Civilization to it's knees on more than one occasion. Join us, won't you? It'll be a blast.

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Happy holidays! And with every holiday must come a feast. So let's do that, shall we?

But wait, first, let us sing one of our favorite carols, about a king who was good, a page who was cold, and a peasant in need of a square meal. Yes, that one. Well, maybe not sing, but we'll certainly tell you the truth of it. Because there were real people involved, doing real things.

We'll be back in the new year. In the meantime, you can support us on Patreon.

The Big Top. The Greatest Show On Earth. We all know what a circus is, right? And, coulrophobia aside, most everybody has fond memories of having been to one. So fond, in fact, that many a character has run off to join one.

But, of course, there's more to it than that. Where did circuses come from, how did they develop, and why is your D&D character probably not running away to join one? All this and more inside this week's episode.

We have feasted and fested, with relatives near and dear and other relations not so. And between it all we've had more than is likely good for us, and yet not quite enough. Much like this episode.

A touch more can't possibly hurt, a little extra, a small soupçon of leftover. Things we just didn't have the time for on the first pass. But now, we have our chance to put an extra olive on the plate. Enjoy. And may your holidays be full of good cheer.

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When you've got a headache, what you want is relief. Today, there is any number of ways to get that relief thanks to modern medicine. But the question is, how modern is that medicine?

As it turns out, one of the most popular ways of getting that relief isn't all that modern. In fact, it's positively ancient. So let's follow along and see how we got from then to now, and what else from then might be relevant now. Because when it comes to pain, you definitely shouldn't ignore it.

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Gather up the other villagers and pool your money. You're going to need a fair bit of it if you expect to hire those guys to rid your town of the bandits / marauders / other mercenaries.

Wait, what? Yes, it's true. The history of the mercenary is fraught with good times and bad, and in the bad times the only thing to do is go pillaging yourself. You have to keep food on the table, after all. Listen along as we cover the first known mercenaries, some of the best known mercenaries, and the inspirations for a bunch of movies about mercenaries. You'll do best if you listen in groups of seven.

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If you ever want to know if something is magical or mystical, every gamer knows you only have to look for the runes. Any runes at all. If it has runes, it must be magical.

Of course, that's never the whole story. But it is one we're more than happy to actually agree with. No, really. We're totally fine with it. However... there is more you should know. And in learning it, we're going to travel forward and back from ancient burials, to modern technology. You're probably even packing a couple runes right now that you don't even know about.

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Oh, you knew it was coming. When we tell you it's October and we're doing a whole month of 'W' creatures, you just know what one of them is going to be. It's only a question of when.

So here it is, the werewolf, just as you expected. Or is it? We could have changed it up on you. We could have transformed the average, everyday story of the werewolf, into something a little more... hairy. How far back do werewolves go, any way? And how about all that stuff about moons and cycles? Where does all our modern werewolf lore come from?

Only one way to find out. Don't listen alone.

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What's a wemic?

Good question. Glad you asked. A wemic is a creature that hasn't been seen in D&D for years. Really. It goes way, way back though. And some people remember it fondly. But few really know what inspired it, so that's where we start. By the end, you'll have forgotten all about the wemic, too. But there are things it is important to know.

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Let's be absolutely clear about this, dudes. A wight isn't a what you think it is.

Well, okay, yes, it is, but it also very much, and very historically, isn't. Finding out what's going on with the wight takes quite a lengthy trip. We go all the way back to 1867, then even further back to 1503, and then so far back we aren't even actually sure how far back it is. And then we come all the way forward to the mid-80s. Probably somewhere on a California beach.

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A dragon. A not-dragon. Definitely one of those things, right? If only we could dig into the mythological origins of the wyvern, we could lay the argument to rest once and for all.

So let's do that. Let's dig in and find all the neat historical stories that make the wyvern such a compelling, and argument worthy, creature in modern fantasy story-telling. And let's settle that debate once and for all. Let's do that, shall we? Except...

If you are ever lost and cold and starving in the woods, take care that the Wendigo doesn't get you. Especially if you are with 'friends'.

Explore the lore of the Wendigo and some of its ties to things a little more real. From dead pets, to dead pioneers, to lost tribes, on to lost cows, we bring you equal parts science, mythology, and history when it comes to the Wendigo and its victims. Welcome to October, a scary month of spooky stories from GM Word of the Week podcast.

Early episode release and transcripts are available for as little as $1 on Patreon.

Somewhere in the back of the DM's Guide, or maybe buried in fine print in the Player's Guide, there is a class specialization. Some lucky few get to make use of it, but more often than not, it is made us of against them, usually to complicate the plot.

Fortunately, we're here to help you prepare yourself, to defend against the poison darts of ignorance. Where did those assassins come from? And, more importantly, where did they go? Find out with us as we pass a flat world on the back of a turtle, visit ancient Persia, plug into an animus, and see what you've got in your genes. This is GM Word of the Week.

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Aragorn, Son of Arathorn, blah blah. Clearly the inspiration for the Ranger class in D&D, right?

Well, maybe, but there are a couple of other influences you should know about and they rest squarely in the military and the the lands of kings. So let's dig into that a bit and along the way talk about why the ranger class is so messed up. Or not, depending on your point of view.

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We went to Gen Con 50 and, in spite of many interruptions, managed to talk a bit about dragons. There were a lot of things we didn't get to cover, though, because of those same interruptions. So, here they are, assembled into a Lost Episode subtitled "Dragon Tales".

When you think about it, there are a lot of creatures throughout history and mythology which, while not quite dragons, exhibit many dragon-like qualities. The Naga, for instance, or Kulcucan, or even that thing from The Epic of Gilgamesh. You know what to do. Listen.

We are switching to a Tuesday release schedule for the show, which we hope will be more efficacious for our listeners.

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Call them Drow or Dark Elves, it makes no difference. From the popularity of a single, well-known individual, a race of elves arose that suddenly had everyone wielding double scimitars and not putting enough vowels in their names.

And really, when you get down to it, something about them IS compelling. But also, horribly over used. Come along with us and figure out where Drow came from and why they're still around.

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We went to Gen Con 2017 and performed a live show for our fans. Here, for you, is the lightly edited version of that show. Naturally, it is about dragons. Because we've already done dungeons.

Enjoy the live show, the slightly different format, the usually silent partner in this production, and the laughs. Thanks to everyone who came to the show and made it a lot of fun. And thanks to our patrons who made the trip possible.

Call them Drow or Dark Elves, it makes no difference. From the popularity of a single, well-known individual, a race of elves arose that suddenly had everyone wielding double scimitars and not putting enough vowels in their names.

But something is amiss, here. Things were going along so well until, suddenly, they weren't. What happened? What is going on?

Listen and find out.

Your support on Patreon keeps the show going.

We talk about a lot of things involved in role-playing games, but we have yet to discuss role-playing games themselves.

Well, we've fixed that now. And just in time for our 100th episode, too. Meanwhile, we'll also be doing a live show at Gen Con 2017 where you can see both of us, hear a totally unique never before heard episode of GM Word of the Week, and ask us pointed and impertinent questions. Come along for an hour of GM Word of the Week, LIVE. You can still get tickets here: https://www.gencon.com/events/122294 If you're going to Gen Con this year, come join us!

Lost? Confused? Having trouble finding your way?

Never fear, we've blazed a trail for you; found you a path through the forest and marked it out. It should be easy to follow. Just start at whiskey, take a left at Jefferson, go straight on past Oregon, loop back around to Minnesota, and then it's pretty much a straight line from there to Scotland. If you get to the train, you've gone too far.,

Now, pay attention and try not to die of dysentery.

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We're sorry!

Also, let's talk about talking. Or, more specifically, language and the uses thereof. Get out your vocabulary books and follow along.

It's more than that, though. There are whole volumes of specialized languages, jargon, slang, and just good old fashioned secret languages. We'll discuss the worst accent in movie history, where that accent was meant to come from, and, best of all, get at the story behind thieves cant in D&D and why you can't speak lawful neutral any more.

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The art o glass making goes back hundreds of years. And then a couple hundred more. It so old that we don't even really know who did it first. Or exactly how they worked it out.

But, consider all the ways glass fits into your life, both in game and out. It's so common that, most of the time, you just look right through it. Fortunately, we're here to shine a light on it and reflect some of the amazing history and science behind glass.

And to learn how to stop a basilisk with it.

Your contribution to our Patreon keeps us going. Check it out.

Obsidian, a black, sharp rock. Very sharp. So sharp that it was used in the earliest times to make weapons, wage war, and start empires.

There's more to know, though. From counting and molecular structure, to who some of those early empires were. And what happened to them. At least, according to some. And we'll just bet after filling your head with this knowledge, you'll be able to make the edge kingdoms in your games much more interesting.

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Warning! Go no further if you suffer from arachnophobia, this episode may not be your friend.

But, they are worth talking about. So many interesting things go on with spiders, both in the real world and in fictional ones, that it's hard to just ignore them. Tolkien wrote about them, a lot. And Gygax may, or may not (because it was never legally proven) have 'borrowed' from him for Dungeons & Dragons.

This episode is full of discussion about our little arachnid friends, both coming and going. You'll get an earful, and may learn more than you ever wanted to know about those web-slingers.

Also, we'd like to mention that there will be a GM Word of the Week live show at Gen Con this year. Tickets are free and you can find out more here.

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Usually our Lost Episodes contain things that just didn't fit into their intended episode. Usually.

But not this time.

No, this time we came up with the lost bit before we wrote the actual episode, but it just didn't fit. It was the wrong way to go, but it was so good and so interesting we decided to keep it anyway.

So sit back and enjoy the way things could have gone.

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Ice Ages bring moraines. Most of the time. But what are they and what do you do with them? Can they be eaten? Are they worn? Can you live on them? What, exactly, is a moraine?

Good thing you came to us for your answer. While we give it to you, we also tell you about accidental game design, climate change on a grand scale, some lakes, football games, billions of dollars, and a whole bunch of other stuff. Including a bit about the biggest city in America. What are you waiting for? Click play.

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When your hero takes a wound and begins to bleed, lots of things start happening. The bodies defenses kick in and it begins to repair itself. Which is good. That's what you want it to do. But it does take a dreadfully long time, doesn't it? Thank goodness for magical healing.

But what happens to everyone else in your fantasy world of choice? There are lots of people who need healing on any given day, and they don't all have access to it magically. To be honest, neither does your favorite hero if it's been a long day at the XP mines. So what do you do then? Who do you go to to get fixed up? and what are they likely to do? Let's meet the Chirurgeon.

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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.

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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.

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!

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Winter is coming. Or has come, finally. But that puts us in mind of some particular creatures mentioned in a particular show. The dire wolves. Of course, first, we have to start in Chicago. While we're at it, let's talk a bit about how Earth works, some climate change, and oh yes, let's not forget to talk about the Dire Wolf in Dungeons & Dragons. And wargs. And Loki. And... well, maybe you should just listen. You can support us on Patreon.

Rats are a ubiquitous RPG trope, whether you are playing tabletop games or video games. They scurry and scuttle and befoul the places we humans would rather they didn't. but how much do you really know about rats? Do you, for instance, know enough about rats to know where the most common ones come from? Or how they tie into the English monarchy? Maybe you do and maybe you don't, but there is only one way to know for sure. Listen! You can support us on Patreon.

We sometimes entertain requests from our Patreon supporters. In fact, that's exactly how you got the Rakshasa last week, and the Otyugh this week. The problem is, while we were able to track down some solid info on the Rakshasa, the Otyugh was much less clear. In fact, it almost didn't have enough info to be an episode. And then we noticed a strange coincidence or two. A word said here or there by folks who might know a thing or two. After that, it was just a matter of assembling all the coincidences into one cohesive episode. So here you go. The Otyugh. By way of Alanis Morissette. Sort of.

Sometimes, when it comes to Dungeons and Dragons, you have to work with what you've got and the early years of D&D are no exception. Take the inspiration for the Landshark, or Bulette for instance. Where did this crazy half snapping turtle, half armadillo come from? Well, before we can tell you that, we have to review some basic economic theory, German coinage, and the legacy of a man named Woolworth. But hey, far be it from us to nickle and dime you to death. You can support GM Word of the Week on Patreon.

The backward handed monsters known as Rakshasa have been a staple of Dungeons and Dragons for years. But, while you might think you know all there is to know about them, what you know, in D&D, ain't necessarily so. For example, did you know that the guy who inspired Gygax to include them in the game had nothing to do with gaming? Or that Rakshasa can be friendly and helpful? Or that a mid-90s video game about a boy and his dog is somehow tied into all this? No? Thought not. You can support GM Word of the Week on Patreon.

Strange creatures are sort of a hallmark of Dungeons and Dragons, but some are much stranger than others. Take the Giff, for example. It's some sort of human hippo hybrid. But really, it's the D&D World that the Giff comes from that we're interested in in this episode and the interesting parallels it has with real world, historical, science. Because, if nothing else can be said about Spelljammer, it's that it was made by someone who knew what they were about when they went space hopping.

Myconids, or mushroom-men, or spore people, or whatever your system of choice calls them, are weird. But not so weird as you might think. In fact, when looked at against the rich variety of things fungi do, they're downright normal. And that's what we are doing in this episode, putting myconids up against real fungi. Inside, you'll hear about all the seemingly weird things myconids are capable of, learn something about what fungi REALLY are, briefly refresh the old dwarf argument, and find out how these not-so-weirdos got into Dungeons and Dragons in the first place.

n our own, winding little way, we like to take you on grand tours of words, their meanings, and where they come from. Which is especially true of this episode as we make our way through a labyrinth of history and mythology. You might be familiar with the stories of Greek mythology in a general way, but we bet we can still manage to tell you a thing or two you didn't already know. For example, we're willing to bet you might not know how a maze, female anatomy, and an ax are all connected. Or why certain Greek heroes are really just a lot of fun. Or that teenagers have ALWAYS been teenagers.

Catacomb is nearly as badly misused as Dungeon is (See our earlier episode) and so we are here to set the record straight. There is, in fact, only one catacomb. In spite of all the other things referred to as catacomb. And sure, it's another of our famous winding journeys down the corridors of history featuring philosophers, archaeologists both real and made up, video games, insurance, and a big pile of rats. But that's okay, because we will happily guide you through it so that you see all the bodies buried here. Because that's what we do. Transcripts of the show are available on Patreon.

Of all the ancient wonders of the world, perhaps none are more captivating than the Great Pyramid. Maybe that's because it is the only one to survive into the modern age. Or, maybe it's because what it represents is a fundamental belief in what happens to us after death and how we should prepare for it. It's not a belief shared by everyone in our world, and it's certainly a belief that shouldn't be shared by the people populating our Dungeons and Dragons worlds. Not given what can happen to unattended corpses left lying around.

When you talk about the Monastery, you have to acknowledge that, by and large, there are basically two different types, the Western European type and the Eastern Asian type. The problem is, the things that are inside them? The Monks? They're all basically the same. "How can this be?" you ask? Easy, a monk is a monk is a monk. Look, we'll explain better when you listen. Just know that this is so and remember, when it comes to the Monk in Dungeons and Dragons, you're better off watching a 1985 action film starring Fred Ward for your inspiration.

Welcome to this holiday edition of the show. It's important to know that, even in D&D, saints play an important role. Or one saint, at least. However, did you know that not one, not two, but three real-world saints can be connected directly to Dungeons and Dragons? And it's not that hard to do. Along the way, we'll learn all about the saint who gave us a version of the jolly old fat man himself, solve a murder, and slap some folks around. Enjoy the show, and happy holidays.

When you want to explain what your basic medieval peasant or surf lived in, many people assume they already know. They've seen it at least, in certain kinds of movies, surely. But, if we've learned nothing else from GM Word of the Week, what we think we know often turns out not to be so. And so, we must explain that very few peasants lived in anything that might be described as wattle and daub. And, if you want to know what wattle and daub is, this is the episode for you. But be prepared for something of an education.

It begins with a man who is so forgetful he needs a big solution and he needs it fast. Because he is a nuclear physicist, and forgetting isn’t good. But I promise you, it ends in cats. And a small announcement.

Do you know the difference between a shrine and a temple? Well, you soon will. Plus, a brief discussion of sailing terms, sorting out theisms, and some discussion of philosophy. This must be GM Word of the Week.

Another selection of items from the cutting room floor featuring several bits we just didn’t have room for in the regular shows. Learn about glow worms, Jacks, and how to not die in the desert. Plus a lot more in this episode.

Whether they’re just hanging around or standing up straight, Speleothem are some of the most interesting things around. From humble beginnings come great things. None more so than the sorts of things you find in caves.

Join us as we push back the layers of muck and mire and mud and return to our series on Biomes. And we’ve got a doozy for you as it dives in, crosses the pond, and lights the way for you. Possibly these are good things.

This is not a Halloween special. No, sir. We just need to mention a few things about a certain set of monsters that people take a greater interest in this time of year. More importantly, it behooves us to set the record straight about one or two little things that people frequently get wrong. Remember to bring the garlic.

Let’s take the plunge with lemmings. Not really, of course. I mean, we all know THAT story. But, while we’re at it, let’s also talk about tundra and discover some things about specific kinds of plants. And finally get down to the real truth of those lemmings and that film.

Near the top of the world, just below the beginning latitudes of the frozen tundra, stretches the great boreal forests that are the taiga. Scientists have trouble deciding, are they a biome of their own? A single, world-spanning forest? Or something else completely. Come walk though it with us and, along the way, learn a lot about life, trees, and strange lights in the sky.

No, no, no. Not Morgan is a Fatty (Sorry to any Morgans out there). Fata Morgana is a thing you think you see that isn’t there to be seen. In other words, a mirage. But before we get to that, let’s talk about desert biomes, cartoons, and the reason we’re all a little cuckoo. Even Morgans.

Costa Rica is one of those places in the world where life just seems to find a way. A wealth of biodiversity sets it apart from nearly every other place on Earth. So diverse is it that one never knows what sorts of animals one might find. Perhaps one might even find dinosaurs, but what we’re really interested in in this particular episode is it’s cloud forests.

Let’s learn about some special words. One of them has us talking about Japanese monsters and mythical creatures. The other gets us going about rocks and stones in Egypt and the places of the dead. And the trick is, they both look like the same word.

All who wander are not lost. Especially around here at the GM Word of the Week studio. Sometimes, though, there just isn’t enough room for all the good bits we turn up when making an episode. Not to mention that you folks have asked a lot of questions about how things get done around here. So we’ll tell you. Didn’t expect that, did you?

Legs are everywhere. Many adventurers even start with two of them, for at least a little while. But even in Dungeons and Dragons, there is something odd going on with certain sets of legs. Something worth remarking on. And, of course, some lessons to be learn about things with legs.

Oh sure, you know all about glue. You smear it on, it sticks things together, big deal. But why, then, is there glue in D&D? And what is so special about it that it has teased the minds of players and GMs alike? Does it even belong in the pseudo-medieval world of Dungeons and Dragons? Stick around and find out just what is going on as we dig into Sovereign Glue and it’s relationship to adventurers the world over.

A man with a flashy cape can go a long way with just a puff of smoke and some fancy talk, but what is it about the Cape of the Mountebank that hints at something larger and much, much more entertaining. From snake oil to an edition of D&D that didn’t exist, it’s a marvelous tour of flim-flam and charlatans and one special cape.

What in the world is mayonnaise doing as a Word of the Week? More importantly, what’s it doing in Dungeons and Dragons? Why, oh why, would you ever have a need for mayo while you’re dungeon crawling? Who knows? Not us, certainly.

Leather Armor in D&D is firmly rooted in real world examples used throughout history, Everyone knows this. You’ve all seen it in movies and art and read about it in fantasy novels and…. Uh-oh. Why do I sense impending disappointment? Plus, the problem with dragonborn.

What is it that the crafty rogue carries around in her thieves toolkit that makes her so adept at opening locks? And what is it about locks in D&D that we sort of get wrong most of the time? This episode takes you on a historical tour of locks and means of opening them and shows you just why it is that dungeons aren’t nearly as hard to get around in as you think they are.

Let us spark your imagination with a science based discussion of the fundamentals of combustion and the lowly, humble tinderbox. Because wherever discerning adventures go, the only thing they want to know is how to make the pathway show in the growing dark.

Let us consider the small things. The odds and ends that adventurers pick up and carry around, perhaps without even realizing their significance. And let’s start with the ring. We should warn you, we cover bad riddles, Phil and Dixie, the French, and even some German opera. So be prepared.

Let’s turn our gaze to the Inner Planes for this one, to one place in particular, The City of Brass. The grand tour takes us to the distant past, the not so distant 90s, and on to what may well be the most horrifying experience ever had by mankind. And a lot of it involves the color blue.

We know oh-so-much about the river Styx and it’s role in both D&D and classical mythology. At least, we think we do. I’m sure you could rattle off all sort of facts about the Styx. Sadly, a bunch of that might be wrong. But it’s okay, we’ll walk you through it, and along the way we’ll even come out of the closet. Well, sort of. There’s some radio involved.

Let’s travel through some Norse mythology on our way to some D&D mythology. We start with a Barbarian looking for Valhalla, stop by Odin to find out about lost eyes, and wind up talking about magic honey from the sky. Sounds good, right?

We talk about literally everything in this episode. So much stuff that only one word can adequately describe it all. But it all comes together really well. Come join us as we travel the Cosmos.

Building entire campaign settings is a lot of hard work. There’s so much to do, from setting the basic assumptions to building out the dieties, it can get overwhelming for both players and GMs. Which is why, sometimes, strange connections to the real world creep in. And none is more strange and complicated than the appearance of Oghma in the Forgotten Realms. And what we learn about Oghma and his place in the Forgotten Realms and D&D is only a small reflection of what really happened with Oghma in the real world. It’s a fascinating and complex journey with many sidetracks. But when you understand the lessons of Oghma, you understand an important lesson about building worlds.

Obviously, once you bring Bahamut in, you must also consider Tiamat. But her history is even more complicated than his. And goes much further back. To some of the earliest writings we know about. Plus, there’s that cartoon. And those ghosts.

When we talk about dragons, and we do around here, talk often turns to the best dragon to ever have entered the Dungeons and Dragons pantheon. Bahamut, the king of the dragons. Benefactor of the metallics. And he’s got a long history within D&D to discuss. But, as so often turns out in these things, there something fishy going on.

It’s one of the more unique weapons ever developed in the world. So much of what is theoretically ‘known’ about it though comes from one very popular series of fantasy entertainment. But it’s almost all entirely wrong. So what’s the real story? Well, to find out, you should probably Sikh the truth.

What goes around comes around. It’s all coming back to me now. Many happy returns. Other assorted bits of cleverness. It’s all wrong of course. Good boomerangs don’t come back. Not if you’re really being serious about using them as a weapon in your game. And what better place to go to learn about the boomerang than Egypt? Or Ireland. Or possibly South America. Or… well, anywhere, really.

It’s the most amazing sword ever produced in this, or any other, universe. The best you can possibly get, bar none. And we all know the legends: the 1,000 folds, the ability to cut the wind itself, the legendary master makers who only ever produce one sword a year. But how much of that is true? And why does it even exist in the first place? Surely we have some answers.

It’s a weapon on the end of a long stick. Right? A polearm. Surely that’s a simple concept. Isn’t it? But there is a whole mishmash of weapons described as polearms and none of them are exactly what you think or come from exactly where you think they do. It’s confusing and complicated and esoteric. Fortunately, we’re here to help you understand what’s going on. And we really like the Halberd.

It’s the premier information source. If you have any question about the past, present, or future, all you have to do is ask and you’re bound to get an answer. No, not the internet. In the ancient world, your answer comes from an oracle.

The Zodiac is more than just that little two sentence blurb you read in the newspaper (remember those, kids?) that somehow pretends to reveal the events of your day before they even happen. And the Chinese Zodiac even moreso. Just what goes into these things and how do they relate to anything anyone does, if at all? And what can you do with them in your game?

In all the lands of the dead talked about in literature, film, and history, one tends to get short shrift in the world of RPGs. And it’s a shame, because the culture that brought us Elysium is responsible for so much of life. And death.

We all know what ziggurat’s are, right? Those stepped pyramid things that the ancient Aztecs and Mayans built all over the jungles. Right? Right. Obviously. Except not. Not even close.

When you need to impress people with the size and power of your empire, the easiest way to do it is to organize your forces along the lines of a Roman Legion. In this episode of GM Word of the Week you’ll find out a bit about the history of Rome, how the legion developed and one or two other uses of the word. Afterwards, feel free to unleash your own legions on your players.

The ‘noble’ catoblepas. Abused, maligned, sometimes nearly forgotten. So weird is it that practically no one can agree on what it looks like. Surely a creature of pure fantasy with no basis in reality whatsoever. Not so. There is something real behind it. Along the way we visit ancient TSR periodicals, talk about the first encyclopedic catalog, and discuss the advantages of knowing just enough to get yourself in trouble.

Some call him lawful stupid. Many parties simply won’t have one among their number. Their reputation for a singular devotion to their deity and an unbending, black and white view of the world often precede them. He’s a Paladin, and today it is finally time to learn what they really are. Let’s examine the historical record and go back to the source of one of the most contentious classes in Dungeons and Dragons.

Every fantasy town has a blacksmith. From them comes every conceivable metallic object available in the realm. Except not really. The blacksmith only worked with certain metals and only in certain ways. Other smiths made other things. but smithing goes far beyond that. To ancient times. Times so old they are barely recorded at all. And some of that history is so fantastic, you’d think we made it up.

Angels we have heard on high… No. Wait. Devas. Devas we have heard on high. Look, it’s complicated. Because, if anything can be said to be true about D&D monsters— Well, hold on. What’s a monster in D&D anyway? Like I said, it’s complicated. Easier to count the number of Angels or Devas dancing on the head of a pin.

Call it stew, soup, mush, or even porridge, it was the meal most likely to end up on the table of the poor peasantry. But more than meat and a few vegetables ends up swirling around in the bowl of pottage. There’s history, feudalism and nobility, game and beef, and even a bit of Robin Hood in there as well. So get out your soup spoon, a nice slab of bread and cozy on up to this heaping helping of pottage.

It is the tastiest thing, ever. It makes everything you put it on taste better. It drives biological processes, economies, and cultures. And it is the only rock you eat. Salt. But what a sordid history it has had. Heck, there are those who will tell you that salt is, right now, trying to kill you. Better fight back with a little knowledge.

The favored drink of many an adventurer, ale holds a special place in the hearts, or at least stomachs, of those habitually found hanging out in taverns. But there is always, always more to know and the things you’ll learn in this episode will strongly influence what you decide to order when your barbarian, thief, or wizard bellies up to the bar. Drink up!

The ratios of a circle are a thing of beauty. They reveal an elegant and delicate balance between the radius and the circumference, revealing a world that could be full of anything. Like pumpkin, or chocolate, or even mincemeat. Because, no matter how you slice it, you’ll meat something delicious in this episode. and there are no lies with pie.

Happy Halloween! And that is exactly what this installment is all about, the holiday. Where did it come from? How has it changed? Why do so many of the traditional activities we associate with it seem to have come from somewhere else? And how the heck do you pronounce ‘samhain’? Find out!

Put a bunch of clay together and you’ve got a pot. But give it the right words and it becomes something more. Something sort of alive. It becomes a golem and, if you know what you’re talking about, you can just about do what you like. But you have to know the right words.

Something bad happened to Dungeons and Dragons in the 80s and it nearly ruined the game forever. The Devils came to town. One of them, the Malebranche, holds the key to the whole thing.

This week we discuss the Ogre Mage. You know, that thing from First and Second Edition Dungeons & Dragons listed right there next to the regular Ogre. Wait. What was that thing, anyway?

They’re creepy and they’re kooky, Mysterious and spooky, They’re all together ooky, They’re Eldritch… You know, Eldritch, the word that no one quite seems to know exactly what it means, but everyone is so anxious to use.

There’s this magical energy that you can draw on to power spells and throw fireballs. It’s everywhere in fantasy gaming and video games. But how do you pronounce it? And where does it come from? You should probably listen to this to find out the answer to both questions.

You know what a chandelier is, why do you need us to explain it? Well, because while you might know what it is, there is a lot of stuff surrounding it you probably don’t know. For example, how were some of the smelliest people ever to grace Medieval Europe also responsible for some of the cleanest people? See, you don’t know everything.

It’s not where it appears to be. It’s weird and otherworldly. It’s one of the most dangerous creatures you might ever face. What is it? We can’t tell you, on the advice of our lawyers. No, really. You’ll just have to work it out yourself.

The wind blows and howls. The rain falls in horizontal sheets. A fishing trawler goes by, thirty feet in the air. Must be a typhoon. Wait, where in the world does that put us? Find out.

Let’s travel back in time to Ancient Egypt. Really ancient Egypt. No, further back than even that. Now, scroll your mental map to Greece. Because that’s where you’ll find the first sarcophagus. Don’t believe me? Listen.

It fills the spaces between the spaces, carries waves you can not surf, and makes its presence known only in the absence of everything else. But what, actually, is it? And how is it spelled, or even pronounced? Come find out.

You know that guy, that ‘dark elf’, the one in all those stories? Everyone knows he carries scimitars, right? Right? I suppose the answer you give presumes that you (and the author and artist) actually know what a scimitar is, doesn’t it?

Call it a curse. Call it the evil eye. Call it puttin’ a ‘fluence on someone. Maybe it’s real, and maybe it’s all just a bit of headology, but once it’s happened you know you’ve been the victim of a malediction.

It’s starts with a tiny tickle in the back of your throat. Then comes the sniffle, maybe a little cough. Next thing you know, you’re calling in sick with the plague. But you’re exaggerating, of course. Let’s remind ourselves what it really is, where it comes from, and just how many kinds there are. And then let’s figure out how we can plague our players with the plague.

Bullywugs are everywhere. Every nook, every cranny, every little out of the way swamp or lake seems to be filled with them when you are of a certain level. They go away eventually, but… But what, actually, are they? Where did they come from? What inspired them? And just who is responsible for them in the first place? Find out.

Kobolds are everywhere. Every nook, every cranny, every little out of the way hole or cave seems to be filled with them when you are of a certain level. They go away eventually, but… But what, actually, are they? And what happens if, just as you are feeling safe and confident that you’ve got rid of the damned things at last, they put in an appearance? And this time, they’ve learned a thing or two?

The morning star is not a flail, not a mace, and not a club. But it is a whole heck of a lot of other things and we’re going to clear it up for you. Right here. Right now.

The sunlight streams through the leaves and branches of the trees leaving little dappled patterns of light on the forest floor. The shafts of brightness shimmer in the breeze… The crepuscular light shines best in the crepuscular hours.

He looks just like you. Or you look just like him. Or maybe you both look just like each other. Try to keep it straight.

This was such an ordeal to get recorded and edited and posted. Or was it? Either way, I’m glad it’s done.

You have been attacked by a palimpsest! Wait, what’s a palimpsest? Can they even do that?

Love them or Hate them, you probably haven’t even really been playing a Bard. Which is why you need us. To help you sing a different tune.