Nerdcognito

This week, our good friend The Dungeon Delver drops in to chew the fat with the gang about the incredible nothingburger that was the Wizards of the Coast "AI art FAQ." There was a lot of internet noise, but is WotC doing... the right thing? The boys and Bill dig in deep to this offering insight, perspective, and opinion. Plus, the news will NOT disappoint! ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

Hot on the heels of Nerdcognito getting de-platformed on YouTube after an alleged cancel culture report strike -- and the RD having his personal account targeted and wiped as well -- we look at cancel culture in the hobby in general. Who better to bring in for this discussion but "Grim" James Desborough? Jim gives his perspective on the hobby and insight into targeted harassment campaigns as both a victim and an observer. Plus, Jim sits in for the remainder of the show to have some fun with the news! ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

Cynthia Williams has announced her departure from Wizards of the Coast! What does this mean? Listen to the guys give their takes on her exodus. Then, as promised, a lively deep dive into what makes a module and their role in the hobby. After the news, creator of Dystopian Dawn, Tony Garcia stops by to talk about his latest project and the gang briefly touches on woke Warhammer. ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

Can a SparkleTroll be saved? Is a tourist worth bringing to the table? Should we even bother? This week the gang tears into all things tourist -- from origins to Critical Role toxins to playstyles. Can we bring the hobby back from a fundamental and philosophical shift? Plus, the news has LOTS of TTRPG goodness that you won't want to miss! (...and Modules!) ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/191631/Wandering-Heroes-of-Ogre-Gate?affiliate_id=3908211https://amzn.to/3djotja

Players drop hints all the time. What happens when it is more than a friendly poke? How should you handle your group asking for in-game favors, dictating game/world events, demanding items, or throwing an X-card (just kidding, show the X'er the door!). Plus, the news, Ryan revives "Oriental" and shoves it back into the acceptable category, and tales from Reddit. ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/191631/Wandering-Heroes-of-Ogre-Gate?affiliate_id=3908211https://amzn.to/3djotja

Nerdcognito talks to... Daniel D. Fox?!? (yes, THAT Daniel D. Fox) Uh oh. "Infamous" RD and Kyle sit down with the "notorious" Daniel D. Fox, creator of Zweihander, alleged destructor of The Trove, and all around polarizing figure in the TTRPG space. Publicly politically misaligned with the guys AND potentially on the opposite end of the gaming spectrum, what odd cosmic alignment brought these two forces together? Tough questions will be asked, and hopefully answered. Could an impossible alliance be formed? Does someone storm out? Is there punch and pie? Be sure to sit back and enjoy one of the very rare interviews given by the one and only Daniel D. Fox. ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 ----more---- ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

It happens -- a friend, a partner -- someone tells you "You can't play with THEM!" Maybe not you, but maybe that guy with the antisocial eye-rolling leftie girlfriend slowly exits from your table. Why and how do these ultimatums get made and how do they effect your table? Plus, the pros and cons of modules. Maybe. Probably not. ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

This week, the gang dives deep on the Total Party Kill. Talking about this unique situation that apparently makes SparkleTrolls weep, the boys look into it mechanically, from a story perspective, and through the eyes of both player and dungeon master. Of course, there are some great TPK stories thrown in there as well. This, combined with longer chatter around the news of the day fill out the week! ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

Ever play at a table with that cutsey-wootsey couple that just seems to always help each other? How about the BF DM that always give the right magic item to his boo? This week we talk about how real relationships can alter a table and give our thoughts on how to preserve the integrity of your game. Also, a positive news week spins into an exciting announcement regarding the Lovecraft mythos in the TTRPG world. ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

This is a milestone episode: RD admits that he "was wrong" multiple times! First, the guys talk about introducing horror elements at the table. After the news, Anthony Grasso and Wythe Marschall drop by to talk about Blister Critters, their new Kickstarter game that originally was panned by Ryan before he did his homework only to be now praised based on the final product and a deep dive! ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

This episode, we look at how myth, legend, history, and tall tales have influenced Dungeons and Dragons specifically and the TTRPG world in general. Some folks claim this is a bad thing... but it's a great element that should be celebrated! The news includes RD doing a 180 after more details on a game he panned became available. After Ryan eats crow, the gang talks how important creativity and the ability to improvise are critical to the hobby. ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

Birthed from last week's "Session Zero" descriptions, we have TWO topics this week that make the show -- and our heads spin: Backstories... and Encounter Balance. Are they needed? Do they make an appearance at our tables? How have these elements impacted the TTRPG Hobby? As if that wasn't enough... of course there is some crazy news, with a stroll through a Reddit post for extra flavor. (Don't ask what flavor). ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND LAUNCHING THIS WEEK! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

This week, the guys talk about consequences of action and PC death in TTRPGs. Why are these "horrible" things critical for your game? The news kicks around some nerdy developments on past stories and is highlighted by our "unnamed" hat tip on Reddit. Finally, Session Zero talk online has been rumbling again, so each of the gang describes what their "0" looks like! ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND ANTICIPATED SOON! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

Last week was a barnburner, so we needed to pump the brakes and return to some good ol' nerdy chatter! We open with a discussion of nostalgia, and the role it plays at your table. After the news, the guys ask the question "When did making money become a secondary goal in business?" ...specifically in our hobby! ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND ANTICIPATED 02/09/24 OR SOONER! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

When Grim Jim calls, we answer. A special, extended-length episode that details the revelations that should shock the TTRPG design world. The gang and Jim dig deep into the article, talk about their perspective, and offer a path forward for our corner of the hobby. #DungeonDrama ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

Dovetailing with last week's conversation about Power Gamers, the boys have a deep talk about how actual Player Skill vs. Character "Ability" can be balanced in a game. Where does a check fall as opposed to playing it out in the mind or at the table of the PC's creator? After the news, a look at the new OSR Adventure, The Tragedy at Taigon's Falls proves to be a positive way to close out the show! ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

Power and meta gamers. Min-maxers. Those afflicted with main character syndrome. It's a real disease in the hobby and the guys have the cure. After a lively discussion about this abomination of a player, the news doesn't disappoint with everything from the Sopranos to the Tomb of Horrors. Lastly, world building comes up on the block and different styles of Kyle, RD, and Bert are all presented for your consideration when next constructing a realm! ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

The gang digs into NPCs this week! Talking about how to make effective and memorable characters, what to avoid in NPC creation, and how to sidestep tropes and the "predictable" nature of this important piece of the TTRPG/DnD puzzle. The news of the week tips off with us not touching the WotC AI piece, simply because it's all just conjecture at this point in time. After the news, the gang digs into The Navarro Knight, a preview of a new system by our Check Mark Hero, Cynnamander! ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

It's release week for The Village of Greenhaven! Hear Kyle and Bert dig in and ask RD about Greenhaven, learn about it's creation, and what the system-agnostic supplement can do for your table! There is a list in the news, and it involves the BEAR! Lastly, inspired by the rotten advice in the news for Dungeon Masters, the guys each give some advice for GMs to help smooth over some bumpy roads that every DM will encounter. ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja

This week, the gang is haunted by three spirits! That's right -- 2023's Ghosts of Past, Present and Future frame the whole show. What were the personal touches, opinions, and events that shaped each? Plus, the "future" brings a glimpse of what each of the guys is hoping for and predicts in the coming year! ----more---- Don't forget to get your Gatekeeping Is Good shirt on Amazon! Support the show and hold that door! https://amzn.to/3R60vt3 ----more---- The News: ----more---- Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: https://amzn.to/3djotja