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Like Bible study for D&D fanatics, historian Ben Riggs, academic Scott Bruner, and the occasional special guest, take a look at the inspirations, reflections, and meaning behind some of the most important TTRPG texts of all time.
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Listen to inspirational stories of Christians who are using their God-given talents and gifts in creative endeavors, such as filmmaking, writing & music – not just to make a living or fulfill a passion – but to glorify God as well. Host Tim Ristow – a Christian, filmmaker, writer and creative - interviews a different guest each episode from his circle of fellow Christian creatives. How do creatives approach their craft? What kinds of things are they creating? What are the processes they use ...
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LGBTQ communities are marginalized in so many places around the world. While their presence in international politics is growing, they still face quite a lot of threats and challenges. We explore LGBTQ communities and their impact on global politics. S. N. Nyeck is Associate Professor of Africana Studies in the Department of Ethnic Studies at the U…
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Hanan Alyami from Purdue University Fort Wayne discusses her article, "Defining radian: Provoked concept definitions of radian angle measure," published in Research in Mathematics Education (Vol. 25). Article URL: https://journals.scholarsportal.info/details/14794802/v25i0002/154_drpcdoram.xml Hanan's Professional Webpage: https://www.pfw.edu/about…
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In a solo episode, Ben reads aloud an essay from the 2nd edition Vampire: The Masqerade Player's Guide which asks us to consider: How is a TTRPG group like God? We are taking a break from the podcast until the week after the week of November 15th. I have turned off the Patreon payments, so no one will be charged for October. Frankly, this podcast h…
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Priya V. Prasad from the University of Texas at San Antonio discusses her NSF-project working with college algebra instructors and previews some research that will be shared at the PME-NA conference in a report entitled "Factors contributing to instructional shifts at the college level," co-author Jessica Gehrtz. Priya's professional webpage https:…
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First, we discuss gerrymandering and redistricting and what it means for the upcoming elections on First Tuesday of November 2024. Christian Gross He’s professor of political science and public policy at the University of Southern California. He’s the academic director of the USC Schwarzenegger Institute for State and Global Policy. He’s the author…
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“the most beautiful word in the English language is tariff.” That is a direct quote from former President and current Republican candidate for President Donald Trump. On most issues that involve funding, when the former President is asked how he intends to pay for a proposal, his response is to increase tariffs. In 2018 the US initiated a round a t…
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As part of our ongoing series on the important issues that confront the US in the 2024 election we look at access to safe water and lessons learned from the Ellicott city floods. Segment 1: Although Access to safe drinking water is a human right, millions of people in the United States do no have access to safe water. Lead in the pipes is the most …
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Sigal-Hava Rotem from Utrecht University (The Netherlands) discusses the article, "Using critical incidents as a tool for promoting prospective teachers' noticing during reflective discussions in a fieldwork-based university course," published in Educational Studies in Mathematics (Vol. 117). Co-authors: Potari and Psycharis Article URL: https://li…
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Gollum getting Sam those rabbits seems out of character somehow... Could there be something more behind it? I run a podcast, so I got Tolkien scholar John Rateliff and The One Ring game writer Gareth Hanrahan on the show to discuss! Buy The History of the Hobbit by John Rateliff here! As I write this, it is 50% off on Amazon! Sign up to be notified…
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From now until November’s American election, we will cover issues that confront the nation and the world and on which we expect people will vote. For today’s show, we will explore the differences between Vice-President Kamala Harris, the Democratic Party’s nominee for President, and former President Donald Trump, the Republican Party’s nominee for …
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Israel used devices loaded onto personal communications devices like pagers to launch attacks against the Lebanese group Hezbollah. The bombs detonated throughout Lebanon, and killed several Hezbollah members while wounding countless others. What was Israel’s motivation in using such an unorthodox approach to attack its adversaries? Is it acceptabl…
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It's digression all the way down on this one folks! Are you looking for the juiciest of juice and the hottest of tea? Well, Ben has released his Gen Con 2024 seminar, "The Battle for the Soul of D&D," which is the culmination of dozens of hours of interviews with former Wizards of the Coast employees, and may be a sort of rough draft of his next bo…
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Cyber operations and cyber threats have become a greater fear in world politics and everyday life. But just how much of a threat are they? And how have they changed the way nations interact and conduct diplomacy? Hosted by Doug Becker. [ dur: 26mins. ] Brandon Valeriano is Assistant Professor at the School of Diplomacy and International Relations a…
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A reading of the spell Cure Blindness leads to the King James Bible, and a discussion of the most-controversial of D&D topics: the contributions of Gygax vs. Arneson in the creation of D&D. Are you looking for the juiciest of juice and the hottest of tea? Well, Ben has released his Gen Con 2024 seminar, "The Battle for the Soul of D&D," which is th…
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School shootings have sadly become a part of American life over the last two decades. From the 2000–01 to 2021–22 school years, there were 1,375 school shootings at public and private elementary and secondary schools, resulting in 515 deaths and 1,161 injuries. What are the causes of all of this violence? What are the best ways to address this epid…
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States have legal requirements to receive refugees and can return them after a conflict ends. But does this mean there is a right of return? What are the conditions of the right of return? Is it conditional on the provision of security for the state to which they are returning? [ dur: 40mins. ] Susan Akram is Clinical Professor of Law at Boston Uni…
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Was Gygax a great game designer? Or was he merely in the right place at the right time to connect and publish world-shaking ideas? We discuss, along with the implications of "Continual Light" from that 1st Ed DMG. Soon, we'll be releasing another of Ben's Gen Con seminars to Patrons. If you want that juicy historical goodness, join our Patreon here…
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In this erudite and thoughtful episode, world-renowned anthropologist Dr. Thomas Malaby joins Scott & Ben to discuss the practice and history of the tabletop role-playing game. Fascinated by the ideas of Dr. Malaby? Get more of him on September 9th, when he teaches an online class at the Royal Anthropological Institute entitled, "Legitimacy through…
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Kamala Harris declared that the Palestinians must live in dignity, security and self determination. But what is the right of self determination? How has it been practiced legally and practically throughout history? And does self determination mean independence? [dur: 30mins.] Hurst Hannum is Professor of International Law Emeritus at Fletcher Schoo…
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Does D&D succeed in translating the mythology of the vampire to the gaming table? Is the ritual of the tabletop role-playing game a rehearsal and practice for our own deaths? Today, we ponder these and other questions in our continuing discussion of combat as war vs. combat as sport with Harvard's own, Dr. Christopher Robichaud! Pick up the Robicha…
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This conversation goes places I'd never imagined it going. Today, we discuss 1E vampires, whether combat is war or sport, Satanists at Harvard, and zombie pandemics with Dr. Christopher Robichaud, the senior lecturer in ethics and public policy at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. Dr. Robichaud's TED talk is here. My interview with the Hick…
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"Animate Dead: It is, of course, possible to animate the skeletons or corpses of demi-human and humanoid, as well as human, sort." -pg. 41 of the 1st edition Advanced Dungeon Masters Guide. Is that the worst sentence in the book? It is confusing, ill-constructed, and hideous to the ear. Or is it merely the worst sentence so far? Scott and Ben discu…
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Scott & Ben continue their exploration of spells as described in the DMG, and discover more examples of spells with contradictory instructions in the two AD&D corebooks! We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that deep down, you really are the best.…
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Regrettably, sources are confirming what we all fear: that Hasbro's digital future will leave little room for Dungeons & Dragons as we know it. Ben & Scott discuss. We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that deep down, you really are the best.…
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Last week, the empty position of CEO at Wizards of the Coast was filled. But does it really matter at all when Chris Cocks, the gentleman who thought ending the OGL was a good idea is still running Hasbro? Ben and Scott discuss, and also talk over the spell light from both the 1st edition PHB and DMG. We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support u…
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Today, we take time to talk to the third voice of our show, Madeleine Craig! Madeleine is an actress and long-time DM who got her start with 5th edition. We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that deep down, you really are the best.…
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Dave Coffey and Kathy Coffey from Grand Valley State University discuss their new book, Designing Math Adventures: Using Design Thinking to Support the Teaching and Learning of K-8 Mathematics, available through Amazon. Book URL: https://www.amazon.com/Designing-Math-Adventures-Thinking-Mathematics/dp/B0D36HKT3X/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2 Dave's Delta Scape …
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Travis Weiland from the University of Houston (but soon to be at UNC-Charlotte) discusses the chapter "Preparing teachers of statistics: A critical read of standards, review of past research, and future directions" published in The AMTE Handbook of Mathematics Teacher Education (Vol. 5), with chapter co-authors Chris Engledowl and Susan Cannon. Boo…
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Given the racist tropes baked into the fantasy genre, how does the institution of D&D move forward into a brighter, better future? Are there also questions of stories for children versus stories for adults to be weighed? And all that is bookended by a discussion on spells in AD&D 1st edition. We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patr…
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We read aloud "Tribal Spellcasting" from the 1st edition AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide, and reflect on how it codifies racist stereotypes into the game. We also read sections from "Hack the Orcs, Loot the Tomb, and Take the Land" by Daniel Heath Justice, which you can and should read here. We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! …
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Zandra de Araujo (University of Florida), Amber Candela (University of Missouri, St Louis), and Paul Wonsavage (University of Florida) join Sam Otten (University of Missouri, Columbia) to discuss their NSF-funded project entitled Practice-Driven Professional Development (PDPD). They share thoughts on why they are pursuing an incremental approach ra…
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You will not hear a conversation like this anywhere else. Was the D&D magic system an extension of the existing Western occult tradition, or a break from it? To answer that question, historian of magic, author, and eldritch librarian Dan Harms joins Dr. Scott Bruner, TTRPG academic, & Ben Riggs, D&D historian, for a discussion that takes us from re…
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When you cast Fireball, what really happens in the fiction of the game? Today, Scott Bruner & Ben Riggs take a look at that very question by continuing to examine the "Magic" chapter of the 1st edition AD&D Dungeon Master's Guide. We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the plea…
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Today, we talk with one of the most significant game designers of his generation: Jonathan Tweet. Best well known for being the lead designer on 3rd edition D&D, Tweet's D20 rolling fantasy game, 13th Age, is Kickstarting its second edition right now! Did you know that 13th Age, the premier D20-rolling fantasy TTRPG, is funding a 2nd edition right …
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Scott & Ben read an ancient OSR oddity aloud with D&D and 13th Age designer Rob Heinsoo! The book is both deeply weird and incredibly inspiring. Imagine a TTRPG world with phasers, machine guns, ESP, evil wizards, demigods, and reincarnation. Did you know that 13th Age, the premier D20-rolling fantasy TTRPG, is funding a 2nd edition right now? Back…
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Would anyone designing a magic system for an RPG today use D&D's fire-and-forget magic system? A reading from the DMG on how the Illusionist gets their spells spins into RPG history and, shockingly, a link to Scott's dissertation. We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the plea…
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If you have not heard Dr. Joseph Laycock speak about the religious elements of tabletop role-playing games, prepare to have your mind blown. This conversation is like nothing you've heard before. Check out his book on D&D and other RPGs here. We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and h…
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Cthulhu is an unknowable eldritch blasphemy. How many hit points does it have? Was it copyright infringement for this octopoid monstrosity to appear in an AD&D product? Find out today when Ben & Scott talk to Jim Lowder, TSR alumnus, master freelancer, and specialist on the big green guy. We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon!…
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A discussion on how 1st edition Wizards got their spells leads us down unexpected paths, and leads us to Dangerous Games... We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that deep down, you really are the best.由BCS Productions
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Cynthia Williams is out at WotC, which begs the question: If you were hired as the new CEO, what would you do to right the ship of game and sail us all to safer waters? We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that deep down, you really are the best.…
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Today, we examine how clerics get their spells, and discuss what did and did not influence Gary Gygax in the creation of the cleric. Ben's book, Slaying the Dragon: A Secret History of Dungeons & Dragons is now only $2.99 for Kindle on Amazon! Buy it! Gift it! Love it! I assume this will only be for a limited time, so get it now! We enjoy you. Do y…
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This week, Scott & Ben look at a piece of text which has proved shockingly influential: "Time." Click here to read about Ben Robbins's original West Marches campaign. Click here to read more about West Marches. We enjoy you. Do you enjoy us? If so, support us on Patreon! You'll get access to our Discord server, and have the pleasure of knowing that…
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Luis Leyva from Vanderbilt University discusses his article, "Queer of Color Justice in Undergraduate Mathematics Education," published in the Notices of the American Mathematical Society, Volume 71. Article URL https://doi.org/10.1090/noti2875 Episode 1701 with Luis https://www.podomatic.com/podcasts/mathed/episodes/2017-01-04T12_03_01-08_00 Other…
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In 1992, TSR attempted to acquire the rights to produce Lord of the Rings roleplaying products. How much do you think they offered for the rights? Thanks to Tolkien scholar John Rateliff, we now know the answer! Ben & Scott read aloud the actual correspondence between TSR and Tolkien representatives that reveals the shocking answer. We enjoy you. D…
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Melissa Gallagher from the University of Houston (soon to be at U.S. Math Recovery Council) discusses the article, "Adaptive teaching in mathematics: A review of the literature," published in Educational Review, Volume 7. Co-authors: Parsons and Vaughn. Article URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/00131911.2020.1722065 Math with Melissa…
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In December, Wizards fired numerous key members of the D&D team. Ben, of course, has been interviewing them. In another episode in which we fail to so much as read a single sentence of D&D aloud, Ben and Scott discuss the truth of what has been happening at Wizards these past 10 years... Let's talk on Discord! Join our Patreon here and for the pric…
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A historian and an academic read and talk over the intro do the 2nd edition Player's Handbook for Advanced Dungeons & Dragons! Let's talk on Discord! Join our Patreon here and for the price of a cup of coffee per month, keep the show up and releasing episodes weekly, and chat with Scott and Ben on the Discord! Ben promises to talk, even though he h…
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Nathalie Sinclair from Simon Fraser University in Canada discusses her article, "Knowing as remembering: Methodological experiments in embodied experiences of number," published in Digital Experiences in Mathematics Education. Article URL https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40751-023-00132-7 Nathalie's professional webpage https://www.sfu.ca…
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