Podcasts by GM Word of the Week

Thaumaturgy from 2023-12-05T13:05

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

But of c...

Magic? from 2023-11-20T14:05

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

But first, we have to do s...

The Status of the Thing from 2023-08-11T01:36:53

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Lost Episode 17. Again. from 2023-02-23T13:05

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

And wouldn’t you know it, there’s just a bit more ...

Artificial Intelligence from 2023-02-06T13:05

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...

Muse from 2023-01-30T13:05

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

Fortunately for everyone, the Ancient ...

Red Herring from 2023-01-10T13:05

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 ...

Learning Curve from 2022-12-31T13:05

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.

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Skinner Box from 2022-11-15T13:05

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...

Needs from 2022-09-21T12:05

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

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Nostalgia 2 from 2022-05-31T12:05

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

Yes, we’re looking at nostalgia once again and bo...

Diamond Dust from 2022-05-12T12:05

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 t...

Theosophy from 2022-04-06T12:05

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

Was it because of her immense ...

Spiritualism from 2022-03-09T13:05

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

Well, if you’re a regular l...

Hermes from 2022-02-23T13:05

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

And while we’re at it, let’s also look i...

Classic from 2022-02-09T13:05

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

Which is sort of the problem. What...

Pulp from 2022-01-26T13:05

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

And the weird part is tha...

Seasons from 2022-01-12T13:05

Welcome to season two of GM Word of the Week.

Confused? Don’t be. We’ll explain. Or rather I’ll explain. And w...

2021 Holiday Special, Part 2 from 2021-12-22T13:05

Happy Holidays!

In this part:

Coral Castle

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2021 Holiday Special, Part 1 from 2021-12-08T13:05

Happy holidays!

In this part:

Transi

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Spicier from 2021-11-24T13:05

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

And in large part that...

Spicy from 2021-11-10T13:05

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

At least, they were in the past. Even though to...

Anatomist from 2021-10-27T12:05

The second part in our mini-series on cadavers.

So, how did Burke and Hare change the state of the ga...

Cadaver from 2021-10-13T12:05

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

Let’s discuss, briefly, the reason for the season and...

Lost Episode 17 from 2021-09-29T12:05

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

The problem is, there’s been a whole...

Giants from 2021-09-15T12:05

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...

Whip from 2021-09-01T12:05

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 t...

The Green Knight from 2021-08-25T12:05

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 rea...

Xylothek from 2021-08-11T12:05

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 pa...

Jousting from 2021-07-28T12:05

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 tourn...

Canon from 2021-07-21T12:05

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 ban...

Supernatural from 2021-07-14T12:05

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 sup...

Nostalgia from 2021-07-07T12:05

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...

Main Gauche from 2021-06-16T12:05

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...

Merchant from 2021-06-02T12:05

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 ...

Lost Episode 16 from 2021-05-26T12:05

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 fr...

Sahuagin from 2021-05-19T12:05

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 ...

Chalcedony from 2021-05-12T12:05

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 th...

Xerxes from 2021-05-05T12:05

Marathon from 2021-04-28T12:05

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...

Darius from 2021-04-21T12:05

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...

Cyrus from 2021-04-14T12:05

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 ...

The Medes from 2021-04-07T12:05

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 i...

History from 2021-03-31T12:05

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...

Hot Chocolate from 2021-03-24T12:05

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, com...

Cosmetics from 2021-03-10T13:05

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...

Hollow Earth from 2021-03-03T13:05

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...

The Silver Tree from 2021-02-24T13:05

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 tha...

Sericulture from 2021-02-17T13:05

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 firs...

Horses from 2021-02-10T13:05

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 ...

Marco Polo from 2021-02-03T13:05

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 awar...

Rabbit from 2021-01-27T13:05

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 clea...

Coyote from 2021-01-20T13:05

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 sho...

Raven from 2021-01-13T13:05

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 wit...

2020 Holiday Special Part 2 from 2020-12-30T13:05

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 he...

2020 Holiday Special Part 1 from 2020-12-23T13:05

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...

Lost Episode 15b from 2020-12-16T13:05

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 t...

Lost Episode 15a from 2020-12-09T13:05

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 ...

Resolute Desk from 2020-12-02T13:05

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 som...

Tableware from 2020-11-25T13:05

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 avail...

Pots and Pans from 2020-11-18T13:05

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...

Oven from 2020-11-04T13:05

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, th...

Beards from 2020-10-28T12:05

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 ...

Beauty and The Beast from 2020-10-21T12:05

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 th...

Magic Potions from 2020-10-14T12:05

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 whi...

Sasquatch from 2020-10-07T12:05

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 ...

An Orange from 2020-09-30T12:05

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 ...

Scylla and Charybdis from 2020-09-23T12:05

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...

Fighting Fire from 2020-09-19T01:07:32

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 machine...

Lost Episode 14 from 2020-09-09T12:05

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 ab...

Chimera from 2020-09-02T12:05

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 figur...

White Horse from 2020-08-26T12:05

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 tha...

Outlaws from 2020-08-19T12:05

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 ...

Kings from 2020-08-12T12:05

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 f...

Peasants from 2020-08-05T12:05

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 t...

Tornado from 2020-07-29T12:05

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 p...

Calendar from 2020-07-22T12:05

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,...

Oars to Steam from 2020-07-15T12:05

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-medi...

Spectacles from 2020-07-08T12:05

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 l...

Fur from 2020-07-01T12:05

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, ...

Waterwheel from 2020-06-24T12:05

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...

Cheese from 2020-06-17T12:05

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 chee...

Butter from 2020-06-10T12:05

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, bu...

Milk from 2020-06-03T12:05

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 foo...

Cow from 2020-05-27T12:05

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 ab...

Shellac from 2020-05-20T12:05

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 subst...

Drum from 2020-05-12T12:05

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...

Sword from 2020-05-05T12:05

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...

Adaptation from 2020-04-29T00:05

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 ...

Locks from 2020-04-21T12:05

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 partic...

Mirror from 2020-04-14T12:05

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 wi...

Mason from 2020-04-07T12:05

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, ...

Scroll from 2020-03-31T12:05

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 scrol...

Abacus from 2020-03-24T12:05

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 c...

Tall Tale, Pt. 2 from 2020-03-17T12:05

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, ...

Tall Tale, Pt. 1 from 2020-03-10T12:05

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 the...

Amulet from 2020-03-03T13:05

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 adm...

Jester from 2020-02-25T13:05

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 Jester...

Barbarian from 2020-02-18T13:05

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....

Pliny from 2020-02-11T13:05

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 referr...

Unicorns from 2020-02-04T13:05

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....

Statues from 2020-01-21T13:05

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 ...

Something About Tigers from 2020-01-14T13:05

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’...

National Days from 2020-01-07T13:05

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...

Elf from 2019-12-24T13:05

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 ...

Reindeer from 2019-12-17T13:05

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 epi...

Gifts from 2019-12-10T13:05

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 everyo...

Roc from 2019-12-03T13:05

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...

Turducken from 2019-11-26T13:05

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...

Purple from 2019-11-19T13:05

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. Under...

Hollyphant from 2019-11-12T13:05

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...

Harvest Festival from 2019-11-05T13:05

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 h...

Ghost Town from 2019-10-29T12:05

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 si...

Cursed Painting from 2019-10-22T12:05

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...

Phantom Ship from 2019-10-15T12:05

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...

Haunted House from 2019-10-08T12:05

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 ...

Ghost Story from 2019-10-01T12:05

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 ...

Library from 2019-09-24T12:05

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...

200th Episode from 2019-09-17T12:05

200! We’ve done 200 Episodes! 200!!!!! Support us on Patreon for 200 more. https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

Atonement from 2019-09-10T12:05

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 ...

Peryton from 2019-09-03T12:05

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 wh...

Monk from 2019-08-27T12:05

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, ...

Lost Episode 13 from 2019-08-20T12:05

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. Interesti...

Venom from 2019-08-13T12:05

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...

Iocaine from 2019-07-30T12:05

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 t...

Flameskull from 2019-07-23T12:05

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 ...

Stirge from 2019-07-16T12:05

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 ad...

Arbalest from 2019-07-09T12:05

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 a...

Saltpeter from 2019-07-02T12:05

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 whe...

Font from 2019-06-25T12:05

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 real...

Censer from 2019-06-18T12:05

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...

Maelstrom from 2019-06-11T12:05

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, mytho...

Punk from 2019-06-04T12:05

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 bel...

Hedge from 2019-05-28T12:05

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...

Chalk from 2019-05-21T12:05

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 tea...

Lost Episode 12 from 2019-05-14T12:05

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 ...

Ten-foot Pole from 2019-04-30T12:05

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 proba...

Gelatinous Cube from 2019-04-23T19:28:44

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? Wha...

Tarrasque from 2019-04-16T12:05

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 th...

Bank from 2019-04-09T12:05

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 yo...

Gemstone from 2019-04-02T12:05

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’...

Touchstone from 2019-03-26T12:05

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 ...

Coin from 2019-03-19T12:05

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. Th...

Tea from 2019-03-12T12:05

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 creat...

Coffee from 2019-03-05T13:05

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 fa...

Lich from 2019-02-26T13:05

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 certainl...

Pathfinder from 2019-02-20T01:05

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 ca...

Fable from 2019-02-12T13:05

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 b...

Story from 2019-02-05T13:05

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 ...

Gremlins from 2019-01-29T15:49:03

“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 hav...

Lost Episode 11 from 2019-01-22T13:05

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 forg...

Riddle from 2019-01-15T13:05

https://www.patreon.com/GMWordoftheWeek

Sphinx from 2019-01-08T13:05

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, d...

Socks from 2018-12-25T13:05

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?...

Surcoat from 2018-12-18T13:05

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 w...

Wool from 2018-12-11T19:32:26

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. And, if you can excuse t...

Hood from 2018-12-04T13:05

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, a...

Utopia from 2018-11-27T13:05

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 withou...

Iron Rations from 2018-11-20T13:05

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...

Iron Bands of Bilaro from 2018-11-13T13:05

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 Dra...

Cthulhu from 2018-10-30T12:05

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 ep...

Orcus from 2018-10-23T12:05

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 dis...

Lost Episode 9 from 2018-10-17T00:05

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 combina...

Brigand from 2018-10-09T12:05

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? N...

Footpad from 2018-10-02T15:58:44

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...

Totem from 2018-09-25T12:05

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 attentio...

Familiar Spirit from 2018-09-18T12:05

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...

Bugbear from 2018-09-04T12:05

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 figur...

Mandrake from 2018-08-28T12:05

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 t...

Homunculus from 2018-08-21T12:05

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 al...

Avalanche from 2018-08-07T12:05

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 ...

Lightning from 2018-07-31T12:05

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 i...

Wildfire from 2018-07-24T12:05

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, bu...

Quicksand from 2018-07-17T12:05

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 s...

Lava from 2018-07-10T12:05

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 complicat...

Volcano from 2018-07-03T12:05

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 magman...

Natural Hazards from 2018-06-26T12:05

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 ha...

Captain from 2018-06-19T12:05

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. Beca...

Lost Episode 8 from 2018-06-05T12:05

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 ...

Man In The Moon from 2018-05-29T12:05

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 technica...

Faces in the Clouds from 2018-05-22T12:05

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 fac...

Apparatus of Kwalish from 2018-05-15T12:05

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 l...

Electrum from 2018-05-01T12:05

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...

Grognard from 2018-04-24T12:05

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 ...

Grotto from 2018-04-17T12:05

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 ...

Amazons from 2018-04-10T12:05

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...

Gorgon from 2018-04-03T12:05

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 bee...

Lost Episode 7 from 2018-03-27T12:05

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'...

Kossuth from 2018-03-20T12:05

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 listene...

Chaos from 2018-03-13T12:05

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...

Excalibur from 2018-03-06T13:05

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, ...

Motte and Bailey from 2018-02-27T13:05

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 ...

Typhoon Revisited from 2018-02-20T13:05

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 dee...

Zaratan from 2018-02-13T12:09

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 ...

Hydra from 2018-02-06T13:05

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 mat...

Gargoyle from 2018-01-30T13:05

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 gar...

Solstice from 2018-01-23T13:05

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 ...

Gloves from 2018-01-16T13:05

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, may...

Hoarfrost from 2018-01-09T13:05

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...

Apocalypse from 2018-01-02T13:05

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 wo...

Feast from 2017-12-19T13:05

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...

Circus from 2017-12-12T13:05

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 characte...

Lost Episode 6 from 2017-11-28T13:05

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. ...

Willow Bark from 2017-11-21T13:05

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 ...

Mercenary from 2017-11-14T13:05

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.

W...

Rune from 2017-11-07T13:05

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 ...

Werewolf from 2017-10-31T12:05

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...

Wemic from 2017-10-24T12:05

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 reall...

Wight from 2017-10-17T12:05

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...

Wyvern from 2017-10-10T12:05

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 tha...

Wendigo from 2017-10-03T12:05

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 t...

Assassin from 2017-09-26T12:05

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 m...

Ranger from 2017-09-19T12:05

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 squarel...

Lost Episode 5 from 2017-09-12T12:05

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, h...

Drow. from 2017-09-01T12:05

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 putt...

Dragons from 2017-08-25T12:05

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.
<...

Role-Playing Game from 2017-08-11T12:05

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, ...

Trail Blazer from 2017-07-28T12:05

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...

Thieves Cant from 2017-07-21T12:05

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. The...

Glass from 2017-07-14T12:05

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, cons...

Obsidian from 2017-07-07T12:05

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 mol...

Spider from 2017-06-30T12:05

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 ...

Lost Episode 4 from 2017-06-23T12:05

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 t...

Moraine from 2017-06-16T12:05

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 y...

Chirurgeon from 2017-06-09T12:05

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 d...

Water Clock from 2017-06-03T00:05

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 bette...

Dead Reckoning from 2017-05-26T12:05

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 harde...

Carrack from 2017-05-19T12:05

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, sc...

Ninjato from 2017-05-12T12:05

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 ...

Lost Episode 3 from 2017-04-28T12:05

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 a...

Orichalcum from 2017-04-21T12:05

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 ...

Adamant from 2017-04-14T12:05

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...

Quicksilver from 2017-04-07T12:05

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 hav...

Flumph from 2017-03-31T12:05

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 unironi...

Alchemy from 2017-03-24T12:05

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 rea...

Dire Wolf from 2017-03-17T12:05

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 ...

Rat from 2017-03-10T13:05

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 ...

Otyugh from 2017-03-03T13:05

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 s...

Landshark from 2017-02-24T13:05

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....

Rakshasa from 2017-02-17T13:05

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'...

Giff from 2017-02-10T13:05

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...

Myconid from 2017-02-03T13:05

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 ...

Labyrinth from 2017-01-27T13:05

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...

Catacomb from 2017-01-20T13:04

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 ref...

Pyramid from 2017-01-06T13:05

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 wh...

Monastery from 2016-12-30T13:00

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 thi...

Saint from 2016-12-23T13:05

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 thre...

Wattle and Daub from 2016-12-16T13:05

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...

Website from 2016-12-09T13:05

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 smal...

Shrine from 2016-12-02T18:54

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 W...

Lost Episode 2 from 2016-11-25T18:46

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. Pl...

Speleothem from 2016-11-18T18:37

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 thi...

Ignus Fatuus from 2016-11-11T18:17

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. Possibl...

Vampire from 2016-10-28T17:09

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 behoov...

Lemming from 2016-10-21T17:01

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 pl...

Taiga from 2016-10-14T16:53

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 thei...

Fata Morgana from 2016-10-07T15:21

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’...

Cloud Forest from 2016-09-23T15:09

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 k...

Henge from 2016-09-09T14:55

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....

The Lost Episode from 2016-09-02T14:40

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 ...

Legs from 2016-08-26T14:24

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. Someth...

Glue from 2016-08-19T14:15

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 ...

Mountebank from 2016-07-22T14:05

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 entertai...

Mayonnaise from 2016-07-15T13:52

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 crawli...

Leather Armor from 2016-07-09T05:34

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...

Thieves Tools from 2016-06-25T05:25

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 ...

Tinder Box from 2016-06-18T05:15

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...

Ring from 2016-06-11T05:02

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,...

City of Brass from 2016-06-04T04:45

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...

Styx from 2016-05-21T04:37

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 ...

Yggdrasil from 2016-05-14T04:26

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 magi...

Cosmos from 2016-05-07T04:17

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.

Oghma from 2016-04-30T04:02

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. Wh...

Tiamat from 2016-04-23T03:52

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. ...

Bahamut from 2016-04-16T03:44

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 m...

Chakram from 2016-04-02T03:26

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 almo...

Boomerang from 2016-03-26T03:07

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 reall...

Katana from 2016-03-12T03:57

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,...

Halberd from 2016-03-05T03:43

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 wh...

Oracle from 2016-02-20T03:29

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 ...

Zodiac from 2016-02-13T03:21

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...

Elysium from 2016-02-06T03:03

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 res...

Ziggurat from 2016-01-30T02:54

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.

Legion from 2016-01-16T02:46

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 Wee...

Catoblepas from 2016-01-09T02:35

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 real...

Paladin from 2015-12-19T00:28

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...

Smithing from 2015-12-12T00:17

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...

Deva from 2015-12-05T00:01

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 monste...

Pottage from 2015-11-27T23:55

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...

Salt from 2015-11-20T23:40

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 h...

Ale from 2015-11-13T23:28

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 a...

Pie from 2015-11-06T23:11

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, ...

Halloween from 2015-10-30T21:59

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...

Golem from 2015-10-23T21:51

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...

Malebranche from 2015-10-16T21:46

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.

Oni from 2015-10-09T21:20

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?

Eldritch from 2015-10-02T21:03

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 every...

Mana from 2015-09-25T20:55

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? ...

Chandelier from 2015-09-18T20:32

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 we...

Coeurl from 2015-09-11T20:21

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, reall...

Typhoon from 2015-09-04T20:06

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.

Sarcophagus from 2015-08-28T19:09

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. ...

Ether from 2015-08-21T18:38

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 ev...

Scimitar from 2015-08-14T18:26

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) ac...

Malediction from 2015-07-24T17:33

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...

Plague from 2015-07-17T17:24

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 co...

Bullywug from 2015-07-03T16:03

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, ...

Kobold from 2015-06-26T15:52

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, act...

Morning Star from 2015-06-19T15:41

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.

Crepuscular from 2015-06-12T15:19

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 ligh...

Doppelganger from 2015-06-05T14:18

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.

Ordeal from 2015-05-22T14:06

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

Palimpsest from 2015-05-15T13:52

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

Bard from 2015-05-09T05:58

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.

Dungeon from 2015-05-02T03:24

We’ve all been on a dungeon crawl before, haven’t we? No. Probably not. This weeks word: Dungeon

Forte and Foible from 2015-04-21T01:39

Welcome to the GM Word of the Week where we attempt to help you be a better GM by teaching you a bunch of fancy words you can sprinkle around your tabletop to impress your players. This week, we o...