Natural 20-Somethings
14 episodes - English - Latest episode: almost 2 years ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingFriends and tablemates Olivia Angsten and Laurel Myler dig into the details of Dungeons & Dragons in a (perhaps impractical) attempt to understand why they so dearly adore the game. Armed with academic minds and storytelling hearts, they discuss everything from gender in gaming and table culture to the most best spells and the virtues of the gelatinous cube. Join them on biweekly adventures in search of the answer to the unanswerable question: “What *is* it about D&D??”
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Episodes
Emotional Attachment
May 03, 2022 03:08 - 41 minutes - 46.3 MBSecure, avoidant, anxious, healthy, unhealthy—attachment comes in all forms and flavors. Olivia and Laurel examine the emotional attachment they have to their own characters and campaigns, leading to some inevitable conclusions about therapy. Plus, Olivia’s inability to pronounce the name of a homebrew race and a discussion of the unpronounceable cantrip Prestidigitation. What Is Emotional Attachment and Is Yours Healthy? By Sanjana Gupta on verywellmind.com Half-Cerberus on D&D Wiki Cove...
Gender Bias in Worldbuilding
April 20, 2022 02:24 - 29 minutes - 33.4 MBEpisode 12 - Gender Bias in Worldbuilding There really isn’t a quip that can suitably introduce this topic, so…BIAS! Buckle up! Laurel and Olivia set out to determine what types of gender bias they introduce into D&D and how that bias manifests. Plus, a treatise on the delightful Abyssal Chicken and being basic bitches who love swords a little too much. Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and Continuo allegro” by Advent Chamber ...
Revised Rangers
April 04, 2022 00:37 - 35 minutes - 40.1 MBFour halflings walk into a bar. They meet a mysterious stranger, a member of the worst-rated D&D class ever: one o’ them rangers. Olivia and Laurel dig deep in the Ranger dirt, reviewing the changes made with the class revision and discussing reasons why these changes are not yet official. Plus, futzing around with the Moonbeam spell because it’s iconic and maybe the most aesthetically chaotic random character to date. Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba...
A Good Story vs. A Good Game
February 28, 2022 02:39 - 36 minutes - 57.9 MBSometimes a good tabletop RPG is like sitting around a campfire telling a story with your friends, eating turkey legs, preparing for a long winter. You know, medieval peasant stuff. Laurel and Olivia determine which aspects of “traditional” storytelling work well for D&D and which are better left on the written page. Plus, advice for throwing good combat spaghetti at your players and the absolute mad lad of a homebrewed magic item: the bag of rats. Bag of Rats on D&D Wiki. Cover Art by Mar...
Multiclassing
February 15, 2022 03:35 - 32 minutes - 52 MBIf two heads are better than one, then two classes certainly must be as well. Why not three or four? Olivia and Laurel break down the potential benefits and drawbacks of choosing to multiclass your character and provide some advice for building a multiclass you’ll love. Plus, the undeniable sex appeal of the Silvery Barbs spell, and choosing a favorite child from among past D&D characters. Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and C...
Failure
January 31, 2022 05:00 - 37 minutes - 60.3 MBWe’ll have none of that nasty real-life failure around here, no, thank you. We will, however, take all the pretend in-game failures available. Laurel and Olivia cover the concept of “failing forward” and discuss ways to make failure fun instead of frustrating. Plus, rustling up some contraband cattle with a homebrew background and the surprisingly charismatic enigma that is the Black Pudding. Dungeon Mastering 101: Failing Forward by The Archmage on dmsworkshop.com Cattle Rustler backgroun...
Playing D&D Online
January 17, 2022 05:00 - 31 minutes - 50 MBChronically online? Addicted to D&D?? Put ‘em together and never leave your house again. Olivia and Laurel tackle the benefits and drawbacks of playing Dungeons & Dragons in an online setting, and offer tips toward creating a great virtual gamespace. Plus, advice for resolving player-to-player conflict at the table, and embracing a destiny of ecoterrorism with a randomly-generated character. Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and...
The Effects of Live-Play Media
January 03, 2022 05:00 - 35 minutes - 56.3 MBAh, the sugary aroma of consuming content, developing a hyperfixation, and synthesizing it into your entire personality for a decade! Laurel and Olivia delve into D&D live-play shows to examine the influence they’ve had not only on personal gameplay, but on the community at-large. Plus, a rule for celebrating “the birthday character”, and completely misusing the Time Stop spell because time is an illusion. Media and Society: A Critical Perspective by Arthur Asa Berger Birthday (5e Variant ...
Class Breakdown: Monk
December 20, 2021 05:00 - 29 minutes - 46.5 MBEpisode 5 - Class Breakdown: Monk Get high-key keyed up for all of the terrible ki puns this episode because guess what? Monks hold the ki to our heart. Olivia and Laurel key into monks to figure out what makes this class tick, and honestly mostly just gush about how great they are. Plus, a randomly-generated gladiator with a dark side, and basing favorite character backgrounds purely on the absurd items included in the equipment pack. Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to ...
Discovering a Character's Sexuality
December 06, 2021 05:00 - 24 minutes - 39.7 MBArise, alphabet mafia! Gather, allies! For today, we make the tabletop RPG the safest place on the planet! Laurel and Olivia journey inward to explore how the sexual identies of characters are expressed both in gameplay and during the creation stage. Plus, making a mantle of the Darkmantle and silly advice about doing silly voices. Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and Continuo allegro” by Advent Chamber Orchestra is licensed un...
Power Fantasies
November 22, 2021 05:00 - 22 minutes - 35.4 MBSomebody call Merriam-Webster because the dictionary entry for “power fantasy” simply does not exist. Olivia and Laurel dive into power fantasies in order to define what they are, how they manifest, and why they matter. Plus, Olivia’s inherently bisexual struggle to pick between aasimar and tieflings, Laurel’s peculiar obsession with firbolgs, and an introduction to the Truly Critical™ critical hit. Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Stri...
Character Optimization
November 08, 2021 05:00 - 24 minutes - 39.1 MBLike the endless crumbs of a Nature Valley Bar, so are the options for building a character in D&D. Laurel and Olivia get crunchy discussing what it means to them to optimize a character, both on paper and in practice. Plus, a meditation on Fireball and (potentially) useful advice on helping folks with different play styles work together at the table. RPGBOT Character Optimization Guides Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and Contin...
What Makes a "Good" Character
October 25, 2021 16:00 - 24 minutes - 39 MBAs the age-old adage reads, “Characters are the windows to the story...and if not the windows, then certainly the door, at least.” Olivia and Laurel set out to define what makes a “good” character when it comes to storytelling in D&D and end up building a pretty snazzy trait trident in the process. Plus, partying with the Dretch and the sorcerous origins of a randomly generated character. Random Background Table by laiika on reddit Dretch - Forgotten Realms Wiki Entry Cover Art by Marie-A...
How We Found D&D
October 15, 2021 17:23 - 17 minutes - 16.6 MBThey say the weapon chooses the wielder, but does the game choose its players? Laurel and Olivia share the forces of nature and twists of fate that brought them into the D&D fold, and the aspects of the game that kept them there. There’s got to be a good reason to let something consume an average of sixteen hours of your life every week, right? Hahaha, right? Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and Continuo allegro” by Advent Cham...