Podcasts by GM Word of the Week
You can’t spell Game Master without “pretentious.” Well, you can, actually. But let’s pretend you can’t so I can make a point. My point is a good Game Master needs a lot of big, fancy words at their disposal to make their flavor text as confusing as possible. Oops. I mean engaging, not confusing. More at www.GMWordoftheWeek.com
Further podcasts by Brian Casey
Podcast on the topic Geschichte
All episodes
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...
ListenLost 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 ...
ListenArtificial 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...
ListenRed 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 ...
ListenLearning 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.
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...
ListenNeeds 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.
Listen
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...
ListenDiamond 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...
ListenSpiritualism 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...
ListenLost 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...
ListenThe 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...
ListenSupernatural 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...
ListenMain 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...
ListenLost 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...
ListenChalcedony 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...
ListenHot 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...
ListenHollow 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...
ListenThe 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...
ListenSericulture 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...
ListenMarco 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...
Listen2020 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...
Listen2020 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...
ListenLost 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...
ListenLost 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 ...
ListenResolute 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...
ListenPots 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...
ListenBeauty 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...
ListenMagic 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...
ListenScylla 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...
ListenFighting 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...
ListenLost 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...
ListenWhite 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...
ListenOars 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...
ListenSpectacles 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...
ListenWaterwheel 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...
ListenAdaptation 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 ...
ListenTall 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, ...
ListenTall 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...
ListenSomething 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’...
ListenNational 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...
ListenHollyphant 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...
ListenHarvest 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...
ListenGhost 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...
ListenCursed 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...
ListenPhantom 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...
ListenHaunted 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 ...
ListenGhost 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 ...
Listen200th 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
ListenLost 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...
ListenFlameskull 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 ...
ListenLost 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 ...
ListenTen-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...
ListenGelatinous 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...
ListenTouchstone 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 ...
ListenPathfinder 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...
ListenLost 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...
ListenIron 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...
ListenIron 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...
ListenLost 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...
ListenFamiliar 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...
ListenHomunculus 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...
ListenNatural 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...
ListenLost 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 ...
ListenMan 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...
ListenFaces 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...
ListenApparatus 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...
ListenLost 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'...
ListenMotte 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 ...
ListenTyphoon 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...
ListenApocalypse 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...
ListenLost 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. ...
ListenWillow 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 ...
ListenLost 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...
ListenRole-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...
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...
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...
ListenWater 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...
ListenDead 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...
ListenLost 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...
ListenOrichalcum 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 ...
ListenQuicksilver 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...
ListenWattle 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...
ListenLost 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...
ListenSpeleothem 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...
ListenIgnus 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...
ListenFata 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’...
ListenCloud 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...
ListenThe 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 ...
ListenMountebank 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...
ListenMayonnaise 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...
ListenLeather 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...
ListenThieves 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 ...
ListenTinder 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...
ListenCity 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...
ListenCatoblepas 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...
ListenMalebranche 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.
ListenChandelier 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...
ListenSarcophagus 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. ...
ListenMalediction 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...
ListenMorning 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.
ListenCrepuscular 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...
ListenDoppelganger 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.
ListenPalimpsest from 2015-05-15T13:52
You have been attacked by a palimpsest! Wait, what’s a palimpsest? Can they even do that?
ListenForte 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...
Listen