Nerdcognito: A Rumble Repository of Live Streams, Video Content, and Archived Podcasts

Can a SparkleTroll be saved? Is a tourist worth bringing to the table? Should we even bother? This week the gang tears into all things tourist -- from origins to Critical Role toxins to playstyles. Can we bring the hobby back from a fundamental and philosophical shift? Plus, the news has LOTS of TTRPG goodness that you won't want to miss! (...and Modules!) *** SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST!! ...and go to your favorite podcast player or nerdcognito.com or to subscribe to the OG podcast, Nerdcognito! linktr.ee/nerdcognito *** Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: Shop Amazon and Support the Show: https://amzn.to/3djotja *We earn a small commission for each Amazon purchase at no additional cost to you!

RD finally does a 'from the car' hot take video tackling the new DMG art and redux-creativity.

Players drop hints all the time. What happens when it is more than a friendly poke? How should you handle your group asking for in-game favors, dictating game/world events, demanding items, or throwing an X-card (just kidding, show the X'er the door!). Plus, the news, Ryan revives "Oriental" and shoves it back into the acceptable category, and tales from Reddit. *** SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST!! ...and go to your favorite podcast player or nerdcognito.com or to subscribe to the OG podcast, Nerdcognito! linktr.ee/nerdcognito *** Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** The News: Luke Gygax blows away goals and honors Gary More Reddit DND Fun (?) 6e/OneDND "Deal" for your game store *** Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: Shop Amazon and Support the Show: https://amzn.to/3djotja *We earn a small commission for each Amazon purchase at no additional cost to you!

It happens -- a friend, a partner -- someone tells you "You can't play with THEM!" Maybe not you, but maybe that guy with the antisocial eye-rolling leftie girlfriend slowly exits from your table. Why and how do these ultimatums get made and how do they effect your table? Plus, the pros and cons of modules. Maybe. Probably not. *** SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST!! ...and go to your favorite podcast player or nerdcognito.com or to subscribe to the OG podcast, Nerdcognito! linktr.ee/nerdcognito *** Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAND NOW AVAILABLE! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** The News: Luke Gygax blows away goals and honors Gary More Reddit DND Fun (?) 6e/OneDND "Deal" for your game store *** Episode Sponsors and Affiliates: Shop Amazon and Support the Show: https://amzn.to/3djotja *We earn a small commission for each Amazon purchase at no additional cost to you!

This week, the gang dives deep on the Total Party Kill. Talking about this unique situation that apparently makes SparkleTrolls weep, the boys look into it mechanically, from a story perspective, and through the eyes of both player and dungeon master. Of course, there are some great TPK stories thrown in there as well. This, combined with longer chatter around the news of the day fill out the week! *** Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? *** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL!! ...and go to your favorite podcast player or nerdcognito.com or to subscribe to the OG podcast, Nerdcognito! linktr.ee/nerdcognito

Nerdcognito talks to... Daniel D. Fox?!? (yes, THAT Daniel D. Fox) Uh oh. "Infamous" RD and Kyle sit down with the "notorious" Daniel D. Fox, creator of Zweihander, alleged destructor of The Trove, and all around polarizing figure in the TTRPG space. Publicly politically misaligned with the guys AND potentially on the opposite end of the gaming spectrum, what odd cosmic alignment brought these two forces together? Tough questions will be asked, and hopefully answered. Could an impossible alliance be formed? Does someone storm out? Is there punch and pie? Be sure to sit back and enjoy one of the very rare interviews given by the one and only Daniel D. Fox. *** Get your copy of The Village of Greenhaven now! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL!! ...and go to your favorite podcast player or nerdcognito.com or to subscribe to the OG podcast, Nerdcognito! linktr.ee/nerdcognito

Ever play at a table with that cutsey-wootsey couple that just seems to always help each other? How about the BF DM that always give the right magic item to his boo? This week we talk about how real relationships can alter a table and give our thoughts on how to preserve the integrity of your game. Also, a positive news week spins into an exciting announcement regarding the Lovecraft mythos in the TTRPG world. *** Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? *** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL!! ...and go to your favorite podcast player or nerdcognito.com or to subscribe to the OG podcast, Nerdcognito! linktr.ee/nerdcognito

This is a milestone episode: RD admits that he "was wrong" multiple times! First, the guys talk about introducing horror elements at the table. After the news, Anthony Grasso and Wythe Marschall drop by to talk about Blister Critters, their new Kickstarter game that originally was panned by Ryan before he did his homework only to be now praised based on the final product and a deep dive! *** Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? *** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL!! ...and go to your favorite podcast player or nerdcognito.com or to subscribe to the OG podcast, Nerdcognito! linktr.ee/nerdcognito

This episode, we look at how myth, legend, history, and tall tales have influenced Dungeons and Dragons specifically and the TTRPG world in general. Some folks claim this is a bad thing... but it's a great element that should be celebrated! The news includes RD doing a 180 after more details on a game he panned became available. After Ryan eats crow, the gang talks how important creativity and the ability to improvise are critical to the hobby. *** Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? *** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL!! ...and go to your favorite podcast player or nerdcognito.com or to subscribe to the OG podcast, Nerdcognito! linktr.ee/nerdcognito

The shockwave is still rumbling in our corner of the hobby. Ryan and Kyle might have lost their minds... Next week, on Nerdcognito and concurrently released on YouTube -- Daniel D. Fox comes to our house. What have we done? *** Get your copy of The Village of Greenhaven now! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** Join Ryan David and Kyle as they chat about... everything. *** SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL!! ...and go to your favorite podcast player or nerdcognito.com or to subscribe to the OG podcast, Nerdcognito! linktr.ee/nerdcognito

Birthed from last week's "Session Zero" descriptions, we have TWO topics this week that make the show -- and our heads spin: Backstories... and Encounter Balance. Are they needed? Do they make an appearance at our tables? How have these elements impacted the TTRPG Hobby? As if that wasn't enough... of course there is some crazy news, with a stroll through a Reddit post for extra flavor. (Don't ask what flavor). ** Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!

This week, the guys talk about consequences of action and PC death in TTRPGs. Why are these "horrible" things critical for your game? The news kicks around some nerdy developments on past stories and is highlighted by our "unnamed" hat tip on Reddit. Finally, Session Zero talk online has been rumbling again, so each of the gang describes what their "0" looks like! *** Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!

Last week was a barnburner, so we needed to pump the brakes and return to some good ol' nerdy chatter! We open with a discussion of nostalgia, and the role it plays at your table. After the news, the guys ask the question "When did making money become a secondary goal in business?" ...specifically in our hobby! *** Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!

When Grim Jim calls, we answer. A special, extended-length episode that details the revelations that should shock the TTRPG design world. The gang and Jim dig deep into the article, talk about their perspective, and offer a path forward for our corner of the hobby. #DungeonDrama *** Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!

Dovetailing with last week's conversation about Power Gamers, the boys have a deep talk about how actual Player Skill vs. Character "Ability" can be balanced in a game. Where does a check fall as opposed to playing it out in the mind or at the table of the PC's creator? After the news, a look at the new OSR Adventure, The Tragedy at Taigon's Falls proves to be a positive way to close out the show! *** Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/... *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!

The gang digs into NPCs this week! Talking about how to make effective and memorable characters, what to avoid in NPC creation, and how to sidestep tropes and the "predictable" nature of this important piece of the TTRPG/DnD puzzle. The news of the week tips off with us not touching the WotC AI piece, simply because it's all just conjecture at this point in time. After the news, the gang digs into The Navarro Knight, a preview of a new system by our Check Mark Hero, Cynnamander! *** Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!

It's release week for The Village of Greenhaven! Hear Kyle and Bert dig in and ask RD about Greenhaven, learn about it's creation, and what the system-agnostic supplement can do for your table! There is a list in the news, and it involves the BEAR! Lastly, inspired by the rotten advice in the news for Dungeon Masters, the guys each give some advice for GMs to help smooth over some bumpy roads that every DM will encounter. *** Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!

This week, the gang is haunted by three spirits! That's right -- 2023's Ghosts of Past, Present and Future frame the whole show. What were the personal touches, opinions, and events that shaped each? Plus, the "future" brings a glimpse of what each of the guys is hoping for and predicts in the coming year! *** Be sure to grab RD's "The Village of Greenhaven" NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!

Well, unless you've been in the remote woods like Bert (and even he knew about it) you've heard about the WotC cuts. We talk about the human price of these cuts, each host having varying and predicable degrees of empathy. What does the future hold for Wizards? After the news, the guys discuss how the Nerdcognito core TTRPG group went back to the basics... high fantasy... and what a wonderful experience it was. How can you experience this bliss? The gang has some advice for your table! *** Be sure to grab RD's "The Village of Greenhaven" NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!

The boys try to cleanse the room and open the show by looking at the "Bro-holy" document that is Appendix N, and then each of the guys adds a line item to the list of required reading! The news presents everything from the huge MCDM kickoff to a quite chilly topic. After the news, Hunter aka Ultra-American TTRPGer stops in to tell his side of the Haunted Table story. Did Haunted Table act with cause or did they persecute Hunter for his political speech? *** Be sure to grab RD's "The Village of Greenhaven" NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven?affiliate_id=3908211 *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!

Oh my goodness! What a week of woke! Starting with Wizards of the Coast redacting lore and modifying language to be less "problematic" and ending with Goodman Games caving to SparkleTroll diversity lunacy and destroying the Dungeon Crawl Classics base, it has been a wild ride. RD and Kyle talk about it all and try to bring some perspective into the cultural breakdown that we are witnessing. After the news, the duo break down the OD&D announcement from PAX and ponder the future of the franchise. *** Be sure to grab RD's "The Village of Greenhaven" NOW! https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/465184/The-Village-of-Greenhaven *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!

With major publishers now putting content restrictions in print about what subjects players may or may not talk about during the game, the guys examine how we got here and why or why not dictating content is acceptable. Hint: It's not. The news brings Bert another surreal not-quite-horse moment about how nuts some segments of the hobby have become. Lastly, the gang talks about what might make an excellent gift to "lure" a new player to the table! *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!

Who doesn't love the horny bard? The orphaned princess? The mad wizard? Answer: after thousands of iterations, everyone. This week the guys look at tropes in the TTRPG sphere and discuss both the good and the bad elements of their presence. Bert is surly, but that doesn't prevent the news from presenting yet another game that makes Kyle spin. After the news, the team has a frank conversation about confirmation bias and how it presents in the hobby -- among all of us! From the OSR to Fauxs to SparkleTrolls, it is baggage that we all must remember we bring to the table. *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!

Why do the same (lame) topics of "controversy" keep coming up in the TTRPG space? Because... it's the "Controversy Carousel!" The only way un-creatives can put themselves and their terrible ideology over! After a few go-rounds, the guys talk about a serious accusation and blowup in the OSR over potential reverse racism from a game group finding app. Lastly, the gang goes through the news and talks about sidestepping from a TTRPG to some other sort of nerdy goodness. *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! We've all had to do it -- whether we like it or not. Sometimes, THAT player has to GO. The guys discuss why and how you may need to remove a player from a gaming group. RD goes off the rails dreaming about Heather Graham during the news. After, the boys toss out a favorite, disturbing monster for your Halloween game and rattle of "worst" horror sequels (yes, there are a lot!). *** Want to hear these episodes as they launch instead of delayed 2-6 weeks in the archive? Subscribe on the podcast player of your choice! Subscription Link: https://linktr.ee/Nerdcognito You can also support the show via the support links in our linktree!