Vampires are the one monster that seems to have been around forever (I mean they are immortal), and they never seem to go away. Their popularity may wax and wane, but these predators are always present, ready to suck away our life force in order to preserve theirs. Even when it seems like we have […]
Everyone remembers the famous line in “Raiders of the Lost Ark” where Indy says “Why did it have to be snakes?” Well our Daring Druid (and resident ophiophilist) Ben Siepser often wonders “Why isn’t it ALWAYS snakes”? So this week we take a look at a few of our favorite snake-based humanoids including the naga, […]
Are you ready for MORE petrification! This week we discuss the basilisk, a creature that can turn you to stone just by looking at you. Well it has to meet your gaze, but we get into the specifics so you won’t get fooled. It is also gigantic, which is something to consider. Listen as we […]
There are certain creatures in myth and legend who have been said to have the ability to turn those they encounter into stone. This week we profile one of those creatures, the cockatrice. With the head of a rooster, the body of a lizard, and the wings of a bat, this tiny creature can petrify […]
There is a reason every little girl wants a pony: Because horses are really cool. They are so great that the world of D&D is filled with horse-based creatures including the unicorn, pegasus, nightmare, and even the centaur. Why this form? What tactile advantages does it provide? How can a horse fly but a pig […]
As human beings, we are lucky enough to be at the top of the food chain. Being at the top means there is nothing above us. No predators to watch out for, nothing evolving to eat is specifically. We never have to check our rear view. Or do we? In this episode we discuss what […]
The forest is filled with all kinds of creatures great and small. It is also home to one of the most mischievous and dangerous creatures: The Dryad. The woodland spirits are tied to a singular oak tree. They are so tied in fact, that they cannot stray more than 1000 feet from their home. This […]
Everyone knows that trees are alive…but today we are only concerned with the ones that run around. We are talking treants from D&D, Ents from Lord of the Rings, and the Fighting Trees of Oz. Are these creatures plants with animal traits, or secret animals that look like plants? We discuss the possibilities. The answer […]
When it comes to D&D, there is one apex predator: The Dragon. It is even in the name! These winged creatures come in all sizes and colors, which is lucky for adventurers. See, a dragon’s color tells you a lot about the creature, including their alignment, their powers, and their magic resistance. When you are […]
Once you sign up to be an adventurer, it is a given that you will raid every chest you come across. Some will have locks, some will have traps, and some may even eat you. That last option is the topic of today’s show as we discuss mimics in D&D. These creatures can take the […]
If you wear a belt buckle (as any good adventurer does), then battling a rust monster is the only situation where you can get caught with your pants down. These creatures seem to feed on metals, which means that unless you are proficient with clubs and quarterstaves, you are in big trouble. If you have […]
Our 10th season begins! We decided to do something a little different this year. We were inspired by last season’s episode on “Delicious in Dungeon”, so we are taking a look at Dungeons & Dragons monsters and explaining how they work. It turns out, there is a lot of literature on these creatures, and none […]
Once you reach 200 episodes, you start to consider life expectancy. Should a podcast go on forever? Should a human live forever? While I have no idea about the first one, today’s episode is about the second one. Sure we will quickly congratulate ourselves but then we get down to the real work: Researching the […]
For many generations, Santa has been seen as a portly fellow who’s hard work throughout the year makes Christmas Day magical for all. That view is becoming a thing of the past. We have done a lot of episodes on the technology of Christmas, and this year we have a new entry: Red One. This […]
Raiding tombs is tough work, which is maybe Lara Croft, the world’s most famous tomb raider, is such a jerk. Personally I like Indiana Jones a lot better, but he was definitely not as athletic as Lara. Sure he had the bullwhip, but Lara uses a magnetic grappling hook with the proficiency of a samurai […]
On this show we discuss how the world will end every other episode, and since we discussed robot survival skills on the last episode, once again, we are due. This week we actually explore what Dennin calls the ultimate apocalypse: Dying if you fall asleep. This is the concept of Markipliers new series “The Edge […]
The early part of this century saw an explosion of television shows demonstrating extreme survival skills. I am talking about Survivor, Naked and Afraid, Man VS Wild, or anything Bear Grylls stars in. I think this was really to show how far we humans have gone from nature. We have lost almost all of our […]
Let’s say you work with classified documents, or you just have a boring job you want to forget. Wouldn’t it be great if you could just turn off your brain as you entered work and turned it back on when you left the building? You know, give the heavy lifting to your unconscious or whatever. […]
Beetlejuice has been called “The Ghost with the Most”, but the most of what? Is there something special that he has that other ghosts in the afterlife don’t have? The short answer is YES, and it involves the Deadon particle. Don’t worry, we explain everything for you in this episode. These give him the power […]
My guess is that most people listening to this episode will NOT find themselves lost in a fantasy dungeon (unless it is while playing a game of D&D of course). However should you, it may become necessary to start catching and eating monsters. Luckily the Brain Trust has just finished watching the anime “Delicious in […]
Humans are visual creatures, but we still rely heavily on our auditory senses to navigate the world. We are also loud by nature, which is why New York City is constantly at 90 decibels. My point is this: If our survival is dependent on staying silent, I think we are doomed. Most of us at […]
Today we decide to take a trip BACK to the planet of Dune, which is a place like none other. In our first episode we talked about the lack of water and how important saving every drop is. Well this time we take a deep dive into that waterless pool to give you as many […]
Tornadoes are one of the most truly devastating forces in nature. They can appear out of nowhere, destroy entire towns, and then disappear without a trace. They are categorized not by their power, but by the amount of damage they cause. So how do these killer vortexes form? And why are they almost exclusively a […]
At the end of the last episode things looked pretty bleak. Highly advanced aliens are on their way and they are stifling our scientific breakthroughs. But humans are resilient. The aliens call us bugs, but nothing is more hardy than the cockroach. But what can we do? Well we specialize in out of the box […]
The TV show “3 Body Problem” introduces a major conundrum for humanity: Aliens are on their way, and there is nothing we can do about it. Are they friendly? Are they hostile? Who knows (Who am I kidding, we all know they will eventually turn on us)? There is an upside though: It will take […]
“When Hell Freezes Over” is a common saying, but what does it even mean? Sure religious doctrine would have you believe that Hell is a place of fire and brimstone, full of lakes of lava, overcooked burritos, nuclear meltdowns, and other really hot stuff. But we also talk about the chill of the grave, and […]
We have been taught that Superman is the icon for truth, justice, and the American way. He is the ultimate superhero, and always does what it right. He is also an alien with more strength and power than anything we can imagine. There are no counters to him. Well except Kryptonite which is unbelievably rare. […]
We’ve discussed how to build your own underground bunker, but what if you let a company like Vault-Tek do that for you? In the world of Fallout, Vault-Tek is not the most trustworthy company. They blew up the entire world to eliminate their competition! While I do respect their hustle, it does leave the world […]
There are very few characters that truly stand the test of time. Superman and Batman are almost 90, but there are peaks and valleys to their popularity. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been consistently in the spotlight since the mid-80’s, which is a feat in my opinion. As everyone knows, despite being 40 years […]
