Making a Monster

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Game designers show you their favorite monster, how it works, why it works, and what it means. Each weekly episode features a new creator and the monster of their choice.

Lucas Zellers


    • Jul 17, 2023 LATEST EPISODE
    • monthly NEW EPISODES
    • 25m AVG DURATION
    • 66 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Making a Monster

    Giant Sharkbowl Ooze by Kobold Press

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 17, 2023 9:03 Transcription Available


    Megan Maricle shares the deadliest catch for dungeon delvers everywhere!Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-sharkbowl-ooze/ Get stat blocks, bonus content, and other monstrous perks: www.patreon.com/scintillastudioJoin the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtterMeet my guests:https://koboldpress.com/the-kobold-team/Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Wave Lurcher: Astra Fauna by Sarah Dahlinger

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2023 22:10 Transcription Available


    An alien shark feeding off the living islands of an alien world, the wave lurcher is a partner in the search for life.Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-wave-lurcher/ Get stat blocks, bonus content, and other monstrous perks: www.patreon.com/scintillastudioJoin the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtterMeet my guests:My about page has all my bio info :) https://www.sarahdahlinger.com/about Sarah's Website Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Extinction: The Dodo

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 20, 2023 18:07


    The dodo is a funny-looking bird with a funny-sounding name that never knew what hit it. There isn't a more fitting icon of extinction. Back the Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/magehandpress/book-of-extinctionDownload a dodo: https://magehandpress.com/2023/03/the-dodo.htmlJoin the conversation:https://www.instagram.com/sparkotter/https://twitter.com/sparkotter"Extinction Theme" by Alex Miller, the Boy King of Idaho: https://www.instagram.com/theboykingofidaho/

    OGL 1.1 & The Extinction of D&D

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2023 18:27


    OGL 1.1 risks killing the thriving ecosystem of valuable third-party content for Dungeons & Dragons. Don't wait: tell Wizards of the Coast they're making a mistake, and tell your favorite third-party creators it's worth staying in the fight.Transcript of the episode: Legal analysis of OGL 1.1: https://medium.com/@MyLawyerFriend/lets-take-a-minute-to-talk-about-d-d-s-open-gaming-license-ogl-581312d48e2f Io9 leak: https://gizmodo.com/dnd-wizards-of-the-coast-ogl-1-1-open-gaming-license-1849950634Polygon review: https://www.polygon.com/23540640/dnd-ogl-1-1-leak-dungeons-dragons-pathfinder-2e-wotc-hasbroThe aurochs as "Nazi Supercow": https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/when-nazis-tried-bring-animals-back-extinction-180962739/Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter

    Ol' Chap Ettercap, ft. Critical Crafting

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2022 20:30 Transcription Available


    O'l Chap Ettercap is a monster whose story grew in the telling, from meaningless Download Ol' Chap Ettercap in every form a tabletop needs: https://scintilla.studio/monster-ettercap-critical-crafting/ Get stat blocks, bonus content, and other monstrous perks: https://my.captivate.fm/www.patreon.com/scintillastudio (www.patreon.com/scintillastudio) Join the conversation: https://my.captivate.fm/www.twitter.com/SparkOtter (www.twitter.com/SparkOtter) Meet my guests: Dillon Onley, Creative Director Cameron DeFord, Marketing Director https://www.critical-crafting.com/ Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com "Creepy Dungeon Ambience" by DrMinky from https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/# (Freesound.org)

    Mörk Borg's 7 Deadly Sins

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2022 17:53 Transcription Available


    Mörk Borg, the doom metal TTRPG by Free League, gets an adventure with seven deadly sins chained in an off-shore prison boat where nothing is as it seems. Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-mork-borg-dolja/ Get stat blocks, bonus content, and other monstrous perks: https://my.captivate.fm/www.patreon.com/scintillastudio (www.patreon.com/scintillastudio) Join the conversation: https://my.captivate.fm/www.twitter.com/SparkOtter (www.twitter.com/SparkOtter) Meet my guests: Zac Goins, World of Game Design https://twitter.com/wogdesign Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Shoebill Cockatrices show a terrifying biodiversity of monsters

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2022 32:23


    Many monsters are combinations of animals, like the owlbear - but which owl, and which bear? Atlas Animalia by Metal Weave Games shows a terrifying biodiversity of monsters, including the shoebill cockatrice. Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-atlas-animalia/ Get stat blocks, bonus content, and other monstrous perks: https://my.captivate.fm/www.patreon.com/scintillastudio (www.patreon.com/scintillastudio) Join the conversation: https://my.captivate.fm/www.twitter.com/SparkOtter (www.twitter.com/SparkOtter) Meet my guests: Sarah Dahlinger: https://www.sarahdahlinger.com/about (https://www.sarahdahlinger.com/) Andreas Walters: https://metalweavegames.com/ (https://metalweavegames.com/) Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Migo: Stillfleet's bio-tech super-future scientists with Wythe Marschall

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 30, 2022 40:29 Transcription Available


    Wythe Marschall, creator of Stillfleet, shares a monster born in the frozen ammonia crystals of Yuggoth at the far reaches of our solar system 100 billion years in the future. Don't wait, get it now! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/wythe/the-stillfleet-core-rulebook Get stat blocks, bonus content, and other monstrous perks: https://my.captivate.fm/www.patreon.com/scintillastudio (www.patreon.com/scintillastudio) Join the conversation: https://my.captivate.fm/www.twitter.com/SparkOtter (www.twitter.com/SparkOtter) Meet my guests: Wythe Marschall: https://twitter.com/hollowearths Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    scientists biotech audionautix jason shaw migo yuggoth super future wythe marschall
    Extinction: The Call of the Giant Beaver

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2022 59:55 Transcription Available


    The size of a black bear, this Ice Age giant didn't build dams, but it guarded the water with a fearsome call just the same. Meet the world's most complete fossil giant beaver with the ancient DNA expert who brought her to life! Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in D&D: https://www.scintilla.studio/extinction (https://www.scintilla.studio/extinction) https://www.patreon.com/mfov Episode transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-extinction-giant-beaver/ Guides: Dr. Heather Lerner, Curator of the Joseph Moore Museum https://twitter.com/moore_museum Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter "Extinction Theme" by Alex Monroe, the Boy King of Idaho

    The Mukad: aberrant insect harbingers from Grim Hollow by Ghostfire Games

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2022 26:41 Transcription Available


    The mukad are insect-like aberrations following the orders of a slumbering god of destruction as they lurk in the walls. Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-mukad-grim-hollow-ghostfire-games/ Get stat blocks, bonus content, and other monstrous perks: https://my.captivate.fm/www.patreon.com/scintillastudio (www.patreon.com/scintillastudio) Join the conversation: https://my.captivate.fm/www.twitter.com/SparkOtter (www.twitter.com/SparkOtter) Meet my guests: Joe Raso: https://twitter.com/_joe_raso Grim Hollow by Ghostfire Games: https://ghostfiregaming.com/grim-hollow/ Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Aurochs, De-Extinction, and the Racism of Orcs in D&D

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2022 43:58 Transcription Available


    Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in D&D: https://www.scintilla.studio/extinction (https://www.scintilla.studio/extinction) Episode transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-extinction-aurochs-nazis-orcs/ Guides: Steve Sullivan, director of the Hefner Museum of Natural History at Miami University in Ohio Jessica Marcrum, Uncaged Author and producer of the Threeflings actual play podcast, www.jessicamarcrumwrites.com James Mendez Hodes, game designer and orc historian: https://jamesmendezhodes.com/ Did you like this stat block? Let me know on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter "Extinction Theme" by Alex Monroe Closing music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    The Frog of Holding, ft. Nature Check

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 13, 2022 48:05


    A team of scientists encounter the Frog of Holding, a giant monstrosity with an extradimensional space for its young! Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in D&D: https://www.scintilla.studio/extinction (https://www.scintilla.studio/extinction) Partial transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-extinction-frog-of-holding/ Guides: Sheryl, The Roving Naturalist: https://twitter.com/RvingNaturalist Ethan Kocak: https://twitter.com/Blackmudpuppy Chelsea: https://twitter.com/ChelseaHerps Maria Gatta: https://twitter.com/M_Gatta Did you like this stat block? Let me know on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter "Extinction Theme" by Alex Monroe

    Extinction: Dragon Bones & Cave Bears

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2022 9:38 Transcription Available


    The cave bear is more than just a monster variant on MM 334. It's the source of piles of dragon bones in caves all over Europe, and fulcrum where archaeology turned from fantasy to science. Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in D&D: https://www.scintilla.studio/extinction (https://www.scintilla.studio/extinction) Get stat blocks, bonus content, and other monstrous perks: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter "Extinction Theme" by Alex Monroe

    Giant spider chucking goblins in the MCDM monster book

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 18, 2022 42:37 Transcription Available


    How does it square with your heroes when the bad guys treat their animals better than the good guys? What if your villain pets the dog? Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-war-spider-mcdm/ Get stat blocks, bonus content, and other monstrous perks: https://my.captivate.fm/www.patreon.com/scintillastudio (www.patreon.com/scintillastudio) Join the conversation: https://my.captivate.fm/www.twitter.com/SparkOtter (www.twitter.com/SparkOtter) Meet my guests: James Introcaso: https://twitter.com/JamesIntrocaso (https://twitter.com/JamesIntrocaso) Flee, Mortals! The MCDM Monster Book: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mattcolville/mcdm-monster-book (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mattcolville/mcdm-monster-book) Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Solarpunk in Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2022 24:28 Transcription Available


    Journeys Through the Radiant Citadel's creator was inspired by the solarpunk and hopepunk movements, but what even are those? Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-solarpunk-journeysthroughtheradiantcitadel Get stat blocks, bonus content, and other monstrous perks: https://my.captivate.fm/www.patreon.com/scintillastudio (www.patreon.com/scintillastudio) Join the conversation: https://my.captivate.fm/www.twitter.com/SparkOtter (www.twitter.com/SparkOtter) Meet my guests: David Somerville, author, Planegea: https://www.twitter.com/Planegea (https://www.twitter.com/Planegea) Mike Rugnetta & Taylor Moore: https://www.twitter.com/funcityventures (twitter.com/funcityventures) Kierán Suckling, Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Biological Diversity https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/ Tierra Curry, Senior Scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity https://twitter.com/TierraMussel Music credits: "Limousine" by Jason Shaw "Extinction Theme" by Alex Monroe

    The Florida Fairy Shrimp | Extinction

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2022 36:59 Transcription Available


    Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in D&D: https://www.scintilla.studio/extinction (https://www.scintilla.studio/extinction) Episode transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-extinction-florida-fairy-shrimp Guides: Tierra Curry, Senior Scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity https://twitter.com/TierraMussel Did you like this stat block? Let me know on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter Music credit: "Extinction Theme" by Alex Monroe

    The False Hydra & Larry the Kung Fu Kraken

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 21, 2022 34:02 Transcription Available


    The best game-breaking exploits in D&D. This week: the false hydra, the most terrifying homebrew monster ever made; and the Kung Fu Kraken, an ancient titan of the deep somehow less effective than a straw dummy. Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-false-hydra-kung-fu-kraken/ Get stat blocks, bonus content, and other monstrous perks: https://my.captivate.fm/www.patreon.com/scintillastudio (www.patreon.com/scintillastudio) Join the conversation: https://my.captivate.fm/www.twitter.com/SparkOtter (www.twitter.com/SparkOtter) Meet my guests: Jeremy Vine: https://my.captivate.fm/www.twitter.com/talumin (www.twitter.com/talumin) Jarrod Jahoda, Mid-Level Adventurers: https://twitter.com/midlvladventure (www.twitter.com/midlvladventure) Danilo Vujevic, Thinking Critically: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk/ (https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk/) Rebecca Gray and Steven Myers, Eberron: A Chronicle of Echoes: https://www.sivisechoerstation.com/ (https://www.sivisechoerstation.com/) Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Arrow of Destruction & The Wireless Troll

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 14, 2022 36:08 Transcription Available


    D&D players have spent almost 50 years breaking the game. This week: the arrowhead of total destruction, nuclear warhead powered by extradimensional spaces; and the wireless troll, communication via regeneration. Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-arrow-of-destruction-wireless-troll/ Get stat blocks, bonus content, and other monstrous perks: https://my.captivate.fm/www.patreon.com/scintillastudio (www.patreon.com/scintillastudio) Join the conversation: https://my.captivate.fm/www.twitter.com/SparkOtter (www.twitter.com/SparkOtter) Meet my guests: Jeremy Vine: https://my.captivate.fm/www.twitter.com/talumin (www.twitter.com/talumin) Jarrod Jahoda, Mid-Level Adventurers: https://twitter.com/midlvladventure (www.twitter.com/midlvladventure) Danilo Vujevic, Thinking Critically: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk/ (https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk/) Rebecca Gray and Steven Myers, Eberron: A Chronicle of Echoes: https://www.sivisechoerstation.com/ (https://www.sivisechoerstation.com/) Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Peasant Rail Gun & Quantum Ogre

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 9, 2022 35:31 Transcription Available


    D&D players have spent almost 50 years breaking the game, creating exploits that became monsters in their own right. This week: the peasant rail gun, an army of hirelings with a light-speed projectile; and the quantum ogre, the monster who is everywhere until it is observed. Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-peasant-rail-gun-quantum-ogre/ Get stat blocks, bonus content, and other monstrous perks: https://my.captivate.fm/www.patreon.com/scintillastudio (www.patreon.com/scintillastudio) Join the conversation: https://my.captivate.fm/www.twitter.com/SparkOtter (www.twitter.com/SparkOtter) Meet my guests: Jeremy Vine: www.twitter.com/talumin Jarrod Jahoda, Mid-Level Adventurers: https://twitter.com/midlvladventure (www.twitter.com/midlvladventure) Danilo Vujevic, Thinking Critically: https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk/ (https://www.thinkingcritically.co.uk/) Rebecca Gray and Steven Myers, Eberron: A Chronicle of Echoes: https://www.sivisechoerstation.com/ (https://www.sivisechoerstation.com/) Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Luthic the Blood Moon Witch in Uncaged Goddesses

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2022 37:11 Transcription Available


    Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-luthic-uncaged-godesses/ Get stat blocks, bonus content, and other monstrous perks: https://my.captivate.fm/www.patreon.com/scintillastudio (www.patreon.com/scintillastudio) Join the conversation: https://my.captivate.fm/www.twitter.com/SparkOtter (www.twitter.com/SparkOtter) Meet my guests: Jessica Marcrum: https://twitter.com/angrynerdgirl David Markiwsky: https://twitter.com/DavidMarkiwsky https://www.dmsguild.com/product/382873/Uncaged-Goddesses?affiliate_id=1485089 Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Extinction: Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, D&D's celestial Questing Bird

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 15, 2021 36:43 Transcription Available


    Declared extinct less than three months ago, the ivory-billed woodpecker is the holy grail of birders all over the U.S. Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in D&D: https://store.magehandpress.com/products/book-of-extinction-preview Get the Questing Bird stat block by joining the Mage Hand Press Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mfov Episode transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-extinction-ivory-billed-woodpecker/ Guides: Kieran Suckling, Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Biological Diversity https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/ Ben Gilsdorf, amateur ornithologist https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count

    Extinction: Thylacine, Ghost Tiger of the Feywild

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 10, 2021 29:29 Transcription Available


    The thylacine of Tasmania becomes the ghost tiger of the Feywild. Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in D&D: https://store.magehandpress.com/products/book-of-extinction-preview Episode transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-extinction-thylacine/ Guides: Steve Sullivan, Director of the Hefner Museum of Natural History at Miami University http://miamioh.edu/cas/academics/centers/hefner-museum/ Kieran Suckling, Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Biological Diversity https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/ Andrew Coons, First Watch: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5p4VD1CxwndFhal7DF0mA House Sivis Echoer Station: https://www.sivisechoerstation.com/echoes/cyre-once-again Like this stat block? Did I miss something? Let me know on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter

    Extinction: Great Auk, the Ocean Master

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 22, 2021 18:39 Transcription Available


    The great auk is the original penguin, and quite possibly the unluckiest bird in history. Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in D&D: https://store.magehandpress.com/products/book-of-extinction-preview Episode transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-extinction-great-auk/ Guides: Kieran Suckling, Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Biological Diversity Tierra Curry, Senior Scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity Stan Rachootin, Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences at Mount Holyoke University Appearing courtesy the Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College Like this stat block? Did I miss something? Let me know on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter

    Extinction: Passenger Pigeon, the Feathered Tide

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 18, 2021 28:47 Transcription Available


    Passenger pigeons were once the most numerous bird on the planet, a swarm of Tiny beasts covering the sky. Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in D&D: https://store.magehandpress.com/products/book-of-extinction-preview Episode transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-extinction-passenger-pigeon/ Guides: Steve Sullivan, Director of the Hefner Museum of Natural History, Miami University Stan Rachootin, Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences at Mount Holyoke University Appearing courtesy the Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College Like this stat block? Did I miss something? Let me know on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter

    Making a Monster: Extinction

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2021 15:44


    The biodiversity of our natural world creates the biodiversity of our storytelling. Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in Dungeons & Dragons: https://store.magehandpress.com/products/book-of-extinction-preview Episode transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-extinction-animals-in-dnd/ Guests: Steve Sullivan, Director Hefner Museum of Natural History, Miami University Additional voices: Matt Davids, https://www.dicegeeks.com/monster-first-tabletop-rpgs/ Joe Gaylord, https://twitter.com/LabLazarus Nat Biggs, https://scintilla.studio/monster-displacer-beast/ Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter

    Planegea, the Stone Age setting for D&D

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2021 35:08 Transcription Available


    Planegea is the prehistoric, stone-punk setting for D&D 5th Edition. Designer Dave Somerville talks about the Kelledros, body-snatching jungle aliens with so much to add to any D&D story. Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-planegea-atlas-games/ Meet my guests: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atlasgames/planegea https://www.twitter.com/Planegea https://twitter.com/AtlasGames Get bonus episodes and other monstrous perks: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter www.instagram.com/SparkOtter Music by Audionautix www.audionautix.com

    Fizban's Treasury of Dragons with Amy Vorpahl

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2021 33:23 Transcription Available


    What's his deal, anyway? Amy Vorpahl is the voice of Fizban, multiverse-spanning god of dragons, in Fizban's Treasury of Dragons. We discuss this character's view of the world, how to write for D&D, and whether Fizban is fun to hang out with. Spoiler alert: he is. Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-fizbans-treasury-of-dragons-with-amy-vorpahl Meet my guests: https://www.twitter.com/VorpahlSword https://www.amyvorpahl.com/ Get bonus episodes and other monstrous perks: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter Music by Audionautix:www.audionautix.com

    Bonus: Skitterwidgets, from Amy Vorpahl's Candlekeep Mystery

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2021 10:00 Transcription Available


    Amy Vorpahl couldn't resist adding a cute little Pokémon to her Candlekeep Mystery. Here's more about the skitterwidgets, what Pat Rothfuss could gain from a little more magic, and how to stay motivated while writing. Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-amy-vorpahl-candlekeep-mystery Meet my guests: https://www.twitter.com/VorpahlSword https://www.amyvorpahl.com/ Get bonus episodes and other monstrous perks: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter Music by Audionautix:www.audionautix.com

    GM Edition: Fun City, Mike Rugnetta & Taylor Moore

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2021 74:12 Transcription Available


    Fun City is the best Shadowrun actual play podcast on the Internet, and its two Gms, Mike Rugnetta and Taylor Moore, crafted a beautiful, dimension-spanning arc with the most thought-provoking villain this show has featured yet. Making a Monster: GM Edition asks actual play podcasters how they use the monsters in their games. Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-fun-city-mike-rugnetta-taylor-moore Meet my guests: https://funcity.ventures https://www.twitter.com/MikeRugnetta https://twitter.com/taylordotbiz https://www.YouTube.com/MikeRugnetta Get bonus episodes and other monstrous perks: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter www.instagram.com/SparkOtter Music by Nihilore and Audionautix http://www.nihilore.com/license www.audionautix.com

    GM Edition: Chosen Ones D&D

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2021 43:55 Transcription Available


    Chosen Ones is a visual-novel style D&D podcast on YouTube with an all-artist and LGBT+ cast. DM Cassiroll and I discuss playing too much D&D, too little combat, and the window between heroism and villainy. Making a Monster: GM Edition asks actual play podcasters how they use the monsters in their games. Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-chosen-ones-dnd/ Meet my guest: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqa9_zBgST-wPRCVL7PXwvw https://twitter.com/ChosenOnesDnD Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks like the recording at the beginning of this episode: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter www.instagram.com/SparkOtter Music by Nihilore and Audionautix http://www.nihilore.com/license www.audionautix.com

    GM Edition: The First Watch

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 27, 2021 33:07 Transcription Available


    The First Watch is a cinematic actual play podcast making the most of genre-based storytelling. DM Andrew Coons and I discuss the seven types of conflict in literature and how heroes make the courageous, if stupid, choice. Making a Monster: GM Edition asks actual play podcasters how they use the monsters in their games. Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-first-watch/ Meet my guest: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5p4VD1CxwndFhal7DF0mA https://twitter.com/firstwatchshow Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks like the recording at the beginning of this episode: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter www.instagram.com/SparkOtter Music by Nihilore http://www.nihilore.com/license

    GM Edition: The Last Tapestry

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2021 38:33 Transcription Available


    The Last Tapestry is a tech-noir, Eberron-inspired actual play D&D podcast. DM Dan Locke and I discuss "monster monsters" and the definition of villainy. Making a Monster: GM Edition asks actual play podcasters how they use the monsters in their games. Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-the-last-tapestry/ Meet my guest: https://www.thelasttapestry.com/ Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks like the recording at the beginning of this episode: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter www.instagram.com/SparkOtter Music by Nihilore http://www.nihilore.com/license

    GM Edition: Nikki Yager, Beholder to No One

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 13, 2021 41:37 Transcription Available


    Nikki Yager makes D&D podcasts. Like, a lot of D&D podcasts. Like a lot. Her favorite villains are the ones who think they're the hero. We talk about heroism and villainy on a dimmer, and the many, many times gamers seem to end up at Denny's. Making a Monster: GM Edition asks actual play podcasters how they use the monsters in their games. Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-beholder-to-no-one/ Meet my guest: https://linktr.ee/BeholdertoNoOne Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks like the recording at the beginning of this episode: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter www.instagram.com/SparkOtter Music by Nihilore http://www.nihilore.com/license

    Avatar Legends on what makes Azula scary

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2021 38:18 Transcription Available


    Avatar Legends brings the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender to your tabletop as an RPG. The game has a balanced take on what it means to be a villain and a monster. Join designers James Mendez Hodes and Sharang Biswas and discover how the Apocalypse World engine becomes a faithful representation of the show Read the transcript and get more from the show: https://scintilla.studio/monster-avatar-legends-the-rpg/

    Roll20's Burn Bryte puts a Blipp in your Ship, ft. James Introcaso

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2021 29:16 Transcription Available


    Roll20's exclusive sci-fi RPG Burn Bryte asks you to jump in to a galaxy where an adorable teleporting mischief fox could just walk right into your ship. It's also a game where hope wins. Learn more about Burn Bryte and get 3 monsters from My Dad's Monster Manual on the episode page here: https://scintilla.studio/monster-blipp-burn-bryte Meet my guest: https://twitter.com/JamesIntrocaso http://www.jamesintrocaso.com/ https://worldbuilderblog.me/ https://burnbryte.com/ Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks like the recording at the beginning of this episode: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter www.instagram.com/SparkOtter Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Teaching Social Skills through Dungeons & Dragons at Roll Play Lead

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 25, 2021 38:06 Transcription Available


    Roll Play Lead uses Dungeons & Dragons to teach social skills to teens in Colorado. Kids and teens use monsters to explore the obstacles in their own lives. You can support Roll Play Lead Directly, use Jamie's adventures in your home game, or check out her TEDx Talk at the links here: https://scintilla.studio/monster-roll-play-lead-social-skills-dnd Meet my guest: https://twitter.com/Rosey_Games Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks like the recording at the beginning of this episode: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter www.instagram.com/SparkOtter Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Tamlin, the Feywild's white rabbit

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2021 28:10 Transcription Available


    Leading unsuspecting adventurers to the Feywild with a gentlemanly hand, the tamlin combines the Scottish folk tale with the literary trope of the white rabbit for a planes-hopping, swashbuckling good time. To read the transcript and find out what a "gish" is visit the show's website: https://scintilla.studio/monster-tamlin-feywilds-white-rabbit Meet my guest: https://twitter.com/LabLazarus Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks like the recording at the beginning of this episode: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter www.instagram.com/SparkOtter Closing music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Varadrel, the kaiju angel

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2021 21:20 Transcription Available


    As one of D&D's very few Celestial monsters, Varadrel is an agent of divine justice best compared to the personified disasters of Japanese kaiju. To read the transcript, check out "Titans of Faerun", or see the full-color, "be not afraid" illustration of Varadrel, visit the show's website: https://scintilla.studio/varadrel-the-kaiju-angel/ Meet my guests: https://twitter.com/honeybadger3495 https://twitter.com/theicequeer Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter www.instagram.com/SparkOtter Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Eberron's Shattered Kalashtar of Reirdra

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2021 29:08 Transcription Available


    The shattered kalashtar asks questions about dealing with trauma, and lets other players participate in the answers. It expands D&D's Eberron campaign setting with a psychic dystopia reminiscent of Neuromancer and Brave New World. Download the stat block and read the full transcript here: https://scintilla.studio/monster-shattered-kalashtar-eberron/ Meet my guest: https://twitter.com/ILGingell https://imogen.space/ Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter www.instagram.com/SparkOtter Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    Shakespeare and Lovecraft Combine in Delirium

    Play Episode Listen Later May 26, 2021 20:23 Transcription Available


    Andrew Grondin wrote a tabletop game that combines European fairy tales and Lovecraftian existential horror. Inside that Venn diagram is a surprisingly encouraging message about power and who has it. Read the full transcript here: https://scintilla.studio/shakespeare-lovecraft-combine-delirium Meet my guest: https://twitter.com/TheSiegeAndrew https://s-15studios.squarespace.com/#/delirium/ Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter www.instagram.com/SparkOtter Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com

    In Free League's Vaesen, Fairies Capture Changing Culture

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2021 28:03 Transcription Available


    Nils Hintze is the lead writer of Vaesen, a Nordic horror role-playing game by Free League Publishing. In this game, fairies and other monsters manifest the anxieties of a rapidly-urbanizing 19th century Sweden. Read the full transcript here: https://scintilla.studio/free-leagues-vaesen Meet my guest: https://twitter.com/KeithAmmann https://www.themonstersknow.com Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks: www.patreon.com/scintillastudio https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter www.instagram.com/SparkOtter Music by Arcane Anthems: https://www.patreon.com/arcaneanthems

    The Displacer Beast with A.E. Van Vogt

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 1, 2021 12:09 Transcription Available


    The true and actual origins of the displacer beast with author A. E. Van Vogt. Find out more at www.patreon.com/scintillastudio

    vogt displacer beast
    The Monsters Know What They're Doing with Keith Amman

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 22, 2021 17:30 Transcription Available


    Keith Amman, author of Monsters Know What They're Doing, shows us how to decode a monster's game mechanics to discover its intended use. We also get into how culture makes monsters, both in game and out. Read the full transcript here: https://scintilla.studio/the-monsters-know-what-theyre-doing-with-keith-amman

    The Raven Wizard - Coyote and Crow

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 17, 2021 22:29 Transcription Available


    The Cherokee myth of the Raven Wizard is retold in Connor Alexander's Coyote and Crow, a tabletop role-playing game set in an alternate future of the Americas where colonization never occurred. Full transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-coyote-and-crow-raven-wizard/

    Vo the Voice Snatcher, from the Bard College of Silence

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2021 19:15 Transcription Available


    From the Bard College of Silence by Kai Linder comes Vo the Voice Snatcher, an aberration capable of stealing the voice from your throat and adding it to its own. It's a kind of creepy that stays with you long after the fight is over.

    Bonus: Dvati - playing 2 characters across editions

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2021 50:22 Transcription Available


    Dvati is a race option for D&D to play 2 characters at once. An extra-long bonus episode 20 years in the making, bringing together the original designer, the 5th edition homebrewer, and maybe the only person to play the Dvati in a long-running campaign.

    Wizmos - Dark Matter by Mage Hand Press

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2021 18:59 Transcription Available


    "They're capricious little scrap robots, and I love them." The Wizmos from Dark Matter by Mage Hand Press are just doing the best they can, and it isn't very good.

    Niels RPG Toons makes a Monstrosity

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 1, 2021 20:29 Transcription Available


    What if the Kraken is too big to release? Niels RPG Toons uses cartoon-style fantasy art to tell vibrant, expressive stories, including one about a tentacle monster so big it's an ecosystem unto itself.

    Melusine of Avalon - Chris Hopper

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2021 20:07 Transcription Available


    The Melusine legend has so many tails in our modern cultural heritage that you've probably seen her even if you didn't know her name - much like the work of a good spymaster. Designer Chris Hopper talks about bringing the Melusine to Dungeons & Dragons in the first episode of Making a Monster Season 2!

    14: Grikk the Many - Matthew Whitby

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 21, 2020 15:45 Transcription Available


    What happens when the monsters level up too? Matthew Whitby, host of the Dungeon Master's Guild House, shares a goblin with power enough to be more than a level 1 punching bag.

    13: Werepigeon - House Sivis Echoer Station

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2020 12:24 Transcription Available


    Steve and Rebecca from House Sivis Echoer Station, an unofficial Eberron podcast that put NPR in D&D, discuss the werepigeon, their show's running joke. Listen here: https://www.sivisechoerstation.com/

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