Podcasts about The Lord of the Rings

Peter Jackson is a famous movie director from New Zealand. He is best known for making the amazing "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Hobbit" movies. As a child, Peter loved watching movies and making his own films with a small camera. He worked hard for many years to become a successful director. Peter uses special effects and incredible storytelling to bring magical worlds to life. His movies have won many awards and are loved by people all around the world.

Mark and Al share their mutual interest in fantasy novels. Is "high fantasy" fundamentally different than what enjoyed as kids? Did Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings and HBO's Game of Thrones show us that these big books are adaptable, or were they exceptions? We're anticipating the upcoming Mistborn/Cosmere adaptations, as we're both into Brandon Sanderson. We also talk about The Wheel of Time, Rings of Power, Earthsea, Shannara, Joe Abercrombie, Robin Hobb, Stephen R. Donaldson, Patrick Rothfuss, Tad Williams, and of course Harry Potter. Sponsor: Get started with Claude AI at claude.ai/pmp.

The guys are on vacation, but the show must go on! We recorded this listener question episode just before heading out, covering everything from the best back-to-back coaster combinations to which IP should come to the parks next, whether Disney would ever tear down the Matterhorn, and which rides sound way better than they actually are. Plus, EB shares two fun stories from a recent Kentucky Kingdom visit — including a station crew member who had absolutely had enough, and a Flying Fox scavenger hunt with a surprisingly solid prize.

Monica Valli has been playing the guitar since she was 8 years old. She put it down for 6 years but then picked it back up around 14 (possibly because of Bon Jovi) and has never put it back down. She's toured around the country as a touring guitarist for years, but just in the last two years she's started to put her own music out into the world. Her most recent single "Turns Out It Wasn't Me" came out just a couple of months ago, and she's planning on releasing new music soon. She was nice enough to come on the show and talk about her career up to this point. Doc and Monica talk about her wedding, starting to play the guitar, playing at Cheers in St. Louis, going to Berklee, moving to Nashville, being a touring musician, moving to Austin, starting to sing, song writing, Lord of the Rings and much much more. Meanwhile on the rest of the show, Doc has decided he's going to move the show to tape. He needs some physical hardcopies to combat AI. Make sure to listen! Introduction: 0:00:23 Birthday Suit 1: 12:52 Ripped from the Headlines: 19:25 Shoutouts: 38:20 Monica Valli Interview: 42:07 Mike C Top 3: 1:32:17 Birthday Suit 2: 1:50:18 Birthday Suit 3: 1:53:15

BAD BOYS BAD BOYS WHATCHA WATCHIN' DOIs this you? If so, you're under arrest!-Loves Pornography-Martial Arts?-No GirlfriendThis week we're talking all about The Killer™ Wendy Williams under our Whatcha Watchin' vertical. You should be able to guess what that means:

Part 2 of 2In this two-part series, Matt talks with Dr. Louis Markos about C. S. Lewis, his conversion to Christianity, and how his friend, J.R.R. Tolkien, influenced his decision to become a believer in Christ. By way of conversation with Tolkien, Lewis came to the conclusion that Christianity was myth that was true. This realization helped Lewis not only make sense of the stories of the past (and the core human longing), but it also had a profound effect upon the books and stories he would go on to write himself. Markos also takes listeners for a deep dive into Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion. He shows how they reflect Tolkien's Christian faith and highlights classical virtues. Visit Louis Markos' Amazon Page: link here+++Pre-order Matt's newest book: Sightings and Secrets: ⁠UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the Unknown⁠ Support The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon: ⁠www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmuted⁠Matthew's blog: ⁠www.matthewhalsted.substack.com⁠Don't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)!

Why on earth would anyone make a perilous journey across wilderness and snow covered mountains, all because of a bit of gold?This isn't Lord of the Rings, it's the Klondike Gold Rush, when an estimated hundred thousand people made the journey to goldfields. Among them, women.But why did women make this journey? How much of their work was sex work?Kate is joined by Brian Castner for this episode about life in the Alaskan Gold Rush. Brian is the author of ‘Stampede: Gold Fever and Disaster in the Klondike'This episode was edited by Hannah Feodorov. The producer was Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Freddy Chick.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Sidebars prepare to confront a potentially treasonous Air diplomat, they are sucked into a strange C H A O T I C alternate reality by a powerful entity.Also, it's Fate of Isen's 8TH BIRTHDAY!!! Happy birthday to us. This episode is wild. You've been warned.Featuring:Erika Jayne as Taryn GrimSeverin Gourley as Dexter ClementineKasia Wayfinder as Granny Sabinkaand Julz Burgisser as DMVisit www.fateofisen.com to learn more.Fate of Isen is one of the Feedspot top D&D podcasts in the world! Check out Feedspot here.If you like the show, please feel free to follow us on social media (@fateofisen) or support us on Patreon! ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ Intro, outro, and recap music by freesound user, Tyops, and ambient sound by TabletopAudio.com

One of the sillier myths in our culture claims, “Most men don't read.” Sometimes this is a real trend. Other times it's wishful thinking because some folks don't want to share stories that boys and men want to read. Still, we can join to equip Christian fathers and other mentors for their unique God-given responsibility—to train kids to fight dragons. And for that mission, author James R. Hannibal rides back into the studio. Episode sponsors Twist of Time by Tricia Goyer and Nathan Goyer Realm Makers 2026 Conference & Expo Author Update from Author Media Descendant Publishing Mission update New at Lorehaven: new reviews and articles Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild Quotes and notes Lightraiders year 2: Crowdfunding campaign Yes, Men and Boys Will Read—If You Give Them the Right Books Intro: James R. Hannibal Former stealth pilot James R. Hannibal is no stranger to secrets and adventure. He has been shot at, locked up by surface to air missiles, has hunted insurgents with drones, and was once chased by an armed terrorist down a winding German road. James is the Realm Award–winning author of the Lightraider Academy Trilogy series and a three-time winner of the Silver Falchion Award for Juvenile Fiction for his Section 13 series. He also stewards the discipleship learning adventure game Lightraiders. JamesRHannibal.com · Facebook · Instagram · X.com 1. Lightraiders is being quietly re-forged Life updates: Something brought James here—fate, destiny, a horse. How we can pray for the Hannibals and support Courser Media. Meanwhile, the original for-profit Lightraiders is now a nonprofit. Reasons for the change, especially for culture-changing Christians. 2. Behold the goal of discipleship storytelling Dragons roam the land. We must learn to combat these creatures. Christians do need “just for fun” creative works that entertain. Yet we also need fiction that teaches truth, beauty, and goodness. Parents need both kinds of stories to help train future warriors. 3. The future of Lightraiders and beyond New quests and crowdfunding goals for Year 2 of Lightraiders. After that, what's next will depend on the nonprofit's support level. Also, Classics Rebooted: sci-fi Around the World in Eighty Days! Do follow Courser Media, Lightraiders, and James R. Hannibal. Com station Top question for listeners How did mentors and fantastical stories train you to fight dragons? Lavay Byrd enjoyed ep. 316 with Rebecca P. Minor Hi, all! I was just listening to the podcast, and all your discussions really hit what I've been feeling towards the sad explosion of overly sexualized/”porn” romantasty or even considered “regular fantasy” populating bookstores, while books like Lord of the Rings or even Christian Fantasy being treated as an afterthought. Listening to you all discuss such a sad reality made me think of how “overly-sensationalized” books are basically harmful drugs that's poisoning readers, more so among the teens and YA. I'm so glad to see writers like Rebecca P Minor and many others not only acknowledging the darkness for what it is, but also shining HOPE LIGHT and TRUTH that always overcome darkness through story. I also agree that we need more real characters with flaws and struggles, making choices both dark and good, while opening up a path for grace and redemption. Next on Fantastical Truth Our next episode will release after Realm Makers. So at this point, we haven't yet planned it! Perhaps you'll have an amazing idea. Or maybe we'll catch some trend or topic at the Expo that we never would have considered. Either way, we hope to see you next week in St. Louis.

We continue through our 2025 course on The Lord of the Rings with a focused presentation on the character of Sauron.Purchase the entire course, including our recorded live meetings, here:Purchase CourseWatch the video of this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/uR4F9zEivIIBecome a patron of Mythic Mind at patreon.com/mythicmindListen to all THREE Mythic Mind podcasts:Mythic MindMythic Mind GamesMythic Mind Movies & Shows(or become a patron to get all three shows in one ad-free feed)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mythic-mind--5808321/support.

This summer, we explore themes from popular films alongside Scripture, uncovering how God's truth speaks through the stories we love. From adventure and sacrifice to redemption and hope, each week reminds us that God is present in every part of our story—inviting us into something greater. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring begins the epic journey of Frodo, a young, small, seemingly insignificant hobbit, as he sets out to help save his world from the further spread of evil. Epic narratives like The Lord of the Rings resonate so deeply with us because their heroes are often ordinary people—unlikely figures who remind us of ourselves. Pastor Karla connects the story to our lives by pointing out how it is hard feeling small in such a big world. God is with us in the adventure so we don't have to carry the whole quest alone.  Passage: Genesis 12:1-4 Full Lord of the Rings Clip 1 Full Lord of the Rings Clip 2 We have three worship opportunities for you to experience: 9:00 a.m. - Sanctuary Service 9:30 a.m. - Online Service 10:30 a.m. - Chapel Service  Please consider joining us for one of these services.  To view past worship services along with other digital content, go to our Youtube Channel @PointLomaChurchOnline.  To get involved in what God is doing within our community, please visit our website at www.pointlomachurch.org. For event happenings: http://pointlomachurch.org/connect/events/ For a list of "Summer Movie Nights" showing on Wednesdays, click HERE To register for any event: http://pointlomachurch.org/register If you would like to give to the ministry: http://pointlomachurch.org/give/ or through our Venmo account: @Point-Loma-Church

Ravenloft is supposed to be full of gothic horror, tragic villains, and creeping dread. Instead, we somehow spent twenty minutes imagining a Midwestern Strahd saying You betcha before drinking your blood, arguing about wet burritos, and debating whether North Dakota counts as a real place. By the time we actually opened the book, the greatest horror wasn't the Dark Powers. It was realizing that someone somewhere willingly ordered a hot wet beef sandwich. Sponsor Spotlight: Mithos This episode is sponsored by Mithos, a modular, system-agnostic digital toolkit designed to make life easier for Game Masters. With customizable layouts, built-in player views, fog of war support, encounter tools, and an active community sharing content, Mithos helps keep your game running smoothly without juggling a dozen browser tabs. Whether you're running Dungeons & Dragons at a convention, Call of Cthulhu in a cabin, or your favorite indie RPG at home, Mithos puts everything you need in one place. Best of all, there are no subscriptions and no internet connection required. Learn more at rpgbot.net/mithos. Show Notes We finally returned to Ravenloft with The Horrors Within and dug into the new player options from Wizards of the Coast. Along the way we examined the subclasses, talked about what survived from the Unearthed Arcana playtest, and debated whether some of the changes actually improved the designs or simply made them safer. The Reanimator Artificer immediately caught our attention with its wonderfully creepy flavor. We loved the concept of Frankensteining together an undead companion and modifying it over time, even if the final numbers often felt disappointingly conservative. The subclass oozes atmosphere, but several features left us wishing Wizards had trusted the design enough to let it hit a little harder. The College of Spirits Bard received some welcome improvements from the playtest version. Moving the random spirit effects away from mandatory immediate use made the subclass far more practical, and controlled channeling solved many of the frustrations we had previously identified. This version finally delivers on the fantasy of consulting strange entities from beyond without constantly fighting against the mechanics. We also revisited the Grave Domain Cleric and looked at the redesigned Path to the Grave. While the old version was undeniably flashier, the new implementation is much easier to use in any party composition. It may not create those huge cinematic damage spikes anymore, but it provides reliable support every time it comes online. As always, our review quickly spiraled into side discussions involving Call of Cthulhu, sturgeon festivals, Midwestern rivalries, taxes, and the eternal mystery of why so many fantasy character illustrations are suspiciously attractive. That's just another day at the RPGBOT.Podcast. Key Takeaways Ravenloft: The Horrors Within delivers strong gothic flavor and some excellent artwork. The Reanimator Artificer has fantastic thematic design but several mechanics feel overly cautious. Lightning interactions with the undead companion create some amusing and creative tactics. College of Spirits Bard benefited significantly from feedback and is much easier to play effectively. Controlled Channeling fixes many of the frustrations from the Unearthed Arcana version. Grave Domain Cleric lost some of its explosive potential but gained consistency. The revised Path to the Grave works better across a wider variety of party compositions. Several subclasses showcase great ideas that feel slightly undertuned. Flavor and atmosphere are consistently strong throughout the book. No matter how serious the subject matter becomes, the conversation will eventually derail into food arguments, regional insults, or bizarre fantasy accents. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Here we are again with our bi-weekly snippet of Patreon gold to fill your content starved bellies. Hit play and have a listen as we recast one of our favourite film franchises with an all welsh, superstar cast. Get over to the Patreon and sign up if you want to hear more, there's even a cheeky free trial to test the waters for the commitment phobic out there.

Ravenloft is supposed to be full of gothic horror, tragic villains, and creeping dread. Instead, we somehow spent twenty minutes imagining a Midwestern Strahd saying You betcha before drinking your blood, arguing about wet burritos, and debating whether North Dakota counts as a real place. By the time we actually opened the book, the greatest horror wasn't the Dark Powers. It was realizing that someone somewhere willingly ordered a hot wet beef sandwich. Sponsor Spotlight: Mithos This episode is sponsored by Mithos, a modular, system-agnostic digital toolkit designed to make life easier for Game Masters. With customizable layouts, built-in player views, fog of war support, encounter tools, and an active community sharing content, Mithos helps keep your game running smoothly without juggling a dozen browser tabs. Whether you're running Dungeons & Dragons at a convention, Call of Cthulhu in a cabin, or your favorite indie RPG at home, Mithos puts everything you need in one place. Best of all, there are no subscriptions and no internet connection required. Learn more at rpgbot.net/mithos. Show Notes We finally returned to Ravenloft with The Horrors Within and dug into the new player options from Wizards of the Coast. Along the way we examined the subclasses, talked about what survived from the Unearthed Arcana playtest, and debated whether some of the changes actually improved the designs or simply made them safer. The Reanimator Artificer immediately caught our attention with its wonderfully creepy flavor. We loved the concept of Frankensteining together an undead companion and modifying it over time, even if the final numbers often felt disappointingly conservative. The subclass oozes atmosphere, but several features left us wishing Wizards had trusted the design enough to let it hit a little harder. The College of Spirits Bard received some welcome improvements from the playtest version. Moving the random spirit effects away from mandatory immediate use made the subclass far more practical, and controlled channeling solved many of the frustrations we had previously identified. This version finally delivers on the fantasy of consulting strange entities from beyond without constantly fighting against the mechanics. We also revisited the Grave Domain Cleric and looked at the redesigned Path to the Grave. While the old version was undeniably flashier, the new implementation is much easier to use in any party composition. It may not create those huge cinematic damage spikes anymore, but it provides reliable support every time it comes online. As always, our review quickly spiraled into side discussions involving Call of Cthulhu, sturgeon festivals, Midwestern rivalries, taxes, and the eternal mystery of why so many fantasy character illustrations are suspiciously attractive. That's just another day at the RPGBOT.Podcast. Key Takeaways Ravenloft: The Horrors Within delivers strong gothic flavor and some excellent artwork. The Reanimator Artificer has fantastic thematic design but several mechanics feel overly cautious. Lightning interactions with the undead companion create some amusing and creative tactics. College of Spirits Bard benefited significantly from feedback and is much easier to play effectively. Controlled Channeling fixes many of the frustrations from the Unearthed Arcana version. Grave Domain Cleric lost some of its explosive potential but gained consistency. The revised Path to the Grave works better across a wider variety of party compositions. Several subclasses showcase great ideas that feel slightly undertuned. Flavor and atmosphere are consistently strong throughout the book. No matter how serious the subject matter becomes, the conversation will eventually derail into food arguments, regional insults, or bizarre fantasy accents. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

It's Episode 487 and today Em is joined by guest host Steven Ray Morris while Christine is away! To kick us off Em tells us the lore of the Buena Park Monster (aka Buena Foot), a sewer dwelling sasquatch near Knotts Berry Farm. Then Steven brings us a creature related crime story with the tale of the Bone Wars aka the feud between Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Charles Marsh, truly a tale for the ages. And is New Jersey just a trashy Lord of the Rings? …and that's why we drink! Catch Steven over on his podcast See Jurassic Right, or on Instagram @StevenRayMorris or @SeeJurassicRight ! Want to listen ad-free? Join our Certified Yapper tier for $10/month on Patreon! Ad-free episodes starting at E469 at: http://patreon.com/ATWWDPodcast ! Catch our bonus Yappy Hour intermissions on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3L28lDw or subscribe on Patreon!___________________Get your new wireless plan for just $15 a month at https://mintmobile.com/ATWWD with promo code ATWWD. $45 upfront payment required, new customers only, see site for details. Save 20% off Honeylove by going to https://honeylove.com/DRINK ! #honeylovepod Let Rocket Money help you find and cancel unwanted subscriptions, monitor your spending, and lower your bills—join at https://RocketMoney.com/DRINK Download the Reddit app today. Machine Washable Rugs, Made Better. For a limited time only, our listeners get 10% off + free shipping at https://tumbleliving.com/DRINK #Tumble #ad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Books, movies, and television shows benefit from one major advantage: the entire story is planned before the audience experiences it. D&D campaigns don't have that luxury.Players miss clues, chase unexpected leads, ignore carefully crafted plot hooks, and sometimes decide that the villain's plan sounds surprisingly reasonable. As a result, even the most carefully prepared campaign can become a tangled web of stories, side quests, and unanswered questions.In this episode, Tony, Chris, and Dave tackle a question that arose during Chris's ongoing Lord of the Rings campaign: How important is it for every plot thread, mystery, and adventure to fit together into a perfectly coherent story?Along the way, the Wise DMs explore the balance between narrative consistency and table enjoyment, discuss when loose ends are worth tying up, and ask a fundamental question: Is it more important for your campaign to make sense—or for everyone at the table to have fun?1:37 Our congratulations to The New York Knicks and New York city!3:22 DM Chris' question regarding his Middle-Earth campaign.4:48 Continuity is important. 5:58 DM with a Day Job's YouTube video: Stop Connecting Everything!7:30 This question can change when you're playing in worlds like Middle-Earth.9:05 “Sometimes a tomb is just a tomb.” Not everything is a reveal.11:05 Some campaigns are one long, epic adventure: LOTR and Dragonlance.12:30 Our discussion of the factions and innerworkings of Moria.15:30 You don't have to explain anything until you have to explain it.20:15 Frequency of Play.22:58 Your players are focused more on explaining their characters rather than explaining the adventure.25:00 Lore heavy campaigns.26:54 The evolution of storytelling in TTRPGs.29:48 Paying homage to well-loved properties.32:23 The longer you have between sessions, the more your mind will find all the “plot holes.”36:35 Final Thoughts.

Warlocks are the only class where the phrase "I signed a terrible contract and somehow came out ahead" counts as a character concept. By level 20, your patron has become equal parts sugar daddy, eldritch therapist, and extended warranty scammer. Somewhere between your third Eldritch Invocation and your fourth existential crisis, you stop asking whether the power is worth the cost and start asking if your soul came with roadside assistance. Show Notes In the second half of the Warlock deep dive, we continue advancing our example characters from level 5 all the way to level 20, exploring how the class evolves from a reliable blaster into one of the most customizable spellcasters in 2014 D&D 5e. Along the way we discuss new spell options, increasingly specialized Eldritch Invocations, Pact Boon upgrades, and the always-interesting challenge of squeezing maximum value out of a very limited number of spell slots. As the builds mature, we compare different approaches to survivability, damage output, and utility. The conversation highlights how Warlocks reward careful planning while still leaving plenty of room for weird and thematic choices. Whether you're building a Hexblade, Fiend, or something stranger, the class offers countless ways to personalize your character. Naturally, no discussion of Warlocks would be complete without jokes about selling your soul, suspicious contracts, and patrons who definitely read the fine print that you ignored. Between optimization advice and increasingly ridiculous examples, we discover that eldritch power and bad life decisions make an excellent combination. Key Takeaways Level 5 is a major power spike thanks to 3rd-level spells and additional Eldritch Invocation options. Invocations continue to define a Warlock's identity throughout higher levels. Pact Boons and invocation choices can dramatically change how two Warlocks of the same subclass play. Short rests remain essential because Pact Magic depends heavily on recovering spell slots frequently. Gift of the Ever-Living Ones and other defensive options can greatly improve survivability. Blade-focused builds use options like Thirsting Blade to keep pace with martial classes. Mystic Arcanum provides access to powerful high-level spells without changing the core Pact Magic system. Warlocks excel when players specialize rather than trying to do everything at once. The class rewards planning and understanding how individual features interact. Flavor and mechanics blend exceptionally well, making Warlocks one of the most thematic classes in 5e. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Warlocks are the only class where the phrase "I signed a terrible contract and somehow came out ahead" counts as a character concept. By level 20, your patron has become equal parts sugar daddy, eldritch therapist, and extended warranty scammer. Somewhere between your third Eldritch Invocation and your fourth existential crisis, you stop asking whether the power is worth the cost and start asking if your soul came with roadside assistance. Show Notes In the second half of the Warlock deep dive, we continue advancing our example characters from level 5 all the way to level 20, exploring how the class evolves from a reliable blaster into one of the most customizable spellcasters in 2014 D&D 5e. Along the way we discuss new spell options, increasingly specialized Eldritch Invocations, Pact Boon upgrades, and the always-interesting challenge of squeezing maximum value out of a very limited number of spell slots. As the builds mature, we compare different approaches to survivability, damage output, and utility. The conversation highlights how Warlocks reward careful planning while still leaving plenty of room for weird and thematic choices. Whether you're building a Hexblade, Fiend, or something stranger, the class offers countless ways to personalize your character. Naturally, no discussion of Warlocks would be complete without jokes about selling your soul, suspicious contracts, and patrons who definitely read the fine print that you ignored. Between optimization advice and increasingly ridiculous examples, we discover that eldritch power and bad life decisions make an excellent combination. Key Takeaways Level 5 is a major power spike thanks to 3rd-level spells and additional Eldritch Invocation options. Invocations continue to define a Warlock's identity throughout higher levels. Pact Boons and invocation choices can dramatically change how two Warlocks of the same subclass play. Short rests remain essential because Pact Magic depends heavily on recovering spell slots frequently. Gift of the Ever-Living Ones and other defensive options can greatly improve survivability. Blade-focused builds use options like Thirsting Blade to keep pace with martial classes. Mystic Arcanum provides access to powerful high-level spells without changing the core Pact Magic system. Warlocks excel when players specialize rather than trying to do everything at once. The class rewards planning and understanding how individual features interact. Flavor and mechanics blend exceptionally well, making Warlocks one of the most thematic classes in 5e. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Jim Hill and Eric Hersey return with a packed Epic Universal Podcast covering the newest Halloween Horror Nights reveal, fresh Epic Universe developments, and more chatter from Universal Orlando and Hollywood. Eric shares impressions from his Helios Grand Hotel stay, while Jim digs into the latest Universal news from Stranger Things to the United Kingdom resort. Then Jim uses Steven Spielberg's new UFO movie Disclosure Day as a launchpad for the strange story of Night Skies, the terrifying alien film that nearly became E.T. NEWS • Stranger Things returns to Halloween Horror Nights with a new house tied to the final season of the Netflix series. • Jim and Eric weigh whether Stranger Things or Sinners will be the marquee Halloween Horror Nights draw this year. • Epic Universe prepares to debut Universal's Celestial Goodnight, a nighttime spectacular with fireworks, fountains, and music. • A major new Dark Universe permit points to a 71,000 square foot structure, fueling speculation about Universal Monsters expansion. • The hosts discuss Universal United Kingdom Resort rumors, including possible James Bond, Back to the Future, Paddington, and Lord of the Rings connections. FEATURE • Jim traces the road from Close Encounters of the Third Kind to the abandoned Night Skies project. • The feature explores the real 1955 Hopkinsville, Kentucky UFO incident that inspired Spielberg's scarier alien concept. • Jim explains how Melissa Matheson helped transform Night Skies into E.T. while Spielberg was filming Raiders of the Lost Ark. • The story also covers Rick Baker's unused alien designs, Columbia's rejection of E.T., and why Disney passed on the project. HOSTS • Jim Hill - X/Twitter: @JimHillMedia, Instagram: @JimHillMedia, Website: jimhillmedia.com • Eric Hersey - X/Twitter: @erichersey, Instagram: @erichersey, Website: strongmindedagency.com FOLLOW • Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews • YouTube: @jimhillmedia • TikTok: @jimhillmedia • Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia/ SUPPORT Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia. PRODUCTION CREDITS Edited by Dave Grey Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com SPONSOR Planning a trip to Universal Orlando or Walt Disney World? Visit UnlockedMagic.com to save up to 12% on theme park tickets, with Express Pass options now available for even more savings. If you would like to sponsor a show on the Jim Hill Media Podcast Network, reach out today. https://www.jimhillmedia.com/sponsor/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alan Lasky arrived at the AI XR Podcast straight from Las Vegas ahead of NAB. An MIT Media Lab graduate under Nicholas Negroponte, a veteran of Silicon Graphics and Amazon Web Services, and an advisor to investment banks on AI and media, he brings technical depth, industry history, and financial realism about where media is actually going.The conversation covers Hollywood's structural collapse, AI's role in the production renaissance, and the harder question of why trillion-dollar tech companies keep buying media businesses that can't generate comparable returns.Alan's answer: soft power. Amazon makes $950 million Lord of the Rings spinoffs so you order more paper towels. Apple is making Neuromancer. His five-year weighted moving average of Disney stock — flat from 2018 — makes the argument clean.AI XR News You Should Know: Artemis ignited a new space boom. Amazon acquired Global Star satellite to build Project Kuiper, a direct Starlink competitor. Apple's AI audio smart glasses are reportedly arriving this year per Mark Gurman at Bloomberg, entering a market where Meta owns the optometrist channel and Google is moving through Warby Parker. Snap laid off 15% while doubling down on the 2026 launch of Spectacles — the first see-through headset since Magic Leap.Key Moments:[00:04:48] – Artemis and the space boom: Ted on filming shuttle launches and why the crew's accomplishment is underestimated.[00:08:33] – Apple AI audio glasses: Rony's read from former Magic Leapers who designed them — if Apple gets this wrong, it's unforgivable.[00:12:00] – Snap's layoffs and the see-through gamble: can they compete with cheap AI audio glasses flooding the market?[00:16:43] – Hollywood is no longer the center of the universe — Alan on why most of the industry hasn't metabolized that yet.[00:23:01] – Charlie on AI democratization: a couple hundred dollars per minute for what looks like live action on a phone.[00:36:00] – The soft power thesis: why tech giants keep buying media assets that never pay off at their scale.[00:41:30] – Should Apple buy Disney? Charlie says Meta will do it first. Rony's reaction is immediate and visceral.[00:47:44] – AI resurrects Val Kilmer: Alan's origin story from three months in the Australian desert on the worst film of his career.Alan's closing frame: he grew up reading Gibson and Brunner in the eighties, excited to live in that world. He's in it. He's not sure he wanted it this way.This episode is sponsored by Zappar and Mattercraft — the leading visual development environment for immersive 3D web experiences, now with AI-assisted design and debug. Build at mattercraft.io.Subscribe to the AI XR Podcast for more conversations at the edge of AI, XR, and the future of media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Madang.Madang is the outdoor living room of the world. Here, we invite you to sit and tune into unreserved, remarkable conversations with renowned authors, leaders, public figures, and scholars on religion, culture, and everything in between.This is the 61st episode of Madang Podcast hosted by Baptist News Global featuring Rev. Dr. Rachel Kessler, who is an Episcopal priest serving as campus chaplain at her alma mater, Kenyon College, and rector of Harcourt Parish in Gambier, OH. An “exvangelical” and progressive Christian influencer, she is known on social media as “The Nerdy Priest.” She earned her PhD in Old English literature from the Centre for Medieval Studies at the University of Toronto, and she teaches part-time in the Kenyon English department. She is the author of Nerd Faith: 60 Second Sprints of Spiritual Guidance for the Occasionally Uncool.On this episode of Madang Podcast hosted by Baptist News Global, Kessler and I talk about her new book, Nerd Faith: 60 Second Sprints of Spiritual Guidance for the Occasionally Uncool. We discuss God, faith, TikTok, Lord of the Rings, deconstructing, and so much more.I am grateful to the many sponsors of this Madang Podcast episode.1.Church PublishingMadang podcast is grateful to Church Publishing for sponsoring this episode. Please order your copy of Nerd Faith: 60 Second Sprints of Spiritual Guidance for the Occasionally Uncool. Please visit www.churchpublishing.org to find all the latest books and resources. Church Publishing Incorporated (CPI) is a leading global, multi-market publisher of a wide variety of books and resources, serving millions of readers. 2. Upper RoomHey Madang listeners, what if your daily devotional connected you to a larger story of God's work in the world?The Upper Room Disciplines is a unique 365-day devotional that follows the Revised Common Lectionary, the three-year cycle of scripture readings used by many churches around the world. Each day's devotion pairs the lectionary scripture with a meditation from one of 53 diverse Christian thought leaders — voices like Willie James Jennings, Joerg Rieger, Chanequa Walker-Barnes, and ME! — writers who bring the texts alive with theological depth and pastoral heart.Whether you're a pastor, a small group leader, or simply someone seeking a deeper rhythm of prayer and reflection, Disciplines offers daily scripture, thoughtful meditations, and prayers to help you encounter God's presence throughout the year.Join thousands of readers who rely on Disciplines as a trusted companion for study, worship, and spiritual growth.Preorder your copy of The Upper Room Disciplines 2027 today and save 20% with promo code MADANG at Store.UpperRoom.org/MADANG.

The Kane Chronicles finale book finally begins! Charlie and Raye stan a beautiful cowboy woman, reference The Lord of the Rings, Halloweentown 2: Calibar's Revenge, and those little pinboard toys they had as kids, and defile the snake with the left foot.Send us a message through the Duat at oftheeldestgodspod@gmail.com with your thoughts and theories going forward! We would love to hear from you. Make sure to subscribe so you know when our next episode drops and rate and review if you like what we are doing.IG: www.instagram.com/oftheeldestgodspod/Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/oftheeldestgodspodSUPPORT US ON PATREON: www.patreon.com/oftheeldestgodsBUY OUR MERCH, PLZ: https://www.redbubble.com/people/OfTheEldestGods/shopCharlie's IG:  www.instagram.com/greenpixie12/ and www.instagram.com/greenpixiedraws/ Charlie's Plug: Assassin's Creed Mirage (video game)Raye's Plug: Neko Atsume 2 (video game)

As we go to examine Frodo's wound, Bilbo's secret is discovered! Join us on the Signum University Discord server: https://discord.com/invite/szXMFAv Mythmoot XIII: June 25-28, 2026 https://signumuniversity.org/event/mythmoot-xiii-june-25-28-2026/

No point in hiding the ball here…Stephen is back and he is coming out SWINGIN. You literally HAVE to stay tuned through to the end to hear Kingleheimer Stephen drop a diss track that is…well we don't have words.But first! It's Tidings: ESP/N Edition. Meagan tells us all about her baseball adventures! S/O Julio Rodriguez mwah

Send us Fan MailEvery writer, whether penning a memoir or crafting a screenplay, seeks that elusive “voice”—the authentic expression of who they are and the stories only they can tell. On this episode of Authors Who Lead, screenwriter and coach Brooks Elms shared an illuminating process for tapping into this unique creative DNA by simply starting with a list of your favorite films.What unfolded in our conversation was more than a coaching exercise; it was an exploration of how those stories we love most hold a mirror to our deepest values, anxieties, and dreams. If you're looking for a practical yet profound way to connect with your storytelling core, these lessons are for you.Timestamp:00:00 Journey from teaching to writing04:27 Discussing Our Favorite Films07:16 Feeling invisible growing up11:51 Discussing the impact of The Matrix15:23 Discussing the Lord of the Rings adaptation16:42 Starting out in Hollywood21:52 Writing from personal experience23:32 Discussing creative decision-making28:30 Evaluating screenplay effectiveness31:56 The power of subtle storytelling33:43 Tips for aspiring screenwriters36:21 Writing a story in one sentenceFull show notesCOMMUNITY PROGRAMS

Part 1 of 2In this two part series, Matt talks with Dr. Louis Markos about C. S. Lewis, his conversion to Christianity, and how his friend, J.R.R. Tolkien, influenced his decision to become a believer in Christ. By way of conversation with Tolkien, Lewis came to the conclusion that Christianity was myth that was true. This realization helped Lewis not only make sense of the stories of the past (and the core human longing), but it also had a profound effect upon the books and stories he would go on to write himself. Markos also takes listeners for a deep dive into Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit, and The Silmarillion. He shows how they reflect Tolkien's Christian faith and highlights classical virtues. Visit Louis Markos' Amazon Page: Link here+++Pre-order Matt's newest book: Sightings and Secrets: UFOs, Eyewitness Testimonies, and How Christians Can Make Sense of the UnknownSupport The Bible (Unmuted) via Patreon: www.patreon.com/TheBibleUnmutedMatthew's blog: www.matthewhalsted.substack.comDon't forget to subscribe to The Bible (Unmuted)! 

We are continuing our Lord of the Rings study with the Book II, Chapters 1-5.Purchase the entire course, including our recorded live meetings, here:Purchase CourseWatch the video of this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/jBQ4_uDevx8Become a patron of Mythic Mind at patreon.com/mythicmindListen to all THREE Mythic Mind podcasts:Mythic MindMythic Mind GamesMythic Mind Movies & Shows(or become a patron to get all three shows in one ad-free feed)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mythic-mind--5808321/support.

The Plane of Water episode started exactly how you'd expect an episode about endless oceans to start: with stock prices, GTA 6 rumors, GameStop drama, and Randall suggesting you could solve inflation by storing barrels of oil in your apartment. Eventually everyone remembered there was supposed to be a podcast, which unfortunately meant confronting Ash's greatest weakness: deep water. What followed was less a lore episode and more a two-hour intervention where Tyler discovered underwater spiders exist, Randall weaponized ocean facts, and Ash spent the entire recording questioning every life choice that led him to this point. Somewhere beneath all the existential dread, there was also a Plane of Water. Show Notes This week we dove into one of the most intimidating locations in fantasy gaming: the Plane of Water. Despite containing an infinite amount of something every living creature needs, none of us sounded particularly excited to visit. We explored how the Plane of Water differs between Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder, from endless oceans and violent storms to strange underwater civilizations and terrifying megafauna. Along the way, we examined water genies, krakens, mysterious cities, giant jellyfish stretching across entire planes, and even an anglerfish so enormous that someone thought building a city on its back was a good idea. Pathfinder's version introduced even stranger concepts, including underwater suns, spheres filled with mysterious civilizations, and the return of elemental forces that literally control the tides. As expected, Ash spent much of the episode reliving childhood trauma and explaining why the ocean is secretly the most horrifying place imaginable. Tyler accidentally made things worse by introducing underwater spiders, while Randall enthusiastically contributed increasingly disturbing facts about deep-sea pressure, giant creatures, and dream-fueled tsunami nightmares. By the end, we learned that the Plane of Water contains incredible adventure opportunities, beautiful locations, and fascinating lore. We also learned that Ash would still rather spend a weekend in Hell. Based on the episode transcript Key Takeaways The Plane of Water in D&D is an endless ocean punctuated by occasional islands, violent storms, and regions ranging from sunlit seas to terrifying depths. Pathfinder's Plane of Water differs significantly, featuring a spherical structure, strange environmental effects, and unusual landmarks. Water genies and merfolk civilizations provide opportunities for diplomacy and exploration rather than constant combat. Krakens, brine dragons, and other aquatic monsters make the plane dangerous, but many creatures are simply focused on surviving in their own environment. Several bizarre megafauna inhabit Pathfinder's version of the plane, including continent-sized jellyfish and city-carrying anglerfish. Travel to the plane is possible through spells, portals, storms, and occasionally terrible luck. The Plane of Water offers strong inspiration for survival adventures, nautical campaigns, and cosmic horror themes. Despite its beauty and rich lore, at least one member of the cast would prefer literally any other destination. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Xbox can't help itself; it finds rakes out of nowhere to step on, and its all self-inflicted. There won't be any trips in the Tardis anytime soon, and who is to blame? George Miller wants to sell Mad Max, but why? And Fox buys Roku, which feels oddly familiar.

On this episode of THE HOT MIC, John Rocha and Jeff Sneider talk new Spider-Man BND trailer teasing more Jean Grey, Ridley Scott is messing with Alien Romulus sequel, Charles Melton for Beast and X-Men reboot's “big swing” from Marvel, Wagner Moura for Oceans villain, Daniel Kaluya and Teyana Taykor for Shaka King's next movie, Toy Story 5 review, Brad Bird's Ray Gunn fiasco pits Netflix vs Paramount, Austin Powers 4 is happening and Shrek 5 trailer animation critiques, Netflix is or is not buying Lionsgate story, Bradley Cooper and Sean Penn teaming up for  Jan 6th movie, Anya Taylor Joy in The Hunt for Gollum, thoughts on Rogen and Franco situation, Fox to buy Roku for 22B and more!HOT MIC MERCH LINK: https://www.bestnametape.com/The-Hot-Mic-Shop-s/4592.htm#spiderman #marvel #alien #lordoftherings  #TheHotMic #JeffSneider #JohnRocha ____________________________________________________________________________________Chapters:0:00 Intro, Rundown and Catch Up3:02 Jim Carrey and Ron Howard Reteaming for a Grinch Sequel7:02 Mike Myers Confirms an Austin Powers 4 Film is Happening10:28 James Wan to EP Robocop Series and Direct Episodes for Amazon MGM12:55 Wagner Moura in Talks to Play the Villain in Oceans Prequel16:25 Anya Taylor Joy Cast in The Hunt for Gollum in New Role19:14 The Wrap's Drew Taylor Joins to Talk Ray Gunn/Netflix/WB Issues32:58 Charles Melton Joins the Daniels New Film35:40 Melton Mentioned for Beast in X-Men, Marvel Takes 'Big Swin' with X-Men41:28 Spider-Man Brand New Day Trailer Talk - Jean Grey Inevitability?44:26 WB Moves Up Social Reactions for Supergirl - Confidence or Trouble?50:20 Ridley Scott is Gumming Up the Works for an Alien Romulus Sequel54:18 Sneider Pushes Back on Critics Over His The Batman Part 2 Scoop57:55 New Shaka King Movie Unites Daniel Kaluya and Teyana Taylor59:49 Ryan Coogler Moves His First Look Deal from Disney to Netflix1:01:18 FOX Buys Roku for 22B dollars, Accruing More IP?1:05:39 Sean Penn to Direct Bradley Cooper in January 6th Movie1:07:52 Tom Cruise Hunting for Horror Movies, Star Trek Looking for a Training Day Movie1:20:42 Streamlabs and Superchat QuestionsFollow John Rocha: @therochasays Follow Jeff Sneider: @TheInSneider Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-hot-mic-with-jeff-sneider-and-john-rocha--5632767/support.

The Plane of Water episode started exactly how you'd expect an episode about endless oceans to start: with stock prices, GTA 6 rumors, GameStop drama, and Randall suggesting you could solve inflation by storing barrels of oil in your apartment. Eventually everyone remembered there was supposed to be a podcast, which unfortunately meant confronting Ash's greatest weakness: deep water. What followed was less a lore episode and more a two-hour intervention where Tyler discovered underwater spiders exist, Randall weaponized ocean facts, and Ash spent the entire recording questioning every life choice that led him to this point. Somewhere beneath all the existential dread, there was also a Plane of Water. Show Notes This week we dove into one of the most intimidating locations in fantasy gaming: the Plane of Water. Despite containing an infinite amount of something every living creature needs, none of us sounded particularly excited to visit. We explored how the Plane of Water differs between Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder, from endless oceans and violent storms to strange underwater civilizations and terrifying megafauna. Along the way, we examined water genies, krakens, mysterious cities, giant jellyfish stretching across entire planes, and even an anglerfish so enormous that someone thought building a city on its back was a good idea. Pathfinder's version introduced even stranger concepts, including underwater suns, spheres filled with mysterious civilizations, and the return of elemental forces that literally control the tides. As expected, Ash spent much of the episode reliving childhood trauma and explaining why the ocean is secretly the most horrifying place imaginable. Tyler accidentally made things worse by introducing underwater spiders, while Randall enthusiastically contributed increasingly disturbing facts about deep-sea pressure, giant creatures, and dream-fueled tsunami nightmares. By the end, we learned that the Plane of Water contains incredible adventure opportunities, beautiful locations, and fascinating lore. We also learned that Ash would still rather spend a weekend in Hell. Links   2014 Dungeon Master's Guide (affiliate link) 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide (affiliate link) Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes (affiliate link) PF2 Rage of Elements (affiliate link) Forgotten Realms Wiki - Elemental Plane of Water Pathfinder Wiki - Plane of Water RPGBOT.Podcast Episodes The Abyss Arborea Archeron Arcadia The Beastlands Bytopia Carceri Celestia Elysium The Ethereal Plane The Feywild Gehenna Hades Hell Part 1 Hell Part 2 Limbo Mechanus Pandemonium Plane of Air Plane of Fire Shadowfell Other Stuff Dodgeball Movie Key Takeaways The Plane of Water in D&D is an endless ocean punctuated by occasional islands, violent storms, and regions ranging from sunlit seas to terrifying depths. Pathfinder's Plane of Water differs significantly, featuring a spherical structure, strange environmental effects, and unusual landmarks. Water genies and merfolk civilizations provide opportunities for diplomacy and exploration rather than constant combat. Krakens, brine dragons, and other aquatic monsters make the plane dangerous, but many creatures are simply focused on surviving in their own environment. Several bizarre megafauna inhabit Pathfinder's version of the plane, including continent-sized jellyfish and city-carrying anglerfish. Travel to the plane is possible through spells, portals, storms, and occasionally terrible luck. The Plane of Water offers strong inspiration for survival adventures, nautical campaigns, and cosmic horror themes. Despite its beauty and rich lore, at least one member of the cast would prefer literally any other destination. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Bruce Hopkins, who is best known for playing Gamling in Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy plays the lead role in Wise Sam Gangees

Welcome to Multiverse News, your source for information about all your favorite fictional universes.While it may come as no surprise, the biggest Marvel news this week is still just as exciting as it is obvious with the revelation that Chris Evans will indeed appear in Secret Wars. While not officially confirmed by Marvel, the news broke via a social media post from March 26, that is just now gaining notice, with the actor himself telling Instagram user @comicconmomsi, "I can tell you that...I start work on the next one in a couple of months, I can tell you that," in a video message. That tracks with the projected August production starting date for Secret Wars we've discussed previously.While rumors and speculation are typically not our forte here, the rumor mill surrounding The Batman II cast warrants some attention. In May, we discussed headlines from sources like Variety and The Wrap that seemingly confirmed Sebastian Stan had been cast as Harvey Dent, as he had long been rumored to be, with Scarlett Johansson and Charles Dance announced as Dent's wife and father, respectively. In hindsight, those headlines resulted from Matt Reeve's social media post where he confirmed and welcomed a number of actors as part of the film but did not actually reveal any roles. In the last week, industry insider Jeff Sneider has suggested that his sources claim that Stan will instead play Victor Zsasz and Brian Tyree Henry is set to portray Harvey. Steven Spielberg has returned to the blockbuster arena for the first time in eight years with Disclosure Day, his UFO sci-fi thriller starring Emily Blunt and Josh O'Connor, which opened to approximately $44 million domestically and $93.9 million globally, making it his biggest opening weekend ever for an original film. Meanwhile, Obsession continues its extraordinary run, adding another $19 million in week five for a domestic total of $188.3 million. Spielberg's $115 million production earned strong reviews and a B CinemaScore.Sony has released the trailer for The Social Reckoning, Aaron Sorkin's sequel to The Social Network. Jeremy Strong stars as Mark Zuckerberg alongside Mikey Madison, Jeremy Allen White, and Bill Burr. The film opens October 9.Peter Sarsgaard has joined the Season 3 cast of HBO's The Last of Us in a recurring role. He will play an original character named Amon, one of the leaders of the Seraphites. Production is currently on a planned hiatus to accommodate World Cup matches filming in Vancouver.It: Welcome to Derry writer Jason Fuchs has been tapped to write a new untitled Transformers script for Paramount and Hasbro.Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, and Ice Cube are in talks to return for 24 Jump Street at Sony Pictures, reuniting most of the original production team.Apple TV+ has renewed horror comedy Widow's Bay for a second season ahead of its season finale this week, and has signed creator Katie Dippold to a multiyear overall deal.Jason Momoa has made clear he has no interest in a PG-13 Lobo solo movie. In an interview with Collider, he said if he makes a standalone Lobo film, it will be rated R, full stop, though he's open to appearing in ensemble DCU projects in the meantime.Peter Serafinowicz has been cast as Peeves the Poltergeist in HBO's Harry Potter series.Anya Taylor-Joy has joined the cast of the upcoming Lord of the Rings prequel The Hunt for Gollum, playing an elf character named Seren.Marvel Comics will publish a one-shot crossover this September titled The Muppets Take the Marvel Universe, celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Muppet Show by teaming Muppets characters with iconic Marvel heroes.Mark Hamill is joining Peacock's Twisted Metal for Season 3 in a recurring role, playing the father of Sweet Tooth.Chris Sanders, co-creator and co-director of the original Lilo & Stitch animated film, will direct Disney's live-action sequel Lilo & Stitch 2. Shooting is expected to begin later this year.

Natalie Brite (they/them) is the founder and creative director of DoGoodBiz — an ethical creative studio for conscious leaders and the movements they're building.On their Substack newsletter, they write about creativity, ecosystems, and doing work rooted in care. They also excoriate social media! But in a soft, supportive way, of course.Today Natalie joins me to talk about why social media managers burn out so hard. And how their business when changed they let go of most of their retainer clients.Together we explore:The consequences of social media dependenceA step-by-step breakdown of how Natalie reinvented their marketing strategyWhat it actually means to take an ecosystems approach to businessCreative ecosystems vs personal brandsA random Lord of the Rings metaphor that I spend way too long making….& lots more! RESOURCES + LINKS

Britt and Chris have a great time discussing Gale Hawthorne because, despite being #TeamPeeta shippers, they love Gale's vital role as the narrative's radical voice (in the books). They explore Gale's inspiring commitment to the cause, his care for those without the option to flee, and his need to work on both areas of consent and moral justification. They also think about potential ships, symbolism behind the name Gale, and how he'd fit into LOTR or Star Wars. And, surprising no one, Britt complains about Liam Hemsworth a lot, too. Please tell a geeky friend about us and leave a review on your podcast app! If you really enjoy our content, become one of our amazing patrons to get more of it for just $1 per month here: https://www.patreon.com/geekbetweenthelines Every dollar helps keep the podcast going! You can also buy us a ko-fi for one-time support here: https://ko-fi.com/geekbetweenthelines Please follow us on social media, too: Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/geekbetweenthelines Pinterest : https://www.pinterest.com/geekbetweenthelines Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/geekbetweenthelines Twitter : https://twitter.com/geekbetween Website: https://geekbetweenthelines.wixsite.com/podcast Logo artist: https://www.lacelit.com

If you ever wondered what would happen if you mixed horrifying extreme sports stories, food drive trash talk, celebrity gossip, and a Corey Feldman guitar solo into a blender, congratulations—you've found today's episode.The gang starts by gearing up for a special outdoor broadcast to support Operation Food Search, where they absolutely, positively are not making it a competition… except they totally are. Listener donations, giveaways, weird games, and signs saying "Show Me Your Cans" somehow become the official strategy.Then things take a darker turn with a shocking and tragic story out of Brazil involving a bungee jump gone horribly wrong. The crew reacts in real time, asking the same questions everyone else had: How does a bungee company forget the one thing that makes bungee jumping… bungee jumping? The conversation turns into an unexpectedly deep dive into trust, risk, and why maybe some of us are officially retired from extreme sports forever.The celebrity chaos train keeps rolling with news about Jelly Roll and Bunny XO's reported split, Corey Taylor's latest musical collaboration, and a spirited debate about Jethro Tull that somehow becomes flute slander. There are updates on Lord of the Rings, House of the Dragon, Michael J. Fox voicing a dragon, movie box office surprises, and enough entertainment news to make your group chat feel underprepared.As always, this daily comedy show finds room for birthdays, weird trivia, and another chapter in the ongoing saga of Corey Feldman. Is he self-aware? Is he misunderstood? Is he somehow both? The gang attempts to answer life's important questions and mostly ends up making each other laugh.It's another completely normal episode of this daily comedy show, which means absolutely none of it is normal. From outrageous stories and pop culture commentary to St. Louis community events and hilariously unnecessary debates, this daily comedy show proves once again that the best conversations happen when nobody knows where they're going.Follow The Rizzuto Show → https://linktr.ee/rizzshow for more from your favorite daily comedy show.Connect with The Rizzuto Show Comedy Podcast online → https://1057thepoint.com/RizzShowHear The Rizz Show daily on the radio at 105.7 The Point | Hubbard Radio in St. Louis, MO.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kristian Harloff breaks down the biggest movie news stories of the day, including major new updates on Spider-Man: Brand New Day as the director urges fans to experience the film "as if it's the last Spider-Man movie." Kristian also discusses fresh updates on Shang-Chi 2 and what this means for the future of the MCU's street-level heroes. Plus, big fantasy casting news as a new motion poster for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum confirms Anya Taylor-Joy has joined the cast. In Marvel news, Chris Evans teases his return in Avengers: Secret Wars, a new insider report claims Sadie Sink has a confirmed MCU role, and a major rumor roundup suggests Sydney Sweeney is being eyed for the X-Men reboot along with new details about Doctor Doom in Avengers: Doomsday. Today's episode dives into major MCU developments as Spider-Man: Brand New Day builds anticipation with bold comments from its director, while Avengers: Secret Wars continues to expand its already massive rumored lineup. Kristian also breaks down new casting momentum in both Marvel and Middle-earth franchises, including The Hunt for Gollum and the evolving X-Men reboot speculation. If you're a fan of Marvel, MCU, Spider-Man, Avengers: Doomsday, Secret Wars, X-Men, Shang-Chi, or Lord of the Rings, this episode is packed with major updates and theories.

The world seems obsessed with America right now—but Americans themselves may not be getting the memo.On this episode of The Treehouse Show, we dive into the strange contrast happening across social media. Foreign tourists are posting videos celebrating American food, road trips, sports, and culture. Japanese baseball fans are famously cleaning up stadiums after games, while back here at home, some fans celebrated the New York Knicks championship by fighting, rioting, and even shooting each other. What gives? Why do outsiders seem to appreciate America more than Americans do?We also jump into today's celebrity birthdays, which somehow leads us down a rabbit hole celebrating the greatness of Karl Urban. From The Boys to Lord of the Rings and Dredd, is Karl Urban one of the most underrated actors working today?Plus:

A Salon author reads his own progressive mindset into LotR and then doesn't understand why some popular right-wingers love the books so much. So, par for the course for Salon.Glance – inkl news

The Vassals gather once again to prepare for the arrival of a new season of HBO’s House of the Dragon. One thing we know for certain, there will be blood… Hosts: Adam (drownedsnow), Stephanie (gsdg), Michal (inkasrain), Pete (Optimus Pete), … Continue reading →

We continue our Lord of the Rings study with a detour to Plato and a different ring of power.Purchase the entire course, including our recorded live meetings, here:Purchase CourseWatch the video of this episode and subscribe to my YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/Z_OfCpjFgTkBecome a patron of Mythic Mind at patreon.com/mythicmindListen to all THREE Mythic Mind podcasts:Mythic MindMythic Mind GamesMythic Mind Movies & Shows(or become a patron to get all three shows in one ad-free feed)Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mythic-mind--5808321/support.

Episode Details:In this week's episode, Grinch is joined by former guest, Wilderlandbuilds, aka Jarrett. Join us as we discuss the current state of LEGO® Lord of the Rings in 2026. How do you feel about the current pace of set releases, the price, and the size of the sets? What are its strengths and weaknesses as a theme? All of that and more will be discussed in this week's episode. Check out Jarrett's new youtube channel while you're at it: https://www.youtube.com/@wilderland.buildsInstagram:https://www.instagram.com/afols_welcome/

Nobody expected the second half of the cleric episode to begin with a discussion about wolves conducting hate crimes against coyotes, crows acting as aerial bounty hunters, and the lasting trauma of Game of Thrones season eight. Somehow this naturally transitioned into Pathfinder clerics, giant dragon towers, vampire bat transformations, and a godless revolutionary whose greatest enemy remains organized religion. In hindsight, this was probably the only possible outcome. Show Notes In the second half of our Pathfinder 2e Cleric build series, we advanced our morally questionable holy figures from level 11 all the way to 20. Before we even reached the introduction, however, we somehow found ourselves discussing wolf vendettas, crow conspiracies, Game of Thrones, British pronunciation crimes, and Pulp Fiction-inspired monologues. Naturally, this was exactly the kind of preparation required for high-level clerics. Randall returned with his godless anti-religious war priest, continuing his crusade to dismantle divine authority while simultaneously benefiting from divine magic. The contradictions only made the character stronger. Ash continued building a dragon-obsessed kobold servant of Dahak, leaning heavily into domains, summoning magic, and draconic heritage feats. Tyler doubled down on his undead survival machine, creating a cleric who would rather become increasingly horrifying than ever experience death again. As the builds progressed, the characters became increasingly absurd. Randall evolved into a social revolutionary capable of literally preaching atheism to enemies. Ash transformed into a majestic kobold empowered by dragons and armed with enough fire to solve nearly any problem. Tyler embraced his inner vampire, eventually turning into a bat, draining enemies, and becoming nearly impossible to kill. High-level spells stole much of the spotlight. Summoning dragons, collapsing enemies with Implosion, unleashing Massacre, and transforming into avatars of divine power all showcased just how spectacular Pathfinder's spellcasters become in the late game. Meanwhile, Randall's philosophy remained unchanged: peace is important, and anyone who disagrees can discuss it with the business end of a glaive. By the time we reached level 20, our collection of short kings had somehow become terrifying demigods. None of them were remotely good people, but they were certainly memorable clerics. Key Takeaways Levels 11 through 20 dramatically increase a cleric's power through doctrines, master spellcasting, and powerful class feats. High-rank divine spells provide some of the most cinematic effects in Pathfinder 2e. Harm-focused builds can become incredibly durable through self-healing and defensive feats. Domain spells continue to scale well into the highest levels of play. Heritage feats can dramatically shape a character's identity and capabilities. Avatar provides one of the most flavorful capstone spells available to divine casters. Additional 10th-rank spell slots are difficult to pass up at level 20. Warpriests gain survivability but still lag behind dedicated martial classes in weapon proficiency. Pathfinder 2e offers many ways to support unusual character concepts, including technically illegal godless clerics. Team Fun Size successfully evolved from weird clerics into full-blown nightmares for any GM. Welcome to the RPGBOT Podcast. If you love Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and tabletop RPGs, this is the podcast for you. Support the show for free: Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any podcast app. It helps new listeners find the best RPG podcast for D&D and Pathfinder players. Level up your experience: Join us on Patreon to unlock ad-free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT Podcast, chat with us and the community on the RPGBOT Discord, and jump into live-streamed RPG podcast recordings. Support while you shop: Use our Amazon affiliate link at https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ and help us keep building tools and guides for the RPG community. Meet the Hosts Tyler Kamstra – Master of mechanics, seeing the Pathfinder action economy like Neo in the Matrix. Randall James – Lore buff and technologist, always ready to debate which Lord of the Rings edition reigns supreme. Ash Ely – Resident cynic, chaos agent, and AI's worst nightmare, bringing pure table-flipping RPG podcast energy. Join the RPGBOT team where fantasy roleplaying meets real strategy, sarcasm, and community chaos. How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra BlueSky: @rpgbot.net TikTok: @RPGBOTDOTNET Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games BlueSky: @GravenAshes YouTube: @ashravenmedia Randall James BlueSky: @GrimoireRPG Amateurjack.com Read Melancon: A Grimoire Tale (affiliate link) Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

Tammy and Crystal watch Lord of the Rings WITHOUT DAVE?! Dave confesses a secret that affects the three of them. Guess the Celebrity and more! Tammy, Dave, and Crystal will remain friends no matter what! #ChelcieLynn #JeremiahWatkins #Podcast #LibbieHiggins CRYSTAL'S GO FUND ME: Donate at https://www.crystalscreationsllc.com GET YOUR NEW TRAILER TALES MERCH HERE!: https://thecomedyoutlet.com/collections/trailer-tales New episodes every Friday on this channel. Subscribe! New Trailer Tales merch is here!: https://thecomedyoutlet.com/collections/trailer-tales Jeremiah's Patreon is LIVE: https://www.patreon.com/jeremiahwatkins NEW MERCH IS HERE!: https://www.jeremiahwatkins.com FOLLOW us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailertalespod See Tammy LIVE on tour: https://www.eatmytrash.com  @ChelcieLynn   @TheViralPodcast  See Jeremiah LIVE on tour: https://www.jeremiahwatkins.com  @jeremiahwatkins   @standupots  See Crystal LIVE on tour: https://www.libbiehiggins.com  @LibbieHiggins   @SlopCity  Want to send some mail into the show? P.O. BOX JEREMIAH WATKINS/TT P.O. BOX # 78375 LOS ANGELES, CA 90016 (Sending packages does not guarantee they will be opened on camera) (Some packages may end up on Ms. Crystal's eBay store) Sponsored by: Hims ED Support the show & get simple, online access to personalized, affordable care with HIMS @ http://hims.com/TRAILER Sponsored by: Cash App Download Cash App today: https://capl.onelink.me/vFut/0xf8aiko #CashAppPod. Cash App is a financial services platform, not a bank. Banking services provided by Cash App's bank partner(s). Prepaid debit cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC. Cash App Visa® Debit Flex Cards issued by Sutton Bank, Member FDIC, and The Bancorp Bank, N.A., pursuant to a license from Visa U.S.A. Inc. See terms and conditions for the Sutton prepaid card, Sutton debit flex card, and Bancorp debit flex card. Cash App Green features, Savings, Direct deposit, Round ups, Overdraft coverage and Discounts provided by Cash App, a Block, Inc. brand. Visit http://cash.app/legal/podcast for full disclosures.  Edited by Ryan Armendariz & Jeremiah Watkins Intro Music: Produced by https://www.instagram.com/professorcmusic Intro Vocals: Jeremiah Watkins

Meagan is 44 years old! If you're reading this, you should have called in yesterday to wish her a happy birthday. She mighta been busy bc she is treating herself to a cardiac event or two at a sports game. Is it POTS …or (S)PO(R)TS?? Plus, we lament the rise and fall of blond-haired white boys. Spoiler Alerts for Alias (2001-2006) and Lost (2004-2010). But taking center stage is Judge Meags Lane! We are reviewing three issues for the day:Issue #1: Is Lindy guilty of being a big ol' b-word?-On the bench: Judge Meags Lane-Defendant: Lindy West, representing herself-Prosecution: Lindy WestThe Facts:Lindy has to interpret a TSA line in an airport. A lady in front of her forgets she has a belt on and gets booted from the line. Lindy advances within the line. A lady tries to cut in front of Lindy. Lindy has forgotten that this lady is the belt lady and says no cut-sies. Issue #2: Should we sentence Patrick Ta to 12 years of hard labor?-On the bench: Judge Meags Lane. -Defendant: Patrick Ta, represented by Meagan Hatcher-Mays-Prosecution: Meagan Hatcher-MaysThe Facts:??????Issue #3: Is Robert a lying liar?-Overseeing the case: The Textmebackoytes-Defendant: Jingleheimer Robert, representing himself-Prosecution: Lindy West and Meagan Hatcher-MaysThe Facts:Robert is charged with heresy in the first degree in suggesting that other podcasts exist. Robert admits on tape that he has listened to and written music for this supposed “other” podcast. Tune in to hear the verdicts and sentencing! And if you are in the petit jury of Textmebackolytes on Robert's case, please call in ASAP or we will send out a subpoena on your ass (703) 829-0003.NEVER LISTENED TO THE POD BEFORE? HERE IS YOUR STARTER KIT TO BEING BFFS WITH US!Meet Kevin in: Lindy and Meagan Need to Talk About KevinLearn why they keep saying BBW in Lindy and Meagan Are Officially BBWsDiscover the Kayak Dad Lore in: It's Our First Episode!WE NEED OUR ACCOLADES! It helps people find the show.⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 stars only please) on Spotify⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5 stars only please) on Apple PodcastsGive us Rave Reviews and Accolades on Apple Podcasts! The Reason Podcasts Were InventedI have been listening to Text Me Back! since the very first episode and it has only gotten better and more hysterical as it goes along. It is a hilarious beacon of light in these dark times. Thank you Lindy and Meagan for sharing your thoughts with us. Mwah!ORYX_AND_CAKE THANK YOU FOR BEING ONE OF OUR BEST AND MOST LOYAL FRIENDS IN THESE DARK TIMES–ROBERT TAKE NOTE!!!!STUFF TO CHECK OUT:Order Lindy's book!!!! Adult BracesNEWSLETTER ME BACK (A FREE WAY TO SUPPORT THE SHOW!)Check out SWAMP PERSON Subscribe to Lindy's newsletter butt news!Check out our MERCH so we can make MORE merch!! (Patrons get a discount, so check us out at patreon.com/textmebackpod)Listen Ad-Free by joining our $12 Patreon tier Freakaconda!Subscribe to Lindy's newsletter butt news!Join our Discord! We're obsessed with these people.⋆｡°✩⋆｡°✩⋆｡°✩⋆｡°If you like this episode and want us to keep making the show forever, please subscribe to our Patreon. This podcast will always be free, but we need your help to produce it -- and if you support our Patreon, you'll get all kinds of goodies in addition to the show itself! Learn more about the different tiers and rewards here: https://www.patreon.com/TextMeBackPodAlso! Please keep in touch with us! You can text OR CALL us at the Best Friend Party Phone: (703) 829-0003.We're on Instagram at @textmebackpod!You can email us at deartextmeback@gmail.com!WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU SO BAD!⋆｡°✩⋆｡°✩⋆｡°✩⋆｡°TEXT ME BACK is a production of Lindy West and Meagan Hatcher-Mays, proud members of the BFF Network. Our senior producer is Meagan Hatcher-Mays. Our other senior producer is Lindy West. Our show is produced by Alli Slice.Our music is by Chief Ahamefule J. Oluo. Diana Bowen is our video and creative advisor. Our digital strategist is Chance Nichols.You can also follow the podcast on Instagram and TikTok @textmebackpod. And for even more bestie content, follow Lindy and Meagan on Instagram at @thelindywest and @importantmeagan!TEXT ME BACK is a comedy podcast where Lindy West and Meagan Hatcher-Mays spiral about politics, pop culture, dogs, space, friendship, anxiety, Lord of the Rings, and whatever cursed topic is haunting them that week. Along the way, they've welcomed brilliant and hilarious guests including Lizz Winstead (The Daily Show), Kelsey McKinney (Normal Gossip), Samantha Irby (We Are Never Meeting in Real Life), Guy Branum (Hacks), collaborators, comedians, political experts, writers, and internet icons for deeply unserious conversations.⋆｡°✩⋆｡°✩⋆｡°✩⋆｡°See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we're joined by special guest, Dr. Gerry Crete. Dr. Gerry talks about Parts Work and how we see it played out in Lord of the Rings. He talks about how we see the characters grow and change, and the different parts we see represented in the characters.References:Litanies of the Heart by Dr. Gerry CreteThe Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. TolkienFollow and Contact Us!Follow us on Instagram and FacebookWe're on YouTube!Join our Goodreads GroupFr. Michael's TwitterChrist the Bridegroom MonasteryOur WebsiteOur NonprofitSend us Fan MailSupport the show

In this episode of Ave Explores: Catholicism in Literature, Katie sits down with Kaitlyn Facista and Andrew Swafford to discuss the enduring legacy of two of Christianity's greatest storytellers, C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien. Facista, author of _Into the Heart of Middle-earth and founder of Tea with Tolkien, shares how Tolkien's works played a significant role in her conversion to Catholicism. Drawn into Middle-earth by its unforgettable heroes and villains, she discovered profound lessons about virtue, vice, courage, and sacrifice. In a culture hungry for authentic examples of goodness and bravery, Tolkien's stories continue to awaken the heart and point readers toward truth. Swafford reflects on encountering Tolkien later in life while reading The Lord of the Rings with his children. Those family readings sparked rich conversations, nurtured their spiritual imaginations, and created opportunities for catechesis. He also discusses introducing students at Benedictine College to Lewis's Mere Christianity, The Screwtape Letters, and The Great Divorce, marveling at Lewis's ability to reach students of every background and faith. Through imagination and story, Lewis demonstrates how art and literature can communicate truths that might otherwise remain hidden. Journey through the wardrobe and wander into the Shire for an inspiring conversation about faith, imagination, and the transformative power of great stories. We would love it if you could leave a written review on Apple and share with your friends! Editing provided by Forte Catholic (https://www.fortecatholic.com/)

Today we consider Aragorn considering Sam's scalp wound. And whortle-berries. Join us on the Signum University Discord server: https://discord.com/invite/szXMFAv Interested in discussing Dr. Corey Olsen's ExLoTR podcast? Signum University is hosting live Discussion Groups via Zoom through our Blackberry platform ( https://blackberry.signumuniversity.org/ ). Groups will meet once per month for 1 hour for live discussion via Zoom. Sessions will be recorded as well in case you are unable to attend live and are FREE for our first 3 months! Registration for sections can be found here: https://blackberry.signumuniversity.org/partners/enroll/

“Our brain really prioritizes vocal signals. They're super important to the brain because human communication is a really big priority for us as a species. It's a deep signal in our brain, right? And so, we were seeing a stronger reaction to the screams than to the music, and that sort of makes sense. There were more intricacies to that, but I can't really remember the exact brain areas and all that. But it was cool to see that. Yeah, it is sort of mimicking, but our brain really separates them. You know, it may still get sort of a response, a same kind of fearful response, but it's not going to be as powerful as the voice, um, which makes sense because music is not real, right? There's a difference between a real stimulus and this sort of artistic one. Yeah, so it was interesting.” – Caitlyn TrevorThis episode's guest is an award-winning researcher and musician with over a decade of experience studying how people perceive and respond to sound. She holds a PhD in Music Theory from Ohio State University and has published her work in top journals. She was awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship to study music and neuroscience, and she's professionally certified in user research. As a musician, she has a Master's in Cello Performance, has composed an award-winning short film score, and has designed sound for theater and film. At SonicUXR, she leads with both credibility and creative empathy, equipping sound teams with the tools to create more intentional, impactful audio.Her name is Caitlyn Trevor, and her work is reshaping how sound is understood, valued, and designed across industries. If you've ever wondered how sound really works on us, this conversation will change the way you listen.As always, if you have questions for my guest, you're welcome to reach out through the links in the show notes. If you have questions for me, visit audiobrandingpodcast.com, where you'll find a lot of ways to get in touch. Plus, subscribing to the newsletter will let you know when the new podcasts are available, along with other interesting bits of audio-related news. And if you're getting some value from listening, the best ways to show your support are to share this podcast with a friend and leave an honest review. Both those things really help, and I'd love to feature your review on future podcasts. You can leave one either in written or in voice format from the podcast's main page. I would so appreciate that.(00:00) – Lighting a Musical FireOur conversation starts with Caitlyn's early impressions of sound, particularly the moment that sparked her love of orchestral music. “I came across on the floor like a little cassette tape and a cassette player, and I popped it in and just hit play while we were chatting, and it was the Lord of the Rings soundtrack,” she recalls. “I was a little too young when it came out, the first one, and I was just captivated by it. I mean, I was like, ‘Wow, what is this?'” We discuss the chance encounter during her musical studies that turned her focus towards music cognition and the neuroscience behind sound. “There was a lecture I went to totally by chance,” she tells us. “It was a new music theory professor, and the lecture was about music cognition, and I had never heard of it before. And I was like, ‘This is just the coolest field I've ever heard of.' And I totally was on board after that.”(15:00) – Pianto Sighs and Psycho ViolinsOur discussion turns to her research on the connection between music and the brain's primal response to voices. “In sad music,” Caitlyn explains, “there's something called the pianto topic, which is essentially just a half-step falling motion, like, which is supposed to mimic a sigh. But, you know, that's quite abstract… Whereas the psycho violin, you know, sounds very much like a scream.” She tells us about the birth of her daughter and how her career shifted from academia to the private sector. “I think a lot of academics are scared that's going to happen, that it's going to feel like, I don't know, maybe they wasted all that time,” she says. “I was prepared that I may not be able to continue doing music cognition, and I'm very happy that that hasn't been the case. That was surprising.”(21:40) – Putting Audio Theory to PracticeCaitlyn tells us more about her work on UX research, and how it quickly and unexpectedly led to her focus on phone trees and hold-time experiences. “They hadn't thought about the phone tree for that,” she recalls. “They just mentioned it, like, ‘Oh, and we're also doing the phone tree and the on-hold music.' And I was like, ‘Wait, that would be great for me to work on… somebody needs to do UX on that [because[ it's the worst.'" She talks about the advantage of being able to put her findings to use, something that hadn't been so easy at the university. “What I like about my new position,” Caitlyn explains, “as opposed to working in academia, is synthesizing it in a way that's accessible… I never really did that in academia. It was always just about supporting your hypothesis, explaining the results. But now I get to say this research shows me that we should compose it this way.”Episode SummaryCaitlin shares her journey from Lord of the Rings to the science of sound.The evolutionary origins of music and its impact on the brain.Caitlin's work in UX research and creating a better phone-hold experience.Tune in for next week's episode as we discuss the results of Caitlyn's studies into on-hold UX design and phone trees, why unpleasant sounds are sometimes the better choice in automobile UX, and what she's learned about the long-term return on investment when it comes to sonic branding.Connect with the Audio Branding Podcast:Book your project with Voice Overs and Vocals by visiting https://voiceoversandvocals.comConnect with me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/jodikrangle/Watch the Audio Branding Podcast on YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/c/JodiKrangleVOConnect with me on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jodikrangle/Leave the Audio Branding Podcast a review at https://lovethepodcast.com/audiobranding (Thank you!)Share your passion effectively with these Tips for Sounding Your Best as a Podcast Guest!https://voiceoversandvocals.com/tips-for-sounding-your-best-as-a-podcast-guest/Get my Top Five Tips for Implementing an Intentional Audio Strategyhttps://voiceoversandvocals.com/audio-branding-strategy/Editing/Production by Humberto Franco - https://humbertofranco.com/This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: OP3 - https://op3.dev/privacy