Undercommon Taste

This week, we're getting into the Halloween spirit talking about constructs! Join us as we discuss why you should use them, some examples of their use in popular media, and our thoughts on how to bring the iconic T-1000 from Terminator 2 to the gaming table. Our friends over at Tabletop Journeys have fully funded The Traveler's Guide to Factions! Be sure to check it out before it's done, and help...

This week, we welcome the cast of Tabletop Journeys back to the show to discuss their latest Kickstarter project, The Traveler's Guide to Factions. Join us as we talk about some of the factions presented in the book, along with the tools for players and storytellers alike.  You can find the Tabletop Journeys podcast through their website, ttjourneys.com , or on your podcatcher of choice. The Kicks...

This week, we talk about mundane items in your fantasy settings. Join us as we talk about why you should utilize nonmagical items in your games, some ideas about how to implement them, and the worldbuilding implications for mundane items in your setting.   We are also happy to announce that we will be doing another livestream interview! Join us on Saturday, September 30th at 9:00 PM Eastern on our...

See, I told you it would be coming out Saturday! Join us as we reminisce about 3 years of Undercommon Taste, and take a few minutes to talk about a sometimes hot-button issue: Alignment.    Sorry about the delay. Life happened, and we just got off of our normal schedule. Next episode should be out on our normal Wednesday schedule. Merry Tarrasquemas, everyone!   Find links to all of our social med...

So, I totally messed up on the calendar, got busy, and forgot to get the episode ready for release today.    Oops.   The actual episode - our 3rd Anniversary episode, at that - will now be released on Saturday, September 9th. Which is fitting, because it's actually Tarrasquemas, which means it's actually our anniversary. I hope to see you all there.   Find links to all of our social media, episode...

This week, we are joined by podcaster, zine publisher, and game designer Iko, to talk about his newly released game, The Lost Bay. Join us as we discuss game design, horror in TTRPGs, and a nostalgia for the 90s that never were. Also, please forgive the audio quality in some of the sections; we were having some connectivity issues with Iko in Paris. You can find Iko's work at thelostbaystudio.com...

This week, we're continuing our look at North American cryptids with two creatures from the mid-Atlantic/central Appalachia. Join us as we discuss the mythology of the Mothman of Point Pleasant, West Virginia and the Jersey Devil from Leeds Point, New Jersey, and some ideas for adapting both cryptids for your table.   Find links to all of our social media, episodes, Patreon, Itch store, and Discor...

This week, we're talking about two North American cryptids from the American West... or are they? Join us as we discuss the blood-sucking Chupacabra and the tenor singing voice of the Jackalope, and as we build out stat blocks for both to use in D&D 5e.   Find links to all of our social media, episodes, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord via our Linktree: linktr.ee/undercommontaste Our theme son...

This week, we are joined by Rob Hilferty, one of the co-hosts of the podcast Worldbuild With Us, to discuss the basics of worldbuilding. Join us as we discuss the ins and outs of collaborative worldbuilding, what you need, and what you don't, as well as a fun example as we create a sci-fi space opera setting in real time.   You can find Worldbuild With Us on Twitter ( @LetsWorldbuild ), YouTube (...

This week, we begin our exploration of the North American cryptids with the most prevalent of them all: the Bigfoot. Join us as we discuss Bigfoot variants, how to adapt them for your table, and ideas for implementing them in your game.   Find links to all of our social media, episodes, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord via our Linktree: linktr.ee/undercommontaste Our theme song is Massacre Anne, w...

This week, we're talking about monsters that can turn you to stone. Join us as we explore the mythological origins of the Basilisk, the Cockatrice, the Gorgon, and the Medusa, and how they've been presented in D&D throughout the editions.    Find links to all of our social media, episodes, Patreon, Itch store, and Discord via our Linktree: linktr.ee/undercommontaste Our theme song is Massacre Anne...

This week, we're talking about monsters that come from the sea. Join us as we discuss the mythology and lore of the Lernean Hydra, the Leviathan, the Kraken, and more, and how to incorporate these plot-level monsters into your game. Our long-time friends of the show over at Worldbuild With Us (Twitter: @LetsWorldbuild ) just celebrated a major milestone anniversary: 200 episodes! Congratulations t...

This week, we are joined by special guest Dr. Ali Mattu. Dr. Mattu is a clinical psychologist with a focus on anxiety disorders, and we're discussing the intersection of gaming and mental health, from ways that gaming can be helpful for managing anxiety to the portrayal of mental health in media. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and tomorrow (May 18, 2023) is Mental Health Action Day. You can...

This week, we're talking chimeras - those monsters which are made up of pieces of other monsters. Join us as we discuss chimeras in mythology and game lore, starting (of course) with *the* Chimaera of Greek mythology, and continuing through to manticores, catyblepases (catyblepi?), owlbears, and more.    Our friends over at Worldbuild With Us (Twitter: @LetsWorldbuild )recently did a two-part epis...

This week, we're diving into the lore of four-legged beasties, both in mythology and in game. Join us as we discuss hellhounds, black dogs, and the King of Cats, and the D&D monsters they inspired - yeth hounds, barghests, grimalkin, and more - and how to make them more than just a simple combat encounter.  As we mentioned at the beginning of the episode, we were guests on another podcast! We got...

This week, we're following up our episode on harpies with an episode on merfolk and their variants. Join us as we discuss the lore and game mechanics surrounding merfolk, kelpies, nixies, selkies, and more. In other news: we were guests on another podcast! We got to join Aaron and Zak over at Some Patches Required for some talk about TTRPGs and how they've influenced - and been influenced by - vid...

CW: There is a brief mention of suicide and self-harm, in the context of discussing the harpies as described in Dante's Inferno. This happens at about the 8 minute mark, and lasts for about 20 seconds.   This week, we're talking about the human-bird hybrid creature from Greek mythology - the harpy! Join us as we discuss their description from mythology, how they've been presented in TTRPGs, and ho...

This week, we welcome Michael Ross from The RPG Academy to discuss his new game, Action 12 Cinema, which is currently live on Kickstarter. Join us as we discuss this GM-less game, its d12 dice system, and our love for B-budget movies. Between recording and the episode release, Action12 Cinema has hit fully funded! You can check out the project here to help push them up and past their first stretch...

This week, we're wrapping up our discussion of lycanthropes in TTRPGs. Join us as we discuss the mechanical aspects of including werecreatures in your game, including how they've functioned throughout the editions of D&D, how to make your own custom lycanthropes, and some fun ideas to elevate your players' lycanthrope encounter experience. As we mentioned, our next episode is going to be an interv...

This week, we're talking lycanthropes! Join us as we talk about the prevalence of werewolves in real world mythology and folklore, and the origins of some of the most popular lycan-tropes, like changing under a full moon or the ongoing feud between werewolves and vampires. (Yes, that is a werewolf pun, and no, I will not apologize for it.)   Find us on Facebook:  facebook.com/UndercommonTaste Foll...

This week, we discuss morale and disposition. Join us as we discuss ways to drive your enemies before you, bolster the fighting spirit of your allies, and throw some chance into the mix when first encountering NPCs. This week was also a first, as it was the first time in over 2 years/100 episodes that we recorded an episode in person! The audio quality was a bit off - we apologize for that - but w...

This week, we are joined by Sam Leigh (  @GoblinMixtape  ), solo RPG creator and author of the Ennie-nominated solo RPG Anamnesis. Join us as we discuss solo RPGs, Sam's creative process, and the Anamnesis Game Jam. You can find Sam's work for sale at blinkingbirchgames.itch.io , and you can find all of her social media links at samleigh.carrd.co . This week's shoutout was for game designer, write...

This week, we talk some more mechanical aspects of incorporating food into your games. Join us as we touch on trail rations, malnutrition, spoilage, and food as rewards. This is also our last episode of the year! Thank you all for another year of listening. We'll return on Friday, January 6th at 9PM Eastern with an interview with solo RPG creator Sam Leigh over on our Twitch channel ( twitch.tv/un...

This week, we come off of the Thanksgiving holiday talking about food. Join us as we discuss ways to use food as a vehicle for worldbuilding, and as we return to our town of Verdigris to build out some cuisine culture for the denizens.   This week's episode is sponsored by Fireball Forge and How Not to DM, and their current Kickstarter project, Too Hot One Shot, which is running until December 7th...

This week, we're talking with Greg Tito and Shelly Mazzanoble, the co-hosts of Dragon Talk, the official Dungeons and Dragons podcast. Join us as we discuss their new book, Welcome to Dragon Talk, as well as aspects of their careers and TTRPG experiences before and during their time at Wizards of the Coast. You can pre-order "Welcome to Dragon Talk: Inspiring Conversations About Dungeons & Dragons...