Nerdcognito

In the debut episode of the Elven Maid Inn's short-form show, she talks about Fudging and it's implications and impact on games and the hobby.   ***   SUBSCRIBE TO OUR CHANNEL!! ...and go to your favorite podcast player or nerdcognito.com or to subscribe to the OG podcast, Nerdcognito! linktr.ee/nerdcognito

Continuing the 2-part show from last week, Grim Jim joins RD and Bert to talk about the discussion in the mainstream TTRPG/DnD hobby for the "need" for game designers to insert and address political themes, social justice, and "wrongs" of society in their games.  Why is this a "need?"  Answer: It is not.  Plus, we begin the show laughing at some insanity in the pop media with the news and a trip t...

OneDND has been set free by Wizards of the Coast.  With WotC's "new" and "daring" upgrade now getting a lot of buzz, we take an ENTIRE episode talking about other games you can and should bring to your table!  Our friend Grim Jim Desborough sits in and brings his unique perspective and two decades of professional game design experience to the conversation.  Our picks span fantasy, horror, sci-fi,...

Did you know that Dave Arneson worked on a super-secret follow-up to Blackmoor with a nobody studio that no one has heard of?  NEITHER DID THE ARNESON ESTATE.  This disgusting grift really has RD and the boys upset, and they detail the situation for you.  Plus, Kelsey and ShadowDark sweep the ENNIEs and a Reddit redemption story.   ----more---- The News: ENNIEs and ShadowDark Venger, Dungeon Maste...

Hasbro's 2nd Quarter earnings have posted.  WotC continues to bleed.  Sales are down.  BUT -- RD thinks the Q looks... good?!?  An economics light discussion of why Hasbro may not be in as much peril as some in the hobby would like.  Plus, Elder Gods and Woke Warriors in the news.  After the news, the guys look at how Wizards of the Coast believes they are pandering to their SparkleTroll audience,...

Bert and RD sit down and talk about a request from a friend of the show: "What is your personal 'Appendix N-like' curated list of non-print inspiration?"  Listen as the guys chronicle everything from Movies to TV to Video Games and more!  How did these items impact their games and their creativity?  The news this week is, well, exactly what you would expect during a week when Wizards of the Coast...

Oh no!  That giant just turned Bert's character into meat paste!  What considerations are necessary and what must a player, a DM, and a gaming group do to pivot when a PC buys the farm?  RD and Bert pontificate this point because, well, Bert's character was turned into meat paste at the last gaming session.  After the news, the duo discuss what input, if any, is appropriate for players to have and...

Surprise, surprise: Wizards of the Coast continues to "re-imagine" Dungeons & Dragons... potentially into the grave.  The "improvements" to crafting and the introduction of a hybrid "Minecraft" and "MMO" crafting system were released, and it looks like once again the game is getting fundamentally changed for the worse.  The news makes us laugh as we ride the struggle bus through a Reddit post....

Spinning out of a conversation from last week, the gang talks about the title and role of the Dungeon Master in DnD.  Is "referee" appropriate?  What level of separation must the DM have with the group and the world?  After this fun debate, with each of the guys having a distinct opinion, we tackle the news before saddling up to talk the resurgence of the Western in Hollywood.   ----more---- The N...

Wizards of the Coast has dropped a bunch of the "New" Dungeons & Dragons art... and it is just as hideous, woke, and racist as you could hope for.  The guys talk about some of the more outlandish pieces and discuss how art, generally, is important to the hobby and hooks players in each game.  Are some of these pieces intentionally horrific?  Then, after a trip to DnD Reddit, the news keeps us...

The "Dungeons and Dragons," TTRPG hobby has a boatload of influences... but is unique in the fact that it often influences.... itself.  The guys talk about pivotal supplements that have shaped the hobby and how modern guidance continues to change our beloved passion.  Plus everything from Critical Role to "ding dong" in the news!  You won't want to miss this week's show!   ----more---- Grab The Vi...

In this episode, the gang talk about the TTRPG curse older than time: Getting the group together.  Inevitably, every group is going to ride the rocky road of scheduling.  Why is this the killing blow for some groups?  How can you pivot?  Is it the end of the D&D World?  Then after the news, as requested by the Nerdcognito Nation, the boys revisit, run down, and review the excellent co-op/trait...

A frustrated Dungeon Master presented his players (do they play?) with a list of "rules" that were going to be implemented moving forward.  While clearly frustrated with SparkleTroll and otherwise bad player behavior as we dig through his list we have to ask... "Is he wrong?"  The guys discuss faux pas of players at the TTRPG table and how the DM can wrangle his DnD group back into reality.  Plus,...

The holiday weekend in the States and a few too many life incidents have abbreviated this week's episode into a Nano!  Fear not, though a touch shorter than usual, it is still packed with everything you'd expect -- Beginning with talk of how a DM can correct an "accidential overpowering" of a party and ending with news (from Reddit) RD and Bert squeeze a full show into a condensed timeline!   ----...

With ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY SIX OFFICIAL (you read that correctly) classes and subclasses in DnD 5e, it's time the gang evaluated class structures in TTRPGs.  There are no surprises here -- the guys believe less is more.  Add in some tales of characters gone by, bard mocking, and of course the news, and you have a full episode of nerdy goodness that you will love to listen to!   ----more---- Grab...

Fallout... The Last of Us... Rings of Power... Castlevania... there are a LOT of game-inspired screen adaptations hitting lately, and the trend is not going to end.  This week, the boys look at all of the players and talk about what TTRPG, video, and board game adaptations they would like to see!  Plus, a newsy tribute to Roger Corman starts a banger of collection of weekly nerdy news.   ----more-...

This week, our good friend The Dungeon Delver drops in to chew the fat with the gang about the incredible nothingburger that was the Wizards of the Coast "AI art FAQ."  There was a lot of internet noise, but is WotC doing... the right thing?  The boys and Bill dig in deep to this offering insight, perspective, and opinion.  Plus, the news will NOT disappoint!   ----more---- Grab The Village of Gre...

Hot on the heels of Nerdcognito getting de-platformed on YouTube after an alleged cancel culture report strike -- and the RD having his personal account targeted and wiped as well -- we look at cancel culture in the hobby in general.  Who better to bring in for this discussion but "Grim" James Desborough?  Jim gives his perspective on the hobby and insight into targeted harassment campaigns as bot...

Cynthia Williams has announced her departure from Wizards of the Coast!  What does this mean?  Listen to the guys give their takes on her exodus.  Then, as promised, a lively deep dive into what makes a module and their role in the hobby.  After the news, creator of Dystopian Dawn, Tony Garcia stops by to talk about his latest project and the gang briefly touches on woke Warhammer.   ----more----...

Can a SparkleTroll be saved?  Is a tourist worth bringing to the table?  Should we even bother?  This week the gang tears into all things tourist -- from origins to Critical Role toxins to playstyles.  Can we bring the hobby back from a fundamental and philosophical shift?  Plus, the news has LOTS of TTRPG goodness that you won't want to miss!  (...and Modules!)     ----more---- Grab The Village o...

Players drop hints all the time.  What happens when it is more than a friendly poke?  How should you handle your group asking for in-game favors, dictating game/world events, demanding items, or throwing an X-card (just kidding, show the X'er the door!).  Plus, the news, Ryan revives "Oriental" and shoves it back into the acceptable category, and tales from Reddit.     ----more---- Grab The Villag...

Nerdcognito talks to... Daniel D. Fox?!? (yes, THAT Daniel D. Fox) Uh oh. "Infamous" RD and Kyle sit down with the "notorious" Daniel D. Fox, creator of Zweihander, alleged destructor of The Trove, and all around polarizing figure in the TTRPG space. Publicly politically misaligned with the guys AND potentially on the opposite end of the gaming spectrum, what odd cosmic alignment brought these two...

It happens -- a friend, a partner -- someone tells you "You can't play with THEM!"  Maybe not you, but maybe that guy with the antisocial eye-rolling leftie girlfriend slowly exits from your table.  Why and how do these ultimatums get made and how do they effect your table?  Plus, the pros and cons of modules.  Maybe.  Probably not.   ----more---- Grab The Village of Greenhaven NOW! PRINT ON DEMAN...

This week, the gang dives deep on the Total Party Kill.  Talking about this unique situation that apparently makes SparkleTrolls weep, the boys look into it mechanically, from a story perspective, and through the eyes of both player and dungeon master.  Of course, there are some great TPK stories thrown in there as well.  This, combined with longer chatter around the news of the day fill out the w...

Ever play at a table with that cutsey-wootsey couple that just seems to always help each other?  How about the BF DM that always give the right magic item to his boo?  This week we talk about how real relationships can alter a table and give our thoughts on how to preserve the integrity of your game.  Also, a positive news week spins into an exciting announcement regarding the Lovecraft mythos in...