Natural 20-Somethings

Natural 20-Somethings
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Natural 20-Somethings Podcast

Friends and tablemates Olivia Angsten and Laurel Myler dig into the details of Dungeons & Dragons in a (perhaps impractical) attempt to understand why they so dearly adore the game. Armed with academic minds and storytelling hearts, they discuss everything from gender in gaming and table culture to the most best spells and the virtues of the gelatinous cube. Join them on biweekly adventures in search of the answer to the unanswerable question: “What *is* it about D&D??”

  1. 03/05/2022

    Emotional Attachment

    Secure, avoidant, anxious, healthy, unhealthy—attachment comes in all forms and flavors. Olivia and Laurel examine the emotional attachment they have to their own characters and campaigns, leading to some inevitable conclusions about therapy. Plus, Olivia’s inability to pronounce the name of a homebrew race and a discussion of the unpronounceable cantrip Prestidigitation. What Is Emotional Attachment and Is Yours Healthy? By Sanjana Gupta on verywellmind.com Half-Cerberus on D&D Wiki Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and Continuo allegro” by Advent Chamber Orchestra is licensed under a Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

    41 min

  2. 20/04/2022

    Gender Bias in Worldbuilding

    Episode 12 - Gender Bias in Worldbuilding There really isn’t a quip that can suitably introduce this topic, so…BIAS! Buckle up!  Laurel and Olivia set out to determine what types of gender bias they introduce into D&D and how that bias manifests. Plus, a treatise on the delightful Abyssal Chicken and being basic bitches who love swords a little too much. Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and Continuo allegro” by Advent Chamber Orchestra is licensed under a Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

    29 min

  3. 04/04/2022

    Revised Rangers

    Four halflings walk into a bar. They meet a mysterious stranger, a member of the worst-rated D&D class ever: one o’ them rangers. Olivia and Laurel dig deep in the Ranger dirt, reviewing the changes made with the class revision and discussing reasons why these changes are not yet official. Plus, futzing around with the Moonbeam spell because it’s iconic and maybe the most aesthetically chaotic random character to date. Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and Continuo allegro” by Advent Chamber Orchestra is licensed under a Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

    36 min

  4. 28/02/2022

    A Good Story vs. A Good Game

    Sometimes a good tabletop RPG is like sitting around a campfire telling a story with your friends, eating turkey legs, preparing for a long winter. You know, medieval peasant stuff. Laurel and Olivia determine which aspects of “traditional” storytelling work well for D&D and which are better left on the written page. Plus, advice for throwing good combat spaghetti at your players and the absolute mad lad of a homebrewed magic item: the bag of rats. Bag of Rats on D&D Wiki. Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and Continuo allegro” by Advent Chamber Orchestra is licensed under a Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

    36 min

  5. 15/02/2022

    Multiclassing

    If two heads are better than one, then two classes certainly must be as well. Why not three or four? Olivia and Laurel break down the potential benefits and drawbacks of choosing to multiclass your character and provide some advice for building a multiclass you’ll love. Plus, the undeniable sex appeal of the Silvery Barbs spell, and choosing a favorite child from among past D&D characters. Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and Continuo allegro” by Advent Chamber Orchestra is licensed under a Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

    32 min

  6. 31/01/2022

    Failure

    We’ll have none of that nasty real-life failure around here, no, thank you. We will, however, take all the pretend in-game failures available. Laurel and Olivia cover the concept of “failing forward” and discuss ways to make failure fun instead of frustrating. Plus, rustling up some contraband cattle with a homebrew background and the surprisingly charismatic enigma that is the Black Pudding. Dungeon Mastering 101: Failing Forward by The Archmage on dmsworkshop.com Cattle Rustler background on D&D Wiki Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and Continuo allegro” by Advent Chamber Orchestra is licensed under a Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

    38 min

  7. 17/01/2022

    Playing D&D Online

    Chronically online? Addicted to D&D?? Put ‘em together and never leave your house again. Olivia and Laurel tackle the benefits and drawbacks of playing Dungeons & Dragons in an online setting, and offer tips toward creating a great virtual gamespace. Plus, advice for resolving player-to-player conflict at the table, and embracing a destiny of ecoterrorism with a randomly-generated character. Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and Continuo allegro” by Advent Chamber Orchestra is licensed under a Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

    31 min

  8. 03/01/2022

    The Effects of Live-Play Media

    Ah, the sugary aroma of consuming content, developing a hyperfixation, and synthesizing it into your entire personality for a decade! Laurel and Olivia delve into D&D live-play shows to examine the influence they’ve had not only on personal gameplay, but on the community at-large. Plus, a rule for celebrating “the birthday character”, and completely misusing the Time Stop spell because time is an illusion. Media and Society: A Critical Perspective by Arthur Asa Berger Birthday (5e Variant Rule) on D&D Wiki Cover Art by Marie-Anne Simard “Handel - Entrance to the Queen of Sheba for Two Oboes, Strings, and Continuo allegro” by Advent Chamber Orchestra is licensed under a Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.

    35 min
See All (14)

About

Friends and tablemates Olivia Angsten and Laurel Myler dig into the details of Dungeons & Dragons in a (perhaps impractical) attempt to understand why they so dearly adore the game. Armed with academic minds and storytelling hearts, they discuss everything from gender in gaming and table culture to the most best spells and the virtues of the gelatinous cube. Join them on biweekly adventures in search of the answer to the unanswerable question: “What *is* it about D&D??”

Information

  • Creator
    Natural 20-Somethings
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2022
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Natural 20-Somethings
  • Show Website
    Natural 20-Somethings

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