Game designers show you their favorite monster, how it works, why it works, and what it means. Each bite-sized episode features a game designer and the monster of their choice.
Extinction: Ivory-Billed Woodpecker, D&D's celestial Questing Bird
December 15, 2021 • 36 MIN
Declared extinct less than three months ago, the ivory-billed woodpecker is the holy grail of birders all over the U.S. Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in D&D: https://store.magehandpress.com/products/book-of-extinction-preview
Get the Questing Bird stat block by joining the Mage Hand Press Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mfov
Episode transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-extinction-ivory-billed-woodpecker/
Guides:
Kieran Suckling, Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Biological Diversity
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/
Ben Gilsdorf, amateur ornithologist
https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count
Extinction: Thylacine, Ghost Tiger of the Feywild
December 10, 2021 • 29 MIN
The thylacine of Tasmania becomes the ghost tiger of the Feywild. Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in D&D: https://store.magehandpress.com/products/book-of-extinction-preview
Episode transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-extinction-thylacine/
Guides:
Steve Sullivan, Director of the Hefner Museum of Natural History at Miami University
http://miamioh.edu/cas/academics/centers/hefner-museum/
Kieran Suckling, Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Biological Diversity
https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/
Andrew Coons, First Watch:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5p4VD1CxwndFhal7DF0mA
House Sivis Echoer Station:
https://www.sivisechoerstation.com/echoes/cyre-once-again
Like this stat block? Did I miss something? Let me know on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter
Extinction: Great Auk, the Ocean Master
November 22, 2021 • 18 MIN
The great auk is the original penguin, and quite possibly the unluckiest bird in history. Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in D&D: https://store.magehandpress.com/products/book-of-extinction-preview
Episode transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-extinction-great-auk/
Guides:
Kieran Suckling, Executive Director and Founder of the Center for Biological Diversity
Tierra Curry, Senior Scientist at the Center for Biological Diversity
Stan Rachootin, Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences at Mount Holyoke University
Appearing courtesy the Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College
Like this stat block? Did I miss something? Let me know on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter
Extinction: Passenger Pigeon, the Feathered Tide
November 18, 2021 • 28 MIN
Passenger pigeons were once the most numerous bird on the planet, a swarm of Tiny beasts covering the sky. Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in D&D: https://store.magehandpress.com/products/book-of-extinction-preview
Episode transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-extinction-passenger-pigeon/
Guides:
Steve Sullivan, Director of the Hefner Museum of Natural History, Miami University
Stan Rachootin, Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences at Mount Holyoke University
Appearing courtesy the Beneski Museum of Natural History, Amherst College
Like this stat block? Did I miss something? Let me know on Twitter: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter
Making a Monster: Extinction
November 8, 2021 • 15 MIN
The biodiversity of our natural world creates the biodiversity of our storytelling. Get three extinct animals raised to life as monsters in Dungeons & Dragons: https://store.magehandpress.com/products/book-of-extinction-preview
Episode transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-extinction-animals-in-dnd/
Guests:
Steve Sullivan, Director
Hefner Museum of Natural History, Miami University
Additional voices:
Matt Davids, https://www.dicegeeks.com/monster-first-tabletop-rpgs/
Joe Gaylord, https://twitter.com/LabLazarus
Nat Biggs, https://scintilla.studio/monster-displacer-beast/
Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter
Planegea, the Stone Age setting for D&D
October 25, 2021 • 35 MIN
Planegea is the prehistoric, stone-punk setting for D&D 5th Edition. Designer Dave Somerville talks about the Kelledros, body-snatching jungle aliens with so much to add to any D&D story.
Read the transcript and get more from the show:
https://scintilla.studio/monster-planegea-atlas-games/
Meet my guests:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/atlasgames/planegea
https://www.twitter.com/Planegea
https://twitter.com/AtlasGames
Get bonus episodes and other monstrous perks:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
www.twitter.com/SparkOtter
www.instagram.com/SparkOtter
Music by Audionautix
www.audionautix.com
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons with Amy Vorpahl
October 18, 2021 • 33 MIN
What's his deal, anyway? Amy Vorpahl is the voice of Fizban, multiverse-spanning god of dragons, in Fizban's Treasury of Dragons. We discuss this character's view of the world, how to write for D&D, and whether Fizban is fun to hang out with. Spoiler alert: he is.
Read the transcript and get more from the show:
https://scintilla.studio/monster-fizbans-treasury-of-dragons-with-amy-vorpahl
Meet my guests:
https://www.twitter.com/VorpahlSword
https://www.amyvorpahl.com/
Get bonus episodes and other monstrous perks:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter
Music by Audionautix:www.audionautix.com
Bonus: Skitterwidgets, from Amy Vorpahl's Candlekeep Mystery
October 15, 2021 • 10 MIN
Amy Vorpahl couldn't resist adding a cute little Pokémon to her Candlekeep Mystery. Here's more about the skitterwidgets, what Pat Rothfuss could gain from a little more magic, and how to stay motivated while writing. Read the transcript and get more from the show:
https://scintilla.studio/monster-amy-vorpahl-candlekeep-mystery
Meet my guests:
https://www.twitter.com/VorpahlSword
https://www.amyvorpahl.com/
Get bonus episodes and other monstrous perks:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation: www.twitter.com/SparkOtter
Music by Audionautix:www.audionautix.com
GM Edition: Fun City, Mike Rugnetta & Taylor Moore
October 11, 2021 • 72 MIN
Fun City is the best Shadowrun actual play podcast on the Internet, and its two Gms, Mike Rugnetta and Taylor Moore, crafted a beautiful, dimension-spanning arc with the most thought-provoking villain this show has featured yet.
Making a Monster: GM Edition asks actual play podcasters how they use the monsters in their games. Read the
transcript and get more from the show:
https://scintilla.studio/monster-fun-city-mike-rugnetta-taylor-moore
Meet my guests:
https://funcity.ventures
https://www.twitter.com/MikeRugnetta
https://twitter.com/taylordotbiz
https://www.YouTube.com/MikeRugnetta
Get bonus episodes and other monstrous perks:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
www.twitter.com/SparkOtter
www.instagram.com/SparkOtter
Music by Nihilore and Audionautix
http://www.nihilore.com/license
www.audionautix.com
GM Edition: Chosen Ones D&D
October 4, 2021 • 43 MIN
Chosen Ones is a visual-novel style D&D podcast on YouTube with an all-artist and LGBT+ cast. DM Cassiroll and I discuss playing too much D&D, too little combat, and the window between heroism and villainy.
Making a Monster: GM Edition asks actual play podcasters how they use the monsters in their games. Read the
transcript and get more from the show:
https://scintilla.studio/monster-chosen-ones-dnd/
Meet my guest:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqa9_zBgST-wPRCVL7PXwvw
https://twitter.com/ChosenOnesDnD
Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks like the recording at the beginning of this episode:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
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Music by Nihilore and Audionautix
http://www.nihilore.com/license
www.audionautix.com
GM Edition: The First Watch
September 27, 2021 • 33 MIN
The First Watch is a cinematic actual play podcast making the most of genre-based storytelling. DM Andrew Coons and I discuss the seven types of conflict in literature and how heroes make the courageous, if stupid, choice.
Making a Monster: GM Edition asks actual play podcasters how they use the monsters in their games. Read the
transcript and get more from the show:
https://scintilla.studio/monster-first-watch/
Meet my guest:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCu5p4VD1CxwndFhal7DF0mA
https://twitter.com/firstwatchshow
Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks like the recording at the beginning of this episode:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
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Music by Nihilore
http://www.nihilore.com/license
GM Edition: The Last Tapestry
September 20, 2021 • 38 MIN
The Last Tapestry is a tech-noir, Eberron-inspired actual play D&D podcast. DM Dan Locke and I discuss "monster monsters" and the definition of villainy.
Making a Monster: GM Edition asks actual play podcasters how they use the monsters in their games. Read the
transcript and get more from the show:
https://scintilla.studio/monster-the-last-tapestry/
Meet my guest:
https://www.thelasttapestry.com/
Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks like the recording at the beginning of this episode:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
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Music by Nihilore
http://www.nihilore.com/license
GM Edition: Nikki Yager, Beholder to No One
September 13, 2021 • 41 MIN
Nikki Yager makes D&D podcasts. Like, a lot of D&D podcasts. Like a lot. Her favorite villains are the ones who think they're the hero. We talk about heroism and villainy on a dimmer, and the many, many times gamers seem to end up at Denny's.
Making a Monster: GM Edition asks actual play podcasters how they use the monsters in their games. Read the
transcript and get more from the show:
https://scintilla.studio/monster-beholder-to-no-one/
Meet my guest:
https://linktr.ee/BeholdertoNoOne
Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks like the recording at the beginning of this episode:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
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Music by Nihilore
http://www.nihilore.com/license
Avatar Legends on what makes Azula scary
September 1, 2021 • 38 MIN
Avatar Legends brings the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender to your tabletop as an RPG. The game has a balanced take on what it means to be a villain and a monster. Join designers James Mendez Hodes and Sharang Biswas and discover how the Apocalypse World engine becomes a faithful representation of the show
Read the transcript and get more from the show:
https://scintilla.studio/monster-avatar-legends-the-rpg/
Roll20's Burn Bryte puts a Blipp in your Ship, ft. James Introcaso
June 28, 2021 • 29 MIN
Roll20's exclusive sci-fi RPG Burn Bryte asks you to jump in to a galaxy where an adorable teleporting mischief fox could just walk right into your ship. It's also a game where hope wins.
Learn more about Burn Bryte and get 3 monsters from My Dad's Monster Manual on the episode page here: https://scintilla.studio/monster-blipp-burn-bryte
Meet my guest:
https://twitter.com/JamesIntrocaso
http://www.jamesintrocaso.com/
https://worldbuilderblog.me/
https://burnbryte.com/
Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks like the recording at the beginning of this episode:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
www.twitter.com/SparkOtter
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Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com
Teaching Social Skills through Dungeons & Dragons at Roll Play Lead
June 25, 2021 • 38 MIN
Roll Play Lead uses Dungeons & Dragons to teach social skills to teens in Colorado. Kids and teens use monsters to explore the obstacles in their own lives.
You can support Roll Play Lead Directly, use Jamie's adventures in your home game, or check out her TEDx Talk at the links here: https://scintilla.studio/monster-roll-play-lead-social-skills-dnd
Meet my guest: https://twitter.com/Rosey_Games
Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks like the recording at the beginning of this episode:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
www.twitter.com/SparkOtter
www.instagram.com/SparkOtter
Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com
Tamlin, the Feywild's white rabbit
June 23, 2021 • 28 MIN
Leading unsuspecting adventurers to the Feywild with a gentlemanly hand, the tamlin combines the Scottish folk tale with the literary trope of the white rabbit for a planes-hopping, swashbuckling good time.
To read the transcript and find out what a "gish" is visit the show's website: https://scintilla.studio/monster-tamlin-feywilds-white-rabbit
Meet my guest: https://twitter.com/LabLazarus
Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks like the recording at the beginning of this episode:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
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Closing music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com
Varadrel, the kaiju angel
June 15, 2021 • 21 MIN
As one of D&D's very few Celestial monsters, Varadrel is an agent of divine justice best compared to the personified disasters of Japanese kaiju.
To read the transcript, check out "Titans of Faerun", or see the full-color, "be not afraid" illustration of Varadrel, visit the show's website: https://scintilla.studio/varadrel-the-kaiju-angel/
Meet my guests:
https://twitter.com/honeybadger3495
https://twitter.com/theicequeer
Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
www.twitter.com/SparkOtter
www.instagram.com/SparkOtter
Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com
Eberron's Shattered Kalashtar of Reirdra
May 31, 2021 • 29 MIN
The shattered kalashtar asks questions about dealing with trauma, and lets other players participate in the answers. It expands D&D's Eberron campaign setting with a psychic dystopia reminiscent of Neuromancer and Brave New World.
Download the stat block and read the full transcript here: https://scintilla.studio/monster-shattered-kalashtar-eberron/
Meet my guest:
https://twitter.com/ILGingell
https://imogen.space/
Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
www.twitter.com/SparkOtter
www.instagram.com/SparkOtter
Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com
Shakespeare and Lovecraft Combine in Delirium
May 26, 2021 • 20 MIN
Andrew Grondin wrote a tabletop game that combines European fairy tales and Lovecraftian existential horror. Inside that Venn diagram is a surprisingly encouraging message about power and who has it.
Read the full transcript here: https://scintilla.studio/shakespeare-lovecraft-combine-delirium
Meet my guest:
https://twitter.com/TheSiegeAndrew
https://s-15studios.squarespace.com/#/delirium/
Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
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Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com
In Free League's Vaesen, Fairies Capture Changing Culture
May 3, 2021 • 28 MIN
Nils Hintze is the lead writer of Vaesen, a Nordic horror role-playing game by Free League Publishing. In this game, fairies and other monsters manifest the anxieties of a rapidly-urbanizing 19th century Sweden.
Read the full transcript here: https://scintilla.studio/free-leagues-vaesen
Meet my guest:
https://twitter.com/KeithAmmann
https://www.themonstersknow.com
Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
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Music by Arcane Anthems: https://www.patreon.com/arcaneanthems
The Monsters Know What They're Doing with Keith Ammann
March 22, 2021 • 17 MIN
Keith Ammann, author of Monsters Know What They're Doing, shows us how to decode a monster's game mechanics to discover its intended use. We also get into how culture makes monsters, both in game and out.
Read the full transcript here: https://scintilla.studio/the-monsters-know-what-theyre-doing-with-keith-ammann
Meet my guest:
https://twitter.com/KeithAmmann
https://www.themonstersknow.com
Get early access to episodes and other monstrous perks:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
www.twitter.com/SparkOtter
www.instagram.com/SparkOtter
Closing music from Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com
The Raven Wizard - Coyote and Crow
March 17, 2021 • 22 MIN
The Cherokee myth of the Raven Wizard is retold in Connor Alexander's Coyote and Crow, a tabletop role-playing game set in an alternate future of the Americas where colonization never occurred.
Full transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-coyote-and-crow-raven-wizard/
Vo the Voice Snatcher, from the Bard College of Silence
March 8, 2021 • 19 MIN
From the Bard College of Silence by Kai Linder comes Vo the Voice Snatcher, an aberration capable of stealing the voice from your throat and adding it to its own. It's a kind of creepy that stays with you long after the fight is over.
Get the College of Silence for 75% off by clicking here:
https://scintilla.studio/monster-college-of-silence-voice-snatcher
Bonus: Dvati - playing 2 characters across editions
February 22, 2021 • 50 MIN
Dvati is a race option for D&D to play 2 characters at once. An extra-long bonus episode 20 years in the making, bringing together the original designer, the 5th edition homebrewer, and maybe the only person to play the Dvati in a long-running campaign.
Full transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-dvati-race-dnd/
Wizmos from "D&D in Space" by Mage Hand Press
February 15, 2021 • 18 MIN
"They're capricious little scrap robots, and I love them." The Wizmos from Dark Matter (a sci-fi D&D conversion by Mage Hand Press) are just doing the best they can, and it isn't very good.
Get the one-page-RPG Wizmo Havoc here: https://scintilla.studio/wizmos-dark-matter-mage-hand-press/
Niels RPG Toons makes a Monstrosity
February 1, 2021 • 20 MIN
What if the Kraken is too big to release? Niels RPG Toons uses cartoon-style fantasy art to tell vibrant, expressive stories, including one about a tentacle monster so big it's an ecosystem unto itself.
Transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-niels-rpg-toons-makes-a-monstrosity
Melusine of Avalon - Chris Hopper
January 27, 2021 • 20 MIN
The Melusine legend has so many tails in our modern cultural heritage that you've probably seen her even if you didn't know her name - much like the work of a good spymaster. Designer Chris Hopper talks about bringing the Melusine to Dungeons & Dragons in the first episode of Making a Monster Season 2!
Get the stat block for the Melusine and read the full transcript here:
https://scintilla.studio/monster-melusine-chris-hopper
14: Grikk the Many - Matthew Whitby
December 21, 2020 • 15 MIN
What happens when the monsters level up too? Matthew Whitby, host of the Dungeon Master's Guild House, shares a goblin with power enough to be more than a level 1 punching bag.
Get the full transcript and see the art of Grikk the Many here:
https://scintilla.studio/monster-boss-goblin-matthew-whitby
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5_AJjTbkdw&list=PLNqL_h0x0qyZoNSS1VP1tBA5QCaie5Coo&index=16
What happens when the monsters level up too? Matthew Whitby, host of the Dungeon Master's Guild House, shares a goblin with power enough to be more than a level 1 punching bag.
Get the full transcript and see the art of Grikk the Many here:
https://scintilla.studio/monster-boss-goblin-matthew-whitby
Original release date 12/21/20
Support the show:
www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Meet Matthew Whitby and watch his YouTube podcast "The Dungeon Master's Guildhouse"!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZvHj-LI4-ZO10NCr_tRRzQ
https://www.twitter.com/WhitbyWrites
Join the conversation:
https://twitter.com/sparkotter
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Music:
"Something Amiss" by Will Savino, www.patreon.com/musicd20
"Pennywhistle" by Jason Shaw, www.audionautix.com
13: Werepigeon - House Sivis Echoer Station
December 14, 2020 • 12 MIN
Steve and Rebecca from House Sivis Echoer Station, an unofficial Eberron podcast that put NPR in D&D, discuss the werepigeon, their show's running joke, and whether you have to be scared of an animal to make a lycanthrope out of it.
Full transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-werepigeon-house-sivis-echoer-station/
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfzVea03xhg&list=PLNqL_h0x0qyZoNSS1VP1tBA5QCaie5Coo&index=15
Originally released 12/14/20
House Sivis Echoer Station is a well-written, well-edited fiction podcast taking place in Keith Baker's Eberron setting, where two intrepid gnomes capitalize on the happy magical accident of "broad casting". I play Thresher Cain, investigative journalist and monster correspondent, on the latest episode of the show!
https://www.sivisechoerstation.com/
https://www.patreon.com/sivisechoerstation
Learn more about what Thresher encountered in the Mournlands:
https://scintilla.studio/monster-09-music-elemental-itsadndmonsternow/
https://scintilla.studio/monster-03-warforged-colossus-steve-fidler/
Support the show:
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https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
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Music from Jason Shaw at Audionautix: https://audionautix.com/
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12: The Bagger - Justice Arman
December 9, 2020 • 18 MIN
When the devil's payment is due, who comes to collect? Justice Arman shows us fiendish collection agents in this episode of Making a Monster.
Read the transcript and see art from the book: https://scintilla.studio/monster-bagger-justice-arman/
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=alVag3dMLq8&list=PLNqL_h0x0qyZoNSS1VP1tBA5QCaie5Coo&index=14
Support the show:
https://www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
www.ko-fi.com/scintillastudio
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Meet Justice Arman: https://twitter.com/justicearman
Get Devil's Advocate, A Guide to Infernal Contracts: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/283699/Devils-Advocate-A-Guide-to-Infernal-Contracts?affiliate_id=1485089
Join the conversation:
https://twitter.com/sparkotter
https://www.instagram.com/sparkotter/
Music by Will Savino (Music d20): https://www.patreon.com/musicd20
Bonus: Endless Houses
December 4, 2020 • 7 MIN
After 3 weeks of moving, I have a lot of thoughts about haunted houses. Featuring previously-unreleased audio from guests Michael Sands, Robert Turk, and James Harrington, here's a quick bonus episode for you on the horror of place!
Visit our website for more bonus content and to catch future episodes: https://www.scintilla.studio/monster
11: Rime of the Frostmaiden Double Feature
November 2, 2020 • 20 MIN
Get Chilling Tales from the Whispering Wind:
https://www.dmsguild.com/product/334022/Chilling-Tales-from-the-Whispering-Winds?affiliate_id=1485089
Two monsters from Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden - Malquaestus Pizkor, literal boss monster, and Saja Snowtooth.
Read the transcript and see art from the book here: https://scintilla.studio/monster-rime-of-the-frostmaiden-double-feature/
Everyone in the show:
Sebastian Yue: https://twitter.com/sebastianyue
Cassandra MacDonald: https:/twitter.com/theicequeer
Michael Sands: https://scintilla.studio/monster-06-monster-of-the-week-michael-sands/
Will Savino (Music d20): https://twitter.com/Music_d20
https://www.patreon.com/musicd20/posts
Adventure Music: https://twitter.com/AdventureMusic2
https://www.patreon.com/adventuremusicjr
Music and more from Shards of the Storm:
Adventure Music: https://www.patreon.com/posts/shards-of-storm-41672951
Music d20: https://www.patreon.com/posts/shards-of-storm-41671923
It's a DnD Monster Now: https://www.patreon.com/posts/new-mega-shards-41672265
Support the show:
https://patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://ko-fi.com/sparkotter
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
https://twitter.com/sparkotter
https://www.instagram.com/sparkotter/
Bonus: Dagon - IT GOES DEEPER
October 30, 2020 • 18 MIN
Lucas, Alex, and James revisit Dagon, Lovecraft's first eldritch horror, to discover the Marianas Trench of origin stories.
Listen to the original "Dagon" episode and get a free copy of Alex's monster-fighting supplement "Go for the Eyes!": https://scintilla.studio/monster-07-dagon-alex-clippinger/
Meet the guest:
https://twitter.com/Aclippinger
Ezmerelda's Encyclopedia of Evil: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/319231/Ezmereldas-Encyclopedia-of-Evil?affiliate_id=1485089
Support the show:
https://www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
www.ko-fi.com/scintillastudio
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
https://twitter.com/sparkotter
https://www.instagram.com/sparkotter/
Music from Jason Shaw at Audionautix: https://audionautix.com/
10: Heckna - Ashley Warren
October 26, 2020 • 16 MIN
Ashley Warren, lead writer for the Heckna carnival horror campaign setting, introduces us to Heckna himself, the post-human clown king of the Revelia.
Get desktop wallpaper with art from the game: https://scintilla.studio/monster-10-heckna-ashley-warren/
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_rmBkRxXlI&list=PLNqL_h0x0qyZoNSS1VP1tBA5QCaie5Coo&index=12
Learn more about the Heckna carnival horror campaign setting:
https://hitpointpress.com/
Find Ashley Warren online:
https://www.scribemind.com/
https://twitter.com/ashleynhwarren
Support the show:
https://www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
www.ko-fi.com/scintillastudio
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
https://twitter.com/sparkotter
https://www.instagram.com/sparkotter/
Music: "Jolly Jamboree" by Mint Potion, courtesy of Hit Point Press
09: Music Elemental - It's a D&D Monster Now
October 19, 2020 • 15 MIN
Kyle Pointer, also known as user/ItsADnDMonsterNow, shares the most mechanically interesting monster he's made as Reddit's resident D&D graffiti artist - the music elemental.
Transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-09-music-elemental-itsadndmonsternow/
08: Abomination - Never Going Home, Wet Ink Games
October 13, 2020 • 17 MIN
A cosmic horror game set in World War I uses supernatural aberrations to reflect the human corruption of that period in history. Featuring Never Going Home's writer Irvin Jackson, artist Charles Ferguson Avery, and system designer Brandon Aten.
See Charlie's illustrations and read the transcript on the show's website: https://scintilla.studio/monster-08-abomination-never-going-home-wet-ink-games/
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9PSYV7xDrk&list=PLNqL_h0x0qyZoNSS1VP1tBA5QCaie5Coo&index=10
Meet the Guests:
Never Going Home: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/283637/Never-Going-Home?affiliate_id=1485089
Wet Ink Games: https://twitter.com/WetInkGames
Irvin Jackson: https://ascensioncomic.com/
Charles Ferguson Avery:
https://www.instagram.com/charlie_fergusonavery/
https://twitter.com/CharlieFergaves
https://feral-indie-studios.itch.io/
More about Inktober:
https://scintilla.studio/musician-does-inktober/
Support the show:
https://www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
www.ko-fi.com/scintillastudio
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
https://twitter.com/sparkotter
https://www.instagram.com/sparkotter/
Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix: audionautix.com/
Air raid siren from Orange Free Sounds: http://www.orangefreesounds.com/air-raid-siren/
07: Dagon, Demon Prince of the Shadowsea - Alex Clippinger
September 29, 2020 • 13 MIN
Alex Clippinger brings H.P. Lovecraft's first published monster, Dagon, to 5th edition D&D. We track how monsters become "dungeon and dragons-ed", and explore how game mechanics imitate the experience and intent of the cosmic horror genre.
Get a free copy of "Go for the Eyes!": https://scintilla.studio/monster-07-dagon-alex-clippinger/
06: Monster of the Week - Michael Sands
September 24, 2020 • 14 MIN
Monster of the Week is the system that powers The Adventure Zone and Critshow. Designer Michael Sands talks about Marilynn, the improbable fairy creature who nearly derailed a playtest campaign, and the system's story-first approach to creating mysteries and monsters.
Transcript: https://scintilla.studio/monster-06-monster-of-the-week-michael-sands/
Find out more about Michael Sands and Monster of the Week:
https://www.evilhat.com/home/monster-of-the-week/
https://genericgames.co.nz/
Get your own copy of Monster of the Week:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/143518/Monster-of-the-Week?affiliate_id=1485089
Connect with the show:
www.scintilla.studio/monster
www.twitter.com/SparkOtter
Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix.com
05: Itzigratz - Bryan Holmes
September 14, 2020 • 12 MIN
Just how dangerous can mind flayers be? Forgotten Realms expert and best-selling DM's Guild creator Bryan Holmes brings a proper Illithid Lich to the show, and asks how much responsibility do we have to stop bad things before they happen.
You can download the full stat block for Itzigratz the Illithid Lich on the show's website here: https://scintilla.studio/monster-05-itzigratz-illithid-lich-bryan-holmes
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s69hhKCQJqM&list=PLNqL_h0x0qyZoNSS1VP1tBA5QCaie5Coo&index=6
Get 35 more Mythic Encounters on the DM's Guild here: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/315637/Mythic-Encounters?affiliate_id=1485089
Meet the guest:
https://twitter.com/FallenWyvern
Support the show:
https://www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
https://twitter.com/sparkotter
https://www.instagram.com/sparkotter/
Music from Jason Shaw at Audionautix: https://audionautix.com/
04: Space Leper Nuns - Robert Turk
September 7, 2020 • 13 MIN
Robert Turk's sci-fi survival horror game Starship Infernum offers a campy scenario featuring space leper nuns, letting players test the strength of their convictions and crack a few jokes along the way.
Read the full transcript and see art from the game at https://scintilla.studio/monster-04-space-leper-nuns-robert-turk/
03: Warforged Colossus - Steve Fidler
August 24, 2020 • 11 MIN
Somewhere in the Mournlands of Eberron, a weapon of mass destruction walks freely across the blighted wasteland. For players, the Warforged Colossus blurs the line between monster and environment - between dungeon and dragon.
Steve Fidler of Vorpal Dice Press shows us around Arkus, the Warforged Colossus, a creature that is also a dungeon. With its horde of deformed Warforged and its origin in the Glowing Chasm of Eberron's Mournlands, it’s pretty easy to read the Warforged Colossus as a metaphor for nuclear fallout - a kind of steampunk Godzilla. "Sometimes," Steve says, "I think a lot of players do just enjoy beating the bad guy."
As a special bonus for listeners of the podcast, Steve has made available one of Mythic Eberron’s Mythic Rewards: it’s called a Salvaged Titan Chassis, and it’s a fully operational mech suit your D&D character can pilot. Download the PDF free here: https://scintilla.studio/monster-03-warforged-colossus-steve-fidler/
Meet my guest:
https://twitter.com/vorpaldicepress/
http://vorpaldicepress.com/
Saga MacKenzie, illustrator: https://smackfolio.wordpress.com/
Meet the guest:
http://www.wicked-clever.com/
https://www.facebook.com/wickedclever/
Support the show:
https://www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
https://twitter.com/sparkotter
https://www.instagram.com/sparkotter/
Music from Jason Shaw at Audionautix: https://audionautix.com/
02: The Heir of Orcus - Anthony Joyce
August 17, 2020 • 11 MIN
Will you redeem the unredeemable? Anthony Joyce shares how the Heir of Orcus makes heroes and villains hard to distinguish in Dungeons & Dragons.
Free copies of The Heir of Orcus adventure are still available! Visit the episode page at https://scintilla.studio/monster-02-heir-orcus-anthony-joyce
Meet the guest:
http://www.wicked-clever.com/
https://www.facebook.com/wickedclever/
Support the show:
https://www.patreon.com/scintillastudio
https://www.dmsguild.com/browse.php?author=Lucas%20Zellers
Join the conversation:
https://twitter.com/sparkotter
https://www.instagram.com/sparkotter/
Music from Jason Shaw at Audionautix: https://audionautix.com/
01: Jiangshi - Banana Chan, Game and a Curry
August 10, 2020 • 14 MIN
The Jiangshi, Chinese hopping vampires, in an RPG that addresses the racism and oppression of 1920s Chinatown - featuring Banana Chan of Game and a Curry.
Read the full transcript and see art from the game here: https://scintilla.studio/monster-01-jiangshi-banana-chan/
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwZnw01Oz9U&list=PLNqL_h0x0qyZoNSS1VP1tBA5QCaie5Coo&index=2
Join the conversation:
https://twitter.com/sparkotter
https://www.instagram.com/sparkotter/
Guest links:
https://www.facebook.com/gameandacurry/
https://twitter.com/gameandacurry
https://www.facebook.com/WetInkGames
https://twitter.com/wetinkgames
Music by Jason Shaw at Audionautix: https://audionautix.com
A version of this article also appears on Love Thy Nerd: https://lovethynerd.com/jiangshi-lets-players-empathize-with-victims-of-systemic-racism/
00: Making a Monster
August 4, 2020 • 1 MIN
Welcome to Making a Monster, a weekly podcast where game designers show their favorite monster, how it works, why it works, and what it means.
Each week's episode will feature one guest and the monster of their choice. Many create for Dungeons & Dragons, but you'll also hear from designers of many other excellent games like Jiangshi: Blood in the Banquet Hall, Monster of the Week, Never Going Home, and Starship Infernum.