Natural Twenty Podcast

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Episodes

Discussing the imaginary biology and lore of Dungeons & Dragons creatures. Hosted by Dr. Rachelle Lapham (Twitter: @DrunkPhyto), Ethan Lapham (Twitter: @takkun363), and Christian Vinetas (Twitter: @ActionEconomist) Episodes released monthly. Profile and banner art by Laura Bernadette Meeker (Twitter: @bernummm) Intro and Outro music by @Embers_Tide Editing by @Mattwilljackson Warning: Contains some adult language, long nerdy words, bad puns, band names, cackling as a free action, cat noises

Episodes

Wednesday May 17, 2023

Episode 13 Part 2 - Dragons: They Are Real, They Eat at Golden Corral

Wednesday May 17, 2023

Rachelle, Ethan, and Christian finally give in to the pressure and we cover Dragons: The Second Big D in D&D. They are big scaly, scary, and literally everywhere.

And it's time now for the SCIENCE! Turns out, while the great winged forces of nature might not be real, humans sure love to call things "dragon-". On top of that, we did eventually find a big lizard with the temperament and resiliency to live up to that name, so at least one of the many Earth "dragons" is close enough to earn the title. Stick around for Part 2 of Dragons!

Submit any questions, comments, or corrections, by Tweeting @NatTwentyPod or emailing naturaltwentypodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks to Wizards of the Coast and TSR for their wonderful game that we all enjoy.

Sources include:

5th Edition Monster Manual
4th Edition Monster Manual
3.5 Edition Monster Manual
1st Edition Monster Manual
Fizban's Treasury of Dragons
https://a-z-animals.com/blog/9-incredible-lizards-that-look-like-dragons/
https://www.sacred-texts.com/etc/tl/tl08.htm
https://www.biblestudytools.com/topical-verses/dragons-in-the-bible/
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2018/08/30/dragons/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire-breathing_monster
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Chimera-Greek-mythology
https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/29/science/dragons-a-brief-history-long-in-miles.html
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Komodo_dragon

Wednesday May 03, 2023

Episode 13 Part 1 - Dragons: Right There in the Name

Wednesday May 03, 2023

Rachelle, Ethan, and Christian finally give in to the pressure and we cover Dragons: The Second Big D in D&D. They are big scaly, scary, and literally everywhere. Pick a plane, there's a dragon. Mark a multiverse, you'll highlight a dragon. Have an ecological niche in your game? Shove a dragon in there. Now there will be two dragons in that niche, we can nearly guarantee there was already one there. Buckle in for Part 1, as we examine the folklore and game history of Dragons!

Submit any questions, comments, or corrections, by Tweeting @NatTwentyPod or emailing naturaltwentypodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks to Wizards of the Coast and TSR for their wonderful game that we all enjoy.

Sources include:

Tuesday Feb 21, 2023

Episode 12 - Gelatinous Cube and Other Oozes: Dungeon Cork for the Foyer of Weird

Tuesday Feb 21, 2023

Rachelle, Ethan, and Christian fail their Sense and Perception checks and fall headlong into our favorite oozes, discovering that, in or out, never touch the pudding in a dungeon! We covered a fair amount of ground and cleaned it of all the moss we could and really dug into the nooks and crannies. This one gets slimy folks, so strap in for Oozes and Friends with our star: Gelatinous Cube!

Submit any questions, comments, or corrections, by Tweeting @NatTwentyPod or emailing naturaltwentypodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks to Wizards of the Coast and TSR for their wonderful game that we all enjoy.

Sources include:

5th Edition Monster Manual
4th Edition Monster Manual
3.5 Edition Monster Manual
1st Edition Monster Manual
Out of the Abyss (5th Edition)
Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_jelly#Examples
https://www.aqua-calc.com/page/density-table/substance/cork-coma-and-blank-solid

Slime Molds:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slime_mold
https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/slime-molds.htm
https://www.britannica.com/science/slime-mold
https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/slime-molds/
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/the-sublime-slime-mold
https://www.usu.edu/herbarium/education/fun-facts-about-fungi/slime-molds
https://www.fungimag.com/winter-2010-articles/slime_molds.pdf

Jelly Fish:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jellyfish
https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/jellyfish
https://www.britannica.com/animal/jellyfish
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/jellyfish.html
https://www.thoughtco.com/facts-about-jellyfish-4102061

Siphonophores:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/siphonophore
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portuguese_man_o%27_war
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siphonophorae
http://www.siphonophores.org/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Praya_dubia

Friday Apr 15, 2022

Episode 11 Part 2 - Werewolves: Inside You There Are Three Wolf Circles

Friday Apr 15, 2022

Rachelle, Ethan, and Christian complete the full circle of lycanthropy, from science back to folklore, and curse your failed men to itchy balldom forever. Gather round once more for "Horny Werewolf Hour", part deux!

Submit any questions, comments, or corrections, by Tweeting @NatTwentyPod or emailing naturaltwentypodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks to Wizards of the Coast and TSR for their wonderful game that we all enjoy.

Sources include:

5th Edition Monster Manual
4th Edition Monster Manual
3.5 Edition Monster Manual
1st Edition Monster Manual
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Werewolf
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypertrichosis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinical_lycanthropy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamorphosis
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupercalia

Friday Apr 15, 2022

Episode 11 Part 1 - Werewolves: It’s Always Horny Werewolf Hour (In Your Heart)

Friday Apr 15, 2022

Rachelle, Ethan, and Christian delve into werewolves (and assorted lycanthropes) to discover if there is truly a "Horny Werewolf Day" or if you need to keep your self-flagellating nudist parties restricted to Ancient Rome. Join us once more for the obscure mysteries of the past and how easy it is to copy and paste a monster between editions.

Submit any questions, comments, or corrections, by Tweeting @NatTwentyPod or emailing naturaltwentypodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks to Wizards of the Coast and TSR for their wonderful game that we all enjoy.

Sources include:

Saturday Feb 05, 2022

Episode 10 Part 2 - Mimics: Even This Episode

Saturday Feb 05, 2022

Rachelle, Ethan, and Christian are back at the mimic colony to look at the science surrounding mimics, and where you can use them in your game. After asking Mother Nature, the list of places you couldn't use a mimic might be shorter...

Submit any questions, comments, or corrections, by Tweeting @NatTwentyPod or emailing naturaltwentypodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks to Wizards of the Coast and TSR for their wonderful game that we all enjoy.

Sources include:

5th Edition Monster Manual
4th Edition Monster Manual
3.5 Edition Monster Manual
2nd Edition Monstrous Compendium
1st Edition Monster Manual
Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
https://www.britannica.com/science/mimicry

Saturday Jan 22, 2022

Episode 10 Part 1 - Mimics: Welcome, Ambassador Parking Space!

Saturday Jan 22, 2022

Rachelle and Ethan are joined full-time by Christian Vinetas (@ActionEconomist on Twitter) as we examine exactly what your furniture was doing the night of April 17th, 1987. Trust no object and listen in on your preferred device (if it truly is that device) as we look at the original crypt-bros: mimics!

Submit any questions, comments, or corrections, by Tweeting @NatTwentyPod or emailing naturaltwentypodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks to Wizards of the Coast and TSR for their wonderful game that we all enjoy.

Sources include:

Friday Dec 03, 2021

Episode 9 Part 3 - Spiders: Put Them Everywhere! Yes, Even There. They Are Already There.

Friday Dec 03, 2021

Rachelle and Ethan are joined again this month by Christian Vinetas (@ActionEconomist on Twitter) for adventures in Spider town. It's the spider finale! We've realized an eight part mini-series would have been more on brand, but it's too late, because it's GAME TIME! That's right we're jamming your campaign chock-a-block with spiders. Really though, we did nothing extra. They were already there. Waiting.

Submit any questions, comments, corrections, and creature stories for our "Creature Feature" by Tweeting @NatTwentyPod or emailing naturaltwentypodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks to Wizards of the Coast and TSR for their wonderful game that we all enjoy.

Sources include:

5th Edition Monster Manual
4th Edition Monster Manual
3.5 Edition Monster Manual
1st Edition Monster Manual
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_depictions_of_spiders
Spider the Artist - Nnedi Okorafor, Ph.D
Lagoon - Nnedi Okorafor, Ph.D
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anansi

Thursday Nov 04, 2021

Episode 9 Part 2 - Spiders: Who Designed This Thing?

Thursday Nov 04, 2021

Rachelle and Ethan are joined again this month by Christian Vinetas (@ActionEconomist on Twitter) for adventures in Spider town. We're working on a new format, so bear with us as this is part two of three! It's Biology time! We dig deep into the reference jar and the jumble of organs that are Spiders!

Submit any questions, comments, corrections, and creature stories for our "Creature Feature" by Tweeting @NatTwentyPod or emailing naturaltwentypodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks to Wizards of the Coast and TSR for their wonderful game that we all enjoy.

Sources include:

5th Edition Monster Manual
4th Edition Monster Manual
3.5 Edition Monster Manual
1st Edition Monster Manual
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_depictions_of_spiders
Spider the Artist - Nnedi Okorafor, Ph.D
Lagoon - Nnedi Okorafor, Ph.D
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anansi

Monday Oct 04, 2021

Episode 9 Part 1 - Spiders: Crab of the Land

Monday Oct 04, 2021

Rachelle and Ethan are joined again this month by Christian Vinetas (@ActionEconomist on Twitter) for adventures in Spider town. We're working on a new format, so bear with us as this is part one of three! More content for your dungeon! Additional spiders for your dragons!

Submit any questions, comments, corrections, and creature stories for our "Creature Feature" by Tweeting @NatTwentyPod or emailing naturaltwentypodcast@gmail.com.

Thanks to Wizards of the Coast and TSR for their wonderful game that we all enjoy.

Sources include:

5th Edition Monster Manual
4th Edition Monster Manual
3.5 Edition Monster Manual
1st Edition Monster Manual
Mythic Odysseys of Theros
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cultural_depictions_of_spiders
Spider the Artist - Nnedi Okorafor, Ph.D
Lagoon - Nnedi Okorafor, Ph.D
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anansi