Podcasts!

[MrConsideration]

I was wondering if people in the Playground would like to share some of their favourite podcasts. Everytime I go to the gym, tidy the house, driving or when I'm relaxing playing a game I listen to them but I've found new ones can be really difficult to find. In particular, I'm finding it hard to find good quality gaming podcasts, but I'm also a big fan of History (which is to be expected as I'm a History Teacher for a living - any podcasts I could use as a lesson resource would also be great!)

I have liked:

D&D:

Godsfall (http://www.godsfall.com/) Godsfall is an actual-play podcast which is singled out by being really well-produced - the sessions are cut into a coherent storyline and the world-building is great. The story arc is unfolding as we speak though so it's hard to binge-watch as I'd like.

Roll for Initiative (http://rfipodcast.com/show/) I find these guys have really interesting ideas and guests, but I don't play First Edition so anything mechanical I find really tedious. They're also grognards, which I don't mind, but they're very dismissive of later editions (I play 5e at the moment).

Crit Juice (http://www.critjuice.com/) Very funny actual play podcast with professioanl comedians, but I've basically lost the thread of the plot and started to lose interest.

Orc Labs
(http://orclabs.com/) Orc Labs is fairly new and 5e focused. The presenters are funny and interesting but I find the podcast a little too focused on the mechanics and min-max side of the table.

History/Knowledge!:

In Our Time with Mevyn Bragg (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qykl) A weekly show that's quite well-established as a Radio 4 staple (Radio 4 is the pretentious, middle class radio station in perfidious Albion). Melvyn and some academics will discuss a subject from History or Philosophy or Religion or Science in depth.

The History of the World in 100 Objects (http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00nrtd2/episodes/downloads) This show starts from the first carved antler art and moves to credit cards in an effort to explain human history through 100 objects. Very novel, very interesting and very gameable - so much inspiration for magic items for your campaigns!

Stuff You Missed in History Class (http://www.missedinhistory.com/) Another solid History podcast featuring the strange - such as the fact that the man who invented Sea Monkeys was a white supremacist, and that Teddy Roosevelt was once involved in a plan to bring hippo-farming to the USA.

You are not so Smart (http://youarenotsosmart.com/podcast/) This is a psychology podcast which describes the many ways you reasoning is flawed. Very interesting,

Hardcore History (http://www.dancarlin.com/hardcore-history-series/) Mammoth podcasts (up to 12-15 hours!) which deal in depth with History topics. Very focused on warfare and grisly details.

Lore (http://www.lorepodcast.com/) This podcast used real-life stories to illuminate aspects of American mythology - almost every one of these stories would be a great adventure hook in a D&D or CoC game!

Stories:

Serial (http://serialpodcast.org/) As the most successful podcast ever I don't think Serial needs me to promote it. It's an excellent true story of a journalist investigating a murder which happened decades ago, in the hope of possibly freeing the supposed murderer.

Welcome to Night Vale
(http://commonplacebooks.com/) The radio-show from a surreal town. Impossible to explain but brilliant to follow.

What are some of your favourites?

[Corlindale]

Thank you so much for this list. Like you, I am always looking for new stuff to listen to while running, cleaning or playing videogames.

I am not as well-versed as you, but if you're looking for audio drama I quite like Wormwood (http://wormwoodshow.com/). It's somewhat similar to Twin Peaks in theme and concept, except with the supernatural stuff dialed up to 11. I really enjoyed the first 2 seasons, although I never really got into the third one (the narrative becomes quite disjointed then, with a lot of standalone stories in the middle of the thing).

Not technically podcasts, but Librivox (https://librivox.org/) is a cornucopia of free audiobooks. Great if you like older books especially - probably also features a lot of historical stuff. The books are read by volunteers, so be mindful of the quality of your chosen book before you download 60 hours for your holidays. Many of the most iconic books exist in several versions, so you can check what voice you like the best.

[MrConsideration]

Those both look great! I'll give them a listen.

[Areswargod139]

What are some of your favourites?

Nightvale is awesome. Some of my favorites:

Intelligence Squared Debates (http://intelligencesquaredus.org/debates/past-debates). Oxford-style debates hosted by NPR. No subject is taboo! A warning however, Oxford style debates are won by how persuasive the argument is, not necessarily how right it is. They take a vote before the debate and a voter after. Whichever side gets the biggest increase in vote percentage wins. Also the crowd voting on the issue at hand often stuff the "undecided" first vote--you get 40% undecided first votes on issues that I don't really think people are all that split on. Give a few episodes a listen and you'll know what I'm talking about. Available for free on itunes.

The Thomas Jefferson Hour (http://www.jeffersonhour.com/listen.html) A chitaqua performer and historian named Clay Jenkinson (who has appeared on the Colbert Report) performs an hour long in-character performance as Thomas Jefferson. He answers several topics and questions as the legendary founding father. Be forewarned! The more you know about Jefferson the less you will like him! Even Jenkinson has often referred to Jefferson as Mr. Magoo.

The Truth (http://thetruthpodcast.com/The_Truth.html) Haven't listened to all of these yet. Short dramatic stories. Very good.

The History of Rome (http://thehistoryofrome.typepad.com/the_history_of_rome/archives.html) An oldie but a goodie. A finished podcast detailing the history of the Western Roman Empire retold in a witty style. Considered the gold standard in history podcasting.
How Did This Get Made?
(http://www.earwolf.com/show/how-did-this-get-made/) Professional comedians watch and mock incredibly poor movies. Hilarious but has swearing if you mind.
All of these are free on itunes.

[MrConsideration]

I must say I'm really enjoying The Truth and Wormwood!

[Corlindale]

That's good to hear! I like the one with 100 historical objects. Now I really want to visit the British Museum again soon:-)

[Legato Endless]

This is serendipitous. I just obtained a new phone that allows me to listen to podcasts, so I've started hunting down podcasts, and my first experimentation was simply punching through the top 150 on Apple's site, which has been scattershot results at best.

Anyway, I'm marathoning through Hello Internet. (http://www.hellointernet.fm/archive/)

It's by CGP Grey and Brady Haran. If you haven't seen them, CGP Grey's youtube videos are the gold standard for education videos on youtube, they're glib, memorable, immensely informative and efficiently structured by someone who understands teaching. (I have a massive issue with documentaries and docu-dramas that spend hours filling time instead of actually dispensing real information) Haran is slightly less famous, but he's got some good mathematics and science videos as well.

The podcast is by design nowhere near as laser focused, but if you enjoy two nerdy friends making erudite observations of the world, this is a pretty convenient stand in for your local library/coffee shop/public meet up.

And an obligatory note to 99% Invisible (http://99percentinvisible.org), Roman Mars' radio show focusing on the oft times unseen, or at least unexamined, design and architecture of the modern world. His most recent show, examining automation and it's advantages and pitfalls through the lens of the aviation industry, is a good break in point. Though not for the faint of the heart, as some of the reality of airline travel is a bit disturbing.

[Friv]

If you're looking for entertaining gaming podcasts, I recommend The Adventure Zone (http://theadventurezone.tumblr.com/). The players are all family members, and the game plays a lot like how most of us used to game in high school (a very, very high goofiness to serious RP ratio), but they're all having a ton of fun and the goofy jokes are generally really great.

[Colonel Kira]

There is this one podcast I listen to, its called Phsycobabble. It pretty much talks about random media and current things. There are special ones for holidays and its just interesting. You should check it out. But its only for some people.

[Thrudd]

I like Smodcast, Fatman on Batman, Joe Rogan (when he talks to smart people), Nerdist, Duncan Trussel Family Hour. I second Dan Carlin's Hardcore History (though you only get 13 episodes for free, and a couple more on the website. They're basically audio books)

[JaggedSun]

Hey!

We just started a new 5E actual-play podcast called You Meet In a Tavern (http://twitter.com/ymiatavern) on iTunes (https://itun.es/us/CUS5hb.c) and SoundCloud (http://soundcloud.com/ymiatavern). A little info:

A mathematician, a lawyer, a banker, and an engineer walk into a bar. In this case, a Tavern. We're four long-time friends that jive together really well and aren't afraid to let out our inner nerd. Jamal is an avid gamer, Kirk plays Pokémon cards, Bryan is a MTG champion. We've all got backgrounds in various nerdy realms, but this is our first shot at playing DnD together, some of our first times playing it at all. We'll get things wrong, we'll stretch the rules a little bit, we'll learn as we go, but most of all - we'll have fun and hope you have fun with us.

The story follows an honorable Human Paladin, a Halfling Monk with a Napoleon complex, and a Half-Elf Druid who just wants to make some animal friends in their quest to save the world from an evil, long forgotten and waiting to be summoned.

You can expect a great campaign full of twists and turns - played by characters which fit the personalities of the players playing them. New episodes every two weeks, constantly changing as the story unfolds. We would love for you to give us a listen!