Sword Breaker
By Logan Howard
Sword BreakerMar 04, 2021
Episode 57 - Weird Fantasy
Weird Fantasy is a subgenre of speculative fiction that emerged in the mid-twentieth century, often featuring elements of horror, science fiction, and fantasy. It was a popular genre in pulp magazines and comic books during the 1940s and 1950s, and was known for its dark and surreal themes, unusual characters, and bizarre settings. Weird Fantasy stories often explored the limits of human understanding and the consequences of pushing the boundaries of science and magic. Some of the most notable authors associated with this genre include H.P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury, and Clark Ashton Smith. Today, the legacy of Weird Fantasy can be seen in a wide range of media, from horror movies and video games to avant-garde literature and graphic novels.
Episode 56 - Gonzo Fantasy
Episode 55 - Portal Fantasy
Episode 54 - Dark and Grimdark Fantasy
This episode I'll explore the confusion created by the terms Dark Fantasy and Grimdark Fantasy and then provide 8 variations that illustrate the kind of settings inspired by the terms.
Call-in from Jason Connerly of the Nerd's RPG Variety Cast.
Episode 53 - Reptile Folk
Chris Shorb asked for Reptile Folk. Here they are!
Episode 52 - Monster Parts
Another great suggestion from Goblin's Henchman! If the world were full of monsters with weird powers and crazy anatomy, surely there would be people who found a use for all these wild resources!
Call-in from Chris Shorb suggesting more subgenres to cover!
Episode 51 - Broken Magic Items
This was a great suggestion from Goblin's Henchman! Listen to a couple more submissions for my Crazy Chimera Carousel followed by a list of magic items that don't exactly do what was expected!
Goblin’s Henchman:
https://goblinshenchman.wordpress.com/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNp4qwKOoWWqDY9LuD74mpw
Collin Green of Spikepit:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrBiIGnQtLfBfYm89BLhAFA
Ray Otus:
Episode 50 - Chimeras
Mentioned or called in:
Jason Connerley - Nerd's RPG Variety Cast
Joe Richter - Hindsightless
Goblin's Henchman
Spencer "Free Thrall" - Keep Off the Borderlands
Brian Holland - Session Zero and Greg Gelder
Episode 49 - Sword and Sorcery
Fritz Leiber coined the term. I'll be talking about what the genre does in games and providing 8 examples of Sword and Sorcery settings.
Call-in from Brian Holland from the Session Zero Youtube channel!
Last chance to turn in your Chimeras for the 50th episode!
Episode 48 - High Fantasy
This is a bit of a longer episode. I wanted to cover some ideas about genre, terminology, and labels before continuing my series! I hope you'll have some fun with my 8 examples of High Fantasy settings!
Episode 47 - Low Fantasy
Joe Richter of the Hindsightless podcast inspires another episode! This time it's all about Low Fantasy. This is the second episode in a series in which I'm exploring the sub-genres under the "Fantasy" umbrella. I hope my 8 variations will demonstrate that Low Fantasy doesn't mean No Fantasy!
Other call-ins from Goblin's Henchman of the Blog and Podcast of the same name!
Episode 46 - Epic Fantasy
The first of several planned episodes on the various sub-genres of fantasy. This one tackles Epic Fantasy and uses the 8 variations as examples of the genre.
Call-ins from Jason of the Nerd's RPG Variety Cast and Brian Holland of the Session Zero Youtube Channel!
Episode 45 - Towers
This episode will be about towers thanks to a suggestion from Ray Otus! There is also an invitation to join in the fun creating new monsters for the Crazy Chimera Carousel! Enjoy!
Episode 44 - Magic Shoes
Thanks to Joe Richter of the excellent Hindsightless podcast for the idea for this one! Lowly shoes are much more powerful than we often remember.
There's a call-in from Goblin's Henchman from the podcast of the same name! Check out his fantastic blog to find out more about the items he mentioned and a whole lot more!
Episode 43 - Magic Bags
Whatcha got in the bag? Magic bags have appeared in folklore and myth for ages because all of us can relate to the mysterious experience of reaching around for unseen things!
Episode 42 - Death Knights
The monster I always turned to when I opened my Fiend Folio was the Death Knight. I was obsessed with knights. These evil, anti-paladins seemed like the ideal foes!
Thanks to Ray Otus for my new full-color logo! Check out all his awesome stuff at rayotus.com!
Episode 41 - Forests
The great forests are places of personal trial. They rarely release the same soul that wandered in.
Episode 40 - Hirelings
Hirelings can be great for carrying stuff and using as fodder. While it's never a good idea for a hireling to upstage the player characters, they can still be an interesting part of an adventure!
Episode 39 - Traps
A great trap can freak out your players AND give information about the setting that helps establish themes and offers hints to the players at the same time!
Episode 38 - Villains
What's the difference between a common monster and a villain? Listen to this episode for my take...
Episode 37 - Armor
What do you use for protection? I always loved those shiny suits of plate armor! For a good dungeon crawl though...maybe something better for swimming or climbing eh? Here's another short episode with a few thoughts and 8 variations!
Episode 36 - Goblins
Nasty little humanoids with a thirst for blood and treasure! Here's a short episode that gets quickly to the variations!
Episode 35 - Swords
Episode 34 - Maps
Maps are such an interesting part of role playing because they can make a huge difference in the way the world is understood by the players. Call in and tell me about the maps in your games!
Episode 33 - Shops
Who wants to go to the mall in the middle of a fantasy adventure? Can shops enhance the setting?
Episode 32 - Monks
Are they obnoxious genre breaking characters or legitimate fantasy heroes? Chris Shorb asked me for this one and I hope he finds and enjoys it!
Episode 31 - Thieves
What are your favorite thief archetypes? Ever had that player in your group who wanted to play a thief because...jerk?
Episode 30 - Orcs
Orcs! Nuff said!
Call-in from Jason of the Nerd's RPG Variety Cast
Episode 29 - Magic Items
What about those magic items found early in a character's career? Can we do better than a +1 weapon?
Call-ins from:
Jason from Nerd's RPG Variety Podcast
Spencer (Free Thrall) from Keep Off the Borderlands
Joe (The Blind Rat) from Hindsightless
Evil Jeff from Minions and Musings
Lieren from Updates from the Middle of Nowhere
Colin Green from Spikepit
T. J. Drennon from Malodorous Miasma Meltdown and Occult Orifice Outrage
Episode 28 - Post Apocalypse
Episode 27 - Dreams
Episode 26 - Cities
Episode 25 - Kaiju
Episode 24 - Airships
Episode 23 - Bards
Check out Ray Otus' Plundergrounds! We are both responding to a prompt from Jim Jones about Bards!
Episode 22 - Wizards
What can we borrow from the greats to make our own game wizards more interesting? Call ins from Joe Richter and Jim Yoder!
Go to Jellysaw to see the 10 fantasy novels Ray Otus picked as foundational works of fantasy!
Episode 21 - Adventuring Parties
Episode 20 - My 3 Top Monsters
3 of my favorite monsters and 8 variations on goblins!
Episode 19 - Halflings
And now for the little people! Fun new Sword Breaker Theme mix from Lu Quade who has an Anchor podcast of his own called
Songs from the Surface of the EarthEpisode 18 - Barbarians
Episode 17 - Something Borrowed...
I was challenged by Ray Otus and I did not back down!
Episode 15 - Curses
Chatter about curses and their role in games versus fiction.
Call in from Stephen Karnes of Rocks and Roots!
Episode 14 - Holy Relics
A short exploration of Holy Relics and a lot of fun content from listeners!
Ray Otus just dropped his 50th episode of Plundergrounds!
Aaron Clark's Keep It Simple - Daily Reading
Frothsof's Thought Eater Podcast
Yochai Gal's One Shot World
Episode 13 - Government
A short one on offering something other than the usual kings and queens.
Mentioned:
Episode 12 - Rangers
This is a short episode about the Ranger Class. I had some great input from:
Episode 11 - World Building
Yochai Gal requested an episode about world building. Here it is!
Interviews with:
Episode 10 - Dwarves
This time I discuss the mighty Dwarf! How are they the same and different from their folkloric origins? Ray Otus offers up some super cool ideas from his Plundergrounds zine:
https://www.patreon.com/rayotus/posts
Another great resource for a strange new dwarf is the Wormskin zine:
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/168614/Wormskin-Issue-1