Pulp Gamer Out of Character

I think you mean "sexiest" geeks? Isn't that a Spinal Tap reference? "What's wrong with being sexy?"

Thanks, and BTW Jason, yYour comments about assigning an alignment to key members of an organization, to figure out the organization's alignment - brilliant. Of course, it falls completely in line with your talk on having dealings with individuals rather than organizations. That discussion was my favorite part of the show.

I buy the Shakespeare angle, too -- with a side order of "fantasy game = knights and dragons = English Accent" to round it out.

Now, someone explain to me why 99% of generic fantasy dwarves in film and television are Scottish stereotypes who dress like Vikings. Seriously, wtf?

Long time listener first time call here.
About the dwarfs being vikings with scottish accents.
First - If they had viking accent they would probably all sound like the Swedish cheff of the muppets (Bork Bork Bork) because no one can do a good viking accent (yeah litterally no one EVER :-P )
Second - they need something to make them different so they are not just short vikings and highlanders are tought and cool and drink alot so perfect match. Besides can you think of a dwarf with a french accent that would just be ridiculous. Who would believe that.

Tough and cool and drink a lot, huh? Well, hell...whenever I next run a game with dwarves in it again, they're all going to be Australian.

Or maybe I'll just make them all redneck hillbilly-types. ("COPS: Forgotten Realms", anyone?) :D

I voted for Jess "Hotley" in the WIRED poll...didn't everyone? :)

Great show, I laughed out loud for some of the things you guys said, though unfortunately I was at the library! :O

The idea that I'm "earning" a spot of my own frightened me a little. Good grief, have I been talking that much? I'm normally pretty quiet, unless you start on a topic like games. :)

About the RPG book and alignment: I'm hesitant to just throw out alignment for something that I hope to publish, because I know people are going to be wanting it, and because it leaves a big mechanical gap in the 3.5ed rules (detecting/smiting etc. good/evil) .

I do have a character who is the leader of this "evil good" faction, but the main question I guess is that of torturing bad guys. I asked my brother (who introduced me to D&D) and he said with little hesitation "definitely lawful evil". Now I'm not quite sure that makes sense, after all they are not torturing for fun, or because of selfishness (which seem to be the descriptions of "evil" in the rules).

I got to try bananagrams yesterday for the first time, which you mentioned here. It's a pretty neat game, though maybe a little faster paced than I usually like (I tend to like games with turns, opposed to simultaneous games like pit or Egyptian war. )

Ian: COPS: Forgotten realms sounds awesome. Now I want to see that campaign!

ooh, where to start?

1) Yes, yes "legible" and "comperhensible" are not the same. so sue me for misusing a foreign language. You're still not pronouncing Hamis'Hakia properly, though...and am I not due a dialect trainoing CD for the iTunes review?
2) Regarding Fantasy English- I don't think it has anything to do with Shakespeare and everything to do with the fact that it's where the most of the language/culture in the state originated from. England IS the old world for you guys, isn't it?
3) Regarding D&D and alignment: First, why does an organization need an alignment at all? Is someone going to cast "Smite Evil" on their headquarters? Members (and this includes heads) of an organization have alignment, and that should be good enough to play with. No need for a brush that broad (saying all members are Chaotic Silly or whatever).

On the broader issue of Alignment in D&D, I find that completely getting rid of it leaves gaping holes in the mechanics vis-a-vis detection and protection spells, magical items and special monster attacks which have to be accounted for. Easier done in a homebrew campaign than a published product which tries to be somewhat "standard".

4) On the issue of accents brought here in the comments: In my Ebberon campaign I have russian-accented dwarves, Italian gnomes, Native American halflings and more.

Wow, this grew to be a Tom G-sized post. I guess I'll go quiet again for six months. :)