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Reading D&D Aloud

by Ben Riggs

It's like Bible study for D&D fanatics!Slaying the Dragon author and historian Ben Riggs & TRPG scholar Dr. Scott M. Bruner read and analyze the most sacred texts of Dungeons & Dragons (from original edition rules to modern adventures)! They are often joined by special guests, including current and former Wizards employees, contemporary academics, and modern designers, to meditate on the inspirations, ambitions, past & future of the medium of tabletop roleplaying. Listen to a historian, an academic, and some special guests read D&D texts aloud and comment on them!

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Episodes

  1. The Vibes Are All in Game Design- A conversation with Rico Sirignano and Amit Moshe- Ep 116

    This conversation was incredible. Our first guest is Riccardo "Rico" Sirignano, co-founder of the Italian studio Two Little Mice, whose games have incredibly good game design and incredibly engaging premises, or as JRR Tolkien would say, absorbing secondary worlds. He's one of the minds behind...

  2. On Trench Crusade: A conversation with Mike Franchina & Chris Pramas Ep 115

    Trench Crusade is the gorgeous minis skirmish game that is sweeping the nation. I talk with Mike Franchina the artist who conceived it, and Green Ronin publisher Chris Pramas. Back Chris's current Kickstarter where you can play undead samurai out to kill Oda Nobunaga here:...

  3. If you knew you were going to die, how much D&D would you play? Ep. 114

    Billy Wardlow was scheduled to be executed in just a few weeks. He decided to spend the little time he had left playing D&D. But why? This is a reading from the book I'm currently writing, tentatively titled, Critical Hit: How and Why D&D Conquered the World in the 21st Century. Let me know what...

  4. Secrets of Superhero RPGs! A conversation with Matt Forbeck & Steve Kenson Ep- 113

    From Deadlands and Pinnacle in the 90s to the Marvel Multiverse RPG today, Matt Forbeck makes the adjective prolific look insufficient. He writes so much that there is a unit of writing named after him, the Forbeck, and exactly how many words long is a Forbeck Matt? Steve Kenson has been…

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  5. D&D in Renaissance Venice! A conversation with Sarp Duyar & Tyler Denison- Ep 112

    This adventure won a silver ENNIE a few weeks ago at Gen Con. Imagine Renaissance Venice with all the art and politics and war we already know about, but now with flippin' MAGIC! Tyler Denison and Sarp Duyar both worked on this magnificent adventure, and we sit down to chat about it. You can find...

  6. This Game About Spooky Woods Won a Gold ENnie! A Discussion with Pawel Kicman- Ep 111

    Pawel Kicman's WHISPERS OF THE WOODS is oily with atmosphere and new takes on old monsters. (You won't believe what he did to the basilisk.) And it's so fantastic it won the Gold ENnie for Short Form Adventure this year! We discuss herein. See more of Pawel's work here:...

  7. How Dangerous is Middle-earth? A conversation with Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan & Josh McCrowell Ep 110

    Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan and Josh McCrowell are both ridiculously talented designers and ridiculously frequent guests on this show. But they ain't never been on together! Hear their wisdom here and now! Back Gareth's current Merryshire crowdfunding campaign here:...

  8. STEAL BOOKS! CAST UNHOLY MAGIC! ESCAPE! A conversation with George Philbrick Ep. 109

    This is the Wildest Magic System You've Ever Seen! THIEVES OF THE TOME is an ENnie-nominated game where you bring a book to the table and you use it to cast magic! Check out creator George Philbrick's other games here: https://dairykillsme.itch.io/

  9. Who is the Sickest Witch? A Conversation with Justin Sirois Ep. 108

    A chat with multiple ENnie-nominee Justin Sirois! Pickup his fantastic game, THE SICKEST WITCH here: https://www.severedbooks.com/ Back his most recent Kickstarter here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/justinsirois/sickest-wretch-for-sickest-witch-new-non-witch-class-book Find more Sick…

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  10. Is Delta Green Happening in the Real World? A conversation with Dennis Detwiller & Ross Payton. Ep. 107

    Delta Green is the RPG of modern existential horror. Events from the game appear to have been bleeding into our reality. We discuss with the following luminaries: Ross Payton is the man with the golden throat. He has been podcasting continuously since George W. Bush was president and YouTube was...

  11. Mushrooms that Talk to Gods! A conversation about ENnie Nominated MUSHIE MISSIONS. Ep. 106

    MUSHIE MISSIONS is the ENnie-nominated game of mushrooms and their parties! Catch up on what the game's creators are doing here: https://brightbardgames.com/?srsltid=AfmBOoo1Ubpl1xozAFe5w9xmzI_j065xA3c2Xet-BCrJRIFaB7Mz2SSM

  12. What is TERRA ANTARCTICA? An ENnies Special with Samuel Gregor-Stewart Ep. 105

    Wanna know about the products nominated for an ENnie? Start here! We talk to Samuel Gregor-Stewart about TERRA ANTARCTICA, a pulpy adventure of Lovecraftian horror! Buy it here: https://store.asmodee.com/products/arkham-horror-rpg-terra-antarctica-eng Vote here:...

  13. Star Wars Saga Edition Reunion! with Chris Perkins, Owen KC Stephens, & Rodney Thomson Ep. 104

    Today, we have three of the most brilliant and prolific game designers of our time on the show, and my buddy Brent. First up is Owen KC Stephens. Owen has more ENnies than I can count, and was part of the design team for STARFINDER 1st edition, and of course STAR WARS SAGA EDITION, and he's the...

  14. A Greatest Hit! Advanced World Creation with Jeff Grubb & Kevin Kulp

    Happy Canada Day & July 4th! In honor of the holidays, we are dropping one of our greatest hits from the past. Enjoy! Kevin Kulp & Jeff Grubb have, between them, created entire cosmologies and entire timelines. Kulp is the award-winning creator of Timewatch and the investigative fantasy game,...

  15. Is this game a hoax? A conversation with Amabel Holland & Michael Calleia Ep 103

    First up, we have fellow D&D historian Michael Calleia. For years, Dave Arneson & Gary Gygax hinted that they could not speak freely about the creation of D&D for legal reasons. Michael followed up this hints, searching archives and court documents all across the United States until he found a…

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  16. Be Afraid of This Game! A conversation with Kevin Crawford & Luke Gearing Ep. 102

    In which Producer Chris continues to mess with all our minds by leaving at least one obvious error in the show! Today, I have two masters of their craft, two gaming greats whose work is capable of standing on its own two feet and maybe even punching other games in the face, or gutting them like...

  17. A Very Special Episode of D&D Outloud- Ep 101

    This week, in honor of crossing 100 episodes, we take a peek behind the curtain of the show to have a chat about the pod itself. Where we're going, and where we've been, are both chewed over. Enjoy!

  18. Daggerheart vs. Eem! A conversation with Rowan Hall, Spenser Starke, Ben Costa, & James Parks Ep. 100

    Episode 100! And is this our best episode ever? A thing Wizards of the Coast has said is that 2024 D&D was the fastest selling version of that game ever produced. I predict that Wizards sold 50,000 copies in the first couple weeks and then made that boast. I would also predict that the other two...

  19. Scouts vs. Cthulhu! A conversation with Seth Skorkowsky and Paul Fricker- Ep 99

    First up, we have the gamer's friend, Seth Skorkowsky! Seth is a novelist, YouTuber, multiple ENnie winner, and nerd about town. His YouTube channel is a smorgasbord of RPG goodness, with a tentacle in practically every foetid pool of our beloved hobby. As a historian, I thought his piece on the...

  20. A Luciferean Library of Hellish Hardbacks, Satanic Scrolls, & Possessed Pamphlets! A conversation with Nicholas Montegriffo & Allen Hall Ep. 98

    Today we are diving deep on the demonic, and imagine what if, instead of running away from demons and devils in Dungeons & Dragons, creators and companies ran towards it? Recently, we had Gavin Norman of Old School Essentials fame to talk about the Demonic Grimoire which is funding on Backerkit…

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  21. What if a D&D designer designed the next American government? Mike Mearls & Christopher Robichaud: Ep 97

    We're trying something different this week. I spend a lot of time talking to game designers and, of course, I'm a historian and history teacher watching the news every day. A thing I have personally become convinced of is that the United States is going to need a new constitution, and of course…

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  22. Bloodmatch Obliteration! D&D 5e vs. Old School Essentials: Mike Mearls & Gavin Norman conversation! Ep. 96

    Two games enter! One game leaves! And the YouTube algorithm dances in the blood! But seriously, this is a great conversation with Gavin Norman of Old School Essentials and Mike Mearls of 5E D&D. Gavin is the mind behind Old-School Essentials and Dolmenwood. Fellow Ben, Ben Milton at Questing…

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  23. Is this map of medieval Hungary a good adventure seed? A conversation with Jason Lutes and JP Coovert- Ep 95

    This week we talk to two cartoonists who are making a name for themselves in the TTRPG space, Jason Lutes and JP Coovert! Jason Lutes is the designer of The Perilous Void, which Ben "Questing Beast" Milton named one of his best products of 2025. The Perilous Void is on Bundle of Holding right now...

  24. Into Faerun- A conversation with Ed Greenwood & Jon Hage: Ep. 94

    Today, we pick the brain of the creator of the Forgotten Realms, Ed Greenwood! Ed is a man who needs no introduction, but who will be subjected to one anyway, a man who's bibliography is longer than his already lengthy beard. Ed is the original creator of the Forgotten Realms, which has been...

  25. What is the purpose of horror? A conversation with Graham Walmsley & Alex Roberts- Ep 93

    Today, we have two remarkable designers here to share with us their insights and thoughts. Alex Roberts is the winner of the Diana Jones Award, and the designer of STAR CROSSED and FOR THE QUEEN. Joining her is Graham Walmsley, creator of CTHULHU DARK and a TRAIL OF CTHULHU designer with many...

  26. Monsters & Blades & Kiwis Oh My! A conversation with Michael Sands & Tim Denee: Ep. 92

    Tonight's first guest is a hunter of hunters, a designer who seized upon the monster-of-the-week TV formula and used it as the bones of a horrifying gaming monstrosity of freakish limbs, a brutish head, a harsh brow, a criminal brain, and yes, it's alive!! Michael Sands is the creator of Monster…

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  27. Jenga as Game Design: A conversation with Epidiah Ravachol & Quinn Murphy: Ep 91

    My first guest tonight is one of the great mad scientists of tabletop gaming. Epidiah Ravachol helped create Dread, the game that made a horror RPG out of a Jenga tower. It's brilliant, cruel, elegant game design that makes players sweat before anything terrible has even happened. He's just...

  28. IS THIS FOURTH WING THE RPG? A conversation with Chris Lindsay- Ep 90

    5E + dragon mounts = :) Chris Lindsay is the godfather of the DM's Guild, and that institution brought us titanic names in the world of game design, such as Kelsey Dionne & MT Black, to name just a few. He is now at Goodman Games, and is crowdfunding THE DRAGONRIDER'S PRIMER, a 5E supplement for...

  29. Luke Gearing Is My Rival and He Doesn't Even Know It! A conversation with Brad Kerr & WF Smith: D&D Outloud Ep 89

    Tonight I'm joined by W.F. Smith, the mind behind Prismatic Wasteland, one of the sharpest OSR blogs in the game. And if you've heard of Barkeep on the Borderlands, that's him too: the barhopping, pubcrawl-fantasy fever dream that took home a Gold ENnie. W.F. writes like a man with a notebook…

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  30. In Which We Discuss Snake Genitalia: A conversation with Josh McCrowell & Emily Allen: Ep 88

    Apparently, snakes have something called "hemepenes," something I only know because of Emily Allen. Emily is a designer, writer, and the mind behind The Gardens of Ynn, one of those RPG books that feels less like a "setting" and more like a living dream you accidentally walked into and now can't...

  31. Charcuterie Generator Table- A conversation with Jamie Perez & Adam Good: Ep 87

    If you know Infinity of Ships, you know their vibe: big imagination, tight design, and the kind of tables-and-ideas toolkit that makes a GM's brain start sprinting. Their latest release, 100 Strangers, gives us NPCs with story fuel, despite how incredibly clipped they are. That's right. Today…

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  32. The Wild 90s in TTRPGs! A conversation with Wolfgang Baur & Satyros Phil Brucato Ep- 86

    The Wild 90s in TTRPGs! This conversation was a great one! First up today is Wolfgang Baur, a creator and businessperson whose fingerprints are all over the hobby. He can write fantasy like Tolkien and run a business like, uh, someone whose geeky, good at running a business, and not at all...

  33. His Game Uses Tarot Cards Instead of Dice- A conversation with Joshua McCrowell- Ep. 85 D&D Outloud

    Today we welcome back Joshua McCrowell, designer of His Majesty the Worm, a game that looks at the classic dungeon crawl and hits it with a Tarot deck. The Worm won ENnies for best rules and best game this year. Josh has a gift for taking old-school adventure DNA, labyrinths, delving, danger and...

  34. Are these the most influential RPG designers of all time? A conversation with Jonathan Tweet, Meguey Baker, & Vincent Baker: Ep 84

    This conversation was incredible. The participants in today's talk designed the following games: D&D 3rd Edition, Apocalypse World, Ars Magica, Over the Edge, and even an "Additional Writing" credit on Daggerheart. You have to check this out. First up: Jonathan Tweet! A legend with a designer's...

  35. The Exorcism Letters- A conversation with Joe Laycock & Dan Harms Ep 83 D&D Outloud

    Tonight on D&D Outloud, I'm joined by Joseph Laycock, a scholar of religion who explores what happens when belief, culture, and controversy collide. Joe is an associate professor of Religious Studies at Texas State University, and he's written some incredibly relevant work for anyone who…

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  36. Shared RPG Worlds, Shared RPG History: A conversation with Jim Lowder & Pat Kilbane Ep 82

    Jim Lowder is a writer, an editor, a lore architect, and if we're being honest, a kind of Indiana Jones of shared worlds. From Ravenloft to Forgotten Realms to the trenches of TSR itself, Jim has chronicled the industry, shaped it, and occasionally had to wrestle it into coherence with nothing…

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  37. "I am the experimental weapons division." A conversation with Mark Diaz Truman and Jay Dragon Ep. 81

    Today, we converse with two firehoses of the human imagination: Mark Diaz Truman and Jay Dragon! Some people play games. Some people publish games. And then there are the people who change how the whole industry works. Mark Diaz Truman is one of the architects of the modern tabletop renaissance;...

  38. Writing Geeky Nonfiction: A Seminar from Gamehole Con 2025- with Keith Amman & Ben Riggs- Ep 80

    Happy Thanksgiving Americans! Here's a seminar from Gamehole Con 2025 about why YOU should be writing geeky nonfiction.

  39. 3 Poets Turn to RPG Design- A conversation with Adam Good, Jamie Perez, & Justin Sirois Episode 79

    My favorite RPG book of the year is a book of spaceship p*rn designed by two poets! INFINITY OF SHIPS is random tables for spaceship creation along with stunning artwork and essays that are as fun as they are engaging. The book was brought to us by Adam Good & Jamie Perez, and the pair have…

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  40. This is an RPG historian you have to hear from- A conversation with Shannon Appelcline Episode 78

    This is an RPG historian you have to hear from. Shannon Appelcline. He's the mind behind Designers & Dragons, which chronicles our hobby's wild past, from basement print runs to global pop culture phenomenon. Shannon has done the research, interviewed the legends, and connected the dots between...

  41. "Games Will Prevail": A conversation with Meguey Baker, Vincent Baker & John Harper- Ep 77

    What do Cormac McCarthy, Charles Dickens, & Scheherazade say to each other on the podcast? Today, we find out! First up, we have Meguey Baker: game designer, textile historian, and one of the most revolutionary voices in the history of tabletop gaming. You might know her from 1001 Nights…

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  42. 30 Minutes Into This Interview with Fred Hicks & Cam Banks, I Share Leaked D&D Sales Data Ep-76

    Shamelessly, 30 minutes into this interview with Cam Banks & Fred Hicks, I share leaked D&D sales data. He's the Kiwi conjurer who helped create the Cortex System, which has been used on everything from Firefly to Marvel. He's made the rules that make the stories sing, and he's living proof that...

  43. RPGs don't make stories. They make experiences: A conversation with Jay Dragon & Watt EP 75

    This conversation is absolutely brilliant. I talk to a lot of game designers, but this episode is easily a favorite. Today, we discuss with two engines of creativity: Jay Dragon of Wanderhome & Watt of Cloud Empress! Watt is a designer, artist, and architect of the beautifully bizarre. Watt's…

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  44. Why Borg? A conversation with Zac Goins & Erica Lowe Ep 74

    Why borg? Today on the show, we're joined by Zac Goins, RPG designer, Kickstarter consultant, and all-around tabletop creative. Zac has worked with Marvel, Wizards of the Coast, Modiphius, and more, and currently serves as Director of Marketing for Limithron. He's designed for systems like Old...

  45. "All RPGS are inherently unfinished"- A conversation with Justin Alexander, Panayiotis Lines & Aled Lawlor EP 73

    Today, we've got a four-way! Listen and marinate in the brilliance of Justin Alexander, Panayiotis Lines, & Aled Lawlor! Aled Lawlor and Panayiotis Lines are the creative duo behind Leyline Press. In just a few short years, Leyline has carved out a reputation for distinctive, atmospheric RPGs…

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  46. Let's talk about Uncle Gary: A conversation with Gygax's biographer, Michael Witwer Ep. 72

    Today, I am going to talk turkey with fellow historian and bestselling author, Michael Witwer. His books, such as Empire of Imagination, the acclaimed biography of Gary Gygax, and the lavish Dungeons & Dragons: Art & Arcana, have helped bring the hidden history of role-playing games into the...

  47. The Ring Knight Honors the Weeping Seer-with Jeremy Bent & Chris McDowall Ep. 71

    Welcome to D&D Outloud with Ben Riggs, I am Ben Riggs, apparently controversial D&D historian and author of Slaying the Dragon A Secret History of Dungeons & Dragons, and over the past 13 years of writing and podcasting, I have met hundreds of creative geniuses in and around the world of TTRPGs....

  48. "D&D is Not in the Innovation Biz" A Conversation with Two 4th Ed Designers- Ep 70

    Does 4E D&D have the best combat? The question leads us to a conversation with two of the game's three lead designers. First up, we have Rob Heinsoo, one of the leading minds behind Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition. He's also the co-creator of 13th Age, a system that blends narrative freedom with...

  49. "All of the $ should be coming to Wizards-" an interview with the former WotC Book Team Ep. 69

    Wanna know what the hell is going on at WotC? Let's ask people who used to work there. It is difficult to describe what a superstar gathering this is on the show. These are not the first names that you think of when you hear D&D, but they are just as significant if not more so than the names we…

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  50. This Guy Reviewed an RPG that Doesn't Exist! Ep. 68 with Luke Gearing & Leo Hunt

    An in-depth conversation with two of the most remarkable adventure-writers working today: Luke Gearing & Leo Hunt! Luke Gearing, is an incredible voice in the tabletop RPG world. His work includes Acid Death Fantasy for Troika!, the epic and disturbing Gradient Descent for Mothership and the…

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ABOUT THIS SHOW

It's like Bible study for D&D fanatics!Slaying the Dragon author and historian Ben Riggs & TRPG scholar Dr. Scott M. Bruner read and analyze the most sacred texts of Dungeons & Dragons (from original edition rules to modern adventures)! They are often joined by special guests, including current and former Wizards employees, contemporary academics, and modern designers, to meditate on the inspirations, ambitions, past & future of the medium of tabletop roleplaying. Listen to a historian, an academic, and some special guests read D&D texts aloud and comment on them!

HOSTED BY

Ben Riggs

CATEGORIES

leisure games

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Reading D&D Aloud have?

Reading D&D Aloud currently has 117 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.

What is Reading D&D Aloud about?

It's like Bible study for D&D fanatics!Slaying the Dragon author and historian Ben Riggs & TRPG scholar Dr. Scott M. Bruner read and analyze the most sacred texts of Dungeons & Dragons (from original edition rules to modern adventures)! They are often joined by special guests, including current and...

How often does Reading D&D Aloud release new episodes?

Reading D&D Aloud publishes regularly with 117 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.

Where can I listen to Reading D&D Aloud?

You can listen to Reading D&D Aloud on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.

Who hosts Reading D&D Aloud?

Reading D&D Aloud is created and hosted by Ben Riggs.
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