Dungeons & Dialectics

By Joseph Russ

The synthesis of tabletop roleplaying games, philosophy and theology!

RPGs are full of opportunities to make choices, face ethical dilemmas, and use the fantasy world as a proxy for considering our o... more

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FAQs about Dungeons & Dialectics:

How many episodes does Dungeons & Dialectics have?

The podcast currently has 70 episodes available.

Dungeons & Dialectics episodes:

December 09, 2022 Ep. 30 Endings pt. 2: The time of my life
It's TIME to talk about TIME! What even is time? Does it always point to an ending? Is the ending after or before? Earlier or later? These may seem like really simple questions. Questions people might look at and say "Wow this is obvious are they really going to spend an hour talking about this?" Well... this IS Dungeons & Dialectics, so strap in for a long, drawn-out discussion of something no one really cares about!
Keep in touch on Twitter and support us on Patreon for extended episodes!
Sources:
Dan's Campaign
Overcooked. Ghost Town Games. 2016.
...more
55min
November 22, 2022 Ep. 29 Ending Campaigns pt 1: Garyx the Destroyer
Experience Matt’s copium as he explains away his devastating loss to Mike over the fate of the world. Part one of our series on Endings and Eschatology. What is an ending? How does a campaign end? What the f*ck is a copium? Well, in classic Dungeons & Dialectics you'll have to look elsewhere for the answers! Because we're just reminiscing about the Overcooked-based end of our last campaign.
Keep in touch on Twitter and support us on Patreon for extended episodes!
Sources:
Dan's Campaign
Overcooked. Ghost Town Games. 2016.
...more
45min
November 08, 2022 Ep. 28 Theodicy pt. 2: Common responses to the problem of evil
Back again with a follow-up to our last episode on the problem of THEODICY: is God just when evil and suffering exist? How have theologians historically and contemporarily wrestled with these questions? Join us as we choose our own theological adventure and answer the biggest question this raises: how can we be better Dungeon Masters?
Keep in touch on Twitter and support us on Patreon for extended episodes!
Sources:
Matthew 4:1-11, Luke 4:1–13. The Bible. New Revised Standard Version. 1989.
Oord, Thomas Jay. God: Can't How to Believe in God and Love after Tragedy, Abuse, and Other Evils. 2019.
Sollereder, Bethany. Why Is There Suffering?: Pick Your Own Theological Expedition. 2021.
...more
43min
November 01, 2022 Bonus Episode: Honey Heist 3 and Kant's Masturbation
Well isn't this a sticky situation!
...more
6min
October 25, 2022 Ep. 27 Theodicy pt. 1: The question of the DM's justice in the Bible
When sh*t happens in real life, we don't always know who to blame. God? Myself? Bad f*cking luck?
But in the GAME, we know exactly who's responsible. Join Matt and Joe as we dive into one of the thorniest questions of theology: THEODICY, the question of God's justice and the problem of evil. How do we reconcile an all-loving God with the aforementioned sh*t that happens? Can we? Does it even matter? What does this tell us about the relationship between the DM and their Players? In part 1, we look at how biblical writers tackle these questions in the books of Job and Ezekiel.
Keep in touch on Twitter and support us on Patreon for extended episodes!
Sources:
Faust, Avraham. "Deportation and Demography in Sixth-Century b.c.e. Judah". Interpreting Exile: Displacement and Deportation in Biblical and Modern Contexts. 2011.
Garber Jr., David. "A Vocabulary of Trauma in the Exilic Writings". Interpreting Exile: Displacement and Deportation in Biblical and Modern Contexts. 2011.
Job, Ezekiel. The Bible. New International Version. 1973.
Sollereder, Bethany. Why Is There Suffering?: Pick Your Own Theological Expedition. 2021.
Zuckerman, Bruce. Job the Silent. 1991.
...more
1h
October 04, 2022 Ep. 26 Stranger Things Monsters: The Mind Flayer pt. 2
Learn more about the Stranger Things Monster: The Mind Flayer! and how Joe has used them in his games! Matt takes us on an analysis of the many inspirations that led to the mind flayer and what its significance is for us as humans.
Keep in touch on Twitter and support us on Patreon for extended episodes!
Sources:
The Strategic Review Volume 1
Eldritch Wizardry
Dragon Magazine #79
Dragon Magazine #150
The Illithiad
Dragon Magazine #337
Lords of Madness
Monster Manual V
Fiend Folio 1st Ed
Burrowers Beneath
Expanded Psionics Handbook
...more
26min
September 27, 2022 Bonus Episode: Matt Tests Joe's Lovecraft Credentials
Matt discovers that Joe's vast capacity for useless nerdy trivia extends beyond the walls of Dungeons & Dragons. He can also identify ANY H.P. Lovecraft story with a SINGLE sentence! A little bonus treat ripped from our 2-part episode on Mind Flayers.
Keep in touch on Twitter and support us on Patreon for extended episodes!
...more
6min
September 21, 2022 Ep. 25 Stranger Things Monsters: The Mind Flayer pt. 1
Join us for a deep dive into another Stranger Things Monster: The Mind Flayer! Trace the convoluted lore from a random book cover Gary Gygax saw one day to the weird shadow beast that flays minds. PLUS the secret true story behind Stranger Things that led to the creation of the mind flayer world of Ssirik Akuar in D&D.
Keep in touch on Twitter and support us on Patreon for extended episodes!
Sources:
The Strategic Review Volume 1
Eldritch Wizardry
Dragon Magazine #79
Dragon Magazine #150
The Illithiad
Dragon Magazine #337
Lords of Madness
Monster Manual V
Fiend Folio 1st Ed
Burrowers Beneath
Expanded Psionics Handbook
...more
42min
August 23, 2022 Ep. 24 Absurd Games and Meaningless Adventures (Random Encounters pt. 2)
What a weird way to end last episode. RANDOM, some might say. Even ABSURD! This week, we'll ask if TTRPGs even NEED to make sense. Does there need to be a story? A satisfying narrative? What if we just had an absurdist game where lots happened but nothing HAPPENED? How much fun are Matt and Joe willing to sacrifice in the name of some meta-joke on the nature of storytelling? Apparently... almost all the fun.
Keep in touch on Twitter and support us on Patreon for extended episodes!
Sources:
Avalon Hill. Outdoor Survival. 1973.
Beckett, Samuel. Waiting for Godot. 1953.
Camus. The Myth of Sisyphus. 1942.
Gary Gygax & Dave Arneson. Dungeons & Dragons. pp. 69-70. 1974.
Kafka. Complete Stories of Franz Kafka. 1971.
Nietzche. Beyond Good and Evil. 1886.
Nietzche. The Gay Science. 1882.
Nietzche. Thus Spoke Zarathustra. 1883.
Jerry Seinfeld & Larry David. Seinfeld. 1989-1998
Mephit James. Rules Lite Games. 2017.
Sell, Daniel. Troika! 2018
Sly Flourish. Run Meaningful Random Encounters. 2021.
...more
36min
August 09, 2022 Ep. 23: OMG I'm like... soooo random! (Random Encounters)
Whoa soooooo random! What did Joe learn about random encounters by getting mugged on the bus? What did Matt learn about life waiting for a train that never came? Is life just a series of random encounters? Does it make sense? DOES IT HAVE TO?
The answer may surprise you! Or may not. Or maybe there is no answer... Who knows! It's RANDOM!
Keep in touch on Twitter and support us on Patreon for extended episodes!
Sources:
Sell, Daniel. Troika! 2018
Waiting for Godot
Camus. The Myth of Sisyphus. 1942.
Kafka. Complete Stories of Franz Kafka. 1971.
Nietzche. Beyond Good and Evil. 1886.
Nietzche. The Gay Science. 1882.
Nietzche. Thus Spoke Zarathustra. 1883.
Jerry Seinfeld & Larry David. Seinfeld. 1989-1998
Rules Lite
Random Encounters.
OD&D
Outdoor Survival
...more
35min

FAQs about Dungeons & Dialectics:

How many episodes does Dungeons & Dialectics have?

The podcast currently has 70 episodes available.