The Maniculum Podcast
Maniculum: little hand, pointing finger; often found in manuscript marginalia. Hi! We’re Mac and Zoe, a professional medievalist and triple AAA game developer, and together, we use modern game design techniques to uncover the origins of your favorite tropes and adventures from medieval manuscripts. In each episode, we explore a new medieval manuscript, its connections to modern TTRPGs, and teach you how to adapt these tales into compelling campaigns and amazing adventures. Whether you’re looking to recreate the noble Arthurian tales or incorporate weird and wacky medieval monsters into your campaign, the Maniculum Podcast has you covered.
Episodes
The stars have aligned, but are you ready to conjure? In our final episode of necromancy, we explore the finer points of astrology and its importance in spell casting - so that you know exactly what moon phase is best to curse your enemies, conjure birds, or route an army.
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Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly...
Romantasy has been all the rage of late, but its roots go further back than a TikTok trend. Join us this week as we dive into Eric and Enide, a medieval fantasy romance adventure perfect for those who love the genre, or who just want a new idea for their story or TTRPG campaign. Welcome to our summer series!
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Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a de...
Looking to craft your next dungeon delve for your campaign? Want a few puzzles your player have never seen before? We've found a few medieval tales with tantalizing puzzles and twisting dungeons, ready to be used in your next TTRPG. Sit back as we do the work to show you how to adapt these dungeons into your game.
Get your copy of Marg...
What does a goodly knight do when he's taken prisoner and asked to collect his own ransom? Comply, of course! Join us on another dive into the Gesta Romanorum and pull out a few puzzles and dilemmas for your next TTRPG!
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Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG syste...
In our final episode about Irish werewolves, we compare medieval Arthurian romance tales to this Irish Arthurian tale from the 1700s. How has the genre changed, and what werewolf adventures can you bring to your table?
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Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system ...
This week, we dive into two examples of Irish werewolf tales that you can adapt into your TTRPG! Learn a different story about the werewolf than the 21st century beast, and bring a few new traditions - and twists - to your table.
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Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any...
A cheating wife plots with a her lover, a necromancer, to kill her husband, a knight on pilgrimage... what could possibly happen when another necromancer decides to protect the knight? We're breaking down tales in the Gesta Romanorum to learn more about medieval law and necromancy!
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Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulle...
Sometimes, internet lore takes on a life of its own. Join us this week as we debunk the popular internet myth of the Irish faoladh, and dive into the true history of the Irish werewolf and its medieval origins!
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Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for any TTRPG system here!
Can you think like a medieval philosopher? In this episode, we're challenging our guests -- medievalists and non-medievalists alike -- to answer the riddlesome questions presented in the medieval philosophy dialogue of Sidrak and Bokkus! Can you divine the reasoning behind why birds fly, or why some people are short? Join us this episode for weird wisdoms to put in your TTRPGs.
CHECK OUT OUR GUESTS' COOL WORK:
What do postal service routes have to do with the national spy network, and how can it improve your worldbuidling? Find out this week as we conclude the Secret History of Byzantium! We conclude this epic text with a few final tales of vice, corruption, and an epic heist that you can set up for your players, too.
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Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, ...
What happens when a wandering knight fails in his quest to get the girl? He needs a therapist, of course! Join us in this guest episode with Georgian lit scholar James Baillie as we walk through the Georgian poetic epic "The Knight in Panther's Skin" and come away with a thousand new ideas for your next TTRPG.
Check out James' work here:
- The Exile Princess on Steam
- The Exilian Articles
- Find him on Mastodon and Blues...
A lot of you want to bring medieval necromancy to life in your D&D and TTRPG games, so we delivered! In this ep, we break down the formulae for medieval exorcisms and conjurations, and provide some tips on how you can conjure safely at home - in your game or otherwise.
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Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly...
We're back with part two of the history of cards! As we delve into the sheer variety of cards that blossomed throughout Europe, we begin to see the ripple effects that they had -- both impacting and reflecting world cultures. Why not use cards similarly in your TTRPGs? We'll show you how!
Images and list of suits here.
Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon!
Get your copy of Marginal W...
We all like TTRPGs, but what about integrating other games into your tabletop play? This week, we're exploring the history of playing cards, their many variations and occult practices, and how you can utilize their unique history for your worldbuilding and campaigns.
Images and list of suits here.
Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon!
Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 ma...
Sick of the same old "evil monarchy" in your TTRPGs? Looking to create a corrupt government for your players to dismantle? Look no further - we're adapting byzantine bureaucracy and it's finest villains into BBEGs for your next tabletop game.
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Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manus...
When Grendel decides to steal Christmas from all the Whos down in Heorot... who else comes to save them but Cindy-Lou Who? Join us for our Christmas special as we do a unique retelling of Beowulf, and how Grendel and the Grinch may be more alike than you think.
Read along here!
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Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled dir...
Curious about how to conjure a demon on-the-go? Never fear, your thumbnails will do! We're back this episode with our medieval necromancy series where we delve into divination spells using crystals, nails, and the power of virginity.
Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Get your copy of Marginal Worlds, a deck of 50 magic items pulled directly from medieval manuscripts, built for ...
The Quest for a Wife is harder than it seems... Learn just what it takes fro Cu Chulainn to woo the lady Emer, and what skills of cunning and swordsmanship you can use in your next TTRPG. We're joined by Irish folklore expert Dr Emmet Taylor, who regales us with the finer (and funnier) parts of this old Irish epic.
Check out Emmet's podcast: Guth: Reading Irish Myths and Legends.
The Quest for a Wife is harder than it seems... Learn just what it takes fro Cu Chulainn to woo the lady Emer, and what skills of cunning and swordsmanship you can use in your next TTRPG. We're joined by Irish folklore expert Dr Emmet Taylor, who regales us with the finer (and funnier) parts of this old Irish epic.
Check out Emmet's podcast: Guth: Reading Irish Myths and Legends.
What's better than the undead you don't know? The undead that you do! Join us in this Halloween special as we delve into the spooky nature of medieval undead tales and ghost stories, and teach you how to adapt them to TTRPGs!
Join our discord community! Check out our Tumblr for even more! Support us on patreon! Check out our merch!
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