Podcast
Deep Space and Dragons
Hosted by Richard Kevis & Karl · EN
Follow the Nerd duo of Richard and Karl as we explore what grabs our attention each week on Deep Space and Dragons. Submit your random question of the week or dragon question to win your free E-copy of the Waltz of Blades Deluxe. Like what your ears see? Support us by clicking the little heart on the top right <3
11episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Google Heard “Sexy Butt” And Panicked
1w ago01:45:00Tap to summarizeClick Here to send in your random question to have a chance to win!We go from petty podcast banner grievances to a surprisingly serious rant about AI tools that “upgrade” themselves into being less useful and more controlling. Then we zoom out to Montreal conference stories about AI in education, privacy, surveillance, and why teachers are being turned into detectives. • Alphabetizing names and the eternal “who gets said first” debate • Car infotainment systems, Android Auto, and why built-in navigation still fails • Google Gemini changes, voice assistant censorship, and broken voice commands • Anime pacing, adaptation choices, and the comedy of overdramatic cliffhangers • Reaction culture and why anger wins engagement online • Academic conferences as structured socializing with panels, Q and A, and hallway debates • Classroom transcription tools, accessibility claims, and the risk of data farming and surveillance • Practical alternatives like open-source transcription and building tools in-house • Random questions that turn into self-care, hydration, and daily-life heuristics “I'd recommend checking out their website if you're somehow into academics and our podcast.” “Also, don't forget to take the the uh hint from uh the loading screen of our lives here. Uh, you know, hydrate self-care, you know. Medicate. Have you taken a break lately?”Support the showFollow all things Richard and Karl, and check out "The Minuet of Sorcery" https://linktr.ee/rajkevis
Transcribe →Dungeons And Dragons Players Will Do Anything But Dungeon
May 2902:02:56Tap to summarizeClick Here to send in your random question to have a chance to win!We trade war stories about what makes a tabletop RPG adventure sing, then roast the modules that look great on paper but collapse under real group pacing. The big takeaway is simple: shorter, modular adventures and anthology books usually create better DnD and Daggerheart play than sprawling campaign tomes.• cardboard crafting plans and the weird economics of “free” boxes • scheduling chaos and the reality of replacing players • what makes an adventure portable across systems • Daggerheart’s The Wish Thief as a clean, dynamic intro module • why Sunless Citadel drags and what old dungeons assume about play • converting set pieces like Forge of Fury’s burning bridge using Daggerheart environments and progress counters • Tomb of Horrors as system-agnostic misery and why White Plume Mountain works • why campaigns fall apart without weekly play and why players skip dungeons in a dungeon game • why Candlekeep Mysteries and Golden Vault style anthologies are easier to finish and easier to steal from • using Adventure League one-shots as varied, reliable campaign glue download the free DaggerHeart stuff. Like, I gave you heck for this in our podcast. Like, I don't know if I can do this. Like, you go on the website, the entire rule book on the SRD format, you can just click download, the event you can click download. It even comes with little standees you just cut out with scissors.Support the showFollow all things Richard and Karl, and check out "The Minuet of Sorcery" https://linktr.ee/rajkevis
Transcribe →Magic Circles Explained
May 1601:54:30Tap to summarizeClick Here to send in your random question to have a chance to win!We start with workplace chaos that includes a too-good-to-be-true ring offer and a loyalty coupon mix-up that turns into complaint politics. Then we go full nerd mode on magic circles and rune magic, arguing about what makes a magic system feel consistent across anime, games, and fantasy stories.• a suspiciously discounted ring sale and why it feels emotionally weird • how loyalty programs fail in practice and how customers escalate complaints • academic excuses, exam invigilation intensity and how cheating shapes policy • a clear three-part framework for magic circles in fiction • why Fullmetal Alchemist sets the standard for rule-based circles • where The Owl House and Witch Hat Atelier make glyph magic feel like code • why some “eye powers” feel like nonsense without system support • how worldbuilding breaks when “rare” people dominate the entire cast • quick notes on real-world roots and why circles fascinate humans • favorite magic systems plus random closing questionsSupport the showFollow all things Richard and Karl, and check out "The Minuet of Sorcery" https://linktr.ee/rajkevis
Transcribe →Do Not Trust Us Or Pizza Cut Into Five
Apr 1002:14:45Tap to summarizeClick Here to send in your random question to have a chance to win!We argue that most “bad writing” complaints boil down to one thing: characters do not change in ways that feel earned, so the story has nothing to say even when it looks great. We build a simple map of character arc types and use Mario, anime, and big franchises to show how flat characters can work when the world around them is allowed to grow. • our not-a-facts disclaimer and why you should open a book • the ringtone tangent and why giving instructions is dangerous • the soup saga as a commitment bit • why Zuko’s redemption works as a textbook arc • seven common character arc patterns and what they do • flat arc characters done well versus “nothing happens” writing • why the Mario movies feel focus-grouped and emotionally hollow • how long-running franchises flatten characters into caricatures • examples that handle growth well across many seasons • lightning round: good and bad arcs across pop culture • the real villain: overcomplicated food orders and pizza cut into five The only thing you need to take away from today is to not order Pizza Cut into Five. Just don't. Like, unsubscribe. If you're gonna order it that way. We don't need your business. If you're ordering Pizza Cut into Five, don't buy my book. Don't download from my itch.io. Don't watch our Daggerheart podcast. We don't need you.Support the showFollow all things Richard and Karl, and check out "The Minuet of Sorcery" https://linktr.ee/rajkevis
Transcribe →Crunchyroll's and Bakery Bureaucracy
Mar 1301:53:11Tap to summarizeClick Here to send in your random question to have a chance to win!Karl buys a wedding cake and somehow end up trapped in a maze of draft orders, email payments, and “you can’t do that yet” rules that make paying for anything feel harder than it should be. After the bureaucracy rant, we switch gears into a fast, opinionated tour of what’s trending on Crunchyroll and what actually earns the hype, then close with listener questions that go fully off the rails. • wedding cake and cupcake order logic falling apart • credit card safety habits and why we keep multiple cards • the modern expectation to hand over more personal data • VGA dying and rebuilding a dual monitor setup • Lampgate and the cursed missing power cords • Netflix One Piece as the best version • JJK animation praise and frustration with endings • Sentenced To Be A Hero dodging bad tropes • Frieren pacing and why it still works • Solo Leveling as action first storytelling second • Fire Force and Soul Eater with the fan service problem • Fate Strange Fake as a production value monster • JoJo talk and the Doug Ford stand pitch • Devil Fruit picks and how we would abuse them send them in to be put in a lottery to win a signed copy of the Waltz of Blades, or maybe some of our merch, because we have merch Support the showFollow all things Richard and Karl, and check out "The Minuet of Sorcery" https://linktr.ee/rajkevis
Transcribe →Happy Birthday Karl, I totally didn't forget.. yup also Viz Manga?
Jan 2301:31:03Tap to summarizeClick Here to send in your random question to have a chance to win!Two friends spiral from birthday chaos into a sharp, funny tour of the Viz Manga app, game design gripes, and why Frieren’s quiet heart punches harder than loud power fantasies. We weigh sincerity versus spectacle, then argue for craft that respects time, panels, and readers.• King Domino and tech failing a birthday• Commutes shaping cities and energy budgets• TA life with tiny tutorials and high impact• One‑page RPG design, dice math, bell curves• Mao as Takahashi’s under‑the‑radar marathon• Inuyasha’s clean spine versus villain bloat• Hunter x Hunter’s text walls and lost motion• Rooster Fighter’s serious art, silly premise• Junji Ito’s horror depth and Uzumaki motifs• Black Lagoon pulp and odd Marvel crossovers• Frieren’s pacing, philosophy, and set pieces• Algorithm herding on webtoons and curation• TTRPG loot tables that should exist• Life habits with no proof that we keep anyway“Viewers who have a Deep Space and Dragons mug: send a photo and I’ll mail you a free copy of The Waltz of Blades”Support the showFollow all things Richard and Karl, and check out "The Minuet of Sorcery" https://linktr.ee/rajkevis
Transcribe →Five Needles, One Angry Customer, And A Moon-Sized Sword
Dec 1901:27:42Tap to summarizeClick Here to send in your random question to have a chance to win!We spin from spleen surgery and stacked vaccines to a tense late-night moment at the pizza shop, then celebrate an academic high that launches a sharp take on shonen pacing and payoff. Humor carries the weight, but structure and effort win the day.• vaccine scheduling, boosters, and sore arm realities • why we add disclaimers and trust professionals • the ethics of letting people sleep in a business • cleanliness, safety, and the social contract after midnight • validation at a conference and posthumanism joy • World Trigger’s bottle test and power systems • friendship, effort, victory as design principles • where Boruto stumbles and Kaiju No. 8 sticks the landing • long-runs vs tight endings and when to time-skip • weird phases, from bell bottoms to late-night kendoSubmit to the button that we put in the episode description to get your questions to Deep Space and DragonsSupport the showFollow all things Richard and Karl, and check out "The Minuet of Sorcery" https://linktr.ee/rajkevis
Transcribe →Who Owns Culture: Fans, Corporations, Or The Algorithm?
Nov 2901:53:24Tap to summarizeClick Here to send in your random question to have a chance to win!We debate a small perk turned big headache at a pizza shop, then zoom out to fan parodies, fair use, and why some fan projects elevate art while others drain it. Along the way we share a library field trip, a tense late-night safety call, and tease the cozy weirdness of Christmas ghost stories.• employee discount loopholes and solidarity vs rebellion• how one abuse creates rules that bind everyone• safety triage when a teen fears being followed• Team Four Star’s craft, limits of monetization, creative value• lazy clip reposts vs real parody and editing• mods, Mario Maker constraints, and respecting original intent• AI scraping, fair use asymmetry, and ownership ethics• giving oxygen to original creators with real feedback• archives, maps, Power Nine awe, and why fandom still inspiresSupport the showFollow all things Richard and Karl, and check out "The Minuet of Sorcery" https://linktr.ee/rajkevis
Transcribe →Platelets, Pizza, And Shonen Jump
Nov 1501:35:07Tap to summarizeClick Here to send in your random question to have a chance to win!We trade recovery notes after a splenectomy, call out an ambulance delay on the shop floor, and pick apart how vacation pay models discourage real rest. Then we dive into AI remixing, creator leverage, and a Shonen Jump sweep from Chainsaw Man’s earned madness to One Punch Man’s drift.• platelet rebound after splenectomy, targets and confidence• light duty at work, paid leave structures, and why vacation banking matters• two-hour ambulance delay, frontline tradeoffs, dignity in crisis• AI tools as amplifiers, citation leverage, and where originality lives• pacing as craft: Chainsaw Man’s scope vs One Punch Man’s sprawl• One Piece long-game payoffs and Kagurabachi’s style vs character• Ruri Dragon’s teen core with dragon set-dressing• new series: post-apoc teeth that actually bite, romcoms that stall• grad school bandwidth, burnout management, and project pacing• folklore thought experiment and Pokémon electability for funSend in your questions to get entered for a signed copy of The Waltz of BladesSupport the showFollow all things Richard and Karl, and check out "The Minuet of Sorcery" https://linktr.ee/rajkevis
Transcribe →From Hospital Halls To Hunter Exams: Nerd Life, Grad School, And Dinosaurs
Oct 3101:09:53Tap to summarizeClick Here to send in your random question to have a chance to win!We start with Karl’s medical saga, an MRI, a string of specialists, and the relief of returning to work, then veer into adaptations, fandom, and why some worlds are easier to live in than others. Along the way we argue for better theme parks, smarter ethics, and monsters that make your party sweat.• third nerve palsy scare, MRI, neurologist referral, hospital recovery, back-to-work reset• platelet whiplash, vaccine necessity, RFK Jr rhetoric critique• Jurassic Park book vs film, adaptation trade-offs, Hammond and Malcolm contrasts• product placement ethics, advertising to children, immersion vs commerce• grad school survival, double-speed audiobooks, slash fiction and gender lenses• Harry Potter immersion, Star Wars breakpoints, Jurassic Park core fantasy• Netflix One Piece wins through ocean, ports, and pirates• research threads on Gattaca, eugenics, Neuralink, Ghost in the Shell• worldbuilding that does the homework, Fullmetal’s alchemy nods• Daggerheart design: split-the-party golem, flexible builds, four humors flavor• civic rant: school lunches, inequality, practical fixes through design• immersive park pitches: Digimon AR world, Hunter Exam live run, Duelist Kingdom LARPSubmit your Random Question of the Week: “Just Google Richard Kevis. I’m absurdly easy to find.”Support the showFollow all things Richard and Karl, and check out "The Minuet of Sorcery" https://linktr.ee/rajkevis
Transcribe →