"I guess it's the stereotype of playing it - [the players] are usually fat, sweaty, hairy dorky men who are socially inept who happen to live in their mom's basement."

Dungeons & Dragons, the 1974 published fantasy role-playing game that once delivered your child to Satan, is still associated with self-deprecating nerds, played in secret (along with embarrassed "comings out") and scorned by jocks/Salon writers and their cheerleader girlfriends everywhere.

But what better way to break, or affirm, the stereotypes, than by listening to a 4th Edition D&D game being played, featuring not just by some scrubs off the street, oh no, but the creators of Penny Arcade, Tycho and Gabe? Still not tempted? How about if we throw loved/hated Star Trek actor, prodigious blogger and all round nice guy Wil Wheaton into the mix?

All files available as Podcasts and/or embedded in page. Warning: audio links feature some strong language. [more inside]
posted by Rei Toei on Jan 22, 2010 - 240 comments

1. Make a penny whistle from pvc or copper pipe. 2. Learn how to play it. 3. Away ye go! 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
posted by bokeh on Mar 17, 2009 - 8 comments

The problem with pennies.
posted by veedubya on Apr 4, 2008 - 98 comments

How much is a penny worth today? Oh, about $0.0105465. Of course, it costs more than that to produce them. Is the penny worth keeping? The old copper penny had bactericidal qualities. You could drop a copper penny in a glass of wine to discern its nature. They were the subject of various high-school chemistry experiments. According to some, they were excellent conductors of luck. And the new zinc pennies? Their melting point is lower, and they don't have the same ring to them. Some people like them, others like to eat them. What are they good for? Not much. The time has come to abolish the penny.
posted by sfenders on Nov 19, 2006 - 75 comments

Penny stacking - build pillars, bridges and domes from your worthless change.
posted by Orange Goblin on Apr 11, 2005 - 13 comments

Ever seen those penny smashing machines? You can join a club, visit a museum, get you own custom penny, or get your very own machine. Oh, yeah, it is perfectly legal. You can trade here, or look for machine locations in the U.S. and abroad. How 'bout a MetaFilter smashed penny? They really are America's Best souvenir.
posted by fixedgear on Jan 7, 2005 - 13 comments

Dime Novels and Penny Dreadfuls.
posted by hama7 on Dec 6, 2003 - 7 comments

Help me leave my husband. No, not me. A woman named Peggy from Seattle, Washington saw Save Karyn and decided to do the same thing to help end her marriage. more inside..
posted by SuzySmith on Sep 18, 2002 - 57 comments

This story about the penny seemed to me to be strangely beautiful, for reasons I can't quite define. Money is so interesting. Maybe I should become a numismastist.
posted by jammer on May 16, 2001 - 12 comments

A penny for your thoughts? Why not one quintillion pennies!?
posted by MarkBakalor on Apr 26, 2001 - 21 comments