The Jaunty Mantis TTRPG Podcast

SPOILERS FOR BALDUR’S GATE 3! In this bonus episode of TJM: Forgotten Realms is actually cool, murdering goblins, stealing the idol, romancing a racist alien from another dimension , and using the Guidance cantrip constantly at the table. Also, Basic Gary. Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Logos by Shannon Sipes thedigsy.myportfolio.com/work

In this bonus episode the boys discus “Murder Hobos” and if they are as prevalent as the community makes them out to be. Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Logos by Shannon Sipes thedigsy.myportfolio.com/work

In this bonus episode of TJM we finally get to hear about this RIFTS thing Jesse has been bringing up. Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Logos by Shannon Sipes thedigsy.myportfolio.com/work

In this bonus episode, the boys lightly banter about the differences between acceptable and unacceptable disruptive characters in RPGS.

In this bonus episode, the boys discuss the D&D movie…nearly 200 days after its initial release. Enjoy! Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Logos by Shannon Sipes thedigsy.myportfolio.com/work

With Ahsoka concluding this week, the boys discuss the modern state of Star Wars after watching the first four episodes of the series. Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Logos by Shannon Sipes thedigsy.myportfolio.com/work

Season 1 concludes with a discussion about European/Western/Tolkien fantasy tropes and the reoccurring desire of TTRPG gamers to expand/diverge/stray away from them. The boys discus the dark weirdness of OSR, the fidelity of different fantasy settings, and conclude with some sources ideal for inspiring more “weirdness” in your own game. Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Logos by Shannon Sipes...

What do you want out of magic in a roleplaying system? Magic is the mechanic that undoes the rules of the game and how the PCs traverse obstacles. The boys explore the relevance of magic in roleplaying games, different scales of magic for a setting, and different magic systems. Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Logos by Shannon Sipes thedigsy.myportfolio.com/work

Caller, Mapper, Quartermaster, and Scribe are roles that originated in the early days of D&D groups but are they still relevant? Has gaming and modern players evolved past them or can we redefine them to serve the modern table experience? In this episode the boys recount a little bit of old gaming culture and some TTRPG tropes as they discuss Player Character Roles. Music by Karl Casey @ White...

Being a Dungeon Master or Game Master is f***ing awesome and more people should give it a shot. Due to the perception of a “DM shortage” the boys make their case for the question, why become a Game Master? They share how they started running games and dial in on best practices for starting out or leveling up your GM skills. Return Of The Lazy Dungeon Master HERE Matty would also like to cite the D...

This episode is all about player character death in RPGs! The boys discuss the deaths of their characters over the years and debate whether or not character death in gaming is a good thing or a bad thing. Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Logos by Shannon Sipes thedigsy.myportfolio.com/work

This episode is all about Baldur’s Gate 3! The boys discuss first impressions and how BG3’s gameplay experience has the potential to change Dungeons & Dragons (as well as TTRPGS in general). Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Logos by Shannon Sipes thedigsy.myportfolio.com/work

When is it appropriate to ask your GM for help for a character concept that isn’t working? Conversely how should a GM ask for help from their players to get the game on track? In this Jaunty Mantis TTRPG Therapy Podcast, the boys do just that for each other. Matty learned about Index Card RPG from the Dungeoncraft YouTube Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX_8-CcCT2c Music by Karl Case...

Does alignment have any value in modern RPGS? In this episode Jesse and Matty question the point of player character alignment. They cover different alignment systems from different games and how alignment has changed in D&D over the years. The boys also discuss options for evolving alignment into a meaningful GM resource to help challenge the PCs. Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Logos b...

What are the costs of playing a challenging character? In this episode the boys break down the benefits and drawbacks of exploring backstory, alignment, personality and real world societal norms when playing a fantasy make-believe game for fun. Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Logos by Shannon Sipes thedigsy.myportfolio.com/work

How do you convey an established setting without assigning homework? How do you get your players invested without suffocating them with lore? How much prep is too much? The boys talk about world building in this episode and Matty gets some help with his Eberron game. Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio Logos by Shannon Sipes thedigsy.myportfolio.com/work

Grab your graph paper and sharpen your pencils for this design episode! As part two of their 5e Spelljammer retrospective, Matty and Jesse delve deep into how they prefer to create sci-fi spaces for any TTRPG with minimal effort and maximum efficiency. Whether it’s a cosmic campaign location, a strange site for a space adventure, or a single event of screwball sci-fi shenanigans - the boys got you...

Velvet Generation is a tabletop roleplaying game of rock and revolution. Players step into the role of an underground band, trying to survive under the Ministry of Music’s bootheel long enough to strike back and topple the regime from below. The first official episode of The Jaunty Mantis kicks off with an interview. Just in time for Independent TTRPG month, Matty and Jesse interview, friend of th...

Jesse and Matty talk about their shared love for TTRPG gaming, how they got into the hobby, and what this podcast is supposed to be about. The boys also do a retrospective on 5e Spelljammer, now that its been out for almost a year. music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio logos by Shannon Sipes https://thedigsy.myportfolio.com/work