The Jaunty Mantis TTRPG Podcast
By Matt Herzberg & Jesse Sauer
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Image by Matt Herzberg & Jesse Sauer
Category: Games
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Subscribers: 3
Reviews: 0
Episodes: 158
Description
Three expert GMs explore the craft of tabletop roleplaying—why rules feel good, why scenes work, and how stories land. Through casual conversation, creative experiments, and honest breakdowns, this podcast celebrates what makes the hobby special and helps you run better games.
| Episode | Date |
|---|---|
|
Just Don't Plug It In — Nine Worlds / Norse Cyberpunk | Actual Play, Pt. 4
|
Oct 13, 2026 |
|
One Who Walks Again — Nine Worlds / Norse Cyberpunk | Actual Play, Pt. 3
|
Oct 06, 2026 |
|
Say Something After Violence — Nine Worlds / Norse Cyberpunk | Actual Play, Pt. 2
|
Sep 29, 2026 |
|
Vikings at the Foot of the Bifrost — Nine Worlds / Norse Cyberpunk | Actual Play, Pt. 1
|
Sep 22, 2026 |
|
“My Sheet Says I Fight Things" | Shadowdark Review
|
Sep 15, 2026 |
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Not the Kind of Roleplay I Like — Shadowdark Dungeon Crawl | Actual Play, Pt. 9
|
Sep 09, 2026 |
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This Was a Flashback — Shadowdark Dungeon Crawl | Actual Play, Pt. 8
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Sep 02, 2026 |
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A Savage Minotaur, Drenched in Blood — Shadowdark Dungeon Crawl | Actual Play, Pt. 7
|
Aug 26, 2026 |
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Forty Marks on the Wall — Shadowdark Dungeon Crawl | Actual Play, Pt. 6
|
Aug 19, 2026 |
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Unhand That Rogue — Shadowdark Dungeon Crawl | Actual Play, Pt. 5
|
Aug 11, 2026 |
|
Never Yeet A Herbalist — Shadowdark Dungeon Crawl | Actual Play, Pt. 4
|
Aug 07, 2026 |
|
It Walked Like A Man — Shadowdark Dungeon Crawl | Actual Play, Pt. 3
|
Jul 30, 2026 |
|
The Trap at Maximum Trapness — Shadowdark Dungeon Crawl | Actual Play, Pt. 2
|
Jul 23, 2026 |
|
Death Is on the Table — Our First Shadowdark Dungeon Crawl | Actual Play, Pt. 1
|
Jul 16, 2026 |
|
Troika! TTRPG: We Read It, We Played It, Here's the Truth — The Jaunty Mantis
|
Jul 10, 2026 |
|
What I Wouldn't Give For A Sausage | Troika! Ep 8 — The Jaunty Mantis
|
Jul 02, 2026 |
|
Roll To Ignore The Cats | Troika! Ep 7 — The Jaunty Mantis
|
Jun 26, 2026 |
|
The Goose Grease Goblin | Troika! Ep 6 — The Jaunty Mantis
|
Jun 26, 2026 |
|
The Demonic Water & The Wizard's Curse | Troika! Ep 5 — The Jaunty Mantis
|
Jun 09, 2026 |
|
Owls of Floor One | Troika! Ep 4 — The Jaunty Mantis Actual Play
|
Jun 02, 2026 |
|
Not Ominous At All | Troika! Ep 3 — The Jaunty Mantis Actual Play
|
May 26, 2026 |
|
The Pickled Diplomat | Troika! Ep 2 — The Jaunty Mantis Actual Play
|
May 19, 2026 |
|
Three Strangers, One Hotel Room | Troika! Ep 1 — The Jaunty Mantis Actual Play
|
May 12, 2026 |
|
Mothership RPG Review
|
Mar 06, 2026 |
|
Mothership RPG Actual Play | Part 2 | Sci-Fi Horror TTRPG
|
Feb 28, 2026 |
|
JM133 - Mothership Actual Play with Rich Ranallo from Signal Interruption | Part 1
|
Feb 18, 2026 |
|
JM132 -Terrain: The Third Army
|
Feb 11, 2026 |
|
JM131 - Where and how do we prep for games? Software, setting, stimulants.
|
Feb 04, 2026 |
|
JM130 - Danger & Death
|
Jan 28, 2026 |
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JM129 - Always Split the Party? | GM Advice for Better RPG Storytelling
|
Jan 21, 2026 |
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JM128 - Our Tabletop Gaming Goals for 2026
|
Jan 15, 2026 |
|
JM127 - Session endings: are yours satisfying?
|
Jan 07, 2026 |
|
JM126 - What’s the Point of Roleplaying Games? | Power, Story, Violence & Community
|
Dec 31, 2025 |
|
JM125 - Don’t Cancel the Game: Creative Fixes for Missing Players
|
Dec 22, 2025 |
|
JM124 - Are Serious TTRPG Campaigns Even Possible? Humor, Emotion & Storytelling in RPGs
|
Dec 17, 2025 |
|
JM123 - Traveller RPG Character Creation
|
Dec 12, 2025 |
|
JM122 - The Open Table Manifesto from The Alexandrian
|
Dec 03, 2025 |
|
JM121 - Draw Steel: Our Messy Review of an Awesomely Bloated RPG
|
Nov 24, 2025 |
|
JM120 - Do TTRPGs Even Need Ability Scores?
|
Nov 19, 2025 |
|
JM119 - Vampires, Grimdark, and Ghosts in Galveston
|
Nov 12, 2025 |
|
JM118 - Social Encounters, Combat Flow, & Character Evolution
|
Nov 05, 2025 |
|
Jaunty Mantis 117 - Predation RPG Review – Dinosaurs, Time Travel & the Cypher System
|
Oct 29, 2025 |
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Jaunty Mantis 116 - How to Make Dinosaur Encounters Feel Different in TTRPGs
|
Oct 22, 2025 |
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Jaunty Mantis 115 - Dinosaur Domains & Blood Magic | Designing Prehistoric Horror in D&D 5e
|
Oct 15, 2025 |
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Jaunty Mantis 114 - Turning Prehistoric Power into Epic Settings and Characters
|
Oct 08, 2025 |
|
Oral History of TTRPGs: Richard Dansky on Wraith & Writing Across Media
|
Oct 01, 2025 |
|
D&D 4E’s Resurgence: Skill Challenges, Bloodied Condition, and the Dark Sun Connection
|
Sep 24, 2025 |
|
Level Up Your GM Skills: Rolemaster, Vampire 5e & Mastering Game Pacing
|
Sep 10, 2025 |
|
The Oral History of TTRPGs with Bill White
|
Aug 27, 2025 |
|
Oral History of TTRPGs with Jared Sorensen – From the Red Box to Indie Innovation
|
Aug 20, 2025 |
|
Jesse and Chris Talk about Cons, Covid and Credit Card Debt
|
Aug 12, 2025 |
|
Jesse’s Journey Through Tabletop Roleplaying: An Oral History of TTRPG Life and Culture
|
Jul 30, 2025 |
|
Chris' Journey Through Tabletop Roleplaying: An Oral History of TTRPG Life and Culture
|
Jul 24, 2025 |
|
Rolemaster Unlimited Actual Play – Shadow World: Norek Part 1
|
Jul 23, 2025 |
|
Blending Wargaming and Role-Playing Part 2: Warhammer 40k Crusade & Forbidden Psalm
|
Jul 09, 2025 |
|
Rolling with Momentum: Breaking Down Modiphius' 2d20 System
|
Jul 02, 2025 |
|
This Podcast Could Have Been an Email: Pacing, Recaps, and Player Clarity
|
Jun 25, 2025 |
|
Between Dice and Drybrush: Exploring the Crossover Between Wargaming and TTRPGs
|
Jun 18, 2025 |
|
Killer GM, Master Storyteller: Laurin on Prepping, Pressure, and the One Ring
|
Jun 11, 2025 |
|
Beyond the Battle: Running TTRPGs with Minimal Combat
|
Jun 04, 2025 |
|
Maximizing Your Elevator Pitch for a Successful Session Zero
|
May 28, 2025 |
|
Improv Meets TTRPGs – How Improvisation Shapes Better Games
|
May 21, 2025 |
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Creating Rolemaster Unified Characters – A Deep Dive into Classic Simulationist TTRPGs
|
May 14, 2025 |
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Horror in TTRPGs with Karl: Storytelling, Setting & Mechanics in Call of Cthulhu | Bonus Episode
|
May 07, 2025 |
|
Scif-i Mark has entered the chat. Science Fiction in TTRPGs and what makes it great!
|
Apr 30, 2025 |
|
Bog Trolls, Troika recaps, and why Chris Loves the Forgotten Realms | Bonus Episode
|
Apr 24, 2025 |
|
S5:E3 - Incorporating Dinosaurs Into Your Game
|
Apr 16, 2025 |
|
S5:E2 - The Best Resources for Dinosaur-Themed TTRPGs
|
Mar 26, 2025 |
|
S5:E1 - Dinosaurs & TTRPGs: Prehistoric Adventures at Your Table!
|
Mar 19, 2025 |
|
Is Gaming Fiction Worth Reading? | Bonus Episode
|
Mar 12, 2025 |
|
TTRPG Gaming Goals for 2025: Leveling Up Your Table | Bonus Episode
|
Mar 05, 2025 |
|
Breaking the Recap Routine: Do We Really Need Session Summaries? | Bonus Episode
|
Feb 26, 2025 |
|
Should I Run An Evil D&D Campaign? | Bonus Episode
|
Feb 19, 2025 |
|
Mastering the Art of the One-Shot: How to Run D&D Adventures in a Single Session | Bonus Episode
|
Feb 12, 2025 |
|
Hot Takes in Hyperspace: Our Controversial Review of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew* | Bonus Episode
|
Feb 07, 2025 |
|
BONUS - Jesse's Galveston Vampire Game
|
Jan 29, 2025 |
|
BONUS - How To Get GOOD Gamer Feedback
|
Jan 22, 2025 |
|
S4:E12 - How To Introduce A New Game
|
Jan 15, 2025 |
|
S4:E11 - Rethinking PC Roles
|
Jan 08, 2025 |
|
S4:E10 - Addressing Player Types
|
Jan 01, 2025 |
|
Bonus Episode - The One About LARPing
|
Dec 25, 2024 |
|
S4:E9 - Encounter Difficulty
|
Dec 20, 2024 |
|
S4:E8 - World Building Without Homework
|
Dec 11, 2024 |
|
S4:E7 - When Is It Appropriate To Say No?
|
Dec 04, 2024 |
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S4:E6 - Making Aliens Interesting
|
Nov 27, 2024 |
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S4:E5 - Handling IP In A Role Playing Game
|
Nov 20, 2024 |
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S4:E4 - Handling Boredom At The Table
|
Nov 13, 2024 |
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S4:E3 - Ending A Campaign
|
Nov 06, 2024 |
|
S4:E2 - Our Gaming Inspirations
|
Oct 30, 2024 |
|
S4:E1 - Resources For Newish GMs
|
Oct 23, 2024 |
|
Bonus - Burning Down The House
|
Oct 16, 2024 |
|
Bonus - Workshopping Character Concepts With The DM
|
Oct 09, 2024 |
|
Bonus - Is D&D Beyond STILL The Best Thing About 5E?
|
Oct 02, 2024 |
|
Bonus - RPG Bucket Lists
|
Sep 25, 2024 |
|
Bonus - D&D 2024 Player's Handbook First Impressions!
|
Sep 17, 2024 |
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Bonus - Are 'Slice Of Life' Games Fun?
|
Sep 11, 2024 |
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Bonus - Matty Makes A D&D Roguelike (Part 2)
|
Sep 04, 2024 |
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Bonus - Matty Makes A D&D Rougelike (Part 1)
|
Aug 28, 2024 |
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Bonus - Mecha Military Style Games
|
Aug 21, 2024 |
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Bonus - Is My Game Too Silly?
|
Aug 14, 2024 |
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Bonus - The One About Lower Decks
|
Aug 07, 2024 |
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Bonus - Should We Get Matching Beard Tattoos?
|
Jul 31, 2024 |
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Bonus - Do We Need To Be OP?
|
Jul 24, 2024 |
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Bonus - What Is A Roleplaying Game?
|
Jul 17, 2024 |
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Bonus - We Played Trophy Dark!
|
Jul 10, 2024 |
|
S3:E12 - What Is Warhammer Age of Sigmar Soulbound?
|
Jul 06, 2024 |
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S3:E11 - What Is Blades In The Dark?
|
Jun 26, 2024 |
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S3:E10 - What Is Transformers (The RPG)?
|
Jun 19, 2024 |
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S3:E9 - What Is Trophy Dark?
|
Jun 12, 2024 |
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S3:E8 - What Is Planegea?
|
Jun 05, 2024 |
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S3:E7 - What Is Shadowrun Anarchy?
|
May 29, 2024 |
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S3:E6 - What Is Ultraviolet Grasslands?
|
May 22, 2024 |
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S3:E5 - What Is FATE Core?
|
May 15, 2024 |
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S3:E4 - What Is TROIKA!?
|
May 08, 2024 |
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S3:E3 - What Is Shadowdark?
|
May 01, 2024 |
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S3:E2 - What Is Index Card RPG?
|
Apr 24, 2024 |
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S3:E1 - What Is Velvet Generation?
|
Apr 17, 2024 |
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Bonus - Playlists Instead of Paragraphs?
|
Apr 10, 2024 |
|
Bonus - Should Mortal Engines Be A Campaign Setting
|
Apr 03, 2024 |
|
Bonus - Gaming Podcasts We Like
|
Mar 27, 2024 |
|
Bonus - Teaching Rules and Gamer Ego
|
Mar 20, 2024 |
|
Bonus - Exploring Rifts
|
Mar 13, 2024 |
|
Bonus - Should Jesse Hack Dark Sun?
|
Mar 06, 2024 |
|
Bonus - Avatar The Last Airbender, Star Trek, and For All Mankind
|
Feb 28, 2024 |
|
Bonus - Are Skills Necessary In RPGs?
|
Feb 21, 2024 |
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Bonus - Would A Survival Crafter TTRPG Be Fun?
|
Feb 14, 2024 |
|
S2:E12 - Creating A Campaign
|
Feb 07, 2024 |
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S2:E11 - Creating A Minster
|
Jan 31, 2024 |
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S2:E10 - Creating A Starship
|
Jan 24, 2024 |
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S2:E9 - Creating A Sci Fi Setting (part 2)
|
Jan 17, 2024 |
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S2:E8 - Creating A Sci Fi Setting (part 1)
|
Jan 10, 2024 |
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S2:E7 - Creating a 5e D&D Race
|
Jan 04, 2024 |
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S2:E6 - Creating A Fantasy Setting (part 2)
|
Dec 28, 2023 |
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Bonus - Holiday Grudges and Thanks
|
Dec 20, 2023 |
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S2:E5 - Creating A Fantasy Setting (part 1)
|
Dec 14, 2023 |
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S2:E4 - Creating A Cyberpunk Adventure
|
Dec 07, 2023 |
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S2:E3 - Creating A Cyberpunk Setting (part 2)
|
Nov 30, 2023 |
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S2:E2 - Creating A Cyberpunk Setting (part 1)
|
Nov 23, 2023 |
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S2:E1 - Genre TTRPGs
|
Nov 16, 2023 |
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Bonus - Baldur's Gate 3: Murder, Romance, and Disappointment
|
Nov 09, 2023 |
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Bonus - What Is A Murder Hobo?
|
Nov 02, 2023 |
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Bonus - Jesse's Re-Obsession With RIFTS
|
Oct 26, 2023 |
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Bonus - Disruptive Characters
|
Oct 19, 2023 |
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Bonus - The D&D Movie
|
Oct 12, 2023 |
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Bonus - Ahsoka and Modern Star Wars
|
Oct 05, 2023 |
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S1:E12 - Does Fantasy Need To Get Weird(er)?
|
Sep 28, 2023 |
|
S1:E11 - Magic Systems
|
Sep 21, 2023 |
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S1:E10 - PC Roles
|
Sep 14, 2023 |
|
S1:E9 - Why YOU Should GM
|
Sep 07, 2023 |
|
S1:E8 - Character Death
|
Aug 31, 2023 |
|
S1:E7 - Can Baldur's Gate 3 Improve D&D?
|
Aug 24, 2023 |
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S1:E6 - Asking For Help
|
Aug 17, 2023 |
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S1:E5 - Alignment?
|
Aug 10, 2023 |
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S1:E4 - Challenging Characters
|
Aug 03, 2023 |
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S1:E3 - World Building With A Light Touch
|
Jul 27, 2023 |
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S1:E2 - Creating Sci-Fi Spaces
|
Jul 20, 2023 |
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S1:E1 - Velvet Generation w/ Rich Ranallo
|
Jul 13, 2023 |
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Introducing The Jaunty Mantis
|
Jul 08, 2023 |