The Jaunty Mantis TTRPG Podcast

Roll to ignore the cats. The tiger can tell you really want to pet it, so it's ignoring you harder. Part 7 of our Troika! one-shot on The Jaunty Mantis. The elevator gets four new passengers, the attendant makes an extremely poor choice, and a tiny knight in painted armor enters the party's life and never leaves. Cast Jesse as Gormer the UnderbursarMatty as Darlo Tik'lAnna as MothChris as Game MotherFeaturing the silent stylings of Sir Two StampsFind us 🦋 Bluesky: @jauntymantis 📩 jauntymantis@gmail.com Like, subscribe, and ideally find yourself in an elevator crowded with tigers at least once in your life. We are not affiliated with the Melsonian Arts Council. Played for the love of weird fantasy.

Can a tabletop RPG ever be fully serious — or is humor baked into the DNA of playing with your friends?In this episode of Jaunty Mantis, Jesse, Matty, and Chris dive into a surprisingly complex question: Is humor an unavoidable part of tabletop role-playing games — or can you truly run a serious, emotionally resonant campaign?Drawing from decades of combined experience, the hosts explore how laughter, tension, character backstories, emotional beats, and even absurd emergent moments all blend together at the table. From Vampire: The Masquerade’s deadly-serious in-character drama to D&D’s natural silliness and its self-referential culture, the crew unpacks why we play — and what we hope to feel.They discuss tools like character bonds, session zero prompts, life-path systems, emotional stakes, and ways GMs can create deeper, more meaningful moments without losing the fun.Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio

Can an open table completely change the way you run RPGs? The Jaunty Mantis crew dives into The Alexandrian’s Open Table Manifesto to explore how it reshapes campaigns, players, and prep. In this episode of the Jaunty Mantis podcast, Jesse, Matty, and Chris unite to explore The Open Table Manifesto from thealexandrian.net , and how it can revolutionize the way we run tabletop RPGs. From rotating player pools to emergent sandbox storytelling, the gang talks character creation challenges, scheduling nightmares, mega-dungeons, Shadowrun woes, and how to design sessions that end cleanly—even if you're lost in the dungeon. They share personal experiences, critiques of modern systems, GM philosophies, and ways to build an inclusive, dynamic gaming community using open tables. Plus: meatball demons, mech-back combat, vampire morality, surprise frogs, and accidental softball dating lessons. Read The Open Table Manifesto here: https://thealexandrian.net/wordpress/38643/roleplaying-games/open-table-manifestoMusic by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio

What if I told you your tabletop RPG doesn’t need skills… or stats… or even weapon proficiencies? Today we commit a little RPG heresy—and ungovern the cylinder. The Jaunty Mantis returns with another episode of chaotic brilliance, high-level RPG design debate, and extremely questionable metaphors. Today, Jesse and Matty tackle a deceptively simple question: Do tabletop RPGs actually need their core features? Ability scores, skill systems, weapon proficiencies—are they essential, or are they just D&D legacy baggage we keep carrying around? Along the way we detour into Rifts (of course), Pendragon, Cypher System, Dungeon World, and a whole lot of “players will self-regulate anyway,” plus Cad Bane impressions, Star Wars hot takes, and an alarming amount of content centered around “ungoverning the cylinder.” If you're a curious gamer, game designer, TTRPG theorist, or someone who just likes watching nerds lovingly complain about Palladium Books, you’re in the right place. Send us your questions at jauntymantis@gmail.com Like, subscribe, and forcibly ungovern your cylinder responsibly.

What if your TTRPG character suddenly told you they were more than you ever imagined—and what if your RPG's combat and social rules were holding you back? Matty returns to the podcast and things get spicy fast as we dive into the evolving craft of tabletop RPGs. From character-changing playlists to Vampire: The Masquerade’s approach to social mechanics—and the eternal question of how much combat a game really needs—we explore creativity, game design, and the hidden rules shaping our favorite TTRPGs. The conversation spans everything from Rifts Chaos Earth, session-zero hype for Vampire, simplifying combat, rethinking social encounters, and how certain games accidentally teach players the wrong expectations. Got a creative question? Send it to jauntymantis@gmail.com or leave your comments in this webszone! 🎧 New here? Like, comment, subscribe, and leave a review on your favorite platform. 🎲 Until next time—keep playing those f***ing role-playing games… or don’t.