Jaunty Mantis 116 - How to Make Dinosaur Encounters Feel Different in TTRPGs

In this episode of The Jaunty Mantis, we riff on mechanical ways to make dinosaurs stand out at the table — beyond simple reskins or bigger HP pools. They cover size & reach, zone-based combat, fear/horror mechanics, animal companions and mounts, pack tactics, and inspiration from other RPG systems (Rifts, Exalted, 4E, Runehammer).

Whether you run theater-of-the-mind sessions or use a full tactical grid, this episode is a toolkit for DMs and designers who want dinosaurs to play like dinosaurs — mechanically and narratively. Stick around for a listener challenge at the end: tweak or homebrew one mechanic that makes dinosaurs feel better in your game.