S2:E10 - Creating A Starship
Matt Herzberg Matt Herzberg

S2:E10 - Creating A Starship

The boys create a starship for their science fiction setting using the tools and tables found in Kevin Crawford’s Stars Without Number.

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S2:E7 - Creating a 5e D&D Race
Matt Herzberg Matt Herzberg

S2:E7 - Creating a 5e D&D Race

The boys round out the weird fantasy block by fleshing out the mechanics for their fantasy race in the Dungeons and Dragons 5e rules set.

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Bonus - Holiday Grudges and Thanks
Matt Herzberg Matt Herzberg

Bonus - Holiday Grudges and Thanks

Will a new Grudge Apprentice lift the curse of Dwarf Day? Will a confused Stormcast Eternal finally get his wings? Who is Final Thunder and why does he make toys for the children? In this special holiday episode of The Jaunty Mantis, the boys summon forth the holiday spirit to serve up a bounty of gaming cheer!

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S2:E3 - Creating A Cyberpunk Setting (part 2)
Matt Herzberg Matt Herzberg

S2:E3 - Creating A Cyberpunk Setting (part 2)

Season two continues with part 2 of the TJM cyberpunk setting workshop. Jesse and Matty demonstrate their tried and true creative process with a special twist. Using the tools and tables found in Kevin Crawford’s Citifies Without Number the boys create a setting from scratch. And you can too!

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S2:E2 - Creating A Cyberpunk Setting (part 1)
Matt Herzberg Matt Herzberg

S2:E2 - Creating A Cyberpunk Setting (part 1)

Season two is devoted to the creative process and genre specific campaign settings. The boys have dedicated the next few episodes to using the tools and tables found in Kevin Crawford’s Citifies Without Number to create a cyberpunk campaign setting from scratch.

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S2:E1 - Genre TTRPGs
Matt Herzberg Matt Herzberg

S2:E1 - Genre TTRPGs

Season 2 is upon us! Jesse attempts to talk Matty off the ledge as the boys discuss the relevance of genre in table top roleplaying games.

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Bonus - What Is A Murder Hobo?
Matt Herzberg Matt Herzberg

Bonus - What Is A Murder Hobo?

In this bonus episode the boys discus “Murder Hobos” and if they are as prevalent as the community makes them out to be.

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Bonus - Disruptive Characters
Matt Herzberg Matt Herzberg

Bonus - Disruptive Characters

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

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Bonus - The D&D Movie
Matt Herzberg Matt Herzberg

Bonus - The D&D Movie

In this bonus episode, the boys discuss the D&D movie…nearly 200 days after its initial release. Enjoy!

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S1:E12 - Does Fantasy Need To Get Weird(er)?
Matt Herzberg Matt Herzberg

S1:E12 - Does Fantasy Need To Get Weird(er)?

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.

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S1:E11 - Magic Systems
Matt Herzberg Matt Herzberg

S1:E11 - Magic Systems

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 and different systems.

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S1:E10 - PC Roles
Matt Herzberg Matt Herzberg

S1:E10 - PC Roles

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.

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