Tale Of The Manticore
253 episodes listed below
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Tale of the Manticore is a hybrid between a dark fantasy audio drama and a solo D&D RPG. The dice make all the important decisions and, as a writer, my job is to interpret them and tell their story. Part fiction, part game, it’s the story where ”Chaos rolls.”Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/tale-of-the-manticore-a-dark-fantasy-dungeons-dragons-audiodrama--6276878/support.
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Tale of The Manticore turns visible dice mechanics into suspense, showing how chance can shape characters, conflicts, and an ongoing fantasy world.
A battle can turn on an initiative roll, and a magic sword can gain a new ability because the dice landed one point inside the required range.
A magic sword gains a power by dice roll; your storyteller has to go find a table.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
A level-up turns Tentir's sword into a live wire of dark-fantasy possibility.
Tale of the Manticore makes a character level-up feel like dark-fantasy suspense. Tentir gains six hit points, his basic attack bonus rises to plus 4, and the Sword of Lirhane improves to plus 2 before a 12% chance opens the door to a new spell-like power.
A mountain clue turns Belario south, giving the old-school quest pressure through patient discovery.
Chapter 52 makes a mountain summit feel like a locked room, with the main clue hidden in the grain of a lightning-split tree. Fairwind catches a rhythmic sound that could be dripping water or a stonemason at work, while he and Achillea return to the dead-tree message at the…
An orc battle opens into a harsher question about exile, territory, and what the dead leave behind.
Episode 11 lets the aftermath of an orc battle settle into something thornier than a body count. The companions read the dead as members of two tribes, while the idea of abandoned suffering gives the Bloodfoot's move into Black Cloud territory a grim emotional shape.
A battle-worn orc encounter turns careful tabletop procedure into immediate danger when Tentir takes an arrow.
A road north after a recent battle tightens into a wary fight with four orcs spotted 70 feet away. The encounter works because it keeps its tactics legible: individual hit points, archers answering back, high ground giving the party an edge, and melee fighters trying to bend…
A vertiginous climb brings dark-fantasy danger and tabletop detail into sharp focus.
The episode turns a rope ascent into a real test of nerve, keeping Achillea's fear of the dizzying height close to the surface as Berend steadies her on the northern sentry platform.
Serialized pulp radio drama: Red Panda battles android-army supervillain Captain Clockwork in 1930s Toronto.
Deborah Treisman and a guest writer read and dissect one archival short story monthly.
Mike Muncer and a different guest dissect two horror films per episode, by subgenre.
Joe Lipsett and Trace Thurman find queer subtext in everything from Anaconda to The Mummy.
In this episode, the party recovers from a battle with an ogre, with Kord severely injured and held together by a strap.
In this episode of Tale of the Manticore, the host introduces the dark fantasy D&D audio drama where dice dictate the story.
In this episode, the companions are exhausted and must find shelter in hostile territory while avoiding flocks of crows.
A party explores a mysterious tunnel system with changing architecture, hearing chisel sounds, and discovers a honeycombed cavern.
A dark fantasy audio drama where dice rolls determine the fate of characters in a solo D&D campaign.
A dark fantasy audio drama where dice rolls determine the story's direction.
A dark fantasy audio drama where dice rolls determine the narrative, blending fiction with solo D&D gameplay.
A dark fantasy audio drama where dice rolls determine the story, featuring a flashback to a younger Achillea learning magic and a present-day battle with orcs.
Tale of the Manticore Episode 10 pairs Achillea’s level-up with a hilltop orc battle, and both scenes hinge on dice rolls, spells, and injury.
Kord levels up as a druid-like creature, gaining 11 hit points, entangle, and locate plant or animal.
The host interviews Trevor Duvall about his experience with solo RPGs and his new game, The Broken Empires.
The host interviews author Paolo Bacigalupi about his novel Novela and discusses writing craft.
A bonus episode featuring an interview with Kaelin about music production for RPGs, including his creative process and equipment.
A dark fantasy audio drama where dice rolls determine the story's outcome, following companions on a journey.
A dark fantasy audio drama where dice rolls determine the fate of characters in a solo D&D campaign.