I’ve only just finished the first season (so only 2.5 years behind) but have to leave a review as to how awesome this show is. The story telling is fantastic, and the mix of the old school and actual play just works. Production quality and consistency also make this show a stand out. This has inspired me to get back to playing an older edition of the game myself. I can’t wait to start season two!

This podcast is the catalyst of a new genre: solo play DnD and a fantasy novel. It’s actually better in some ways because John gives A LOT of careful thought to the interpretation of the dice after they determine random outcomes. As a GM my players and I have to come up with this stuff on the fly, but his careful thought and creativity brings out amazing stories. Listening to this will make you a better DM/GM for sure. Please don’t stop making it!

This is my favorite podcast. I thought I would take this momentous occasion to review TotM. There’s so much to love about this show but for now I’ll just say I’m SO excited that we have another elf in the story! Can’t wait to hear what happens next.

Very recent listener here (came here from a recommendation from another TTRPG podcast, yet which specifically eludes me), I’ve been loving listening to Achilliea’s story in Zaysha and I am drawn to TOTM’s unique and compelling style of storytelling. Although this is is the first solo-player TTRPG podcast I’ve encountered, I can tell by the novel-like prose and clever throughlines made to blend roll results into the story that this podcast is something special. I’ll certainly continue to follow along as this story is further stitched together, along exploring the previous tales already made here! Edit: Almost a month later, and I’m already waist deep in Season 2 (which is to say, nearing halfway). The TTRPG Podcast-sphere is a (non-demonic, wink) web of connectivity and I am very glad this new season prompted me to take a listen to this section of it. You’ve got another devoted listener in your Manti-corner.

Looking for a DIFFERENT D&D podcast? Then look no further! Excellent storytelling and audio with an old school gaming twist. Season 3 just started and is my favorite one yet. You don’t need to listen to the other 2 seasons to know what is going on - each season is basically independent with new characters and stories each time. Give it a try - you’ll be glad you did!

You got my creative juices flowing, I love the flow of your show. Going to go back and check out season 1 & 2!

We are absolutely obsessed with this podcast - both seasons 1 & 2. Jon does such an excellent job weaving dark narrative, absolutely terrifying details, and fantastic character development. We feel nothing but gratitude to listen to this podcast every week. Thank you, Jon!

I’m pacing myself into TOTM’s Second season and loving every episode. The host does a great job of balancing the differing aspects of this truly unique game and strives to make every episode enjoyable. The character and world building is real. I can smell the gutters of Simoral and feel Yellowfly’s hatred of the Weeping Eye. Keep up the great work!

This podcast draws you in with the story elements, but then the dice, oh the dice. The dice are sometimes cruel and lead the story in new directions. That is what makes it so fabulous! Thanks for sharing your creative energy will all of us. <3

Jon and cast do an excellent job at balancing action with roleplay and exposition. Cole’s fate still hits hard and The Goddard Estate will always hold a special place in my heart. I look forward to whatever the next chapter will be and however the dice land. Love this show! Thanks for your hard work. - Dread Maps

Manticore is a podcast I found late, binged hard and now wait for every two weeks! I’ve found myself walking the dog a little further to finish an episode or two or taking another lap around the block after dropping the kid off at school to try and finish the episode before work. I don’t have the time for RPG in my day to day life but this fills the need until I do!

Even though I’m over 50 and began playing D&D with the 1981 boxed set, I never really “got” the appeal of OSR gaming. Thanks to this podcast, I not only get it but went out to buy some OSR games to play with friends. This is an absolutely terrific storytelling and gaming podcast to consume, and I’m thankful for Jon’s passion and care in creating it. I started from the beginning and have just finished episode 52 of the first story, so I have a lot of fun ahead of me. But I couldn’t wait any longer to write a review and praise the work with a review. I’m constantly on the edge of my seat, totally immersed in the story… in fact I’ve actually started to SLOW DOWN in my bingeing so I don’t finish the episodes too quickly. Finally, it’s an inspiration for my own writing project, and will undoubtedly bring me fuel to keep going when I need it. Keep up the great work, and thank you!

Man, I’m only a dozen or so episodes in, and this has been astounding storytelling. Good job thus far!

I’ve never been into d&d. Never even considered it. Someone recommended this podcast to me on Reddit and I put it off thinking it wouldn’t be my thing. Out of boredom at work while my waiting for new episodes from my normal podcasts I decided to check it out. I was instantly hooked. Binged everything and just got caught up tonight. Even considering getting into d&d if I can find a group with an open spot, willing to teach. The way the author describes everything and the was the story plays it really makes you feel a connection with the world and characters. I felt so connected with the characters from season one I actually had a hard “getting to know” the characters in season two. I should have taken a break but it was too addictive. To the author, Please keep this going. I’m far too hooked to turn back lol.

Great pod. Taking back to the 80s. Happened on it from The Grognard files. Hope you keep at it.

Also, thanks to The Iron Realm for inspiring Jon to do this. Gonna check that out next now that I’m all caught up.

Ok. Pod-addicts. Put this in your ears. The host of the show would tell you to start with season 2. Trust me. You’ll be so addicted that you’ll binge through it too fast to be satisfied. You will go back to season 1 anyways, so just start there.

Streamlined to the point of near perfection. Great characters, palpable tension, and not a wasted moment. I usually fall off AP's pretty quick but this is something special.

Really enjoy the unique format, and it’s cool to see the podcast grow and develop as the series progresses. Jon seems like a thoughtful and generous creator so I had to take the time to actually write a review :)

I’ve never played DND nor gave it much thought. I wanted a podcast that was story driven and in the realm of fantasy. Your title intrigued me. I jumped on board and hated the combat system but the story left me wanting more. Now I can’t decide what part I like more the story or the combat. I still don’t understand some of the dive roles low being good sometimes and sometimes you want to role high, but you hold my hand and walk me thru it. I HAVE TO GET ME A DND SET NOW!!! Here’s 5 stars for you and all your hard work blessing my ears with this story. Ps I think I’m a dwarf. Come on then 💪

I played D&D starting with the basic set, then moving on into AD&D, way back in my youth. The storytelling here mixed with the actual gameplay really brings back fond memories of those days of long ago. Thank you!

I honestly think this podcast is pretty amazing just recently found it and I’m already caught up to the newest episode so that can tell u how much I’ve enjoyed listening to this.

I wasn’t looking for a “serious” D&D podcast when I ran across Tale of the Manticore. Personally, I’m a big fan of the comedic ones (when they are done well). In fact, I resisted listening for a long time after hearing the trailer. So imagine my surprise, upon finally giving it a shot, to find I was instantly hooked. It could be said to be built from D&D clichés, surly dwarves, goblin fights, evil sorcerers, etc. But you know what? Bricks are cliché, too, and sometimes they get assembled into beautiful monuments. I declare this podcast an expertly crafted monument to Basic D&D.

This is a unique actual play, styled as a radio show. John takes old school role-playing to the next level using the dice to decide the actions of most of the characters most of the time.The action is riveting, the story is very engaging, and the concept is one of a kind. I am absolutely hooked and I have been telling everyone who will stand still to listen about this fantastic listening experience. Do yourself a favor, no kidding.

Great podcast. Excellent quality and engaging storyline. Story keeps moving with unexpected developments while still keeping continuity of episodes over time. Also gives some insight into the choices/mechanics he is using.

This is — by far — the greatest old-school RPG podcast, or audio drama. I’m still listening to season one and it is truly fantastic! The audio quality is top notch, and episodes are of a very manageable length (rarely over a half hour). I truly can’t recommend this podcast highly enough.

This is a wonderfully done combination of real play and storytelling. Season 2 is shaping up to be as good if not better than Season 1. If you haven’t, make sure to listen to Season 1 as well, totally different story arc and characters and definitely worth the (binge) listen!

This guy has nailed it - RPG combined with narrative fantasy, no jokes or banter, just straight ahead D&D. Very compelling story, and the real time tension created with live dice rolls ups the stakes and ratchets up the anxiety. Nice work man.

Thank you for producing this fantasy Roleplaying storygame! This has helped me look into older style D&D. Bravo!

Season 1 was amazing, I highly recommend for people to listen to it. I’m going to let a few episodes pass for season 2 before listening in hopes that the story picks up.

If you like the emergent narrative potential of tabletop roleplaying games, this is a great show for you. It’s solo play so there’s no banter or goofing off between players, just a solid dice-driven, dark fantasy story. The sound design is particularly stand-out––it’s well crafted and additive to the overall presentation. Have fun with this one!

I recently started this and listened to almost 20 episodes during a very long car ride. This isn’t my first D&D podcast, but it has become my favorite. The combination of story telling, between the lines discussion and the theater of the mind with the dice rolls comes across as compelling and very entertaining. Thanks, Marty

Each episode is a compelling story with characters that you can identify with and surprising plot twists. These episodes remind me of a cross between the thrills of learning Moldvay D&D when it was new and my favorite fantasy novels. I listen both ways during my 55 minute commute to work and then enjoy summarizing it all for my wife when I get home in the evening. Keep up the excellent work my friend!

Hands down, THE best Old School podcast I’ve found. If you want to know what playing B/X D&D is like, look (well, listen) no further. This is the only ‘actual play,’ I’ve ever been able to listen to. Characters have compelling and believable backstories that emerge in flashbacks, world building is very good and some seems to come up on the fly, which is in keeping with the old school style. My favorite part is CHAOS RULES! The dice decide many things: characters live and die by the roll of the dice AS IT SHOULD BE! Give it a listen, you won’t be disappointed.

Tale of the Manticore is my go to D&D podcast. It is the perfect blend of old school D&D and grim dark literature. The DM is fantastic at the pacing of his story telling. The average runtime feels right (around a half hour) with the story progressing enough to be gratifying but always leaving you wanting more. I would be doing the show a great disservice if I didn’t also mention how well the characters are fleshed out. Each one has their own distinct personality and voice that has developed in a way that feels organic and not forced. But the thing I appreciate most is that TotM doesn’t contain the filler that turns me off to most other TTRPG podcasts. There hasn’t been a bad episode yet and I don’t anticipate that changing.

I was DM and had a player befriend a manticore and so I went in search of information. While I have not learned much of manticores in this story (yet) I have found a most excellent adventure. The suspense is palpable and quickly addictive. This story gets under your skin in a real way.

I thought that osr gameplay just didn’t work for audio formats. Boy has this show proved me wrong. This has captured the old school dramatic game play that eludes modern d&d games. Someone one might be turned off by the delivery of the combat sequences at first, but it really drives the stakes later on and on the edge of your seat wondering if the PCs are going to make it or not. The last arc had some rather big combats and I thought it was handled gracefully and the carnage of the situation really sung.

I started listening to this podcast, hoping to find something similar to an audio book, just a story to distract me and bring me to a magical place every day. After the first episode, I was hesitant. Dice play? D&D? That stuff is the making of nerds, but something told me to give it a chance. Now a week later, over 20 episodes in, and showing no signs of slowing down, I can say I found even more than I could have hoped for. The absolute perfect balance of storytelling, dialogue, beautiful descriptions of scenery and combat, and (somehow) the perfect pace of action. There’s been moments of laughter, sitting on the edge of my seat, and even tears. The best part, the narrator doesn’t know the path the story will take, and interprets the dice based off what we learn about the characters as the story goes on. If this show is in your list, it needs to be played now.

If you are a player, DM, or a content creator, this is a MUST! He brings each character to life, and in each episode, shares a little more about the characters and villains. He creates a gritty realism that makes encounters and struggles feel real. Sound effects and music enhance the story with a balance that does t detract from the story. He breaks the “fourth wall” to explain complex situations in a fluidity that doesn’t interfere with the story, but actually enhances it mechanically. Genius at work here! This is the first podcast I listen to when it downloads! Keep up the incredible work!

Boy am I glad to have found this podcast! Besides the immediate beauty of the story, characters and production, I have "stolen" many an idea for my D&D home world. Did I mention I have only been listening for 5 days and have already caught up? Please keep up the amazing work! Bravo.

No nonsense, no ambient table noise or people eating between encounters - just a straightforward D&D role playing experience that is streamlined into bite-sized chunks always leaving you wanting more. Only 7 episodes in but already hooked. Storyteller does a great job of explaining rules and game dynamics while weaving a compelling story with characters we know not to hold on too tightly too as no one is untouchable. Great pod!

Darkly delicious. Tale of the Manticore has been a great companion throughout these hard times. John pulls off a truly theatrical performance with many great guests. The dice hold a palpable weight throughout the story with John's superb handling of the B/X rules. Thank you for all the hard work and congratulations on making it to episode 50.

A very enjoyable story and adventure. Really captures the magic and excitement of playing old school role playing games.

Meshing these two art forms was very inspired. The results are fantastic and enthralling.

Listening to this podcast feels just like sitting at a gaming table with friends back in 1982. The story is compelling, the characters are fleshed out just enough to care about them, but not so much that it slows down the story. The narrator has a pleasant voice and the sound effects are just right and not annoying. This is a must listen to any fan of old school fantasy gaming.

What an amazing story! The characters are portrayed so well and the description. Of the gaming mechanics is such fun! I hope this goes on forever and if there was ever a graphic novel or book of these adventuresId definitely be buying them up!

I listen to about a dozen actual play podcasts. A few have stopped recording so I’ve been searching for some new listens and I came across this podcast and I am blown away. It’s a perfect blend of old school rules, dice rolls and storytelling. The audio is great, which isn’t always the case. I’m hooked, binging as fast as possible to catch up. I’ve got about 30 sessions to go but I don’t think it’s gonna take much time!

First few episodes are a little slow but do a good job of walking the listener through the mechanics used in later episodes. Story is compelling and well told, containing a good mix of character building, drama and humor. Would recommend for any fan of fantasy or horror realplay, especially so if you’re looking for something a little different than the typical d&d podcast!

I really enjoy listening to this podcast, the episodes are well paced, it’s produced so neatly and with great sound. Nice find and I’m glad to keep listening!

Tale of the Manticore is the ultimate mashup of a D&D campaign and compelling storytelling. Definitely intended for mature audiences. Jon does a spectacular job of weaving the dice-rolls into an epic fantasy adventure. It is clearly apparent that a tremendous amount of care, thought, time, and attention to detail goes into every gripping episode. Having never played a game of DnD before, but having grown up on a fare of RPG's and fantasy novels, I've been hooked! Jon does a wonderful job explaining how and why things happen without getting too into the weeds in terms of the rules. I can't wait to see how the story unfolds in a land where chaos rolls!