Tale of The Manticore, a Dark Fantasy Dungeons & Dragons Audiodrama
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."
Episodes
The adventure begins. A brief explanation of the podcast's goals, character generation, and the prologue. Join me for a hybrid RPG and dark fantasy, dungeons & dragons experiment in story-building. (This is the remastered version, republished in Feb 2021)
The true beginning of the tale – this is where the narration surrenders much of the decision-making to the whim of a set of dice. Also, our characters’ first taste of combat. Plus, one character profile.
The plot thickens when the party finds something very unexpected. Plus, two character profiles.
This must be dungeons and dragons because the party finds themselves exploring underground. Plus, one character profile and a brief discussion of the world I have created for the tale.
The exploration of the underground space below the ruined tower continues where several unexpected discoveries are made. Plus, discussion of world building strategies & another character bio.
The point of view shifts as we meet our first major antagonist and their stats and bio are created. The party continues their exploration of the underground complex.
Exploration continues deeper underground. We gain some insight into Umura’s history through a flashback. In the end, the party makes a horrific discovery.
A desperate and horrific battle unfolds deep below the surface.
The party leaves the ruin and tries to escape the Kingswood.
Welcome to the township of Burke. Will the party finally get to relax? I wouldn’t count on it!
The party has a chance to confront their previous captor. A new phase of the adventure begins.
Bonus Material #1: Mini Summary of Episodes 1-10
The party has made a discovery in the woods that raises more questions than it answers.
Into the caves …
Will Umura's gambit pay off?
The cliffhanger from the previous episode is resolved.
Who said anything about leaving…?
As soon as the arrow hit the ground at their feet, something wet and sticky fell from the sky…
Time to head back to town. That sounds safe enough…
Aradine is locked in a cell overnight. She is to be executed in the morning. Is there any hope for her at all?
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
It’s a lighthearted nightmare in here, weirdos! Morbid is a true crime, creepy history and all things spooky podcast hosted by an autopsy technician and a hairstylist. Join us for a heavy dose of research with a dash of comedy thrown in for flavor.
This is what the news should sound like. The biggest stories of our time, told by the best journalists in the world. Hosted by Michael Barbaro. Twenty minutes a day, five days a week, ready by 6 a.m.
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.