Clay, Cards, and Character Deaths - an Interview with Jon Cohen from Tale of the Manticore

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Stakes make stories breathe. We sit down with Jon Cohen - writer, host, and designer behind Tale of the Manticore and One Shot in the Dark - to explore why consequence beats comfort, how a hybrid format turns solo play into gripping audio drama, and what it takes to build a one-shot that actually ends in one sitting. Jon walks us through the creative risks, the craft, and the quiet discipline that keeps a polished episode shipping every 10 days without losing the sting in its tail.

We also talk about One Shot in the Dark, John’s rules ultra-light dungeon crawl where cards prompt the map you draw, four hapless adventurers push forward through three levels, and a final boss waits at the end. It’s emergent narrative with real replay value and a surprisingly welcoming on-ramp for kids and new players.

If you're interested in checking out One Shot in the Dark it can be found here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/366526/one-shot-in-the-dark

Likewise, Tale of the Manticore is here: https://www.taleofthemanticore.com/

Contact us at:

EMAIL: roll.to.save.pod@gmail.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/rolltosavepod
WEBSITE: https://rolltosave.blog

HOSTS: Iain Wilson, Steve McGarrity, Jason Downey
BACKGROUND MUSIC: David Renada (Find him at: davidrendamusic@gmail.com or on his web page).
TITLE, BREAK & CLOSEOUT MUSIC: Xylo-Ziko (Find them on their web page).