The Lazy RPG Podcast - D&D and RPG News and GM Prep from Sly Flourish

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blogs Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs PDF Search

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:01:01 Sly Flourish News: Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master 50% Off 00:03:08 Sly Flourish News: General Purpose Domains, Because of X You Know Y, Secret Project Packet 4 00:07:12 D&D & RPG News: Crypt of Death Shadowdark Level 0 Gauntlet by Raging Swan 00:10:26 D&D & RPG News: Fateforge Humble Bundle 00:14:46 D&D & RPG News: 1d4 Con in West Virginia 00:15:59 D&D & RPG News: Announcements at Kobold Con 00:30:51 D&D & RPG News: New Graphic Character Builder on D&D Beyond 00:37:40 D&D & RPG News: Heroes of the Borderlands in Four Languages 00:41:13 D&D & RPG News: Crit Hit the Giant Gary Con Review 00:42:03 DM Tip: Procedures in RPGs 01:01:38 Patreon Question: Do Players Notice or Care about Forge of Foes Monsters? 01:06:07 Patreon Question: Switch Systems Mid Campaign? Links Buy Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master for 50% Off! Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy other Sly Flourish Books: General Purpose Domains Because of X, You Know Y Crypt of Death by Raging Swan Fateforge Humble Bundle 1D4 Con Badges and Games Open Kobold Con 2026 Day 1 CritTheGiant's GaryCon Summary D&D Beyond New Character Builder D&D Heroes of the Borderlands in several languages

Mike reviews the Dragonbane RPG by Free League Publishing. Show Contents 0:00 Show Start 2:34 Initial Thoughts – I Love It 5:25 Things I Love About Dragonbane 12:59 Adversaries – NPCs and Monsters 22:32 General Observations 27:51 Rough Spots 35:12 Managing Character Progression 40:17 Evasion and Fancy Footwork 48:55 Lazy GM Tips for Dragonbane 53:10 Adventure Book Thoughts 59:05 Final Thoughts Links Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Dragonbane Core Set

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:00:43 Sly Flourish News: Return of the Lazy DM On Sale for 50% Off! 00:04:39 Sly Flourish News: Experiences Running 3x5e, General Purpose Domains, Secret Project Updates 00:08:41 D&D & RPG News: Ars Magica 5.0 Released Under CC BY SA 00:13:48 D&D & RPG News: WOTC Announcements at Garycon 00:31:11 Commentary: Should WOTC Make New Campaign Settings? 00:59:18 Patreon Question: Moving from Tier 1 to Tier 2 in the Story 01:03:41 Patreon Question: D&D 2014 versus D&D 2024 Likes and Dislikes Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master Experiences Running a 20th Level Multi-5e Game General Purpose Domains Ars Magica in CC WOTC Press Briefing at Garycon Melfs Guide to Greyhawk Wotc panel at Gencon EN World's Giant List of Settings

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blogs Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:01:10 Sly Flourish News: Play Solo RPGs, Experiences Running a 1 to 20 3x5e Game, Secret Project News 00:07:51 Kickstarter Spotlight: Druskara for Shadowdark 00:12:21 Kickstarter Spotlight: Creating Villains and Lairs by Jeff Stevens 00:15:27 Commentary: Onboard Players with Cheap or Free Player Guides 00:37:20 DM Tip: Who Summarizes Your Last Session 00:45:56 Patreon Question: Announcing Non-Betraying NPCs in Session Zero 00:51:39 Patreon Question: Is Procedural Prep and Play Good? 00:59:07 Patreon Question: Building Situations Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Play Solo RPGs Experiences Running a 20th Level Multi-5e Game Druskara: A Brutal Fantasy World Setting for Shadowdark RPG Game Master Tools: Creating Villains & Lairs Daggerheart character playbooks Dragonbane's cheat sheet by Rocketpunch Dragonbane Quick Start Riddermound Dragonbane Quick Start Sinking Tower Dolmenwood's online rules reference character generator Cairn's Kettlewright Index Card Free Quickstart Index Card $5 print Player Book Shadowdark Quickstart Pirate Borg Player's Guide ($25) Daggerheart Quickstart The Delian Tomb for Draw Steel Build Single Encounter Situations

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blogs Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:01:16 Sly Flourish News: Eight Steps and Other RPGs, Play Solo RPGs, Secret Project 00:04:42 Sly Flourish News: Mike on Ship of the Dead Podcast 00:06:30 D&D & RPG News: Dolmenwood PDFs On Sale 00:13:39 D&D & RPG News: D&D Ravenloft the Horrors Within 00:19:48 D&D & RPG News: Arcana Unleashed 00:23:58 D&D & RPG News: Arcana Unleashed Deadfall 00:26:37 D&D & RPG News: New D&D Web Site 00:38:16 D&D & RPG News: D&D 5.5? 00:45:30 Commentary: Things I Love About Daggerheart 01:12:38 Patreon Question: 5e Threats of Death Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Do the Eight Steps Work for Other RPGs? Play Solo RPGs Mike on Ship of the Dead Dolmenwood sale Kobold Press Southlands Fanatical Bundle 1d4 Con Ravenloft the Horror Within Arcana Unleashed Arcana Unleashed: Deadfall New Dungeons & Dragons Web Page D&D Seasonal Play and D&D Encounters Mysterious Season of Champions State of the Game on Nerd Immersion D&D Beyond Staff on Mastering Dungeons D&D Beyond Staff on Eldritch Lorecast D&D 5.5

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blogs Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:00:54 Sly Flourish News: Greed, Heroism, and Wonder; Do the Eight Steps work for other RPGs?; new secret project packet next week 00:04:12 Patreon Question: Character Creation During Session Zeros for Traveler Online 00:06:51 Kickstarter Spotlight: Stoneshatter Tomb 00:08:38 Commentary: More Dragonbane Thoughts 00:22:15 Commentary: Daggerheart Review Article and Thoughts 00:37:15 Commentary: Discord Enshittification 00:46:41 DM Tip: Move Steps Forward 00:54:07 Patreon Question: What Makes You Play 5e? 01:00:03 Patreon Question: Character Creation During Session Zeros for Traveler Online 01:02:49 Patreon Question: Managing Challenge with Sidekicks Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Greed, Heroism, Wonder Do the Eight Steps Work for Other RPGs? Pathfinder 2 Bundle Stoneshatter Tomb Kickstarter Daggerheart, a Dishonest Review Full of Lies Communities are not fungible

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blogs Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:01:01 Sly Flourish News: Slashes and Xs; Greed, Heroism, and Wonder; Secret Project Packet 2 00:04:41 Kickstarter Spotlight: Dragonbane Trudvang 00:08:45 Commentary: A Tale of Two Solos 00:33:30 DM Tip: Survive and Thrive at Gaming Conventions 00:53:14 Patreon Question: When to Choose Three Villains For Your Campaign 00:57:09 Patreon Question: Revealing Villain Quests Through Secrets 00:59:31 Patreon Question: Running Campaigns About Revolution 01:01:49 Patreon Question: Famous NPC Cameos in Adventures and Campaigns Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Use Slashes and Xs to Track Damage Greed, Heroism, Wonder Trudvang Kickstarter Gaming Convention Survival Guide Lazy Campaign Building Checklist

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Bloga Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:01:02 Sly Flourish News: Many RPG Hobbies, X and Slash to Track Damage, Secret Project Batch 2 00:04:15 Kickstarter Spotlight: Rock and Roar Monsters for OSE and Shadowdark 00:05:40 Kickstarter Spotlight: Under the Shadow of Helfast Spire for Shadowdark 00:07:37 Kickstarter Spotlight: Blades 68 00:08:59 Kickstarter Spotlight: Nimble Reprint 00:11:20 Kickstarter Spotlight: Numenera for Cypher 00:18:04 Commentary: We All Won – Three Years since the OGL Crisis 00:47:51 DM Tip: Because of X, You Know Y 00:54:40 Patreon Question: Running Two Groups Thorugh the Same Campaign 00:58:03 Patreon Question: Pausing Personal Quests 01:01:12 Patreon Question: Adding 5e Rules to D&D 2024 Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: The Many TTRPG Hobbies Use Slashes and Xs to Track Damage Rock & Roar Kickstarter Under the Shadow of Helfast Spire by Bob World Builder Blades '68 Nimble 5e Numenera Cypher BackerKit Campaign History of the OGL

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Bloga Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:01:11 Sly Flourish News: Lazy Campaign Checklist, Many RPG Hobbies 00:10:00 Patreon Spotlight: Dwarven Forge VTT Backdrops 00:15:57 D&D & RPG News: Baldur's Gate TV Show 00:21:27 DM Tip: Feedback and Ideas for Scene Target Numbers 00:31:31 Product Spotlight: Down Among the Dead for Pirate Borg 00:45:58 DM Tip: Case Study Solution for Betraying Quest NPCs 01:00:36 Patreon Question: Involving Players in Collaborative Worldbuilding 01:05:19 Patreon Question: Planning Final Sessions of Long Campaign and One Year Later Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Lazy Campaign Building Checklist The Many TTRPG Hobbies Dwarven Forge VTT Backdrops Baldur’s Gate TV Show Down Among the Dead Pirate Borg Ending Campaigns

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:01:16 Sly Flourish News: Your Own Prep Framework, Lazy Campaign Building Checklist, New Project Test Chapters Released 00:09:48 Commentary: More Thoughts on Dragonbane 00:33:09 DM Tip: Single Target Number for a Scene 00:42:22 Commentary: Not Like This 00:52:54 Patreon Question: Dreadful Blessings for Legendary Actions 01:00:05 Patreon Question: Cult of the False Hydra Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Your Own Prep Framework Lazy Campaign Building Checklist Interview on RPG Drop Dreadful Blessings False Hydra

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:01:03 Sly Flourish News: Location Moves, Simplest Quest Model, Your Own Prep Framework 00:03:47 Patreon Question: Missing Players with Strong Story Connections 00:06:38 Sly Flourish News: Dragonbane, Daggerheart, Tales of the Valiant Games 00:15:00 Kickstarter Spotlight: Nighthunters by Tales of the Valiant 00:19:00 Kickstarter Spotlight: Savage Arctic For Shadowdark by Jeff Stevens 00:21:37 Kickstarter Spotlight: Dungeons Inc by Merry Mushman 00:24:04 D&D & RPG News: Halls of Arden Vul Bundle of Holding 00:26:15 Product Spotlight: Index Card RPG GM's Guide and Player's Guide 00:30:37 D&D & RPG News: Dungeon Masterpiece on Four Indie RPGs 00:47:35 Commentary: Crows Playtest with James Introcaso 00:52:54 Patreon Question: Antagonistic Relationships with Warlock Patrons 00:56:20 Patreon Question: Roles for Players to Help Run the Game 00:58:52 Patreon Question: Missing Players with Current Connections 01:01:00 Patreon Question: Ninth Step for Larger World Ideas Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Location Moves The Simplest Quest Model Your Own Prep Framework Tales of the Valiant Night Hunters Kickstarter Savage Arctic by Jeff Stevens Kickstarter Dungeon Inc Kickstarter Halls of Arden Vul Bundle of Holding New ICRPG Books ICRPG Video Dungeon Masterpiece on Five Indie RPGs

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:00:44 Sly Flourish News: Single-Encounter Situations, Location Moves, Tower of Kartan, PAGE 3 00:05:57 Sly Flourish News: ToV, Dragonbane, Daggerheart Thoughts 00:16:50 D&D & RPG News: BackerKit Hack 00:18:21 D&D & RPG News: Kansas City Chiefs Play D&D 00:23:13 D&D & RPG News: Stranger Things Boxed Set Sells Out 00:27:09 Product Spotlight: Dolmenwood 00:52:47 DM Tip: High-Value RPG Tricks 01:04:46 Patreon Question: Taking Notes During the Game Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Build Single-Encounter Situations Location Moves D&D with Kansas City Chiefs Dolmenwood Welcome to Dolmenwood Dolmenwood Online Rules Reference Dolmenwood Generators Ending Campaigns Making Great Handouts

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:00:53 Sly Flourish News: 5e Crafting, Single-Encounter Situations, 5eADB Dark Mode, Tower of Kartan 00:05:42 Sly Flourish News: Top Ten Articles of 2025 00:13:38 D&D & RPG News: Tim Kask Passes Away 00:14:37 D&D & RPG News: James Haeck Joins WOTC 00:15:13 D&D & RPG News: Shannon Appelcline on RPG Business in 2025 00:16:09 Commentary: Stranger Things Series Finale & D&D 00:29:31 DM Tip: On Puzzles 00:50:54 Patreon Question: Prepping Cities the Lazy Way 00:54:37 Patreon Question: Taking Notes During a Game Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: How to Get Your Group to Play Other RPGs The Secret of the Eight Steps of Lazy Game Prep Mashing Up the Eight Steps Build a Campaign-Unique Faction List Shadowdark House Rules Build Characters Quickly in D&D 2024 Lazy Map Annotation Avoid Removing Player Agency Lazy World Building Two Different 5e Games at the Same Table Tim Kask passed away James Haeck joins WOTC as a senior game designer Shannon Appelcline's Year-end Review

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:04:14 Commentary: A Look Back at 2025 00:05:31 Sly Flourish News: Sly Flourish Stuff That Happened in 2025 00:11:41 Commentary: Awesome New RPGs in 2025 00:20:52 Commentary: Lots of Open Licensed Games in 2025 00:25:35 DM Tip: My Favorite 5e Trick of 2025 – Doom Points 00:29:01 Commentary: Big D&D Products of 2025 00:34:02 Commentary: Daggerheart's Big Splash in 2025 00:39:41 Commentary: Brennan Lee Mulligan Runs Critical Role Season 4 with D&D 2024 00:40:32 Commentary: Project Sigil Shuts Down, One D&D Ends 00:44:14 Commentary: 2026 Predictions Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Dreadful Blessings

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:01:12 Sly Flourish News: Crap in my Tackle Box, Timing Sessions 00:03:38 D&D & RPG News:Traveller Bundle of Holding 00:06:13 D&D & RPG News: Tales of the Valiant Bundle of Holding 00:09:05 D&D & RPG News: Panhandle PBS on RPG Culture 00:10:46 D&D & RPG News: Vote on Anticipated RPGs of 2026 00:13:33 Commentary: Save Dungeontube! 00:25:52 DM Tip: Modifying Published Adventures 00:56:23 Patreon Question: Character Motivations for New Players 01:00:10 Patreon Question: Hurrying and Speeding Up Players Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Crap I Keep in my Tackle Box Tips and Tools for Timing Sessions Traveller Bundle of Holding Tales of the Valiant Bundle of Holding RPG Documentary from Panhandle PBS RPG Documentary Trailer from Panhandle PBS Vote for your most anticipated RPG of 2026 RPG Blogs

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:00:59 Sly Flourish News: Last Days of Sly Flourish Book Sale! 00:03:48 Sly Flourish News: Adventure Prompts, Crap in my Tackle Box 00:06:24 D&D & RPG News: JP Coovert Gift Guide 00:07:51 Kickstarter Spotlight: Crack the Sun for Draw Steel 00:11:50 Product Spotlight: Dread Dungeonomicon by Raging Swan 00:16:54 D&D & RPG News: D&D Beyond Developer AMA 00:31:42 D&D & RPG News: 5.2.1 SRD Released in Four Languages 00:36:52 DM Tip: Prep Through Villains 00:50:53 Patreon Question: Convincing Players to Play Folk-Heroic RPGs 00:57:49 Patreon Question: Players Drawing Maps on GM Descriptions 01:00:25 Patreon Question: GM Notes and Campaign Continuity and Consistency Links Last days Sly Flourish Book Sale! Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Seek Adventure Prompts Crap I Keep in my Tackle Box JP Coovert’s Gift Guide of Indie RPGs Crack the Sun Crowdfunding Campaign Dread Dungeononomicon D&D Beyond Producer Post D&D Beyond Producer AMA Maps Updates and Feedback Post 5.2.1 SRD in Five Languages

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:00:59 Sly Flourish News: 20% Off Books and Free Shipping in US and UK on $50 or More 00:02:30 Sly Flourish News: Running Scarlet Minotaur, Seek Adventure Prompts, Monastery of Astarion 00:05:42 Sly Flourish News: Mike on the Games with Dave Stream 00:06:29 D&D & RPG News: Forge of the Artificer Articles on EN World 00:09:39 D&D & RPG News: EN World 2026 Anticipated RPG Nominations 00:16:14 Commentary: A Tale of Two Session Zeros 00:50:54 DM Tip: Campaign Prep Part 2 – Post Session Zero 01:03:02 Patreon Question: Types of Secrets Links A20% off Sly Flourish Books with Free Shipping in US and UK for $50 or More Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Running Shadowdark's Scarlet Minotaur as a One-Shot Game Seek Adventure Prompts Appearance on Games with Dave Forge of the Artificer first impressions on EN World Forge of the Artificer Deep Dive on EN World EN World’s Most Anticipated RPGs of 2026 Nominations Dragonbane Cheat Sheet Types of Secrets

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:00:43 Sly Flourish News: Sly Flourish Books 20% off with Free Shipping 00:02:11 Sly Flourish News: Favorite 2025 Products, Running Shadowdark's Scarlet Minotaur, Patron Obsidian Vaults 00:05:16 Kickstarter Spotlight: Beast RPG for 5e 00:09:08 D&D & RPG News: Shadowrun 5e Bundle of Holding 00:12:09 D&D & RPG News: Dyson Commerical Maps of 2025 00:13:43 Commentary: RPGs of 2026 00:30:48 DM Tip: Prepping New Campaigns 00:46:48 Patreon Question: Roll Dice in the Open 00:49:24 Patreon Question: Is Shadowdark Still the Best D&D Starter Set? 00:53:02 Patreon Question: Improvising Failing Forward 00:57:26 Patreon Question: Trends in RPGs Post OGL 01:01:53 Patreon Question: Playing RPGs is Boring Links A20% off Sly Flourish Books with Free Shipping! Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Favorite RPG Products of 2025 Running Shadowdark's Scarlet Minotaur as a One-Shot Beast Kickstarter Shadowrun Bundle of Holding 5e Essentials Universe Mega Dyson 2024 Commercial Map Pack

Show Links Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Dragonbane Core Set

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:01:03 Sly Flourish News: When to Cheat at RPGs, 2025 Favorite RPG Products, Finished Two Campaigns, Next Campaigns 00:06:25 Sly Flourish News: Apperance on Solo RPG Podcast 00:07:20 Kickstarter Spotlight: Temple of the Lightbringers by MT Black 00:09:22 D&D & RPG News: Pax Unplugged, Lots of Daggerheart, Nothing for D&D 00:18:33 Commentary: Favorite RPG Products of 2025 00:32:51 Patreon Spotlight: Dwarven Forge VTT Backdrops 00:35:52 DM Tip: Run Great Campaign Endings 00:50:21 Patreon Question: Running Cohesive Campaigns 00:54:07 Patreon Question: Why Are the Eight Steps In Their Current Order? 01:00:09 Patreon Question: Factions in a Homebrew Setting Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: When and How to Cheat when Running RPGs Favorite RPG Products of 2025 Temple of the Lightbringers Kickstarter Daggerheart Announcements at PAX Unplugged Dragonbane Core Set Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide Daggerheart Core Set Chessex 24" Battle Mat Staedtler 315-9 Medium Point Wet Erase Marker (Black) Ending Campaigns

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:04 Sly Flourish News: Mash Up the Eight Steps, How to Cheat at RPGs, Dread Necropolis, 03:47 Sly Flourish News: New RPGs Hitting My Desk 10:17 D&D & RPG News: Fantasy Grounds Free to Play and Online Compendium 13:20 D&D & RPG News: D&D Nexus on Demiplane 17:10 Commentary: Is Locally Owned Software Important? 23:57 D&D & RPG News: Apocalypse World Burned Over AMA on Reddit 24:56 Commentary: What Is the OSR? 50:38 DM Tip: Pre-Game Rituals 57:42 Patreon Question: Generating Random Adventures 01:02:26 Patreon Question: Stranger Things D&D Box To Bring In New Players Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Mashing Up the Eight Steps When and How to Cheat when Running RPGs Fantasy Grounds Free with Online Web Viewer New D&D Nexus on Demiplane Vincent Baker AMA on Apocalypse World Burned Over Using REAL CULT TACTICS to improve your D&D group

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs