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

Mike prepares for his Shadowdark RPG campaign, the Gloaming! Shadowdark RPG Campaign Notebook available to Sly Flourish patrons Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Shadowdark RPG Cursed Scroll 1 Dyson Maps

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:02 Kickstarter Spotlight: Ultimate Bestiary Secrets of the Fey 02:16 Kickstarter Spotlight: Objima Tales of the Tall Grass 03:30 D&D & RPG News: Elderbrain Adventure Survey 05:03 Sly Flourish News: Reading and Reflection Podcast for Heroic Patrons 07:23 D&D & RPG News: WOTC to Revisit Old Settings 12:21 D&D & RPG News: Tal'dorei Reborn on D&D Beyond 18:15 Commentary: Mike's Little Candles -- Is WOTC Being a Good Partner in the TTRPG Hobby? 30:49 DM Tip: The Bare Minimum You Need for an RPG Session 41:33 Patreon Question: Run an RPG with a Focus on Roleplay 45:37 Patreon Question: Pacing Going Too Fast? Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Ultimate Bestiary Secrets of the Fey Kickstarter Objima Tales of the Tall Grass Kickstarter Elderbrain Adventure Survey SF Patreon Readings and Reflections Episode 1 WOTC to Revisit Old Settings Tal'Dorei Reborn on D&D Beyond Mike's Little Candles

Mike prepares for his final Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:23 Kickstarter Spotlight: Sky Zephyrs 04:29 Kickstarter Spotlight: Dolmenwood 11:48 Kickstarter Spotlight: Shadow of the Weird Wizard 16:27 D&D & RPG News: Shadow of the Demon Lord Bundle of Holding 19:11 D&D & RPG News: New Roll 20 D&D Character Builder 30:22 Sly Flourish News: City of Arches Outlands 38:43 Product Spotlight: Uncharted Journeys by Cubicle 7 49:28 Patreon Question: Scarlet Citadel for Shadowdark RPG 50:55 Patreon Question: Looking for System Neutral RPG Settings 53:08 Patreon Question: Defining My Style of RPGs Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Sky Zephyrs Kickstarter Dolmenwood Kickstarter Shadow of the Weird Wizard Kickstarter Shadow of the Demon Lord Bundle of Holding Demon Lord Legacies Bundle of Holding Roll20 Character Vaults Uncharted Journeys by Cubicle 7

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

Mike shares his thoughts after running a Shadowdark RPG 0-Level Gauntlet – Hoard of the Sea Wolf King! 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 Shadowdark RPG Cursed Scroll 3 Shadowdarklings Show Contents: 00:00 An Opportunity to Play Shadowdark 01:46 My Main Point - We loved It and grasped it's theme quickly 04:23 Three Other Top Thoughts 05:49 Running Hoard of the Sea Wolf King 18:00 Other Thoughts about Shadowdark RPG 28:09 How is Shadowdark RPG to GM? 33:05 Final Thoughts

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com?utm_source=sf_podcast_talkshow&utm_medium=sf_podcast_description_link Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:06 D&D & RPG News: Flee Mortals For Sale 06:59 Kickstarter Spotlight: Where Evil Lives Crowdfunding Campaign 11:41 D&D & RPG News: Free Giants of the Star Forge Adventure on D&D Beyond 12:47 D&D & RPG News: Shadow of the Weird Wizard Preview 19:28 D&D & RPG News: 2023 Award Winning RPG Products 22:57 D&D & RPG News: New Starfinder 2 in 2025 23:40 D&D & RPG News: AI Art Used in Bigby's Glory of the Giants 42:28 Commentary: Don't Forget Why We Love RPGs 45:33 Patreon Question: Concerns with Planescape and other WOTC Sourcebooks 50:20 Patreon Question: Prep During Long Breaks with Different Players 52:40 Patreon Question: Being Overwhelmed by Huge Sourcebooks 55:35 Patreon Question: Where Do You Get Puzzles? 57:46 Patreon Question: Engaging Players Between Sessions Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Flee Mortals Where Evil Lies BackerKit Campaign Free Giants of the Star Forge D&D Beyond Adventure Shadow of the Weird Wizard Preview (Affiliate Link) Diana Jones Finalists ENNies finalists Starfinder 2 Announcement Glory of the Giants' AI-Enhanced Art WOTC Statement on AI-Generated Art Keith Amman on Bigby's Use of AI

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 00:58 D&D & RPG News: 5.1 SRD Released in Four Languages 10:23 D&D & RPG News: Shadowdark RPG Game Jam Results 12:46 D&D & RPG News: Pathfinder 2 Remaster Preview 21:47 D&D & RPG News: Map Crow Uses Forge of Foes and Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master 22:24 DM Tip: Moving Things Forward 43:22 Patreon Question: Balancing Spotlight and Player Creativity 48:11 Patreon Question: Recommends for Nautical Seafaring Adventuress 50:12 Patreon Question: Tips for Sci-Fi 5e games 51:39 Patreon Question: RPGs that Ephasize Theater of the Mind 54:26 Patreon Question: Handling In-World Dead Time 57:19 Patreon Question: Running Consecutive Campaigns in the Same Setting Links 5.1 System Reference Document in French 5.1 System Reference Document in German 5.1 System Reference Document in Spanish 5.1 System Reference Document in Italian Shadowdark RPG Game Jam Results Tragic Curse of Grimhill Fort Pathfinder 2 Remaster Preview Map Crow's Lazy DM Video Esper Genesis (affiliate link) Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books:

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 Shadowdark RPG Cursed Scroll 3 Shadowdarklings Show Contents 00:00 Show Start 00:41 What Is a Shadowdark Gauntlet? 03:46 Running Hoard of the Sea Wolf King 07:17 Prep the Session -- an In-World Session Zero 12:29 Add Some Secrets and Clues 15:01 Add a Dash of Cultists

Mike dives deep into the dungeon crawler RPG Shadowdark RPG 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 Shadowdark RPG Show Contents 00:00 Show Start 00:38 One of Three Videos 01:29 What Is Shadowdark RPG? 03:54 Key Features of Shadowdark RPG 04:04 Torches and Lighting 05:38 Always On Initiative 06:56 Really Flat Math 10:04 Slot-Based Encumbrance 11:44 Treasure-Based Experience 13:47 Differences with 5e 13:56 Very Different Style and Focus than 5e 15:39 Other 5e Differences 18:55 Convincing Your Group to Play Shadowdark RPG 19:58 Running the Gauntlet 20:56 An Opinionated RPG 24:25 Abstract Distances and Double-Near?? 26:08 Awesome Monster Design 30:41 I'm Excited to Try It!

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 00:43 Kickstarter Spotlight: Shadows of the Weird Wizard Coming Soon 02:05 Kickstarter Spotlight: 500 Year Old Vampire 03:59 D&D & RPG News: Fantasy Age 2 Released 05:47 D&D & RPG News: Hydra Co-op OSR Bundle of Holding 08:13 D&D & RPG News: Owlbear Rodeo 2.0 Fully Released 12:09 Commentary: What is the Easiest RPG for GMs to Run? 24:32 Patreon Question: Linear vs Railroad vs Sandbox Adventure Design 31:11 Patreon Question: Using Forge of Foes for Rival Adventuring Parties 33:48 Patreon Question: Customizing Downtime for the Characters 35:53 Patreon Question: What Issues as a GM Did I Have and Change? 39:52 Patreon Question: Standing Firm on Cliffhanger Endings 43:12 Patreon Question: Handling Tag-Along NPCs in Light of Xaryxis Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Shadow of the Weird Wizard Kickstarter Five Hundred Year Old Vampire Fantasy Age 2 Hydra Co-op OSR Bundle Owlbear Rodeo 2.0 Owlbear Rodeo 1.0 Comments on Easiest RPG for GMs

Mike dives deep into Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands for 5e, a short campaign adventure written by Raging Swan Press. 00:00 Show Start 01:01 Returning to the Joy of a Core D&D Experience 04:25 A Deep Dive of Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands 05:01 Tested for More than a Decade 06:56 An Expandible 1st to 4th Level Adventure / Campaign 09:27 Both Readable and Usable at the Table 10:31 Single Page References Throughout 15:22 The Duchy of Ashlar 17:02 The Shadowed Keep 20:39 A Juxtaposition from Spelljammer 21:38 My Mistake -- Tying it to Greyhawk 28:39 Homebrewing Almost Immediately 31:33 The Masks of Orcus 33:48 Filling Out the World with Dyson Maps 36:38 Usable with Many Fantasy RPG Systems 38:13 Which Parts of Published Adventures Are Most Scrapable? 42:47 Do You Have to Read the Whole Thing? Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands for 5e

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:06 Product Spotlight: Free A5e Monster Tokens 03:03 D&D & RPG News: 2023 Ennie Nominations 12:05 Product Spotlight: Swords of the Serpentine 23:50 DM Tip: Running Cities 45:26 Patreon Question: Running Cozier Fantasty Games 50:28 Patreon Question: Running Tier 3 and 4 campaigns 53:27 Patreon Question: The Differences between Grim and Heroic D&D 57:28 Patreon Question: Building Fantastic Locations Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: A5e Monster Tokens at DriveThruRPG (affiliate link) Ennie Nominations - 2023 Swords of the Serpentine Swords of the Serpentine Quickstart Rules Waterdeep City Encounters Campaign Builder Cities and Towns

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:20 D&D & RPG News: Guest Host on Mastering Dungeons 03:07 Commentary: The RPG Fediverse and dndblogs.com 10:29 Commentary: Find Players for Non-5e RPGs 20:29 DM Tip: Project Deadly Threats 30:27 Patreon Question: Adjusting Spells with the Monster Dials 33:55 Patreon Question: Challenging High AC Characters 38:25 Patreon Question: Running Cozier Heroci 5e Games Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Mastering Dungeons Podcast Mastering Dungeons YouTube Channel RPG Blog Reader TTRPG Lemmy (Reddit Replacement) Dice.camp (Mastodon server) Chirp.enworld.org (Mastodon server) Comments from Youtube on Finding Players for Other RPGs

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 00:57 DM Tip: Build a Vampire Knight with Forge of Foes 09:11 Product Spotlight: Shard Tabletop 18:31 D&D & RPG News: New 2024 D&D Playtest Packet 32:56 D&D & RPG News: Two Tales of the Valiant Playtests 42:26 Patreon Question: Using PbtA Mechanics in 5e Games 47:36 Patreon Question: Giving Bonus Info for High Ability Rolls 50:48 Patreon Question: Improving Evocative Location Descriptions 54:44 Patreon Question: Telling Players about Changes You Made in Published Adventures Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Forge of Foes Preorder Shard Tabletop D&D 2024 Playtest 6 Tales of the Valiant Smallfolk Playtest 1d20 Shades of Gray

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:14 Product Spotlight: Tome of Beasts 1 2023 Revision by Kobold Press 10:07 D&D & RPG News: Tales of the Valiant Finishes at 10k Backers and 1.1M Dollars. 11:12 Kickstarter Spotlight: Gloomhaven RPG 14:44 Product Spotlight: Crucible for Foundry 16:51 D&D & RPG News: D&D VTT Hands-On Experiences 18:35 Commentary: The Digital Future of RPGs 25:16 Commentary: Where to Engage with the RPG Community 37:22 Patreon Question: Which Will Be the Most Popular RPG? It Doesn't Matter. 41:06 Patreon Question: Will the D&D 3D VTT Eat the World of RPGs? No. 43:43 Patreon Question: The Difference Between Old School Grim Characters and New Heroic Characters 49:24 Patreon Question: Sample Encounters for Monsters Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Tome of Beasts 1 2023 Revision Gloomhaven RPG Crowdfunding Campaign D&D VTT Hands-On Experiences by Daniel Kwan Crucible for Foundry BurnBryte for Roll20 Sly Flourish's Blogroll chirp.enworld.org dice.camp ttrpg.network EN World Monstrous Menagerie by Level Up Advanced 5e

Mike talks about how we can fix the 2014 D&D Players Handbook to preserve the value of the millions of copies that exist throughout the world and those in our own gaming room. Podcast Contents 00:00 How Would You Fix the 2014 D&D Player's Handbook? 02:09 What Parts of the 2014 Player's Handbook Disrupt the Game? 04:10 House Rules in My Own Game 05:26 House Rules Take 1: Nerf Nerf Nerf 05:54 Ability Score Generation 07:31 Class and Subclass Nerfs 08:31 Ispiration 08:48 Exhaustion 09:03 Spell Changes 13:33 Feedback I got: Too Many Nerfs 14:31 A Different Approach: Let's All Make the Game Better 15:20 Where Do You get These House Rules? 16:01 A Focus on Intention 16:31 Boss Monsters are Special 19:40 Requests for a Smooth Game 19:49 Please don't Run More than One or Two Sidekick NPCs 20:23 Please don't multiclass dip for Shield 21:33 Be Mindful of Arcane Eye's Disruption 21:53 Let's Avoid the Counterspell Arms Race 22:25 Familiars are either In or Out of Combat 22:59 Goodberries Are No Substitute for Real Food 23:17 Pure Immunity Breaks a Lot of Monsters 23:38 Tiny Hut Works Poorly in Dangerous Areas 26:17 Pass Without Trace Isn't Invisibility 27:50 Give Me Feedback Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books:

Mike talks about the recent Reddit collapse, Cory Doctorow's "Enshittification" model for this type of collapse, and how DMs and GMs can protect themselves from the collapse of other enshittified platforms. Video Contents 00:00 Show Start 02:41 Main Points -- How GMs can Protect Themselves from Enshittified Platforms 05:08 The Enshittification Model 09:23 Why Does This Matter for DMs, GMs, and RPGs? 11:52 The Enshittification of Reddit and the RPG Subreddits 14:44 What GMs Are Really Losing -- The DM Academy 15:21 Where Will New DMs Go to Get Questions Answered? 17:18 Is D&D Itself Enshittified? 20:41 Enshittification Risks to GMs 24:21 What Are the Risks for Sly Flourish? 27:48 Know Enshittification, Have Backup Plans, Own Your Stuff 28:20 Returning to Blogs, Newsletters, Podcasts Additional 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 Cory Doctorow's "Tiktok's enshittification"

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:22 Sly Flourish News: The Lazy GM's Resource Document in Japanese 04:05 D&D & RPG News: Bob World Builder's Four D&D Combat House Rules 07:12 Kickstarter Spotlight: Aetherial Expanse Setting Guide by Ghostfire Gaming 09:59 Commentary: Chat GPT for RPG Prep 33:05 Patreon Question: Making a Location Feel Dangerous 35:46 Patreon Question: Dealing With Emotional Drain After Intense Roleplay Scenes 38:14 Patreon Question: Running Campaigns Built from Multiple Published Adventuresb 40:17 Patreon Question: What Are GMs Not Thinking About Enough? 43:59 Patreon Question: Let Campaign Themes Come Out Naturally 46:16 Patreon Question: Combining 5e Subclasses with A5e Classes Links Lazy GM's Resource Document Lazy GM's Resource Document in Japanese Lazy GM's Resource Document on Github Bob World Builder's Top Four Combat House Rules Aetherial Expanse Kickstarter by Ghostfire Gaming RPG Safety Toolkit Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books:

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

Mike offers a review and tips for running the Spelljammer adventure, Light of Xaryxis, with experiences from his own campaign. Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Show Contents 00:00 Video Start 00:28 Reviewing Adventures I've Actually Run 00:49 Top Tips for Running Light of Xaryxis 00:52 Tip 1: Use Stars Over Stormwreck to Connect the Characters to Light of Xaryxis 01:26 Tip 2: Stay with the Moondancer 02:22 Tip 3: Embrace Flash Gordon 03:03 Tip 4: Run Ship Combat in the Narrative 04:11 Tip 5: Give Players Agency Over the Ending 04:58 A Review of the Spelljammer Boxed Set 06:55 Breaking Down the Adventure 08:22 Tips for Part 1 11:36 Tips for Part 2 15:37 Tips for Part 3 18:11 Tips for Part 4 19:03 Missions of the FInal Battle 21:26 Who Lives and Who Dies? Let the Dice Decide! 23:26 Add a Touch of Mind Flayer... 24:06 Princess Xedali's Choice 26:04 Run a One Year Later Montage 27:12 Final Thoughts

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:13 Sly Flourish News: Dwarven Forge VTT 07:46 D&D & RPG News: Wizards on One D&D and 2024 Core Book Messaging 14:57 Commentary: 5e Isn't D&D 25:38 Commentary: High Trust Trad Concepts and Situation-Based RPGs 40:34 Patreon Question: Can the Eight Steps work for Dungeon World? 43:22 Patreon Question: Dealing with Missing Players and Absenteeism 47:49 Patreon Question: Why Are Hags Allowed to Persist? Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: D&D Community Update: Clarifying Language: One D&D, 2024 Core Rulebooks What are the 2024 Fifth Edition Core Rulebooks? D&D YouTube Video What is high-trust trad adventure design? How to Handle Missing Players

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:20 Kickstarter Spotlight: Deck of Player Safety 04:24 D&D & RPG News: Tales of the Valiant on What's Compatible and What Isn't 13:35 Commentary: Homebrew Adventures in Published Settings 32:14 Patreon Question: Better Inclusiveness and Representation In Our Games 36:39 Patreon Question: Dice-Rolling for Stochastic Countdown Timers 38:57 Patreon Question: Managing Pacing of Downtime and Roleplayy Scenes 41:45 Patreon Question: Building Combat Encounters 45:00 Patreon Question: Tools for Improvisation At The Table 48:16 Patreon Question: Forge of Foes General Use Stat Block Encounter Math 52:00 Patreon Question: Improving NPC Dialog 53:41 Patreon Question: Character-Focused Spiral Campaign Development Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Deck of Player Safety Kickstarter Tales of the Valiant on What's Compatible and What Isn't EN World: Introducing the COUNTDOWN DICE Mechanic! THE UNDERCLOCK: Fixing the Random Encounter The Lazy 5e Cheat Sheet

Mike offers tips and a recap for running the third part of Empire of the Ghouls. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 01:16 D&D & RPG News: Candela Obscura 08:18 Kickstarter Spotlight: Tales of the Valiant 33:52 Commentary: The D&D Book Price Increase 47:58 Patreon Question: Trying Out House Rules 51:17 Patreon Question: Dials for Magic Items 53:41 Patreon Question: Physical Tools for Online Play 55:39 Patreon Question: Gods for your Homebrew Campaign 58:18 Patreon Question: Alternatives to Notion Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Candela Obscura Tales of the Valiant Kickstarter D&D Studio Blog on Price Increases Enshitification

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 00:56 Commentary: Maps - Is D&D an Incomplete Product? 02:54 Commentary: Maps - No Great Single Solution for In-Person Play 04:51 Commentary: Maps - What Does D&D Recommend for New DMs? 06:44 Commentary: Maps - A Big Digital Display 07:45 Commentary: Maps - The Pathfinder Basic Flip Mat 10:35 Commentary: Maps - Big Sheets of 1" Gridded Poster Paper 13:12 Commentary: Maps - Print "Blueprint" Maps for Cheap. 15:14 Commentary: Maps - Use Cloth for a Fog of War 16:24 Commentary: Maps - Print Individual Rooms on Normal Paper 18:59 Commentary: Maps - Mixing Different Types 20:24 Product Spotlight: JP Coovert's Drawing Dungeons Booklet 25:18 Commentary: Maps - Theater of the Mind and Abstract Maps 29:26 Commentary: Maps - Try Lots of Options 30:37 Product Spotlight: The Works of JP Coovert 40:18 Patreon Question: Rewarding Inspiration 43:57 Patreon Question: Balancing Encounters Across the Adventuring Day Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Using Maps for In-Person Play The Pathfinder Basic Flip Mat Big Pads of 1" Gridded Paper (affiliate link) JP Coovert's Draw a Battle Map video Flik Silverpen's Guide to Drawing Dungeons Running Theater of the Mind Combat Abstract Maps for D&D Combat

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 00:49 Product Spotlight: Crown of the Oathbreaker Physical Book 03:57 Sly Flourish News: The Lazy GM's Resource Document in the Creative Commons 08:14 Sly Flourish News: Lazy Solo 5e generator on Perchance 10:04 Commentary: Developers! Help Open5e! 14:22 Commentary: Will WOTC Use Open5e? 15:58 Commentary: Playing Five RPGs in Three Days 18:57 Commentary: Playing Dungeon World at 1d4 Con 21:15 Commentary: Playing Pathfinder 2 at 1d4 Con 25:57 Commentary: Playing Call of Cthulhu at 1d4 Con 29:05 Commentary: Playing Dungeon Crawl Classics at 1d4 Con 32:12 Commentary: Playing My Friend's New RPG at 1d4 Con 34:29 Patreon Question: Players Questioning the GM's Logic 38:04 Patreon Question: Remembering Campaign-Specific Rules 40:18 Patreon Question: Is the DM the Storyteller or the Referee? Neither! 42:53 Patreon Question: Running 45 Minute Battles with No Tweaking 47:19 Patreon Question: Reigning in Wanderlust in an Island Hopping Campaign Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Crown of the Oathbreaker Crown of the Oathbreaker Spotlight Lazy GM's Resource Document Lazy Solo 5e Generator Open5e Open5e Discord Server Dungeon World Pathfinder 2 (Affiliate Link) Call of Cthulhu (affiliate link) Dungeon Crawl Classics (affiliate link)

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:17 Kickstarter Spotlight: Knave 2.0 08:02 Kickstarter Spotlight: Amazing Encounters and Quests 10:35 Kickstarter Spotlight: Emporium of Wonders 13:20 Commentary: Tips from the Midnight Temple 36:13 Patreon Question: Organizing an big RPG Club and Community 40:14 Patreon Question: Building Mythic Monsters 44:53 Patreon Question: Action-Oriented Monsters in Forge of Foes? 46:15 Patreon Question: Playing In Person after 30 Years Away 49:24 Patreon Question: Lazy Gamemaster's Guide? 52:27 Patreon Question: Does Curse of Strahd Take a Lot of Work to Fix? No 55:34 Patreon Question: Needing to Take a Break? 58:35 Patreon Question: Top Tips for New and Experienced GMs Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Knave v2 Kickstarter Amazing Encounters and Quests Kickstarter Emporium of Wonders Kickstarter Fantastic Lairs Monstrous Appendix Lazy DM's Toolkit Ginny Di on Burnout Top Tips for Being a Great Gamemaster

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:10 D&D & RPG News: Owen KC Stevens Bundles on DriveThruRPG 02:26 D&D & RPG News: Owlbear Rodel 2.0 Official Release in July 06:19 D&D & RPG News: Kobold Press Tales of the Valiant Monsters Playtest 19:51 D&D & RPG News: 2024 D&D Players Handbook Playtest 5 24:48 DM Tip: Mass Effect Style Preludes and Wars 33:46 DM Tip: Tuning the Lazy Encounter Bechmark 38:34 Patreon Question: Chat GPT and AI For Adventure Generation 44:26 Patreon Question: Running Ship Battles in Light of Xaryxis 47:40 Patreon Question: Character Grabbing the Wrong Hook Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Owen KC Stevens Bundle 1 Owen KC Stevens Bundle 2 Owlbear Rodel 2.0 Full Release Owlbear Rodeo Videos Kobold Press Tales of the Valiant Monster Playtest D&D 2024 Players Handbook Playtest 5 Lazy Encounter Benchmark

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:17 Sly Flourish News: The Lazy GM's Resource Document 18:21 D&D & RPG News: Darrington Press Roleplaying Games 22:19 D&D & RPG News: Chris Perkins on the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide 23:13 D&D & RPG News: Cubicle 7 on C7D20 Open Licensing 32:07 D&D & RPG News: More D&D Creator Summit Accounts 33:19 Patreon Question: Running High Level 5e Games 37:25 Patreon Question: Pointing Out Magic Items to Characters 40:16 Patreon Question: Tying Together Independent Published Adventures 43:04 Patreon Question: 5e Cross Compatibility Among Publishers Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Darrington Press RPG Announcements Chris Perkins on the 2024 DMG Cubicle 7 Interview about C7D20 Bob World Builder on the D&D Summit Alphastream Summit Writeup Part 3 Nerd Immersion Summit Recap

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:02 Product Spotlight: Regnum Rattus - The Rats in the Cellar 02:50 Product Spotlight: Iskandar Explorer's Journal Volume 1 04:36 Kickstarter Spotlight: Blood and Doom 11:24 Sly Flourish News: Three Books Released to the Creative Commons 14:21 Commentary: What's Changed over 13 Years of Lazy DMing? 27:52 Sly Flourish News: More Material to the Creative Commons 31:41 Commentary: What Does 5e Backward Compatibility Mean? 49:04 Patreon Question: Dealing with Non-Heroic Heroes 53:37 Patreon Question: Convincing a DM to Run Online Games 55:27 Patreon Question: Initiation Quests to Get Into a Cult 57:35 Patreon Question: Challenging Tier 4 Characters Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Iskandar Explorer's Journal Volume 1 (Affiliate Link) Blood and Doom Kickstarter Dungeon Master Tips – Creative Commons Running Epic-Tier D&D Games – Creative Commons The Lazy Dungeon Master (2014) – Creative Commons

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

Mike talks about the D&D Creator Summit with a focus on what matters most to 5e DMs and GMs. Contents 00:00 Show Start 02:10 D&D & RPG News: Kobold Press's Black Flag is Tales of the Valiant 02:48 D&D & RPG News: The ORC Open Gaming License Draft Released 05:18 D&D & RPG News: Thirteenth Age Humble Bundle 06:21 D&D & RPG News: D&D Summit Writeups by Others 07:05 D&D & RPG News: D&D Summit Top Three Observations for D&D DMs 10:51 D&D & RPG News: Looking Into the D&D Summit Organization, Missteps, and Recommendations for Next Time 18:50 D&D & RPG News: D&D Summit 2024 Core Book Updates 39:40 D&D & RPG News: The Format of Planescape 41:08 D&D & RPG News: Thoughts on a D&D Beyond Marketplace 44:51 D&D & RPG News: Other News from the D&D Summit 50:05 Patreon Question: What Should the Dungeon Master's Guide Do? 51:44 Patreon Question: Challenges for 11th+ Level Characers Links Tales of the Valiant ORC License Public Draft Thirteenth Age Humble Bundle EN World D&D Creator Summit Summary TheSpaceJamber D&D Creator Summit Summary Daniel Kwan D&D Creator Summit Summary and Thoughts Alphastream D&D Creator Summit Summary D&D Community Update on the Creator Summit Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books:

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:22 D&D & RPG News: D&D Direct Announcements 05:50 D&D & RPG News: D&D 3D Virtual Tabletop First Look 09:54 D&D & RPG News: More Announcements from D&D Direct 13:03 D&D & RPG News: The D&D Virtual Summit 17:07 D&D & RPG News: PlayDnD and D&D Beyond 1st Level Pregens 21:04 D&D & RPG News: Cubicle 7's Design Goals for C7D20 25:22 D&D & RPG News: Shadow of the Weird Wizard Ancestries 27:09 Patreon Question: Getting Better at Being a DM 30:54 Patreon Question: Using Random Tables for Prep or At The Table? 33:12 Patreon Question: Using D&D For Facing with Real Life Issues 35:35 Patreon Question: Too Many NPCs as Upward Beats in a Dungeon Crawl 37:38 Patreon Question: Getting Through Lots of Story in Shorter Sessions 41:54 Patreon Question: Running Online With Some Players At Same Location 44:41 Patreon Question: How's Dungeon 23 Working Out? 48:05 Patreon Question: Dealing With High Passive Insight 50:20 Patreon Question: Offering Three Plus Infinite Choices 52:07 Patreon Question: Building Shorter Campaigns for 8 to 12 Sessions Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books D&D Direct Announcements Play D&D Homepage Cubicle 7's C7D20 Design Goals Shadow of the Weird Wizard Ancestries Paths for DM Expertise:

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:09 Sly Flourish News: Final Week of Forge of Foes 12:08 Sly Flourish News: Appearance on D&D Beyond Twitch Stream 13:41 Sly Flourish News: Forge of Foes Interview on EN World 14:30 Commentary: The Resilience and Antifragility of Tabletop RPGs 25:22 Commentary: What can WOTC Do for the RPG Community? 44:22 D&D & RPG News: Before the Storm D&D Intro on D&D Beyond 45:30 Patreon Question: Avoiding Bioessentialism in 5e RPGs 52:05 Patreon Question: Low Fantasy Survival Horror in 5e 56:18 Patreon Question: Dealing with Lots of Overpowered Tag Along NPCs Links Forge of Foes Kickstarter – Back Now! Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Forge of Foes on D&D Beyond! Forge of Foes Interview on EN World Before the Storm D&D Intro on D&D Beyond

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:23 Sly Flourish News: Forge of Foes Material Going to Creative Commons 03:33 Sly Flourish News: General-Use Stat Blocks for 5e in Forge of Foes 16:11 D&D & RPG News: Shadow of the Weird Wizard Kickstarter June 2023 17:13 Product Spotlight: Arcane Library Adventures for 5e 31:21 D&D & RPG News: Kobold Press Black Flag Playtest 2 53:53 Patreon Question: Why Make a Book About Building Monsters? 57:01 Patreon Question: Playing D&D with Small Children or Obstructive Pets Links Forge of Foes Kickstarter Reintroducing the Weird Wizard Arcane Library 5e Adventures Kobold Press Black Flag Playtest 2 Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books:

Mike prepares for his weekly Scarlet Citadel game! Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books The 5e Artisanal Monster Database Buy Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link) Kobold Press Monster Database Scarlet Citadel Notion Notebook

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:36 Sly Flourish News: Forge of Foes Kickstarter Continues 02:52 D&D & RPG News: Radiant Citadel Nominated for a Nebula 03:53 D&D & RPG News: Tome of Beasts 1 Revisited 05:39 Product Spotlight: Campaign Builder - Cities and Towns by Kobold Press 14:24 D&D & RPG News: D&D Community Update 19:22 D&D & RPG News: D&D Content Creator's Summit 21:43 Commentary: How Can Wizards be a Stronger Positive Force in the RPG Community? 38:59 Patreon Question: Modifying NPCs with Species Traits 42:07 Patreon Question: The Challenge of Discovering Secrets 45:28 Patreon Question: Integrating In Disconnected Characters 50:10 Patreon Question: Using Dice for Other Things In-World Links Forge of Foes Kickstarter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Radiant Citadel Nominated for a Nebula Tome of Beasts 1 Revsisted Campaign Builder: Cities and Towns (Referral Link) D&D Community Update Anydice