2.6M
Downloads
687
Episodes
The Lazy RPG Talk Show and the Lazy GM Prep show. D&D news, commentary, spotlights, Q&A, and lazy GM prep with Mike Shea of Sly Flourish.
Episodes
21 hours ago
21 hours ago
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00:00 Show Start
- 00:00:40 Sly Flourish News: Draw Small Maps, Defending Out of the Fun
- 00:04:24 Sly Flourish News: Grand Lift of Depths Forgotten
- 00:06:42 Sly Flourish News: Secret Project Preview Done
- 00:10:22 D&D & RPG News: EZD6 Bundle of Holding
- 00:12:14 Commentary: Why Are Popular Games Complicated and Slow?
- 00:16:48 Kickstarter Spotlight: Dwarven Forge Caverns Reforged
- 00:23:11 D&D & RPG News: Green Ronin Physical Books On Sale
- 00:27:45 Commentary: The Wish Thief for Daggerheart and Chases
- 00:48:30 DM Tip: Write For Yourself
- 00:56:56 Patreon Question: Run OSR Style Games with 5e
- 01:03:23 Patreon Question: Games to Play at Conventions
Links
- Visit Sly Flourish
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books:
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish RSS Feed
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast (Ad Free!)
- Draw Small Maps
- Defending Out of the Fun
- EZD6 Bundle of Holding
- Dwarven Forge Caverns Crowdfunding Campaign
- Green Ronin Warehouse Sale
- Daggerheart The Wish Thief
- Troublesome Quest Models
- Avoid Removing Player Agency
- YouTube Video on Chases
4 days ago
4 days ago
Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign.
Monday May 18, 2026
Monday May 18, 2026
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00:00 Show Start
- 00:01:00 Sly Flourish News: RPG Tags, Draw Small Maps
- 00:03:14 Commentary: Pronouncing Melnibone
- 00:04:12 Kickstarter Spotlight: Spawns of the Mind Renderer
- 00:09:40 Commentary: Why Dungeon Crawler Carl and Neon Odyssey are So Popular
- 00:19:50 D&D & RPG News: Patchwork Paladin on Dolmenwood Experiences
- 00:23:13 D&D & RPG News: Bob World Builder Survey on Favorite RPG
- 00:27:00 Commentary: My Favorite RPG
- 00:39:18 Patreon Spotlight: Grand Lift of Depths Forgotten
- 00:44:11 DM Tip: Greed, Heroism, and Wonder
- 00:51:57 Patreon Question: Monster Vulnerabilities as Puzzles
- 00:57:17 Patreon Question: 13th Age and Daggerheart as Narrative Games
- 01:03:25 Patreon Question: Brutal Shakeoff, Break Status Effects with Psychic Damage
Links
- Visit Sly Flourish
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books:
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish RSS Feed
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast (Ad Free!)
- Defining RPGs with Tags
- Draw Small Maps
- Spawns of the Mind Renderer
- Neon Odyssey
- Dungeon Crawler Carl
- Patchwork Paladin in Dolmenwood
- Bob World Builder's RPG Survey
- Greed, Heroism, Wonder
- Lazy GM's Resource Document
Monday May 11, 2026
Monday May 11, 2026
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00:00 Show Start
- 00:01:05 Sly Flourish News: Quantum Ogres and the Eight Steps, Tagging RPGs, Secret Project Announcement Date
- 00:06:03 Kickstarter Spotlight: Demonic Grimoire for OSE
- 00:09:55 D&D & RPG News: Elric for 5e, DCC, and Dragonbane
- 00:13:19 Commentary: D&D Drops and Being a Good Steward of D&D
- 00:43:39 D&D & RPG News: Old Gus's Daggerheart Resource Document
- 00:48:00 Patreon Spotlight: Dyson Map Gallery Updated
- 00:50:12 DM Tip: Scenes and Situations
- 00:58:21 Patreon Question: Running Classic Adventures with 5e
- 01:03:34 Patreon Question: Strong Finishes for Strong Starts
Links
- Visit Sly Flourish
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books:
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish RSS Feed
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast (Ad Free!)
- Quantum Ogres and the Eight Steps
- Defining RPGs with Tags
- Demonic Grimoire for OSE
- Elric for DCC, 5e
- Elric for Dragonbane
- D&D Beyond Drops
- Games Radar Interview with Chris Cocks
- Old Gus's Daggerheart Resources
- Scenes and Situations
Friday May 08, 2026
Friday May 08, 2026
Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign.
Monday May 04, 2026
Monday May 04, 2026
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00:00 Show Start
- 00:00:56 Sly Flourish News: Not All Checks Need a Mechanical Outcome, Quantum Ogres and the Eight Steps
- 00:04:02 Sly Flourish News: City of Arches One Shot Builder for Patreon
- 00:08:43 Sly Flourish News: Mike at 1d4 Con
- 00:09:35 Product Spotlight: One Shot World by Yochai Gal
- 00:12:17 Product Spotlight: Final Torch 3 for Shadowdark
- 00:14:18 D&D & RPG News: Kobold Press Elves and Fey Humble Bundle
- 00:17:18 D&D & RPG News: Battlezoo Bestiary Humble Bundle
- 00:18:18 D&D & RPG News: James Introcaso on When to Roll Checks
- 00:23:37 Sly Flourish News: Dyson Map Gallery Updated
- 00:30:07 Commentary: WOTC Employees Form a Union
- 00:45:41 Commentary: Ghostfire Poll on D&D 2014 and 2024 Use
- 00:51:47 Patreon Question: Dealing with Discord Enshittification
- 01:01:35 Patreon Question: Using Lazy DM Material in the Creative Commons
Links
- Visit Sly Flourish
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books
- Every Roll Doesn’t Need a Mechanical Outcome
- Quantum Ogres and the Eight Steps
- 1d4 Con
- One Shot World
- Final Torch Issue 3
- Elves and Fey Bundle by Kobold Press
- Roll for Combat Battlezoo Humble Bundle
- James Introcaso on When You Should Roll
- Dyson Maps
- WOTC Magic Arena Team Unionizes
- United Wizards of the Coast letter
- Are You Playing D&D 2024? A poll by Ghostfire!
- The Lazy GM's Resource Document
- Lazy GM's 5e Monster Builder Resource Document
Friday May 01, 2026
Friday May 01, 2026
Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign.
Monday Apr 27, 2026
Monday Apr 27, 2026
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: House Rules from Various 5es, Every Roll Doesn't Need Mechanical Outcomes
- 00:06:25 Sly Flourish News: Grotto of the Grandfather for Shadowdark
- 00:09:30 Sly Flourish News: Secret Project Update
- 00:11:35 D&D & RPG News: Land of Eem on Bundle of Holding
- 00:13:26 Commentary: Cairn Players Guides for Super Cheap
- 00:20:01 Commentary: The $140 Artificer Subclass
- 00:34:11 Commentary: Dungeon Masters Liveplay Thoughts
- 00:47:22 DM Tip: Two Minute Session Zero
- 00:59:34 Patreon Question: Customizing NPC Stat Blocks
- 01:05:50 Patreon Question: Best Values in Physical Products
Links
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books:
- Newsletter
- Podcast
- RSS
- Website
- Bluesky
- Mastodon
- House Rules from Various 5es
- Every Roll Doesn’t Need a Mechanical Outcome
- Land of Eem Bundle
- Cairn Player's Guide
- Cairn free on the Web
- Cairn PDF free on Itch.io
- Dungeon Masters liveplay D&D show
Friday Apr 24, 2026
Friday Apr 24, 2026
Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign.
Monday Apr 20, 2026
Monday Apr 20, 2026
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: Lets Learn Together, House Rules from Various 5es
- 00:04:12 Sly Flourish News: Patreon Q&A Database
- 00:09:48 Sly Flourish News: Secret Project Update
- 00:11:27 Commentary: Crowdfunding Disclaimer
- 00:12:51 Kickstarter Spotlight: Traveller 5e
- 00:18:21 Kickstarter Spotlight: Jewel of the Sky by MCG
- 00:21:50 Kickstarter Spotlight: Hastening Doom by Kobold Press
- 00:22:49 Kickstarter Spotlight: Pirates and Plunder by Kobold Press
- 00:27:41 Kickstarter Spotlight: Dungeon Crawler Carl RPG
- 00:31:26 D&D & RPG News: Daggerheart Hope and Fear Preorder
- 00:35:20 D&D & RPG News: Fighter Wizard Elf by Jonathan Tweet
- 00:45:05 D&D & RPG News: Monte Cook Interview on Rascal
- 00:51:54 DM Tip: Just Use Bears
- 01:01:59 Patreon Question: Lazy GMing for New GMs
- 01:08:11 Patreon Question: Risks of Prep Notes in Roll20
Links
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books:
- Let's Learn Together
- House Rules from Various 5es
- Traveller 5e
- Jewel in the Sky
- Hastening Doom
- Pirates and Plunder
- Flail
- Dungeon Crawler Carl
- Hope and Fear Deluxe preorder
- Fighter Wizard Elf
- Monte Cook interview on Rascal
- Knock Magazine
- Just Use Bears by Jack Shear in 2016
Friday Apr 10, 2026
Friday Apr 10, 2026
Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign.
Monday Apr 06, 2026
Monday Apr 06, 2026
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: Because of X You Know Y, What Separates Adventure Types, New Project Feedback
- 00:04:13 Sly Flourish News: Grotto of the Grandfather for Shadowdark
- 00:08:23 Sly Flourish News: City of Arches on Alchemy VTT
- 00:09:33 D&D & RPG News: Open Gaming Licenses for Free League
- 00:22:04 Kickstarter Spotlight: Horror at Devil's Run for Shadowdark
- 00:23:24 DM Tip: Examples of Bad Dungeon Beats
- 00:46:02 Patreon Question: Scouting Dungeons with Familiars and Arcane Eye
- 00:55:42 Patreon Question: Planning Big Boss Fights
Links
Friday Apr 03, 2026
Friday Apr 03, 2026
Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign.
Monday Mar 30, 2026
Monday Mar 30, 2026
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
Friday Mar 27, 2026
Friday Mar 27, 2026
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
Monday Mar 23, 2026
Monday Mar 23, 2026
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
Friday Mar 20, 2026
Friday Mar 20, 2026
Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign.
Monday Mar 16, 2026
Monday Mar 16, 2026
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
Friday Mar 13, 2026
Friday Mar 13, 2026
Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign.
Monday Mar 09, 2026
Monday Mar 09, 2026
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
Friday Mar 06, 2026
Friday Mar 06, 2026
Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign.
Monday Mar 02, 2026
Monday Mar 02, 2026
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
Friday Feb 27, 2026
Friday Feb 27, 2026
Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign.
Monday Feb 23, 2026
Monday Feb 23, 2026
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
Friday Feb 20, 2026
Friday Feb 20, 2026
Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign.
Monday Feb 16, 2026
Monday Feb 16, 2026
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
Friday Feb 13, 2026
Friday Feb 13, 2026
Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign.
Monday Feb 09, 2026
Monday Feb 09, 2026
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
Friday Feb 06, 2026
Friday Feb 06, 2026
Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign.
Monday Feb 02, 2026
Monday Feb 02, 2026
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