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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
Friday Aug 02, 2024
Friday Aug 02, 2024
Mike prepares for his Shadowdark RPG campaign, the Gloaming!
Friday Aug 02, 2024
Friday Aug 02, 2024
Mike dives deep into the D&D 2024 Player's Handbook!
- City of Arches Kickstarter!
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books
Show Contents
- 00:00 Intro
- 01:58 Disclaimers
- 02:42 Big Thoughts Up Front
- 03:35 Should You Buy It?
- 05:55 What Do I Love?
- 10:11 What Do I Not Love?
- 15:25 No Cultures, Just Species
- 19:46 Other Things Not Fixed
- 22:26 On Compatibility
- 27:08 Things May Be in the DMG But I Wouldn't Know
- 27:49 Good for New Players?
- 34:49 How's the Art?
- 36:11 The Best Improvement in D&D 2024
- 37:33 New Mechanical Language and "Utilize"
- 40:18 No Downtime
- 41:49 No Gods
- 43:11 Not Enough On Session Zeros and Safety Tools
- 46:06 Backgrounds and Character Optimization
- 50:48 I Love the Conjure Spells
- 53:10 Lucky
- 55:27 The Awesome Rules Glossary
- 57:41 Marching Order
- 58:04 What Your Character Would Do
- 58:45 Final Thoughts
Monday Jul 29, 2024
Monday Jul 29, 2024
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:22 Sly Flourish News: City of Arches Kickstarter Next Week!
- 02:43 D&D & RPG News: Lots of D&D 2024 Info Next Week
- 03:51 D&D & RPG News: Solodark Solo-play Video by Kelsey Dionne
- 06:12 D&D & RPG News: When We Were Wizards Podcast
- 19:19 Kickstarter Spotlight: Nimble 5e
- 26:58 Sly Flourish News: City of Arches Obsidian Skull Walkthrough
- 38:40 DM Tip: Handling Questions of Morality in TTRPGs
- 51:38 Patreon Question: Players Suspicious of Potentially Betraying NPCs
Links
Friday Jul 19, 2024
Friday Jul 19, 2024
Mike prepares for his Shadowdark RPG campaign, the Gloaming!
Monday Jul 15, 2024
Monday Jul 15, 2024
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:21 D&D & RPG News: ENnie Voting Goes Live!
- 02:27 Product Spotlight: Dyson Maps Bundle of Holding
- 05:09 D&D & RPG News: Level Up Gateway Online Character Builder
- 22:52 Sly Flourish News: City of Arches Kickstarter Coming August 6th
- 35:00 Commentary: Top Ten Lazy 5e Tricks
- 54:46 Patreon Question: What Would I do If I Was In Charge of D&D?
- 58:19 Patreon Question: Magic Numbers to Keep In Your Head
Links
Friday Jul 12, 2024
Friday Jul 12, 2024
Mike prepares for his Shadowdark RPG campaign, the Gloaming!
Monday Jul 08, 2024
Monday Jul 08, 2024
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:21 Sly Flourish News: City of Arches Kickstart Coming August 6th!
- 07:54 D&D & RPG News: The Negative Feedback of D&D Beyond's Exclusive Offers
- 21:27 Commentary: The Lost Modularity of D&D and How to Get it Back
- 35:41 Commentary: Is Shadowdark the Best D&D Starter Set?
- 49:07 Patreon Spotlight: The SlyFlourish.com Downloadable Archive
- 52:12 Patreon Question: Lazy DMing with Virtual Tabletops (VTTs)
- 56:07 Patreon Question: How Do We Feel About D&D 2024?
Links
Friday Jul 05, 2024
Friday Jul 05, 2024
Mike prepares for his Shadowdark RPG campaign, the Gloaming!
Monday Jul 01, 2024
Monday Jul 01, 2024
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:11 D&D & RPG News: Dyson's Delves Bundle of Holding
- 04:19 D&D & RPG News: Monte Cook Games 50% off 5e Products
- 07:26 Sly Flourish News: Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master On Sale for 50% off
- 09:09 D&D & RPG News: D&D 2024 Class Videos
- 10:04 Commentary: 2024 D&D Needed a DM Advocate
- 17:45 Commentary: WOTC Says the Quiet Part Out Loud: "Frustrating for Dungeon Masters"
- 24:10 Commentary: Is Tales of the Valiant the 2024 D&D We Want?
- 26:23 Commentary: Comparing Four Versions of 5e
- 38:52 DM Tip: Expanding Tales of the Valiant's Doom Points
- 49:15 Patreon Question: Running Games for Young Neurodivergent Kids
- 53:59 Patreon Question: Comparing Monster Spellcaster Styles
- 59:40 Patreon Question: Asking Questions to Players Without Tipping Your Hand
- 01:02:59 Patreon Question: Tips for On-Call Players and Their Characters
- 01:04:45 Patreon Question: Tips for Evaluating Published Adventures
- 01:10:39 Patreon Question: Missing Stat Block Info when Running Monsters
- 01:13:35 Patreon Question: Why Are Gaming PDFs Crappy for So Many Devices? Publishers, Publish ePub!
Links
- Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master On Sale for 50% off!
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books:
- Dyson's Delves Bundle of Holding
- Monte Cook Games 50% off 5e Sale
- "Frustrating Dungeon Masters" D&D 2024 Rogue Preview
- Tales of the Valiant
- Level Up Advanced 5e
Friday Jun 28, 2024
Friday Jun 28, 2024
Mike prepares for his Shadowdark RPG campaign, the Gloaming!
Monday Jun 24, 2024
Monday Jun 24, 2024
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:38 Product Spotlight: Esper Genesis on Bundle of Holding
- 02:35 Product Spotlight: Magic Item Card Generator by Inkwell Ideas
- 04:30 D&D & RPG News: 2024 D&D Core Book Videos
- 08:39 Commentary: D&D 2024 Monster Stat Block -- Yuck
- 14:10 Commentary: The 2024 D&D Players Handbook is the Only Book that Matters
- 17:53 Commentary: The Specifics of D&D 2024 Compatibility with 5e
- 29:56 D&D & RPG News: Mobile Character Builder for D&D 2024 on Roll20
- 32:12 Sly Flourish News: Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master On Sale
- 33:17 DM Tip: Use NPC Archetypes from a Single Show
- 40:50 Patreon Question: What Digital Tools Would Help Us?
- 46:57 Patreon Question: Managing Teleportation in Campaigns
- 52:57 Patreon Question: How Would I Run Vecna Eve of Ruin
- 59:48 Patreon Question: How Do You Run Maps?
Links
- Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master on Sale for 50% off Digital and 30% off Hardcover!
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books:
- Esper Genesis on Bundle of Holding
- Printable Magic Cards by Inkwell Ideas
- D&D 2024 Reveals and Discussions on EN World
- D&D 2024 Updates on Comicbook.com
- D&D 2024 Monster Stat Block Revealed
- Roll20 D&D Character Builder
- Character Archetypes from Expanse
Friday Jun 21, 2024
Friday Jun 21, 2024
Mike prepares for his Shadowdark RPG campaign, the Gloaming!
Monday Jun 17, 2024
Monday Jun 17, 2024
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:18 D&D & RPG News: WOTC Begins Posting to EN World
- 04:15 Product Spotlight: Solodark for Shadowdark RPG
- 09:10 Product Spotlight: More Purple More Better Character Builder for 5e
- 22:43 Patreon Spotlight: 5e Artisanal Monster Database
- 27:23 DM Tip: Finding Players and Building a Resilient Group
- 41:24 Patreon Question: Allowing Alternative Character Options
- 44:18 Patreon Question: Uses for Generative AI and RPGs -- Is it Cheating?
Links
Friday Jun 14, 2024
Friday Jun 14, 2024
Mike prepares for his Shadowdark RPG campaign, the Gloaming!
Monday Jun 10, 2024
Monday Jun 10, 2024
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:01 Commentary: Happy Pride Month
- 01:33 Commentary: How to Get More Engagement on YouTube!
- 02:18 D&D & RPG News: Roll20 Buys Demiplane
- 12:43 Kickstarter Spotlight: Voidrunner for 5e by EN World Publishing
- 16:27 Patreon Spotlight: Infiltration of Bonespur Keep
- 19:46 DM Tip: Organize Your Gaming PDFs
- 27:59 DM Tip: Searching PDFs on MacOS
- 30:49 DM Tip: Search PDFs with Finder on the Mac
- 32:20 DM Tip: Alfred for Searching PDFs on a Mac
- 34:18 DM Tip: Search PDFs with Ripgrep All
- 38:25 Patreon Question: Getting Excited for Longform Campaigns
- 42:17 Patreon Question: Contingencies for TPKs
Links
Friday Jun 07, 2024
Friday Jun 07, 2024
Mike prepares for his Shadowdark RPG campaign, the Gloaming!
Monday Jun 03, 2024
Monday Jun 03, 2024
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:05 D&D & RPG News: Cover Art for 2024 D&D Dungeon Master's Guide
- 03:10 D&D & RPG News: Sly Flourish and Elderbrain Video on Adventure Design
- 04:24 Commentary: Are Actual Plays Building False Expectations?
- 21:04 Patreon Spotlight: Dwarven Forge Virtual Tabletop Backdrops
- 29:13 DM Tip: Leaving Blanks
- 45:06 Patreon Question: GM Tips for Players
- 48:18 Patreon Question: Managing Monster Stat Blocks
- 51:21 Patreon Question: Integrating Prophecies and Fate into D&D Games
- 53:42 Patreon Question: Medium-Length Campaigns
- 56:58 Patreon Question: Players Projecting Micro-Aggressions
- 59:59 Patreon Question: Commiting Time and Energy to Prep a Game
Links
Friday May 31, 2024
Friday May 31, 2024
Mike prepares for his Shadowdark RPG campaign, the Gloaming!
Monday May 27, 2024
Monday May 27, 2024
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:02 Kickstarter Spotlight: Iskandar Adventures Volume 1
- 04:40 Product Spotlight: Torrents of the Spellhoarder by Elderbrain
- 09:40 D&D & RPG News: Rob Heinsoo on Mastering Dungeons
- 11:55 D&D & RPG News: Scroll for Initiative on Pass Without Trace
- 18:12 D&D & RPG News: Bob World Builder on Gridded, Abstract Maps, and Theater of the Mind
- 20:47 Commentary: New Poll Results on Combat Styles
- 24:44 DM Tip: The Lost Art of Abstract Maps
- 36:15 Patreon Question: Running a Quick Conclusion to a Campaign
- 40:00 Patreon Question: Are Secrets Always True?
- 41:09 Patreon Question: Upward Beats for Dungeons
- 45:18 Patreon Question: Appropriate Challenges, Quests, and Adventures for 1st Lvel Characters
- 47:29 Patreon Question: Taking Away the Characters' Stuff
- 50:48 Patreon Question: Buying Material Multiple Times on Different Platforms
Links
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books:
- Kickstarter: Iskandar Adventures Volume 1
- Torrents of the Spellhoarder
- Rob Heinsoo on Mastering Dungeons
- Scroll for Initiative on Pass Without Trace
- Bob World Builder on Grid, Theater of the Mind, and Abstract Maps
- Grid, Abstract Map, and Theater of the Mind 2023 Poll Results
- The Abstract Battle Map Sly Flourish article
- Beats of a Dungeon Crawl
Friday May 24, 2024
Friday May 24, 2024
Mike prepares for his Shadowdark RPG campaign, the Gloaming!
Monday May 20, 2024
Monday May 20, 2024
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:24 D&D & RPG News: Cypher Humble Bundle -- $570 of books for $25
- 04:31 D&D & RPG News: New Covers and Greyhawk in 2024 D&D Books
- 11:35 D&D & RPG News: Support Victims of Rio Grande Flooding with this $20 RPG Bundle
- 12:48 D&D & RPG News: Rob Heinsoo Interview on La Taberna de Rol
- 15:56 Product Spotlight: Tales of the Labyrinth by Kobold Press
- 23:15 D&D & RPG News: Tales of the Valiant on Shard Tabletop
- 36:08 Patreon Spotlight: Myre's End Adventure for Patrons
- 39:23 Commentary: One Night with Level Up Advanced 5e
- 56:44 Patreon Question: Three House Rules for Shadowdark RPG
Links
- Cypher Humble Bundle
- D&D 2024 Cover Reveal
- D&D 2024 Other News
- Rio Grande Flood Charity Bundle
- Rob Heinsoo on La Taberna de Rol
- Thirteenth Age V2 Kickstarter
- Guide to the Labyrinth by Kobold Press
- Tales of the Valiant on Shard
- Black Flag SRD on Shard
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books:
Friday May 17, 2024
Friday May 17, 2024
Mike ranks ten years worth of campaigns from S through F tier.
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:18 Goal: Define Criteria for Evaluating Future Campaigns
- 02:58 Tier Ranking Ground Rules
- 06:28 Beginning the Tier Rankings
- 06:41 Shadow of the Demon Lord
- 07:28 Numenera
- 09:39 Rime of the Frost Maiden
- 11:29 Wild Beyond the Witchlight
- 12:35 Blades in the Dark
- 14:08 Curse of Strahd
- 15:29 Descent into Avernus
- 18:17 Eberron Rising from the Last War
- 19:01 Empire of the Ghouls
- 20:22 Ghosts of Saltmarsh
- 22:21 Hoard of the Dragon Queen
- 23:10 Dragons of Icespire Peak
- 25:33 Lost Mine of Phandelver
- 27:07 Out of the Abyss
- 28:40 Princes of the Apocalypse
- 29:23 Rise of Tiamat
- 29:56 Scarlet Citadel
- 32:04 Gloaming: Cursed Scroll 1
- 33:45 Shadowed Keep of the Borderlands
- 35:15 Storm King's Thunder
- 37:39 Tomb of Annihilation
- 39:56 Waterdeep Dragon Heist
- 41:50 Spelljammer: Light of Xaryxis
- 45:53 Dragons of Stormwreck Isle
- 47:14 Campaign Tier-Ranking Summary
- 49:36 What Did I Learn?
- 51:07 Product Design Matters More than Production Quality
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: https://shop.slyflourish.com/
- Final Tier Ranking Image
- Tiermaker SF Campaign Tier Link
- Shadow of the Demon Lord
- Numenera
- Blades in the Dark
- Gloaming: Cursed Scroll 1
- Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands (affiliate link)
- Empire of the Ghouls (affiliate link)
- Scarlet Citadel (affiliate link)
- Dragons of Stormwreck Isle (affiliate link)
- Curse of Strahd (affiliate link)
- Wild Beyond the Witchlight (affiliate link)
Monday May 13, 2024
Monday May 13, 2024
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:48 D&D & RPG News: WOTC Announces the Upcoming Release of 2024 Rules in the Creative Commons
- 05:28 D&D & RPG News: Black Flag SRD Released Under ORC
- 09:57 D&D & RPG News: Tales of the Valiant Released to Backers
- 16:13 Kickstarter Spotlight: Oracle Monster Generator by Nord Games
- 17:53 Kickstarter Spotlight: 13th Age version 2
- 19:00 D&D & RPG News: Nine Perfect Things for Your D&D Games
- 20:48 D&D & RPG News: Why Cults Are Awesome
- 23:10 Commentary: Why Open Licenses Matter to GMs
- 38:49 Patreon Question: Games Getting Too Complex Above 10th Level
- 42:18 Patreon Question: Getting Players Excited for Homebrewed Campaigns
- 45:11 Patreon Question: What Drains Your Energy In Your Games?
Links
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books
- WOTC Announces 5.2 System Reference Document in the CC in Early 2025
- Black Flag System Reference Document
- Tales of the Valiant
- Oracle Monster Generator BackerKit Campaign
- 13th Age Version 2 Kickstarter
- Nine Perfect Things for your D&D Game – Scroll for Initiative
- Why Cults Are Awesome
- Building a One-Page Campaign Guide
Friday May 10, 2024
Friday May 10, 2024
Mike prepares for his Shadowdark RPG campaign, the Gloaming!
Monday May 06, 2024
Monday May 06, 2024
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:11 D&D & RPG News: Shadow of the Weird Wizard Impressions by Gnome Stew
- 02:32 D&D & RPG News: WOTC Stops Selling A La Carte Items on D&D Beyond
- 11:08 Commentary: Bob World Builder D&D and WOTC Popularity Survey Results
- 27:42 Kickstarter Spotlight: Delve by Bob World Builder
- 29:32 Patreon Spotlight: Regnum Rattus the Rats in the Cellar
- 31:53 Sly Flourish News: 4,000+ DM Tips in the Creative Commons
- 34:17 Product Spotlight: The GMs Miscellany by Raging Swan
- 38:16 Commentary: Being a Good Steward of the RPG Hobby
- 49:15 Patreon Question: Should a New DM Run Fateforged?
- 51:09 Patreon Question: How to Expose Midgard and Big Campaign Settings to Players?
- 54:56 Patreon Question: Handling a TPK in Witchlight
Links
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books:
- Shadow of the Weird Wizard impressions
- WOTC changes D&D Beyond — no more a la carte purchases
- Bob World Builder on WOTC and D&D Survey Results
- Bob World Builder WOTC & D&D Popularity Survey Predictions and Results
- Delve by Bob World Builder
- RPG Tips in the CC
- Raging Swan Wilderness Dressings
Friday May 03, 2024
Friday May 03, 2024
Mike prepares for his Shadowdark RPG campaign, the Gloaming!
Monday Apr 29, 2024
Monday Apr 29, 2024
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:23 D&D & RPG News: Roll20 and Discord Integration
- 05:12 D&D & RPG News: Alphastream on the Summit One Year Later
- 09:02 Product Spotlight: Return of the Witch King Adventures for Shadow of the Demon Lord
- 14:48 D&D & RPG News: Kobold Press Offers Sourcebook Subscriptions on Shard
- 23:18 Commentary: Tales of the Valiant Monsters Hitting Too Hard?
- 27:58 Patreon Spotlight: Forge of Foes Monster Stats Tool
- 31:08 DM Tip: Use an oracle Die
- 41:32 Patreon Question: Managing One Year Later Montages
- 45:05 Patreon Question: Sticking With the City of Arches
- 52:17 Patreon Question: Help Players Tap Into Their Emotions
Links
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books:
- Roll20 on Discord
- Alphastream: Looking at the D&D Summit One Year Later
- Shadow of the Demon Lord - Falling Tears
- Shadow of the Demon Lord - You Shall Not Take these Noble Souls
- Kobold Press Bundle on Shard
- The Tales of the Valiant Mimic
- Ending Campaigns – One Year Later Montages
Friday Apr 26, 2024
Friday Apr 26, 2024
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
Monday Apr 22, 2024
Monday Apr 22, 2024
D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com
Contents
- 00:00 Show Start
- 01:12 Product Spotlight: PJ Coffey's Crafting Heritages and Cultures CC-Released Doc
- 04:38 Kickstarter Spotlight: Campaign Builder - Dungeons and Ruins
- 07:16 Product Spotlight: 13th Age 2e Preview
- 10:18 Patreon Spotlight: Secret of Summervine Villa
- 13:58 D&D & RPG News: Cynthia Williams Leaves Hasbro
- 16:26 Commentary: Build Your Resilient TTRPG Hobby
- 20:00 Commentary: Matt Coleville on Long-form versus Short-Form Adventures
- 27:14 Commentary: The MtG Hobby Compared to the D&D Hobby
- 36:47 DM Tip: Fantastic Short-Form Adventure Publishers
- 50:41 Patreon Question: Villains and NPCs Responding to High Level Characters
- 54:28 Patreon Question: Warlords Are in 5e
- 56:27 Patreon Question: Repeating Descriptions and Getting Players to Pay Attention
Links
- Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter
- Support Sly Flourish on Patreon
- Buy Sly Flourish Books:
- Sly Flourish Fantastic Bundle
- PJ Coffey’s Crafting Heritages and Cultures SRD
- Kobold Press’s Campaign Builder: Dungeons & Ruins
- The 13th Age 2 Kickstarter Coming May
- Matt Colville on Short versus Long Adventures – There is no “default”
- Merric’s Article on Short-form WOTC Adventures
- Arcane Library
- Jeff Steven's 5e Adventures
- Kobold Press's Lairs books
- MT Black's Adventures
- Raging Swan's 5e adventures
Friday Apr 19, 2024
Friday Apr 19, 2024
Mike prepares for his Shadowdark RPG campaign, the Gloaming!