Podcast appearances and mentions of mike shea

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:00:58 Sly Flourish News: Rise Kickstarter, Single Target Number, Make Monsters Unique, Blood of the Primordials 00:06:56 Sly Flourish News: Rise of the Lazy Gamemaster Sample Walkthrough 00:17:29 Commentary: Nimble RPG First Thoughts 00:36:29 DM Tip: What Is a Lazy Gamemaster? 00:48:03 Patreon Question: Handling Persuasion Checks 00:53:53 Patreon Question: Light-weight OSR versus Crunchier new RPGs for Campaigns 00:59:29 Patreon Question: Running City of Arches After Heroes of the Borderlands Links Rise of the Lazy Gamemaster! 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!) A Single Target Number Make Monsters Unique Nimblenomicon

Vampire: The Masquerade is expanding its presence on D&D Beyond with a new 5.5E crossover product titled Bound by Blood, published by Ghostfire Gaming and featuring a new Kindred class and adventure. This move follows similar partnerships with other publishers, indicating a trend of rival games embracing the 5.5E ruleset. In a related shift, Renegade Games has announced it will discontinue its bespoke Essence20 system for new editions of its licensed properties like Transformers, GI Joe, and Power Rangers, transitioning instead to a modified version of Dungeons & Dragons 5.5E to reach a broader player base. Green Ronin Publishing has officially released Valiant Adventures, a new TTRPG setting supplement for the Mutants & Masterminds third edition system. Based on the Valiant Universe, a shared world featuring characters like Bloodshot and X-O Manowa, the release includes two main volumes: the Hero's Handbook and the Worlds of Valiant sourcebook. These supplements provide updated combat mechanics, a new “Hero Point” economy, and extensive lore, allowing players to explore this gritty and morally complex comic universe without requiring additional source material. Award-winning designer Mike Shea, known as Sly Flourish, has announced Rise of the Lazy Gamemaster, a new 160-page resource designed to complement his previous Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master series. Unlike his earlier works that focused primarily on D&D 5E, this upcoming book will be system-agnostic, offering tools, tips, and adventure outlines adaptable to various systems including Shadowdark, Daggerheart, and Dragonbane. Shea aims to provide practical advice to speed up preparation and enhance interactivity, with a crowdfunding campaign for the project scheduled to launch in early July. The independent TTRPG market has a new competitor with the launch of RPG Trader, a marketplace created by Ten Acre Games founder Hugh Lashbrooke to support indie creators. Designed as a specific alternative to larger platforms like DriveThruRPG and Itch.io, RPG Trader focuses on discoverability and flexible publishing tools, offering creators an 80% share of sales revenue. The platform distinguishes itself with a zero-tolerance policy for AI-generated content, an integrated print-on-demand service through Lulu, and a detailed taxonomy system to help players find games based on specific play styles and themes. #vapirerpg #valiantcomics #lazydungeonmaster #rpgtrader Valiant Adventures for Mutans and Masterminds: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/567952/valiant-adventures-worlds-of-valiant?affiliate_id=2081746 RPG Trader: https://rpg-trader.com/ Roll Big or Go Home Bundle: https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/k49Mnd Doctor Who and Warhammer to Cthulhu, Transformers, and even My Little Pony! Return to Dark Tower Household and Visigoths vs. Mall Goths! over 50 TTRPG books! Dungeon Crawl Classics Essentials Bundle: https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/4aym3o over 106 ebooks and PDFs Cyberpunk RED: Ready-to-Run Essentials Bundle: https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/rEOrdG Free League BundleRPG Collection: https://humblebundleinc.sjv.io/zzrGdm Warmachine on MyMiniFactory: https://mmf.io/upturned Mantic Companion App: https://companion.manticgames.com/ Use our Referral code: MCTXEE Support Us by Shopping on DTRPG (afilliate link): https://www.drivethrurpg.com?affiliate_id=2081746 Matt’s DriveThruRPG Publications: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/browse.php?author=Matthew%20Robinson https://substack.com/@matthewrobinson3 Chris on social media: https://hyvemynd.itch.io/​​ Jeremy's Links: http://www.abusecartoons.com/​​ http://www.rcharvey.com ​​Support Us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/upturnedtable Give us a tip on our livestream: https://streamlabs.com/upturnedtabletop/tip​ Donate or give us a tip on Paypal: https://www.paypal.com/ncp/payment/2754JZFW2QZU4 Intro song is “Chips” by KokoroNoMe https://kokoronome.bandcamp.com/

Crash preps for his Cypher campaign by writing up an NPC description for future use. This series is heavily inspired by Mike Shea of Sly Flourish recording his own game prep. Follow this series on… Let’s Make RSS Feed: https://aaronbsmith.com/cogwheel/tag/lets-make/feed/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogwheelgaming Mastodon: https://is.aaronbsmith.com/@cogwheel Not on Mastodon? Consider these instances: gamepad.club dice.camp mastodon.art chirp.enworld.org tabletop.vip MP3 Download: Let’s Make an NPC Ep 10: Airship Pilot (Cypher System) Art and Markdown Files (NPCs are under a the Filthy Human Hands 1.0 License, art is released in the public domain.) Music Used: Bubble Machine by Drozerix is public domain and can be downloaded from modarchive.org. Keep us ad free by supporting us on Patreon! Thanks to our current Patreon Patrons (as of this upload…): Ellie, Liv Dromen, Paul, ShanShen, Walter, & Patron Emeritus Cindy!

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: Single Target Number, Top Tips Chapter Read Aloud, Trying Lots of New Systems 00:08:46 D&D & RPG News: Dungeonomicon Bundle of Holding 00:10:03 Kickstarter Spotlight: Machine of Bone and Blood Kickstarter 00:13:24 D&D & RPG News: Layoffs at Paizo 00:19:26 Sly Flourish News: Rise of the Lazy Game Master FAQ 00:33:51 Commentary: RPG Publishers Who Are Killing It 00:44:33 DM Tip: Go Around the Table 00:49:02 Patreon Question: Prepping for Daggerheart 00:53:35 Patreon Question: Static Damage for Shadowdark 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!) A Single Target Number *Rise of the Lazy Gamemaster* Coming Soon! Dungeonomicon Bundle of Holding Machines of Bone and Blood Paizo Layoffs

Crash preps for his Cypher campaign by writing up an NPC description for future use. This series is heavily inspired by Mike Shea of Sly Flourish recording his own game prep. Follow this series on… Let’s Make RSS Feed: https://aaronbsmith.com/cogwheel/tag/lets-make/feed/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogwheelgaming Mastodon: https://is.aaronbsmith.com/@cogwheel Not on Mastodon? Consider these instances: gamepad.club dice.camp mastodon.art chirp.enworld.org tabletop.vip MP3 Download: Let’s Make an NPC Ep 9: Not 3 Kobolds (Cypher System) Art and Markdown Files (NPCs are under a the Filthy Human Hands 1.0 License, art is released in the public domain.) Music Used: Bubble Machine by Drozerix is public domain and can be downloaded from modarchive.org. Keep us ad free by supporting us on Patreon! Thanks to our current Patreon Patrons (as of this upload…): Ellie, Liv Dromen, Paul, ShanShen, Walter, & Patron Emeritus Cindy!

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:00:58 Sly Flourish News: Defending Out of the Fun, Rolling for Targets, 1d4 Con, Finished Dragonbane, Started Nimble 00:07:10 Sly Flourish News: Order now Before New EU Taxes 00:08:55 D&D & RPG News: Dyson Logos Bundle of Holding 00:11:06 D&D & RPG News: Free League Humble Bundle 00:12:21 D&D & RPG News: Dyson Logos Bundle of Holding 00:13:19 Kickstarter Spotlight: Book of Unnumbered Worlds by Kevin Crawford 00:15:32 D&D & RPG News: Merry Mushman Knock Sale with US Shipping 00:17:18 Sly Flourish News: Rise of the Lazy Gamemaster Coming Soon to Kickstarter! 00:24:23 D&D & RPG News: D&D Community Advisory Group 00:32:20 Commentary: Ravenloft Horrors Within Quick Thoughts 00:44:38 Patreon Question: How Fast for a Level 1 to 20 Campaign 00:49:00 Patreon Question: Improv With VTTs 00:53:03 Patreon Question: Hard Drive Crashed, Using Analog Tools for Prep Links Rise of the Lazy Gamemaster 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 Defending Out of the Fun Roll to Target Big RPG Humble Bundle Free League Humble Bundle Dyson Presents 2026 Bundle of Holding Book of Unnumbered Worlds Merry Mushman Sale D&D Community Advisory Group Announcement EN World Ravenloft Horrors Within Spotlight Alphastream's Ravenloft Horrors Within – The Good Alphastream's Ravenloft Horrors Within – The Bad

Crash preps for his Cypher campaign by writing up an NPC description for future use. This series is heavily inspired by Mike Shea of Sly Flourish recording his own game prep. Follow this series on… Let’s Make RSS Feed: https://aaronbsmith.com/cogwheel/tag/lets-make/feed/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogwheelgaming Mastodon: https://is.aaronbsmith.com/@cogwheel Not on Mastodon? Consider these instances: gamepad.club dice.camp mastodon.art chirp.enworld.org tabletop.vip MP3 Download: Let’s Make an NPC Ep 8: Integrated (Late-Stage) (Cypher System) Art and Markdown Files (NPCs are under a the Filthy Human Hands 1.0 License, art is released in the public domain.) Music Used: Bubble Machine by Drozerix is public domain and can be downloaded from modarchive.org. Keep us ad free by supporting us on Patreon! Thanks to our current Patreon Patrons (as of this upload…): Ellie, Liv Dromen, Paul, ShanShen, Walter, & Patron Emeritus Cindy!

Crash preps for his Cypher campaign by writing up an NPC description for future use. This series is heavily inspired by Mike Shea of Sly Flourish recording his own game prep. Follow this series on… Let’s Make RSS Feed: https://aaronbsmith.com/cogwheel/tag/lets-make/feed/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogwheelgaming Mastodon: https://is.aaronbsmith.com/@cogwheel Not on Mastodon? Consider these instances: gamepad.club dice.camp mastodon.art chirp.enworld.org tabletop.vip MP3 Download: Let’s Make an NPC Ep 7: Integrated (Mid-Stage) (Cypher System) Art and Markdown Files (NPCs are under a the Filthy Human Hands 1.0 License, art is released in the public domain.) Music Used: Bubble Machine by Drozerix is public domain and can be downloaded from modarchive.org. Keep us ad free by supporting us on Patreon! Thanks to our current Patreon Patrons (as of this upload…): Ellie, Liv Dromen, Paul, ShanShen, Walter, & Patron Emeritus Cindy!

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

Crash preps for his Cypher campaign by writing up an NPC description for future use. This series is heavily inspired by Mike Shea of Sly Flourish recording his own game prep. Follow this series on… Let’s Make RSS Feed: https://aaronbsmith.com/cogwheel/tag/lets-make/feed/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogwheelgaming Mastodon: https://is.aaronbsmith.com/@cogwheel Not on Mastodon? Consider these instances: gamepad.club dice.camp mastodon.art chirp.enworld.org tabletop.vip MP3 Download: Let’s Make an NPC Ep 6: Integrated (Early Stage) (Cypher System) Art and Markdown Files (NPCs are under a the Filthy Human Hands 1.0 License, art is released in the public domain.) Music Used: Bubble Machine by Drozerix is public domain and can be downloaded from modarchive.org. Keep us ad free by supporting us on Patreon! Thanks to our current Patreon Patrons (as of this upload…): Ellie, Liv Dromen, Paul, ShanShen, Walter, & Patron Emeritus Cindy!

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

Crash preps for his Cypher campaign by writing up an NPC description for future use. This series is heavily inspired by Mike Shea of Sly Flourish recording his own game prep. Follow this series on… Let’s Make RSS Feed: https://aaronbsmith.com/cogwheel/tag/lets-make/feed/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogwheelgaming Mastodon: https://is.aaronbsmith.com/@cogwheel Not on Mastodon? Consider these instances: gamepad.club dice.camp mastodon.art chirp.enworld.org tabletop.vip MP3 Download: Let’s Make an NPC Ep 5: Great Rail Worker (Cypher System) Art and Markdown Files (NPCs are under a the Filthy Human Hands 1.0 License, art is released in the public domain.) Music Used: Bubble Machine by Drozerix is public domain and can be downloaded from modarchive.org. Keep us ad free by supporting us on Patreon! Thanks to our current Patreon Patrons (as of this upload…): Ellie, Liv Dromen, Paul, ShanShen, Walter, & Patron Emeritus Cindy!

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

Crash preps for his Cypher campaign by writing up an NPC description for future use. This series is heavily inspired by Mike Shea of Sly Flourish recording his own game prep. Follow this series on… Let’s Make RSS Feed: https://aaronbsmith.com/cogwheel/tag/lets-make/feed/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogwheelgaming Mastodon: https://is.aaronbsmith.com/@cogwheel Not on Mastodon? Consider these instances: gamepad.club dice.camp mastodon.art chirp.enworld.org tabletop.vip MP3 Download: Let’s Make an NPC Ep 4: Windbreak Acolyte (Cypher System) Art and Markdown Files (NPCs are under a the Filthy Human Hands 1.0 License, art is released in the public domain.) Music Used: Bubble Machine by Drozerix is public domain and can be downloaded from modarchive.org. Keep us ad free by supporting us on Patreon! Thanks to our current Patreon Patrons (as of this upload…): Ellie, Liv Dromen, Paul, ShanShen, Walter, & Patron Emeritus Cindy!

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

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

Crash preps for his Cypher campaign by writing up an NPC description for future use. This series is heavily inspired by Mike Shea of Sly Flourish recording his own game prep. Follow this series on… Let’s Make RSS Feed: https://aaronbsmith.com/cogwheel/tag/lets-make/feed/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogwheelgaming Mastodon: https://is.aaronbsmith.com/@cogwheel Not on Mastodon? Consider these instances: gamepad.club dice.camp mastodon.art chirp.enworld.org tabletop.vip MP3 Download: Let’s Make an NPC Ep 3: Windbreak Priest (Cypher System) Art and Markdown Files (NPCs are under a the Filthy Human Hands 1.0 License, art is released in the public domain.) Music Used: Bubble Machine by Drozerix is public domain and can be downloaded from modarchive.org. Keep us ad free by supporting us on Patreon! Thanks to our current Patreon Patrons (as of this upload…): Ellie, Liv Dromen, Paul, ShanShen, Walter, & Patron Emeritus Cindy!

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

Crash preps for his Cypher campaign by writing up an NPC description for future use. This series (if it becomes a full series) is heavily inspired by Mike Shea of Sly Flourish recording his own game prep. Follow this series on… Let’s Make RSS Feed: https://aaronbsmith.com/cogwheel/tag/lets-make/feed/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogwheelgaming Mastodon: https://is.aaronbsmith.com/@cogwheel Not on Mastodon? Consider these instances: gamepad.club dice.camp mastodon.art chirp.enworld.org tabletop.vip MP3 Download: Let’s Make an NPC Ep 2: Celwyd “The Magnificent” (Cypher System) Art and Markdown Files (NPCs are under a the Filthy Human Hands 1.0 License, art is released in the public domain.) Music Used: Bubble Machine by Drozerix is public domain and can be downloaded from modarchive.org. Keep us ad free by supporting us on Patreon! Thanks to our current Patreon Patrons (as of this upload…): Ellie, Liv Dromen, Paul, ShanShen, Walter, & Patron Emeritus Cindy!

Crash preps for his Cypher campaign by writing up an NPC description for future use. This series (if it becomes a full series) is heavily inspired by Mike Shea of Sly Flourish recording his own game prep. Follow this series on… Let’s Make RSS Feed: https://aaronbsmith.com/cogwheel/tag/lets-make/feed/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cogwheelgaming Mastodon: https://is.aaronbsmith.com/@cogwheel Not on Mastodon? Consider these instances: gamepad.club dice.camp mastodon.art chirp.enworld.org tabletop.vip MP3 Download: Cypher NPCs Let’s Make an NPC Ep 1: Dr. Igneous Plate (Cypher System) Art and Markdown Files (NPCs are under a the Filthy Human Hands 1.0 License, art is released in the public domain.) Music Used: Bubble Machine by Drozerix is public domain and can be downloaded from modarchive.org. Keep us ad free by supporting us on Patreon! Thanks to our current Patreon Patrons (as of this upload…): Ellie, Liv Dromen, Paul, ShanShen, Walter, & Patron Emeritus Cindy!

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 Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Because of X, You Know Y What Separates Adventure Types? City of Arches on Alchemy Free League Open Licenses Horror at Devil's Run

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

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

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

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 SheaReturn of the Lazy Dungeon Master (Book) Mike's Notes:Level up Advanced 5e by EN World Publishing (System)The City of Arches (Campaign Setting)Ozymandias (Poem)Forge of Foes (Book)Tales of the Valiant (System) Other:Dragonbane (RPG)Daggerheart (RPG)Numenera (RPG)Shadowdark (RPG)Shadowdark - Cursed Scroll 1Dolmenwood (RPG) Lazy RPG Talk Show Dolmenwood Spotlight – Lazy RPG Talk ShowThe Dark Caribbean (Campaign Preview) Top Tips to Prep as a GM - Lazy Dungeon Master Prep what you need, and kill the things that aren't helping. Prepare to improvise. Have a system, a process. The first time you interact with a NPC, have the player describe something about them. Other Tips:What is Quantum Ogre (Article)Popcorn InitiativeFoundry VTTOwlbear Rodeo (VTT)5e Artisanal Database (Sly Flourish's)Game Icons (Graphics)Dwarven Forge (Terrain)Ghosts of Saltmarsh (Adventure)Limithron PAX Unplugged Mega-Game (Video)Obsidian (App)Notion (App)Castle Ravenloft in Shadowdark (Sly Flourish Article)Down Among the Dead (Expansion)Crypts of Karigulon (Adventure) Draw Steel (RPG)CROWS (RPG)Invasion from the Planet of Tarrasques (Adventure) CreditsMusic: Alexander Miller Editing: Matt Kepler Producing: Tyler StrattonGet Episodes 1 week early on Limithron's Patreon

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

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

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

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

After years of construction, Bradley International Airport revealed its new concourse. The airport has seen a lot of expansion work in recent years. We talked about that with Mike Shea, Executive Director and CEO of the Connecticut Airport Authority.

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

(00:00:00) On today’s The Spark, we start with the news shaping communities across Pennsylvania.Carmen Russell-Sluchansky of WHYY brings us the latest on Philadelphia’s cleanup efforts after last weekend’s snowstorm and explains the growing controversy over the removal of a slavery exhibit at Independence National Historical Park.Then Sydney Roach of WPSU joins us with an update on the ongoing debate over Pennsylvania’s rifle deer season, where proposed changes to the start date continue to divide hunters across the state. (00:22:37) From there, we turn to a sweeping story of labor, race, and resilience. Author Jon Brandow talks with us about Goliath at Sunset, his new novel inspired by nine years as a welder and union activist in a Boston-area shipyard during the 1970s. Brandow’s protagonist, Mike Shea, arrives fresh from Vietnam and the housing projects into a workplace defined by explosive racial tension, fading union militancy, and the pressures of a collapsing industry. As Shea reaches across entrenched color lines to build solidarity, he confronts ruthless management, a union leadership that has lost its fire, and a moral dilemma that forces workers to choose between risking their lives and losing their jobs. Support WITF: https://www.witf.org/support/give-now/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hilaritas host Mike Gathers chats with Mike Shea and Tom Jackson about the life of Robert Shea, and the new Robert Shea book, Every Day Is A GOOD Day, from Hilaritas Press in Episode 51 of the Hilaritas Press Podcast. • • • Links: Every Day Is A GOOD Day: https://www.hilaritaspress.com/portfolio-item/every-day-is-a-good-day/ Robert Shea's website: https://bobshea.net/ MikeShea.net: https://mikeshea.net/ Mike Shea's D&D website: https://slyflourish.com Article from the Record North Shore: https://www.therecordnorthshore.org/2025/10/08/posthumous-book-revives-legacy-of-glencoe-author-with-cult-following/ Tom Jackson's RAWIllumination: http://www.rawillumination.net • • • Host Mike Gathers: https://linktr.ee/mgathers23 Producer/Engineer Richard Rasa: http://www.pelorian.com/rasa.html

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

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 00:01:08 Sly Flourish News: Alternative Initiative Options, Mashing Up the Eight Steps 00:02:49 Patreon Spotlight: Dread Necropolis Adventure Scenario 00:05:06 Sly Flourish News: Upcoming Games 00:09:29 D&D & RPG News: Kobold Press Book Bundle 00:13:06 Kickstarter Spotlight: Drakkenheim Daggerheart Campaign Book 00:18:02 Kickstarter Spotlight: Apocalypse World Burned Over 00:23:45 D&D & RPG News: Meg and Vincent Baker and Jonathan Harper Podcast with Ben Riggs 00:25:02 D&D & RPG News: Shannon Appleclein on Mastering Dungeons 00:28:09 D&D & RPG News: WOTC Brings Back Educational Resources for D&D 00:32:20 D&D & RPG News: New One Ring Adventures 00:34:38 DM Tip: Experiences with Dreadful Blessings 00:55:46 Patreon Question: Building Characters for One-on-One RPGs 00:58:31 Patreon Question: Motivations for Cultists 01:01:44 Patreon Question: Dealing and Facilitating Table Talk 01:03:59 Patreon Question: Tuning Bosses in Shadowdark Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Three Alternative Initiative Options Mashing Up the Eight Steps Huge Kobold Press Bundle Drakkenheart Kickstarter Apocalypse World Burned Over Kickstarter Meg and Vincent Baker and Jonathan Harper on Reading D&D Aloud Designers and Dragons Crowdfunding Campaign still going on D&D After School Programs Hasbro Educational Resources New One Ring and Lord of the Rings 5e Adventure Books Dreadful Blessings

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 00:38 Sly Flourish News: Improv vs. Prep, Three Initiative Options 02:12 Patreon Spotlight: Dyson Commercial Maps Gallary 05:15 Sly Flourish News: Halloween Shadowdark Ravenloft Game 08:47 Sly Flourish News: Appearance on EN World 09:32 Commentary: Evil Hat Games and EPUB for Accessibility 13:44 Commentary: What Is the Lazy RPG Talk Show? 26:36 Product Spotlight: Forgotten Realms Heroes and Adventures of Faerun 49:29 Patreon Question: Improvising Map Annotations and Details 54:15 Patreon Question: Connecting with Another Player's Character 56:15 Patreon Question: How do you Review the Characters? Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Morrus's Unofficial Tabletop RPG Talk with Mike

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:01 Sly Flourish News: Gamehole Panels, Ravenloft with Shadowdark, Models Fuel Creativity, Prep Versus Improv 05:42 D&D & RPG News: StartPlaying.Games RPG Mental Health Survey 11:23 D&D & RPG News: Rob Weiland Passes Away 13:11 D&D & RPG News: Asmodee Takes Control of Lord of the Rings Tabletop License 16:56 D&D & RPG News: 30% Off Chaosium Products on DTRPG 17:50 Kickstarter Spotlight: Origins 4-Volume D&D Product History by Evil Hat 19:45 D&D & RPG News: Glass Cannon Liveplay using Shadowdark and Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master 20:33 D&D & RPG News: D&D 3D VTT Project Sigil Officially Ends 29:48 Product Spotlight: Phantasy Star RPG 37:23 Commentary: Experiences at Gamehole Con 2025 54:15 Patreon Spotlight: Crypts of Karigulon Updates 59:02 Patreon Question: Friend Doesn't Want My AI / LLM Generated Campaign Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Running Ravenloft with Shadowdark Frameworks Fuel Creativity Improv Versus Prep TTRPG Mental Health Survey on StartPlaying.Games Rob Weiland Passed Away Asmodee takes over LOTR RPG rights Chaosium sale on DTRPG Designers and Dragons crowdfunding campaign Glass Cannon Liveplay mentions Lazy DM Project Sigil D&D 3D VTT is No More Phantasy Star RPG

Mike Shea, David Christ, and Allan Patrick share our best GM tips and discuss with the audience at our Gamehole Con panel recorded on 18 October 2025 Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books:

A recording of the "Beautiful Mess of 5e" Gamehole Con seminar recorded on 15 October 2025 with Teos Abadia, Shawn Merwin, Mike Mearls, and Mike Shea. Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books  

In this episode Jeff, Ismael Alvarez, and Mike Shea talk about their games from July 2025. Links: Ismael Alvarez on Twitter Ismael Alvarez at Fat Goblin Games NerdBirdsStudios Twitch Channel Too Dimensional Podcast Sam on Twitter Sam on the Web Sam on You Tube Sam on Blue Sky Sam on Mastodon Mike on Mastodon Mike on Twitter Mike on the Web (SlyFlourish.com) Mike on YouTube Patreon.com/SlyFlourish Jeff on Mastodon Jeff on Twitter Thetomeshow.com Patreon.com/thetomeshow