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Sly Flourish

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    Sly Flourish

  • VideoSetting Up Situations

    Setting up situations instead of scenes helps GMs avoid predetermined outcomes. Situations give players agency over the approach they take and builds a world that feels real. Even the GM doesn't know what to expect.

    What's the difference? Situations lay out the components to create a scene when the characters interact with it. There's no plot. There's no expected path. There's no single ending. Scenes are prebuilt to go one way. Situations can go in many different directions. Not knowing how situations play out is more fun for GMs and more fun for players than walking through a scripted scene.

    What's the Lazy DM's method for setting up situations?

    Location. Situations take place at a location, sometimes big and sometimes small. If this situation takes place in a dungeon, offer multiple entrances, multiple paths, loop-backs, and secret passages. Exploring the location should be rewarding on its own. Dyson Logo's maps are my go-to for maps of such locations. When you have a map, write down evocative features in each main chamber. These evocative features help you improvise details. See chapter 7 of Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master for more.

    Inhabitants. Who resides at this location? I like to mix up both intelligent and unintelligent monsters. Maybe a bunch of hobgoblin soldiers guard the upper keep but ravenous ghouls, black puddings, and carrion crawlers dwell in the forgotten tunnels beneath. This variety of monsters lets players choose a path they want to take and the sorts of creatures they might face. Good random tables, like those in the Lazy DM's Workbook help you shake up your mind and fill the location with interesting inhabitants.

    You don't need to place these inhabitants in any particular room. Instead, keep a list of them and drop them into a location as needed based on the situation in the story and the pacing of the game.

    Include friendly NPCs – turncoats, disgruntled staff, or ghostly spirits the characters can talk to.

    Behaviors. How do the inhabitants act in this location? Do they send out guard patrols? Do they have big drunken revelries on certain nights? What would the pattern of their behavior be if the characters never showed up? The same is true for unintelligent monsters. Do they wander away from their lair? What are their activity patterns? Answering these questions helps you run the world as NPCs react to the actions of the characters.

    When considering inhabitant behaviors, think first about what behaviors make sense for the inhabitant and the situation, then think if this is going to be fun for the game when you consider your pacing and beats.

    A Goal. Why would the characters go to this place? What are they trying to accomplish? Are they trying to rescue someone? Stop a dark ritual? Steal something? Kill someone? The Lazy DM's Companion has pages of tables to generate goals if you're stuck for ideas. Reinforce this goal often with your players – it's easy to forget.

    Complications. Sometimes the situation changes at the location. What event might shake up the situation? Does another big monster attack? Is something set on fire? Do some of those unintelligent monsters break free? This might be caused by something the characters do or it might just happen on its own. During prep, think about a few ways things might get complicated during the situation and improvise them during the game itself.

    The Difference Between Scenes and Situations

    Building situations is different from laying out individual encounters or scenes. The big difference is that you don't know how it's going to go. You don't know which path the players choose to take. You don't know how inhabitants react to the characters' actions. You don't know what happens when things get complicated. You've set the stage but you're not scripting the outcome. The outcome happens during the game and it's a joy to watch it play out.

    More Sly Flourish Stuff

    Last week I posted a couple of YouTube videos – Update Forge of Foes or the Encounter Benchmark for D&D 2024? and Eryz the Akinji – Dragon Empire Prep Session 6.

    Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

    Each week I record an episode of the Lazy RPG Talk Show (also available as a podcast) in which I talk about all things in tabletop RPGs. Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video.

    Talk Show Links

    Here are links to the sites I referenced during the talk show.

    RPG Tips

    Each week I think about what I learned in my last RPG session and write them up as RPG tips. Here are this week's tips:

    • Ensure loot distribution is fair so players don’t feel left out.
    • Keep track of spells as rewards to wizards.
    • Offer two or three paths when traveling through the wilds or into the depths of the earth.
    • Ask the characters where their minds and conversations go as they rest around a campfire.
    • Keep good lists of random encounters handy during prep and play.
    • Ask for marching orders and who’s carrying a light during exploration.
    • Review character items, notable features, backgrounds, previous campfire tales, and player desires when you start your prep.

    Related Articles

    Get More from Sly Flourish

    Buy Sly Flourish's Books

    Have a question or want to contact me? Check out Sly Flourish's Frequently Asked Questions.

    Read more »
    Source: Sly Flourish | Published: December 23, 2024 - 6:00 am
  • VideoDreadful Blessings – A Mechanic to Protect 5e Boss Monsters

    Bosses need help. Bosses often face the full wrath of the characters, just for being a boss. This focus often leads to anticlimactic fights in which the boss is ineffective at fulfilling the role it had in the game and the story.

    Legendary resistance covers a lot – but not all – of the problems bosses face when we want them to hold up their end of the fiction. As new versions of 5e emerge, we can't be sure what abilities and effects characters bring to the table that might completely circumvent a boss monster's capabilities. Customizing individual bosses is too much work.

    Enter Dreadful Blessings – inspired by doom points from the Tales of the Valiant Monster Vault.

    Here's the idea:

    Certain boss monsters, determined by you the GM, are given one or more "dreadful blessings". These dreadful blessings replace Legendary Resistance. They can be used at any time, even when the boss is unconscious or on another plane. You might default to giving a boss two or three such blessings but you can change that number depending on what you need. It's important, however, to clarify to your players how many dreadful blessings the monster has and don't switch it up during the battle. The number of blessings is their only real limitation.

    Dreadful blessings can be used for lots of things. Some examples include

    • succeeding on a failed saving throw.
    • ignoring a non-save-based detrimental effect.
    • piercing through character resistances or immunities.
    • forcing disadvantage on saving throws for a particular ability.
    • ending an ongoing effect or suppressing it until the end of their next turn.
    • moving or teleporting without provoking opportunity attacks.
    • ripping through a force cage or shattering a wall of force.
    • recharging and using a powerful limited action.
    • transferring incoming damage or effects to minions or allies for a round.
    • gaining advantage on all attacks until the end of their next turn.
    • ending an effect at the beginning of a turn instead of the end.

    Talk With Your Players First

    Don't surprise players with dreadful blessings. It's no fun if the characters throw a force cage on your dreadfully blessed death knight only for the death knight to rip through it without the players knowing why.

    Instead, before you start combat (or even during your session zero), describe dreadful blessings to your players. Ensure you describe that

    • dreadful blessings only work on particular boss monsters – not all monsters.
    • bosses only get a specific amount of blessings (usually two or three).
    • dreadful blessings are intended to ensure boss monsters fulfill their role in the fiction of the game.
    • you'll warn players when a blessed monster shows up so they know what to expect.
    • you won't force "gotchas" by making players burn abilities without realizing they could be subverted with a dreadful blessing.

    Use When Needed and When They're Fun

    It's a careful balance to know when a mechanic like this is warranted and doesn't steal the agency and fun from players wanting to use their abilities.

    My general rule of thumb is to use a dreadful blessing when it helps a boss monster fulfill its role in the fiction of the game and its challenge level in combat. A CR 19 creature locked in a forcecage isn't a CR 19 creature anymore. It can't do anything. It's not fulfilling its role. An ancient green dragon who breathes a 77 point poison breath isn't fulfilling its role if all of that damage is reduced to zero for all characters because they happened to munch on a hero's feast before the battle.

    "I Hate This"

    If you hate this mechanic, you're not alone. I've talked to many who don't like the idea. That's fine. I'm not saying they need to be in place in all 5e games. Dreadful blessings are a potential tool for groups who feel like boss monsters need something more to keep them in play in a sea of options that can often completely remove their threat both in the game and in the fiction.

    Think about it. Talk to your group. Maybe try it. And see how it works for you.

    More Sly Flourish Stuff

    Last week I posted a YouTube video on Ruins of Blood and Sand – Dragon Empire Prep Session 5.

    Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

    Each week I record an episode of the Lazy RPG Talk Show (also available as a podcast) in which I talk about all things in tabletop RPGs. Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video.

    Talk Show Links

    Here are links to the sites I referenced during the talk show.

    Patreon Questions and Answers

    Also on the Talk Show, I answer questions from Sly Flourish Patrons. Here are last week's questions and answers.

    RPG Tips

    Each week I think about what I learned in my last RPG session and write them up as RPG tips. Here are this week's tips:

    • Characters are the only sources of secrets you can guarantee.
    • Let players know when boss monsters have legendary resistance or other ability breaking effects so they can make informed choices.
    • Replace legendary resistances with “dreadful blessings” that let powerful boss monsters break effects that ruin their place in the fiction.
    • Discovering traps is the fun part, not triggering them.
    • Get to decisions and actions quickly. Avoid long narratives.
    • Have players make choices for their next path before the end of your current session.
    • Avoid one-shotting characters to zero HP. Spread dangerous damage around.

    Related Articles

    Get More from Sly Flourish

    Buy Sly Flourish's Books

    Have a question or want to contact me? Check out Sly Flourish's Frequently Asked Questions.

    Read more »
    Source: Sly Flourish | Published: December 16, 2024 - 6:00 am
  • Video2024 RPG Gift Guide

    Tis the season to give the gamers in your life something special. Below are a handful of my favorite tabletop roleplaying game products. Instead of a "best of 2024", these items are products I find myself going back to again and again when prepping and running my own games. I'm literally surrounded by hundreds of awesome RPG products but the list below includes the products I use most often at my table.

    Pathfinder Flip Mat Basic

    I think the Pathfinder Flip Mat Basic is the best deal in tabletop RPGs. It folds up small, is extremely lightweight, works with either wet erase or dry erase markers, and lets you draw anything you need for your game. I find it works best with Staedtler Lumocolor medium black (model 315-9) wet-erase markers which are hard to find but draw out big dark lines in a pen that doesn't dry up during the game. Many GMs also love the venerable Chessex vinyl mat and I plan to give that one another go myself.

    Midgard World Book

    I've used the Midgard World Book for three campaigns now and it's just awesome. It's a huge 466 pages with tons of depth, gods, and regions – any one of which can serve as a whole campaign area. In the past couple of years Kobold Press printed a second printing on higher quality paper than the original paper. It's a lot of material in a single book and the loose connections to real-world places and gods might not be for everyone but it stands as one of my favorite campaign sourcebooks ever.

    Demon Cults and Secret Societies

    Though it connects well with the Midgard World Book, Demon Cults and Secret Societies also work well on its own. I'm a huge fan of mysterious cults and this book includes detailed descriptions of thirteen such cults with leaders, motivations, stat blocks, and more. Like the Midgard World Book, Demon Cults and Secret Societies is a book I keep coming back to over and over again in several campaigns. Unfortunately it looks like it's only available in PDF. I'm lucky enough to have the hardcover.

    Level Up Advanced 5e's Trials and Treasure and Monstrous Menagerie

    I've talked at length about A5e's Monstrous Menagerie before. It was my favorite product of 2023 and I still find myself using it. It has some strong competition now with Kobold Press's Monster Vault and the upcoming D&D 2025 Monster Manual but, for now, it remains my favorite monster book because of all the extra table-usable material it has for monsters. It also works hand-in-hand with Trials and Treasure – the sort-of GM's guide for A5e. Trials and Treasure has tons of fantastic random encounter tables and, when you roll a monster, you then go to the Monstrous Menagerie to come up with a more detailed encounter for that particular monster based on that monster's encounter tables.

    Trials and Treasure also includes fantastic random treasure tables for 5e and the best exploration system and tools I've found for 5e.

    The two books share a powerful connection. I find myself using them together all the time for 5e games. Whether your players are playing D&D 2014, D&D 2024, Tales of the Valiant, or A5e; these books have a lot to offer.

    The Lazy DM's Companion

    Ok, I know. It's my own book. But damn, I use it all the time. I've even cut it up and put my favorite tables in my own GM binder. The Lazy DM's Companion is built on dozens of tables – all focused on the most important aspects to prep and run great games. Check out the free sample to see if it's for you.

    Shadowdark Quickstart Rules

    I think the Shadowdark Quickstart Rules are the best introduction to D&D. It's easy to learn, connects well with players who either play 5e or plan to play 5e, and captures the pure feeling of D&D without the complications. This inexpensive quick start kit reminds me of the original white box (even though I never had a white box) with enough material to run games for a long time. It's also lightweight and easy to pack for convention play. The Shadowdark RPG core book was my favorite product of 2023 and, after playing an entire 1st to 10th level Shadowdark campaign over a year, along with dozens of one-shot Shadowdark games, it's clear I love this system. The Shadowdark Quickstart pack is a wonderful gift for the GM in your life.

    More Sly Flourish Stuff

    Last week I posted the YouTube video Kukkutarma – Dragon Empire Prep Session 4.

    Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

    Each week I record an episode of the Lazy RPG Talk Show (also available as a podcast) in which I talk about all things in tabletop RPGs. Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video.

    Talk Show Links

    Here are links to the sites I referenced during the talk show.

    Patreon Questions and Answers

    Also on the Talk Show, I answer questions from Sly Flourish Patrons. Here are last week's questions and answers.

    RPG Tips

    Each week I think about what I learned in my last RPG session and write them up as RPG tips. Here are this week's tips:

    • Include one or two social encounters in your list of potential dungeon encounters.
    • Run multiple bosses.
    • Avoid NPC betrayal. Make NPC motivations clear.
    • Customize every magic weapon or suit of armor. Add stories, themes, and single-use spell effects.
    • Include and reveal secret passages.
    • When running a session focused on a single character, highlight others as well.
    • Break character and talk to your players about potential game-changing secret character decisions.

    Related Articles

    Get More from Sly Flourish

    Buy Sly Flourish's Books

    Have a question or want to contact me? Check out Sly Flourish's Frequently Asked Questions.

    Read more »
    Source: Sly Flourish | Published: December 9, 2024 - 6:00 am
  • VideoChoosing Monsters for your 5e Game

    My simplified encounter building guidelines for 5e games breaks down into two steps:

    1. Select the number and type of monsters that make sense for the situation.
    2. Determine if this encounter might be inadvertently deadly by using the Lazy Encounter Benchmark.

    This second step is optional. Our goal isn't to design perfectly balanced encounters. Once we have enough experience running our games, we can usually tell if something's going over our expectations for a given combat encounter.

    But for that first part – how do we know what monsters make sense for the situation?

    There's a lot that can go into answering this question but I'll give you an easy tip. Find some random encounter tables like those found in Xanathar's Guide to Everything or Level Up Advanced 5e's Trials and Treasure and choose the most suitable list of random encounters for the environment that most closely matches the one you're trying to fill.

    The Level Up Advanced 5e Trials and Treasure book and the Monstrous Menagerie work well together for this step. Trials and Treasure has large general-purpose random encounters and each monster in the Menagerie has a small table of detailed encounters for that particular monster. The two guides are intended to work together to make interesting encounters and show you which monsters tend to band together with other monsters in a given encounter.

    You don't need to roll on these tables. Instead, skim the list and see what jumps out at you. Jot down some of the monsters you think fit well in the environment you're looking at. Sometimes these monsters will be typical dungeon-style monsters like ropers, bulettes, and otyughs. Other times they'll be intelligent monsters – humanoid bandits, veterans, mages, goblins, bugbears, orcs and so on. Sometimes humanoids have monsters with them.

    If you're having trouble thinking what kind of inhabitants might be wandering around the location you're preparing, find a good set of tables of random monsters by environment and go down the list until you find a few creatures who work well for your game.

    There's another non-lazy trick, though. One that requires work up front but pays big dividends in the end.

    Read Your Monster Books

    We tend to focus our attention on the stat blocks of a monster but the lore in those books is really valuable. That lore tells us where monsters hang out, what other monsters they hang out with, and how they react when adventurers show up. That lore matters.

    Read those monster books, fill your head with that lore, and you'll build some knowledge of which monsters make sense for a given situation.

    More Sly Flourish Stuff

    Last week I posted a couple of YouTube videos on Surviving a Digital D&D and The Smuggler's Trade Route – Dragon Empire Prep Session 3.

    Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

    Each week I record an episode of the Lazy RPG Talk Show (also available as a podcast) in which I talk about all things in tabletop RPGs. Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video:

    Patreon Questions and Answers

    Also on the Talk Show, I answer questions from Sly Flourish Patrons. Here are last week's questions and answers:

    RPG Tips

    Each week I think about what I learned in my last RPG session and write them up as RPG tips. Here are this week's tips:

    • Use your current favorite TV show as a collection of NPC archetypes.
    • Use Staedtler medium point wet erase markers on your Pathfinder basic flip mat.
    • Keep generic monster tokens on hand for improvised combat encounters.
    • Index cards are one of the most flexible and useful tools in TTRPGs.
    • Keep a list of the characters in front of you throughout your game.
    • Add a touch of variance to static monster damage by subtracting 3 and adding 1d6.
    • Use 10 + dex for static monster initiative. This way some players go before them and some go after.

    Related Articles

    Get More from Sly Flourish

    Buy Sly Flourish's Books

    Have a question or want to contact me? Check out Sly Flourish's Frequently Asked Questions.

    Read more »
    Source: Sly Flourish | Published: December 2, 2024 - 6:00 am
  • VideoAdvanced Random Encounter Tricks

    Here are some useful tricks for getting the most out of random encounter tables.

    Roll Twice

    Roll twice on a random encounter table and mix the results together. Maybe the characters find two groups fighting each other. Maybe they find one who just wiped out another. Maybe the two groups are allies. Mixing two groups together adds significant and meaningful complications to what otherwise might be a single boring encounter.

    Mix Multiple Tables

    Roll on different types of random tables to mix themes, monuments, locations, effects, conditions, and descriptions. Use these other tables to add layers to the encounter and make it unique among all other encounters.

    Roll To See What Came Before

    Often we do nothing if our roll doesn't trigger a random encounter at the moment. Instead, roll for an encounter that happened earlier. Mixing this trick with the first tip means you might find one group that clashed with another and lost. The first group moved on after destroying the second. Do the characters keep going forward? Do they hunt down the victors? There's lots of agency in stumbling into a situation that already took place.

    Add Monuments

    When rolling for random encounters during travel or in the wilderness, add an interesting backdrop by rolling for a monument. An old obelisk, weatherworn statue, or a carrion pit gives the scene a clear feeling of place. Add layers to your monument by rolling on origins, effects, conditions, and other tables.

    Create and Roll On Your Faction List

    Build a custom list of factions for your campaign including gods, historical figures, icons, shady organizations, and any other significant faction. When you roll for an encounter or want to flesh out a monument, roll on this faction list to add the faction's flavor to the rest of the encounter. This list adds relevant history and backstory to the world one encounter at a time.

    Attitude

    Roll a die to determine the attitude of the creatures you rolled up for an encounter. The lower the roll, the more friendly they are. The higher the roll, the more hostile they behave. Not every encounter needs to be a battle.

    Distance

    Roll a die to determine how close or far the characters notice the inhabitants. The lower the roll, the closer they are.

    Activity

    What sort of activities might the creatures in an encounter be engaged with? If you can find a table of potential activities for a creature, you can roll on that table. The Level Up Advanced 5e Monstrous Menagerie includes monster activities for every standard 5e monster, for example. If you don't have a table, roll a die. The lower the roll, the more peaceful or benign the activity. The higher the roll, the more frantic, dangerous, or strange the activity might be.

    The Oracle Die

    When you're not sure about something in your game, throw a die and build ideas off of the result. Oracle dice in other systems usually tie to a table of outcomes but you can roll the die and see what it inspires. I like the idea that the lower the roll, the less extreme something is. The higher the roll, the more extreme it is. This roll works for weather, attitudes, activities, and so on. When in doubt, roll a die. If you want some awesome and free oracle tables, check out Ironsworn.

    More Sly Flourish Stuff

    Last week I posted a couple of YouTube videos on Handling Morality in RPGs and The Valley of Blood – Dragon Empire Prep Session 3.

    Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

    Each week I record an episode of the Lazy RPG Talk Show (also available as a podcast) in which I talk about all things in tabletop RPGs. Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video:

    Patreon Questions and Answers

    Also on the Talk Show, I answer questions from Sly Flourish Patrons. Here are last week's questions and answers:

    RPG Tips

    Each week I think about what I learned in my last RPG session and write them up as RPG tips. Here are this week's tips:

    • Set up locations and inhabitants separately. Let inhabitants move around depending on what happens.
    • Let the actions of the characters drive the story — not your initial big idea.
    • Go with the rule of cool. If it sounds cool, work to help it happen.
    • Start with what makes sense in the world. Adjust towards what’s the most fun in the game.
    • Write down NPC names.
    • Write down where your session ended.
    • Think about each character during prep. What do they want? What story hooks do they have? What monsters do they like fighting? What magic items do they look forward to?

    Related Articles

    Get More from Sly Flourish

    Buy Sly Flourish's Books

    Have a question or want to contact me? Check out Sly Flourish's Frequently Asked Questions.

    Read more »
    Source: Sly Flourish | Published: November 25, 2024 - 6:00 am
  • VideoThe Many Right Answers of the TTRPG Hobby

    Two truths seem evident to me in the tabletop RPG hobby:

    1. There are many "right" answers to how we play tabletop RPGs – including which RPGs we play. There's rarely only one right answer to any aspect of this hobby. Instead, there are many right answers, each fitting different people, groups, playstyles, and other circumstances.

    2. It's hard to understand why other people would choose the right answer that isn't ours.

    Common examples are the games we play. Some of us love the character customization, streamlined math, and rich mechanics of Pathfinder 2. Others love the open and freeform story focused games of Powered by the Apocalypse. Others love grim and brutal resource-focused games like Shadowdark RPG.

    You no doubt have your preferred RPG and it's hard to understand why other people don't like the game you like best.

    But they do. And that's fine.

    It's one thing for people not to know about other games and what advantages they hold. It's something else to look at a game and what it does and say "that's not for me". All too often, though, "it's not for me" comes out as "that game sucks". You may hate it but many others may love it.

    There are many right answers in many aspects of the TTRPG hobby. It's totally cool for you to like one way and other people to like another.

    Focus on sharing experiences and less on proving you're right answer is the right answer.

    Other Many Right Answers

    There are many right answers for many different aspects of the TTRPG hobby. Here are some examples:

    • Some GMs love rolling lots of dice; some GMs don't want to roll dice at all.
    • Some love a fully integrated virtual tabletop; some want a VTT as simple as they can get (including none at all).
    • Some love online play; some only want to play in person.
    • Some love big fancy visual combat displays; some love theater of the mind.
    • Some want to use lots of accessories for their games; some want none at all.
    • Some love to build vast worlds; some want to focus on the here and now.
    • Some love published adventures; some love homebrew.
    • Some love published settings; some prefer their own world.
    • Some want all-in-one digital tools; some prefer a stack of specialized tools.
    • Some love high production value games; some love the ones you can print on one sheet of paper.
    • Some GMs want games where they control much of the world; some GMs want the players to build the world with them.

    Variants in False Dichotomies

    There are wide ranges of answers across these ideas. It's rarely a "yes" or "no" or "this one" or "that one". It's rare for anyone to fit perfectly on one side or the other. Instead, each of us are complex beings falling into a wide range of different opinions on many topics.

    Luckily, this hobby has tons of stuff to offer. We can pick and choose what best fits our desires and the preferences of our group. We don't have to argue why we like one thing or another – we each get to choose what works for us.

    If it works best for us and our group, that's all that matters.

    "That's Not For Me"

    Here's a tip to improve TTRPG discourse. Instead of attempting "objective" judgements about any one path or choice someone else makes in the hobby, simply say "that's not for me". Switching from "that thing sucks" to "that's not for me" helps you remember your point of view isn't truth. If there are enough people playing a game, using a system, or following a style that you've heard of – it means someone loves it. If it's not for you, it's not for you. That doesn't make it the wrong choice for everyone.

    Share experiences instead of judging the choices of others.

    There are many right answers – many different paths – in the TTRPG hobby and all of them are right for someone. Often we can't understand why someone else follows a path different than ours. But we're better richer people for recognizing views different from our own – and we might learn something along the way.

    More Sly Flourish Stuff

    Last week I posted a couple of YouTube videos on Top Ten Lazy Tricks for D&D and 5e and The Desert Heist – Dragon Empire Prep Session 2.

    Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

    Each week I record an episode of the Lazy RPG Talk Show (also available as a podcast) in which I talk about all things in tabletop RPGs. Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video:

    RPG Tips

    Each week I think about what I learned in my last RPG session and write them up as RPG tips. Here are this week's tips:

    • Use static initiative of 10 + dex for monsters so some players go before them and some go after.
    • Use little adhesive tabs to bookmark monsters in your monster books. There’s no need to copy them elsewhere.
    • Draw small simple maps so players can see what they’ve explored so far.
    • Staedtler wet erase markers work very well on the Pathfinder basic flip mat for drawing maps and tracking damage done to monsters.
    • Use a mixture of random treasure and magic items selected for particular characters. Prep treasure parcels ahead of time.
    • Plan a strong start. What happens at the very beginning of your next session to draw players into the game?
    • Prep what you need to help you improvise during your next session.

    Related Articles

    Get More from Sly Flourish

    Buy Sly Flourish's Books

    Have a question or want to contact me? Check out Sly Flourish's Frequently Asked Questions.

    Read more »
    Source: Sly Flourish | Published: November 18, 2024 - 6:00 am
  • VideoTwo Goals for Improving Your Game

    For those of us who spend a lot of time thinking about improving our games, our minds often dive into the details. How can we speed up combat? How can we draw the characters deeper into the story? How can we offer more meaningful choices? How can we prep enough to fill out the world?

    These questions are useful but there's the larger question of why. When we're considering a new approach to our game, or a new tool or accessory we want to use at the table, or a new feature of a VTT – why do we pick the ones we pick and omit the ones we don't?

    In Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master I focus on getting more out of your RPGs by preparing less. We can break down this goal into two parts:

    1. Make RPGs easier to prepare and run.
    2. Make RPGs more fun for us and our players.

    There's a careful balance between these two goals. Sometimes, however, the techniques that make our games easier to prepare and run also make our games more fun for us and our players. Here are some examples:

    • If we prepare less, we might be able to run more games. More games = more fun.
    • If we prepare less, we're less likely to railroad our players down a big complicated story we built ahead of time.
    • If we prepare less, our players have more agency to follow different paths and build out elements of the world we haven't built ourselves yet.
    • The less we have prepared, the more we're likely to listen to our players and focus on the game as it plays out instead of focusing on what we prepared ahead of time.
    • The less we prepare, the less stress we have to stay true to our material and the more we're willing to watch the game unfold.

    Sometimes, it's worth extra time to prepare the elements of the game that really matter – the things that bring the most fun to the game. Here are some examples:

    • The more time we spend thinking about the characters and their stories, the more we can integrate them into the adventure or campaign.
    • The more solid the world around the characters, the more players feel like it's real.
    • The more lore we know about the world, the more interesting flavor the characters can discover as they explore it and the easier it is for us to drop in this lore during the game.
    • The better we understand a location and its inhabitants, the more we can improvise what happens there as the characters traverse it.
    • The better our tools for combat encounter building and the better our understanding of the characters' capabilities in combat, the more fun, heroic, and nail-bity combats we can run.
    • The more we spend thinking about treasure, the better that treasure can fit the desires of the characters.
    • The more time we spend on a solid strong start, the easier it is to get the players and their characters into the adventure.

    The eight steps from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master are my thoughts about where we can spend our time to bring out the most fun in our games. Other GMs and other groups have their own lists of most beneficial activities to prepare and run their games.

    Think about where you spend your time on your prep and ask yourself if that activity makes it easier to prepare and run your game or truly makes the game more fun for your players.

    If your approach makes it both easier to run your game and more fun, that's awesome. If your approach does one or the other, that's fine too.

    If your activity isn't making your game easier to prep or run, and isn't bringing more fun to the table, why do it?

    More Sly Flourish Stuff

    Last week I posted a couple of YouTube videos on Is Shadowdark the Best Intro to D&D? and The Ghost Walkers – Dragon Empire Prep Session 1.

    Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

    Each week I record an episode of the Lazy RPG Talk Show (also available as a podcast) in which I talk about all things in tabletop RPGs. Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video:

    Patreon Questions and Answers

    Also on the Talk Show, I answer questions from Sly Flourish Patrons. Here are last week's questions and answers:

    RPG Tips

    Each week I think about what I learned in my last RPG session and write them up as RPG tips. Here are this week's tips:

    • Aim for four players.
    • Get into the head of your NPCs. What do they want? What do they fear? What do they have to offer?
    • Choose monsters based on the situation even if they’re really easy.
    • Keep track of the magic items each character has. Review this list when planning treasure for future adventures.
    • Keep a treasure parcel in your prep notes. Reward it, or pieces of it, when it makes sense.
    • Require exotic materials for crafting particular magic items. Now the exotic material becomes the reward.
    • Prepare for single big monsters to be banished or otherwise completely incapacitated when the characters reach 7th level or above.

    Related Articles

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    Buy Sly Flourish's Books

    Have a question or want to contact me? Check out Sly Flourish's Frequently Asked Questions.

    Read more »
    Source: Sly Flourish | Published: November 11, 2024 - 6:00 am
  • VideoUsing Obsidian for Lazy RPG Prep

    Over the past year I’ve switched from using Notion for my Lazy RPG Prep to using Obsidian. Here’s why:

    • Obsidian operates in native markdown files. There’s no conversion necessary and the files sit in your own directories on your own filesystem.
    • Obsidian is cross-platform. I use iCloud to share my Obsidian directory across my Mac, iPhone, and iPad. I don’t have to trust a cloud-based system to be up when I need it.
    • Obsidian’s interface is fast and clean. Notion feels like it's gotten slower the more extra features they put into it.

    I still love and recommend Notion if it works for you. My switch to Obsidian doesn’t mean you need to switch to Obsidian or away from any set of tools you use to do your prep.

    Organizing a Lazy RPG Campaign in Obsidian

    I have a simple setup for using Obsidian for Lazy GM prep. While many Obsidian GMs love the huge amount of plugins one can use with Obsidian, I like to keep things simple. I only use the templater plugin to set up session note templates.

    Download my Lazy GM Campaign Obsidian Template. Patrons of Sly Flourish also access to my Obsidian campaign templates for my current games.

    Here’s my directory structure for a typical Obsidian Lazy RPG Campaign folder:

    • Campaign Name folder
      • Session Notes folder
        • Individual Session Note file
      • Attachments folder (for pictures or PDFs)
      • NPC file
      • Character file
      • Locations folder
        • Attachments folder (for pictures of maps)
        • Location description file (if needed)

    I create extra pages as I need them. For example, in my Shadowed Keep of the Borderlands game, the characters are headed to the drow city of Erelhei-Cinlu from D3 Vault of the Drow. The drow city is complicated enough with the various houses and their secrets that I have a “drow houses” and “drow secrets” file to keep on hand.

    For the "NPCs" file, I have two headings: “Current NPCs” and “Past NPCs”. I write their names and any relevant notes about the NPC in a single line. Some GMs want far more information on NPCs but usually a few words are all that I need for the campaigns I run.

    For the "Character" file I have each character as a header and then bullets containing any relevant character info like race, species, lineage, heritage, class, and background. I can put character connections or story connections here. I can jot down magic items they received, stars and wishes, or any new abilities they pick up on a level. Put whatever is useful for you to run your game.

    Session Notes

    The session notes file includes headers for each of the eight steps from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master and bullets for each of the items underneath. I use a custom stylesheet so Obsidian's Export to PDF outputs a nice two-column page I can print out and use them in my three-ring campaign binder.

    Keeping Things Simple

    The way of the Lazy GM is a focus on simplicity and impact. We only use the tools we need to run the game we run. Use what works, omit the rest. Instead of going straight into a complex Obsidian setup, start first with the basics — a file with an outline of the eight steps. This outline keeps me focused on the thing that matters the most — the next game I’m playing with my friends.

    Other Resources

    Other GMs, developers, and Obsidian power users have come up with tons of plugins and systems for using Obsidian with D&D, 5e, and other RPGs. Here’s a list of some Obsidian RPG resources:

    More Sly Flourish Stuff

    Last week I posted a couple of YouTube videos on Comparing Four 5e RPGs: Tales of the Valiant, Level Up Advanced 5e, 2024 D&D, and 2014 D&D and Scourge of the Dragon Empire Session Zero .

    Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

    Each week I record an episode of the Lazy RPG Talk Show (also available as a podcast) in which I talk about all things in tabletop RPGs. Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video:

    Patreon Questions and Answers

    Also on the Talk Show, I answer questions from Sly Flourish Patrons. Here are last week's questions and answers:

    RPG Tips

    Each week I think about what I learned in my last RPG session and write them up as RPG tips. Here are this week's tips:

    • Make sure your players are good with the controversial choices of the characters.
    • Avoid betraying NPCs. Use shady NPCs with valuable information instead.
    • Jot down the Lazy Encounter Benchmark during prep. Improv combat encounters during the game based on the unfolding situation.
    • Imagine your game as a pool table with characters and NPCs like the balls. Who knows where they’re going to end up until you hit them with your cue.
    • Keep a good list of NPCs in your session notes. Update it every session.
    • Print maps and annotate one or two word descriptions on the rooms.
    • Take turns during downtime. Make sure everyone gets a chance to say what their character does.

    Related Articles

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    Have a question or want to contact me? Check out Sly Flourish's Frequently Asked Questions.

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    Source: Sly Flourish | Published: November 4, 2024 - 6:00 am
  • VideoScenario Model: Opening or Closing the Portal

    Like the adventure models in the Lazy DM's Companion, sometimes it's useful to have models for more specific scenes or encounters in our 5e RPGs. Today we're going to dig into one such scenario model – opening or closing a portal to another world. This model is both a common situation and a fantastic one, one in which all the characters can be challenged to either close a gate that shouldn't be open or open a gate that shouldn't remain closed.

    Something for Everyone

    It's important that players and characters all have something to do in a situation like this scenario. We don't want some character just sitting back or spamming the same ability over and over. We also want to mix up the activities, sort of like traveling through the wilderness, so that everyone has a different type of activity.

    The In-World Situation

    Instead of jumping straight to mechanics, we want to understand the situation as it is in the world. First, we have a big ancient gateway – one that isn't entirely stable. It's old. It's cracked. Energy leaks from it when it's active – energy that must be dealt with somehow. Also, things can get through. Whether you're opening it or closing the gateway, it attracts things – not very nice things. Maybe these things come from the world beyond and that's why the group wants to close it. Or maybe these things come from somewhere else. Maybe there are cracks in the edges of the portal leading to other worlds best left alone.

    The portal can be powered by several arcane anchors – pillars with crystal spheres or glowing runes set outside of the portal. Channeling arcane or divine energy into these pillars activates them or, likewise, can draw energy out of them when trying to close the portal. Pouring energy or drawing energy out of these pillars has a nasty tendency of projecting the energy of this portal to those nasty things we talked about earlier – they want to get through the portal really badly.

    The Roles

    With this understanding of how the portal operates, now it's time to think about how to deal with it. Someone needs to channel energy into the pillar or portal to pull energy out. Those characters best suited to this task are those characters who are either trained in arcana or religion or who can cast divine or arcane spells. This channeling takes an action to begin but only a bonus action to keep it going. It does, however, require concentration. If concentration is broken, the instability of the portal grows violent.

    The difficulty class of the check to succeed at this action is based on the state of the portal. If it's in reasonably good shape, it might only take a DC 10. If it's really coming apart it might take a DC 15. Channeling the energy of a spell always succeeds in opening or closing the portal but failing at the ability check causes instability. A blast of lightning might arc out from the pillar and strike the channeler or even someone else. It might target a wild magic surge on someone in the chamber.

    Divine and arcane casters can choose to use their spell slots to reinforce their checks. For each level spell they want to expend, they can reduce their check for the round by 5.

    And, of course, things are coming out of the portal. They probably start coming out as soon as the channeling begins. These things might be demons, devils, aberrations, or undead – all seeking to sink their fangs or wrap their tentacles around mortal flesh. That's where the other characters come in. The other characters have to hold off these monsters from the channelers.

    We can give defenders a new reaction here, the "dive in front", reaction. If a creature attacks a channeler in the area, the defender can take their reaction to dive in front of the attack and save the channeler.

    After three or so rounds, the portal is successfully opened or closed. This scenario assumes it's critical that the characters succeed, so instead of having the gate fail to open, it simply brings on more pain on a failure. A TPK is still possible, of course.

    Scaling the Encounter

    This encounter probably works best at 5th level and above since it takes a lot of coordination between the characters. You can use the Lazy Encounter Benchmark to get a general idea how many monsters might be inadvertently deadly. You can also break up monsters into waves. A few small creatures on round 1, a couple of bigger creatures on around 2, and a boss on round 3.

    As far as the amount of damage the pillars might inflict, we can use the following guidelines for each tier for blasts of energy (fire, cold, force, necrotic, or lightning – your choice):

    • Tier 2 (5th to 10th level – CR 8). +7 to hit, 28 damage.
    • Tier 3 (11th to 16th level – CR 14). +10 to hit, 49 damage.
    • Tier 4 (17th to 20th level – CR 20). +13 to hit, 70 damage.

    A Reusable Model

    You probably don't want to use it every session but this model is generally reusable for this common situation – opening or closing a portal. The model focuses on what it's like in the world, some interesting roles for characters to take, and a fun situation with lots of moving parts. Hopefully this model gives you a nice scenario you can drop right into your own game.

    More Sly Flourish Stuff

    Last week I posted a couple of YouTube videos on One Year with Shadowdark and Expanding Doom Points from Tales of the Valiant.

    Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

    I was away at Gamehole Con, which was awesome, so there was no Lazy RPG Talk Show last week. Sorry! You can enjoy past episodes and subscribe to the podcast)

    RPG Tips

    Each week I think about what I learned in my last RPG session and write them up as RPG tips. Here are this week's tips:

    • Avoid damned-if-you-do, damned-if-you-don't choices too often. Offer choices with a clear gain and risks.
    • Limit source material to focus a campaign and make it unique among all other campaigns.
    • Check in with players every few sessions to make sure your game is headed the way everyone enjoys.
    • Keep track of magic items distributed to which characters. Better yet, ask a player to quartermaster and post the distribution.
    • Build characters from the story and situation first. Then measure against potentially deadly benchmarks.
    • Index cards and a Pathfinder Basic Flip Mat are hard tools to beat for improvising your game.
    • The d20 is a swingy die. Don't expect it to behave the way you want. Plan for and enjoy its high randomness.

    Related Articles

    Get More from Sly Flourish

    Buy Sly Flourish's Books

    Have a question or want to contact me? Check out Sly Flourish's Frequently Asked Questions.

    Read more »
    Source: Sly Flourish | Published: October 28, 2024 - 6:00 am
  • VideoUse Physical Tools for Online Games

    There's a false dichotomy when it comes to playing RPGs. We either play online or we play in person. Sometimes it feels like it's all or nothing. If we're playing in person, it's pencils and paper and dice. If we're playing online, it's a fully featured, fully integrated virtual tabletop.

    But lots of GMs mix things up. In-person GMs use big monitors, sometimes embedded in their gaming table. Players might run their character sheets off of a tablet.

    The same can be true for running games online. Sure, if you're wired into a fully integrated VTT, like Roll20 or Foundry, you might not see much need for physical tools. But sometimes they're really handy.

    What are some examples?

    Dice. You don't need a digital dice roller. Use your real dice. Try it out. It's fun. It's fast. I have a kit of dice next to me when I run RPGs online and it's far faster for me to roll physical dice than to roll online. I'm sure that's not true for everyone but I know it's often true with players when they need to roll for something not already pre-planned on their digital character sheets.

    Note cards. I use my favorite text editor, BB Edit, to jot stuff down like initiative, marching order, and abstract combat notes. It's very fast to copy and paste things around from BB Edit but it's also super-fast to use index cards. They're always in front of you. You won't accidentally close the window or need to switch screens.

    Books. Many GMs seem to hate using physical books but boy, they're fun. Use little adhesive tabs you can buy at any drug, grocery, or department store to tab the pages of different monsters or other pages you need to reference during the game. Get a folding book stand so you can set it upright like monks did in the 1700s. Enjoy playing the game the way we've played for 50 years. It's ok to have to look things up. The whole game doesn't need to be a perfectly well-oiled machine.

    The Flexibility of Physical Tools

    Using physical tools for online games isn't just about nostalgia. There are practical reasons as well – the big one being flexibility. Physical tools just work. A blank index card and a pen offers tremendous freedom over more locked-in tools. Rolling physical dice means doing some math but you don't have to worry if you accidentally hit the "advantage" button or not. If you're given a weird modifier to a roll, you don't have to figure out how to add that into the equation. Flipping through a physical book can be faster than searching through one online or realizing you accidentally closed the window.

    Using physical tools also doesn't limit you to just the online tools or sourcebooks you have in whatever online tool you're using. When you open yourself up to using books, all your books become available to you – campaign sourcebooks, monster books, adventures, and more.

    Next time you're running a game online, try using physical dice. Try using a physical monster book. Try keeping an index card in front of you to jot down turn order.

    Embrace analog play, even in an online game.

    More Sly Flourish Stuff

    Last week I posted a couple of YouTube videos on NPCs from TV Shows and my Shadowdark Gloaming Finale.

    Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

    Each week I record an episode of the Lazy RPG Talk Show (also available as a podcast) in which I talk about all things in tabletop RPGs. Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video:

    Patreon Questions and Answers

    Also on the Talk Show, I answer questions from Sly Flourish Patrons. Here are last week's questions and answers:

    RPG Tips

    Each week I think about what I learned in my last RPG session and write them up as RPG tips. Here are this week's tips:

    • Keep character name names in front of you. Track turn order outside of combat to ensure players get their time in the spotlight.
    • Listen to audiobooks. Study the way the narrator changes voices to represent different characters.
    • Break combat encounter locations into several zones. Give each zone an identifying monument or feature.
    • Two simple words can increase the challenge of any comment encounter: more monsters.
    • Ask for a marching order and a lighting situation anytime the characters delve into dungeons deep.
    • Roll twice on random encounter tables and combine the results to build a unique situation.
    • Roll two random encounters to show an encounter that took place before the characters arrived. This gives them an interesting investigation along their journey.

    Related Articles

    Get More from Sly Flourish

    Buy Sly Flourish's Books

    Have a question or want to contact me? Check out Sly Flourish's Frequently Asked Questions.

    Read more »
    Source: Sly Flourish | Published: October 21, 2024 - 6:00 am
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