Michael E. Shea's Blog, page 3

Chessex Battle Mat Review

If you already have a Chessex Battle Mat; or you're willing to compromise on portability, durability, and cost for a beautiful and smooth play surface that feels great; the Chessex Battle Mat is a fantastic product.

Otherwise, the Pathfinder Basic Flip Mat remains what I consider the best value play surface for your in-person tabletop RPGs.

Several months ago, when I asked GMs for their favorite tools when running RPGs, many GMs brought up Chessex Battle Mats����� often describing how many decades they've used them. I was familiar with the venerable Chessex mat but I hadn't used one myself in a while ��� preferring my beloved Pathfinder Basic Flip Mat.

In the name of science, I decided to give the Chessex mats another try. I bought two of them �����the more portable 24" by 26" mat and the larger 34" by 48" megamat. I took the smaller mat to my friend's house where we play RPGs on Sundays and the larger mat I used at my own table for my home games.

I've now used these Chessex mats for several months and am ready to give my informed and battle-tested opinions.

Smooth and Flat

First, Chessex battle mats feel great. The surface feels nice and, after reverse-rolling it once it's out of a tube, it lays perfectly flat ��� much flatter than a Pathfinder Flip Mat which has creases where it folds.

The Chessex mat is also a joy to draw on with wet-erase markers. I picked up a bunch of Staedtler 315-9 medium-point black wet-erase markers and they quickly became my favorite markers. They last way longer than dry-erase markers and draw really well ��� I've been using the same one for almost six months now. While it's a toss-up on which mat wins out for me, the Staedtler markers are the big winner for me from now on.

At my home table, I used to have a big 36" by 48" sheet of acrylic I would put over a Pathfinder Bigger Basic Flip Mat. But the larger Chessex mat feels so good, I don't need the acrylic sheet anymore.

The Chessex mat feels great and lays flat in a way the Pathfinder Flip Mat does not ��� but the Pathfinder Flip Mat still beats it in a few areas. Let's take a look.

Portability

Chessex mats need to be rolled up. If you fold them, the folds can be permanent and ruin that great smooth feel. It's not impossible to carry a short poster tube but it's definitely not as easy as carrying the folded up Pathfinder Basic Flip Mat. The flip mat folds up like a file folder and fits in along all your other books and papers.

Durability

I read a lot of fun reports on how to care for your Chessex mat. I saw discussion groups about what types of chemicals one might use should you accidentally leave a map drawn onto it for too long. The wrong chemical screws up the laminant and takes off the grid lines if you're not careful. I have a friend who literally talked about showering with his Chessex mat so the humidity would suck all the ink off of it. There are a lot of Chessex mat rituals going on out there.

Not so with the Pathfinder Flip Mat Basic. It's super durable and easy to clean. You can leave a map on it for a year and wipe it off with some water.

So far my Chessex mats are as nice as they were the day I bought them but only because I draw on them right before a game and erase right after the game using only black ink. Red or green ink can apparently stain them more easily.

Cost

The smaller Chessex Battle Mat runs about $30 and the larger megamat runs $50. You can often pick them up at local game shops or order directly from Chessex. They have a lot of different styles so make sure you get the one with 1" squares.

The Pathfinder Flip Mat costs $17 from Paizo ��� definitely cheaper and also often available at local game shops.

Where Does That Leave Us?

If you're shopping for a battle mat and don't yet have one, it's hard to beat the value, durability, and flexibility of the Pathfinder Flip Mat Basic. If you already have a Chessex mat, you certainly don't need anything else. People love their Chessex mats ��� I love mine! Now that I already purchased them, I use my Chessex mats all the time, but I still recognize the better value of the Pathfinder Flip Mat Basic.

If you're willing to spend the extra money, sacrifice portability, and accept the need to engage in some fun shower-focused rituals to keep it clean, the Chessex Battle Mat really does feel great.

Otherwise, if you want the best bang for the buck ��� get a Pathfinder Flip Mat.

More Sly Flourish Stuff

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.

Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video.

New Articles, Scions of Light, 5eADB UpdatesTreasures from the Dark by Jeff StevensPerkins and Crawford Join Darrington Press, Ivan van Norman Leaves DP, Todd Kendrick Laid Off, Jess Lanzillo Leaves WOTCThe RPG Business Punditry HobbyWhat Makes an RPG Successful?Running 200 Ghouls in One BattlePatreon Questions and Answers

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

Campaign Plans and Player AgencyBest Resources for New GMsManaging Large Groups of MonstersTalk Show Links

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

How to Get Your Group to Play Other RPGsOrganizing Your RPG Prep NotesAvoid Removing Player AgencyTreasures from the Dark KickstarterChris Perkins and Jeremy Crawford Join Darrington PressIvan van Norman Leaves Darrington PressTodd Kenrick Laid OffJess Lanzillo Departs Wizards of the CoastMastering Dungeons EpisodeWhat Makes RPGs SuccessfulRunning Hordes

Last week I also posted a couple of YouTube videos on The Retreat Action ��� Lazy DM Tip and Return to the Four of Forty Fingers ��� Dragon Empire Prep Session 27.

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:

Beyond the typical encounter calculations, consider the action economy of foes to characters in challenging battles. Significantly more or fewer foes change the balance of power. Add interesting and usable terrain features for bigger combat encounters. Share in-world secrets and lore during combat. What do the characters learn as they battle their foes?Think about the motivations of defeated foes. What do they want and what will they give up to get it?Learn prep tips from others, prep your games, run your games, and evaluate the results. Offer opportunities for roleplaying even in the darkest dungeon. Be the characters��� biggest fan. Related ArticlesThe Pathfinder Basic Flip Mat ��� My Favorite RPG Accessory2015 RPG Gift GuideBattle Map Comparisons Get More from Sly FlourishArticlesNewsletterBookstorePatreonPodcastYouTubeBuy Sly Flourish's Books City of Arches Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master Lazy DM's Companion Lazy DM's Workbook Forge of Foes Fantastic Lairs Ruins of the Grendleroot Fantastic Adventures Fantastic Locations

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

Avoid Removing Player Agency

The excellent chapbook Adventure Crucible by Robin Laws, describes several "fun ruiners" for fantasy RPGs at the end of the book. I talked about fun ruiners in my series of articles on Adventure Types beginning with Dungeon Crawls.

There are many ways a game can go bad ��� more than we can fit into a single article ��� but many of them come down to a single issue �����removing player agency.

Players want to do stuff. They want to use the tools their characters have to interact with the world. When circumstances in the game (or our own choices as GMs) take those tools away or remove their decisions, players can't do as much as they hoped they could do. That's the removal of player agency and it can take many forms.

Here are a few examples.

Sorry, You're Stunned

Stunning and incapacitation of any sort can definitely be a fun ruiner. In combat-heavy games like 5e, players already don't get a lot of time in the spotlight to do their cool things. When we remove an entire round from them, we might eat up 20 minutes where they can't do anything at all. Not being able to do stuff in an RPG is a drag, even if it makes sense.

In the Lazy DM's Companion I offer an alternative choice characters can make:

A character can also choose to break this effect at the start of their turn by taking 4 (1d8) psychic damage per two character levels.

This is a way for players to choose damage over incapacitation if you choose to add in this optional rule. You can use this alternative for any effect the characters might want to break free from. Now that removal of agency is a choice they can make.

That's Not How This Chase Works

Sometimes we plan scenes in our games where the characters are intended to act a certain way. Chases are one example. I've seen published adventures that remove many ways you might want to interact in the chase. You can't use misty step and punch the running bad guy in the face. You get exhaustion if you try to dash (even though that doesn't happen anywhere else in the game). In some adventures, like Waterdeep Dragon Heist, even if you manage to grab the MacGuffin early in a chase, it literally won't work for you.

If the characters obtain the stone earlier than expected, it proves uncooperative and tries to separate itself from the party as quickly as possible, refusing to share any knowledge with characters in the meantime. The stone tries to take control of anyone who attunes to it, triggering a conflict (see ���Sentient Magic Items��� in chapter 7 of the Dungeon Master���s Guide). If the stone fails to take control, it can���t try again against that character until the next dawn. If the stone succeeds in taking control of its owner, it orders that character to deliver it to whichever location sets into motion the sequence of encounters discussed in this chapter (see ���Encounter Chains���).

You're going through that chase, damnit.

You're All Captured and Your Stuff is Gone

Being captured sucks. Losing your stuff sucks. Often such capture is completely contrived. You never stood a chance. Some adventures force the issue by pitting the characters against an overwhelming force. Then you find yourself in a cage and all your stuff is taken away. That's a loss of agency. That stuff made characters cool and now they don't have it. Getting it back isn't fun. You're only back to where you started.

The only way I've seen this work well is in the adventure Out of the Abyss which starts you imprisoned. This adventure start doesn't remove agency because you didn't have any to begin with.

Taking away magic items or character capabilities may seem like a cool idea but it takes away player agency. I remember a high level 4th edition adventure that removed all character powers except at-will powers. No player went through the trouble of picking all their cool character abilities only to be put in a situation where they can't use them.

Avoid Removing Player Agency

These examples aren't unique. They're actually pretty common ��� especially among newer GMs who think capturing characters and taking away their stuff is going to be fun only to realize too late that their players hate it. These examples are also only three of many ways GMs might accidentally (or purposefully) take away character agency.

Be aware of the danger of taking away character agency. Know the fun taking agency away sucks away from your players. Players want to see their characters do cool stuff. They want to watch their characters use the tools they have to interact in the world. Don't take those tools away. Lean into them.

More Sly Flourish Stuff

I was sick this past weekend so there wasn't a new episode of the Lazy RPG Talk Show (also available as a podcast).

I posted a YouTube video on Legendary Resistance Alternatives.

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 you get a group consensus on big decisions. Ensure the players work together when negotiating with NPCs. Clarify the characters��� primary goal and group bond in your session zero. Pool damage and combine attacks together to run dozens to hundreds of monsters at once. Offer choices with story and gameplay clues so players can make informed decisions. Mix a few big monsters with lots of little monsters to let characters use big areas of attack options and big single target effects. Call on individual players, particularly quiet players, when playing online. Players often fear talking over one another and more talkative players can hog the spotlight. Related ArticlesCommon D&D DM MistakesTroublesome Quest ModelsTell, Don't ShowGet More from Sly FlourishArticlesNewsletterBookstorePatreonPodcastYouTubeBuy Sly Flourish's Books City of Arches Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master Lazy DM's Companion Lazy DM's Workbook Forge of Foes Fantastic Lairs Ruins of the Grendleroot Fantastic Adventures Fantastic Locations

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

Organizing Your RPG Prep Notes

Organize RPG prep notes by campaign with pages for characters, NPCs, and individual session notes built around the eight steps from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master. Include folders for maps and campaign support material. Simplify and tailor your own system to help you most effectively run great games for your friends.

Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master offers eight steps for prepping your tabletop RPG ��� the characters, the strong start, scenes, secrets and clues, locations, NPCs, monsters, and treasure. These components of our game prep are system agnostic. You can use digital tools or a paper notebook����� whatever works best for you.

In the past I used Notion for my game prep. More recently I use Obsidian.md because I like working in raw markdown files. I've also been using paper notes at my table again for both online and in-person games. There's something fun about using paper notes like folks did fifty years ago.

There are many great tools for prepping our notes����� physically, digitally, or a mix of both. Instead of focusing on one tool, I want to offer an approach for organizing prep notes that works with whatever tools you prefer �����be it a paper notebook, Google Drive, OneNote, Obsidian, Notion, Word, or or anything else.

Keep Things Simple

It's easy to let systems get out of control with deep folder hierarchies, categorization, tagging, linking, plug-ins, and adding more tools to the stack. Instead, keep things as simple as possible ��� just like the eight steps for Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master. Only separate the notes that must be separated. Instead of assuming we'll fill out a huge NPC database, can we get away with just a single list of NPCs that grows over time? Do we need a list of locations or can we just keep a folder for the maps we're using? Which elements work best when separated from our session notes and which ones can live in our session notes alone? How do we organize our notes so it makes our prep easier and faster?

Lazy GM Campaign Organization

Here's an outline for a simplified campaign organization scheme. For the sake of clarity, a "page" is a single page, sheet, note, document, or whatever. A folder is the hierarchical organization of the material.

Campaign FolderCharacters pageNPCs pageMaps folderIndividual mapsSession notes folderIndividual session pagesCampaign support folderIndividual campaign support pages

This format makes the most sense for digital tools like Google Drive, Notion, Obsidian, OneNote, or a local file-based system.

For a paper-based system, a "folder" could be an actual folder or journal or binder. A page could be a page or section in a notebook. You could have an NPC page, a set of character pages, and a section of session notes pages. You'll need room in your paper-based system to expand these sections out. You can also use physical folders for maps and campaign support material.

For a paper-based alternative, check out Kelsey Dionne's excellent YouTube video on RPG note taking.

The Campaign Folder

Looking back at our campaign organization outline, we'll start with the top-level folder ��� the Campaign folder. Each campaign folder holds material for a whole campaign. If you're running multiple campaigns (lucky you!), you can keep one folder for each campaign. If you need to share material between campaigns, copy the material into each of these folders.

A Single Characters Page

I've tried both single sheets for each character and one big character page with multiple characters listed and I prefer the latter. It's easier to prepare and review characters when all the characters are listed in a single page instead of split out to their own pages. It also prints out in fewer pages should you want a paper copy with your game notes.

The characters page contains information such as

the group's name.the group's headquarters and its features.the group's level.any other group-specific notes you want to remember.

Notes for each character on the characters page might include

their character and player name.a link to their character sheet if you have one.important stats, trained skills, passive skills.campfire tale results (updated as you run campfire tales).new abilities the character acquired when leveling up so you can think about them for lightning rods.magic items the character has, including intelligent magic items (which might also go on the NPCs page).

Update this page every few sessions and give it a review each session before you start writing out your prep notes.

A Single NPCs Page

Like characters, we can keep NPC notes on a single page. Here's an example of some character notes from my Empire of the Ghouls campaign.

Ix. Undead Abolith of the DepthsJalil im-Tep. Emerald Order advisor to God-King Thutmoses XXIIIJiro. Underworld MerchantKaglyn Kruel. Darakhul Assassin of the Grim Harvest (deceased)Kovaks. Infernal GearforgerKranos Stross. Gearforged Scorpion Ruler of ZobeckKytharax the FlamewreathedLady Malicious. Tiefling Lich advisor to NicoforusLarowyn Striferain**. Darakhul advisor to Eyesplinter and the Serpent. Sent to Zobeck to meet with Blue.

I mostly have trouble with NPC names so this is generally all that I need. You can add other notes to NPCs when important.

I also like to split NPCs up into "current" and "past" NPCs so I can keep NPCs out of the way when they're no longer relevant. Sometimes they come back, though, so it's worth keeping them around.

Update this list every few sessions.

Maps

I used to have a "locations" folder with individual pages for each location. In practice, I only need to keep a place for maps so I've switched to a "maps" folder with JPEGs of the maps I use in my game. Location info, random monster tables, and other information go in my session notes in which the location is relevant.

Session Notes

Each session I write up the list of the eight steps from Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master. I omit steps if I don't need them. Our notes serve us, not the other way around, so you're free to modify your session notes to suit the session you're going to run.

Organize session notes with a nice sort-friendly date-based filename such as "2024-03-11 Empire of the Ghouls". Our notes stay nice and organized by reverse filename even as our campaign grows.

Campaign Support

A "campaign support" folder can contain separate pages of information for our specific campaign that don't fit anywhere else. This might include

a campaign faction list we want to refer to.lists of gods and deities.larger atlases of locations.campaign timelines or calendars.anything else that doesn't fit into the other categories.

The campaign support folder is the junk drawer of our notes but don't let it get out of hand. Only put things in here you know you need to write down and reference later.

Write Down the Stuff We Can't Remember

One purpose of our notes is to keep track of the things we can't remember. If we can remember something �����or we don't need to remember it�������we don't have to put it in our notes. Our notes are just for us. They don't have to carefully capture and record every aspect of our campaign as though we were going to hand it to someone else. We only need the things we need to run great sessions for our friends. This philosophy keeps our notes clean, fast to create, and easily referenced when prepping and running our games.

Make It Your Own

This structure is one suggested hierarchy. Your own needs, your own desires, the way you prep your games, and the way you run them all factor into how you organize your material. Hopefully this article gives you a path for building the perfect structure for organizing your game materials to help you run awesome games for your family and friends.

More Sly Flourish Stuff

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.

Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video.

5e Artisanal Database Updates, Key of Worlds Scenario 11Dragonbane Arkand & Book of MagicLGBTQ+ TTRPG Bundle on Bundle of HoldingDaggerheartTrack Monster Damage with Xs and SlashesPatreon Questions and Answers

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

Telling Players About QuestsKeeping a Campaign's Tone ConsistentTying Character Backgrounds to Published AdventuresTalk Show Links

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

Hang On LooselyHow to Get Your Group to Play Other RPGsDragonbane KickstarterPride Games Bundle of HoldingDaggerheartTallying Damage ��� Patchwork Paladin

Last week I also posted a couple of YouTube videos on Avoid Getting Caught Up in the D&D and RPG Zeitgeist and Returning Greyharp ��� Dragon Empire Prep Session 26.

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 the pace moving when a session tends to avoid combat. Move from scene to scene quickly to keep people engaged. Set the stage, offer options. Note dissenters to popular decisions, ensure they���re ok going forward anyway. Give the characters the comfort of home every few sessions. Use portals to connect home bases. Write down new character capabilities each level up. Get consensus on paths ahead at the end of a session so you know what to prep next. Related ArticlesUsing Obsidian for Lazy RPG PrepWrite One Page of Prep NotesUsing Notion.so for Lazy RPG Campaign PlanningGet More from Sly FlourishArticlesNewsletterBookstorePatreonPodcastYouTubeBuy Sly Flourish's Books City of Arches Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master Lazy DM's Companion Lazy DM's Workbook Forge of Foes Fantastic Lairs Ruins of the Grendleroot Fantastic Adventures Fantastic Locations

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

How to Get Your Group to Play Other RPGs

Finding players to play tabletop RPGs remains the hardest problem for the hobby and has likely been the biggest roadblock for the hobby for the past 50 years. Options for playing online help but finding and maintaining a good group is still hard.

Getting players to try something other than D&D is also hard. But, I argue, it's not as hard as it was to get a group in the first place.

The difficulty we face convincing our group to try a different game is often in how we approach convincing them.

Players typically know what to expect with D&D. As a brand, D&D is older than the average age of its players. Players haven't ever heard about your bespoke RPG about snails going on an adventure in a sewer. They know D&D.

Before you can convince players to try another game, they have to know you.

Once you have a solid group of friends playing your game, it's easier to convince them to try something new because they trust you.

"Let's Try Something New for a Couple of Sessions"

Your group doesn't have to throw away all future D&D games to try something new. Instead, ask your group to play a couple of sessions of a new game in between campaigns. Players are often more willing to try something when they know it isn't the new thing forever. Two sessions is about the minimum number of games required to get a feeling for a new RPG and, who knows, you and your players might end up running more.

Some groups are willing to take a bigger plunge ��� maybe ten or twenty sessions of Shadow of the Weird Wizard. You'll have to feel them out. It's still easier to convince them to try something if they know it isn't a permanent switch from the system they already know and like.

What's In It for Them?

One thing to consider when approaching your group about a new RPG is how you talk to your players about it. You might like the game's streamlined mechanics on the GM side, but what's in it for the players? Why would they want to play this new game as opposed to D&D? What makes it worth the switching cost going from a system they know to a system they don't? Work on your pitch with a focus on what the game gives to your players.

They Still Might Not Like It

Even after trying a new game, your players might still prefer D&D. D&D is a great game. That's fine. You still had the opportunity to try something else and see how it felt. If some of your players liked the new game so much that they want to continue but other players want to go back to D&D, perhaps start a new group for the new game if you have the time.

Try Other Games

Above all, give other RPGs a shot. D&D is fantastic but there are a lot of great games out there with great ideas ��� ideas you can bring to just about any RPG you play.

Like finding and maintaining a great RPG group, proposing a new RPG takes effort to convince your players. Limit such a switch to just a couple of sessions and focus on what it brings to your players to help convince them to try something new.

More Sly Flourish Stuff

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.

Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video.

Happy Pride MonthLeave Blanks, Hang On Loosely, COA Available Worldwide, Markdown and EPUB Lazy DM's CompanionDaggerheart in MarkdownGrim Hollow Bundle of HoldingRPG Game Master Book Series Humble BundleTales of the Valiant Player's Guide 2Horizons Issue 3 by Wildmage PressD&D 2014 to D&D 2024 Conversion GuideTen Cultist Powers by Evan RashCorridor Themes by Justin AlexanderThe 5e Artisanal DatabaseThe Power of Text FilesPatreon Questions and Answers

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

Running the Keep Scenario from Lazy DM's CompanionSly Flourish Tools for ShadowdarkStocking DungeonsTalk Show Links

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

Leave BlanksHang On LooselyCity of Arches Shipping WorldwideDaggerheart SRD in MarkdownGrim Hollow Bundle of HoldingDeadlands Humble Bundle"The Game Master's Book" Humble BundleTales of the Valiant Player's Handbook 2 KickstarterHorizons Issue 3New D&D 2014 to D&D 2024 Conversion GuideTen Cult Powers by Evan RashCorridor Themes by Justin Alexander

Last week I also posted a couple of YouTube videos on When to Cheat and Vestar the Shining Storm ��� Dragon Empire Prep Session 25.

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 a list of monsters in your prep notes the characters might encounter in your next session. Write down their page numbers.Spend time understanding the relationship between monster power and character power so you can better improvise combat encounters during the game.Ask players to let you know when they feel like they earned enough in-world knowledge to level up their characters.Mix easier encounters with hard encounters. Not every encounter needs to be a knock-down drag-out fight.Let players know what skills are likely more relevant for a given campaign.Ask players how their character learned of the information they received on a good ability check.Show characters the layers of history in the dungeon they explore.Related ArticlesFind Local Players for Tabletop RPGsAssign Player RolesTwo Different 5e Games at the Same TableGet More from Sly FlourishArticlesNewsletterBookstorePatreonPodcastYouTubeBuy Sly Flourish's Books City of Arches Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master Lazy DM's Companion Lazy DM's Workbook Forge of Foes Fantastic Lairs Ruins of the Grendleroot Fantastic Adventures Fantastic Locations

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

Hang On Loosely

No single set of unified rules work perfectly for the open-ended nature of RPGs. Use the rules and tools which help you improvise as the game evolves during play.

RPGs aren't like other games with fixed rules and boundaries around the entirety of the game. RPGs often have a loose framework of rules to handle conflict resolution, a core mechanic like rolling a d20, adding a modifier, and comparing the result against a difficulty class.

RPGs are often wide open in lots of ways. Sure, combat is well refined in 5e games but how the characters get into combat, what the environment is like, what the situation is like, what monsters are there and how many ��� that's all variable. D&D isn't a board game, no matter how much we'd sometimes like it to be.

Often, when seeking hard specific rules for our more flexible RPGs, those rules betray us in the circumstances of the game. Encounter building rules result in encounters that may be too easy or too hard. Resource-focused travel rules break down when characters can summon food and water at will. Chase-focused skill challenges get circumvented when one character casts dimension door and punches the runner in the face. Fancy naval ship combat rules break down when a character creates a 40 foot deep rift in the water right in front of the enemy ship.

Three words can help us deal with circumstances like the examples above:

Hang on loosely.

Encounter building rules aren't perfect. Use them as a guideline and then use your experience to adjust.

Where else can we let go of our desire for concrete rules and instead hang on loosely?

Judging how many encounters per day you need to run to match some ideal challenge.Worrying about exactly how many magic items you should award.Determining a DC for a situation and approach.Figuring out morale for combatants.Determining how an NPC reacts to the characters.Figuring out the characters' reputation with the locals.Understanding all the mechanics required to pilot a ship.Having a perfectly clear system for buying and selling magic items.Draining just the right amount of resources from the characters before a final battle.Deciding exactly how many hit points every monster has.Determining a single system for building a home base.

Often the best system for handling these circumstances are our own brains thinking about our worlds from the inside and a flexible core mechanic like rolling a D20, adding an applicable character modifier, and matching against a DC from 10 to 20.

There are some rules you definitely want to hang on to tightly ��� the rules facing the players. Players want to know that the world plays consistently when they interact with it. The world isn't exactly fair, but it should behave the same way when reasonably expected to. Such "hard rules" might include

character mechanicsspell mechanicsthe general DC curve (10 is easy, 15 is medium, 20 is hard)basic in-world economicsmonster armor classesthe physics of terrain

and others.

You're not going to find perfect systems for all circumstances in your RPG. RPGs are often wide open with too many variables in the mechanics of the game and the approaches and experiences of your players for any single system to work perfectly.

Hang on loosely. Be flexible. Go with the flow. Select and use tools that help you improvise during the game. Worry less about getting it "right" and have fun in the moment with your friends.

More Sly Flourish Stuff

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.

Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video.

New Articles, Updated Obsidian Notes, COA Shipping in Europe, Lazy DM's Companion in EPUB and MarkdownOld School Essentials Bundle of HoldingBlades in the Dark Deep CutsDaggerheart ReleasedMashing Up the Eight StepsToo Much Linking In Markdown NotesPatreon Questions and Answers

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

Rolling 3d6 For Ability ScoresLow Level Characters with Powerful Legacy Magic ItemsBuilding Rich Tactical Battles in Old School AdventuresTalk Show Links

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

Your Criteria for Selecting Great Published AdventuresLeave BlanksOld School Essentials Bundle of HoldingBlades in the Dark Deep Cuts Backerkit CampaignDice Exploder Interview with Jonathan Harper on Blades in the Dark Deep CutsDaggerheart on Critical Role StoreDaggerheart SRDDaggerheart Community LicenseDaggerheart Quickstart PDF

Last week I also posted a couple of YouTube videos on Improv and the Eight Steps and The Third Heaven ��� Dragon Empire Prep Session 24.

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:

Drop one interesting terrain feature into each big combat encounter. Assign the role of ���caller��� to arbitrate group choices. Ensure they listen to other players and remain even-handed. Let players engage in crazy ideas. Don���t punish them for it. Avoid running too many hard battles. Give the characters a break. End on cliffhangers.Strip your tools and prep down to the essentials. Your prep notes serve you, no one else. Related ArticlesAssign Player RolesSteal Character Archetypes from a Single ShowLet Characters Automatically Succeed SometimesGet More from Sly FlourishArticlesNewsletterBookstorePatreonPodcastYouTubeBuy Sly Flourish's Books City of Arches Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master Lazy DM's Companion Lazy DM's Workbook Forge of Foes Fantastic Lairs Ruins of the Grendleroot Fantastic Adventures Fantastic Locations

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

Leave Blanks

One of my favorite writers, Cory Doctorow, had an excellent post called Against Lore. In it, he talks about how he could use the imaginations of firearm aficionados, who just can't help themselves but nitpick gun details in fiction, against themselves by adding a single word �����"modified":

Jim's big idea was that gun people couldn't help but chew away at the verisimilitude of your fictional guns, their brains would automatically latch onto them and try to find the errors. But the word "modified" hijacked that impulse and turned it to the writer's advantage: a gun person's imagination gnaws at that word "modified," spinning up the cleverest possible explanation for how the gun in question could behave as depicted.

Creating these blanks means the imaginations of the readers can serve as part of the fiction. They fill in the details with their own imaginations.

We RPG hobbyists are very familiar with this concept. Over and over we hear stories where players fill in blanks and the GM runs with their ideas building an adventure far better than they would have on their own.

Doctorow talks about how this idea collides with roleplaying games. I don't think he nailed the real value blanks have in roleplaying games, though. Unlike other forms of fiction where we have the creator (writer, director, musical artist, whatever) and the consumer (the reader, movie-watcher, musical fan, etc.), in RPGs we're all at the table creating the story together. A reader might fill in blanks with their imagination in their head but at our gaming table, players speak it out loud. They're changing things.

There are lots of ways we GMs can leave blanks in our games or use tricks like adding "modified" to the description of a gun.

One of my favorites is to describe big wheels and counterweights moving behind the walls of a dungeon. I have no idea how that stuff works back there but it doesn't matter. Those wheels and gears and chains and counterweights show that the dungeon can work. When a huge juggernaut smashes down a hallway and then pulls itself back, our players imagine the complex geometry and engineering going on behind the walls that make the place work.

Here are ten other ways we can leave blanks our players can fill in with their own imaginations:

Monstrous Descriptions. Instead of naming a type monster, describe it. An ogre is a lot scarier when you don't call it an ogre.Unknown Rituals. We don't have to know what all the symbols and runes mean. Leave it to your players' imaginations how the strange ritual worked.The Ghouls' Slaughterhouse. We don't have to reveal the gory and horrific details of the slaughterhouse of the ghoul imperium. Just tell the players it's a place their characters certainly don't want to witness.A Villain's Dark Past. We don't have to describe every element of a villain's past. Leave blanks and let the players fill in what they think might have brought their villain to this state. They come from parts unknown.The World's History. We GMs love to fill out millennia of history but we can leave lots of blanks in our histories. For 24 years the Clone Wars in Star Wars were just called the Clone Wars. That was good enough.Smoky Rifts to Depths Unknown. The strange misty tendrils flowing out of a bottomless ravine doesn't need an explanation. Who knows what's going on down there. Dungeons Deep. A huge sinkhole in the center of a dungeon may reveal dozens of levels of a vast dungeon complex. How far does it go?Brutal Scars. How did that guard captain get so badly scarred? She doesn't want to talk about it so stop asking.Histories of Magic Items. An ancient sword wielded by a primeval knight over a millenia ago ��� the spirit of its wielder still swirling in the gemstone on its hilt. Imagine what stories that spirit knew.The Inner Workings of Diabolic Machines. The smell of ozone, the sound of rushing water, heat being transferred through the stone ��� these details are enough for players to imagine how strange ancient traps or constructs can work.Other Kinds of Blanks

RPGs have a nearly endless source of potential blanks. Here are some big ones:

Blank spots on a mapBlank periods of historyBlank information behind factionsForgotten godsTimes of ancient and powerful technologyPlayer Prompts

Some blanks become prompts we can throw to players:

Campfire talesDescriptions of killing blowsKeeping Secrets Secret

Secrets and clues are the cornerstone of Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master. Not every aspect of your game's world needs to be revealed through these secrets. Sometimes the best parts of our world live in the minds of our players and may never be filled out in the details of our world.

Leave blanks.

More Sly Flourish Stuff

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.

Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video.

New Articles, Key of Worlds Scenario 10, COA Shipping NewsRaging Swan Bundle of HoldingNeon City Outlaws by Rodney ThompsonD&D 2024 5.2 SRD Available in MarkdownPatchwork Paladin on Lord of the Rings 5e Dissecting and Piecing Together 5eGary Gygax's 25 Year D&D Predictions from 199925 Years of WOTC Making Fun of Its Own ProductsAI GMing Taken to the Logical Conclusion - Just Run the Whole Game For UsLightning Rods for Each 5e ClassTalk Show Links

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

Raging Swan Bundle of HoldingNeon City OutlawsD&D 2024 5.2 SRD in MarkdownPulling Apart D&D 5e ��� Patchwork PaladinLightning Rods ��� Showcase Powerful Character Abilities

Last week I also posted a couple of YouTube videos on The 3-2-1 Quest Model and The Shadow Drake ��� Dragon Empire Prep Session 23.

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:

Track damage done to monsters with Xs and slashes (\). Each slash is five damage. Cross the slash into an X is ten damage. Keep a tally of extra damage separate.Introduce one character-focused location in any new town the characters visit.Offer a handful of options for downtime scenes.Tie the game's story and narrative to information the characters know or learn.Add high ground areas and cover for some tactical crunch in combat encounters.Build scenes during travel around monuments or other interesting backdrops.Related ArticlesRoleplaying Between SessionsHigh Value PrepGetting Ideas for your RPGsGet More from Sly FlourishArticlesNewsletterBookstorePatreonPodcastYouTubeBuy Sly Flourish's Books City of Arches Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master Lazy DM's Companion Lazy DM's Workbook Forge of Foes Fantastic Lairs Ruins of the Grendleroot Fantastic Adventures Fantastic Locations

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

Your Criteria for Selecting Great Published Adventures

Before you read further, write down some of your criteria for determining whether a published adventure is right for you. What do you look for? What are warning signs an adventure won't work for you?

There's no perfect adventure for everyone. Ask 100 GMs what their favorite adventures are and you'll get 100 different lists. Some adventures at the top of one GM's list are at the bottom of another's.

There's no single right answer to define a perfect adventure. There are many right answers.

But we can, collectively, discuss adventures and define our own criteria for what makes an adventure work for us. Building this list helps us better evaluate the adventures we buy, read, prepare, and run for our group.

Choosing What to Buy

$60 may be cheap for the hours of fun you'll have with your players but it's not nothing. What can we do to see if an adventure might be for us before we buy it?

Read reviews from good reviewers.Read previews when they're available.Consider the previous work an author or publisher put out.Ask about the adventure from those who bought it. Ask questions based on your own typical criteria.Read forums and blog posts that discuss the adventure.

Up front you might be able to tell if an adventure is for you or not before you buy it. Even if you do buy it, though, that doesn't mean it's worth running it.

The True Cost and Value of a Published Adventure

The true cost and value of a published adventure isn't just its monetary cost. When you think about the number of hours you and your players spend with an adventure, even $60 is cheap.

The time you spend with your friends around the table is invaluable. That time is precious ��� you'll never get it back and we get too few hours with our friends in our lives. Why spend that time on an adventure we don't dig?

That's why it's important to clarify your own criteria to determine if the adventure is right for you. You and your friends are going to spend a lot of potential time with it. Even if you already bought it, that doesn't mean you should run it.

My Own Criteria

Here are some of my criteria for determining if an adventure is for me ��� and thus something I want to run for my group.

What I Look ForA clear structure for the adventure I can understand quickly.Clear character motivation to go through the adventure.Meaningful choices for the characters to steer the adventure's direction.An easy to use layout that's easy to reference at the table.Random lists that make my life easier as a GM.Not too weird, not too mundane.The clear flexibility to make it my own.Economical writing ��� give me what I need and nothing else.Lots of character agency in the story.Easy to implement ways to make the world feel alive (rival groups and villainous quests).Fantastic locations and dungeon designs.Set ups for situations instead of plot-driven scenes.A theme I can resonate with and get excited about.What I AvoidPlots and storylines built around betraying the trust of the characters (and players).No clear structure.No clear character motivation.Too many words.Too linear a structure or plot.Broken connections between the story and the motivations of the characters. No, my paladin would not like to throw people's souls into a war machine to drive 10 miles further.Just One View

Those aspects are my criteria. They are not your criteria. When you think back to adventures you've loved ��� what made you love them? When you think back to adventures that didn't work out for you ��� what sins did they commit?

Even if you've already bought an adventure, it's ok to take a deep look and say "yeah, this one isn't for me" and set it aside. Strip it for parts instead.

Of course, you can skip all of this analysis and build your own adventures. I think homebrew adventures in published settings is a much better way to get exactly what you want.

Whatever you choose, remember that your time with your friends around the gaming table is invaluable. Pick the right material to make that time awesome.

More Sly Flourish Stuff

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.

Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video.

New Articles, COA Fulfillment, Artisanal Monster Database UpdatesExperiences Running Three 5e Systems in the Same GameManaging Character Options At Our TableHow to Run Stealth and Hiding in 5ePatreon Questions and Answers

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

The Intimacy and Focus of One-on-One GamesTalk Show Links

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

Two-Word Cure All to Overpowered CharactersBreak and Prevent the Boredom SpiralRunning One-on-One GamesA Framework for One-on-One D&D Games: Sherlock Holmes and Watson

Last week I also posted a couple of YouTube videos on Free TTRPG Markdown Documents for Obsidian and Notion and Court of Winter's Love ��� Dragon Empire Prep Session 23.

Related ArticlesUsing Published AdventuresReading Published AdventuresThe Case For Published AdventuresGet More from Sly FlourishArticlesNewsletterBookstorePatreonPodcastYouTubeBuy Sly Flourish's Books City of Arches Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master Lazy DM's Companion Lazy DM's Workbook Forge of Foes Fantastic Lairs Ruins of the Grendleroot Fantastic Adventures Fantastic Locations

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

The Two-Word Cure to Overpowered Characters

Since the earliest days of D&D, we've seen RPG character builds that operate beyond of their expected effectiveness. Whether they inflict twice the damage of the next highest character build or have incredible ways to pin down and incapacitate enemies big and small ��� some characters are just plain overpowered.

There's a simple cure to overpowered characters. A two-word cure that ensures encounters remain appropriately challenging even when the characters coming to the table operate well outside of their normal power.

More monsters.

Add more monsters to your encounters and the threat goes up. There are more targets to focus on. It's harder to control them all. Each additional monster increases their side of the action economy. You also care less about these additional monsters so it's not a bummer when they fall early. In fact, sometimes you want them to fall early. This leads into the concept of "lightning rods" ��� monsters specifically designed to eat particularly powerful abilities of your characters.

If this advice sounds familiar, "more monsters" is one of the four dials described in Dials of Monster Difficulty.

More Monsters, Not Bigger Monsters

One might be tempted to use more powerful monsters to face overpowered characters but this change often doesn't help. Sure, bigger monsters have more hit points and hit harder, but they're often as easy to control as smaller ones unless you add in things like 5e's legendary resistance. Bigger monsters don't prevent your characters from focusing their fire. More monsters split their attention.

More Monsters Slow Down the Battle

The true enemy in combat in most tactically-crunchy RPGs like D&D or Pathfinder is time. We don't want our battles to drag on beyond the enjoyment they bring. Timing is an important consideration as you throw more monsters into encounters to challenge powerful characters. An easy way to manage the length of battles is to have your hand on the hit point dial. After the battle has gone on beyond the joy it brings, start lowering those hit points or let the next attack against a monster take it out completely.

What About Bosses?

Bosses are the true victims in most tactical RPGs. A big boss typically lasts seconds in a battle before it's pinned down, knocked prone, force caged, mazed, banished, polymorphed, counterspelled, or otherwise completely debilitated. So what's a lazy solution to help bosses stay relevant in an encounter?

More bosses!

That's right. Include more than one boss. Have a few antagonists ��� fancy named NPCs who all likewise throw shade in their introductory monologues. The characters may still focus on one villain but you might have one or two more bosses they can't focus on.

Adding monsters is my new go-to technique for a lot of high-level boss battles. Throw out waves of combatants including lots of small blast-worthy minions, a handful of normal monsters, some big brutes to control, and multiple bosses to spread the wrath of the characters around.

So there you have it.

Want to keep up the threat?

Add more monsters.

More Sly Flourish Stuff

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.

Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video.

TOV Article, Patreon Benefits, New GM Card, COA Updates, Shadowdark ScenarioFury of the Forsaken by Lazy Wolf StudiosHuge Pathfinder 2 Humble BundleSage Advice Column on D&D BeyondPaizo Flip Mat Basic Versus Chessex Battle MapPatreon Questions and Answers

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

Lazy Encounter Benchmark and Waves of CombatantsLeveling Up Villains with Forge of FoesManaging Real-World Time In-GameCharacter Motivation in Shadowdark with High PC TurnoverManaging Monster Difficulty in D20 / 5e GamesTalk Show Links

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

Gems of the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's GuideFury of the Forsaken KickstarterPathfinder 2 Asian Fantasy Humble BundleD&D 2024 Sage AdviceStaedtler 315-9 Medium Point Wet Erase MarkersChessex Battle MatChessex Battle MegamatPathfinder Flip Mat BasicLazy Encounter BenchmarkDials of Monster Difficulty

Last week I also posted a couple of YouTube videos on Anatomy of a Situation ��� Red Eagle Tower and The Scholar's Path ��� Dragon Empire Prep Session 22.

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:

Corrupted versions of good-aligned monsters are a good way to use those monsters the characters might otherwise never fight. On defeat, corrupted good-aligned monsters can reappear as friendly ghosts or become resurrected back to their friendly form. Roll random loot and add in or modify results to fit the characters. Add daily use spells to magical armor instead of plus bonuses to keep ACs reasonable but still provide cool effects. Check the damage output of published 5e monsters. 7 damage per CR is a good general benchmark. Reintroduce old friends. Let the characters see what became of the lives they���ve touched. Small three-room dungeons are a fun way to spend an evening. Every dungeon need not be a sprawling megaplex. Related ArticlesTune Monsters with Extra AttacksThree Reasons to Fudge Monster Hit PointsChoosing Monsters for your 5e GameGet More from Sly FlourishArticlesNewsletterBookstorePatreonPodcastYouTubeBuy Sly Flourish's Books City of Arches Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master Lazy DM's Companion Lazy DM's Workbook Forge of Foes Fantastic Lairs Ruins of the Grendleroot Fantastic Adventures Fantastic Locations

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

Break and Prevent the Boredom Spiral

Ruins of the Grendleroot, ten fantastic underworld adventures for 5e, is on sale this week for $5!

I'm not a great RPG player ��� I'm much better in the GM's seat. When I GM, I'm fully engaged. I have to be. I'm managing the story, the game, the pacing, and the fun of the people around the table. I'm always on.

When I play, there are several other players and the GM. There's downtime between turns or between breaks in the conversation. I get distracted easily when it's not my turn and I'm not directly involved in the action. I want to stay engaged. Here are a few ways for players to stay engaged:

Take notes continually throughout the game.Pay attention to the story as it goes. Work to understand it even outside of your character's involvement.Pay attention to the other characters. What interests you and your character about them?Put yourself in the world and visualize it. What is it really like in those dank dungeon halls? How does it feel to be in the presence of a huge green dragon?

Even with these tricks, four hours is a long time and sometimes my mind just wanders. Gods help me if my eyes stray to my phone.

Then I face a problem. If my mind wanders for too long, it's hard to come back. The game moved on. A lot of what happened in the game slipped past me. I don't know where we are or what we're doing. I don't want to admit that I lost track so I try to catch up but then my mind wanders even more because I can't grasp what's going on now when I don't know what happened before.

That's the boredom spiral. As a player, your mind might wander off and, when you try to come back, you can't because the whole story moved on. You don't want to embarrass yourself by admitting you were off in never never land but now you're even less engaged and the spiral continues.

Break the Boredom Spiral

As a player, ask to pause for a minute and get a quick summary of where things are. Maybe try to catch back up on a break. If you have a chance, ask one of the other players at the table if they can catch us up. It's ok to admit that you mentally wandered off for a bit and get back on track.

What can we GMs do to help prevent the boredom spiral in players?

Restate the Current Situation

If we can tell one or more of the players checked out, pause and re-describe what's going on and where everything is. Where are the characters? What's going on around them? Remember, players only grasp about half of what you're describing so give them the information they need to understand the situation even if you feel like you already have. Be specific. Write things down on index cards and drop them on the table like the names of NPCs or the details of a location. Give players something visual and physical to hang on to.

Call for a Break Every Ninety Minutes

Pause your game regularly. Get people moving around. Grab another drink or go to the bathroom. Taking a break helps break up long narratives and splits longer games into shorter bits. Then, when everyone's back at the table, restate the situation and give everyone a new baseline.

Call on Players and Give Context

It's tempting to call on players who might have checked out but it can seem confrontational and rock them back on their heels. Instead, it's ok to call on quiet players but give them context about the situation and where their character is in the middle of it. Let them know what their character would know. Call on them, describe the situation, and then ask what they want to do. Reiterating the situation gives players time to check back in and pick up on the details of the story.

Describe Between Turns

If you happen to run combat in the Theater of the Mind, describe what's going on in the battle before each character's turn ��� building the context around that character. Describing the situation each turn gives players the context they need to make meaningful choices in a battle. The more you understand the player's character, the more you can tailor your description. Tell rogues about the cover they might hide behind. Tell mages the groupings of monsters for areas of attack. Tell paladins about the big hulking undead they might want to charge and smite. Describe the situation between each turn and tailor your description for the character.

Run Shorter Games

I think three hours is the ideal length for a game. Four hours is common, particularly in organized play sessions or at convention play, but three hours seems like the sweet spot for a meaningful session that's short enough to keep people engaged. If you find yourself or your players get distracted in the latter half of a game, consider shortening the game.

Recognizing the Boredom Spiral

Above all, recognize the boredom spiral, both as a GM and as a player. It exists and there are things we can do to mitigate it and move on so we can enjoy every minute we spend with our friends around the table.

More Sly Flourish Stuff

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.

Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video.

Ruins of the Grendleroot On Sale5e Artisanal Monster Database Updated with D&D 2025 MM MonstersNew Articles and PodcastsKnock Issue 5 from Merry Mushmen5.2 SRD Released into the Creative CommonsWhat can GM's Do with the 5.2 SRD?A Look at Mike's Little Candles -- Is WOTC Being a Good Steward of the Hobby?D&D 2024 ErrataUsing Physical Books At the TableTalk Show Links

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

Ruins of the Grendleroot On Sale for $5Subscribe to the Sly Flourish NewsletterSupport Sly Flourish on PatreonBuy Sly Flourish Books:Knock Kickstarter5.2 SRD Page5.2 SRD PDFD&D 2024 PHB ErrataD&D 2024 DMG ErrataD&D 2024 MM Errata

Last week I also posted a couple of YouTube videos on Avoiding Enspelled Items and Sunray ��� Dragon Empire Prep Session 21.

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:

Drop in relaxed sessions where the characters can catch up with old NPCs, spend some time shopping, and maybe have a dinner party at their villa. Join two encounters together and let the characters navigate the conflicted sides. Roll randomly for three magic items for sale in larger towns. Use baseline costs for magic items but change them up or down based on each item's actual utility. Give meaty battles a good hour of allocated time. Always keep an eye on the clock. Manage your session's time. Let campaigns grow from each adventure and the choices the players make in between. Related ArticlesTell, Don't ShowDescribe your GM StyleRoleplaying Between SessionsGet More from Sly FlourishArticlesNewsletterBookstorePatreonPodcastYouTubeBuy Sly Flourish's Books City of Arches Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master Lazy DM's Companion Lazy DM's Workbook Forge of Foes Fantastic Lairs Ruins of the Grendleroot Fantastic Adventures Fantastic Locations

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

Gems of the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide

Ruins of the Grendleroot, ten fantastic underworld adventures for 5e, is on sale this week for $5!

While 5e started off ten years ago as just D&D 2014, now several companies publish several versions of 5e. Kobold Press, who long wrote material for 5e, now published their own 5e-based system����� Tales of the Valiant including the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide. Today we'll dig into some of the most useful sections of this fantastic book.

First, a disclaimer. Kobold Press commissioned me to write some meaty pieces of the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide including encounter building guidelines, running minions, the use of secrets and clues, running combat in the theater of the mind, and some other parts. So I'm clearly biased in my excitement for this book.

Tab Your GMG

Get some reusable adhesive tabs and tab your game master books. Labeled tabs help you quickly get to the sections you need to help you improvise during your game. Here's a quick list of the sections I tabbed in my own copy of the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide:

Taverns and Landmarks ��� pg 36 Dungeons ��� pg 84Weather ��� pg 108NPC Names ��� pg 116Hazards ��� pg 137Traps ��� pg 146Dread Effects - pg 156Poisons and Rewards ��� pg 171Random Magic Items ��� pg 175Monster Traits ��� pg 212Monster Stats by CR ��� pg 235Random Encounter Tables ��� pg 246

I like to start my tabs from the back of the book to the front, starting tabs at the outside bottom of the page and moving up the page as I get closer to the front of the book. This way, when I'm done, I have nicely organized tabs from top to bottom and front to back.

Notable Sections of the Game Master's Guide

The sections I tabbed above are all notable and chosen for their usefulness during the game but there are other notable sections worth referencing during prep or to fuel your ideas away from the gaming table.

Advanced Combat. This section contains a wealth of information on running combat on a 5-foot-square grid, in the theater of the mind, or with abstract maps. I'm biased because I wrote the theater of the mind and abstract map guidelines and I always felt they had a place in a solid game master's guide. Here they are! This section also includes templates and tables to help you identify how many targets might fall into various areas of effect and diagrams to show you how zones can work. No other 5e game master guide includes such details for abstract and theater of the mind play.

Encounter Templates. This section offers several encounter templates such as "boss and bodyguards", "triple bosses", and "wolfpack", breaking down the number of combatants and their rough challenge ratings based on the TOV encounter building guidelines (which I also wrote). These templates are handy when you want to throw a boss and minions or three smaller bosses against your players.

Other notable sections here include large-scale battles, vehicle combat, fighting colossal enemies, running minions and hordes, multi-phase battles, called shots, and expanding the doom rules from the Tales of the Valiant Monster Vault.

Dungeons. The Game Master's Guide's exploration section includes a great dungeon builder with piles of random tables to build out dungeons or help you fill in a pre-drawn dungeon map. Some of the tables are too granular for me, like a 1d20 table on door details, but the tables describing the chambers of various types of dungeons is a fantastic aid to quickly fill out a blank Dyson map.

Advanced Social. This chapter includes excellent tables for generating NPCs ��� from villainous plots to the traits and bonds of any given NPC.

Adventuring Options. This section includes tons of curses, diseases, and hazards to spice up your adventures. It also includes a new set of dread tables, a replacement for the old 2014 "madness" tables.

Treasure Tables. I'm a sucker for great random treasure tables and the TOV GMG has them. Unlike the D&D 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide, it splits up tables for consumables and permanent magic items, which I prefer. Unfortunately, the way the GMG handles treasure parcels doesn't work for me. Instead of offering per-session parcels I can prepare for each game I run, it offers big parcels covering roughly three levels. That's too much for me and gives me the extra homework of splitting up parcels per session. I suppose you can use it like a checklist but you'd still have to split up the money. It's not my favorite.

Here's a simpler per-session treasure parcel system loosely based on dividing the bigger parcels into smaller single-session parcels with an expectation of two parcels per level. It doesn't perfectly line up with TOV's rewards but I don't think it'll break your game either.

1st to 4th Level

250 gp in coins, gems, and artOne common magic itemTwo uncommon consumablesOne uncommon permanent magic item

5th to 10th Level

2,500 gp in coins, gems, and artOne common magic itemTwo uncommon or rare consumablesOne uncommon or rare permanent magic item

11th to 16th Level

11,000 gp in coins, gems, and artTwo uncommon, rare, or very rare consumablesOne uncommon, rare, or very rare permanent magic item

17th to 20th Level

45,000 gp in coins, gems, and artTwo rare, very rare, or legendary consumablesOne rare, very rare, or legendary permanent magic item

Patreons of Sly Flourish get access to a special Tales of the Valiant treasure generator based on these per-session parcels linked on their main rewards page.

Homebrewer's Toolbox. This noteworthy section peels back the system behind Tales of the Valiant to help GMs design lineages, heritages, backgrounds, talents, subclasses, magic items, and spells. It also includes an excellent section on creating monsters with stats by challenge rating, sample traits, and twelve templates to build unique variants of monsters. It also includes creature-type features with traits to build near limitless variants of new baddies.

Random Encounters. The GMG includes tier-based random encounters for fourteen different environments. I wish it had a "dungeon" environment but the Underground table serves well enough. These random encounters include interesting context such as:

A pack of four winter wolves prowls the area, hunting for prey, and they regard the PCs as a delicious alternative to moose and deer. If one of the wolves is reduced half its hit point maximum, its keening howl draws another two winter wolves to the area in 1 minute.

*Random Campaign Dressing. Though nearly at the end of the book, this section includes lots of random tables for building out towns and villages, magical curios, trinkets, things found in a castle, and a set of environmental encounters. Don't miss it.

Fantasy Inspiration. The GMG includes seven pages of books, films, television shows, games, and non-fiction sources to inspire your games.

A Truly Advanced Game Master's Guide You Can Continually Reference

The Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide is a book designed to help GMs flesh out their 5e games. It's a massive toolbox of re-usable material peeling back the underlying design of the game and shows you how to construct your own flavor of 5e, whatever actual ruleset you use at the table.

Whatever flavor of 5e you're running, the Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide sits well beside your other GM books. Don't miss it.

More Sly Flourish Stuff

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.

Last Week's Lazy RPG Talk Show Topics

Here are last week's topics with time stamped links to the YouTube video.

City of Arches, Latest SF articles and podcasts, new CC materialD&D 2024 5.2 System Reference Document on TuesdayWhy the 5.2 SRD Matters to GMsDo we Need a 5.2 SRD in the OGL? No!How to Play D&D 6E Today!Get Your Players to Play Other SystemsPatreon Questions and Answers

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

Getting Players to Search MoreGrim Portents and Focusing On Your Next GameRevealing Secrets Through SagesWhat Sections Are Missing From Most GM Books? MonumentsTalk Show Links

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

City of ArchesD&D 2024 5.2 SRD Coming Tuesday13th AgeShadow of the Weird WizardNumeneraDusk City OutlawsLazy GM's Resource Document

Last week I also posted a couple of YouTube videos: 2024 DMG Session Prep and the Lazy Dungeon Master and Let's Build an Adventure with the City of Arches.

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:

Throw two or three different monster types at the characters for big battles. Clarify how the characters can interact with objects in battle. Let your players know when they���re about to jump into a big two hour fight. Roll randomly to see which factions got the better of the others. Prep three future quest paths. Have players choose before the end of a session so you know what to prep next. Give the characters a chance to see old NPCs and what they���re up to now. Keep an NPC list handy of the current and previous NPCs in your campaign. Related ArticlesGems of A5E's Trials and TreasuresNotable Sections of the 2024 D&D Dungeon Master's GuideAward Treasure and Magic Items in 5eGet More from Sly FlourishArticlesNewsletterBookstorePatreonPodcastYouTubeBuy Sly Flourish's Books City of Arches Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master Lazy DM's Companion Lazy DM's Workbook Forge of Foes Fantastic Lairs Ruins of the Grendleroot Fantastic Adventures Fantastic Locations

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