The Blood Mage – Dragon Empire Prep Session 45

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:00:59 Sly Flourish News: Last Days of Sly Flourish Book Sale! 00:03:48 Sly Flourish News: Adventure Prompts, Crap in my Tackle Box 00:06:24 D&D & RPG News: JP Coovert Gift Guide 00:07:51 Kickstarter Spotlight: Crack the Sun for Draw Steel 00:11:50 Product Spotlight: Dread Dungeonomicon by Raging Swan 00:16:54 D&D & RPG News: D&D Beyond Developer AMA 00:31:42 D&D & RPG News: 5.2.1 SRD Released in Four Languages 00:36:52 DM Tip: Prep Through Villains 00:50:53 Patreon Question: Convincing Players to Play Folk-Heroic RPGs 00:57:49 Patreon Question: Players Drawing Maps on GM Descriptions 01:00:25 Patreon Question: GM Notes and Campaign Continuity and Consistency Links Last days Sly Flourish Book Sale! Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Seek Adventure Prompts Crap I Keep in my Tackle Box JP Coovert’s Gift Guide of Indie RPGs Crack the Sun Crowdfunding Campaign Dread Dungeononomicon D&D Beyond Producer Post D&D Beyond Producer AMA Maps Updates and Feedback Post 5.2.1 SRD in Five Languages

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:00:59 Sly Flourish News: 20% Off Books and Free Shipping in US and UK on $50 or More 00:02:30 Sly Flourish News: Running Scarlet Minotaur, Seek Adventure Prompts, Monastery of Astarion 00:05:42 Sly Flourish News: Mike on the Games with Dave Stream 00:06:29 D&D & RPG News: Forge of the Artificer Articles on EN World 00:09:39 D&D & RPG News: EN World 2026 Anticipated RPG Nominations 00:16:14 Commentary: A Tale of Two Session Zeros 00:50:54 DM Tip: Campaign Prep Part 2 – Post Session Zero 01:03:02 Patreon Question: Types of Secrets Links A20% off Sly Flourish Books with Free Shipping in US and UK for $50 or More Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Running Shadowdark's Scarlet Minotaur as a One-Shot Game Seek Adventure Prompts Appearance on Games with Dave Forge of the Artificer first impressions on EN World Forge of the Artificer Deep Dive on EN World EN World’s Most Anticipated RPGs of 2026 Nominations Dragonbane Cheat Sheet Types of Secrets

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:00:43 Sly Flourish News: Sly Flourish Books 20% off with Free Shipping 00:02:11 Sly Flourish News: Favorite 2025 Products, Running Shadowdark's Scarlet Minotaur, Patron Obsidian Vaults 00:05:16 Kickstarter Spotlight: Beast RPG for 5e 00:09:08 D&D & RPG News: Shadowrun 5e Bundle of Holding 00:12:09 D&D & RPG News: Dyson Commerical Maps of 2025 00:13:43 Commentary: RPGs of 2026 00:30:48 DM Tip: Prepping New Campaigns 00:46:48 Patreon Question: Roll Dice in the Open 00:49:24 Patreon Question: Is Shadowdark Still the Best D&D Starter Set? 00:53:02 Patreon Question: Improvising Failing Forward 00:57:26 Patreon Question: Trends in RPGs Post OGL 01:01:53 Patreon Question: Playing RPGs is Boring Links A20% off Sly Flourish Books with Free Shipping! Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Favorite RPG Products of 2025 Running Shadowdark's Scarlet Minotaur as a One-Shot Beast Kickstarter Shadowrun Bundle of Holding 5e Essentials Universe Mega Dyson 2024 Commercial Map Pack

Show Links Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Dragonbane Core Set

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00:00 Show Start 00:01:03 Sly Flourish News: When to Cheat at RPGs, 2025 Favorite RPG Products, Finished Two Campaigns, Next Campaigns 00:06:25 Sly Flourish News: Apperance on Solo RPG Podcast 00:07:20 Kickstarter Spotlight: Temple of the Lightbringers by MT Black 00:09:22 D&D & RPG News: Pax Unplugged, Lots of Daggerheart, Nothing for D&D 00:18:33 Commentary: Favorite RPG Products of 2025 00:32:51 Patreon Spotlight: Dwarven Forge VTT Backdrops 00:35:52 DM Tip: Run Great Campaign Endings 00:50:21 Patreon Question: Running Cohesive Campaigns 00:54:07 Patreon Question: Why Are the Eight Steps In Their Current Order? 01:00:09 Patreon Question: Factions in a Homebrew Setting Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: When and How to Cheat when Running RPGs Favorite RPG Products of 2025 Temple of the Lightbringers Kickstarter Daggerheart Announcements at PAX Unplugged Dragonbane Core Set Tales of the Valiant Game Master's Guide Daggerheart Core Set Chessex 24" Battle Mat Staedtler 315-9 Medium Point Wet Erase Marker (Black) Ending Campaigns

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs

D&D and RPG news and commentary by Mike Shea of https://slyflourish.com Contents 00:00 Show Start 01:04 Sly Flourish News: Mash Up the Eight Steps, How to Cheat at RPGs, Dread Necropolis, 03:47 Sly Flourish News: New RPGs Hitting My Desk 10:17 D&D & RPG News: Fantasy Grounds Free to Play and Online Compendium 13:20 D&D & RPG News: D&D Nexus on Demiplane 17:10 Commentary: Is Locally Owned Software Important? 23:57 D&D & RPG News: Apocalypse World Burned Over AMA on Reddit 24:56 Commentary: What Is the OSR? 50:38 DM Tip: Pre-Game Rituals 57:42 Patreon Question: Generating Random Adventures 01:02:26 Patreon Question: Stranger Things D&D Box To Bring In New Players Links Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books: Mashing Up the Eight Steps When and How to Cheat when Running RPGs Fantasy Grounds Free with Online Web Viewer New D&D Nexus on Demiplane Vincent Baker AMA on Apocalypse World Burned Over Using REAL CULT TACTICS to improve your D&D group

Mike prepares the next session of his Tales of the Valiant Dragon Empire campaign. Visit the Sly Flourish Blog Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Newsletter Subscribe to the Sly Flourish Podcast Support Sly Flourish on Patreon Buy Sly Flourish Books Midgard Worldbook Tales of the Valiant Obsidian for TTRPGs