The Lazy RPG Podcast - D&D and RPG News and GM Prep from Sly Flourish The Helm of Teleportation – Dragon Empire Prep Session 34
Aug 15, 2025
Mike dives into his campaign preparation, focusing on ancient tomb explorations and encounters with alien threats. He tackles the challenges of a nomad character facing scorched drakes and goblins, while emphasizing memorable locations and detailed maps. The discussion on multilayered fantasy map design introduces unique NPCs and highlights the art of balancing structure with improvisation. Listeners also get tips on creating engaging treasures and the importance of game prep, wrapped up with news on special promotions for RPG resources.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Players Destroy The Larva Hook
- Mike described the party confronting Din, a void swarm that became a giant worm and fought out of fear and survival.
- The players destroyed a larva and rejected a potential smuggling quest immediately, ending that thread early.
Players Prefer Dragon Slaying
- Mike noticed the players prefer direct dragon killing over subtle manipulation of the Dragon Empire.
- He decided to shift the campaign focus toward confronting and killing dragons more openly.
Tune Encounters By Theme And CR
- Mike evaluated encounter difficulty by comparing party level to monster CR and added thematic modifications.
- He replaced frightful presence with a basilisk-style petrifying gaze to fit the villain's concept.