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The Best of Sly Flourish 2017

by Mike on 8 January 2018

Whatever else was going on in the rest of the world, 2017 was a wonderful year for our wonderful hobby. We here at Sly Flourish continued to try our best to help DMs run the best D&D games they could.

In today's article we're going to take a look back over 2017 here at Sly Flourish; looking at what articles received the most visits, which ones I am most proud of, and which tips seemed to resonate with the most DMs.

Fantastic Adventures

This year I published Sly Flourish's Fantastic Adventures, a book of ten short 5e adventures for characters of levels 1 to 5. These short adventures go hand-in-hand with the 2016 release of Sly Flourish's Fantastic Locations.

Following in the philosophy of the Lazy Dungeon Master these two books aim to do the heavy lifting for your D&D games with the full intent that you're going to customize them to fit your own game.

(art by Jack Kaiser)

Mike's Five Favorite Articles

So those were the articles most visited on the site but I have my own list of favorite articles I wrote over 2017. Of the 54 articles and 50,000 words I wrote on Sly Flourish over 2017, These are the articles I am most proud of.

Three Years of D&D 5e with Mike Mearls. Being able to interview Mike Mearls was its own great pleasure but the amount of interesting conversations and advice in this episode makes it well worth the listen. Mike talks candidly about the changes happening in D&D as it moves from the heavy tactical wargame of 4e into the story-based game that's captivating people on Twitch. This isn't an easy shift for many people and I find it fascinating to watch and ponder.
Letter to a New Dungeon Master. This originally came from a letter that a friend of a friend asked me to write to her son. I think it captures a great deal that I've learned and gleaned from dozens of surveys and thousands of conversations on Facebook and Twitter with D&D dungeon masters. I think this article best captures the high level advice I'd give to any dungeon master.
Choose Monsters Based on the Story. This begins to grasp my new thoughts on how we build and prepare our D&D games. In my opinion, building balanced encounters not only doesn't work but makes our games too stale if it did. Instead we can build situations and choose the right number of the right monsters for the situation and watch how the characters navigate it. This is a big shift in how we might think about our D&D games.
Building Great D&D Characters. I rarely offer advice to players but in this case I made an exception. Building characters that interface with all of the aspects of the game (not just optimizing around combat) can lead to a more fun experience for everyone around the table. Above all, build characters that have a clear motivation to adventure with the rest of the group.
Letting Go of Defined Encounters. This article is another look at how we can let go of defining our encounters by type (exploration, NPC roleplaying, or combat) and instead build situations and let the characters navigate them. This one, choosing monsters based on the story, and the interview with Mike Mearls all dig into this philosophy which I think can be a big change in how we look at D&D.

Top Twenty D&D Tip Tweets of 2017

Over the year I tweeted 370 "#dnd tips" (yeah, I don't know where those extra five came from either). Below are the top twenty most retweeted #dnd tips I posted along with the number of times they were retweeted.

D&D is about sitting around a table laughing with your friends. That's the core of our game. Embrace it every session. (147)
If the players come up with a better idea than the one you had, smile, wiggle your eyebrows, and pretend it was yours all along. (86)
Our hobby is constantly evolving. Do not look at how others play differently with scorn but with awe, wonder, and happiness. (51)
Instead of thinking about a boss encounter as strictly tactical combat, ask what big story element will be revealed during the confrontation. (38)
Don't stick to the published adventure if what is in your head sounds cooler than the words on the page. (37)
Write down seven tips after your D&D game on things you learned and areas where you can improve. (31)
Write out one fantastic location and three notable features for every 45 minutes of gameplay you expect to run. Example: Chamber of Orbs; dozen multicolored orbs swirling around the room, covered orb of antimagic in the center, angel of vengeance carved into iron door. (31)
Replace meaningless NPCs in published adventures with NPCs your players know and remember. (31)
Give players inspiration when they willingly move the story forward and take risks doing so. (30)
Boss monsters are more than just bags of hit points and beams of damage. What plot are they setting up to thwart the characters? (29)
Don't build scripted scenes. Build situations and let the scene play out from the actions of the characters. (29)
Take inspiration from anywhere. Old cover to an Iron Maiden album? Done! https://t.co/fJNacCmRTP (28)
Boss fights aren't just an opportunity to beat the hell out of the characters, its an opportunity for the characters to play true to themselves and their capabilities. (27)
When a player gives you a rich character background, it's a gift! Mine it for interesting story threads to weave into your game. (27)
When teaching the game, get as fast as possible (like within 10 minutes) to playing the game. The rules aren't that important. (27)
Instead of rewarding a straight magic item, consider rewarding parts of a larger powerful magic item crafting quest. (26)
Spend the time to actually read the Monster Manual. It has hundred of adventure ideas packed into it. (26)
Keep your long-term campaign plans light and flexible. Focus two sessions out and let the campaign grow organically. (23)
Steal what you want from published adventures and throw away what doesn't delight you. Make them your own. (23)
Play D&D like you play craps. Everyone is on the same side and the only villains are the dice. (22)

On to 2018!

During 2018 we'll continue to look at how we run our D&D games, how they're changing, and how we can make the most with what we're given. Let's pack our bags, grab our swords, and head off into the great unknown.

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