The Lazy RPG Podcast - D&D and RPG News and GM Prep from Sly Flourish The Death of Kal – Dragon Empire Prep Session 61
Apr 3, 2026
A prep session walkthrough of a rescue gone wrong, including a traitorous guard and a chaotic multi-floor fight. Plans to recover a fallen ally and a poisoned ruler collide with a missing horde of gold tied to a lich. Cult portals, a mechanist’s fiendish lab, and tightened NPC threats round out the campaign setup.
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Honest Ruse Goes Horribly Right
- Mike Shea recounts the party's rescue attempt where they openly told guards they were rebels to gain entry instead of sneaking through the ratways.
- The truth-then-ruse led to a chaotic two-floor battle when assassins had already infiltrated via the ratways, surprising both guards and players.
Reverse Gravity Leads To A Player Death
- Mike describes a fatal combat sequence where Cal reversed gravity, was knocked unconscious, failed a death save, and died immediately.
- The scene escalated as assassins split upstairs and downstairs, forcing the party to fight across two floors with differing objectives.
Adjust Encounters For Changing Player Roster
- Mike outlines how he preps rapidly for the next session by noting who's in/out, adding replacement PCs, and teleport/summon entry plans.
- He adapts pacing and threats (extra assassin, unconscious ally) to keep chaos despite new high-level reinforcements.
