The Lazy RPG Podcast

Mike Shea has been one of the most trusted voices in the D&D game master community for over a decade, and The Lazy RPG Podcast is basically his workshop laid bare. If you've read his books — The Lazy Dungeon Master or Return of the Lazy Dungeon Master — you already know his philosophy: prep smarter, not harder. The podcast puts that into practice with a mix of RPG industry news, DM tips, Kickstarter spotlights, and Patreon Q&A segments that feel like sitting in on a conversation with a friend who just happens to have run thousands of sessions. With over 800 episodes under its belt, the show splits into two main formats. The Lazy RPG Talk Show covers weekly D&D and tabletop RPG news with commentary that is refreshingly opinionated without being combative. Then there's the Lazy GM Prep episodes, which walk you through actual session preparation in real time — monster selection, encounter design, pacing tricks, the works. Mike doesn't just tell you what to do; he shows you his thought process and explains why certain shortcuts actually produce better games. The production is clean and no-nonsense. No elaborate sound effects or dramatic intro sequences. Just Mike talking through ideas clearly and efficiently, usually in episodes that run between 20 and 40 minutes. That approachable length makes it easy to squeeze in during a commute or while prepping minis. For DMs who feel overwhelmed by the amount of prep modern campaigns seem to demand, this podcast is basically a pressure valve. It consistently reinforces the idea that a great session doesn't require a novel's worth of notes.