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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Helldritch" data-source="post: 8579133" data-attributes="member: 6855114">And here I disagree.If for you, rolling encounters and linking them together no longer makes them random anymore, then we have a deep problems of concept. Linking random encounters does not make them less random. No prep is done. Of course writing the process is way longer than actually doing it. The art of random encounters during travel is to find a way to fit a good narrative. As you resolve one, the other will fit the rest. No planning is done.The problem in writing the process is that it makes them appear preplanned. But it is not so. Each will resolve at its own pace, in sequence or not depending on the spur of the moment. Describing what will happen is describing the process and not the actual speed and prep time. Speed will be very fast as they are random encounters but prep time equals zero. It is entirely an improvisational process. Linking them together is the art of the DM. What is random can become, in appearance, an adventure but it is in no way prepared. There is a big difference between a prepared dungeon and the random encounters in there. Even single encounter can be woven in the narrative.A random encounter of 5 orcs is rolled when the players are coming out of the Caves of Chaos. No side is surprise. What do you do? They just appear or do you spin a tale as to why they are here. I would do it this way: "As you are walking out of the orcish caves, a group of five orcs are coming toward you with deer parts on their shoulders. As soon as they see you, the deer parts are dropped and they draw their weapons. Two of them draw bows, the other three unsheathe their swords. What do you do?"Here we have only one encounter. Although it is random, it appears to be scripted. And all random encounters should appear to be scripted to help weave the narrative, giving the impression that the action is fluid and integrated into the story. And since I apply noise and combat as a random encounter initiator if made outside; the combat itself might trigger an other roll. Let's say they did trigger the roll and a bear is rolled. How do you weave it into the story?"A bear is attracted by the sound of the battle and comes to investigate.The beast growl at you, stands up on its hind leg and behave menacingly."If I want the combat, it might fight or maybe a player will toss a part of the orc's deer at the bear? Thus negating the bear encounter completely. It is by adding small details to the random encounters that these encounters do not feel like simply combat for combat.If you go: Ok 5 orcs were on their way back to the cave and attack. Boooooooring...And right after that: A bear is attracted by the noise of battle. It doesn't beat your passive perception. Roll for initiative... again, boooring. If DMs are doing random encounters this way, no wonder they feel random encounters break the narrative. I would be against them too If I were to make them in such a way.</blockquote>

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