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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mallus" data-source="post: 5647033" data-attributes="member: 3887">Really well, so far. I'm trying to find the right balance between random/emergent and scripted/extrapolated.In the 1st session, I rolled randomly, as per the MM, for how many giant rats were feeding on the corpses in a manor the PC's were investigating (the owner, a magic-user, had recently been killed by thieves). Turns out there were 23 of them! Far more than the party wanted to tackle. This led to a memorable where the daring-yet-stupid goblin thief jumps on the back of a scurrying rat, rides it like bronco through the open door to the master bedroom, and discovers it's pals swarming over the bodies of several dead thieves. The rest of party quickly slams the door shut. The thief wins initiative, climbs up a tall dresser, and escapes out a window.In the 2nd session, the party returns with a magic-user who's got a Sleep spell. They make short work of the rats, but then had to face the thieves come back as undead (ghouls and zombies). I didn't roll randomly for them -- they were the ex-thieves who died by magical violence. I did roll for their treasure though, and party scored some valuable clerical scrolls. Now they've taken a contract with the magic-user's sister to avenge her death. It means going up against a full thieves guild -- a 10th level master and his baker's dozen of leveled associates. Using the chart in the DMG, I sketched out the whole guild out  (races/classes/levels) in the 10 minutes I spent waiting for the players to show up Thurs. night.Oh, and while the party fighter was trawling the city looking for a trainer, I checked for a random encounter, which resulted in the PC getting embroiled in a fighters guild turf war down on the docks.</blockquote>

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