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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Reynard" data-source="post: 5296042" data-attributes="member: 467">It seems like poor play because it is completely decontextualized -- and in RPGs, perhaps moreso than not just any other sort of game, but any other sort of entertainment, context is EVERYTHING, because, really, it's all there is outside some rules (which are themselves highly contextual).Roll a die; you failed, you're dead. That *is* poor play. It would be especially poor play in, say, a board game. But that's not how the game works -- especially when you are talking about older editions. Context -- when does the encounter occur? how? why? under what circumstances? at how many feet? who's surprised? and on and on and on -- means everything, and context is largely in the hands of the DM -- you know, the guy who the wikingest hat viking hat DM of all (Gygax) told to not be a jerk about random encounters and to throw out random encounters that make no sense. This whole line of argument that a random encounter with a medusa is going to result in a TPK is supremely decontextualized from what happens at an actual table during actual play, so much so as to be meaningless.In reality, SoD encounters happen, and so do TPKs. But far more important is that they have the potential to happen. That potential is a piece of the context that drives play and allows for the SoD encounter -- even the TPK -- to be a good, memorable, and fun thing.</blockquote>