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<blockquote data-quote="pemerton" data-source="post: 7732158" data-attributes="member: 42582">You write as if based on events that happened in the past and would be interesting for the players are inconsistent. But they're not.For instance: the random encounter is with a bounty hunter. In the past, the PCs stole something from a powerful NPC. The GM could decide that the bounty hunter is looking for some random NPC the PCs (and players) have never heard of; or could decide that the bounty hunter is on the track of the PCs at the behest of the person they stole from.One way to resolve that question is for the GM to just decide - this is how I would handle it if I were running 4e or Burning Wheel but (for some reason) using random encounters.Another way to resolve it is to make a reaction check - a neutral or friendly reaction means the bounty hunter is not after the PCs; a poor reaction means that s/he is. That is how I would handle it running Traveller.In other words, different games use different devices for establishing content; but I would never consider it &quot;not cool&quot; to read an interesting rather than uninteresting encounter off the output of those devices.If a player has a clever idea contingent on clouds being visible there's any number of ways of handling it.Again, details of different RPGs vary, but my default would be to allow the check, and if it fails narrate a lack of sufficient visible clouds as a cause of the failure. (One problem with non-4e D&amp;D is that it has no check-based resolution system for casting spells, which makes it harder to GM by way of &quot;say 'yes' or roll the dice. That's why I tend not to run non-4e D&amp;D.)</blockquote>

[QUOTE="pemerton, post: 7732158, member: 42582"] You write as if [I]based on events that happened in the past[/I] and [I]would be interesting for the players[/I] are inconsistent. But they're not. For instance: the random encounter is with a bounty hunter. In the past, the PCs stole something from a powerful NPC. The GM could decide that the bounty hunter is looking for some random NPC the PCs (and players) have never heard of; or could decide that the bounty hunter is on the track of the PCs at the behest of the person they stole from. One way to resolve that question is for the GM to just decide - this is how I would handle it if I were running 4e or Burning Wheel but (for some reason) using random encounters. Another way to resolve it is to make a reaction check - a neutral or friendly reaction means the bounty hunter is not after the PCs; a poor reaction means that s/he is. That is how I would handle it running Traveller. In other words, different games use different devices for establishing content; but I would never consider it "not cool" to read an interesting rather than uninteresting encounter off the output of those devices. If a player has a clever idea contingent on clouds being visible there's any number of ways of handling it. Again, details of different RPGs vary, but my default would be to allow the check, and if it fails narrate a lack of sufficient visible clouds as a cause of the failure. (One problem with non-4e D&D is that it has no check-based resolution system for casting spells, which makes it harder to GM by way of "say 'yes' or roll the dice. That's why I tend not to run non-4e D&D.) [/QUOTE]

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