The ideal TRPG mechanic steps in to answer a question that no one in the group feels comfortable answering or wants to answer. (1/3)
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) August 10, 2018
To me, comfort is about letting bad stuff happen without being a dick about it. In other words, the dragon eats your character because the rules/dice say it happens. If the DM just decides to kill your PC, that's lame. (2/3)
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) August 10, 2018
The desire for a random answer, in my experience, comes from a desire to be surprised. Good random encounters are like this – does the guard patrol happen to walk by just as we climb down the castle wall with the crown jewels? Let the dice decide. (3/3)
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) August 10, 2018
As an aside – wandering monsters get a bad rap because as presented, it can feel like a random, pointless fight. Think of it instead as a random plot complication, seeded with PC-relevant events (your nemesis rides into town) and it can be a lot more fun.
— Mike Mearls (@mikemearls) August 10, 2018