Treat an encounter in your adventure/campaign like a character in a story

#dnd encounter design tip: treat an encounter in your adventure/campaign like a character in a story. Give it a reason to be there, even if it is just to contrast to other characters. It should forward the plot, deepen the setting, highlight a theme, etc. 1/2

— Shawn Merwin #WinterFantasy Prep (@shawnmerwin) February 5, 2019

During 3e's Living Greyhawk campaign, we joked about "RTEs": random thug encounters. They were there just because the writer needed to add experience points to the adventure. The tighter your encounters fit with your story, the deeper and richer the experience.

— Shawn Merwin #WinterFantasy Prep (@shawnmerwin) February 5, 2019