On The Shoulders Of Dwarves

What's the point of having random encounters? How to create them, how to utilize them, and why. [Xanathar's Guide to Everything](http://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/xanathars-guide-everything), D&D's latest sourcebook, does random encounters right, mostly. **4:30 Why have random encounters?** Deliver information about the world: There are dragons in the mountains to the north. Sustain the illusion of a consistent world: Things are happening even when the characters are not around. Tell the "story" of the world: There used to be a dwarven empire in these lands. Create a certain atmosphere: Chill and unease, in preparation for the haunted castle. **6:15 Enriching the world with encounter tables** [Show, don't tell](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ShowDontTell) [Sandbox style](http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WideOpenSandbox) [West Marches](http://arsludi.lamemage.com/index.php/78/grand-experiments-west-marches/) No such thing as "just goblins", see [our previous