Random Encounters

 Random Encounters, specifically Wilderness Encounters are one of those things I have come around on in my games as an important part of a balanced campaign.

Prior to me falling in with the retro/OSR mindset, I saw random encounters as needless filler at best, and PC killers at worst.  In my defense, I think it a lot of the material I was looking at, it failed to explain why these encounters may happen and how to run them.And in some cases I am sure they were included because "you have to have them" was the order of the day.

I can almost liken it to "filler" episodes of older serialized TV.  At the time I would be bothered by a random Ferengi or Baseball episode taking us away from the war plotline, but now on re-watches I enjoy those episodes and they are nice change of pace.  I am sure that the ability to watch a chunk of episodes back to back and not waiting a week to get back to the Big Story helps.

Now, much like today's tightly scripted 8 episode seasons, if you are running an adventure path with set timelines and event, then you probably don't have room for this sort of thing.  But for more open world style campaigning, I think it is not only good play, but good world building.

It is important to note, these are random ENCOUNTERS, not always random COMBATS.

World Building: The players set off in a new direction through the wilderness that you as DM have not thought about.  While doing so you roll up encounters for Hobgoblins, and a Wyvern.   Well now you do know something about those woods, and in the future you know you can re-visit the Hobgoblins of Wyvernwood.

Gameplay: Adventuring is dangerous, If player's can just plow through woods, and mountains, etc. with little regard, then what are roads and taxes to pay guards for.  By having encounters be a hazard of travel, you have a macro version of the same decision making/risk reward that you can see in the dungeon.  Do you cross the room directly over the mysterious dust free spot, or do you take a circuitous route?  Expending resources in unplanned/unexpected ways is part of the gameplay.

Plus it helps fill a nights game, if you suddenly find yourself short on content.