ABSTRACT
However, the rules need to be fl exible enough to accommodate the unpredictable and the unexpected. In real life, we seldom (if ever) know precisely what will happen as a result of even our best-informed decisions, and a realistic game should take the whims of fortune into account. On the other hand, if the game is too random, it could quickly get absurd. Sure, it’s possible that a tiny kobold might kill a giant ogre with a well-aimed stone, but it’s highly unlikely. What’s needed is a careful balance, with just enough randomness to make the game exciting. One of the many reasons Advanced Dungeons & Dragons became so popular was the rational and sophisticated way it handled so many unpredictable phenomena, requiring just the right ratio of luck to cunning.
