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In my role as a Dungeon Master, I traditionally steered clear of heavy use of chance during my Dungeons & Dragons sessions. My preference was for story direction and what happened in a game to be guided by character actions instead of the roll of a die. Recently, I chose to alter my method, and I'm truly glad I did.

The Spark: Watching an Improvised Tool

An influential streamed game features a DM who frequently calls for "luck rolls" from the adventurers. This involves selecting a polyhedral and outlining consequences tied to the roll. It's essentially no unlike consulting a pre-generated chart, these are devised on the spot when a course of events lacks a clear resolution.

I decided to try this approach at my own session, primarily because it appeared novel and presented a departure from my usual habits. The results were eye-opening, prompting me to reconsider the ongoing balance between preparation and randomization in a roleplaying game.

An Emotional In-Game Example

At a session, my players had concluded a large-scale battle. Afterwards, a player wondered if two friendly NPCs—a sibling duo—had made it. Rather than deciding myself, I asked for a roll. I told the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. I defined the outcomes as: on a 1-4, both died; a middling roll, a single one would die; on a 10+, they both lived.

The player rolled a 4. This resulted in a incredibly poignant scene where the characters discovered the corpses of their companions, forever united in death. The party held last rites, which was uniquely meaningful due to earlier character interactions. As a final reward, I chose that the NPCs' bodies were miraculously restored, showing a spell-storing object. By chance, the bead's magical effect was exactly what the group required to resolve another critical story problem. You simply script these kinds of serendipitous coincidences.

Honing DM Agility

This experience caused me to question if improvisation and thinking on your feet are truly the core of D&D. Although you are a prep-heavy DM, your skill to pivot may atrophy. Adventurers often take delight in derailing the most detailed plots. Therefore, a skilled DM has to be able to adapt swiftly and fabricate scenarios in the moment.

Employing on-the-spot randomization is a fantastic way to train these abilities without venturing too far outside your usual style. The key is to deploy them for small-scale situations that don't fundamentally change the campaign's main plot. As an example, I wouldn't use it to decide if the king's advisor is a traitor. However, I might use it to determine whether the PCs arrive moments before a critical event takes place.

Enhancing Collaborative Storytelling

Luck rolls also helps make players feel invested and cultivate the feeling that the adventure is responsive, evolving based on their actions as they play. It reduces the perception that they are merely actors in a pre-written story, thereby bolstering the collaborative aspect of storytelling.

Randomization has historically been embedded in the game's DNA. Early editions were reliant on random tables, which fit a game focused on dungeon crawling. Even though modern D&D frequently prioritizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, that may not be the required method.

Striking the Right Balance

There is absolutely no problem with doing your prep. Yet, it's also fine nothing wrong with letting go and permitting the whim of chance to determine certain outcomes in place of you. Authority is a major factor in a DM's job. We need it to manage the world, yet we often struggle to release it, in situations where doing so can lead to great moments.

The core suggestion is this: Don't be afraid of letting go of the reins. Embrace a little randomness for minor story elements. It may create that the unexpected outcome is far more powerful than anything you might have pre-written on your own.