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As a Dungeon Master, I traditionally avoided heavy use of chance during my tabletop roleplaying sessions. I preferred was for the plot and what happened in a game to be shaped by deliberate decisions as opposed to pure luck. Recently, I decided to alter my method, and I'm very glad I did.

The Inspiration: Seeing 'Luck Rolls'

A popular actual-play show showcases a DM who frequently requests "chance rolls" from the adventurers. The process entails choosing a specific dice and defining possible results contingent on the result. While it's essentially no unlike consulting a random table, these get invented spontaneously when a course of events has no predetermined conclusion.

I opted to test this technique at my own game, mainly because it appeared engaging and offered a departure from my normal practice. The outcome were remarkable, prompting me to reflect on the often-debated dynamic between pre-determination and improvisation in a tabletop session.

A Memorable In-Game Example

At a session, my party had just emerged from a massive conflict. Later, a cleric character asked about two key NPCs—a sibling duo—had survived. Rather than picking a fate, I asked for a roll. I told the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. I defined the outcomes as: a low roll, both died; on a 5-9, a single one succumbed; on a 10+, they survived.

Fate decreed a 4. This triggered a incredibly moving moment where the adventurers came upon the bodies of their allies, forever clasped together in their final moments. The party performed a ceremony, which was uniquely significant due to earlier roleplaying. As a final touch, I improvised that the remains were suddenly restored, revealing a enchanted item. I randomized, the bead's magical effect was precisely what the group required to solve another pressing situation. One just orchestrate this type of serendipitous story beats.

Honing Your Improvisation

This experience led me to ponder if chance and thinking on your feet are actually the beating heart of this game. Although you are a meticulously planning DM, your skill to pivot may atrophy. Groups frequently excel at ignoring the best constructed plans. Therefore, a skilled DM needs to be able to adapt swiftly and create content in the moment.

Employing luck rolls is a excellent way to train these skills without going completely outside your usual style. The key is to deploy them for minor decisions that don't fundamentally change the overarching story. For instance, I wouldn't use it to establish if the central plot figure is a secret enemy. Instead, I could use it to figure out whether the characters enter a room right after a major incident takes place.

Strengthening Shared Narrative

Spontaneous randomization also helps maintain tension and create the sensation that the story is dynamic, evolving in reaction to their actions as they play. It reduces the sense that they are merely actors in a rigidly planned narrative, thereby enhancing the shared aspect of storytelling.

Randomization has historically been embedded in the core of D&D. Early editions were enamored with encounter generators, which made sense for a playstyle focused on treasure hunting. While current D&D often emphasizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, it's not necessarily the best approach.

Striking the Right Balance

There is absolutely no problem with doing your prep. However, equally valid no problem with stepping back and permitting the whim of chance to determine certain outcomes in place of you. Control is a big part of a DM's role. We need it to facilitate play, yet we frequently find it hard to release it, in situations where doing so can lead to great moments.

A piece of advice is this: Have no fear of relinquishing a bit of your plan. Embrace a little chance for inconsequential outcomes. You might just discover that the organic story beat is far more memorable than anything you could have scripted in advance.