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As a DM, I historically avoided heavy use of chance during my Dungeons & Dragons sessions. I tended was for narrative flow and session development to be guided by character actions as opposed to the roll of a die. That said, I decided to change my approach, and I'm truly glad I did.

The Inspiration: Seeing a Custom Mechanic

A popular podcast showcases a DM who regularly requests "chance rolls" from the participants. This involves choosing a type of die and assigning possible results based on the number. This is essentially no different from rolling on a pre-generated chart, these are created in the moment when a character's decision lacks a predetermined conclusion.

I decided to try this method at my own session, primarily because it looked novel and provided a break from my usual habits. The experience were eye-opening, prompting me to reflect on the ongoing tension between pre-determination and randomization in a roleplaying game.

An Emotional Session Moment

In a recent session, my party had survived a massive fight. Afterwards, a cleric character inquired after two beloved NPCs—a pair—had survived. Instead of choosing an outcome, I asked for a roll. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The possible results were: a low roll, both died; a middling roll, a single one succumbed; on a 10+, they made it.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a profoundly poignant sequence where the party discovered the corpses of their allies, forever clasped together in death. The cleric conducted last rites, which was particularly significant due to previous roleplaying. As a final reward, I improvised that the forms were suddenly restored, containing a magical Prayer Bead. By chance, the item's magical effect was exactly what the party required to address another pressing situation. It's impossible to plan such perfect coincidences.

Sharpening DM Agility

This incident led me to ponder if improvisation and thinking on your feet are truly the beating heart of D&D. Although you are a detail-oriented DM, your ability to adapt may atrophy. Players reliably take delight in upending the best constructed narratives. Therefore, a good DM must be able to think quickly and fabricate content in the moment.

Utilizing luck rolls is a fantastic way to train these skills without straying too much outside your comfort zone. The trick is to deploy them for low-stakes situations that won't drastically alter the session's primary direction. For instance, I wouldn't use it to establish if the central plot figure is a traitor. However, I would consider using it to decide whether the characters enter a room right after a critical event unfolds.

Empowering Collaborative Storytelling

Spontaneous randomization also serves to maintain tension and foster the sensation that the game world is responsive, progressing in reaction to their decisions immediately. It reduces the perception that they are merely actors in a DM's sole story, thereby strengthening the collaborative aspect of the game.

This philosophy has historically been integral to the game's DNA. The game's roots were reliant on encounter generators, which made sense for a playstyle focused on exploration. Even though contemporary D&D frequently emphasizes story and character, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, this isn't always the only path.

Finding the Sweet Spot

There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing your prep. However, there is also no problem with stepping back and letting the rolls to decide some things rather than you. Control is a major factor in a DM's role. We require it to run the game, yet we frequently find it hard to release it, even when doing so might improve the game.

A piece of suggestion is this: Do not fear of relinquishing a bit of your plan. Experiment with a little improvisation for inconsequential details. It may discover that the unexpected outcome is far more memorable than anything you might have planned by yourself.