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When I am a DM, I historically steered clear of heavy use of chance during my tabletop roleplaying adventures. I tended was for the plot and what happened in a game to be guided by player choice instead of pure luck. Recently, I opted to alter my method, and I'm incredibly pleased with the outcome.

The Catalyst: Watching an Improvised Tool

An influential podcast showcases a DM who regularly calls for "luck rolls" from the participants. The process entails picking a polyhedral and outlining consequences contingent on the roll. It's at its core no unlike consulting a random table, these are created in the moment when a course of events has no predetermined outcome.

I decided to try this approach at my own game, mostly because it appeared engaging and provided a change from my usual habits. The results were fantastic, prompting me to reconsider the ongoing tension between pre-determination and randomization in a roleplaying game.

A Powerful Story Beat

At a session, my group had just emerged from a massive battle. When the dust settled, a cleric character asked about two beloved NPCs—a brother and sister—had lived. In place of choosing an outcome, I let the dice decide. I told the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. I defined the outcomes as: on a 1-4, both died; on a 5-9, only one would die; on a 10+, they both lived.

The player rolled a 4. This led to a incredibly poignant moment where the party found the bodies of their friends, forever holding hands in death. The party held funeral rites, which was uniquely meaningful due to previous story developments. As a parting gesture, I chose that the remains were miraculously restored, revealing a magical Prayer Bead. I randomized, the item's magical effect was precisely what the group required to resolve another major situation. One just orchestrate this type of serendipitous story beats.

Improving DM Agility

This incident led me to ponder if randomization and spontaneity are in fact the core of this game. While you are a prep-heavy DM, your ability to adapt may atrophy. Adventurers often find joy in derailing the most carefully laid plans. Therefore, a good DM must be able to think quickly and invent content on the fly.

Utilizing luck rolls is a excellent way to practice these skills without going completely outside your usual style. The key is to deploy them for small-scale circumstances that won't drastically alter the campaign's main plot. For instance, I wouldn't use it to decide if the main villain is a secret enemy. Instead, I could use it to decide whether the party reach a location right after a key action unfolds.

Empowering Player Agency

This technique also works to maintain tension and cultivate the sensation that the adventure is alive, progressing in reaction to their decisions as they play. It reduces the feeling that they are merely pawns in a rigidly planned story, thereby strengthening the collaborative nature of storytelling.

This approach has always been part of the core of D&D. The game's roots were enamored with charts, which fit a playstyle focused on dungeon crawling. Even though modern D&D often prioritizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, that may not be the required method.

Achieving the Right Balance

There is absolutely no problem with being prepared. Yet, it's also fine no problem with relinquishing control and letting the rolls to determine certain outcomes rather than you. Authority is a major part of a DM's job. We use it to run the game, yet we can be reluctant to release it, in situations where doing so can lead to great moments.

A piece of recommendation is this: Do not fear of temporarily losing your plan. Try a little chance for minor story elements. You might just discover that the unexpected outcome is significantly more memorable than anything you could have scripted on your own.