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In my role as a Dungeon Master, I traditionally steered clear of heavy use of luck during my Dungeons & Dragons sessions. My preference was for story direction and session development to be determined by character actions rather than pure luck. Recently, I opted to try something different, and I'm truly pleased with the outcome.

The Catalyst: Seeing a Custom Mechanic

A well-known podcast utilizes a DM who regularly calls for "chance rolls" from the players. The process entails choosing a type of die and assigning potential outcomes contingent on the number. It's fundamentally no distinct from consulting a random table, these are created in the moment when a course of events lacks a predetermined outcome.

I decided to try this method at my own game, mostly because it looked interesting and offered a change from my usual habits. The outcome were fantastic, prompting me to reconsider the ongoing balance between pre-determination and improvisation in a tabletop session.

An Emotional In-Game Example

At a session, my party had just emerged from a large-scale battle. Afterwards, a cleric character wondered if two beloved NPCs—a sibling duo—had survived. Rather than deciding myself, I let the dice decide. I told the player to roll a d20. The possible results were: on a 1-4, both would perish; on a 5-9, a single one succumbed; a high roll, they survived.

The player rolled a 4. This led to a deeply emotional sequence where the adventurers came upon the remains of their allies, forever holding hands in their final moments. The group conducted a ceremony, which was uniquely significant due to earlier story developments. As a final reward, I improvised that the remains were suddenly transformed, containing a magical Prayer Bead. I rolled for, the bead's magical effect was perfectly what the group required to solve another major quest obstacle. One just plan these kinds of perfect moments.

Sharpening Your Improvisation

This event made me wonder if improvisation and making it up are in fact the essence of this game. While you are a prep-heavy DM, your skill to pivot need exercise. Adventurers often find joy in ignoring the most carefully laid plans. Therefore, a good DM needs to be able to adapt swiftly and invent scenarios in real-time.

Utilizing on-the-spot randomization is a fantastic way to train these talents without going completely outside your comfort zone. The trick is to use them for minor circumstances that have a limited impact on the campaign's main plot. For instance, I would not employ it to decide if the main villain is a traitor. However, I might use it to figure out if the PCs enter a room right after a critical event unfolds.

Empowering Player Agency

Luck rolls also works to keep players engaged and foster the sensation that the story is responsive, shaping in reaction to their choices immediately. It combats the sense that they are merely pawns in a pre-written narrative, thereby enhancing the collaborative aspect of storytelling.

This approach has always been embedded in the core of D&D. Original D&D were filled with encounter generators, which made sense for a playstyle focused on treasure hunting. While modern D&D often emphasizes story and character, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, it's not necessarily the required method.

Finding the Sweet Spot

Absolutely no issue with being prepared. However, there is also no issue with relinquishing control and letting the dice to decide some things instead of you. Control is a big part of a DM's role. We need it to facilitate play, yet we can be reluctant to give some up, in situations where doing so can lead to great moments.

A piece of suggestion is this: Have no fear of letting go of the reins. Experiment with a little randomness for inconsequential outcomes. The result could create that the unexpected outcome is infinitely more rewarding than anything you could have planned in advance.