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As a DM, I traditionally avoided significant use of chance during my tabletop roleplaying adventures. My preference was for the plot and what happened in a game to be shaped by player choice instead of the roll of a die. Recently, I opted to change my approach, and I'm truly glad I did.

The Catalyst: Seeing a Custom Mechanic

An influential podcast features a DM who frequently requests "luck rolls" from the adventurers. The process entails picking a polyhedral and defining consequences based on the result. It's fundamentally no unlike consulting a pre-generated chart, these get invented spontaneously when a course of events has no predetermined outcome.

I chose to experiment with this method at my own session, mostly because it looked engaging and offered a departure from my standard routine. The outcome were fantastic, prompting me to reflect on the perennial tension between planning and randomization in a roleplaying game.

A Powerful Story Beat

At a session, my group had survived a massive battle. When the dust settled, a cleric character inquired after two beloved NPCs—a brother and sister—had lived. In place of picking a fate, I handed it over to chance. I told the player to roll a d20. I defined the outcomes as: on a 1-4, both died; on a 5-9, only one would die; on a 10+, they survived.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a incredibly poignant moment where the characters found the bodies of their allies, still united in their final moments. The cleric performed funeral rites, which was uniquely significant due to previous roleplaying. As a final gesture, I chose that the forms were miraculously restored, showing a spell-storing object. By chance, the item's magical effect was perfectly what the party needed to solve another pressing situation. One just orchestrate these kinds of perfect story beats.

Improving DM Agility

This experience caused me to question if chance and thinking on your feet are actually the essence of D&D. Although you are a detail-oriented DM, your skill to pivot need exercise. Adventurers often find joy in upending the most carefully laid plots. Therefore, a skilled DM needs to be able to adapt swiftly and fabricate content on the fly.

Using on-the-spot randomization is a great way to develop these talents without venturing too far outside your usual style. The trick is to apply them for low-stakes situations that have a limited impact on the overarching story. For instance, I wouldn't use it to decide if the main villain is a secret enemy. However, I could use it to determine if the PCs enter a room moments before a major incident occurs.

Strengthening Collaborative Storytelling

Spontaneous randomization also serves to keep players engaged and create the sensation that the adventure is responsive, progressing according to their actions immediately. It combats the sense that they are merely characters in a pre-written story, thereby bolstering the collaborative aspect of the game.

This philosophy has always been part of the original design. Early editions were filled with charts, which suited a game focused on dungeon crawling. While modern D&D often emphasizes story and character, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, this isn't always the required method.

Finding the Healthy Equilibrium

It is perfectly no problem with being prepared. However, there is also no problem with stepping back and allowing the dice to decide some things in place of you. Control is a major aspect of a DM's job. We require it to facilitate play, yet we often struggle to cede it, in situations where doing so might improve the game.

The core advice is this: Have no fear of letting go of your plan. Try a little chance for minor story elements. It may discover that the organic story beat is significantly more memorable than anything you could have pre-written on your own.