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When I am a Dungeon Master, I historically steered clear of heavy use of chance during my tabletop roleplaying adventures. My preference was for story direction and what happened in a game to be guided by player choice instead of the roll of a die. However, I chose to alter my method, and I'm very glad I did.

The Spark: Seeing a Custom Mechanic

A well-known actual-play show showcases a DM who often requests "chance rolls" from the adventurers. This involves picking a polyhedral and assigning possible results contingent on the result. This is fundamentally no distinct from using a pre-generated chart, these are devised spontaneously when a character's decision doesn't have a clear resolution.

I chose to experiment with this technique at my own game, mainly because it seemed novel and provided a change from my usual habits. The outcome were remarkable, prompting me to reconsider the often-debated dynamic between preparation and randomization in a roleplaying game.

A Powerful Session Moment

In a recent session, my players had concluded a city-wide fight. When the dust settled, a cleric character wondered if two friendly NPCs—a brother and sister—had made it. Instead of deciding myself, I let the dice decide. I instructed the player to roll a d20. The possible results were: a low roll, both would perish; on a 5-9, only one succumbed; on a 10+, they made it.

The player rolled a 4. This resulted in a deeply emotional moment where the characters came upon the corpses of their friends, still clasped together in their final moments. The cleric held a ceremony, which was particularly significant due to prior character interactions. As a parting reward, I improvised that the forms were suddenly transformed, showing a enchanted item. I randomized, the item's contained spell was perfectly what the party required to address another major situation. You simply plan this type of serendipitous coincidences.

Honing On-the-Spot Skills

This incident made me wonder if improvisation and thinking on your feet are actually the essence of D&D. While you are a meticulously planning DM, your skill to pivot may atrophy. Groups reliably take delight in upending the most carefully laid narratives. Therefore, a effective DM must be able to pivot effectively and invent details on the fly.

Employing luck rolls is a great way to develop these skills without straying too much outside your comfort zone. The trick is to apply them for minor situations that don't fundamentally change the session's primary direction. As an example, I wouldn't use it to determine if the central plot figure is a traitor. But, I could use it to determine whether the characters enter a room right after a major incident takes place.

Empowering Player Agency

This technique also serves to keep players engaged and cultivate the sensation that the story is responsive, shaping in reaction to their actions as they play. It prevents the sense that they are merely actors in a rigidly planned story, thereby enhancing the cooperative aspect of roleplaying.

This approach has long been embedded in the game's DNA. Original D&D were reliant on charts, which fit a game focused on dungeon crawling. Even though contemporary D&D frequently prioritizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, this isn't always the only path.

Finding the Right Balance

Absolutely no problem with doing your prep. However, equally valid nothing wrong with stepping back and allowing the dice to determine certain outcomes instead of you. Direction is a significant factor in a DM's role. We use it to manage the world, yet we often struggle to give some up, in situations where doing so could be beneficial.

My final suggestion is this: Do not fear of letting go of the reins. Experiment with a little chance for minor details. You might just create that the organic story beat is significantly more rewarding than anything you might have scripted by yourself.