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When I am a Dungeon Master, I traditionally shied away from extensive use of luck during my Dungeons & Dragons sessions. I tended was for story direction and session development to be determined by deliberate decisions as opposed to random chance. Recently, I opted to change my approach, and I'm truly glad I did.

The Inspiration: Seeing a Custom Mechanic

A popular actual-play show showcases a DM who often calls for "chance rolls" from the adventurers. He does this by selecting a polyhedral and assigning possible results based on the number. It's essentially no unlike consulting a pre-generated chart, these get invented in the moment when a character's decision has no predetermined resolution.

I decided to try this technique at my own table, primarily because it seemed interesting and offered a departure from my normal practice. The experience were remarkable, prompting me to reflect on the perennial balance between planning and randomization in a roleplaying game.

An Emotional Story Beat

In a recent session, my party had just emerged from a large-scale fight. When the dust settled, a cleric character asked about two friendly NPCs—a sibling duo—had lived. In place of deciding myself, I asked for a roll. I asked the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The possible results were: on a 1-4, both would perish; a middling roll, only one succumbed; on a 10+, they survived.

The die came up a 4. This triggered a deeply moving scene where the adventurers came upon the bodies of their friends, still holding hands in death. The group held a ceremony, which was particularly significant due to prior story developments. As a final gesture, I improvised that the NPCs' bodies were miraculously transformed, containing a enchanted item. I randomized, the item's magical effect was exactly what the party required to solve another major story problem. It's impossible to orchestrate these kinds of serendipitous moments.

Sharpening DM Agility

This event caused me to question if chance and making it up are in fact the essence of D&D. Although you are a meticulously planning DM, your improvisation muscles may atrophy. Groups frequently take delight in derailing the most carefully laid narratives. Therefore, a good DM has to be able to think quickly and invent scenarios on the fly.

Utilizing luck rolls is a great way to train these skills without straying too much outside your usual style. The strategy is to use them for minor circumstances that have a limited impact on the overarching story. As an example, I would avoid using it to decide if the main villain is a traitor. But, I could use it to figure out if the PCs enter a room moments before a key action unfolds.

Enhancing Shared Narrative

This technique also works to maintain tension and create the feeling that the adventure is alive, evolving based on their actions as they play. It prevents the feeling that they are merely actors in a pre-written narrative, thereby bolstering the cooperative aspect of storytelling.

Randomization has historically been part of the core of D&D. Original D&D were enamored with charts, which fit a game focused on treasure hunting. While contemporary D&D tends to focuses on plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, it's not necessarily the only path.

Striking the Healthy Equilibrium

Absolutely no problem with doing your prep. However, equally valid nothing wrong with relinquishing control and allowing the rolls to guide minor details rather than you. Direction is a big factor in a DM's role. We require it to run the game, yet we frequently find it hard to give some up, even when doing so could be beneficial.

My final suggestion is this: Have no fear of relinquishing a bit of control. Experiment with a little improvisation for smaller story elements. You might just find that the unexpected outcome is significantly more rewarding than anything you could have scripted in advance.