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In my role as a DM, I traditionally shied away from heavy use of chance during my Dungeons & Dragons adventures. I tended was for the plot and what happened in a game to be guided by player choice instead of pure luck. That said, I chose to try something different, and I'm truly pleased with the outcome.

The Catalyst: Observing 'Luck Rolls'

An influential actual-play show utilizes a DM who regularly calls for "fate rolls" from the adventurers. The process entails picking a type of die and outlining potential outcomes based on the number. It's at its core no distinct from using a pre-generated chart, these are devised in the moment when a character's decision has no obvious conclusion.

I chose to experiment with this technique at my own session, mainly because it appeared novel and presented a departure from my normal practice. The outcome were fantastic, prompting me to reflect on the often-debated tension between preparation and randomization in a roleplaying game.

An Emotional Session Moment

In a recent session, my players had just emerged from a large-scale fight. Later, a player asked about two beloved NPCs—a pair—had lived. In place of picking a fate, I let the dice decide. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The stakes were: a low roll, both would perish; on a 5-9, a single one would die; on a 10+, they survived.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a incredibly emotional sequence where the party discovered the remains of their allies, forever clasped together in their final moments. The party performed last rites, which was uniquely powerful due to previous character interactions. As a parting gesture, I chose that the forms were strangely restored, containing a spell-storing object. I rolled for, the bead's contained spell was exactly what the party lacked to resolve another major quest obstacle. You simply plan this type of serendipitous coincidences.

Honing Your Improvisation

This event led me to ponder if randomization and spontaneity are actually the core of this game. Although you are a detail-oriented DM, your skill to pivot may atrophy. Adventurers often excel at upending the most detailed narratives. Therefore, a skilled DM must be able to think quickly and fabricate details in the moment.

Utilizing luck rolls is a great way to develop these skills without straying too much outside your comfort zone. The trick is to use them for small-scale situations that have a limited impact on the campaign's main plot. As an example, I wouldn't use it to establish if the central plot figure is a traitor. However, I would consider using it to decide whether the characters reach a location just in time to see a key action unfolds.

Enhancing Collaborative Storytelling

This technique also serves to make players feel invested and create the impression that the story is alive, evolving in reaction to their actions as they play. It combats the perception that they are merely characters in a pre-written script, thereby strengthening the collaborative foundation of storytelling.

This philosophy has long been part of the core of D&D. The game's roots were reliant on charts, which suited a game focused on dungeon crawling. While modern D&D tends to emphasizes story and character, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, it's not necessarily the required method.

Achieving the Healthy Equilibrium

It is perfectly no problem with doing your prep. However, equally valid nothing wrong with stepping back and permitting the whim of chance to determine certain outcomes rather than you. Control is a major factor in a DM's job. We use it to run the game, yet we often struggle to cede it, in situations where doing so can lead to great moments.

The core advice is this: Don't be afraid of temporarily losing control. Experiment with a little improvisation for smaller story elements. The result could discover that the unexpected outcome is infinitely more powerful than anything you would have scripted in advance.