In my role as a Dungeon Master, I traditionally 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 determined by character actions as opposed to random chance. However, I decided to alter my method, and I'm truly glad I did.
The Catalyst: Observing an Improvised Tool
A well-known actual-play show showcases a DM who often requests "luck rolls" from the players. He does this by picking a polyhedral and assigning consequences tied to the number. This is at its core no unlike consulting a pre-generated chart, these get invented spontaneously when a player's action lacks a predetermined resolution.
I opted to test this method at my own session, mainly because it looked engaging and offered a departure from my standard routine. The results were remarkable, prompting me to reflect on the perennial dynamic between preparation and improvisation in a D&D campaign.
A Memorable In-Game Example
In a recent session, my party had just emerged from a massive battle. When the dust settled, a player inquired after two beloved NPCs—a sibling duo—had lived. In place of picking a fate, I handed it over to chance. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The stakes were: on a 1-4, both died; on a 5-9, only one would die; on a 10+, they both lived.
The player rolled a 4. This resulted in a incredibly emotional scene where the adventurers discovered the remains of their friends, forever clasped together in death. The cleric performed a ceremony, which was especially powerful due to prior character interactions. As a final gesture, I chose that the NPCs' bodies were strangely transformed, showing a magical Prayer Bead. I randomized, the bead's contained spell was perfectly what the party lacked to solve another major situation. One just plan such serendipitous story beats.
Honing On-the-Spot Skills
This experience led me to ponder if improvisation and spontaneity are in fact the core of this game. Even if you are a prep-heavy DM, your ability to adapt need exercise. Adventurers frequently excel at upending the best constructed plans. Therefore, a skilled DM must be able to adapt swiftly and fabricate details in real-time.
Employing similar mechanics is a fantastic way to train these talents without venturing too far outside your comfort zone. The trick is to deploy them for low-stakes situations that won't drastically alter the campaign's main plot. To illustrate, I would avoid using it to establish if the main villain is a secret enemy. However, I could use it to figure out if the party enter a room right after a key action occurs.
Strengthening Shared Narrative
Luck rolls also works to make players feel invested and create the sensation that the story is dynamic, evolving based on their actions as they play. It reduces the perception that they are merely characters in a DM's sole narrative, thereby enhancing the cooperative nature of roleplaying.
Randomization has historically been embedded in the game's DNA. The game's roots were enamored with random tables, which made sense for a playstyle focused on dungeon crawling. While current D&D tends to focuses on story and character, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, this isn't always the required method.
Striking the Healthy Equilibrium
Absolutely no issue with being prepared. But, equally valid no issue with stepping back and letting the whim of chance to guide minor details instead of you. Direction is a significant factor in a DM's role. We need it to run the game, yet we can be reluctant to release it, even when doing so can lead to great moments.
The core recommendation is this: Do not fear of relinquishing a bit of your plan. Experiment with a little randomness for smaller details. It may discover that the surprising result is significantly more powerful than anything you would have pre-written in advance.
