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When I am a DM, I traditionally steered clear of heavy use of chance during my D&D games. I preferred was for narrative flow and what happened in a game to be determined by player choice as opposed to random chance. That said, I chose to change my approach, and I'm truly pleased with the outcome.

The Inspiration: Watching a Custom Mechanic

A popular actual-play show showcases a DM who often calls for "luck rolls" from the adventurers. The process entails choosing a polyhedral and assigning possible results contingent on the roll. While it's at its core no different from using a random table, these get invented in the moment when a course of events doesn't have a obvious resolution.

I chose to experiment with this method at my own game, mainly because it appeared interesting and offered a departure from my standard routine. The outcome were remarkable, prompting me to reconsider the ongoing balance between preparation and spontaneity in a roleplaying game.

A Powerful In-Game Example

In a recent session, my group had survived a massive battle. Afterwards, a cleric character wondered if two beloved NPCs—a brother and sister—had lived. Rather than deciding myself, I let the dice decide. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The possible results were: a low roll, both died; a middling roll, only one would die; on a 10+, they made it.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a incredibly poignant scene where the adventurers came upon the bodies of their companions, forever clasped together in their final moments. The cleric conducted funeral rites, which was uniquely meaningful due to previous story developments. As a parting gesture, I improvised that the forms were strangely restored, revealing a spell-storing object. By chance, the item's magical effect was perfectly what the group required to address another critical story problem. You simply orchestrate such perfect coincidences.

Sharpening Your Improvisation

This incident made me wonder if randomization and spontaneity are in fact the essence of tabletop RPGs. While you are a detail-oriented DM, your skill to pivot can rust. Groups frequently find joy in derailing the most carefully laid plots. Therefore, a good DM has to be able to pivot effectively and fabricate scenarios in real-time.

Utilizing luck rolls is a fantastic way to develop these talents without venturing too far outside your comfort zone. The trick is to deploy them for low-stakes circumstances that won't drastically alter the overarching story. To illustrate, I would avoid using it to decide if the king's advisor is a traitor. Instead, I would consider using it to decide if the characters reach a location just in time to see a critical event occurs.

Strengthening Shared Narrative

Luck rolls also serves to maintain tension and foster the impression that the story is responsive, evolving according to their actions as they play. It prevents the sense that they are merely characters in a rigidly planned narrative, thereby strengthening the shared foundation of storytelling.

This approach has always been embedded in the game's DNA. Early editions were filled with random tables, which fit a game focused on exploration. Although modern D&D frequently prioritizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, it's not necessarily the required method.

Finding the Sweet Spot

Absolutely no problem with being prepared. But, there is also nothing wrong with letting go and letting the rolls to guide minor details in place of you. Authority is a significant factor in a DM's job. We require it to facilitate play, yet we can be reluctant to give some up, at times when doing so might improve the game.

The core advice is this: Do not fear of letting go of control. Experiment with a little improvisation for minor details. It may discover that the surprising result is significantly more memorable than anything you would have scripted on your own.