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As a DM, I historically shied away from heavy use of chance during my tabletop roleplaying sessions. My preference was for narrative flow and what happened in a game to be shaped by character actions instead of random chance. That said, I chose to alter my method, and I'm very happy with the result.

The Spark: Seeing 'Luck Rolls'

A well-known streamed game features a DM who often requests "fate rolls" from the adventurers. This involves choosing a type of die and outlining potential outcomes based on the number. It's essentially no distinct from consulting a random table, these get invented on the spot when a player's action doesn't have a clear resolution.

I opted to test this technique at my own game, mainly because it looked novel and presented a departure from my usual habits. The experience were fantastic, prompting me to reflect on the ongoing balance between pre-determination and improvisation in a roleplaying game.

An Emotional Story Beat

In a recent session, my group had survived a large-scale conflict. When the dust settled, a cleric character inquired after two key NPCs—a pair—had survived. Rather than choosing an outcome, I handed it over to chance. I told the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The possible results were: on a 1-4, both were killed; a middling roll, a single one succumbed; on a 10+, they both lived.

The die came up a 4. This resulted in a deeply emotional scene where the adventurers found the bodies of their companions, forever united in death. The party conducted a ceremony, which was uniquely significant due to previous story developments. As a final touch, I improvised that the forms were suddenly transformed, revealing a magical Prayer Bead. I rolled for, the item's magical effect was precisely what the party needed to solve another pressing situation. You simply orchestrate these kinds of serendipitous story beats.

Honing Your Improvisation

This event caused me to question if improvisation and making it up are actually the beating heart of D&D. While you are a prep-heavy DM, your ability to adapt need exercise. Players frequently excel at ignoring the most carefully laid plots. Therefore, a effective DM has to be able to pivot effectively and create details in real-time.

Using similar mechanics is a excellent way to practice these skills without straying too much outside your usual style. The trick is to use them for low-stakes situations that don't fundamentally change the campaign's main plot. To illustrate, I would avoid using it to determine if the central plot figure is a secret enemy. But, I could use it to figure out whether the party reach a location just in time to see a key action occurs.

Empowering Player Agency

Spontaneous randomization also helps keep players engaged and create the sensation that the story is alive, evolving based on their actions as they play. It prevents the perception that they are merely pawns in a pre-written narrative, thereby enhancing the shared nature of storytelling.

This approach has long been embedded in the game's DNA. Original D&D were filled with charts, which fit a playstyle focused on dungeon crawling. Even though current D&D frequently emphasizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, this isn't always the best approach.

Finding the Right Balance

There is absolutely no issue with doing your prep. However, equally valid nothing wrong with letting go and permitting the whim of chance to determine certain outcomes rather than you. Control is a significant part of a DM's job. We require it to run the game, yet we can be reluctant to give some up, at times when doing so can lead to great moments.

The core recommendation is this: Do not fear of temporarily losing your plan. Embrace a little randomness for minor story elements. You might just create that the organic story beat is significantly more powerful than anything you would have pre-written on your own.