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In my role as a Dungeon Master, I traditionally avoided heavy use of luck during my D&D sessions. I preferred was for narrative flow and session development to be guided by deliberate decisions rather than pure luck. Recently, I decided to alter my method, and I'm truly glad I did.

The Catalyst: Seeing an Improvised Tool

A well-known actual-play show showcases a DM who regularly calls for "luck rolls" from the adventurers. The process entails choosing a type of die and defining consequences contingent on the roll. While it's fundamentally no different from consulting a random table, these are created on the spot when a course of events lacks a clear outcome.

I decided to try this method at my own session, primarily because it appeared novel and presented a change from my normal practice. The experience were remarkable, prompting me to think deeply about the ongoing dynamic between pre-determination and improvisation in a roleplaying game.

A Memorable Story Beat

In a recent session, my party had survived a city-wide battle. Later, a cleric character asked about two key NPCs—a brother and sister—had survived. In place of picking a fate, I handed it over to chance. I asked the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. I defined the outcomes as: a low roll, both were killed; on a 5-9, a single one succumbed; on a 10+, they made it.

Fate decreed a 4. This triggered a deeply moving moment where the party came upon the remains of their allies, still holding hands in death. The group conducted a ceremony, which was particularly meaningful due to previous story developments. In a concluding reward, I decided that the NPCs' bodies were miraculously restored, revealing a spell-storing object. By chance, the item's magical effect was perfectly what the party lacked to resolve another pressing situation. One just script this type of magical story beats.

Improving Your Improvisation

This event caused me to question if randomization and making it up are actually the core of tabletop RPGs. Even if you are a prep-heavy DM, your skill to pivot may atrophy. Adventurers frequently find joy in derailing the most detailed plots. Therefore, a skilled DM needs to be able to pivot effectively and fabricate content in real-time.

Utilizing on-the-spot randomization is a fantastic way to develop these talents without straying too much outside your preparation. The key is to apply them for minor decisions that don't fundamentally change the campaign's main plot. To illustrate, I would not employ it to decide if the king's advisor is a secret enemy. But, I would consider using it to determine whether the characters enter a room just in time to see a key action occurs.

Strengthening Collaborative Storytelling

Spontaneous randomization also helps maintain tension and cultivate the sensation that the game world is alive, progressing based on their choices as they play. It reduces the perception that they are merely actors in a pre-written story, thereby strengthening the cooperative nature of roleplaying.

This philosophy has always been part of the game's DNA. Original D&D were enamored with encounter generators, which suited a playstyle focused on treasure hunting. Although contemporary D&D tends to focuses on story and character, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, it's not necessarily the best approach.

Finding the Right Balance

There is absolutely no problem with being prepared. But, equally valid no problem with relinquishing control and permitting the whim of chance to determine certain outcomes in place of you. Authority is a big factor in a DM's job. We use it to manage the world, yet we frequently find it hard to cede it, in situations where doing so could be beneficial.

A piece of suggestion is this: Have no fear of relinquishing a bit of control. Embrace a little randomness for inconsequential details. It may create that the surprising result is significantly more memorable than anything you could have scripted by yourself.