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In my role as a Dungeon Master, I historically avoided significant use of chance during my Dungeons & Dragons sessions. I preferred was for the plot and what happened in a game to be guided by player choice instead of pure luck. However, I opted to try something different, and I'm truly happy with the result.

The Spark: Observing an Improvised Tool

A popular podcast showcases a DM who frequently asks for "chance rolls" from the participants. The process entails choosing a specific dice and assigning possible results contingent on the roll. It's at its core no different from consulting a random table, these are devised in the moment when a player's action doesn't have a obvious conclusion.

I opted to test this approach at my own game, mostly because it appeared engaging and presented a departure from my normal practice. The results were eye-opening, prompting me to reconsider the perennial balance between pre-determination and improvisation in a D&D campaign.

An Emotional Story Beat

At a session, my players had survived a city-wide fight. Later, a cleric character inquired after two key NPCs—a pair—had made it. Rather than picking a fate, I let the dice decide. I asked the player to roll a d20. I defined the outcomes as: a low roll, both were killed; on a 5-9, a single one would die; on a 10+, they made it.

The player rolled a 4. This resulted in a profoundly moving sequence where the adventurers found the remains of their friends, forever united in their final moments. The party conducted last rites, which was uniquely powerful due to prior character interactions. As a final gesture, I decided that the NPCs' bodies were strangely transformed, revealing a magical Prayer Bead. By chance, the bead's magical effect was precisely what the group needed to solve another major quest obstacle. One just plan such perfect moments.

Sharpening DM Agility

This event made me wonder if improvisation and thinking on your feet are in fact the core of this game. Even if you are a meticulously planning DM, your improvisation muscles may atrophy. Groups reliably excel at ignoring the most carefully laid plans. Therefore, a skilled DM must be able to pivot effectively and create content in the moment.

Using similar mechanics is a fantastic way to develop these skills without going completely outside your preparation. The key is to use them for small-scale circumstances that don't fundamentally change the overarching story. To illustrate, I would not employ it to establish if the main villain is a secret enemy. Instead, I might use it to determine if the characters enter a room right after a major incident takes place.

Enhancing Collaborative Storytelling

Luck rolls also serves to maintain tension and cultivate the feeling that the game world is alive, shaping according to their decisions as they play. It combats the feeling that they are merely characters in a rigidly planned story, thereby bolstering the collaborative foundation of storytelling.

This philosophy has long been part of the game's DNA. The game's roots were reliant on charts, which made sense for a playstyle focused on dungeon crawling. Even though contemporary D&D often focuses on plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, it's not necessarily the best approach.

Achieving the Sweet Spot

Absolutely no problem with being prepared. However, there is also nothing wrong with stepping back and permitting the rolls to guide minor details rather than you. Direction is a big aspect of a DM's responsibilities. We need it to facilitate play, yet we frequently find it hard to cede it, in situations where doing so can lead to great moments.

My final recommendation is this: Don't be afraid of temporarily losing the reins. Embrace a little randomness for inconsequential story elements. You might just create that the surprising result is infinitely more powerful than anything you could have planned by yourself.