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When I am a game master, I usually shied away from extensive use of luck during my tabletop roleplaying adventures. I tended was for narrative flow and what happened in a game to be shaped by character actions instead of the roll of a die. Recently, I opted to alter my method, and I'm very glad I did.

The Catalyst: Watching 'Luck Rolls'

A popular streamed game utilizes a DM who often calls for "chance rolls" from the participants. This involves choosing a polyhedral and assigning consequences tied to the number. This is fundamentally no distinct from rolling on a random table, these get invented in the moment when a character's decision lacks a obvious outcome.

I opted to test this technique at my own session, mainly because it seemed interesting and offered a break from my standard routine. The results were eye-opening, prompting me to reflect on the often-debated dynamic between pre-determination and randomization in a tabletop session.

An Emotional Session Moment

At a session, my players had survived a city-wide conflict. When the dust settled, a cleric character wondered if two friendly NPCs—a brother and sister—had survived. In place of deciding myself, I handed it over to chance. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. I defined the outcomes as: on a 1-4, both died; a middling roll, a single one succumbed; on a 10+, they both lived.

The player rolled a 4. This triggered a profoundly moving sequence where the party found the remains of their friends, still holding hands in their final moments. The group conducted funeral rites, which was especially significant due to earlier story developments. In a concluding reward, I chose that the remains were strangely transformed, containing a spell-storing object. By chance, the bead's magical effect was exactly what the party needed to solve another critical quest obstacle. One just orchestrate these kinds of perfect moments.

Honing Your Improvisation

This event made me wonder if improvisation and thinking on your feet are truly the essence of D&D. Even if you are a prep-heavy DM, your improvisation muscles can rust. Adventurers often take delight in ignoring the best constructed plans. Therefore, a good DM needs to be able to pivot effectively and create content in real-time.

Employing luck rolls is a excellent way to develop these abilities without straying too much outside your comfort zone. The key is to use them for minor circumstances that don't fundamentally change the overarching story. To illustrate, I would avoid using it to decide if the main villain is a secret enemy. Instead, I would consider using it to figure out whether the characters arrive just in time to see a critical event occurs.

Empowering Player Agency

This technique also serves to make players feel invested and create the impression that the story is dynamic, shaping according to their choices in real-time. It reduces the sense that they are merely characters in a pre-written narrative, thereby enhancing the shared aspect of storytelling.

Randomization has long been part of the game's DNA. Early editions were enamored with charts, which made sense for a playstyle focused on treasure hunting. Although contemporary D&D tends to prioritizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, it's not necessarily the best approach.

Finding the Healthy Equilibrium

There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing your prep. However, it's also fine no issue with relinquishing control and allowing the rolls to guide minor details instead of you. Direction is a significant factor in a DM's responsibilities. We require it to facilitate play, yet we can be reluctant to cede it, at times when doing so might improve the game.

My final advice is this: Have no fear of temporarily losing the reins. Embrace a little improvisation for smaller details. You might just find that the surprising result is significantly more memorable than anything you could have pre-written by yourself.