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In my role as a DM, I historically avoided extensive use of chance during my tabletop roleplaying games. My preference was for the plot and session development to be shaped by deliberate decisions rather than pure luck. However, I opted to try something different, and I'm incredibly pleased with the outcome.

The Spark: Observing 'Luck Rolls'

A popular podcast showcases a DM who often asks for "luck rolls" from the participants. He does this by choosing a type of die and defining potential outcomes tied to the result. While it's at its core no different from rolling on a pre-generated chart, these are created spontaneously when a character's decision has no clear outcome.

I opted to test this method at my own session, mostly because it seemed interesting and presented a departure from my standard routine. The results were fantastic, prompting me to reflect on the perennial balance between planning and randomization in a D&D campaign.

A Powerful Session Moment

At a session, my players had just emerged from a massive fight. Later, a player inquired after two friendly NPCs—a pair—had survived. Rather than deciding myself, I handed it over to chance. I instructed the player to roll a d20. The stakes were: on a 1-4, both would perish; a middling roll, a single one would die; a high roll, they both lived.

The player rolled a 4. This triggered a incredibly emotional moment where the party came upon the corpses of their allies, still united in death. The party held funeral rites, which was particularly powerful due to earlier story developments. In a concluding touch, I improvised that the NPCs' bodies were miraculously transformed, containing a enchanted item. I rolled for, the item's contained spell was perfectly what the group lacked to solve another critical quest obstacle. One just script such magical moments.

Honing Your Improvisation

This event caused me to question if chance and thinking on your feet are truly the essence of D&D. Although you are a meticulously planning DM, your improvisation muscles may atrophy. Players frequently find joy in derailing the most carefully laid plans. Therefore, a good DM needs to be able to adapt swiftly and create content in real-time.

Employing on-the-spot randomization is a fantastic way to train these skills without venturing too far outside your preparation. The trick is to deploy them for minor circumstances that won't drastically alter the overarching story. To illustrate, I would not employ it to determine if the central plot figure is a secret enemy. But, I might use it to decide whether the characters reach a location just in time to see a major incident takes place.

Empowering Collaborative Storytelling

Spontaneous randomization also helps maintain tension and cultivate the impression that the story is responsive, progressing based on their choices immediately. It prevents the sense that they are merely actors in a DM's sole narrative, thereby strengthening the cooperative nature of the game.

This approach has historically been integral to the original design. The game's roots were filled with encounter generators, which made sense for a game focused on treasure hunting. While current D&D tends to prioritizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, this isn't always the required method.

Achieving the Right Balance

There is absolutely nothing wrong with thorough preparation. But, it's also fine no problem with stepping back and allowing the whim of chance to decide some things rather than you. Authority is a significant part of a DM's job. We require it to facilitate play, yet we can be reluctant to cede it, at times when doing so can lead to great moments.

A piece of recommendation is this: Don't be afraid of letting go of your plan. Try a little chance for inconsequential details. The result could find that the unexpected outcome is infinitely more rewarding than anything you would have planned on your own.