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In my role as a game master, I historically steered clear of heavy use of chance during my D&D sessions. My preference was for story direction and what happened in a game to be guided by player choice as opposed to the roll of a die. However, I opted to alter my method, and I'm incredibly pleased with the outcome.

The Catalyst: Seeing a Custom Mechanic

An influential actual-play show showcases a DM who regularly asks for "chance rolls" from the players. He does this by choosing a specific dice and assigning potential outcomes contingent on the roll. This is at its core no different from rolling on a pre-generated chart, these get invented spontaneously when a character's decision doesn't have a clear outcome.

I opted to test this approach at my own table, primarily because it looked interesting and provided a change from my standard routine. The results were eye-opening, prompting me to reconsider the ongoing dynamic between planning and spontaneity in a roleplaying game.

An Emotional In-Game Example

In a recent session, my players had just emerged from a massive battle. Afterwards, a player asked about two beloved NPCs—a pair—had made it. Rather than picking a fate, I handed it over to chance. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The possible results were: on a 1-4, both would perish; on a 5-9, a single one succumbed; on a 10+, they both lived.

The player rolled a 4. This triggered a incredibly poignant moment where the party discovered the corpses of their friends, forever clasped together in their final moments. The cleric conducted funeral rites, which was particularly meaningful due to prior story developments. As a parting reward, I decided that the NPCs' bodies were suddenly transformed, containing a spell-storing object. I rolled for, the bead's contained spell was exactly what the group required to solve another critical situation. You simply plan this type of magical coincidences.

Improving Your Improvisation

This experience made me wonder if improvisation and spontaneity are actually the beating heart of tabletop RPGs. Although you are a meticulously planning DM, your skill to pivot can rust. Adventurers reliably find joy in upending the most carefully laid narratives. Therefore, a skilled DM must be able to adapt swiftly and invent details in real-time.

Utilizing on-the-spot randomization is a great way to develop these skills without straying too much outside your comfort zone. The trick is to apply them for small-scale circumstances that don't fundamentally change the overarching story. As an example, I wouldn't use it to determine if the main villain is a secret enemy. However, I might use it to figure out if the party enter a room moments before a key action takes place.

Empowering Shared Narrative

Luck rolls also works to keep players engaged and cultivate the feeling that the story is alive, progressing based on their choices in real-time. It combats the perception that they are merely actors in a DM's sole narrative, thereby strengthening the shared foundation of the game.

This approach has historically been part of the core of D&D. The game's roots were enamored with random tables, which made sense for a playstyle focused on treasure hunting. Even though modern D&D often focuses on narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, this isn't always the only path.

Striking the Sweet Spot

There is absolutely no issue with thorough preparation. However, equally valid no issue with letting go and letting the whim of chance to guide minor details instead of you. Authority is a big aspect of a DM's responsibilities. We require it to run the game, yet we can be reluctant to cede it, at times when doing so might improve the game.

My final advice is this: Do not fear of temporarily losing the reins. Embrace a little randomness for inconsequential outcomes. The result could create that the unexpected outcome is far more memorable than anything you might have scripted by yourself.