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As a game master, I historically shied away from extensive use of chance during my tabletop roleplaying adventures. I preferred was for narrative flow and what happened in a game to be shaped by player choice rather than pure luck. However, I opted to try something different, and I'm incredibly happy with the result.

The Spark: Watching an Improvised Tool

A popular actual-play show showcases a DM who frequently asks for "chance rolls" from the adventurers. This involves choosing a polyhedral and assigning consequences based on the result. This is at its core no unlike rolling on a pre-generated chart, these get invented on the spot when a player's action doesn't have a predetermined resolution.

I chose to experiment with this technique at my own game, primarily because it looked novel and offered a departure from my usual habits. The experience were fantastic, prompting me to reflect on the perennial balance between planning and spontaneity in a D&D campaign.

A Powerful Session Moment

At a session, my group had survived a city-wide fight. When the dust settled, a player asked about two key NPCs—a sibling duo—had lived. In place of deciding myself, I asked for a roll. I asked the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. I defined the outcomes as: a low roll, both were killed; a middling roll, only one succumbed; on a 10+, they made it.

The die came up a 4. This triggered a deeply poignant scene where the party came upon the bodies of their allies, forever holding hands in death. The party conducted last rites, which was particularly powerful due to previous story developments. In a concluding touch, I chose that the NPCs' bodies were strangely restored, containing a magical Prayer Bead. I rolled for, the item's contained spell was perfectly what the party lacked to solve another critical story problem. One just orchestrate these kinds of magical story beats.

Improving DM Agility

This incident led me to ponder if chance and spontaneity are truly the essence of this game. Although you are a prep-heavy DM, your ability to adapt can rust. Groups frequently take delight in upending the best constructed plots. Therefore, a good DM must be able to pivot effectively and fabricate scenarios on the fly.

Using luck rolls is a great way to practice these skills without venturing too far outside your comfort zone. The strategy is to use them for small-scale situations that don't fundamentally change the campaign's main plot. For instance, I wouldn't use it to decide if the main villain is a secret enemy. Instead, I would consider using it to decide if the characters reach a location right after a critical event occurs.

Enhancing Shared Narrative

This technique also helps make players feel invested and cultivate the impression that the story is dynamic, shaping in reaction to their actions in real-time. It prevents the sense that they are merely characters in a DM's sole narrative, thereby bolstering the cooperative nature of storytelling.

This philosophy has always been part of the game's DNA. Original D&D were reliant on random tables, which fit a playstyle focused on treasure hunting. While current D&D tends to focuses on plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, that may not be the required method.

Finding the Right Balance

There is absolutely no issue with doing your prep. Yet, equally valid no problem with relinquishing control and permitting the whim of chance to decide some things instead of you. Control is a major aspect of a DM's responsibilities. We need it to manage the world, yet we frequently find it hard to release it, even when doing so could be beneficial.

A piece of suggestion is this: Do not fear of temporarily losing your plan. Embrace a little randomness for minor outcomes. It may create that the surprising result is far more powerful than anything you could have pre-written by yourself.