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In my role as a Dungeon Master, I usually avoided heavy use of luck during my tabletop roleplaying sessions. My preference was for story direction and what happened in a game to be determined by player choice instead of pure luck. Recently, I opted to alter my method, and I'm very happy with the result.

The Inspiration: Seeing 'Luck Rolls'

A well-known streamed game features a DM who frequently asks for "fate rolls" from the players. He does this by selecting a polyhedral and defining possible results contingent on the number. This is fundamentally no unlike using a random table, these are created on the spot when a course of events has no predetermined conclusion.

I chose to experiment with this method at my own session, primarily because it appeared interesting and presented a break from my usual habits. The outcome were eye-opening, prompting me to reflect on the perennial tension between pre-determination and spontaneity in a D&D campaign.

A Powerful Story Beat

At a session, my party had survived a massive conflict. Afterwards, a cleric character inquired after two friendly NPCs—a brother and sister—had survived. In place of picking a fate, I handed it over to chance. I asked the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. I defined the outcomes as: a low roll, both died; a middling roll, only one succumbed; on a 10+, they made it.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a profoundly poignant scene where the characters came upon the bodies of their friends, forever holding hands in their final moments. The party conducted a ceremony, which was uniquely powerful due to earlier character interactions. As a final gesture, I decided that the forms were miraculously restored, containing a spell-storing object. By chance, the bead's contained spell was precisely what the group required to solve another pressing situation. It's impossible to script such perfect moments.

Improving Your Improvisation

This event made me wonder if chance and spontaneity are actually the essence of tabletop RPGs. While you are a meticulously planning DM, your ability to adapt can rust. Adventurers frequently find joy in upending the most carefully laid plots. Therefore, a good DM has to be able to adapt swiftly and fabricate scenarios in the moment.

Utilizing on-the-spot randomization is a great way to develop these skills without venturing too far outside your usual style. The key is to deploy them for minor circumstances that won't drastically alter the session's primary direction. As an example, I wouldn't use it to determine if the king's advisor is a secret enemy. However, I would consider using it to decide whether the party arrive moments before a major incident occurs.

Strengthening Shared Narrative

This technique also works to maintain tension and foster the impression that the adventure is alive, evolving in reaction to their actions as they play. It combats the perception that they are merely pawns in a pre-written narrative, thereby bolstering the shared foundation of roleplaying.

This approach has always been part of the game's DNA. The game's roots were filled with charts, which fit a playstyle focused on exploration. Although contemporary D&D tends to prioritizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, it's not necessarily the best approach.

Finding the Right Balance

There is absolutely no issue with thorough preparation. However, there is also no problem with relinquishing control and permitting the whim of chance to determine certain outcomes instead of you. Control is a significant factor in a DM's role. We require it to facilitate play, yet we frequently find it hard to cede it, even when doing so might improve the game.

The core suggestion is this: Do not fear of temporarily losing the reins. Experiment with a little chance for minor story elements. The result could create that the unexpected outcome is significantly more memorable than anything you would have pre-written on your own.