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As a DM, I historically avoided extensive use of chance during my Dungeons & Dragons sessions. I preferred was for the plot and session development to be determined by player choice as opposed to pure luck. Recently, I decided to alter my method, and I'm incredibly glad I did.

The Catalyst: Watching an Improvised Tool

A popular actual-play show showcases a DM who often requests "chance rolls" from the participants. This involves choosing a polyhedral and outlining possible results based on the number. While it's essentially no unlike consulting a random table, these are devised spontaneously when a character's decision lacks a obvious resolution.

I chose to experiment with this method at my own session, mainly because it appeared interesting and presented a departure from my normal practice. The outcome were fantastic, prompting me to reconsider the ongoing balance between planning and randomization in a D&D campaign.

A Memorable Session Moment

In a recent session, my party had just emerged from a large-scale battle. Later, a player inquired after two friendly NPCs—a pair—had survived. In place of choosing an outcome, I asked for a roll. I asked the player to roll a d20. The possible results were: on a 1-4, both would perish; a middling roll, only one would die; on a 10+, they both lived.

The player rolled a 4. This triggered a profoundly moving moment where the adventurers came upon the corpses of their friends, forever united in death. The cleric conducted funeral rites, which was uniquely meaningful due to prior story developments. As a final reward, I improvised that the forms were miraculously transformed, revealing a enchanted item. I randomized, the item's magical effect was precisely what the group required to solve another pressing story problem. You simply script such serendipitous story beats.

Sharpening Your Improvisation

This experience caused me to question if randomization and thinking on your feet are in fact the beating heart of this game. Even if you are a meticulously planning DM, your ability to adapt need exercise. Adventurers reliably find joy in derailing the most carefully laid narratives. Therefore, a effective DM needs to be able to think quickly and create details on the fly.

Utilizing luck rolls is a great way to develop these skills without venturing too far outside your usual style. The key is to use them for minor situations that won't drastically alter the campaign's main plot. For instance, I wouldn't use it to decide if the main villain is a secret enemy. But, I would consider using it to decide whether the PCs arrive right after a major incident takes place.

Enhancing Shared Narrative

This technique also works to make players feel invested and foster the impression that the story is dynamic, progressing according to their actions in real-time. It reduces the feeling that they are merely pawns in a pre-written narrative, thereby enhancing the cooperative nature of storytelling.

Randomization has long been integral to the original design. Original D&D were filled with encounter generators, which suited a playstyle focused on treasure hunting. While modern D&D often focuses on story and character, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, it's not necessarily the best approach.

Achieving the Right Balance

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being prepared. Yet, it's also fine no issue with relinquishing control and allowing the dice to guide minor details in place of you. Control is a significant part of a DM's role. We need it to facilitate play, yet we frequently find it hard to cede it, at times when doing so might improve the game.

A piece of recommendation is this: Do not fear of relinquishing a bit of the reins. Embrace a little randomness for minor outcomes. You might just create that the surprising result is far more rewarding than anything you could have pre-written in advance.