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As a DM, I traditionally steered clear of heavy use of chance during my D&D sessions. I tended was for narrative flow and session development to be guided by deliberate decisions instead of pure luck. That said, I chose to try something different, and I'm truly happy with the result.

The Spark: Observing an Improvised Tool

A popular actual-play show features a DM who frequently calls for "chance rolls" from the participants. This involves selecting a type of die and outlining possible results tied to the result. While it's fundamentally no unlike consulting a pre-generated chart, these are devised on the spot when a character's decision has no predetermined conclusion.

I chose to experiment with this method at my own game, primarily because it appeared interesting and provided a departure from my usual habits. The outcome were eye-opening, prompting me to reconsider the ongoing dynamic between pre-determination and improvisation in a tabletop session.

A Memorable Session Moment

In a recent session, my players had survived a massive fight. Later, a cleric character wondered if two key NPCs—a pair—had made it. Instead of deciding myself, I asked for a roll. I told the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. I defined the outcomes as: on a 1-4, both were killed; on a 5-9, a single one would die; on a 10+, they survived.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a deeply moving moment where the characters came upon the corpses of their companions, forever holding hands in death. The cleric conducted funeral rites, which was especially significant due to previous character interactions. As a final reward, I improvised that the forms were suddenly restored, revealing a spell-storing object. By chance, the item's magical effect was perfectly what the party needed to resolve another pressing quest obstacle. One just script these kinds of perfect coincidences.

Sharpening DM Agility

This event caused me to question if randomization and thinking on your feet are actually the beating heart of D&D. Although you are a meticulously planning DM, your improvisation muscles may atrophy. Groups often excel at upending the best constructed plots. Therefore, a skilled DM must be able to pivot effectively and invent scenarios in the moment.

Employing similar mechanics is a great way to develop these abilities without straying too much outside your preparation. The trick is to use them for minor circumstances that have a limited impact on the overarching story. For instance, I would not employ it to establish if the king's advisor is a traitor. However, I might use it to determine whether the party enter a room right after a critical event takes place.

Enhancing Player Agency

Luck rolls also serves to make players feel invested and foster the impression that the story is alive, evolving according to their choices immediately. It reduces the perception that they are merely actors in a rigidly planned story, thereby strengthening the collaborative aspect of roleplaying.

Randomization has historically been embedded in the core of D&D. Original D&D were enamored with encounter generators, which made sense for a game focused on treasure hunting. Even though current D&D frequently prioritizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, it's not necessarily the only path.

Finding the Healthy Equilibrium

There is absolutely no problem with doing your prep. However, it's also fine nothing wrong with relinquishing control and letting the rolls to determine certain outcomes instead of you. Direction is a major part of a DM's responsibilities. We require it to run the game, yet we frequently find it hard to give some up, in situations where doing so might improve the game.

A piece of advice is this: Have no fear of letting go of your plan. Try a little chance for minor outcomes. The result could find that the unexpected outcome is far more memorable than anything you could have pre-written in advance.