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In my role as a game master, I usually avoided significant use of chance during my tabletop roleplaying games. I preferred was for the plot and what happened in a game to be guided by player choice rather than pure luck. That said, I decided to alter my method, and I'm incredibly glad I did.

The Inspiration: Observing 'Luck Rolls'

A popular actual-play show utilizes a DM who often requests "fate rolls" from the adventurers. This involves choosing a polyhedral and assigning potential outcomes based on the number. While it's essentially no unlike rolling on a random table, these get invented on the spot when a course of events doesn't have a clear resolution.

I chose to experiment with this technique at my own session, mainly because it seemed interesting and presented a break from my normal practice. The results were remarkable, prompting me to reconsider the ongoing balance between preparation and improvisation in a roleplaying game.

A Powerful Session Moment

At a session, my players had survived a massive battle. Later, a player wondered if two friendly NPCs—a brother and sister—had survived. In place of deciding myself, I asked for a roll. I asked the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The possible results were: a low roll, both would perish; a middling roll, only one would die; on a 10+, they both lived.

The player rolled a 4. This triggered a deeply emotional scene where the adventurers found the remains of their friends, still clasped together in their final moments. The cleric conducted last rites, which was especially significant due to earlier story developments. In a concluding reward, I improvised that the forms were strangely restored, showing a magical Prayer Bead. I randomized, the bead's magical effect was exactly what the group required to address another critical situation. One just orchestrate this type of magical coincidences.

Sharpening DM Agility

This incident caused me to question if randomization and making it up are in fact the essence of this game. Even if you are a meticulously planning DM, your skill to pivot may atrophy. Groups often excel at ignoring the most detailed plots. Therefore, a skilled DM has to be able to think quickly and invent details in the moment.

Utilizing on-the-spot randomization is a fantastic way to train these skills without going completely outside your usual style. The strategy is to apply them for small-scale decisions that won't drastically alter the session's primary direction. To illustrate, I would not employ it to establish if the central plot figure is a secret enemy. Instead, I might use it to determine whether the PCs arrive moments before a critical event takes place.

Enhancing Collaborative Storytelling

This technique also works to make players feel invested and cultivate the impression that the story is responsive, shaping based on their actions as they play. It prevents the perception that they are merely pawns in a pre-written script, thereby strengthening the cooperative nature of roleplaying.

This approach has long been part of the game's DNA. Early editions were filled with encounter generators, which fit a game focused on dungeon crawling. Although current D&D often prioritizes story and character, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, it's not necessarily the best approach.

Striking the Right Balance

It is perfectly no problem with thorough preparation. However, equally valid no issue with letting go and letting the rolls to decide some things instead of you. Control is a big factor in a DM's role. We require it to facilitate play, yet we often struggle to give some up, even when doing so might improve the game.

My final recommendation is this: Don't be afraid of letting go of control. Experiment with a little chance for smaller outcomes. The result could find that the unexpected outcome is infinitely more rewarding than anything you would have scripted on your own.