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In my role as a DM, I traditionally steered clear of extensive use of luck during my Dungeons & Dragons adventures. I preferred was for narrative flow and session development to be shaped by player choice instead of the roll of a die. That said, I decided to try something different, and I'm incredibly pleased with the outcome.

The Inspiration: Observing an Improvised Tool

An influential podcast utilizes a DM who regularly requests "chance rolls" from the participants. The process entails picking a type of die and assigning potential outcomes based on the number. While it's at its core no unlike using a random table, these are created on the spot when a player's action doesn't have a predetermined outcome.

I chose to experiment with this technique at my own table, mainly because it appeared interesting and offered a departure from my standard routine. The outcome were eye-opening, prompting me to think deeply about the ongoing balance between pre-determination and randomization in a roleplaying game.

A Powerful In-Game Example

In a recent session, my group had concluded a massive battle. Later, a player inquired after two beloved NPCs—a pair—had lived. Rather than picking a fate, I asked for a roll. I told the player to roll a d20. The possible results were: on a 1-4, both were killed; a middling roll, only one would die; a high roll, they survived.

The player rolled a 4. This led to a deeply poignant moment where the party discovered the bodies of their allies, forever clasped together in death. The group conducted a ceremony, which was especially powerful due to previous roleplaying. As a parting reward, I improvised that the remains were miraculously restored, showing a magical Prayer Bead. By chance, the bead's magical effect was perfectly what the party needed to solve another critical story problem. It's impossible to orchestrate such serendipitous story beats.

Sharpening Your Improvisation

This event made me wonder if improvisation and spontaneity are truly the beating heart of this game. While you are a detail-oriented DM, your skill to pivot may atrophy. Groups reliably find joy in ignoring the most carefully laid plots. Therefore, a good DM has to be able to adapt swiftly and invent content in the moment.

Employing luck rolls is a great way to practice these abilities without venturing too far outside your preparation. The key is to deploy them for small-scale circumstances that won't drastically alter the session's primary direction. As an example, I would not employ it to establish if the king's advisor is a traitor. Instead, I might use it to decide whether the characters reach a location just in time to see a major incident occurs.

Enhancing Player Agency

This technique also works to keep players engaged and foster the impression that the adventure is dynamic, shaping in reaction to their decisions in real-time. It combats the feeling that they are merely characters in a DM's sole narrative, thereby enhancing the shared aspect of storytelling.

This philosophy has historically been integral to the game's DNA. The game's roots were filled with encounter generators, which fit a game focused on exploration. While current D&D tends to prioritizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, it's not necessarily the best approach.

Striking the Sweet Spot

It is perfectly no issue with thorough preparation. However, equally valid no issue with relinquishing control and permitting the rolls to decide some things rather than you. Control is a significant factor in a DM's responsibilities. We need it to facilitate play, yet we frequently find it hard to release it, at times when doing so could be beneficial.

A piece of recommendation is this: Don't be afraid of letting go of control. Experiment with a little chance for minor outcomes. It may find that the unexpected outcome is significantly more rewarding than anything you could have scripted by yourself.