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As a DM, I traditionally avoided heavy use of randomization during my D&D adventures. My preference was for story direction and session development to be determined by deliberate decisions instead of pure luck. However, I opted to alter my method, and I'm truly pleased with the outcome.

The Catalyst: Watching a Custom Mechanic

An influential actual-play show showcases a DM who frequently requests "chance rolls" from the adventurers. He does this by selecting a polyhedral and defining possible results based on the roll. While it's at its core no distinct from consulting a pre-generated chart, these are devised in the moment when a character's decision doesn't have a clear conclusion.

I opted to test this method at my own game, primarily because it appeared engaging and provided a departure from my normal practice. The outcome were eye-opening, prompting me to reconsider the often-debated dynamic between planning and spontaneity in a D&D campaign.

An Emotional Session Moment

In a recent session, my players had just emerged from a city-wide conflict. Later, a player wondered if two beloved NPCs—a brother and sister—had lived. Rather than choosing an outcome, I asked for a roll. 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 would die; on a 10+, they survived.

The die came up a 4. This led to a deeply moving sequence where the characters discovered the bodies of their companions, still holding hands in their final moments. The party held funeral rites, which was particularly meaningful due to prior roleplaying. As a parting reward, I chose that the NPCs' bodies were miraculously transformed, revealing a enchanted item. By chance, the item's magical effect was perfectly what the group required to solve another major story problem. It's impossible to orchestrate this type of magical moments.

Improving Your Improvisation

This incident caused me to question if randomization and making it up are actually the essence of this game. Even if you are a meticulously planning DM, your ability to adapt can rust. Groups frequently excel at ignoring the best constructed plans. Therefore, a good DM must be able to pivot effectively and fabricate scenarios in real-time.

Utilizing similar mechanics is a fantastic way to train these skills without going completely outside your usual style. The strategy is to apply them for low-stakes decisions that won't drastically alter the campaign's main plot. To illustrate, I wouldn't use it to determine if the king's advisor is a secret enemy. Instead, I would consider using it to decide if the characters enter a room right after a key action unfolds.

Enhancing Shared Narrative

Luck rolls also serves to make players feel invested and cultivate the impression that the game world is responsive, progressing in reaction to their decisions immediately. It reduces the feeling that they are merely actors in a rigidly planned narrative, thereby enhancing the shared foundation of roleplaying.

This approach has long been part of the original design. Early editions were enamored with encounter generators, which suited a playstyle focused on dungeon crawling. Although current D&D frequently focuses on narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, it's not necessarily the only path.

Striking the Sweet Spot

It is perfectly nothing wrong with being prepared. However, there is also no problem with relinquishing control and letting the whim of chance to decide some things instead of you. Direction 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.

The core advice is this: Do not fear of relinquishing a bit of your plan. Embrace a little chance for inconsequential details. The result could find that the surprising result is far more powerful than anything you could have scripted in advance.