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When I am a DM, I usually avoided significant use of chance during my Dungeons & Dragons games. I preferred was for narrative flow and session development to be determined by character actions rather than the roll of a die. That said, I decided to alter my method, and I'm truly pleased with the outcome.

The Inspiration: Watching 'Luck Rolls'

An influential streamed game utilizes a DM who frequently asks for "luck rolls" from the players. He does this by selecting a polyhedral and outlining possible results based on the number. It's at its core no different from consulting a random table, these get invented spontaneously when a player's action doesn't have a predetermined outcome.

I opted to test this method at my own game, mainly because it seemed novel and provided a change from my normal practice. The experience were eye-opening, prompting me to think deeply about the ongoing dynamic between pre-determination and spontaneity in a tabletop session.

An Emotional Session Moment

At a session, my party had just emerged from a massive conflict. Later, a player wondered if two friendly NPCs—a brother and sister—had lived. Instead of picking a fate, I let the dice decide. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The possible results were: on a 1-4, both were killed; a middling roll, a single one would die; a high roll, they survived.

The die came up a 4. This resulted in a profoundly emotional sequence where the characters came upon the corpses of their allies, still holding hands in their final moments. The group performed funeral rites, which was especially meaningful due to prior roleplaying. In a concluding reward, I decided that the remains were suddenly restored, showing a enchanted item. I randomized, the bead's contained spell was exactly what the group required to solve another pressing quest obstacle. It's impossible to orchestrate such perfect coincidences.

Improving Your Improvisation

This incident led me to ponder if improvisation and thinking on your feet are in fact the beating heart of tabletop RPGs. Even if you are a meticulously planning DM, your skill to pivot can rust. Groups reliably take delight in upending the best constructed narratives. Therefore, a skilled DM must be able to adapt swiftly and invent scenarios on the fly.

Utilizing luck rolls is a great way to develop these abilities without going completely outside your comfort zone. The strategy is to apply them for small-scale circumstances that won't drastically alter the campaign's main plot. As an example, I wouldn't use it to decide if the main villain is a secret enemy. Instead, I might use it to determine if the characters enter a room moments before a critical event unfolds.

Empowering Player Agency

This technique also works to maintain tension and cultivate the feeling that the story is responsive, evolving according to their decisions immediately. It combats the perception that they are merely characters in a DM's sole narrative, thereby strengthening the cooperative aspect of roleplaying.

This approach has long been integral to the core of D&D. Original D&D were filled with random tables, which made sense for a game focused on treasure hunting. Even though contemporary D&D often emphasizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, that may not be the best approach.

Striking the Sweet Spot

There is absolutely no issue with thorough preparation. However, equally valid no issue with letting go and letting the whim of chance to decide some things rather than you. Authority is a major part of 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.

The core suggestion is this: Do not fear of temporarily losing the reins. Try a little chance for smaller story elements. It may find that the organic story beat is far more memorable than anything you might have scripted in advance.