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In my role as a DM, I historically shied away from heavy use of luck during my D&D sessions. My preference was for story direction and what happened in a game to be shaped by deliberate decisions as opposed to pure luck. However, I opted to try something different, and I'm very glad I did.

The Inspiration: Watching a Custom Mechanic

A well-known actual-play show features a DM who regularly asks for "chance rolls" from the players. This involves picking a polyhedral and defining potential outcomes based on the roll. This is fundamentally no distinct from consulting a random table, these are created in the moment when a player's action has no predetermined resolution.

I decided to try this technique at my own table, mainly because it seemed interesting and offered a departure from my normal practice. The experience were remarkable, prompting me to reflect on the perennial tension between preparation and spontaneity in a D&D campaign.

A Powerful Session Moment

In a recent session, my players had concluded a city-wide fight. Later, a cleric character inquired after two friendly NPCs—a sibling duo—had made it. Rather than picking a fate, I asked for a roll. I told the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The stakes were: a low roll, both would perish; on a 5-9, only one succumbed; on a 10+, they both lived.

The die came up a 4. This triggered a deeply poignant moment where the characters discovered the remains of their companions, forever united in their final moments. The party performed a ceremony, which was especially significant due to earlier story developments. In a concluding touch, I chose that the NPCs' bodies were miraculously transformed, showing a enchanted item. By chance, the item's contained spell was precisely what the party lacked to resolve another major story problem. You simply script such perfect coincidences.

Honing DM Agility

This incident made me wonder if improvisation and spontaneity are actually the essence of this game. Even if you are a prep-heavy DM, your ability to adapt may atrophy. Groups frequently excel at upending the most detailed plots. Therefore, a skilled DM has to be able to pivot effectively and create scenarios on the fly.

Employing luck rolls is a great way to practice these talents without going completely outside your usual style. The trick is to deploy them for minor situations that don't fundamentally change the campaign's main plot. As an example, I wouldn't use it to establish if the king's advisor is a secret enemy. However, I could use it to determine if the PCs enter a room right after a key action takes place.

Strengthening Collaborative Storytelling

Luck rolls also works to maintain tension and create the impression that the game world is dynamic, shaping in reaction to their decisions immediately. It combats the feeling that they are merely actors in a rigidly planned script, thereby bolstering the shared nature of storytelling.

This philosophy has long been embedded in the core of D&D. Early editions were filled with charts, which made sense for a game focused on treasure hunting. Although contemporary D&D tends to focuses on story and character, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, it's not necessarily the best approach.

Achieving the Right Balance

Absolutely nothing wrong with doing your prep. But, it's also fine nothing wrong with relinquishing control and permitting the rolls to determine certain outcomes in place of you. Direction is a significant aspect of a DM's responsibilities. We need it to facilitate play, yet we can be reluctant to cede it, even when doing so might improve the game.

The core recommendation is this: Don't be afraid of temporarily losing the reins. Experiment with a little improvisation for inconsequential story elements. It may create that the organic story beat is significantly more memorable than anything you could have scripted in advance.