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When I am a game master, I usually avoided extensive use of chance during my Dungeons & Dragons games. I tended was for narrative flow and what happened in a game to be determined by character actions rather than random chance. However, I opted to change my approach, and I'm very pleased with the outcome.

The Catalyst: Observing an Improvised Tool

A well-known podcast showcases a DM who regularly asks for "chance rolls" from the adventurers. He does this by selecting a type of die and defining possible results based on the number. It's fundamentally no distinct from using a random table, these get invented in the moment when a character's decision has no predetermined conclusion.

I chose to experiment with this technique at my own table, primarily because it seemed novel and presented a departure from my normal practice. The outcome were remarkable, prompting me to reflect on the often-debated dynamic between pre-determination and improvisation in a D&D campaign.

A Powerful Session Moment

In a recent session, my group had just emerged from a city-wide fight. Afterwards, a player wondered if two friendly NPCs—a brother and sister—had survived. Instead of choosing an outcome, I asked for a roll. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The possible results were: on a 1-4, both were killed; on a 5-9, only one succumbed; on a 10+, they survived.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a incredibly moving moment where the party discovered the corpses of their companions, still united in death. The group performed a ceremony, which was uniquely powerful due to previous character interactions. In a concluding touch, I improvised that the forms were suddenly restored, showing a enchanted item. I randomized, the item's contained spell was precisely what the group required to resolve another critical situation. It's impossible to plan such serendipitous moments.

Honing Your Improvisation

This experience caused me to question if chance and spontaneity are in fact the essence of this game. Even if you are a detail-oriented DM, your skill to pivot can rust. Players reliably excel at derailing the most carefully laid narratives. Therefore, a good DM needs to be able to think quickly and create scenarios in real-time.

Using on-the-spot randomization is a great way to develop these abilities without going completely outside your usual style. The strategy is to apply them for low-stakes decisions that won't drastically alter the session's primary direction. To illustrate, I wouldn't use it to determine if the main villain is a traitor. Instead, I could use it to determine whether the party arrive just in time to see a major incident occurs.

Enhancing Collaborative Storytelling

Luck rolls also works to maintain tension and foster the impression that the story is dynamic, shaping based on their decisions in real-time. It reduces the sense that they are merely actors in a rigidly planned story, thereby strengthening the cooperative aspect of the game.

This philosophy has historically been embedded in the original design. The game's roots were filled with charts, which suited a game focused on dungeon crawling. Even though contemporary D&D often focuses on story and character, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, it's not necessarily the only path.

Striking the Healthy Equilibrium

It is perfectly nothing wrong with doing your prep. Yet, there is also no problem with relinquishing control and permitting the whim of chance to decide some things in place of you. Authority is a major factor in a DM's job. We use it to manage the world, yet we often struggle to cede it, at times when doing so can lead to great moments.

A piece of suggestion is this: Don't be afraid of relinquishing a bit of control. Try a little improvisation for inconsequential details. You might just find that the organic story beat is infinitely more memorable than anything you would have pre-written in advance.