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As a Dungeon Master, I traditionally steered clear of heavy use of chance during my Dungeons & Dragons games. I preferred was for story direction and what happened in a game to be determined by deliberate decisions rather than random chance. That said, I opted to try something different, and I'm truly glad I did.

The Spark: Seeing an Improvised Tool

A popular streamed game showcases a DM who regularly calls for "fate rolls" from the participants. The process entails choosing a specific dice and defining consequences tied to the number. It's essentially no distinct from consulting a random table, these are devised in the moment when a course of events has no obvious outcome.

I chose to experiment with this method at my own session, primarily because it looked interesting and provided a break from my normal practice. The outcome were eye-opening, prompting me to reflect on the perennial tension between preparation and spontaneity in a roleplaying game.

A Memorable Story Beat

In a recent session, my group had concluded a massive fight. When the dust settled, a cleric character inquired after two key NPCs—a sibling duo—had lived. Instead of picking a fate, I let the dice decide. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The stakes were: on a 1-4, both would perish; on a 5-9, a single one would die; a high roll, they survived.

The player rolled a 4. This led to a deeply moving moment where the adventurers came upon the corpses of their friends, still clasped together in their final moments. The party performed funeral rites, which was particularly meaningful due to prior roleplaying. As a final gesture, I decided that the NPCs' bodies were suddenly restored, containing a enchanted item. I randomized, the item's magical effect was perfectly what the party required to resolve another critical situation. One just script these kinds of magical story beats.

Honing On-the-Spot Skills

This incident made me wonder if chance and spontaneity are actually the essence of D&D. While you are a detail-oriented DM, your ability to adapt may atrophy. Players often find joy in derailing the best constructed plans. Therefore, a skilled DM needs to be able to pivot effectively and fabricate scenarios in the moment.

Utilizing luck rolls is a fantastic way to practice these abilities without straying too much outside your preparation. The trick is to use them for small-scale decisions that don't fundamentally change the campaign's main plot. As an example, I wouldn't use it to determine if the central plot figure is a traitor. But, I would consider using it to decide whether the PCs enter a room just in time to see a key action occurs.

Enhancing Collaborative Storytelling

Luck rolls also helps make players feel invested and cultivate the sensation that the game world is dynamic, shaping based on their decisions immediately. It reduces the perception that they are merely actors in a rigidly planned story, thereby strengthening the cooperative aspect of roleplaying.

This philosophy has long been integral to the original design. The game's roots were enamored with encounter generators, which made sense for a playstyle focused on dungeon crawling. Although contemporary D&D frequently prioritizes story and character, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, this isn't always the only path.

Striking the Sweet Spot

It is perfectly no issue with doing your prep. However, there is also no issue with relinquishing control and permitting the rolls to determine certain outcomes in place of you. Authority is a major part of a DM's responsibilities. We use it to facilitate play, yet we can be reluctant to cede it, even when doing so could be beneficial.

My final suggestion is this: Don't be afraid of letting go of control. Try a little randomness for inconsequential story elements. You might just create that the organic story beat is significantly more rewarding than anything you could have planned by yourself.