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When I am a DM, I usually avoided heavy use of luck during my tabletop roleplaying sessions. I tended was for story direction and session development to be guided by character actions as opposed to random chance. Recently, I opted to alter my method, and I'm very happy with the result.

The Inspiration: Seeing an Improvised Tool

A popular actual-play show features a DM who often asks for "fate rolls" from the adventurers. He does this by choosing a polyhedral and assigning potential outcomes based on the result. It's fundamentally no unlike using a random table, these are created in the moment when a course of events doesn't have a obvious conclusion.

I decided to try this technique at my own table, mostly because it looked interesting and presented a departure from my normal practice. The experience were eye-opening, prompting me to reflect on the perennial balance between pre-determination and improvisation in a D&D campaign.

An Emotional Session Moment

In a recent session, my party had just emerged from a city-wide fight. When the dust settled, a cleric character wondered if two friendly NPCs—a sibling duo—had made it. Instead of choosing an outcome, I handed it over to chance. I told the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The stakes were: on a 1-4, both would perish; on a 5-9, only one would die; on a 10+, they both lived.

The die came up a 4. This led to a deeply emotional sequence where the party discovered the remains of their companions, forever holding hands in death. The party held funeral rites, which was uniquely significant due to previous character interactions. As a parting reward, I chose that the remains were suddenly restored, revealing a enchanted item. I randomized, the item's contained spell was exactly what the group needed to address another major situation. You simply plan such serendipitous moments.

Improving Your Improvisation

This incident made me wonder if improvisation and making it up are in fact the essence of D&D. Even if you are a prep-heavy DM, your improvisation muscles need exercise. Players often excel at upending the most carefully laid plots. Therefore, a skilled DM has to be able to adapt swiftly and create content in real-time.

Using luck rolls is a excellent way to practice these skills without straying too much outside your usual style. The strategy is to use them for low-stakes situations that won't drastically alter the campaign's main plot. For instance, I would not employ it to determine if the king's advisor is a secret enemy. Instead, I could use it to determine whether the party enter a room right after a key action unfolds.

Enhancing Player Agency

Luck rolls also helps make players feel invested and create the feeling that the story is alive, progressing based on their decisions immediately. It combats the sense that they are merely characters in a rigidly planned story, thereby strengthening the shared aspect of roleplaying.

This philosophy has long been embedded in the game's DNA. Early editions were filled with charts, which made sense for a game focused on treasure hunting. Even though current D&D often emphasizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, it's not necessarily the best approach.

Finding the Sweet Spot

Absolutely no problem with being prepared. However, there is also no problem with stepping back and letting the dice to decide some things instead of you. Direction is a major factor in a DM's role. We need it to facilitate play, yet we frequently find it hard to give some up, at times when doing so can lead to great moments.

The core suggestion is this: Do not fear of letting go of your plan. Experiment with a little randomness for inconsequential details. It may find that the organic story beat is far more rewarding than anything you could have planned by yourself.