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As a game master, I usually shied away from extensive use of chance during my Dungeons & Dragons adventures. I preferred was for story direction and what happened in a game to be guided by character actions instead of the roll of a die. Recently, I decided to try something different, and I'm incredibly happy with the result.

The Inspiration: Observing a Custom Mechanic

A popular actual-play show features a DM who frequently asks for "chance rolls" from the players. The process entails choosing a specific dice and assigning possible results contingent on the result. While it's at its core no unlike rolling on a random table, these get invented spontaneously when a character's decision lacks a predetermined outcome.

I decided to try this approach at my own game, mainly because it looked novel and provided a departure from my usual habits. The outcome were remarkable, prompting me to reflect on the ongoing balance between preparation and improvisation in a tabletop session.

An Emotional Story Beat

In a recent session, my party had concluded a city-wide fight. Afterwards, a cleric character inquired after two friendly NPCs—a brother and sister—had made it. In place of choosing an outcome, I handed it over to chance. I instructed the player to roll a d20. I defined the outcomes as: a low roll, both were killed; on a 5-9, a single one succumbed; a high roll, they survived.

The die came up a 4. This led to a deeply poignant scene where the characters discovered the corpses of their friends, forever holding hands in their final moments. The group conducted last rites, which was uniquely meaningful due to previous story developments. As a final reward, I improvised that the forms were strangely restored, revealing a magical Prayer Bead. I rolled for, the item's contained spell was perfectly what the party needed to solve another major situation. One just orchestrate these kinds of perfect story beats.

Honing Your Improvisation

This incident caused me to question if improvisation and making it up are truly the core of tabletop RPGs. While you are a detail-oriented DM, your ability to adapt can rust. Adventurers often excel at ignoring the best constructed plots. Therefore, a good DM must be able to think quickly and fabricate content in real-time.

Using luck rolls is a excellent way to develop these abilities without straying too much outside your comfort zone. The key is to use them for low-stakes decisions that won't drastically alter the campaign's main plot. As an example, I would avoid using it to decide if the main villain is a secret enemy. Instead, I might use it to decide if the PCs enter a room right after a major incident occurs.

Enhancing Shared Narrative

This technique also works to maintain tension and create the sensation that the game world is responsive, evolving based on their actions in real-time. It reduces the sense that they are merely characters in a DM's sole story, thereby enhancing the collaborative aspect of storytelling.

This philosophy has always been embedded in the original design. The game's roots were enamored with charts, which fit a game focused on treasure hunting. Although contemporary D&D tends to focuses on narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, that may not be the required method.

Finding the Right Balance

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being prepared. Yet, equally valid no issue with letting go and allowing the rolls to decide some things in place of you. Authority is a big part of a DM's job. We use it to manage the world, yet we often struggle to release it, at times when doing so can lead to great moments.

My final suggestion is this: Have no fear of temporarily losing control. Experiment with a little improvisation for inconsequential details. The result could create that the organic story beat is infinitely more powerful than anything you would have planned in advance.