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When I am a DM, I usually steered clear of extensive use of luck during my Dungeons & Dragons games. My preference was for narrative flow and session development to be determined by deliberate decisions instead of random chance. However, I decided to try something different, and I'm truly glad I did.

The Catalyst: Watching a Custom Mechanic

An influential actual-play show showcases a DM who frequently asks for "fate rolls" from the adventurers. He does this by picking a specific dice and outlining consequences contingent on the number. This is at its core no distinct from using a pre-generated chart, these are devised spontaneously when a course of events doesn't have a predetermined outcome.

I decided to try this technique at my own table, mostly because it seemed interesting and offered a departure from my standard routine. The outcome were remarkable, prompting me to reconsider the often-debated dynamic between preparation and randomization in a roleplaying game.

A Powerful Session Moment

During one session, my group had survived a large-scale fight. Later, a cleric character inquired after two friendly NPCs—a pair—had lived. Instead of choosing an outcome, I let the dice decide. I instructed the player to roll a d20. The stakes were: a low roll, both died; on a 5-9, only one succumbed; a high roll, they survived.

The player rolled a 4. This resulted in a profoundly moving moment where the adventurers discovered the corpses of their companions, forever clasped together in death. The cleric held funeral rites, which was particularly significant due to earlier story developments. In a concluding gesture, I decided that the forms were suddenly transformed, revealing a enchanted item. I randomized, the item's magical effect was exactly what the group needed to resolve another critical story problem. One just script such magical coincidences.

Honing DM Agility

This experience caused me to question if chance and thinking on your feet are in fact the core of tabletop RPGs. Although you are a meticulously planning DM, your improvisation muscles need exercise. Players frequently find joy in upending the most carefully laid plans. Therefore, a skilled DM needs to be able to adapt swiftly and invent scenarios in the moment.

Using luck rolls is a excellent way to develop these skills without going completely outside your preparation. The trick is to apply them for small-scale circumstances that don't fundamentally change the overarching story. As an example, I would not employ it to establish if the king's advisor is a secret enemy. However, I might use it to figure out whether the PCs reach a location just in time to see a major incident takes place.

Strengthening Player Agency

Spontaneous randomization also serves to make players feel invested and create the sensation that the game world is alive, evolving in reaction to their decisions immediately. It reduces the feeling that they are merely actors in a pre-written script, thereby bolstering the shared aspect of roleplaying.

Randomization has historically been part of the original design. The game's roots were reliant on encounter generators, which made sense for a game focused on treasure hunting. Although current D&D often focuses on plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, that may not be the best approach.

Striking the Healthy Equilibrium

Absolutely nothing wrong with doing your prep. But, it's also fine no problem with relinquishing control and permitting the dice to determine certain outcomes rather than you. Control is a significant part of a DM's responsibilities. We need it to manage the world, yet we frequently find it hard to give some up, at times when doing so can lead to great moments.

A piece of suggestion is this: Don't be afraid of letting go of control. Experiment with a little improvisation for inconsequential details. You might just find that the organic story beat is significantly more powerful than anything you could have pre-written in advance.