🔗 Share this article

In my role as a DM, I usually steered clear of heavy use of chance during my Dungeons & Dragons games. I tended was for story direction and what happened in a game to be guided by deliberate decisions instead of random chance. However, I decided to alter my method, and I'm very glad I did.

The Catalyst: Watching 'Luck Rolls'

A well-known streamed game features a DM who often asks for "luck rolls" from the players. This involves selecting a polyhedral and defining consequences based on the number. This is at its core no different from rolling on a pre-generated chart, these are created on the spot when a course of events lacks a obvious resolution.

I decided to try this technique at my own table, primarily because it appeared interesting and presented a break from my standard routine. The outcome were remarkable, prompting me to reconsider the often-debated tension between planning and spontaneity in a roleplaying game.

A Memorable Session Moment

During one session, my group had just emerged from a city-wide conflict. Later, a player wondered if two beloved NPCs—a pair—had survived. Rather than deciding myself, I handed it over to chance. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The stakes were: a low roll, both died; a middling roll, only one would die; a high roll, they both lived.

The player rolled a 4. This triggered a profoundly moving scene where the characters discovered the corpses of their companions, forever holding hands in death. The group held last rites, which was uniquely significant due to earlier character interactions. In a concluding reward, I chose that the forms were suddenly transformed, showing a spell-storing object. I randomized, the bead's contained spell was perfectly what the group needed to address another critical quest obstacle. It's impossible to script such perfect story beats.

Honing Your Improvisation

This experience caused me to question if randomization and thinking on your feet are actually the beating heart of tabletop RPGs. Although you are a detail-oriented DM, your ability to adapt can rust. Adventurers frequently excel at derailing the most carefully laid plots. Therefore, a effective DM has to be able to pivot effectively and fabricate scenarios on the fly.

Utilizing similar mechanics is a great way to train these abilities without venturing too far outside your comfort zone. The strategy is to use them for low-stakes circumstances that have a limited impact on the session's primary direction. For instance, I would not employ it to decide if the king's advisor is a traitor. However, I would consider using it to figure out whether the party enter a room moments before a key action occurs.

Strengthening Shared Narrative

Luck rolls also helps make players feel invested and foster the impression that the game world is dynamic, progressing according to their actions as they play. It prevents the feeling that they are merely actors in a pre-written narrative, thereby enhancing the collaborative aspect of storytelling.

This philosophy has always been part of the game's DNA. Early editions were enamored with charts, which suited a game focused on exploration. Even though current D&D tends to emphasizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, it's not necessarily the only path.

Striking the Right Balance

There is absolutely no issue with being prepared. Yet, there is also no issue with stepping back and allowing the whim of chance to guide minor details rather than you. Authority is a major aspect of a DM's responsibilities. We need it to manage the world, yet we can be reluctant to give some up, at times when doing so could be beneficial.

My final suggestion is this: Don't be afraid of letting go of your plan. Try a little improvisation for inconsequential story elements. You might just create that the organic story beat is infinitely more rewarding than anything you would have planned on your own.