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As a game master, I usually shied away from significant use of luck during my tabletop roleplaying adventures. My preference was for story direction and session development to be guided by character actions rather than the roll of a die. However, I decided to try something different, and I'm incredibly pleased with the outcome.

The Spark: Seeing an Improvised Tool

An influential podcast features a DM who regularly calls for "luck rolls" from the participants. The process entails choosing a specific dice and assigning potential outcomes contingent on the result. This is at its core no unlike consulting a random table, these are devised spontaneously when a character's decision lacks a obvious conclusion.

I chose to experiment with this approach at my own game, mainly because it appeared engaging and offered a break from my usual habits. The outcome were remarkable, prompting me to reconsider the often-debated balance between planning and improvisation in a roleplaying game.

A Memorable Story Beat

During one session, my players had just emerged from a city-wide battle. When the dust settled, a cleric character wondered if two friendly NPCs—a brother and sister—had survived. Instead of picking a fate, I handed it over to chance. I asked the player to roll a d20. The possible results were: on a 1-4, both died; on a 5-9, only one would die; a high roll, they made it.

The die came up a 4. This triggered a incredibly poignant moment where the adventurers came upon the corpses of their companions, still holding hands in their final moments. The party held a ceremony, which was especially powerful due to earlier roleplaying. As a parting gesture, I improvised that the forms were strangely restored, showing a spell-storing object. By chance, the item's contained spell was perfectly what the party needed to solve another pressing quest obstacle. One just orchestrate such perfect coincidences.

Improving Your Improvisation

This incident made me wonder if chance and making it up are actually the core of this game. While you are a prep-heavy DM, your improvisation muscles need exercise. Adventurers frequently take delight in ignoring the most carefully laid plots. Therefore, a good DM needs to be able to pivot effectively and fabricate details in real-time.

Utilizing on-the-spot randomization is a fantastic way to develop these talents without straying too much outside your comfort zone. The trick is to apply them for small-scale circumstances that don't fundamentally change the session's primary direction. For instance, I would not employ it to decide if the central plot figure is a secret enemy. Instead, I could use it to decide if the PCs reach a location right after a critical event occurs.

Empowering Player Agency

Luck rolls also works to maintain tension and create the sensation that the adventure is responsive, progressing based on their decisions as they play. It combats the sense that they are merely characters in a pre-written story, thereby strengthening the shared foundation of storytelling.

This philosophy has historically been integral to the original design. Early editions were filled with encounter generators, which made sense for a game focused on treasure hunting. Even though modern D&D often emphasizes story and character, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, this isn't always the only path.

Finding the Sweet Spot

There is absolutely no issue with thorough preparation. However, there is also no problem with relinquishing control and allowing the rolls to guide minor details instead of you. Direction is a significant aspect of a DM's responsibilities. We require it to run the game, yet we can be reluctant to give some up, in situations where doing so might improve the game.

My final suggestion is this: Do not fear of temporarily losing control. Experiment with a little randomness for minor outcomes. The result could find that the surprising result is far more powerful than anything you would have planned in advance.