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As a DM, I usually avoided significant use of luck during my D&D games. I preferred was for the plot and what happened in a game to be shaped by player choice instead of random chance. However, I decided to change my approach, and I'm truly happy with the result.

The Spark: Seeing a Custom Mechanic

An influential actual-play show features a DM who often calls for "chance rolls" from the adventurers. He does this by picking a type of die and outlining possible results tied to the roll. It's essentially no different from consulting a random table, these get invented in the moment when a course of events doesn't have a clear outcome.

I chose to experiment with this approach at my own session, mainly because it seemed engaging and presented a departure from my usual habits. The experience were fantastic, prompting me to reflect on the ongoing tension between planning and randomization in a tabletop session.

A Memorable Session Moment

At a session, my party had survived a large-scale conflict. Afterwards, a player wondered if two beloved NPCs—a sibling duo—had lived. In place of picking a fate, I handed it over to chance. I told the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. I defined the outcomes as: on a 1-4, both would perish; a middling roll, a single one succumbed; a high roll, they both lived.

Fate decreed a 4. This triggered a profoundly poignant sequence where the party found the bodies of their companions, still united in death. The group conducted last rites, which was particularly significant due to prior story developments. As a parting reward, I decided that the NPCs' bodies were strangely transformed, revealing a enchanted item. I randomized, the item's contained spell was exactly what the party required to address another critical situation. It's impossible to script such perfect moments.

Sharpening Your Improvisation

This experience caused me to question if chance and making it up are actually the essence of D&D. Even if you are a detail-oriented DM, your improvisation muscles need exercise. Groups reliably excel at upending the most detailed plots. Therefore, a good DM needs to be able to adapt swiftly and create details in real-time.

Utilizing similar mechanics is a fantastic way to train these skills without straying too much outside your usual style. The key is to deploy them for small-scale circumstances that have a limited impact on the session's primary direction. For instance, I would avoid using it to determine if the main villain is a traitor. But, I would consider using it to determine if the characters arrive moments before a key action takes place.

Strengthening Shared Narrative

Spontaneous randomization also helps maintain tension and create the impression that the game world is dynamic, evolving based on their choices immediately. It reduces the sense that they are merely actors in a pre-written script, thereby bolstering the collaborative foundation of the game.

This approach has long been integral to the game's DNA. Early editions were filled with encounter generators, which fit a game focused on dungeon crawling. Although current D&D frequently prioritizes story and character, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, that may not be the required method.

Striking the Sweet Spot

Absolutely no problem with thorough preparation. Yet, it's also fine no issue with relinquishing control and permitting the dice to determine certain outcomes instead of you. Direction is a major part of a DM's responsibilities. We use it to manage the world, yet we can be reluctant to cede it, in situations where doing so might improve the game.

A piece of suggestion is this: Do not fear of relinquishing a bit of the reins. Experiment with a little chance for minor story elements. It may discover that the organic story beat is far more rewarding than anything you could have scripted by yourself.