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In my role as a Dungeon Master, I usually shied away from heavy use of chance during my Dungeons & Dragons sessions. I tended was for story direction and what happened in a game to be guided by character actions instead of pure luck. Recently, I decided to change my approach, and I'm very pleased with the outcome.

The Inspiration: Watching an Improvised Tool

A well-known streamed game utilizes a DM who often asks for "chance rolls" from the adventurers. He does this by picking a type of die and defining consequences contingent on the result. While it's essentially no different from using a random table, these get invented on the spot when a course of events lacks a predetermined outcome.

I decided to try this technique at my own session, primarily because it appeared interesting and offered a departure from my usual habits. The outcome were remarkable, prompting me to reflect on the ongoing balance between pre-determination and improvisation in a roleplaying game.

An Emotional Story Beat

At a session, my party had survived a city-wide fight. Later, a cleric character asked about two key NPCs—a sibling duo—had lived. In place of choosing an outcome, I asked for a roll. I asked the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The possible results were: on a 1-4, both died; a middling roll, only one succumbed; on a 10+, they made it.

Fate decreed a 4. This resulted in a incredibly moving sequence where the party found the remains of their allies, still clasped together in their final moments. The group conducted funeral rites, which was uniquely powerful due to previous roleplaying. As a final reward, I decided that the forms were miraculously restored, showing a magical Prayer Bead. By chance, the item's contained spell was precisely what the party required to address another critical quest obstacle. You simply script such magical coincidences.

Sharpening Your Improvisation

This experience caused me to question if improvisation and making it up are in fact the core of tabletop RPGs. Although you are a prep-heavy DM, your ability to adapt can rust. Players frequently excel at upending the most detailed narratives. Therefore, a effective DM must be able to think quickly and invent content in real-time.

Using similar mechanics is a great way to train these talents without venturing too far outside your preparation. The key is to deploy them for small-scale decisions that don't fundamentally change the overarching story. To illustrate, I would not employ it to establish if the central plot figure is a secret enemy. Instead, I might use it to decide whether the party enter a room right after a critical event occurs.

Strengthening Collaborative Storytelling

Spontaneous randomization also works to maintain tension and cultivate the impression that the story is dynamic, evolving based on their decisions in real-time. It combats the perception that they are merely pawns in a DM's sole narrative, thereby bolstering the shared aspect of roleplaying.

Randomization has long been integral to the game's DNA. The game's roots were reliant on encounter generators, which suited a game focused on exploration. Even though current D&D frequently prioritizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, this isn't always the best approach.

Finding the Right Balance

There is absolutely no issue with doing your prep. Yet, there is also no issue with stepping back and allowing the whim of chance to determine certain outcomes in place of you. Direction is a significant factor in a DM's job. We require it to manage the world, yet we frequently find it hard to give some up, in situations where doing so could be beneficial.

The core recommendation is this: Don't be afraid of relinquishing a bit of your plan. Experiment with a little improvisation for smaller outcomes. It may find that the surprising result is infinitely more memorable than anything you could have planned on your own.