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In my role as a Dungeon Master, I traditionally avoided significant use of luck during my D&D adventures. My preference was for the plot and session development to be shaped by player choice rather than the roll of a die. Recently, I opted to change my approach, and I'm very pleased with the outcome.

The Inspiration: Observing 'Luck Rolls'

A well-known actual-play show utilizes a DM who frequently requests "fate rolls" from the participants. The process entails picking a type of die and defining possible results based on the number. It's at its core no distinct from rolling on a random table, these are devised on the spot when a character's decision doesn't have a predetermined outcome.

I decided to try this approach at my own game, primarily because it looked interesting and offered a break from my usual habits. The results were eye-opening, prompting me to reconsider the ongoing dynamic between preparation and spontaneity in a roleplaying game.

An Emotional In-Game Example

At a session, my group had just emerged from a massive fight. When the dust settled, a cleric character inquired after two beloved NPCs—a brother and sister—had survived. Rather than deciding myself, I asked for a roll. I told the player to roll a d20. The possible results were: on a 1-4, both would perish; a middling roll, a single one would die; a high roll, they both lived.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a deeply emotional sequence where the characters discovered the corpses of their friends, still united in death. The group held funeral rites, which was especially powerful due to prior story developments. As a parting touch, I decided that the remains were miraculously transformed, containing a magical Prayer Bead. I rolled for, the item's magical effect was exactly what the group needed to address another critical story problem. It's impossible to script these kinds of perfect coincidences.

Honing DM Agility

This event caused me to question if chance and making it up are in fact the core of tabletop RPGs. While you are a prep-heavy DM, your ability to adapt need exercise. Players often excel at upending the most carefully laid plots. Therefore, a effective DM must be able to pivot effectively and create content in real-time.

Employing on-the-spot randomization is a great way to practice these abilities without venturing too far outside your comfort zone. The strategy is to use them for low-stakes circumstances that won't drastically alter the overarching story. For instance, I would not employ it to decide if the king's advisor is a secret enemy. However, I could use it to determine whether the PCs enter a room moments before a critical event takes place.

Empowering Player Agency

This technique also serves to keep players engaged and create the sensation that the adventure is responsive, progressing according to their choices as they play. It reduces the perception that they are merely actors in a rigidly planned story, thereby enhancing the shared nature of storytelling.

This philosophy has always been embedded in the game's DNA. Original D&D were reliant on encounter generators, which fit a game focused on exploration. Although current D&D often emphasizes story and character, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, it's not necessarily the required method.

Striking the Sweet Spot

There is absolutely no problem with being prepared. Yet, there is also nothing wrong with relinquishing control and letting the whim of chance to decide some things in place of you. Control is a major factor in a DM's job. We require it to run the game, yet we frequently find it hard to release it, even when doing so could be beneficial.

The core advice is this: Have no fear of letting go of your plan. Try a little randomness for inconsequential details. It may discover that the organic story beat is infinitely more powerful than anything you would have planned on your own.