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In my role as a DM, I traditionally shied away from extensive use of luck during my D&D sessions. I preferred was for the plot and what happened in a game to be guided by character actions instead of pure luck. Recently, I chose to alter my method, and I'm truly glad I did.

The Catalyst: Observing 'Luck Rolls'

An influential actual-play show features a DM who frequently requests "luck rolls" from the adventurers. He does this by selecting a type of die and assigning consequences contingent on the result. While it's at its core no different from consulting a pre-generated chart, these get invented in the moment when a player's action has no obvious resolution.

I decided to try this method at my own game, primarily because it seemed novel and presented a departure from my normal practice. The outcome were fantastic, prompting me to reflect on the perennial balance between pre-determination and randomization in a tabletop session.

An Emotional Session Moment

At a session, my party had survived a city-wide conflict. When the dust settled, a cleric character asked about two key NPCs—a brother and sister—had lived. In place of choosing an outcome, I let the dice decide. I asked the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The possible results were: a low roll, both were killed; a middling roll, only one succumbed; a high roll, they made it.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a incredibly poignant sequence where the adventurers found the bodies of their friends, forever united in their final moments. The cleric performed funeral rites, which was uniquely significant due to prior roleplaying. As a final gesture, I chose that the forms were suddenly transformed, revealing a spell-storing object. By chance, the bead's contained spell was exactly what the group needed to address another critical situation. You simply script this type of magical story beats.

Improving DM Agility

This event led me to ponder if randomization and making it up are truly the essence of tabletop RPGs. While you are a prep-heavy DM, your improvisation muscles can rust. Groups often find joy in upending the best constructed plans. Therefore, a good DM has to be able to adapt swiftly and create scenarios on the fly.

Employing luck rolls is a excellent way to develop these talents without venturing too far outside your preparation. The strategy is to use them for minor circumstances that don't fundamentally change the campaign's main plot. As an example, I would not employ it to establish if the main villain is a secret enemy. Instead, I might use it to decide if the characters reach a location just in time to see a key action unfolds.

Enhancing Collaborative Storytelling

This technique also works to keep players engaged and create the sensation that the story is responsive, progressing according to their decisions as they play. It prevents the feeling that they are merely pawns in a pre-written script, thereby enhancing the collaborative aspect of the game.

This approach has long been integral to the original design. Original D&D were reliant on charts, which made sense for a playstyle focused on dungeon crawling. Although contemporary D&D frequently prioritizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, that may not be the required method.

Striking the Healthy Equilibrium

There is absolutely nothing wrong with thorough preparation. Yet, there is also nothing wrong with letting go and letting the whim of chance to decide some things instead of you. Direction is a significant part of a DM's responsibilities. We use it to facilitate play, yet we frequently find it hard to give some up, even when doing so might improve the game.

The core advice is this: Don't be afraid of temporarily losing control. Experiment with a little chance for inconsequential story elements. The result could discover that the surprising result is far more powerful than anything you would have planned on your own.