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In my role as a DM, I historically avoided extensive use of chance during my tabletop roleplaying games. I tended was for the plot and session development to be determined by character actions as opposed to pure luck. However, I decided to change my approach, and I'm incredibly happy with the result.

The Spark: Seeing an Improvised Tool

An influential podcast features a DM who often asks for "fate rolls" from the adventurers. This involves picking a polyhedral and outlining consequences tied to the result. It's essentially no unlike using a random table, these are devised on the spot when a course of events doesn't have a obvious outcome.

I opted to test this method at my own session, mostly because it seemed novel and offered a break from my usual habits. The outcome were remarkable, prompting me to think deeply about the ongoing tension between pre-determination and randomization in a roleplaying game.

A Powerful Session Moment

In a recent session, my players had just emerged from a massive battle. When the dust settled, a cleric character wondered if two friendly NPCs—a brother and sister—had survived. Rather than picking a fate, I let the dice decide. I instructed the player to roll a d20. I defined the outcomes as: a low roll, both would perish; a middling roll, a single one would die; on a 10+, they survived.

Fate decreed a 4. This resulted in a deeply emotional moment where the characters discovered the remains of their friends, still clasped together in their final moments. The group held last rites, which was especially significant due to previous roleplaying. As a final reward, I chose that the NPCs' bodies were strangely restored, revealing a spell-storing object. I randomized, the bead's magical effect was perfectly what the party required to address another critical situation. One just plan such serendipitous moments.

Sharpening DM Agility

This experience made me wonder if chance and spontaneity are actually the core of tabletop RPGs. While you are a prep-heavy DM, your ability to adapt can rust. Groups reliably excel at upending the most detailed narratives. Therefore, a skilled DM must be able to adapt swiftly and create scenarios in real-time.

Using luck rolls is a fantastic way to develop these talents without straying too much outside your preparation. The strategy is to apply them for small-scale circumstances that don't fundamentally change the session's primary direction. To illustrate, I would avoid using it to establish if the king's advisor is a secret enemy. However, I might use it to decide whether the characters enter a room right after a major incident takes place.

Empowering Player Agency

Spontaneous randomization also works to maintain tension and foster the impression that the story is dynamic, shaping according to their choices immediately. It prevents the sense that they are merely actors in a pre-written story, thereby bolstering the shared aspect of roleplaying.

This philosophy has historically been embedded in the core of D&D. Original D&D were reliant on charts, which fit a game focused on treasure hunting. Even though current D&D often emphasizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, this isn't always the only path.

Achieving the Sweet Spot

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being prepared. However, equally valid no problem with letting go and allowing the dice to determine certain outcomes rather than you. Control is a major aspect of a DM's responsibilities. We require it to facilitate play, yet we can be reluctant to cede it, at times when doing so can lead to great moments.

My final recommendation is this: Don't be afraid of relinquishing a bit of your plan. Experiment with a little improvisation for smaller story elements. It may discover that the unexpected outcome is significantly more powerful than anything you might have pre-written by yourself.