🔗 Share this article

When I am a Dungeon Master, I usually shied away from significant use of chance during my D&D games. I tended was for narrative flow and session development to be shaped by player choice as opposed to random chance. That said, I chose to change my approach, and I'm incredibly glad I did.

The Spark: Seeing 'Luck Rolls'

An influential actual-play show showcases a DM who regularly asks for "fate rolls" from the adventurers. This involves choosing a type of die and outlining potential outcomes contingent on the roll. It's essentially no unlike using a pre-generated chart, these are devised on the spot when a player's action doesn't have a obvious conclusion.

I decided to try this method at my own table, mainly because it appeared engaging and offered a break from my standard routine. The outcome were fantastic, prompting me to reflect on the perennial tension between preparation and randomization in a roleplaying game.

An Emotional Session Moment

In a recent session, my group had concluded a massive fight. When the dust settled, a player inquired after two friendly NPCs—a brother and sister—had made it. In place of picking a fate, I handed it over to chance. I told the player to roll a d20. The possible results were: on a 1-4, both were killed; on a 5-9, only one would die; a high roll, they survived.

The player rolled a 4. This resulted in a deeply poignant sequence where the party found the corpses of their allies, forever holding hands in their final moments. The group performed funeral rites, which was uniquely powerful due to prior roleplaying. In a concluding gesture, I chose that the remains were miraculously restored, showing a enchanted item. By chance, the item's contained spell was exactly what the party needed to resolve another critical situation. One just plan this type of perfect moments.

Honing DM Agility

This event caused me to question if randomization and thinking on your feet are actually the beating heart of this game. Although you are a meticulously planning DM, your skill to pivot may atrophy. Players frequently find joy in upending the best constructed plans. Therefore, a good DM has to be able to adapt swiftly and fabricate scenarios in the moment.

Using on-the-spot randomization is a great way to train these abilities without straying too much outside your preparation. The key is to apply them for small-scale decisions that don't fundamentally change the session's primary direction. As an example, I would not employ it to determine if the king's advisor is a traitor. Instead, I could use it to figure out if the characters reach a location right after a key action unfolds.

Enhancing Shared Narrative

Luck rolls also works to maintain tension and cultivate the impression that the story is alive, shaping based on their choices as they play. It reduces the feeling that they are merely pawns in a DM's sole story, thereby strengthening the collaborative aspect of the game.

This approach has long been part of the original design. Original D&D were filled with random tables, which suited a playstyle focused on exploration. Although current D&D tends to emphasizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, it's not necessarily the required method.

Achieving the Healthy Equilibrium

It is perfectly no issue with doing your prep. Yet, it's also fine no problem with relinquishing control and permitting the dice to decide some things instead of you. Control is a significant aspect of a DM's job. We use it to facilitate play, yet we can be reluctant to cede it, even when doing so might improve the game.

A piece of recommendation is this: Have no fear of temporarily losing control. Try a little improvisation for smaller details. It may create that the surprising result is far more memorable than anything you would have scripted in advance.