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As a Dungeon Master, I traditionally steered clear of significant use of chance during my Dungeons & Dragons games. I preferred was for story direction and session development to be determined by character actions instead of the roll of a die. However, I opted to try something different, and I'm truly pleased with the outcome.

The Spark: Observing a Custom Mechanic

A well-known podcast utilizes a DM who regularly calls for "chance rolls" from the players. He does this by picking a type of die and outlining potential outcomes contingent on the number. This is at its core no distinct from rolling on a random table, these get invented on the spot when a player's action lacks a predetermined outcome.

I decided to try this approach at my own game, mostly because it seemed novel and presented a change from my standard routine. The experience were eye-opening, prompting me to think deeply about the perennial dynamic between pre-determination and spontaneity in a roleplaying game.

An Emotional Story Beat

At a session, my party had just emerged from a massive battle. Afterwards, a player asked about two beloved NPCs—a brother and sister—had lived. Instead of choosing an outcome, I asked for a roll. I instructed the player to roll a d20. The stakes were: a low roll, both were killed; a middling roll, only one succumbed; on a 10+, they made it.

Fate decreed a 4. This resulted in a incredibly poignant moment where the adventurers came upon the bodies of their friends, still clasped together in their final moments. The party performed last rites, which was uniquely significant due to prior character interactions. As a final touch, I improvised that the NPCs' bodies were miraculously transformed, containing a spell-storing object. By chance, the item's magical effect was perfectly what the party required to solve another major situation. You simply orchestrate such magical moments.

Honing Your Improvisation

This event made me wonder if improvisation and thinking on your feet are actually the core of D&D. While you are a detail-oriented DM, your improvisation muscles need exercise. Players often excel at derailing the most carefully laid narratives. Therefore, a good DM needs to be able to adapt swiftly and invent scenarios in real-time.

Employing similar mechanics is a excellent way to develop these talents without straying too much outside your usual style. The key is to use them for minor decisions that don't fundamentally change the session's primary direction. To illustrate, I wouldn't use it to decide if the main villain is a traitor. But, I could use it to decide whether the PCs reach a location just in time to see a key action takes place.

Strengthening Player Agency

Spontaneous randomization also works to maintain tension and cultivate the sensation that the story is dynamic, progressing in reaction to their actions in real-time. It prevents the perception that they are merely actors in a DM's sole story, thereby strengthening the cooperative nature of the game.

This approach has historically been embedded in the game's DNA. Early editions were reliant on encounter generators, which fit a playstyle focused on dungeon crawling. Although current D&D tends to prioritizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, it's not necessarily the required method.

Achieving the Healthy Equilibrium

It is perfectly no issue with doing your prep. However, equally valid no issue with relinquishing control and permitting the dice to determine certain outcomes instead of you. Direction is a major factor in a DM's role. We use it to run the game, yet we frequently find it hard to give some up, in situations where doing so could be beneficial.

My final advice is this: Have no fear of temporarily losing your plan. Embrace a little chance for inconsequential details. The result could find that the unexpected outcome is significantly more powerful than anything you would have planned on your own.