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In my role as a DM, I traditionally steered clear of heavy use of luck during my tabletop roleplaying sessions. I preferred was for the plot and session development to be determined by player choice rather than the roll of a die. However, I opted to try something different, and I'm truly glad I did.

The Spark: Seeing 'Luck Rolls'

A well-known actual-play show utilizes a DM who regularly calls for "luck rolls" from the players. The process entails choosing a specific dice and assigning potential outcomes based on the roll. This is at its core no different from consulting a pre-generated chart, these get invented in the moment when a character's decision lacks a clear resolution.

I chose to experiment with this technique at my own session, mostly because it looked novel and provided a departure from my usual habits. The results were remarkable, prompting me to think deeply about the ongoing tension between planning and spontaneity in a tabletop session.

An Emotional Story Beat

In a recent session, my party had just emerged from a city-wide conflict. Later, a player wondered if two friendly NPCs—a pair—had made it. Rather than choosing an outcome, I asked for a roll. I asked the player to roll a d20. I defined the outcomes as: on a 1-4, both died; on a 5-9, a single one succumbed; on a 10+, they made it.

The die came up a 4. This resulted in a deeply moving scene where the party discovered the bodies of their companions, forever holding hands in their final moments. The cleric conducted a ceremony, which was particularly powerful due to previous roleplaying. As a parting touch, I decided that the remains were suddenly transformed, containing a enchanted item. I randomized, the item's contained spell was exactly what the group lacked to address another major quest obstacle. You simply orchestrate such serendipitous coincidences.

Sharpening DM Agility

This experience caused me to question if chance and making it up are in fact the core of this game. Although you are a detail-oriented DM, your ability to adapt can rust. Groups frequently find joy in derailing the best constructed plots. Therefore, a effective DM needs to be able to adapt swiftly and invent scenarios on the fly.

Using similar mechanics is a great way to practice these abilities without going completely outside your preparation. The strategy is to use them for minor circumstances that have a limited impact on the session's primary direction. To illustrate, I would not employ it to decide if the central plot figure is a traitor. Instead, I could use it to determine whether the PCs arrive just in time to see a critical event takes place.

Strengthening Collaborative Storytelling

This technique also serves to maintain tension and cultivate the impression that the game world is dynamic, shaping based on their actions as they play. It prevents the sense that they are merely pawns in a DM's sole script, thereby enhancing the shared aspect of roleplaying.

Randomization has historically been embedded in the original design. Early editions were filled with charts, which fit a game focused on exploration. Although modern D&D frequently focuses on story and character, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, this isn't always the best approach.

Achieving the Right Balance

There is absolutely no issue with thorough preparation. However, equally valid nothing wrong with stepping back and permitting the rolls to determine certain outcomes instead of you. Authority is a significant part of a DM's job. We need it to manage the world, yet we frequently find it hard to give some up, at times when doing so might improve the game.

My final suggestion is this: Do not fear of relinquishing a bit of control. Embrace a little improvisation for smaller details. It may create that the organic story beat is far more memorable than anything you might have pre-written in advance.