🔗 Share this article

As a DM, I usually steered clear of heavy use of luck during my tabletop roleplaying games. I preferred was for narrative flow and what happened in a game to be shaped by player choice as opposed to random chance. That said, I decided to alter my method, and I'm truly glad I did.

The Inspiration: Watching an Improvised Tool

A popular podcast showcases a DM who regularly requests "fate rolls" from the adventurers. This involves selecting a polyhedral and assigning possible results tied to the result. It's fundamentally no unlike consulting a random table, these get invented in the moment when a course of events doesn't have a predetermined conclusion.

I opted to test this method at my own table, mostly because it looked novel and provided a departure from my normal practice. The results were eye-opening, prompting me to reflect on the ongoing tension between pre-determination and improvisation in a roleplaying game.

A Powerful Session Moment

During one session, my group had survived a large-scale fight. Later, a player wondered if two beloved NPCs—a brother and sister—had survived. Instead of 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, only one would die; on a 10+, they survived.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a profoundly moving moment where the party found the bodies of their allies, still holding hands in their final moments. The group held a ceremony, which was particularly powerful due to previous character interactions. As a final gesture, I chose that the forms were strangely restored, showing a magical Prayer Bead. By chance, the item's contained spell was exactly what the party needed to address another pressing situation. You simply orchestrate this type of perfect story beats.

Honing Your Improvisation

This incident caused me to question if randomization and spontaneity are actually the beating heart of D&D. Although you are a prep-heavy DM, your improvisation muscles may atrophy. Adventurers frequently take delight in ignoring the best constructed narratives. Therefore, a skilled DM needs to be able to pivot effectively and fabricate content in the moment.

Employing on-the-spot randomization is a fantastic way to practice these skills without going completely outside your comfort zone. The trick is to apply them for small-scale situations that won't drastically alter the session's primary direction. As an example, I would avoid using it to determine if the central plot figure is a secret enemy. Instead, I could use it to determine whether the party enter a room right after a major incident unfolds.

Enhancing Collaborative Storytelling

This technique also helps maintain tension and foster the impression that the adventure is dynamic, shaping according to their choices as they play. It reduces the sense that they are merely pawns in a rigidly planned script, thereby bolstering the cooperative aspect of storytelling.

This philosophy has long been embedded in the game's DNA. Original D&D were filled with random tables, which fit a playstyle focused on dungeon crawling. While modern D&D often emphasizes story and character, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, this isn't always the required method.

Finding the Healthy Equilibrium

It is perfectly nothing wrong with thorough preparation. Yet, there is also nothing wrong with relinquishing control and allowing the dice to decide some things in place of you. Direction is a big aspect of a DM's responsibilities. We use it to manage the world, yet we frequently find it hard 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 randomness for smaller outcomes. It may discover that the unexpected outcome is significantly more rewarding than anything you might have planned in advance.