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When I am a DM, I traditionally avoided extensive use of randomization during my tabletop roleplaying games. I preferred was for story direction and what happened in a game to be guided by deliberate decisions as opposed to random chance. Recently, I opted to alter my method, and I'm very happy with the result.

The Inspiration: Observing an Improvised Tool

A popular streamed game utilizes a DM who often asks for "fate rolls" from the players. He does this by choosing a polyhedral and outlining consequences contingent on the roll. While it's at its core no unlike rolling on a random table, these are devised spontaneously when a course of events doesn't have a obvious resolution.

I decided to try this technique at my own table, mainly because it looked engaging and provided a change from my normal practice. The outcome were eye-opening, prompting me to reflect on the often-debated dynamic between preparation and spontaneity in a tabletop session.

A Memorable Session Moment

In a recent session, my players had just emerged from a large-scale conflict. When the dust settled, a player asked about two beloved NPCs—a sibling duo—had lived. Rather than deciding myself, I handed it over to chance. I told the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The possible results were: a low roll, both died; on a 5-9, a single one succumbed; on a 10+, they both lived.

The die came up a 4. This led to a incredibly moving scene where the party discovered the corpses of their allies, still holding hands in their final moments. The party held a ceremony, which was particularly powerful due to previous roleplaying. As a parting reward, I chose that the NPCs' bodies were miraculously transformed, containing a magical Prayer Bead. I randomized, the bead's contained spell was perfectly what the group lacked to solve another critical quest obstacle. You simply script such serendipitous moments.

Sharpening DM Agility

This incident made me wonder if randomization and making it up are actually the beating heart of D&D. Even if you are a detail-oriented DM, your improvisation muscles may atrophy. Players often find joy in upending the best constructed plots. Therefore, a effective DM has to be able to pivot effectively and create scenarios in the moment.

Employing similar mechanics is a fantastic way to develop these skills without straying too much outside your comfort zone. The strategy is to deploy them for minor circumstances that won't drastically alter the session's primary direction. To illustrate, I would not employ it to determine if the central plot figure is a secret enemy. However, I might use it to determine if the characters arrive just in time to see a critical event takes place.

Enhancing Collaborative Storytelling

Luck rolls also serves to maintain tension and cultivate the feeling that the story is alive, progressing in reaction to their choices in real-time. It reduces the feeling that they are merely pawns in a pre-written script, thereby bolstering the collaborative nature of storytelling.

This approach has long been integral to the original design. Early editions were filled with charts, which made sense for a game focused on dungeon crawling. While contemporary D&D often prioritizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, this isn't always the only path.

Achieving the Sweet Spot

It is perfectly no problem with being prepared. But, it's also fine no problem with stepping back and permitting the whim of chance to decide some things instead of you. Direction is a major part of a DM's responsibilities. We need it to facilitate play, yet we often struggle to give some up, at times when doing so can lead to great moments.

The core advice is this: Have no fear of relinquishing a bit of your plan. Embrace a little chance for smaller outcomes. The result could discover that the organic story beat is infinitely more rewarding than anything you would have planned in advance.