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When I am a Dungeon Master, I traditionally shied away from significant use of luck during my Dungeons & Dragons games. My preference was for the plot and session development to be guided by character actions as opposed to the roll of a die. However, I opted to change my approach, and I'm very pleased with the outcome.

The Inspiration: Observing a Custom Mechanic

An influential streamed game showcases a DM who often asks for "chance rolls" from the players. This involves selecting a type of die and outlining possible results tied to the number. While it's at its core no unlike using a random table, these get invented spontaneously when a character's decision doesn't have a predetermined resolution.

I opted to test this approach at my own table, mainly because it looked interesting and offered a departure from my usual habits. The results were eye-opening, prompting me to reconsider the ongoing dynamic between preparation and spontaneity in a tabletop session.

A Memorable Story Beat

During one session, my party had survived a large-scale battle. Later, a player wondered if two friendly NPCs—a pair—had lived. Rather than picking a fate, I handed it over to chance. I instructed the player to roll a d20. The stakes were: a low roll, both would perish; on a 5-9, only one succumbed; on a 10+, they made it.

Fate decreed a 4. This resulted in a profoundly poignant moment where the characters found the corpses of their friends, still clasped together in death. The party conducted a ceremony, which was particularly significant due to earlier story developments. In a concluding gesture, I improvised that the NPCs' bodies were miraculously restored, revealing a magical Prayer Bead. By chance, the item's contained spell was perfectly what the group required to resolve another pressing quest obstacle. It's impossible to script these kinds of magical story beats.

Honing On-the-Spot Skills

This experience caused me to question if improvisation and making it up are actually the beating heart of D&D. Even if you are a prep-heavy DM, your skill to pivot may atrophy. Adventurers often excel at upending the most carefully laid plans. Therefore, a effective DM has to be able to pivot effectively and fabricate scenarios in the moment.

Using luck rolls is a fantastic way to train these skills without venturing too far outside your comfort zone. The key is to use them for small-scale situations that don't fundamentally change the campaign's main plot. As an example, I would not employ it to decide if the central plot figure is a secret enemy. Instead, I would consider using it to decide whether the PCs reach a location moments before a major incident unfolds.

Empowering Shared Narrative

Luck rolls also serves to maintain tension and cultivate the sensation that the adventure is alive, progressing in reaction to their actions immediately. It reduces the sense that they are merely characters in a rigidly planned narrative, thereby enhancing the shared aspect of roleplaying.

Randomization has long been embedded in the core of D&D. Early editions were enamored with random tables, which fit a playstyle focused on treasure hunting. Although current D&D often emphasizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, it's not necessarily the only path.

Achieving the Healthy Equilibrium

It is perfectly nothing wrong with doing your prep. Yet, it's also fine nothing wrong with letting go and letting the whim of chance to decide some things rather than you. Direction is a major aspect of a DM's role. We require it to manage the world, yet we often struggle to cede it, even when doing so might improve the game.

My final recommendation is this: Do not fear of letting go of the reins. Experiment with a little improvisation for minor outcomes. You might just find that the surprising result is significantly more memorable than anything you would have pre-written on your own.