🔗 Share this article

As a DM, I traditionally steered clear of significant use of chance during my D&D games. I preferred was for the plot and session development to be shaped by player choice as opposed to random chance. That said, I chose to change my approach, and I'm very pleased with the outcome.

The Spark: Observing a Custom Mechanic

A well-known streamed game features a DM who frequently calls for "luck rolls" from the adventurers. He does this by selecting a specific dice and defining consequences based on the number. While it's essentially no distinct from consulting a pre-generated chart, these get invented spontaneously when a character's decision doesn't have a obvious conclusion.

I chose to experiment with this method at my own table, mostly because it appeared engaging and provided a break from my normal practice. The outcome were fantastic, prompting me to think deeply about the ongoing balance between planning and spontaneity in a tabletop session.

An Emotional Session Moment

During one session, my players had survived a city-wide conflict. Later, a cleric character asked about two beloved NPCs—a pair—had survived. In place of choosing an outcome, I let the dice decide. I asked the player to roll a d20. I defined the outcomes as: on a 1-4, both were killed; on a 5-9, a single one would die; a high roll, they made it.

Fate decreed a 4. This resulted in a profoundly emotional moment where the adventurers came upon the bodies of their friends, still holding hands in their final moments. The group conducted a ceremony, which was especially significant due to prior story developments. As a final reward, I improvised that the forms were strangely transformed, showing a spell-storing object. I randomized, the item's contained spell was precisely what the party needed to solve another critical quest obstacle. It's impossible to plan these kinds of perfect coincidences.

Sharpening DM Agility

This incident led me to ponder if randomization and making it up are truly the core of D&D. Even if you are a meticulously planning DM, your improvisation muscles may atrophy. Adventurers reliably excel at derailing the best constructed plots. Therefore, a skilled DM needs to be able to adapt swiftly and create details on the fly.

Using on-the-spot randomization is a excellent way to develop these talents without going completely outside your usual style. The strategy is to deploy them for minor situations that have a limited impact on the session's primary direction. For instance, I would avoid using it to determine if the king's advisor is a secret enemy. However, I could use it to determine if the PCs reach a location moments before a critical event occurs.

Enhancing Collaborative Storytelling

Spontaneous randomization also serves to maintain tension and create the sensation that the game world is dynamic, evolving according to their actions immediately. It reduces the sense that they are merely actors in a DM's sole story, thereby bolstering the collaborative nature of roleplaying.

This approach has historically been part of the game's DNA. Original D&D were filled with encounter generators, which made sense for a game focused on treasure hunting. While contemporary D&D often emphasizes story and character, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, this isn't always the only path.

Finding the Sweet Spot

Absolutely nothing wrong with thorough preparation. But, equally valid no problem with relinquishing control and permitting the dice to determine certain outcomes in place of you. Authority is a significant factor in a DM's job. We use it to facilitate play, yet we frequently find it hard to cede it, even when doing so could be beneficial.

A piece of advice is this: Have no fear of relinquishing a bit of your plan. Experiment with a little randomness for minor details. It may discover that the surprising result is infinitely more memorable than anything you could have planned on your own.