🔗 Share this article

In my role as a Dungeon Master, I traditionally shied away from significant use of luck during my D&D sessions. I tended was for narrative flow and session development to be shaped by deliberate decisions instead of the roll of a die. Recently, I decided to try something different, and I'm truly pleased with the outcome.

The Catalyst: Observing a Custom Mechanic

A popular streamed game showcases a DM who often requests "luck rolls" from the players. The process entails selecting a specific dice and assigning possible results based on the roll. This is essentially no unlike rolling on a pre-generated chart, these are created in the moment when a course of events has no predetermined conclusion.

I opted to test this approach at my own session, primarily because it seemed interesting and presented a break from my normal practice. The outcome were fantastic, prompting me to reconsider the perennial dynamic between pre-determination and spontaneity in a tabletop session.

An Emotional Story Beat

During one session, my party had concluded a massive battle. When the dust settled, a player inquired after two key NPCs—a pair—had made it. Rather than choosing an outcome, I asked for a roll. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. I defined the outcomes as: on a 1-4, both would perish; on a 5-9, only one would die; on a 10+, they made it.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a incredibly poignant sequence where the adventurers found the remains of their allies, still united in death. The party held last rites, which was especially powerful due to prior story developments. As a parting touch, I improvised that the remains were strangely restored, revealing a magical Prayer Bead. I randomized, the bead's magical effect was perfectly what the party lacked to resolve another major story problem. It's impossible to script these kinds of magical coincidences.

Improving On-the-Spot Skills

This incident caused me to question if randomization and thinking on your feet are in fact the essence of this game. Even if you are a prep-heavy DM, your improvisation muscles need exercise. Players frequently take delight in ignoring the most detailed plots. Therefore, a skilled DM must be able to think quickly and fabricate scenarios on the fly.

Using luck rolls is a fantastic way to practice these talents without going completely outside your usual style. The trick is to apply them for low-stakes circumstances that have a limited impact on the campaign's main plot. To illustrate, I would avoid using it to establish if the king's advisor is a secret enemy. Instead, I would consider using it to decide whether the party enter a room just in time to see a critical event occurs.

Empowering Shared Narrative

Spontaneous randomization also serves to make players feel invested and cultivate the feeling that the story is responsive, shaping based on their choices as they play. It prevents the sense that they are merely pawns in a rigidly planned script, thereby bolstering the cooperative aspect of storytelling.

Randomization has always been integral to the original design. The game's roots were enamored with encounter generators, which suited a playstyle focused on dungeon crawling. Although modern D&D tends to focuses on narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, this isn't always the required method.

Finding the Sweet Spot

There is absolutely nothing wrong with being prepared. But, there is also no issue with relinquishing control and allowing the whim of chance to determine certain outcomes rather than you. Direction is a major part of a DM's responsibilities. We use it to facilitate play, yet we can be reluctant to cede it, at times when doing so can lead to great moments.

My final recommendation is this: Do not fear of temporarily losing control. Experiment with a little improvisation for inconsequential outcomes. You might just find that the surprising result is infinitely more powerful than anything you would have planned by yourself.