🔗 Share this article

When I am a DM, I traditionally shied away from significant use of luck during my D&D games. I tended was for story direction and what happened in a game to be determined by deliberate decisions instead of the roll of a die. That said, I decided to change my approach, and I'm truly glad I did.

The Spark: Watching a Custom Mechanic

An influential podcast showcases a DM who often asks for "fate rolls" from the adventurers. This involves selecting a polyhedral and assigning possible results based on the number. This is at its core no different from rolling on a random table, these are created on the spot when a character's decision doesn't have a predetermined conclusion.

I chose to experiment with this technique at my own table, primarily because it looked novel and provided a break from my usual habits. The outcome were eye-opening, prompting me to think deeply about the perennial tension between pre-determination and spontaneity in a roleplaying game.

A Memorable In-Game Example

During one session, my party had just emerged from a large-scale battle. Later, a player inquired after two key NPCs—a sibling duo—had lived. In place of choosing an outcome, I handed it over to chance. I instructed the player to roll a d20. The possible results were: a low roll, both were killed; on a 5-9, only one would die; on a 10+, they survived.

The player rolled a 4. This triggered a incredibly emotional sequence where the adventurers came upon the bodies of their companions, forever holding hands in death. The cleric performed last rites, which was particularly meaningful due to prior roleplaying. As a parting touch, I improvised that the forms were strangely restored, revealing a enchanted item. I rolled for, the item's magical effect was perfectly what the party lacked to solve another critical story problem. One just plan these kinds of perfect story beats.

Sharpening DM Agility

This event caused me to question if chance and making it up are truly the core of this game. Even if you are a meticulously planning DM, your improvisation muscles can rust. Groups often excel at ignoring the best constructed plots. Therefore, a good DM has to be able to think quickly and invent details in the moment.

Utilizing luck rolls is a fantastic way to train these abilities without straying too much outside your usual style. The strategy is to deploy them for small-scale decisions that have a limited impact on the overarching story. For instance, I would not employ it to decide if the central plot figure is a traitor. But, I might use it to determine whether the characters enter a room right after a key action unfolds.

Empowering Player Agency

Spontaneous randomization also works to make players feel invested and create the sensation that the adventure is alive, progressing based on their choices immediately. It reduces the sense that they are merely characters in a pre-written narrative, thereby enhancing the cooperative aspect of roleplaying.

This approach has long been embedded in the original design. The game's roots were reliant on encounter generators, which suited a playstyle focused on treasure hunting. While current D&D often emphasizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, it's not necessarily the only path.

Achieving the Sweet Spot

There is absolutely no issue with thorough preparation. But, equally valid no issue with stepping back and letting the rolls to decide some things in place of you. Direction is a big aspect of a DM's responsibilities. We need it to facilitate play, yet we frequently find it hard to give some up, in situations where doing so can lead to great moments.

A piece of advice is this: Have no fear of temporarily losing control. Experiment with a little randomness for smaller details. You might just create that the surprising result is significantly more powerful than anything you would have pre-written in advance.