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When I am a game master, I historically avoided significant use of randomization during my Dungeons & Dragons adventures. My preference was for narrative flow and what happened in a game to be guided by character actions as opposed to pure luck. Recently, I chose to alter my method, and I'm very glad I did.

The Inspiration: Observing an Improvised Tool

An influential actual-play show showcases a DM who regularly calls for "chance rolls" from the adventurers. He does this by picking a polyhedral and outlining consequences tied to the roll. This is at its core no unlike using a pre-generated chart, these are created spontaneously when a course of events lacks a clear resolution.

I opted to test this technique at my own game, mainly because it looked novel and presented a break from my usual habits. The outcome were eye-opening, prompting me to reflect on the often-debated tension between pre-determination and improvisation in a D&D campaign.

A Memorable Session Moment

At a session, my party had just emerged from a massive battle. Later, a player inquired after two key NPCs—a sibling duo—had made it. Instead of choosing an outcome, I let the dice decide. I instructed the player to roll a d20. The stakes were: on a 1-4, both died; on a 5-9, a single one would die; on a 10+, they both lived.

The player rolled a 4. This triggered a deeply emotional moment where the characters discovered the remains of their allies, still holding hands in their final moments. The cleric performed a ceremony, which was particularly significant due to previous character interactions. In a concluding touch, I improvised that the remains were miraculously restored, revealing a magical Prayer Bead. I randomized, the item's contained spell was perfectly what the party needed to address another critical situation. It's impossible to orchestrate this type of perfect story beats.

Honing DM Agility

This event caused me to question if chance and making it up are truly the core of this game. While you are a detail-oriented DM, your ability to adapt can rust. Players often excel at derailing the best constructed plots. Therefore, a skilled DM must be able to think quickly and fabricate details on the fly.

Utilizing luck rolls is a great way to practice these skills without going completely outside your comfort zone. The trick is to deploy them for small-scale situations that don't fundamentally change the overarching story. To illustrate, I wouldn't use it to establish if the king's advisor is a secret enemy. But, I would consider using it to determine if the party arrive just in time to see a critical event unfolds.

Enhancing Collaborative Storytelling

Luck rolls also serves to maintain tension and cultivate the sensation that the adventure is dynamic, progressing based on their actions immediately. It combats the perception that they are merely pawns in a rigidly planned narrative, thereby bolstering the collaborative foundation of storytelling.

This approach has historically been embedded in the game's DNA. Early editions were enamored with random tables, which suited a playstyle focused on exploration. While contemporary D&D often emphasizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, it's not necessarily the required method.

Finding the Healthy Equilibrium

Absolutely nothing wrong with thorough preparation. But, equally valid nothing wrong with relinquishing control and allowing the dice to decide some things instead of you. Authority is a big part of a DM's role. We use it to manage the world, yet we can be reluctant to release it, in situations where doing so could be beneficial.

My final recommendation is this: Do not fear of temporarily losing your plan. Try a little randomness for inconsequential outcomes. The result could create that the unexpected outcome is infinitely more rewarding than anything you might have pre-written in advance.