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When I am a Dungeon Master, I historically shied away from heavy use of luck during my D&D adventures. I tended was for story direction and what happened in a game to be shaped by character actions rather than random chance. That said, I chose to try something different, and I'm very pleased with the outcome.

The Spark: Seeing 'Luck Rolls'

An influential podcast showcases a DM who regularly asks for "luck rolls" from the adventurers. The process entails selecting a type of die and defining potential outcomes contingent on the result. While it's at its core no different from consulting a random table, these are created in the moment when a course of events has no obvious conclusion.

I decided to try this method at my own session, mostly because it appeared novel and presented a departure from my usual habits. The results were remarkable, prompting me to think deeply about the perennial dynamic between pre-determination and spontaneity in a roleplaying game.

A Powerful In-Game Example

At a session, my players had just emerged from a city-wide fight. When the dust settled, a player asked about two key NPCs—a sibling duo—had survived. Rather than choosing an outcome, I asked for a roll. I asked the player to roll a d20. The stakes were: a low roll, both would perish; a middling roll, a single one would die; on a 10+, they survived.

Fate decreed a 4. This triggered a profoundly moving scene where the party came upon the bodies of their friends, forever clasped together in their final moments. The cleric performed funeral rites, which was especially powerful due to earlier story developments. As a parting touch, I improvised that the forms were strangely transformed, containing a magical Prayer Bead. I randomized, the bead's magical effect was precisely what the party required to solve another major quest obstacle. It's impossible to script these kinds of serendipitous coincidences.

Improving On-the-Spot Skills

This incident caused me to question if chance and thinking on your feet are actually the essence of D&D. Although you are a meticulously planning DM, your improvisation muscles can rust. Players reliably take delight in upending the most carefully laid plans. Therefore, a skilled DM must be able to adapt swiftly and fabricate content in the moment.

Using similar mechanics is a great way to train these abilities without venturing too far outside your preparation. The key is to deploy them for minor circumstances that don't fundamentally change the overarching story. For instance, I would not employ it to determine if the central plot figure is a secret enemy. Instead, I would consider using it to decide whether the characters enter a room moments before a major incident takes place.

Enhancing Collaborative Storytelling

Spontaneous randomization also serves to keep players engaged and foster the impression that the adventure is alive, progressing according to their actions as they play. It prevents the perception that they are merely actors in a pre-written story, thereby strengthening the cooperative aspect of roleplaying.

Randomization has always been part of the game's DNA. The game's roots were filled with charts, which fit a game focused on dungeon crawling. While modern D&D often emphasizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, this isn't always the best approach.

Striking the Sweet Spot

Absolutely no problem with being prepared. However, there is also nothing wrong with letting go and permitting the whim of chance to decide some things in place of you. Authority is a big factor in a DM's responsibilities. We require it to run the game, yet we can be reluctant to release it, in situations where doing so might improve the game.

My final advice is this: Do not fear of relinquishing a bit of control. Try a little improvisation for minor outcomes. It may discover that the surprising result is infinitely more rewarding than anything you would have pre-written in advance.