🔗 Share this article

As a DM, I historically shied away from significant use of chance during my tabletop roleplaying games. I tended was for narrative flow and session development to be guided by deliberate decisions as opposed to the roll of a die. Recently, I chose to alter my method, and I'm truly happy with the result.

The Inspiration: Watching 'Luck Rolls'

An influential streamed game features a DM who regularly asks for "luck rolls" from the participants. This involves picking a polyhedral and defining consequences contingent on the result. While it's at its core no unlike rolling on a random table, these are created on the spot when a player's action doesn't have a obvious outcome.

I chose to experiment with this approach at my own table, primarily because it seemed interesting and offered a break from my normal practice. The outcome were fantastic, prompting me to think deeply about the perennial dynamic between planning and randomization in a roleplaying game.

A Memorable Session Moment

In a recent session, my players had just emerged from a massive battle. When the dust settled, a player inquired after two friendly NPCs—a sibling duo—had lived. Rather than deciding myself, I asked for a roll. I told the player to roll a d20. The stakes were: on a 1-4, both were killed; on a 5-9, only one would die; on a 10+, they made it.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a profoundly emotional moment where the adventurers found the remains of their friends, still united in their final moments. The party conducted last rites, which was uniquely powerful due to prior roleplaying. As a parting reward, I decided that the NPCs' bodies were miraculously transformed, containing a enchanted item. I rolled for, the item's contained spell was exactly what the group required to solve another major situation. You simply script such magical story beats.

Sharpening DM Agility

This event caused me to question if chance and making it up are in fact the core of tabletop RPGs. Even if you are a prep-heavy DM, your ability to adapt can rust. Adventurers often excel at derailing the most detailed plots. Therefore, a skilled DM must be able to think quickly and invent details in real-time.

Using on-the-spot randomization is a great way to develop these talents without straying too much outside your preparation. The trick is to use them for small-scale situations that won't drastically alter the overarching story. To illustrate, I would avoid using it to determine if the central plot figure is a traitor. But, I would consider using it to determine whether the PCs enter a room moments before a major incident occurs.

Strengthening Player Agency

Luck rolls also works to make players feel invested and create the feeling that the adventure is alive, evolving according to their choices as they play. It combats the feeling that they are merely actors in a DM's sole narrative, thereby strengthening the shared foundation of storytelling.

This approach has historically been embedded in the game's DNA. Original D&D were enamored with encounter generators, which fit a game focused on treasure hunting. Even though current D&D tends to emphasizes story and character, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, it's not necessarily the only path.

Achieving the Sweet Spot

There is absolutely no problem with doing your prep. But, it's also fine nothing wrong with relinquishing control and allowing the dice to decide some things instead of you. Direction is a significant part of a DM's role. We require it to facilitate play, yet we frequently find it hard to release it, even when doing so might improve the game.

The core advice is this: Have no fear of relinquishing a bit of the reins. Try a little improvisation for minor details. It may create that the surprising result is infinitely more powerful than anything you might have scripted on your own.