🔗 Share this article

In my role as a Dungeon Master, I usually avoided extensive use of chance during my Dungeons & Dragons games. I tended was for story direction and what happened in a game to be guided by player choice as opposed to the roll of a die. However, I opted to try something different, and I'm very pleased with the outcome.

The Inspiration: Observing an Improvised Tool

A well-known podcast features a DM who often asks for "chance rolls" from the adventurers. The process entails selecting a polyhedral and defining consequences tied to the result. It's at its core no different from using a random table, these are devised spontaneously when a player's action has no obvious resolution.

I opted to test this technique at my own game, mainly because it appeared novel and provided a departure from my standard routine. The results were remarkable, prompting me to reconsider the perennial balance between planning and spontaneity in a tabletop session.

A Powerful In-Game Example

In a recent session, my party had survived a massive fight. Later, a player wondered if two key NPCs—a sibling duo—had lived. Instead of picking a fate, I handed it over to chance. I asked the player to roll a d20. The possible results were: a low roll, both died; a middling roll, a single one would die; on a 10+, they survived.

The die came up a 4. This triggered a incredibly moving moment where the characters discovered the bodies of their allies, still united in their final moments. The group performed funeral rites, which was uniquely powerful due to earlier character interactions. In a concluding reward, I decided that the remains were suddenly transformed, containing a magical Prayer Bead. By chance, the bead's magical effect was precisely what the group needed to solve another pressing story problem. You simply orchestrate such serendipitous story beats.

Honing Your Improvisation

This experience made me wonder if improvisation and thinking on your feet are in fact the core of D&D. While you are a detail-oriented DM, your improvisation muscles need exercise. Groups frequently take delight in derailing the most detailed plots. Therefore, a skilled DM needs to be able to adapt swiftly and fabricate details in the moment.

Employing on-the-spot randomization is a great way to develop these skills without straying too much outside your comfort zone. The trick is to deploy them for low-stakes situations that don't fundamentally change the campaign's main plot. To illustrate, I would not employ it to determine if the central plot figure is a secret enemy. Instead, I might use it to determine if the PCs reach a location moments before a major incident unfolds.

Empowering Shared Narrative

This technique also works to keep players engaged and cultivate the feeling that the adventure is responsive, progressing based on their actions in real-time. It combats the sense that they are merely actors in a DM's sole narrative, thereby strengthening the shared aspect of storytelling.

This approach has historically been integral to the core of D&D. Early editions were filled with encounter generators, which fit a playstyle focused on treasure hunting. Although modern D&D often prioritizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, that may not be the best approach.

Achieving the Healthy Equilibrium

It is perfectly no issue with thorough preparation. Yet, equally valid no issue with stepping back and letting the whim of chance to guide minor details in place of you. Authority is a big part of a DM's role. We require it to facilitate play, yet we frequently find it hard to cede it, in situations where doing so might improve the game.

The core advice is this: Don't be afraid of letting go of the reins. Experiment with a little chance for smaller outcomes. The result could find that the surprising result is significantly more powerful than anything you would have planned in advance.