When I am a DM, I traditionally avoided heavy use of chance during my tabletop roleplaying adventures. I preferred was for narrative flow and what happened in a game to be shaped by character actions rather than pure luck. That said, I chose to try something different, and I'm incredibly pleased with the outcome.
A popular podcast showcases a DM who frequently calls for "chance rolls" from the adventurers. This involves picking a type of die and outlining consequences tied to the roll. It's fundamentally no distinct from consulting a pre-generated chart, these are devised spontaneously when a character's decision doesn't have a predetermined resolution.
I decided to try this approach at my own session, primarily because it looked interesting and provided a departure from my usual habits. The experience were fantastic, prompting me to reconsider the often-debated balance between preparation and spontaneity in a tabletop session.
During one session, my group had survived a massive fight. Afterwards, a player inquired after two key NPCs—a brother and sister—had survived. Rather than picking a fate, I handed it over to chance. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The possible results were: a low roll, both would perish; on a 5-9, a single one succumbed; on a 10+, they both lived.
Fate decreed a 4. This resulted in a deeply emotional sequence where the adventurers found the bodies of their friends, still holding hands in death. The cleric conducted funeral rites, which was particularly powerful due to earlier story developments. As a final touch, I improvised that the remains were strangely restored, showing a magical Prayer Bead. I randomized, the item's magical effect was perfectly what the group lacked to address another critical quest obstacle. One just orchestrate this type of magical coincidences.
This incident caused me to question if chance and making it up are actually the essence of tabletop RPGs. Although you are a prep-heavy DM, your skill to pivot can rust. Players reliably take delight in ignoring the most carefully laid narratives. Therefore, a skilled DM has to be able to think quickly and invent content on the fly.
Employing similar mechanics is a excellent way to train these skills without straying too much outside your preparation. The strategy is to apply them for small-scale decisions that have a limited impact on the campaign's main plot. For instance, I would avoid using it to determine if the central plot figure is a traitor. But, I could use it to figure out if the characters enter a room just in time to see a major incident unfolds.
Spontaneous randomization also works to maintain tension and foster the impression that the adventure is dynamic, progressing based on their choices as they play. It combats the perception that they are merely pawns in a DM's sole script, thereby bolstering the shared nature of the game.
This philosophy has long been integral to the core of D&D. Original D&D were filled with random tables, which suited a game focused on dungeon crawling. Even though contemporary D&D frequently prioritizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, it's not necessarily the only path.
It is perfectly no problem with thorough preparation. Yet, it's also fine nothing wrong with stepping back and letting the dice to determine certain outcomes rather than you. Control is a significant factor in a DM's responsibilities. We require it to run the game, yet we can be reluctant to cede it, even when doing so can lead to great moments.
The core recommendation is this: Do not fear of temporarily losing your plan. Try a little randomness for minor details. It may find that the organic story beat is infinitely more memorable than anything you might have scripted by yourself.
A tech enthusiast and gaming aficionado with over a decade of experience in digital media and content creation.
