🔗 Share this article

When I am a DM, I historically shied away from heavy use of randomization during my Dungeons & Dragons sessions. My preference was for the plot and session development to be determined by deliberate decisions instead of the roll of a die. That said, I decided to change my approach, and I'm incredibly glad I did.

The Inspiration: Watching a Custom Mechanic

An influential podcast utilizes a DM who often asks for "fate rolls" from the players. He does this by selecting a specific dice and defining possible results tied to the roll. While it's essentially no different from using a random table, these get invented in the moment when a player's action lacks a obvious conclusion.

I chose to experiment with this technique at my own table, mostly because it seemed novel and provided a break from my usual habits. The results were eye-opening, prompting me to reflect on the often-debated balance between pre-determination and randomization in a tabletop session.

A Memorable Story Beat

At a session, my players had concluded a massive conflict. Afterwards, a cleric character wondered if two key NPCs—a sibling duo—had made it. In place of choosing an outcome, I asked for a roll. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The stakes were: a low roll, both died; a middling roll, only one succumbed; a high roll, they survived.

The player rolled a 4. This triggered a incredibly poignant scene where the party discovered the remains of their allies, forever holding hands in their final moments. The party conducted funeral rites, which was especially significant due to previous character interactions. As a final gesture, I improvised that the remains were suddenly restored, containing a enchanted item. By chance, the bead's magical effect was exactly what the group lacked to resolve another major story problem. You simply orchestrate such serendipitous story beats.

Improving On-the-Spot Skills

This experience made me wonder if chance and making it up are in fact the beating heart of D&D. Even if you are a prep-heavy DM, your improvisation muscles need exercise. Adventurers reliably excel at upending the best constructed plans. Therefore, a good DM has to be able to think quickly and invent content on the fly.

Utilizing on-the-spot randomization is a great way to train these skills without going completely outside your preparation. The key is to use them for minor decisions that have a limited impact on the campaign's main plot. To illustrate, I would not employ it to establish if the main villain is a traitor. But, I could use it to decide whether the PCs enter a room just in time to see a critical event unfolds.

Enhancing Shared Narrative

Luck rolls also serves to keep players engaged and create the impression that the story is alive, shaping in reaction to their decisions immediately. It reduces the sense that they are merely actors in a DM's sole story, thereby enhancing the collaborative aspect of the game.

Randomization has long been part of the original design. The game's roots were reliant on random tables, which suited a playstyle focused on exploration. Even though contemporary D&D tends to emphasizes story and character, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, it's not necessarily the best approach.

Striking the Right Balance

There is absolutely no issue with being prepared. Yet, there is also nothing wrong with stepping back and allowing the rolls to decide some things rather than you. Direction is a major factor in a DM's role. We need it to facilitate play, yet we often struggle to cede it, in situations where doing so can lead to great moments.

A piece of recommendation is this: Have no fear of relinquishing a bit of your plan. Embrace a little chance for smaller story elements. You might just create that the organic story beat is significantly more powerful than anything you might have scripted by yourself.