Chance Rolls in Dungeons & Dragons Are Able to Aid You Become a Better DM

In my role as a DM, I historically steered clear of extensive use of luck during my Dungeons & Dragons games. I preferred was for the plot and session development to be guided by character actions rather than pure luck. However, I opted to try something different, and I'm incredibly pleased with the outcome.

The Inspiration: Seeing a Custom Mechanic

A popular podcast utilizes a DM who often asks for "fate rolls" from the players. This involves choosing a specific dice and outlining possible results based on the roll. This is at its core no unlike using a pre-generated chart, these are created spontaneously when a course of events lacks a obvious resolution.

I opted to test this approach at my own session, primarily because it seemed novel and presented a break from my usual habits. The results were remarkable, prompting me to reflect on the often-debated balance between planning and improvisation in a D&D campaign.

A Powerful Story Beat

During one session, my players had survived a large-scale battle. Afterwards, a cleric character asked about two friendly NPCs—a sibling duo—had made it. In place of picking a fate, I asked for a roll. I asked the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The stakes were: a low roll, both would perish; on a 5-9, a single one succumbed; on a 10+, they survived.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a deeply poignant sequence where the characters found the bodies of their allies, forever united in death. The group performed funeral rites, which was particularly meaningful due to previous roleplaying. As a final reward, I chose that the NPCs' bodies were miraculously transformed, showing a magical Prayer Bead. I randomized, the item's magical effect was precisely what the party needed to resolve another critical quest obstacle. One just script this type of magical coincidences.

Improving Your Improvisation

This incident led me to ponder if improvisation and thinking on your feet are truly the beating heart of tabletop RPGs. While you are a prep-heavy DM, your improvisation muscles may atrophy. Adventurers frequently find joy in ignoring the most carefully laid plans. Therefore, a skilled DM must be able to adapt swiftly and create details in the moment.

Using similar mechanics is a fantastic way to develop these talents without straying too much outside your comfort zone. The strategy is to use them for minor decisions that have a limited impact on the overarching story. As an example, I wouldn't use it to establish if the king's advisor is a traitor. But, I would consider using it to figure out whether the PCs arrive just in time to see a key action unfolds.

Empowering Collaborative Storytelling

This technique also helps maintain tension and foster the sensation that the game world is responsive, progressing in reaction to their decisions immediately. It prevents the sense that they are merely actors in a rigidly planned script, thereby bolstering the cooperative nature of storytelling.

Randomization has historically been embedded in the game's DNA. Original D&D were reliant on encounter generators, which made sense for a game focused on exploration. Although current D&D often focuses on story and character, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, this isn't always the required method.

Striking the Right Balance

Absolutely nothing wrong with doing your prep. However, equally valid no issue with relinquishing control and permitting the whim of chance to decide some things instead of you. Authority is a major factor in a DM's job. We need it to run the game, yet we often struggle to release it, in situations where doing so could be beneficial.

The core advice is this: Do not fear of temporarily losing the reins. Try a little improvisation for smaller outcomes. You might just create that the unexpected outcome is far more rewarding than anything you would have planned by yourself.