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When I am a game master, I traditionally avoided heavy use of chance during my Dungeons & Dragons sessions. I preferred was for the plot and session development to be determined by deliberate decisions instead of random chance. Recently, I chose to change my approach, and I'm very glad I did.

The Catalyst: Observing an Improvised Tool

A well-known podcast showcases a DM who regularly requests "fate rolls" from the players. This involves choosing a type of die and assigning possible results contingent on the number. While it's at its core no different from rolling on a random table, these get invented spontaneously when a character's decision doesn't have a predetermined resolution.

I opted to test this approach at my own table, mostly because it seemed engaging and presented a break from my standard routine. The outcome were eye-opening, prompting me to reconsider the often-debated balance between planning and improvisation in a D&D campaign.

An Emotional Session Moment

During one session, my group had just emerged from a massive battle. Afterwards, a player wondered if two friendly NPCs—a pair—had lived. In place of choosing an outcome, I let the dice decide. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The stakes were: a low roll, both were killed; a middling roll, only one succumbed; on a 10+, they made it.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a profoundly moving moment where the party discovered the remains of their companions, still holding hands in their final moments. The party performed funeral rites, which was especially powerful due to earlier character interactions. As a final touch, I chose that the remains were miraculously restored, showing a spell-storing object. I rolled for, the item's contained spell was perfectly what the group needed to solve another pressing situation. It's impossible to script these kinds of serendipitous moments.

Honing On-the-Spot Skills

This event caused me to question if randomization and spontaneity are actually the beating heart of D&D. While you are a prep-heavy DM, your ability to adapt may atrophy. Players reliably excel at upending the most carefully laid plots. Therefore, a skilled DM has to be able to pivot effectively and create scenarios in the moment.

Employing similar mechanics is a fantastic way to train these talents without going completely outside your usual style. The key is to apply them for minor situations that won't drastically alter the session's primary direction. For instance, I would avoid using it to determine if the main villain is a traitor. Instead, I would consider using it to determine whether the characters enter a room just in time to see a major incident takes place.

Enhancing Collaborative Storytelling

This technique also serves to keep players engaged and cultivate the sensation that the story is dynamic, progressing in reaction to their choices as they play. It combats the feeling that they are merely characters in a rigidly planned story, thereby strengthening the shared nature of the game.

This approach has always been integral to the game's DNA. Early editions were reliant on encounter generators, which suited a playstyle focused on dungeon crawling. Although current D&D frequently focuses on plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, this isn't always the only path.

Achieving the Sweet Spot

Absolutely no problem with doing your prep. But, there is also no issue with relinquishing control and permitting the whim of chance to determine certain outcomes in place of you. Direction is a significant part of a DM's job. We need it to facilitate play, yet we frequently find it hard to give some up, even when doing so could be beneficial.

My final recommendation is this: Don't be afraid of letting go of control. Experiment with a little improvisation for smaller outcomes. It may create that the organic story beat is significantly more memorable than anything you might have pre-written by yourself.