🔗 Share this article

In my role as a Dungeon Master, I traditionally shied away from significant use of randomization during my Dungeons & Dragons games. My preference was for the plot and session development to be determined by player choice as opposed to random chance. However, I opted to change my approach, and I'm truly glad I did.

The Catalyst: Observing an Improvised Tool

A popular streamed game showcases a DM who frequently asks for "luck rolls" from the participants. He does this by choosing a specific dice and defining possible results tied to the result. This is fundamentally no different from using a random table, these get invented spontaneously when a player's action doesn't have a predetermined resolution.

I decided to try this technique at my own session, primarily because it looked engaging and presented a break from my standard routine. The results were eye-opening, prompting me to think deeply about the often-debated dynamic between planning and improvisation in a tabletop session.

An Emotional Session Moment

At a session, my party had just emerged from a city-wide battle. Later, a cleric character asked about two key NPCs—a brother and sister—had lived. In place of picking a fate, I let the dice decide. I told the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The stakes were: on a 1-4, both were killed; on a 5-9, only one succumbed; a high roll, they both lived.

The die came up a 4. This led to a incredibly moving moment where the characters came upon the corpses of their allies, still holding hands in death. The party conducted a ceremony, which was particularly significant due to earlier character interactions. As a parting touch, I improvised that the forms were suddenly restored, containing a spell-storing object. I randomized, the item's magical effect was exactly what the group needed to solve another major quest obstacle. It's impossible to script these kinds of serendipitous story beats.

Improving On-the-Spot Skills

This event caused me to question if chance and spontaneity are actually the core of D&D. Even if you are a detail-oriented DM, your skill to pivot need exercise. Adventurers reliably take delight in derailing the most detailed narratives. Therefore, a effective DM needs to be able to adapt swiftly and fabricate content in the moment.

Using on-the-spot randomization is a great way to practice these abilities without going completely outside your comfort zone. The key is to use them for small-scale situations that don't fundamentally change the session's primary direction. To illustrate, I would avoid using it to establish if the king's advisor is a secret enemy. But, I would consider using it to figure out whether the PCs enter a room right after a critical event unfolds.

Empowering Collaborative Storytelling

This technique also helps keep players engaged and foster the feeling that the story is dynamic, evolving in reaction to their decisions in real-time. It reduces the feeling that they are merely actors in a pre-written script, thereby bolstering the collaborative aspect of storytelling.

This philosophy has long been part of the core of D&D. The game's roots were filled with encounter generators, which fit a playstyle focused on dungeon crawling. While modern D&D tends to focuses on story and character, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, this isn't always the only path.

Striking the Sweet Spot

It is perfectly nothing wrong with doing your prep. But, there is also no issue with letting go and letting the whim of chance to determine certain outcomes rather than you. Direction is a significant part of a DM's job. We use it to facilitate play, yet we frequently find it hard to release it, at times when doing so can lead to great moments.

The core advice is this: Do not fear of temporarily losing the reins. Try a little randomness for inconsequential details. You might just create that the surprising result is infinitely more rewarding than anything you might have scripted in advance.