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In my role as a DM, I usually steered clear of heavy use of randomization during my tabletop roleplaying sessions. I preferred was for story direction and what happened in a game to be guided by player choice rather than the roll of a die. Recently, I opted to try something different, and I'm incredibly happy with the result.

The Spark: Watching a Custom Mechanic

An influential podcast features a DM who often asks for "chance rolls" from the players. He does this by choosing a polyhedral and outlining possible results based on the roll. This is fundamentally no different from consulting a pre-generated chart, these get invented on the spot when a course of events doesn't have a clear conclusion.

I opted to test this technique at my own game, mostly because it seemed engaging and offered a change from my normal practice. The outcome were fantastic, prompting me to think deeply about the ongoing dynamic between planning and spontaneity in a roleplaying game.

An Emotional In-Game Example

During one session, my party had just emerged from a massive battle. When the dust settled, a player inquired after two key NPCs—a brother and sister—had made it. Rather than choosing an outcome, I handed it over to chance. I asked the player to roll a d20. I defined the outcomes as: on a 1-4, both were killed; a middling roll, only one would die; a high roll, they both lived.

The die came up a 4. This led to a deeply poignant moment where the adventurers found the bodies of their companions, still clasped together in death. The cleric performed funeral rites, which was uniquely meaningful due to earlier roleplaying. As a final touch, I decided that the remains were miraculously restored, containing a magical Prayer Bead. I randomized, the item's contained spell was perfectly what the group needed to solve another pressing situation. One just script this type of perfect story beats.

Sharpening DM Agility

This event made me wonder if chance and thinking on your feet are in fact the beating heart of tabletop RPGs. While you are a meticulously planning DM, your ability to adapt may atrophy. Adventurers often excel at ignoring the best constructed plans. Therefore, a skilled DM has to be able to adapt swiftly and create scenarios in the moment.

Utilizing on-the-spot randomization is a great way to practice these skills without venturing too far outside your comfort zone. The strategy is to deploy them for small-scale circumstances that have a limited impact on the session's primary direction. To illustrate, I would not employ it to determine if the central plot figure is a traitor. But, I could use it to determine whether the PCs arrive just in time to see a key action takes place.

Empowering Player Agency

Spontaneous randomization also helps maintain tension and foster the sensation that the game world is alive, shaping based on their actions in real-time. It prevents the sense that they are merely actors in a rigidly planned script, thereby enhancing the collaborative nature of roleplaying.

This philosophy has historically been embedded in the game's DNA. The game's roots were reliant on random tables, which fit a game focused on dungeon crawling. Even though current D&D often emphasizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, this isn't always the best approach.

Striking the Right Balance

There is absolutely no issue with doing your prep. However, it's also fine nothing wrong with stepping back and permitting the whim of chance to guide minor details instead of you. Authority is a significant part of a DM's responsibilities. We need it to run the game, yet we can be reluctant to release it, even when doing so could be beneficial.

The core advice is this: Have no fear of temporarily losing control. Try a little chance for minor details. It may find that the unexpected outcome is significantly more rewarding than anything you would have planned on your own.