Chance Rolls in D&D May Assist You Be a More Effective Dungeon Master

As a Dungeon Master, I historically avoided extensive use of chance during my tabletop roleplaying games. I tended was for the plot and session development to be determined by player choice rather than random chance. However, I opted to alter my method, and I'm truly glad I did.

The Catalyst: Watching a Custom Mechanic

An influential actual-play show features a DM who often calls for "chance rolls" from the players. This involves selecting a polyhedral and defining possible results tied to the result. This is at its core no unlike rolling on a random table, these get invented in the moment when a player's action doesn't have a obvious resolution.

I decided to try this approach at my own session, mainly because it looked interesting and provided a break from my standard routine. The outcome were fantastic, prompting me to reconsider the ongoing balance between planning and randomization in a roleplaying game.

An Emotional Story Beat

In a recent session, my players had concluded a massive fight. Afterwards, a player asked about two friendly NPCs—a brother and sister—had made it. Instead of choosing an outcome, I asked for a roll. I instructed the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. The possible results were: on a 1-4, both would perish; a middling roll, only one would die; on a 10+, they both lived.

The die came up a 4. This triggered a incredibly emotional sequence where the party discovered the remains of their companions, still clasped together in death. The group performed last rites, which was especially meaningful due to earlier story developments. As a final gesture, I chose that the forms were miraculously transformed, containing a spell-storing object. I rolled for, the item's magical effect was perfectly what the group lacked to resolve another pressing situation. It's impossible to plan such magical moments.

Sharpening On-the-Spot Skills

This experience caused me to question if improvisation and thinking on your feet are actually the core of tabletop RPGs. Even if you are a prep-heavy DM, your skill to pivot may atrophy. Adventurers often take delight in upending the most carefully laid plots. Therefore, a good DM must be able to pivot effectively and create details on the fly.

Utilizing on-the-spot randomization is a excellent way to develop these skills without going completely outside your usual style. The trick is to apply them for small-scale decisions that don't fundamentally change the session's primary direction. To illustrate, I would not employ it to decide if the central plot figure is a traitor. Instead, I would consider using it to figure out whether the characters reach a location right after a key action unfolds.

Empowering Player Agency

Spontaneous randomization also serves to keep players engaged and foster the feeling that the adventure is dynamic, shaping in reaction to their actions in real-time. It combats the sense that they are merely pawns in a rigidly planned narrative, thereby enhancing the collaborative nature of storytelling.

This philosophy has historically been embedded in the original design. Original D&D were filled with charts, which made sense for a game focused on dungeon crawling. Although contemporary D&D often emphasizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, this isn't always the best approach.

Achieving the Sweet Spot

Absolutely no problem with thorough preparation. However, equally valid nothing wrong with relinquishing control and allowing the whim of chance to determine certain outcomes instead of you. Control is a big factor in a DM's responsibilities. We require it to facilitate play, yet we frequently find it hard to give some up, even when doing so could be beneficial.

A piece of advice is this: Have no fear of temporarily losing your plan. Try a little randomness for smaller story elements. It may discover that the unexpected outcome is far more rewarding than anything you would have scripted in advance.