🔗 Share this article

In my role as a Dungeon Master, I traditionally avoided heavy use of randomization during my D&D sessions. I tended was for story direction and what happened in a game to be determined by player choice as opposed to the roll of a die. That said, I chose to try something different, and I'm very happy with the result.

The Catalyst: Observing a Custom Mechanic

A well-known streamed game features a DM who frequently calls for "luck rolls" from the participants. He does this by picking a polyhedral and assigning possible results tied to the roll. It's essentially no distinct from using a random table, these get invented in the moment when a course of events doesn't have a obvious conclusion.

I decided to try this approach at my own game, mainly because it seemed interesting and provided a break from my usual habits. The results were fantastic, prompting me to reconsider the often-debated tension between preparation and randomization in a D&D campaign.

A Powerful Session Moment

At a session, my group had survived a massive fight. When the dust settled, a cleric character asked about two beloved NPCs—a pair—had made it. Instead of deciding myself, I let the dice decide. I asked the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. I defined the outcomes as: a low roll, both died; on a 5-9, a single one succumbed; on a 10+, they survived.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a profoundly moving moment where the party came upon the remains of their companions, forever clasped together in death. The cleric held funeral rites, which was especially significant due to prior roleplaying. In a concluding touch, I improvised that the remains were miraculously restored, containing a magical Prayer Bead. I randomized, the item's contained spell was exactly what the party lacked to solve another pressing story problem. One just script such serendipitous moments.

Sharpening On-the-Spot Skills

This incident led me to ponder if improvisation and spontaneity are actually the core of tabletop RPGs. While you are a prep-heavy DM, your ability to adapt may atrophy. Players reliably take delight in derailing the most detailed plans. Therefore, a effective DM needs to be able to pivot effectively and invent details in real-time.

Using on-the-spot randomization is a great way to train these skills without going completely outside your usual style. The trick is to deploy them for minor circumstances that have a limited impact on the session's primary direction. As an example, I would avoid using it to decide if the central plot figure is a traitor. However, I might use it to decide whether the characters arrive moments before a critical event occurs.

Strengthening Player Agency

This technique also works to maintain tension and create the feeling that the story is dynamic, evolving in reaction to their actions as they play. It prevents the feeling that they are merely pawns in a rigidly planned script, thereby bolstering the shared foundation of the game.

This philosophy has long been embedded in the game's DNA. Early editions were enamored with charts, which suited a game focused on dungeon crawling. Although contemporary D&D tends to emphasizes story and character, leading many DMs to feel they need exhaustive notes, it's not necessarily the best approach.

Finding the Sweet Spot

Absolutely nothing wrong with being prepared. Yet, equally valid nothing wrong with stepping back and letting the whim of chance to decide some things rather than you. Direction is a major aspect of a DM's role. We use it to facilitate play, yet we can be reluctant to release it, in situations where doing so can lead to great moments.

The core recommendation is this: Do not fear of relinquishing a bit of control. Embrace a little chance for smaller story elements. The result could discover that the organic story beat is significantly more powerful than anything you would have planned on your own.