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When I am a DM, I usually avoided heavy use of luck during my D&D sessions. My preference was for story direction and what happened in a game to be guided by deliberate decisions rather than pure luck. However, I opted to try something different, and I'm truly pleased with the outcome.

The Catalyst: Watching 'Luck Rolls'

A well-known podcast showcases a DM who often requests "luck rolls" from the participants. The process entails picking a specific dice and defining potential outcomes tied to the result. This is at its core no unlike rolling on a random table, these are created in the moment when a course of events lacks a clear conclusion.

I decided to try this approach at my own game, mainly because it seemed novel and presented a departure from my standard routine. The outcome were eye-opening, prompting me to think deeply about the perennial dynamic between pre-determination and improvisation in a tabletop session.

A Memorable In-Game Example

At a session, my group had concluded a city-wide conflict. Later, a cleric character wondered if two key NPCs—a pair—had lived. Instead of picking a fate, I handed it over to chance. I asked the player to roll a d20. The possible results were: a low roll, both would perish; a middling roll, only one succumbed; on a 10+, they survived.

The die came up a 4. This resulted in a profoundly moving scene where the party discovered the corpses of their companions, still clasped together in their final moments. The cleric held last rites, which was particularly significant due to previous roleplaying. As a final touch, I decided that the remains were strangely restored, showing a spell-storing object. I rolled for, the bead's magical effect was precisely what the party lacked to address another critical quest obstacle. One just script this type of magical moments.

Honing On-the-Spot Skills

This incident caused me to question if randomization and making it up are in fact the essence of this game. Even if you are a prep-heavy DM, your ability to adapt can rust. Adventurers frequently excel at derailing the most detailed plots. Therefore, a good DM needs to be able to adapt swiftly and fabricate details in the moment.

Employing luck rolls is a great way to practice these abilities without straying too much outside your usual style. The strategy is to deploy them for minor situations that don't fundamentally change the campaign's main plot. As an example, I would avoid using it to determine if the main villain is a traitor. But, I might use it to figure out if the party enter a room just in time to see a major incident takes place.

Enhancing Player Agency

Luck rolls also serves to maintain tension and foster the sensation that the game world is alive, evolving in reaction to their choices immediately. It reduces the sense that they are merely actors in a pre-written narrative, thereby strengthening the shared aspect of the game.

Randomization has always been part of the game's DNA. The game's roots were filled with random tables, which suited a game focused on exploration. While contemporary D&D often emphasizes plot-driven play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, it's not necessarily the required method.

Striking the Sweet Spot

There is absolutely nothing wrong with thorough preparation. Yet, equally valid no issue with letting go and letting the whim of chance to determine certain outcomes rather than you. Control is a major part of a DM's role. We need it to facilitate play, yet we can be reluctant to release it, at times when doing so might improve the game.

My final advice is this: Do not fear of letting go of the reins. Experiment with a little chance for minor story elements. It may discover that the organic story beat is far more powerful than anything you would have planned by yourself.