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In my role as a Dungeon Master, I usually shied away from extensive use of chance during my D&D adventures. I tended was for narrative flow and session development to be determined by character actions as opposed to random chance. That said, I chose to alter my method, and I'm incredibly happy with the result.

The Inspiration: Observing a Custom Mechanic

A popular actual-play show showcases a DM who often asks for "fate rolls" from the adventurers. He does this by choosing a polyhedral and outlining consequences based on the number. While it's at its core no distinct from consulting a pre-generated chart, these are created spontaneously when a player's action lacks a obvious conclusion.

I decided to try this approach at my own game, primarily because it looked novel and offered a break from my normal practice. The experience were remarkable, prompting me to reconsider the perennial tension between planning and randomization in a tabletop session.

An Emotional In-Game Example

At a session, my group had concluded a large-scale battle. Later, a cleric character inquired after two key NPCs—a sibling duo—had made it. Instead of picking a fate, 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, only one would die; on a 10+, they both lived.

Fate decreed a 4. This resulted in a profoundly moving scene where the characters discovered the corpses of their companions, forever holding hands in death. The cleric held funeral rites, which was especially meaningful due to previous character interactions. As a parting gesture, I improvised that the NPCs' bodies were suddenly transformed, containing a spell-storing object. By chance, the item's contained spell was precisely what the party required to solve another critical story problem. You simply plan these kinds of magical coincidences.

Sharpening On-the-Spot Skills

This incident made me wonder if randomization and thinking on your feet are truly the beating heart of tabletop RPGs. Although you are a meticulously planning DM, your skill to pivot can rust. Groups frequently find joy in derailing the best constructed plans. Therefore, a good DM must be able to think quickly and invent content in the moment.

Employing similar mechanics is a fantastic way to train these talents without going completely outside your comfort zone. The trick is to use them for minor circumstances that won't drastically alter the overarching story. To illustrate, I wouldn't use it to decide if the king's advisor is a secret enemy. But, I would consider using it to determine whether the party reach a location just in time to see a critical event takes place.

Empowering Player Agency

Luck rolls also serves to keep players engaged and cultivate the sensation that the adventure is responsive, shaping according to their actions as they play. It combats the feeling that they are merely pawns in a pre-written narrative, thereby strengthening the shared nature of roleplaying.

Randomization has historically been part of the game's DNA. Original D&D were reliant on charts, which fit a playstyle focused on dungeon crawling. Although contemporary D&D frequently emphasizes narrative and role-play, leading many DMs to feel they must prep extensively, it's not necessarily the required method.

Striking the Healthy Equilibrium

Absolutely no issue with doing your prep. Yet, it's also fine no issue with relinquishing control and permitting the rolls to decide some things rather than you. Authority is a major factor in a DM's role. We need it to facilitate play, yet we can be reluctant to cede it, in situations where doing so might improve the game.

My final advice is this: Do not fear of relinquishing a bit of your plan. Try a little improvisation for smaller details. It may discover that the unexpected outcome is far more powerful than anything you could have scripted in advance.