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When I am a DM, I usually avoided extensive use of randomization during my tabletop roleplaying games. I preferred was for story direction and what happened in a game to be guided by deliberate decisions rather than the roll of a die. Recently, I chose to change my approach, and I'm incredibly glad I did.

The Catalyst: Seeing a Custom Mechanic

A well-known actual-play show showcases a DM who frequently calls for "chance rolls" from the players. He does this by selecting a polyhedral and outlining possible results contingent on the result. While it's fundamentally no distinct from using a random table, these get invented in the moment when a course of events has no obvious resolution.

I chose to experiment with this approach at my own table, mostly because it looked interesting and provided a departure from my normal practice. The outcome were eye-opening, prompting me to reflect on the ongoing dynamic between preparation and spontaneity in a D&D campaign.

A Powerful In-Game Example

In a recent session, my players had just emerged from a massive conflict. Afterwards, a cleric character wondered if two key NPCs—a pair—had made it. Rather than picking a fate, I let the dice decide. I asked the player to make a twenty-sided die roll. I defined the outcomes as: on a 1-4, both were killed; a middling roll, only one would die; on a 10+, they survived.

Fate decreed a 4. This led to a profoundly emotional moment where the party found the remains of their allies, still clasped together in death. The group held last rites, which was especially significant due to previous character interactions. As a parting gesture, I improvised that the forms were strangely restored, showing a spell-storing object. I randomized, the item's contained spell was precisely what the party needed to address another pressing situation. You simply plan this type of serendipitous story beats.

Sharpening DM Agility

This incident led me to ponder if randomization and thinking on your feet are in fact the beating heart of this game. Even if you are a meticulously planning DM, your skill to pivot need exercise. Adventurers often excel at derailing the most detailed plans. Therefore, a skilled DM must be able to pivot effectively and invent scenarios on the fly.

Using similar mechanics is a fantastic way to train these abilities without venturing too far outside your comfort zone. The strategy is to apply them for small-scale circumstances that have a limited impact on the session's primary direction. As an example, I would not employ it to decide if the central plot figure is a traitor. Instead, I would consider using it to figure out if the characters enter a room just in time to see a critical event takes place.

Strengthening Shared Narrative

This technique also works to maintain tension and create the sensation that the game world is alive, shaping based on their decisions in real-time. It prevents the feeling that they are merely characters in a DM's sole story, thereby bolstering the cooperative nature of roleplaying.

Randomization has always been part of the game's DNA. Early editions were enamored with charts, which suited a playstyle focused on treasure hunting. While contemporary D&D tends to focuses on story and character, leading many DMs to feel they require detailed plans, that may not be the best approach.

Achieving the Healthy Equilibrium

Absolutely no issue with doing your prep. But, it's also fine no problem with relinquishing control and permitting the whim of chance to guide minor details instead of you. Authority is a major part of a DM's responsibilities. We use it to manage the world, yet we often struggle to release it, even when doing so can lead to great moments.

My final recommendation is this: Don't be afraid of relinquishing a bit of the reins. Try a little randomness for minor outcomes. It may find that the organic story beat is infinitely more powerful than anything you would have scripted by yourself.