If you happen to be a standup comic or an actor, improvising is possibly quite easy for you. However, most game masters are not comics or actors.

Learning how to improvise is incredibly helpful for GMs. Unfortunately, learning to improvise can be challenging, especially if you are introverted or shy.

However, it's not impossible and anyone can improve their improvising skills.

Improvising is Important for Game Masters

Why is improvising so important for game masters?

Improvising at the table allows you to use the best stuff that comes from your players. New plots emerge and twists can be exploited. Ideas your players have can lead to new adventures and situations you never dreamed of.

Also, improvising cuts down session prep. Just get married? Is your job crazy? New baby? Improvising at the table frees you up to do other things instead of spending hours prepping.

One of the worst things a GM can do is to over-prep and then the players don't engage with any of that content. Improvising insures this does not happen.

One way to improve your improvising skills is to use a simple dice mechanic. I discovered this some years ago when running impromptu session. I had nothing planned, but wanted to have fun.

But more importantly, I wanted my players to have fun. So I began doing something that has become known as the "best case/worst case die roll."

When a Player Asks a Question

If a player asks you questions like, “who runs the thieves’ guild in the city,” or, “how long does it take to get to the ruin,” don't answer. Have the player roll 1D6 first.

The results of the roll are as follows:

1 - Worst Case

2 - Very Bad

3 - Bad

4 - Good

5 - Very Good

6 - Best Case

Here’s where the improvising is made easier.

Use the result of the roll to create the answer to the question. A roll of one will make the answer to the question the worst possible scenario for the player. With a two the answer should be very unfavorable for the player. A three should be just slightly bad or unfortunate. A four is okay or decent for the player. Five is very favorable. Six should be the best possible outcome for the player.

Have the group help you come up with a fitting situation that matches the roll and run with it.

Example:

Player: “Who runs the thieves’ guild in the city? I’d like to make a deal with him or her.”

GM: “Roll Best Case/Worst Case.”

Player rolls…

1 – Your estranged sister who hates you and is now a chaotic evil serial killer.

2 – A man you had thrown into prison years ago.

3 – A surly thief who hates visitors.

4 – A good natured rogue always looking to deal.

5 – She’s heard of you and would like to help in some way if profit is involved.

6 – A childhood friend who is more than happy to help.

In certain situations the same outcome could be either the best case or the worst case. If a player asks, “Is the door locked?”

The best case could be yes, if it means the room hasn’t been looted. But it could be the worst case, if the characters are being pursued by a cave troll.

Example from an RPG Session

Here’s how a best case/worst case roll played out in one of my sessions.

We were playing D6 Star Wars. The party consisted of a smuggler and his crew who occasionally do missions for the Rebel Alliance.

The group was tasked with recovering stolen information from another smuggler and his crew. The rebels were able to give them coordinates of the ship’s route, so our heroes set a trap.

At this point, my player playing the smuggler asked who the NPCs worked for. I said some crime boss. He then asked for a name and details, because his character may be familiar with crime bosses in the Outer Rim.

This sounded reasonable and as a storyteller I knew there were some great opportunities here to provide twists and complication. However, I had been GMing all day and I hadn’t planned this mission in advance. So, I told him to roll best case/worst case.

He rolled and everyone moaned. He rolled a one, the worst case.

I asked him who would be the worst crime boss the NPCs could be working for. He thought a moment and said, “The one I own 25,000 credits.”

In that moment, a simple mission became a living story.

His crew was set to raid a ship and destroy the plans of a crime boss who held the title to their freighter.

They had to make sure they were not recognized. They had to be extra careful no messages could be sent during the raid.

Then another player spoke up, “If the ship belongs to the crime boss we work for, do we know the other crew?”

Hmm, roll best case/ worst case…

Relax, Have Fun, Improvise

As you can see, this simple dice mechanic can be a great help in improvising and adding complications to adventures.

Give it try in your next session and see what happens. It may take a little getting used to. However, it should cut down your prep time and provide plot twists you couldn’t have thought of on your own.