There are moments in every tabletop game where none of the usual mechanics seem to fit. The character isn’t using a skill, there’s no obvious saving throw, and no stat governs the outcome. Still, the question looms: what happens next? This is where Chaos Rolls come into play – a mechanic used, for example, in Mazes (2019) by Chris O’Neill, which offers a refreshingly simple approach to solving the unexpected.

Sometimes, rolling dice isn’t about stats, modifiers, or difficulty levels. Sometimes, it’s about leaning into randomness while keeping the narrative momentum. The Chaos Roll is designed precisely for these edge cases. In this article, we’ll explore how the mechanic works, why it works, and how it can be taken one step further by involving your players directly in the unpredictability.

The Core Ideas Behind Chaos Rolls

Even, Odd: The Elegance of Mazes’ Chaos System

In Mazes, the Chaos Roll (or Save) offers a solution for situations where character abilities are irrelevant or where any form of modifier would artificially skew a fundamentally uncertain outcome. When a character stumbles through darkness, walks into a trap’s path, or becomes the random focus of a creature’s attention, no attribute check or saving throw truly applies. The GM doesn’t roll. Instead, a die is rolled and if the result is even, the character succeeds. If the result is odd, they fail.

This mechanic sidesteps overcomplication. There’s no need to calculate bonuses, determine DCs, or compare opposing values. It resolves ambiguity cleanly and keeps the game flowing. Chaos Rolls are particularly effective when the odds should feel genuinely impartial – when no character is at an advantage or disadvantage and success or failure is left to chance alone.

They also serve another important function: They maintain GM impartiality. By making Chaos Rolls player facing, the GM doesn’t need to touch the dice. This subtle shift keeps narrative power in the players’ hands, even when the result is completely outside their control.

Designing the Unexpected: Chaos Rolls in Play

The Chaos Roll isn’t just a quick-fix mechanic; it’s a tool for storytelling. It becomes most useful when the world throws something at the characters that isn’t an ability test – but a twist of fate.

Because the outcome depends purely on the die’s parity – without reference to modifiers or stats – the mechanic exemplifies pure chance. And since the player watches their own fate unfold without the GM intervening, it becomes a textbook example of a player facing mechanic. This approach introduces luck in a deliberate and controlled way, and the players feel it. When a success hinges on even odds – literally – the tension can be far greater than when the outcome is calculable.

What makes this mechanic compelling isn’t just its simplicity, but its transparency. Players understand the stakes. There’s no hidden math, no contested rolls, just a die and a 50/50 shot. That honesty heightens the drama.

Chaos Rolls also prevent over-reliance on system crunch. They offer GMs an elegant way to deal with moments where adjudication would otherwise bog down in rule lookups or improvisation. And by reserving this mechanic for truly ambiguous situations, its use remains meaningful and memorable.

High, Low, Even, Odd: A Four-Way Coin Flip

In 2024, Josh Storey described a powerful twist on the Chaos Roll in a blog post on Gnome Stew. It’s a simple variation: the GM looks at a player and says, “High, low, even, or odd?” The player chooses. The die is rolled. If they guessed correctly, the action goes their way.

The player’s odds are still 50:50, but those odds feel more interactive than a binary win/loss. By letting players choose how they want fate to fall, this version introduces a small but perceptible sense of agency. Players begin to feel patterns, preferences, even superstitions – some will always call “even,” others swear by “low.” These rituals create a compelling illusion of control, and in a game built on imagination, that illusion matters.

This version of the Chaos Roll also doubles as a psychological tool. It allows players to participate in the resolution of chaotic events, not by altering the outcome directly, but by engaging with it. The tension is shared; the moment belongs to the table.

Redefining Success and Failure Through Chaos

Chaos Rolls and their variants offer a lightweight, versatile solution to one of tabletop gaming’s recurring problems: What happens when none of the usual tools apply?

They provide a transparent method for resolving edge-case situations without leaning on stats, rules, or system-specific mechanics. They bring in luck and pure chance without feeling arbitrary. And by being player facing, they keep narrative control visible and fair.

Whether using the even/odd method from Mazes or the high/low/even/odd variant from Josh Storey’s 2024 post on Gnome Stew, the Chaos Roll helps GMs embrace unpredictability while keeping players engaged. It’s not just a mechanic – it’s a design philosophy: that success and failure aren’t always tied to power or planning, but sometimes, to the simple, satisfying chaos of a single die roll.