DM's - What rolls do you make for your players?

Sam · Jul 20, 2003

When I DM (either for my campaign or in RPGA events), I let the players make all of their own rolls. I've been toying with the idea of starting to make some of the rolls for the players. For things like certain spot, search, hide, listen, sense motive, etc checks.

What rolls do you make for your players? Why?

Hand of Evil · Jul 20, 2003

Saves for poison or illness for the most part. I don't think they should know, let them worry but you have to let them know something, a tingle, weakness, dry mouth, vomiting, dizziness, burry vision.

Someone · Jul 20, 2003

When the roll´s result or just the need to make the roll carry information. If you -as a player- make a Spot check, know that there´s something to be spotted. If you walk down the street, fail a Will saving throw and the DM says "ok, nothing happens, you just reach the tavern", you know something´s not going well. If you roll a 20 in you search check, you know that taking 20 would be pointless. And if you roll very low on your bluff check, and the other is bluffed, you could know he´s pretending to believe you.

Sam · Jul 20, 2003

Someone said:
When the roll´s result or just the need to make the roll carry information.

That's exactly why I've been thinking about doing it. Wondering what player's responses have been, especially when you had previously let them make these kinds of checks/saves, to loosing the "control" of their own rolls?

Someone · Jul 20, 2003

Sam said:
That's exactly why I've been thinking about doing it. Wondering what player's responses have been, especially when you had previously let them make these kinds of checks/saves, to loosing the "control" of their own rolls?

That was always a rule in our group, so nobody complained. But I believe you should discuss or at least announce the new rule and why are you introducing it before the game.

drothgery · Jul 20, 2003

Someone said:
And if you roll very low on your bluff check, and the other is bluffed, you could know he´s pretending to believe you.

Of course, that kind of logic breaks down at higher levels, because almost everyone has a few skills that they're so good at that even low rolls will succeed against reasonable DCs. If you've got a +30 to move silently, you don't make much noise even when you roll a 1.

alsih2o · Jul 20, 2003

i roll:
appraise
bluff
decipher script
disable device
search
and wilderness lore where it pertains to tracking

then i describe the result. if it is a nat 20 or an awesome roll i use words like "obviously" and "for certain."

i think it adds some fun to the game to sometimes not be sure about your success.

Mark · Jul 20, 2003

It's not "making rolls for the players" if the players should not be unduly influenced by the results of the dice. It's making rolls for a situation that just happen to utilize a fractor inherent in the characters' abilities, skills, etc. I make rolls for situations whenever the die results should be unknown by the players, even if they should be aware of what happens in the situation because of those results.

I often roll Spot or Listen checks, sometimes in advance of them being needed. I roll Disable Device checks. I roll Appraise, Bluff, Decipher Script, Diplomacy, Forgery and many other checks. Some feel a DM should only roll these when it is "important" but I have found that pointing to something as important is just as telling as allowing players to be privy to the results of the rolls.

2d6 · Jul 20, 2003

I let them roll most of thier active rolls. Things like intiative, Disable device, listen, and most skill checks where they state they are actively using that skill.

Mark · Jul 20, 2003

drothgery said:
Of course, that kind of logic breaks down at higher levels, because almost everyone has a few skills that they're so good at that even low rolls will succeed against reasonable DCs. If you've got a +30 to move silently, you don't make much noise even when you roll a 1.

If a Rogue makes a noise a the Giant Ear creature is not there to hear it, does he make a sound? Silence is a relative term. A Move Silently check is an opposed roll, not an absolute, regardless of the ranks, bonus or penalty.