DM's: How much cheating do you have to do?

[Daijin]

I dont cheat, the players enjoy it when they earn their hard earned levels and have more fun when they know the successful adventures are due to their own thinking and effort, not because of cheating.

 

[Griego]

I haven't fudged a roll since 1st or 2nd level in my current campaign (3.5). I used to fudge a bit in my old 1e campaign, but back then monsters seemed to be much more lethal. It's not like 3.5 doesn't have risk though, the Cleric was one-shotted by a Digester. Other than that, the Ranger and maybe one other character has been knocked into the negatives, but were healed before they died/were killed.

 

[Lanefan]

Almost never.

The one time I remember cheating quite a bit was quite some time ago when I had a player who was blatantly cheating; to avoid a big argument in the middle of a game, I just fought fire with fire. He caught on, and stopped cheating soon after.

Otherwise, I'll fudge a roll maybe once or twice a year; and not even that often these days.

Lanefan

 

[Terwox]

I used to fudge occasionally, but not anymore. But, I rarely run games where death is permanent.

 

[amethal]

I roll almost all my rolls in the open.

The only exception that comes to mind is augury checks.

It certainly doesn't stop me cheating. My players hate it when the big bad goes down in 1 round after 3 sessions of build up.

 

[Jack Colby]

I make all rolls in the open and do not cheat on anything. If the PCs die, so be it. They will learn from it, and it will make for an entertaining story they can recall in the future. DM cheating just cheats players. Let them succeed or fail by their own merits, not because you say so. I'd lose all interest in the game (and have in the past) if I thought my DM was cheating.

 

[vagabundo]

I alter game-reality when I feel the need to, either to challenge the PCs or for other game-enhancing reasons (stat changes, disregarding dice results, ...).

However I'm doing this a lot less in 4e, at the end of the 3e cycle I was doing it every round.

 

[Mircoles]

A TPK because of going strictly by die-rolls has caused me to occationally

fudge the die-rolls to keep the pc's alive. I'm not the "got to win" kind of

DM. I want everyone to hopefully have fun & making a new character mid-

game can mean no game-play for the rest of the evening.

 

[Aus_Snow]

Let the dice fall where they may.

So long as it's not in my #@%*@$! coffee again!

 

[Arkhail]

I roll in the open, don't use a screen. It's made the game much more fun for all.