Do you fudge?

[Ilium]

I mostly roll in the open, but I still fudge. If the party is really getting mauled the opponents will pick sub-optimal targets, or spellcasters will use sub-optimal spells. Sometimes I'll "forget" one or more of a foe's attacks on a full attack, etc.

But I generally roll the actual attack dice in the open. I'm actually thinking of not doing that any more because I'm sick of one of my players calculating the foe's attack bonus. Annoying.

 

[reanjr]

During my current campaign I am not fudging at all.

In other campaigns, I occasionally fudge to keep things at the right challenge for the story. If I have an adventure revolving around a stolen item (as an example) I might fudge his sleight of hand or move silently/hide. If the party if fighting a creature who, by way of the dice, is either way weaker or stronger than it should be, I'll fudge a little on the die rolls (usually damage rather than attack). Things like that.

 

[ThirdWizard]

I don't fudge die rolls, but if I've made a mistake with a monster (its too powerful, I overlooked a special attack before putting it in), I'll quickly slash a few stats on it mid combat. For example, when I threw an alchemical golem against the party, I realized that it would slaughter them, so I cut its AC back, reduced the damage they took from its acid, and lowered its damage output. It still almost killed them all, though.

 

[LostSoul]

In short, I try to not roll a dice if I am not willing to accept and enforce the outcome of it. Don't roll the dice if you aren't willing to pay the price!

I really like that advice. I think it's a good maxim for DMs.

 

[shilsen]

Never.

 

[Raven Crowking]

I voted 1.

Die rolls: No.

NPC/monster actions and reactions: I have thrown NPCs or other monsters (i.e., wandering monsters) into an ongoing battle. I have had an NPC come and rescue the PCs after they were severely thrashed by a boar that knocked out the last PC before it died. Once I started using Swashbuckling Cards, though, I haven't needed these things. I will soon be moving to Action Points.

Timing: Not sure what you mean by this.

 

[KB9JMQ]

I voted 2 as in Not Much at All.
I roll in the open so any fudging may be what actions occur rather than if they hit or not.
I don't put in any save or die type things in a campaign until I think the PCs are at a point it would make sense. But sometimes a combat can go awry and you might kill a PC before you mean to

 

[Darren Ravenshaw]

The only time I fudge is to keep the encounter fun/intresting for the PC's. If that means letting the monster score a hit or two so be it. If that means turning the 3 crits I just rolled on the wizard PC into a crit and 2 normal hits so he has a chance of living so be it. If it means changing the enemies tactics to allow a PC to do something Heroic so be it.

 

[el-remmen]

I voted 2.

I am more likely to fudge early on, but not very frequently, but eventually (after 3rd or 4th level) all fudging is gone.

 

[Sejs]

Voted 3, for less than occasionally, more than never. Call it 'rarely'.

Basically, my criteria falls along the lines of 'is this woefully anticlimactic/really lame/does it leave a bad taste in the mouth'. Climbing up the short apple tree in the yard to try to get a view in the second floor window of the house, failing a climb check, falling, and breaking your neck. It shouldn't have even happened - it was just random dumb luck and the player forgot they could take 10 because they're not rushed.

So I'll certainly fudge to save you from the apple tree, but if the dark knight you're locked in mortal combat with proves the better swordsman, well, adventuring's dangerous work. Somebody could get hurt.