To Fudge or not to Fudge...

[JRRNeiklot]

Never. If you're not going to abide by the die roll, why bother rolling? If I catch a dm fudging to save my character, the next turn I fall on my sword. It's not a game if the outcome is already assured.

 

[Traveon Wyvernspur]

Never. If you're not going to abide by the die roll, why bother rolling? If I catch a dm fudging to save my character, the next turn I fall on my sword. It's not a game if the outcome is already assured.

Short answer: DM's aren't perfect (though we do have a god-complex), we sometimes throw stuff at players that we "think" they can handle and we erred when the reality is that the PCs get run through like a vorpal sword through flesh.

Let me know if you want my long answer.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

So? Sometimes you can't catch up to the fastball and you strike out. Fortunately, the game doesn't end there. Besides, if the fight is too tough? Run away and come back another day. In the event that's not possible, there are always more characters to play.

 

[Oryan77]

As a player, never. That's cheating and I would have no excuse other than the fact that I don't want to "lose". I wouldn't like it if other players cheated either.

As a DM. I'm not perfect. I would rather a PC earn a death than seeing a PC die because of a miscalculation on my end or because of good/bad dice rolls.

If I'm rolling good, I can get the same satisfaction if I simply put a PC unconscious rather than dead. If I'm rolling good and it's a meaningful battle, I might not fudge since the death may be more meaningful.

 

[IronWolf]

As a DM. I'm not perfect. I would rather a PC earn a death than seeing a PC die because of a miscalculation on my end or because of good/bad dice rolls.

Yep. I learned my lesson when I slaughtered a party with a critter that was much too powerful for them. That's not a lot of fun.

An encounter that is a decent match for them and still goes south for them? Players can respect that and it is part of the game. Let the dice fall as they may.

 

[S'mon]

Short answer: DM's aren't perfect (though we do have a god-complex), we sometimes throw stuff at players that we "think" they can handle and we erred when the reality is that the PCs get run through like a vorpal sword through flesh.

You can give the PCs an 'out' from unwinable fights without faking dice roll results though - let them withdraw, if they're not stupid enough to fight to the death. Have them be captured, and they can be rescued or have a chance to escape. And sometimes the PCs die, and that's ok IMO.

 

[LostSoul]

As a player, that's cheating.

As a DM? That's a sign that the game system isn't working, or that I'm using it wrong.

 

[steenan]

As a player, I never fudged and I don't think I ever will.

As a GM, I used to fudge quite a lot, but stopped doing it some time ago.

That's exactly what LostSoul wrote above: if the game is not fun unless I fudge, then either the game system is bad or we are using it very differently than what it was designed for. So, I prefer discussing our expectations with players and selecting a game that fits what we want to choosing a badly-fit game and fudging.

It's easier for me to run a game when I can use rules as they are, without fudging. It is also more fun for players when they can trust the system to work as expected.

And sometimes we just play freeform. There is no need to fudge when there are no rules that may get in the way.

 

[jonesy]

Everybody needs some fudge sometimes.

As a player I don't think I've ever fudged.

As a DM I've done the occasional diceless version. You know, there's a TPK, but then the campaign continues, because it wasn't really a TPK.

 

[Teataine]

I never ever fudge. I find it defeats the purpose of the game.

The reason why people fudge is because they don't agree with the game. Which means they should accept that the game isn't working for them. They are fighting the mechanics. It means that the rules they are using aren't supporting their playstyle/agenda/desires.

So if I find myself faced with the desire to fudge then I know I need to change the rules or switch to a different game altogether. But fudging as a practice - no I cannot accept it.