ExploderWizard
Hero
I have always stated that players and DMs need to communicate that not doing so leads to bad gaming and tension at the table.
EDIT: Post coffee I see that you are speaking of communication rather than fudging. I agree. My apologies.
But I have read here that changing the dice even if your players agree is cheating and I believe that not only did spinozajack call it cheating but went to add that it is a form of lazy DMing.
If the DM is honest about the game being run then there is no cheating. Some may call certain methods lazy but anything done with the players blessing that betters the game is fine.
From day 1 rule zero has been part of this game so it is not against the rules for the DM to change the rules. There is nothing in the rules that say I have to give my monsters HP I can just run it and when I think it has taken enough damage call it as dead. Just like there is nothing in the rules that state that a DM must try and accommodate a player so they have fun. But if you run a game that players don't like you will soon have no player so I think it is a self correcting problem.
There is also nothing compelling players to play in a game in which the monsters die whenever the DM feels it is dramatically appropriate. I agree that players must enjoy the game or they will go elsewhere. I advertise an honestly run game and have to turn players away due to an already overcrowded table. PCs can and DO die playing in my campaigns and the players accept this as part of playing a game. If loss isn't possible then victories are hollow. There are many players that value meaningful play decisions and if those aren't a part of the game then they WILL go elsewhere. Like you, I am just keeping my players happy.
DMG page 4, Introduction, The Dungeon Master (last sentence, 2nd paragraph)
"And as a referee, the DM interprets the rules and decides when to abide by them and when to change them."
What I don't get is why this doesn't end this whole part of the discussion right there. There is a rule, first touched on in the introduction no less, that says the rules are what the DM says they are.
Correct. The DM has final say on the rules used at the table, whether to use any optional or house rules, etc. Of course the DM is free to just change rules back and forth on the fly but doing so makes player decisions meaningless and I will venture to say that there isn't even a GAME taking place any more. Merely a storyteller directing outcomes to his/her whim with the players along for the ride. So long as the players are aware of and enjoying this, there is nothing wrong with it. More players than not that I know would politely decline to participate in such an activity.
But if that wasn't enough (and I'm almost reluctant to do this for fear of ruining the game for some, and believe it or not I do want everyone to enjoy the game)...
(Seriously, if the idea of fudging is anathema to you stop reading here.)
DMG page 235, Chapter 8: Running the Game, Table Rules, Dice Rolling (3rd bullet point, near top of second column)
"Rolling behind a screen lets you fudge the results if you want to. If two critical hits in a row would kill a character, you could change the second critical hit into a normal hit, or even a miss. Don't distort die rolls too often, though, and don't let on that you're doing it. Otherwise, your players might think they don't face any real risks - or worse, that you're playing favorites."
That is the worst bit of tripe ever to appear in a D&D rulebook, even surpassing the 4E DMG's attempt to objectively define fun. WOTC should really be ashamed of themselves for that. Official rulebooks shouldn't be advocating dishonesty. Wasting a players valuable time is terrible. We all have limited shelf lives and I have lost two good friends way before their time. Concealing the fact that your game is a farce from players wastes their valuable time, and they have every right to be upset about it.
Not trying to be too self righteous here but playing how you like is a luxury unavailable to players who are deceived. By concealing the true nature of a fudged game, you are taking away the right of another to choose to play the way they wish. Think about that.
Last edited: