D&D General How do players feel about DM fudging?

[Cadence]

In that case why not roll the die out in the open and then fudge? Why the secrecy and deception?

Because it would break the flow of the game and make the players have to notice it was occuring.

 

[Vaalingrade]

And that's where you lose me.

That's fine. But that's me. I just feel like I don't need to be vilified for it by people in this thread.

 

[Mordhau]

Because it would break the flow of the game and make the players have to notice it was occuring.

Exactly. And we don't want them to know we're only pretending to let the dice decide do we?

 

[Thomas Shey]

Again, I don't understand your point here. There are many examples that look very contrived to me in this and the other related thread, which is common in discussions where posters are trying to craft examples to try to justify positions that don't require any justification. That is all.

If you launch that into the air, its always going to be hard to tell who its aimed at, because it looks like its aimed at everybody.

 

[Thomas Shey]

In that case why not roll the die out in the open and then fudge? Why the secrecy and deception?

"Sorry Bob, it looks like the Orc crit"?
"Damn. And I'm down to 0 hit points"
"You know Bob let's say that 20 is actually a 02".

Fluid interpretative art right there.

Well, if you take people as being honest, because some people prefer the illusion.

 

[iserith]

If you launch that into the air, its always going to be hard to tell who its aimed at, because it looks like its aimed at everybody.

It's aimed at people contriving examples to justify what doesn't need to be justified. Their preference, however bewildering to some, is their own. Are we now having a discussion about the discussion or about the topic? Because the former doesn't interest me.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Exactly. And we don't want them to know we're only pretending to let the dice decide do we?

You know, you really might as well come out and say you think people are acting in bad faith of you're going to respond with something like this. Its at least honest.

 

[Cadence]

Exactly. And we don't want them to know we're only pretending to let the dice decide do we?

It feels like most DMs on here who fudge let the dice decide the vast majority of the time, with some people being explicit they use it rarely.

Presumably the players also don't want the DM saying "and then I decided the town would be based on this book I read and I came up with these five plot hooks for you if you wanted, here they are" instead of just describing the town and having the hooks show up as appropriate among the narration and responses to player actions.

 

[Thomas Shey]

It's aimed at people contriving examples to justify what doesn't need to be justified. Their preference, however bewildering to some, is their own. Are we now having a discussion about the discussion or about the topic? Because the former doesn't interest me.

I don't believe you can separate it to the degree you're trying here, but I also doubt that's worth pursuing.

 

[Maxperson]

"Sorry Bob, it looks like the Orc crit"?
"Damn. And I'm down to 0 hit points"
"You know Bob let's say that 20 is actually a 02".

Fluid interpretative art right there.

That's one valid way to do it. Another is not out in the open. Secrecy =/= deception. If I roll a 20 and want to change it to a 15 and I say it hit, nobody was deceived. There was never a crit and there was only ever a hit. The dice don't rule the situation.