D&D General Should the DM roll in the open?

[Lanefan]

You're a bad person and should feel bad.

Where "bad" stands for "builds awesome dungeons", you mean?

 

[ezo]

IME the players usually police each other's rolls if such seems to be required (and sadly, now and then over the years it has been).

Honestly, I don't even thing they do that. Maybe on occassion one player might watch while the other rolls, but unless they are leaning over to look into the dice tray, I'd be surprised if they can actually read the dice anyway.

 

[hawkeyefan]

I SOOOOO want to laugh at this... but they might actually mean it.

No, it was a joke.

But even if not, who cares? My comments are easily dismissed, as are everyone else’s.

 

[ezo]

No, it was a joke.

Good. Consider it laughed at then.

But even if not, who cares? My comments are easily dismissed, as are everyone else’s.

Oh, people do! It got a warning, after all, and I am sure many people thought you meant it...

Whenever I think there might be doubt, I throw the "(j/k)" and a to help everyone know I mean it as a joke.

 

[hawkeyefan]

Good. Consider it laughed at then.


Oh, people do! It got a warning, after all, and I am sure many people thought you meant it...

Whenever I think there might be doubt, I throw the "(j/k)" and a to help everyone know I mean it as a joke.

Sure, I get that. My point is more that we shouldn’t even have to tiptoe around opinions so much… that’s all this topic really boils down to. So let people have them without the need to constantly assure everyone that their opinion is okay.

Admittedly, I can see why that may not have come across in my post… but I didn’t expect anyone to take it seriously.

 

[Fatal_Theory]

Sure, I get that. My point is more that we shouldn’t even have to tiptoe around opinions so much… that’s all this topic really boils down to. So let people have them without the need to constantly assure everyone that their opinion is okay.

Admittedly, I can see why that may not have come across in my post… but I didn’t expect anyone to take it seriously.

I agree and this type of thing doesn't need to be "either/or", it could be "both/and". Each method serves a purpose so you just need to understand what that purpose is and decide if it aligns with what you are trying to do.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I agree and this type of thing doesn't need to be "either/or", it could be "both/and". Each method serves a purpose so you just need to understand what that purpose is and decide if it aligns with what you are trying to do.

I mean, at least for this forum, it would seem that the poll results point to rather a different conclusion.

Namely, again just for folks on this subforum, while a majority of people either don't care if you roll openly or prefer that you don't, the plurality prefers that you do, and only a very small minority (less than 20%) specifically prefers that you don't. That strongly indicates that any given table is quite likely to have one or two people who prefer open rolling, but frequently won't have more than 1 person who prefers you don't. Again, we can only speak about this forum, but the conclusion I draw from this isn't "both/and", it's "enough people really care about this that it's a conversation you should probably have every time you do Session 0." Well, unless you always play with the exact same people and thus don't need to.

 

[Thomas Shey]

Where "bad" stands for "builds awesome dungeons", you mean?

I've known him for decades and he's an excellent person and game designer. I'd hesitate to use that phrase even with the smiley otherwise.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Sure, I get that. My point is more that we shouldn’t even have to tiptoe around opinions so much… that’s all this topic really boils down to. So let people have them without the need to constantly assure everyone that their opinion is okay.

Admittedly, I can see why that may not have come across in my post… but I didn’t expect anyone to take it seriously.

In theory, I agree with you, but I am still much happier when folks present their opinions as opinions and not, as the rhetoric often reads, as objective truths.

 

[jasper]

Where "bad" stands for "builds awesome dungeons", you mean?

He is BAD BAD Lanefan BROWN
MEANIEST DUNGEON MASTER IN WHOLE DARN TOWN.