As far as fudging goes. I don't do it as a DM. And I don't want it as a player.
I've been playing D&D for 30+ years. I can tell when a DM is fudging. I don't really think you need as much experience as I have to tell. Your players will figure it out.
If you have set your session zero up such that your players know you will fudge, then everything is fine. But if you propose a fair game and you still fudge, your players will figure it out.
The problem with unwanted fudging is that it eliminates player agency. The idea that my choices as a player have meaning. I may actually choose to put my character in a very dangerous situation (out of role-playing or out of just wanting to sacrifice my PC for someone else). If the DM then fudges such that my character survives it robs me of my sacrifice.
If I carelessly open a chest and the subsequent poison needle trap attack is fudged to be a miss, then I'm robbed of the consequence of foolishly not checking for traps.
Again, If you fudge and you think you are getting away with it... you aren't. Your players are likely smart enough to figure it out. Now they may not mind it, but if you think you are a DM that can fudge effortlessly and without even a whiff of it in your players minds, you are misguided.
I've been playing D&D for 30+ years. I can tell when a DM is fudging. I don't really think you need as much experience as I have to tell. Your players will figure it out.
If you have set your session zero up such that your players know you will fudge, then everything is fine. But if you propose a fair game and you still fudge, your players will figure it out.
The problem with unwanted fudging is that it eliminates player agency. The idea that my choices as a player have meaning. I may actually choose to put my character in a very dangerous situation (out of role-playing or out of just wanting to sacrifice my PC for someone else). If the DM then fudges such that my character survives it robs me of my sacrifice.
If I carelessly open a chest and the subsequent poison needle trap attack is fudged to be a miss, then I'm robbed of the consequence of foolishly not checking for traps.
Again, If you fudge and you think you are getting away with it... you aren't. Your players are likely smart enough to figure it out. Now they may not mind it, but if you think you are a DM that can fudge effortlessly and without even a whiff of it in your players minds, you are misguided.