D&D 5E DMs, how do you fudge?

[Quickleaf]

I am a strong believer that design doesn't stop just because I've written it down. And I'm also a strong believer that neither a monster's stat block nor a PC's sheet describe the entirety of what that monster or PC can do. Part of the joy of D&D is having a live human referee being present to make things flow better and adapt the rules to the table.

However, I do not change die rolls, AC, Hit Points, or DCs. I find it more valuable to inspire trust by being straightforward and transparent with this stuff. When it comes to most rolls, I do those in open. I let the players know monster AC and, when it matters, HP as well. I commonly declare the DC at the same time I ask for the check.

Instead, I work the context, adjusting difficulty using elements implied by the existing narrative. For instance, if I want to increase the challenge of a combat that's falling short, I'll homebrew monster abilities on the fly, introduce reinforcements, have the floor collapse, etc.

 

[Charlaquin]

Consistency is important to me, so I don’t change monster AC or HP on the fly. And authenticity is important to me, so I don’t change the results of dice rolls.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Ah... so it has come to a poll, has it?

No, no fudging (but I LOVE fudge in general....).

As DM, my job is to design the game world and then referee it once set in motion. I can certainly change things before they are encountered, as that is the point when reality is established for the PCs. I can modify the world, encounters, maps, etc. as needed... but, once reality has been established, I have to let it run its course.

Yes, I can choose the thought, tactics, etc. of NPCs/monsters as this is part of my job as DM. However, when I make those decisions I base them on the goals, thoughts, etc. of the creature in question, not on how/what impact it might have on the PCs or how the players might feel about it. If I think an enemy should flee, it flees because it wants to save itself not because it wants to spare the PCs. If it retreats to taunt them because it is cruel and malicious and will destroy them later once it toys with them more, so be it. If it should surrender, it does. If it should crush them into a TPK because they refuse to retreat, negotiate, or surrender, then I will have the creature crush them. If there are reinforcements nearby, I can have them show up if it fits the narrative. And so forth...

I never change the dice. I use a dice tray, but any player is welcome to stand and watch the roll if they want. If a roll is important, I often find myself watching their dice rolls just because it is exciting--not because I don't trust them.

Once an encounter begins (reality for the PCs has been established), I don't make changes to AC, ability scores, attacks, damage. I use average damage most of the time anyway to save time. The one time I will roll is if I know average damage will take a PC out of the fight automatically---rolling then at least gives them a fighting chance, and frankly if I had been rolling all the times before, perhaps they could have taken average damage this time.

If I have done my job well, the game will be fun without fudging. Yes, sometimes DMs (myself of course as well) misjudge an encounter, but there are so many things to do other than fudging it to make it easier or harder if it is called for, but even then I try not to make changes and learn from my mistakes to do better next time.

 

[TheSword]

So it looks like fudgers and anti-fudgers are pretty balanced. Can we put this issue to bed now.

To everyone who has already stridently proclaimed themselves an anti-fudger…

…I respond… well you would say that wouldn’t you. Even if you were fudging.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

See, you can't fudge, 'cause to fudge is to deceive and lie, and you betray your own game. To rethink the flow and the rhythm, the tumbling out of the dice, is a betrayal, and it's a sin, @Swarmkeeper , it's a sin.

 

[aco175]

I do not have a problem with the DM fudging as part of encounter design. I find the design is not completed just because I printed off the adventure of rolled initiative. I am constantly modifying the encounter to make the best game for the players. Sometimes that is adding more monsters because the PCs managed to rest before the final battle and I planned that encounter to be if they could not have rested. The final battle with the dragon that is being totally beat before it can act may need to use its breath weapon once before it dies, so it gets more H{P on the fly. I may have made an encounter for 4 PCs and only 2 players can play tonight, so the monster number may get cut a bit. If it is my fault that something is wrong, it is not the players fault, so they should not be penalized over my bad design.

The man behind the curtain is constantly pulling levers to make the players and PCs believe in Oz, the Great. The trick is to not have them be seen.

 

[DND_Reborn]

To everyone who stridently proclaims themselves an anti-fudger…

…I respond… well you would say that wouldn’t you. Even if you were fudging.

Why would we? If the fudgers can admit to fudging, after all... we would be one of them and admitting it.

So, I think you'd be better off respecting the word of the anti-fudgers, who are not, in fact, fudging.

 

[Rabbitbait]

All my dice rolls are out in the open. Players know that in every encounter there is a chance they might die and that makes the game better. The characters are up to level 6 now in the current campaign and there have been 2 deaths so far.

My last campaign was the Tomb of Annihilation and only two of the original characters made it to the end.

 

[tetrasodium]

When I fudge something it's usually for a specific purpose & that purpose might heavily influence what kinds of things I might do. At the end of the day though the health & fun of the game for everyone at the table sometimes need to come first over a specific number on a shiny math rock or a few drops of ink in a particular arrangement on paper. Things get tweaked in both directions as needed.

 

[Cruentus]

Very rarely I will adjust enemy/NPC HP during a combat depending on how hard/easy things are going, particularly if I feel like my encounter difficulty was off.

I will also have monsters flee, or reinforcements betray their allies and leave, or have a monster act non-optimally during an encounter.

However, since we've been mostly playing on VTT (Fantasy Grounds), all of the dice rolls and HP's (vaguely) can be seen, and all results are what they are. You can't fudge things as easily in FG as at the table, at least not once initiative has been rolled and damage caused.