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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Swarmkeeper" data-source="post: 8393221" data-attributes="member: 6921763">So, anyway... back to the OP where we are discussing transparency of mechanics in good faith play rather than with devious, abusive DMs...There are lots of ways a good faith DM can handle transparency at their table - and as long as fun is had by all, lots of ways will work.  FWIW, here's what we do:At our table, the DM's rolls are in the open so players can see what dice are being used and get a sense of bonuses - this is especially easy on the VTT where hovering over a roll result will show the dice and modifiers (I think this can be hidden, but I just haven't bothered since I don't see the point for our table).For ability checks, I'll tell the player the DC and let them know the stakes if the succeed or fail before they roll.  In the game world, this is the equivalent of the character being experienced enough to realize the difficulty of what they are about to try and to have a sense of what's on the line.  Further, it gives them the opportunity to back it up and rethink the approach if they really want.For monster HP, I typically have the unnumbered health bar up on the VTT - which is really just me being a little bit lazy as, in person, I will narratively describe the monster's condition - like if the monster starts looking bloodied (half max HP) or appears to be on its last legs (less than 10 HP left).If someone has a quick question about a ruling, I often have no problem explaining the mechanics in the moment but sometimes will let the player simply know that, in the game world, "huh, yeah, something weird is going on here."  The main point is to keep things moving.  If an experienced player was constantly interrupting the flow of our game to question the mechanics and/or my rulings, then there would be a conversation after the game to see what we could work out to satisfy their curiosity while keeping the game flowing smoothly.  If they kept the interruptions up for a few sessions after our chat, I might offer one or two more warnings but, ultimately, that player would be demonstrating to me that they are just not a good fit for our table and would be asked to move on.</blockquote>

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