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<blockquote data-quote="Clint_L" data-source="post: 9411534" data-attributes="member: 7035894"><p>I previously have done so, but again: let's say the player tries some BS story to trick a guard. I ask for the player to make a deception check, contested by the guard's insight check. In that situation, I keep the result of the guard's roll secret, because the character can't know for sure whether or not they successfully tricked the guard, and we role-play it out. Is the guard just playing along? Were they successfully duped? The player doesn't know because their character doesn't know, and they have to act accordingly.</p><p></p><p>That's way more fun than letting the player see the roll, effectively reading the guard's mind.</p><p></p><p>Whereas if it's a contested strength check, then yeah, we roll out in the open, because that's more fun, and the result would be obvious to the character anyway. Damage dice, saving throws, etc. are all on the table. If a character dies, so be it. If a boss fight turns out to be a cakewalk, oh well. It happens. As a rule, I strongly prefer rolls to be visible. But there are exceptions, and they are important.</p><p></p><p>So that's one reason I still use a DM screen, or some other means to give me the option for secret rolls. But DM screens are useful for a lot more than hiding dice. Mine has little plexiglass sheets for keeping notes, and magnets for posting anything I need handy. It also has grooves in the top and plexiglass turn counters to make it easy to track initiative, if I want to go analogue.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Clint_L, post: 9411534, member: 7035894"] I previously have done so, but again: let's say the player tries some BS story to trick a guard. I ask for the player to make a deception check, contested by the guard's insight check. In that situation, I keep the result of the guard's roll secret, because the character can't know for sure whether or not they successfully tricked the guard, and we role-play it out. Is the guard just playing along? Were they successfully duped? The player doesn't know because their character doesn't know, and they have to act accordingly. That's way more fun than letting the player see the roll, effectively reading the guard's mind. Whereas if it's a contested strength check, then yeah, we roll out in the open, because that's more fun, and the result would be obvious to the character anyway. Damage dice, saving throws, etc. are all on the table. If a character dies, so be it. If a boss fight turns out to be a cakewalk, oh well. It happens. As a rule, I strongly prefer rolls to be visible. But there are exceptions, and they are important. So that's one reason I still use a DM screen, or some other means to give me the option for secret rolls. But DM screens are useful for a lot more than hiding dice. Mine has little plexiglass sheets for keeping notes, and magnets for posting anything I need handy. It also has grooves in the top and plexiglass turn counters to make it easy to track initiative, if I want to go analogue. [/QUOTE]
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