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Do you want your DM to fudge?
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<blockquote data-quote="Ilbranteloth" data-source="post: 6808633" data-attributes="member: 6778044"><p>Even if it were 100% true that the reason you are fudging is prioritizing the drama over something else, is that a problem? If so, why?</p><p></p><p>The possibility that the DM might fudge can also be included in the player's calculations as well, and is also included in the game design as is extreme bad luck.</p><p></p><p>Ultimately, it seems that the primary objection that I'm reading is that it's a person that is impacting a random event. The dice are impartial, the person isn't sort of thing.</p><p></p><p>Which is fine, but to my mind, the world cannot be simulated by straight random dice rolls. There are far too many variables that aren't taken into account, the inherent flaw of the absolute best thing that can happen and the absolute worse thing that can happen having an equal 5% chance, mistakes made by the players, the DM, and the game designers, imperfect dice that are not 100% random, whatever. So to me the dice are a perfect tool the majority of the time. But every once in a long while, they fail to be. A bit of human intelligence (such as it is) to supervise the dice, I guess. As the 'master of my world, adventures and rules' I'm OK with that. And the players in my games are too. </p><p></p><p>I also wonder about the different concepts of 'fair' that we all seem to have.</p><p></p><p>I find that people who are used to video games, to some degree 4th Edition (in which 'balance' is extremely important), Magic the Gathering and similar card games, the concept that each and every game follows the exact same rules, probabilities, etc. is extremely important. That sitting down at one table one day, and another next week, you can count on the dice being the final arbiter of all actions, combats, etc. This approach works particularly well for power gamers who want to optimize their skills, although not exclusively. Obviously this is a generalization, but I suspect a large number of the people that prefer no fudging (in addition to no rolls behind the screen) fit this group.</p><p></p><p>Where the story-telling, fail-forward, character development (in terms of background, personality, and non-stat specific elements) group of people, and often not involved in the activities I've outlined above are more likely to not even question if fudging might take place.</p><p></p><p>I know that I grow tired of most video games relatively quickly, along with MTG and power gaming because I find it very limiting. There are so many more options when not tied down to a rigid game system that doesn't allow variability outside of those dictated in the rules, and that's part of what has always made D&D and RPGs so much fun. For me it's not just that the world and possibilities are greater, but that the rules are too (I love tweaking and writing rules, house rules, etc., even if we never actually use any of them).</p><p></p><p>I guess it's almost like I prefer the game precisely because I don't like to follow the rules, so I like the rules to be more open-ended and strong guidelines instead of definitive 'musts' that are never altered. My goal is ultimately to make the game fun for the players, and while it does involve some presumption on my part into what they consider fun, I do the best I can to provide it. If the result of a die roll at a particular time feels 'wrong' then it makes me pause. I don't always change it, and I don't always react to it. But I have always considered the option open, probably because of a combination of learning the game that way, as well as being used to winging it when needed.</p><p></p><p>Ilbranteloth</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Ilbranteloth, post: 6808633, member: 6778044"] Even if it were 100% true that the reason you are fudging is prioritizing the drama over something else, is that a problem? If so, why? The possibility that the DM might fudge can also be included in the player's calculations as well, and is also included in the game design as is extreme bad luck. Ultimately, it seems that the primary objection that I'm reading is that it's a person that is impacting a random event. The dice are impartial, the person isn't sort of thing. Which is fine, but to my mind, the world cannot be simulated by straight random dice rolls. There are far too many variables that aren't taken into account, the inherent flaw of the absolute best thing that can happen and the absolute worse thing that can happen having an equal 5% chance, mistakes made by the players, the DM, and the game designers, imperfect dice that are not 100% random, whatever. So to me the dice are a perfect tool the majority of the time. But every once in a long while, they fail to be. A bit of human intelligence (such as it is) to supervise the dice, I guess. As the 'master of my world, adventures and rules' I'm OK with that. And the players in my games are too. I also wonder about the different concepts of 'fair' that we all seem to have. I find that people who are used to video games, to some degree 4th Edition (in which 'balance' is extremely important), Magic the Gathering and similar card games, the concept that each and every game follows the exact same rules, probabilities, etc. is extremely important. That sitting down at one table one day, and another next week, you can count on the dice being the final arbiter of all actions, combats, etc. This approach works particularly well for power gamers who want to optimize their skills, although not exclusively. Obviously this is a generalization, but I suspect a large number of the people that prefer no fudging (in addition to no rolls behind the screen) fit this group. Where the story-telling, fail-forward, character development (in terms of background, personality, and non-stat specific elements) group of people, and often not involved in the activities I've outlined above are more likely to not even question if fudging might take place. I know that I grow tired of most video games relatively quickly, along with MTG and power gaming because I find it very limiting. There are so many more options when not tied down to a rigid game system that doesn't allow variability outside of those dictated in the rules, and that's part of what has always made D&D and RPGs so much fun. For me it's not just that the world and possibilities are greater, but that the rules are too (I love tweaking and writing rules, house rules, etc., even if we never actually use any of them). I guess it's almost like I prefer the game precisely because I don't like to follow the rules, so I like the rules to be more open-ended and strong guidelines instead of definitive 'musts' that are never altered. My goal is ultimately to make the game fun for the players, and while it does involve some presumption on my part into what they consider fun, I do the best I can to provide it. If the result of a die roll at a particular time feels 'wrong' then it makes me pause. I don't always change it, and I don't always react to it. But I have always considered the option open, probably because of a combination of learning the game that way, as well as being used to winging it when needed. Ilbranteloth [/QUOTE]
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