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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Al'Kelhar" data-source="post: 5108059" data-attributes="member: 7884">This.While I can certainly understand the attractiveness of the "no fudging" approach to some, it doesn't work for me or my players.  I don't fudge often, but will do so in order to either:(a)  maximise the group enjoyment of an encounter; or(b)  pursue some narrative agenda.I design all my own encounters, and therefore every encounter is a "playtest" which may or may not be balanced.  This is where I have control as a designer.  Usually I'll get the balance right, but every so often I won't.  And during the rolling of the dice during the encounter is where I have control as a DM (along with all the other techniques for combat management, such as sub-optimal monster choices, early retreats, additional reinforcements, etc.).  So long as the outcome of the encounter is achieved - the characters win, get the widget or the clue, have the narrowest of escapes, whatever - me and my players don't really care whether it's due to good design or bad design coupled with some element of fudging.I also have a group of players who aren't there to create a joint narrative with the DM.  Sometimes I have to fight with them just to give their characters names!  They're there to beat on the bad guys and get the gold.  They enjoy the story that I create for thenm, but they're not going out of their way to create their own.  Give them a sand box, and they're going to leave the sand box and go play computer games.  Give them a compass and a pair of blinkers and they'll go exactly where I want them to, by the route I want to take them.  And that's perfectly fine with them.  So because I actually have ultimate narrative control, I don't want my players to "lose" because I've put them in a situation of my creation that's turned out bad for them through no fault of their own.  So, yes, I fudge.  That doesn't stop me from committing TPKs if they're downright stupid...Cheers, Al'Kelhar</blockquote>

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