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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Zelda Themelin" data-source="post: 5886113" data-attributes="member: 167">I know some rpg books say gm can do whatever he wants. Not every rpg however. However every time gm says he follows rules/his houserules and then doesn't he cheats. Or lies to his players, whatever word you like to use.Everytime gm invokes random rolls where players are involved (like combat/social rolls), that are supposed be random, but because he doesn't like result he ignores his roll, he cheats. At least himself. And if gm thinks people can't spot this when it becames habit he is dead wrong. It feels like cheating to other people, because they can't not ignore bad rolls, since they are supposed to be random.Every time dm changes hp/ac/loot table of monster in middle of encounter when it's already running he is cheating. To hide his bad choices too little/too much power for encouunter, doesn't want pc:s to get items it has he cheats.Everyone at table should respect rules being agreed to. It's very valid gm style to plan as you go, but middle of combat change is pretty apperant even in those games.I don't play anymore with people who do that. Well there is one, but he is a good friend, and I don't really invest in that game seriously, so it doesn't matter. I like rpg:s with rules that apply to everyone. Instead of fudging gm should learn to create more balanced encounter, if he saves his "sucky encounter" result every time by fudging he never gets better. If he doesn't like to kill characters this should be done in form of some subsystem, or non-leathal knockdowns, instead of lying about it to players (sure you can die in my games, yeh right).I've also known couple of gm:s who liked to make players (though their characters) suffer. And there was lot of cheating involved to make it happen. While making false claims that his npc:s were made/followed the same rules pc:s did.There is such things as bluffing and cheating in poker games. I think whatever gm cheats follow pretty much same guidelines. I don't mean that gm:s should explain players mobs hp and assure them that thing are legit. Or do things accordding to raw. I don't mean that gm should follow guidelines for let's say "magic item creation" as something written in stone. When dm does wordbluiding and creates adventures he cant's cheat. But when he starts using competetive rules under false premise he is cheating.That's why those competetive rules exist in the first place. Since some wise rpg makers came to conclusion that most people don't really like running trust-based games. But want some honest challenge. Thus rules. If gm can't cheat, you don't need any rules. Why coudn't players do whatever they like too to have most fun too? When people in any social enviroment realize tht not follow the same rules as they do unhappiness follows. And from there anarchly and chaos. Then again many groups think rpg:s are just game not to be taken too seriously. If they enjoy what gm is giving to them they won't likely become overly critical to any amount of fudging. Problems start when it stops being fun. Sure there are people out there that suffer rpgs in unhappiness little like they would be their underpaid sucky jobs. They show up, play, and hide their true feelings, since they don't want to loose their (job) game. Most of those people have moved to land of MMO but some still linger in rpg-circles.Not everyone who says "gm is god" runs bad games. Most however, don't really believe that in "I don't have to care what my players think"-kinda way..</blockquote>

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