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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Swarmkeeper" data-source="post: 8601112" data-attributes="member: 6921763">I can't help but wonder why some people keep claiming the 5e DMG tells the DM to fudge and/or try to imply that it is the primary dice handling methodology for DMing that everyone should expect.  The DMG doesn't suggest that at all. Using this bullet point quoting approach, one could easily say the DMG urges you NOT to fudge because to do so would be considered shirking responsibility to be impartial:"If you roll dice where the players can see, they know you're playing impartially and not fudging rolls."But that's not what the 5e Table Rules section is saying either.  It's telling the DM to "establish expectations about rolling dice."  And, FWIW, it suggests:  "Rolling in full view of everyone is a good starting point."Ultimately, that section is telling DMs to examine how they plan to handle their die rolls in the game before the campaign begins:"What about you, the DM? Do you make your rolls in the open or hide them behind a DM screen?"Full section for those who would like to refer back to it:<table style='width: 100%'><tr><td>Dice Rolling (DMG p235) Establish expectations about rolling dice. Rolling in full view of everyone is a good starting point. If you see a player rolling and scooping the dice up before anyone else can see, encourage that player to be less secretive. When a die falls on the floor, do you count it or reroll it? When it lands cocked against a book, do you pull the book away and see where it lands, or reroll it? What about you, the DM? Do you make your rolls in the open or hide them behind a DM screen? Consider the following: <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">If you roll dice where the players can see, they know you're playing impartially and not fudging rolls.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rolling behind a screen keeps the players guessing about the strength of their opposition. When a monster hits all the time, is it of a much higher level than the characters, or are you rolling high numbers?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Rolling behind a screen lets you fudge the results if you want to. If two critical hits in a row would kill a character, you could change the second critical hit into a normal hit, or even a miss. Don't distort die rolls too often, though, and don't let on that you're doing it. Otherwise, your players might think they don't face any real risks-or worse, that you're playing favorites.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A roll behind a screen can help preserve mystery. For example, if a player thinks there might be someone invisible nearby and makes a Wisdom (Perception) check, consider rolling a die behind the screen even if no one is there, making the player think someone is, indeed, hiding. Try not to overuse this trick.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You might choose to make a roll for a player because you don't want the player to know how good the check total is. For example, if a player suspects a baroness might be charmed and wants to make a Wisdom (Insight) check, you could make the roll in secret for the player. If the player rolled and got a high number but didn't sense anything amiss, the player would be confident that the baroness wasn't charmed. With a low roll, a negative answer wouldn't mean much. A hidden roll allows uncertainty.</li> </ul> </td></tr></table></blockquote>

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