ccs
41st lv DM
You're missing the point of showmanship.
Sometimes it's entirely appropriate to roll some dice, ignore the result, pretend to look something up, put a worried look on your face, and sigh while slowly shaking your head from side to side.
I'll have 'random' encounters that arent (they were planned from the beginning). The 'roll to trigger them' simply keeps the players guessing.
Other times, I'll roll some dice just to quiet table talk, and get the players focussed back on the task at hand.
Other times, it's simply to keep the players guessing -what- exactly I'm rolling for.
That's all simple showmanship and entertainment - keeping the session fun and engaging for the players. You're using the dice as as prop. It's a tool in my arsenal and I see no reason not to use it.
Im also not a fan of having PCs die for no other reason than a series of bad dice rolls. That said, quite often I'll throw the dice down in the middle of the table and let them fall where they may.
When I do that, all eyes are on the dice.
Dice are more than just random number generators, just like DMs are more than just addition machines. They're a powerful tool for engagement, enjoyment and storytelling purposes, and a DM is there to do more than just roll them to determine a number.
I don't need to rely upon fake dice rolls to keep a game moving, interesting, or to curb table talk. And I have better things to do than pretend to look things up & mutter cryptically to myself.
Dice get rolled when the outcome is uncertain or there's some sort of risk involved. If I desire some particular outcome I'll just skip the rolling.
So you use dice your way, & I'll use them mine.