In what other games is fudging acceptable?

[S'mon]

I don't regard not using my full strength when I play wrestling with my 4-year-old as 'fudging'. I don't regard setting a fair challenge in a D&D game as fudging, either.

Eg in the game last night the 8th level PCs got plenty of hints not to tangle with the purple worm. If they had gone ahead and attacked it, it would likely have gobbled them up, I wouldn't fudge dice roll results to prevent that.

I make all my dice rolls in the open, don't use a screen, and usually tell players the target DCs.

 

[S'mon]

double

 

[nedjer]

Parkour and freerunning work along the same lines as RPGs, as there are no definable boundaries/ too many variables for any rule set to cover and the focus is on self-discipline.

Football aka soccer is maybe an example of competitive fudging. There's been huge resistance to video replays, time-outs and checking if the ball crossed the line. Rugby, tennis and others have these options, but there's been too much money in the endless arguments over poor refereeing decisions, bias and club rivalries to bring change. This came with athleticism, which reduced time on the ball until a there wasn't a lot of skill on show. That seems to have left bickering over fouls and penalty decisions and sending-offs and . . . as the most marketable commodity.

 

[Croesus]

In both of your cases, the "do over" is openly expressed and agreed to by all the participants. They are not done in secret.

I've played games with friends and we've made sub-optimal choices just so that the player with bad luck wasn't put out of the game, whether Monopoly, poker, 3-Dragon Ante, or even Battletech. Announcing that choice wouldn't make the game more enjoyable, so we just do it and move on.

Gaming with friends and family usually isn't about winning, it's about playing.

 

[rogueattorney]

I've played games with friends and we've made sub-optimal choices just so that the player with bad luck wasn't put out of the game, whether Monopoly, poker, 3-Dragon Ante, or even Battletech. Announcing that choice wouldn't make the game more enjoyable, so we just do it and move on.

Gaming with friends and family usually isn't about winning, it's about playing.

It completely depends.

I'm not going to run over my 5 year old son when playing basketball. I'm going to teach him how to play and make sure he has fun.

I'm going to compete hard against my brother, though. Because if we allow each other to make layup after layup, it's no fun.

If my brother told me he was easing up so I could compete with him, I'd find it patronizing and insulting and would probably not play with him any more.

I think those situations are all easy enough to analogize to the D&D game and fudging.

 

[Anselyn]

I don't really like fudging in any activity.

White lies?

 

[Croesus]

I think those situations are all easy enough to analogize to the D&D game and fudging.

Agreed, which is why folks can disagree so strongly on whether or not fudging is acceptable in an RPG.

If the GM fudges, one group may find it "patronizing and insulting".

If the GM doesn't fudge, one group may find it a pain that Bob has to sit around for half an hour while the group finishes the combat during which his character was knocked unconscious.

Personally, I'll play either style, just so long as I know what to expect, one way or the other.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

Lots of good answers here. Basically, if your just playing stricktly for fun, rather than to win, then a bit
of fudging (open or otherwise) is usually acceptable.

Edit: Anyone familiar with old movies has seen this in operation. Two old geezers playing checkers, each distracting the other while they 'cheat'. Even though its obvious to everyone, including each other, what's going on, no one cares. In fact, a wink is often to be seen somewhere in the proceedings.

 

[rogueattorney]

If the GM doesn't fudge, one group may find it a pain that Bob has to sit around for half an hour while the group finishes the combat during which his character was knocked unconscious.

If Bob's a grown up, I'll treat Bob like he's a grown up that understands the rules of the game and can somehow find a way to entertain himself for a few minutes while the other players take their turns.

 

[Crothian]

In what games is it not acceptable? Other than organized sports--high school, college or professional.

Among athletes there are two common phrases "If you aren't cheating you aren't trying" and "It's not cheating if you don't get caught."