We know GMs fudge dice rolls sometimes, but what happens when players do it?
In my opinion, it’s not okay for a player to cheat. It effectively gives a player’s character more advantages than any of the others and probably more spotlight as they just do better all the time. Calling out players who cheat is tough, though. Before you make such a call, you need to be able to spot it. So, in the spirit of Penn and Teller explaining their magic tricks, here is a quick guide to some of the techniques of dice cheats to help the GM spot them. I should add that not all of these mean the player is absolutely cheating, and hopefully any behaviour like this precipitates an adult discussion about how dice rolls are handled in your game.
The first is the player who always sits a little further away. This might be on the furthest armchair in the living room or at the end of the table. Usually it will be as far from the GM as possible.
Recent dice technology has offered another option, that of using really tiny dice. There are some adorably small sets out there, and they are often hard enough to read even if you are next to them.
If you are playing D&D where there are a few modifiers its less easy to spot, although more modifiers is even more reason to leave the dice on the table so you can calculate again if you lose track. If you are playing Call of Cthulhu where a result is either under a skill or not, it’s a dead giveaway.
I’ve seen cheat dice that were very subtle in that they had 2 of the highest results and none of the lowest. So the D6 had two 6s and no 1s. You got two D20s in the set, one with two 1s and one with two 20s. Unless you gave them a proper look you’d never have spotted them. Players using this won’t always succeed, but they will crit more often than they should.
You might also keep an eye out for novelty D6s with a picture on the 6 or the 1. I have so many of these I never use them now as I can’t remember which dice has the picture of the 1 and which use the 6. If those with a picture on the 1 are used in a group with other dice the player can just count all pictures as 6s (and obviously all 6s as 6s!).
There are plenty of other dice in this spectrum of “changing the odds” that aren’t straight cheating but are not impartial dice either. We all know many dice are imperfect, but there’s a difference between having a die that doesn’t roll right and purchasing a die for the express purpose of giving you an advantage.
These are just a few examples. Cheating can be a spectrum, and what’s tolerated at your table has as much to do with the rules, the players, and the kind of behaviour you model. If you’re against fudging dice in every instance, it’s important to say so. Conversely, if you fudge dice sometimes, be clear on what’s okay and what isn’t, both as a GM and as a player.
YOUR TURN: What do you do when you find out someone at your table has been cheating with their dice rolls?
In my opinion, it’s not okay for a player to cheat. It effectively gives a player’s character more advantages than any of the others and probably more spotlight as they just do better all the time. Calling out players who cheat is tough, though. Before you make such a call, you need to be able to spot it. So, in the spirit of Penn and Teller explaining their magic tricks, here is a quick guide to some of the techniques of dice cheats to help the GM spot them. I should add that not all of these mean the player is absolutely cheating, and hopefully any behaviour like this precipitates an adult discussion about how dice rolls are handled in your game.
The Hidden Roller
If no one else can read your dice, they’ll have to take your word for it, or be really obvious about checking on you. While rolling under your hand is a little obvious, there are many ways to make it harder to see what your dice are reading while in the open.The first is the player who always sits a little further away. This might be on the furthest armchair in the living room or at the end of the table. Usually it will be as far from the GM as possible.
Recent dice technology has offered another option, that of using really tiny dice. There are some adorably small sets out there, and they are often hard enough to read even if you are next to them.
The Roll-and-Grabber
The player rolls the dice then sweeps them off the table the moment they stop. Then they usually hold them in their hand and stare into space as if calculating a series of modifiers before announcing they have succeeded. It’s rarely premeditated, usually they see they have rolled badly, scoop up the dice and then try a quick pantomime.If you are playing D&D where there are a few modifiers its less easy to spot, although more modifiers is even more reason to leave the dice on the table so you can calculate again if you lose track. If you are playing Call of Cthulhu where a result is either under a skill or not, it’s a dead giveaway.
Loaded and Fake Dice
These are quite commonplace and some are hard to spot, but they are pretty simple for any gamer to detect. They feel wrong, and we all know how dice should feel and how they should roll. They also keep rolling the exact same number each time, so they are pretty obvious.I’ve seen cheat dice that were very subtle in that they had 2 of the highest results and none of the lowest. So the D6 had two 6s and no 1s. You got two D20s in the set, one with two 1s and one with two 20s. Unless you gave them a proper look you’d never have spotted them. Players using this won’t always succeed, but they will crit more often than they should.
You might also keep an eye out for novelty D6s with a picture on the 6 or the 1. I have so many of these I never use them now as I can’t remember which dice has the picture of the 1 and which use the 6. If those with a picture on the 1 are used in a group with other dice the player can just count all pictures as 6s (and obviously all 6s as 6s!).
There are plenty of other dice in this spectrum of “changing the odds” that aren’t straight cheating but are not impartial dice either. We all know many dice are imperfect, but there’s a difference between having a die that doesn’t roll right and purchasing a die for the express purpose of giving you an advantage.
The Knock-and-Roller
There are a couple of variants here when rolling multiple dice. This might be when dealing fireball damage or rolling with advantage/disadvantage. Most people roll the dice together, but if you roll them one at a time (when you have more than one) you might “accidentally” knock a bad one onto a better number, or off the table and have to roll again. The more spherical the dice in question the easier this is to do. In another variant you might put one die on the table on the number you need, roll and sweep another and then point at the previously set dice as your result. That takes a little more sleight of hand though and works better if all your dice look the same.Never a Critter
One of my players realised that rolling maximum was a little obvious when it happened time and time again. But they also realised that a high but not maximum result was more convincing and always succeeded. In this case, they forgot that a run of 5s was just as suspicious as a run of 6s. So keep an eye out for players who never fail, and rarely crit, but never seem to roll less that the top 25% of potential results.These are just a few examples. Cheating can be a spectrum, and what’s tolerated at your table has as much to do with the rules, the players, and the kind of behaviour you model. If you’re against fudging dice in every instance, it’s important to say so. Conversely, if you fudge dice sometimes, be clear on what’s okay and what isn’t, both as a GM and as a player.
YOUR TURN: What do you do when you find out someone at your table has been cheating with their dice rolls?
