D&D General Should the DM roll in the open?

[Skyscraper]

We''ll assume for this question that a DM rolling in the open can occasionally roll behind the screen, e.g. for stealth or other rolls that are preferably concealed.

But for the vast majority of rolls, they roll in front of the players: init, attack rolls, damage, saving throws, most skill checks, ...

 

[Bae'zel]

I now roll out in the open for attack rolls and such (I just use default average damage values).

As you mentioned, some stuff is done behind the screen when it involves stealth and such.

I feel less bad when I roll multiple critical hits in a row. The evidence is right there that I’m not a sadistic DM haha

 

[ezo]

I voted No. But I should explain...

Can they? Sure if they want to. But I don't. Neither do my players, really. Yes "it is out in the open" when they roll but I am not close enough to see the rolls, so they might as well be hidden. I have one player online, I never see his rolls.

Technically, I roll "in the open" but my rolls are far enough away from the players they don't see them, either.

So, since there isn't a "We roll in the open but no one in close enough to actually see our rolls it doesn't matter" and in closer quarters I do roll behind my DM screen or laptop (as I did in the past), I still voted No.

 

[OB1]

Chose yes because I roll in the open when I DM and prefer that way for games I'm a PC in. That said, it doesn't bother me if a DM chooses to roll behind the screen, I just assume that some rolls will be fudged if that's the case.

 

[Oofta]

I roll out in the open for many things, but not all. Attacks and damage (on a crit) out in the open. Opposed roles, some enemy saves and PC death saves? Hidden.

It's not that I fudge, it's because I don't necessarily want to reveal information. The player suspects an NPC of lying and they're telling the truth? That's hidden because I might roll a 1. Death saves? Hidden because players shouldn't know how close to death a PC is.

 

[aco175]

Mostly what everyone is saying. I roll in front of me at the table. My brother to my left can see what is rolled, but my father on my right and my son across the table likely cannot see the roll. My son tends to watch my father roll (and continue to bounce out of) his dice tray, which I cannot see into so it does not matter. I have the players role damage from the monsters on them to speed up time, so they could be cheating on that and I wouldn't know either.

 

[Skyscraper]

I'm a DM rolls in the open adept. To me it is not that much about fudging rolls - although it is because you inevitably wonder - but more about the disconnect between the DM rolling begind gheir screen and reacting to die rolls players do not - and cannot - see. Especially when extraordinairy rolls are made, then the DM going "wowww! Incredible!" And everyone else just not sharing in the experience and waiting for the DM to narrate the die roll, maybe truthfully, maybe not, is underwhelming for me. Its almost like the difference between watching a movie and having someone tell me what they watched.

 

[DEFCON 1]

The question posed is 'Should the DM roll out in the open'... in other words is this something all DMs are meant to be doing? Thus my answer is an easy 'No'-- there is no 'Should' in this instance. Some DMs can do so... while some DMs can choose not to. But there should not be a requirement either way. Doing one or the other exclusively does not make for a better game at every table.

Are there valid reasons to do so? Absolutely. Are there valid reasons not to do so? Also absolutely. There is no singular answer that applies to every table and every game across the entire gamut of D&D players, and thus the question to me has an easy response.

 

[payn]

I chose dont care. If a GM hides their rolls but the game is hella fun, wont bother me one bit. If something seems off and its effecting the game, ill say something. I play on VTT often now and everything is in open (I know you can hide some if you want).

 

[cranberry]

There wasn't a "it depends" option, so I didn't answer the poll.

I openly show combat rolls, but I will hide other rolls that might give the player more information than their PC would have.

I can't think of any specific examples, but I don't hide rolls that often.