The DM That Never Rolled

[two]

Is there a hard-and-fast rule anywhere that the DM MUST do the rolls, as opposed to "rolls are made," subjectless?

I'm running a campaign where one of my minor goals is to make no rolls at all (I'm the DM).

If an Orc attacks a PC, the PC rolls a d20, tells me the results, and I return with a "hit" or "miss" (after a short pause for calculation).

Ditto weapon damage, Monster Saves, etc. etc.

This is very liberating, I feel, because:

1) There is obviously no DM-fudging of the dice. Makes the PC's realize I won't bail them out, thus they are a little more cautious.
2) I feel absolutely no guilt about a critical hit, or other strange events. I just comment, blandly, "well, you rolled 20-20 and then 12 12 for the enemy greatsword, don't blame me!" Funny thing is, the PC's really don't! Psychologically they blame THEMSELVES for a "terrible" roll that does a lot of damage, which is just great.
3) It makes for more heroic action. If the party is getting crushed, and somebody casts a low-DC "charm person" on the arch-enemy, and the enemy "fails" the save... it's assumed to be DM-fiat. Not that exciting. However, if the same thing happens, and the PC's are making all the rolls for the arch-tyrant (and roll at nat. "1") -- it's something to gloat over.

Don't ask me why, but that's the way it's been working. Human nature, I suppose.

Anyway -- is this STRICTLY legal/by the rules?

Is the DM really supposed to roll an Orc's "to hit" or "damage" roll, or is it never specified really (just rolls are made/rolls are requierd).

I don't think it's black-and-white that the DM MUST roll.. but... I'm not 100%.

 

[Mallus]

For the DM...

...anything is legal, so long as the players keep coming back for more.

 

[FrankTrollman]

I roll all my dice in front of the players - which has much the same effect.

There's no hard and fast rule that specific palyers have to roll specific dice. The only important part is that somebody rolls the dice.

-Frank

 

[Macbrea]

Seems awful lazy GMing to me.


What your basicly saying is you don't want to be bothered with stuff your players must do. You are going to tell them the story and make up effects based on them knowing the rules and rolling the dice for you.


It also, seem like it would slow up the game in some situations. Perfect, example:

Situation: Party is moving down a hallway and in a cubby hole is a goblin.
Player 1: Ah, we move quietly down the hall.
Gm: can you please roll your move silent checks. And another die for something you dont' know about.
Player 2: I look very wearily about for I am sure something is here.
Gm: Hey, can you roll your spot and another die for something you don't know about.
Player 3: OK, I boldly walk down the hall because I am tired of the rest of these guys being so cautious.
Gm: Ok, well. do me a favor and roll a die.
Player 3 rolls a 17 on a d20
Gm: ok, well, do me a favor and roll 3 die 6.
Player 3 grumbles and rolls dice
Gm: ok, can you do me another favor and roll another d20?
Gm: As you guys enter the hall and look about cautiously, Rogar gets annoyed and the pace and strides forward. As Rogar moves forward you see a small cloaked figure jump from the shadows stab him in the back and drop him to the ground. He then rolls back into the alcove he came from and seems to disappear.
Player 3 grumbles.


As you see.. you could do some of that work and they probably wouldn't feel like they were taxed for your not wanting to roll any dice. And if your worried about killing a character and them thinking your fudging die rolls. Roll the dice on an open table.

 

[two]

good point

Seems awful lazy GMing to me.


What your basicly saying is you don't want to be bothered with stuff your players must do. You are going to tell them the story and make up effects based on them knowing the rules and rolling the dice for you.


It also, seem like it would slow up the game in some situations. Perfect, example:

Situation: Party is moving down a hallway and in a cubby hole is a goblin.
Player 1: Ah, we move quietly down the hall.
Gm: can you please roll your move silent checks. And another die for something you dont' know about.
Player 2: I look very wearily about for I am sure something is here.
Gm: Hey, can you roll your spot and another die for something you don't know about.
Player 3: OK, I boldly walk down the hall because I am tired of the rest of these guys being so cautious.
Gm: Ok, well. do me a favor and roll a die.
Player 3 rolls a 17 on a d20
Gm: ok, well, do me a favor and roll 3 die 6.
Player 3 grumbles and rolls dice
Gm: ok, can you do me another favor and roll another d20?
Gm: As you guys enter the hall and look about cautiously, Rogar gets annoyed and the pace and strides forward. As Rogar moves forward you see a small cloaked figure jump from the shadows stab him in the back and drop him to the ground. He then rolls back into the alcove he came from and seems to disappear.
Player 3 grumbles.


As you see.. you could do some of that work and they probably wouldn't feel like they were taxed for your not wanting to roll any dice. And if your worried about killing a character and them thinking your fudging die rolls. Roll the dice on an open table.

Good point. I meant combat rolls.

For rolls that are secret, I have all the players roll in advance about 20 2d20's and I put them on a chart behind the screen. Then when something happens that requires a die roll but not one they should know about, I consult the list, get the number, mark it off, and etc.


I don't make any rolls, but they don't get a "tip off" that something strnage is going on. I can simply say "nobody except X notices the bad guy, etc. etc. "

Good catch though. I was not specific enough.

 

[Altamont Ravenard]

What you COULD use is a pre-generated list of random numbers per die.

Instead of rolling, you take the next number on the list.

AR

 

[Nail]

This is interesting, and not "against the rules"...but needlessly complicted. After all, instead of simply rolling the appropriate dice, you have to take a separate step and asksomeone else to roll the dice.

As a DM, I roll all my combat dice out in the open. I do occasionally use the player's dice, if they're handy, just for added effect:

"You rolled a 20 to hit me! With my own dice! They never roll that well for me......!"

 

[two]

It's not that I'm lazy

What you COULD use is a pre-generated list of random numbers per die.

Instead of rolling, you take the next number on the list.

AR

It's not that I'm too lazy to roll dice. I think it makes for a better game if the players have to sweat out the critical rolls, not me.

As noted above, "secret" rolls I read off from a chart and let the players know the result, if required.

Fixes the following problem:

"Ok Joe, make a listen check."
"Why?"
"Just make one."
"I rolled a 15."
"Ok great. You hear the whispering wind."
"Uh... Joe draws his sword and wakes everyone."
"Why? Because of the wind?"
"It's an omen or something."
DM: *sighs*

 

[two]

This is interesting, and not "against the rules"...but needlessly complicted. After all, instead of simply rolling the appropriate dice, you have to take a separate step and asksomeone else to roll the dice.

As a DM, I roll all my combat dice out in the open. I do occasionally use the player's dice, if they're handy, just for added effect:

"You rolled a 20 to hit me! With my own dice! They never roll that well for me......!"

True... good point... on the other hand you often get an added moment of tension as the player rolls a d20 (particularly if their PC is low in hit point). Lots of "please miss," or "not another 18 for C's Sake," etc. Which you don't get when rattling plastic behind the screen.

I don't notice a time lag... but you are right there must be one.

 

[MarauderX]

I roll dice for no reason a lot as a DM, such as just before disseminating info they need. I ask what certain modifiers are for things as needed, and often when they aren't. I can't think the players would think I was being judicious when certain things happen or don't, and diceless campaigns end up being just a storytelling mess.

Diceless DM: "everything will depend on the choices you make throughout the adventure, not on a random factor of dice"
....
Player 1: "Ok, so, like we outnumber the orcs 2 to 1, we should ambush them!"
Diceless DM: "ouch, you take a spear to the throat."
P1: "huh? But we haven't attacked yet, right? I mean, I was just suggest-"
Diceless DM: "Hush. You can only gurgle words that no one can understand with a spear in your throat."
P2: "We are attacking? Um, I run."
Diceless DM: "You run straight through what turns out to be a hoard of orcs and get slaughtered"
P2: "But I wanted to run away from them..."
Diceless DM: "You didn't say. You are dead. Now, let's continue on with the story with the players I like the most. P3, two female elves invite you up to their room...what do you do?"
P3: "Dude, can I go back and heal P1, or are we through that already? I kinda want to pull his corpse back so he can occupy one of the elf chicks."
Diceless DM: "No. The last thing you saw was the orcs chewing on your deceased comrad."
P4: "Am I close to the elf girls? Can sneak up on them? I am a 28th level super rogue, y'know."
Diceless DM: "Both of them easily spot you. They don't recognize your shadowy form so they fire arrows at you. You are now a pin-cushion corpse."
P4: "But, um, I have like 100 HP. How in the-"
Diceless DM: "You are dead."
P5: "Where in planes ARE we?!?"

Campaign ends when Diceless/clueless DM is suffocated with his own DMG that he refused to read.

Seriously, stay away from the non-dice stuff. Players will only be nice to you so nothing bad happens to them instead of having fun. Dice go whatever way, and they work a lot better to dictate nearly what goes on when than you ever will. Seriously. Don't do it. Your players will hate you. Don't.