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Message: <blockquote data-quote="spinozajack" data-source="post: 6595398" data-attributes="member: 6794198">For non-boss trash mobs I usually make their HP and stats known to the table (not special powers), and roll in front of everyone. That is what makes the game fair and if players die due a poor roll, they deal with that. I'm not a fan of fudging HP either, except in rare cases. When players know the DM is not going to fudge dice or damage in their favor, that tends to make them play better, smarter, and more cautiously. Win.There are plenty of other ways, actually an infinite number, that a DM can legitimately compensate either in favor of the monsters or PCs, when HP are trending downward too quickly for either side. A smart monster could have a healer or roar for an ally come to its rescue, or an escape plan. Noise from the fight could cause a more monsters to start rushing in from down the tunnel over there, making the PCs reconsider staying another round to finish this dragon off at the risk of their own hides. If PCs are reckless, I don't hold back, I can kill them without fudging dice and there are many ways to influence them going one direction or another, without resorting to fiat or rail road.Simply put, fudging HP is cheating, and cheating should be done sparingly. It's more serious when PCs cheat by not properly recording damage on their own sheets. If the DM has to ask the PC what their current HP are, and they don't match, that's a problem. It isn't the DM only who shouldn't fudge their HP totals, it's PCs. Who are to my mind much more likely to do it. If you alter your HP it makes combat meaningless, because it makes that huge crit back there not have happened, or not be a crit. (like players subtract less damage than they should). This is the dirty little secret of D&D : people cheat. It's sad.That's why HP have to be in the open for the most part, and DMs should track PC HP totals at least every so often, to make sure everyone's being honest. The occasional audit after fights and short rests. DMs could alternate which players they audit with a dice roll.</blockquote>

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