Thursday 2 February 2017

10 rounds of initiative: The dice tell a story, should we change that?


Hello its time to roll for initiative once again and this week we are talking fudging dice rolls and the stories the dice weave.



Behind the safety of the screen that divides DM's from their players, it can be tempting to falsify or 'fudge' the rolls that are made. This is often a benevolent act that prevents harm from coming to our players but it can sometimes be a way for DM's to prevent the story from going in a direction they didn't expect or plan for.

Some people view this as breaking the game whereas some would argue that they are doing it for the benefit of  player experience.

When I first started DMing I didn't have a screen, we all rolled our dice openly and dealt with the consequences. I started using a screen to hide the minis and the various props I use during games, but I came to realise that I missed that tension whenever I rolled the dice; I missed the effect that natural twenties from enemies had on the players at the table.

Last week I spoke about the mystery and superstition surrounding dice and I think the same is true regarding this topic. There's something about that moment when the stakes are high and the PC's are facing certain doom and only one thing can save them. The player pitches their dice across the table, that familiar sound echoes across the tabletop as the players sit with baited breath, until it lands on that magical number that makes everyone jump from the table.

My point is, it is the rolls of the dice that make the game so much fun; similar to the times of epic heroism there is nothing more memorable or fun than a player continuously failing their constitution saving throws time and time again (usually as the lay facedown on the sticky floor of a tavern), allowing their unconscious stupor to continue for a comical about of time. If you saw the Acquisitions Inc game at PAX south last weekend you would know what I mean.

I have what I would call truly fudged a dice roll once before, it was during one of my first groups games. I was piloting a character whose player couldn't attend, I had set up an encounter that would be bloody and brutal for the group. During the battle the character I was player was knocked unconscious, the group battled on and I had to roll her first death saving throw....a natural one! Realising the urgency of the situation, the group spent their turns scrambling towards her unconscious body fighting through waves of enemies, but none could get close enough. I rolled the second death saving throw, which landed behind my DM's guide.....another natural one! The group stared at me with despair and concern; I told them it was an eleven. The next round they brought her back to consciousness and formed up around her, fighting off every enemy until they were all defeated. It was an epic battle to be sure with a heroic ending, but I couldn't help but feel that I had cheated.

At the time I could not in all good conscience knowingly kill off another players character without them being there, but I wouldn't expect any of my players to falsify a dice roll so why should I get away with it? Now, I hardly ever fudge my rolls though it is difficult not too if it means the player gets to pull off something cool or memorable, so ultimately I sit on the fence regarding this subject; fudging dice rolls? Only for the rule of cool.

It is a messy subject to talk about, but we want to know what you think:

To DM's:

Do you fudge dice rolls?

If so, why?

To Players:

Would you be ok with your DM fudging their rolls?

let us know @WisSave or use #10Rounds



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