Fudging The Dice: Honesty Behind The Screen

Too much fudging will make your players bellyache.

Let's talk about honesty. And while we're being honest, let's all come clear that one prime reason that DMs roll their dice behind the screen is to maintain a degree of control over the outcome. Once in a while, the dice don't cooperate and the game runner may have a situation that threatens to ruin the fun of the game.

'Tweaking' Dice Results

'Fudging' the dice roll is a term I use when you declare a success or failure for an action regardless of the dice's actual result behind the screen. This is the most dangerous game for the DM to play, as it skirts the boundaries of the unspoken contract between himself and the players. The agreement to adhere by the particular guidelines set down by the rules and dice. The art of deception when it comes to dice rolls has its uses, but it cannot be used frequently or carelessly without running into serious problems.

First off, most of the time you can resolve an in-game situation without using the dice. There are times though, when dice rolls are required by the rules and not making a roll would be a glaring contrivance. Sometimes you just gotta roll. But when a monster misses a player six times in a row by sheer chance, it can become either a slapstick farce, or worse.... boring.

Don't Announce That You Are Fudging Rolls

The first and most obvious rule is not to discourage players by telling them that you are manipulating outcomes. Telling the player you are tossing them freebies or buffing their opponents will take away any sense of fair play, no matter how minor the manipulation might have been.

The Fake Roll 

Fake rolling, or rolling when it is not always necessary, is a good idea for keeping the players from analyzing your DM technique. When you are frequently rolling the dice and checking the result, players will not know when they are being surprised by an ambush, tracked by a scout, or if you just like the sound it makes. This is all part of the smoke and mirrors that keeps the players from worrying about the randomized aspect of the game, and avoids tipping your hand regarding your dice-slinging technique.

Don't Fudge Rolls Frequently

Once again, do not do this except in rare circumstances, and only in cases which would make the game more fun for the players. Most of the time, this is when the dice continuously produce identical results. Like a fight in which the enemies hit every time or miss every time with their attacks. Otherwise, stick to the rules and non-dice based solutions to your problems. Bend the rules, but don't break the game. Keep all this in mind when tweaking dice results, and it will improve your game rather than ruin it.

If there is a case in which your monsters just aren't rolling well and they are missing every time, your players needn't ever know that is the case. By giving the monsters an occasional 'free hit,' you can maintain a sense of jeopardy. Your players won't feel like they were unchallenged, but it won't change the inevitable outcome of their victory either. As long as it is not skewing the odds too greatly, it can add to the fun and help avoid being caught in a slog. A friend of mine introduced me to the technique of adding some 'leeway' into the rolls, by secretly adding a bonus of plus one or two their monsters to future rolls if they have been missing for many rounds in a row. That kind of system is one example of fudging a bit but maintaining guidelines to keep yourself in check.

Of course there are some players who would rather have the dice rolled openly, right on the table with no screen. They'd prefer letting the dice fall as they may. Many of these players want a serious challenge, or prefer the war-game experience. Gauge the general preference of your game group, and the way that rolling openly will affect the difficulty and pace of your game.

Happy ventures!