gordon@uw-june (Gordon Davisson) (07/18/84)
As the person who originally made the comment on fudging die
rolls (and I didn't expect such a furor!), let me make a couple
of comments. I mostly agree with everything everyone has said.
I wholeheartedly agree with your comment, Rob, that as DM you
are the director of a mini-movie, or as I like to put it, an
interactive movie. To that effect, I usually design my adven-
tures in one of two ways: create a scenario that is relatively
static in nature (as most "regular" dungeons are), with a map
and a key telling what each room/building/meadow/etc. contains.
The other (and rather more radical) method is to come up with
the outline of an entire "plot", along whose lines the adven-
ture proceeds. The second type is far more difficult to run,
since by its very nature the characters are more or less stuck
to one particular set of actions at any point. It requires
very careful planning and very subtle manipulation of the
players by the DM, so that they don't notice that they're being
manipulated. Purists will probably argue that it isn't right
to do this, as the "free will" aspect of the game is lost, and
to an extent I agree, but if the DM is subtle enough, and the
plot drawn up correctly, the course of action the players must
take to keep the story moving will be made by the players them-
selves, and the results can be wonderful. I have run mystery
adventures, with actions taking place that the players must
interpret in order to solve the problem at hand, that are very
realistic and enjoyable for both the players and the DM.
So here's where the die-rolling issue comes in. If my
entire plot is in danger because it calls for a party to win/
lose this encounter, but they are actually losing/winning it,
I have to start fudging die rolls. It is far preferable in my
mind to fudge a roll than to say "to heck with the dice, you
guys win/lose," which makes the players wonder what is going
on, with a likely result that they'll realize they're being
manipulated and the magic is lost. By rolling (and fudging)
dice, I can maintain the facade that random chance is involved,
keeping the players mystified, and at the same time keep the
adventure running smoothly.
I should add at this point that I only fudge rolls as a
last resort, as whenever a few subtle suggestions will suffice
(as you mentioned, Rob), I will readily choose that method,
instead.
Human: Jamie Green @ Gordon's Account
UUCP: {ihnp4,decvax,tektronix}!uw-beaver!uw-june!gordon
ARPA: gordon@uw-june