I'm curious am I the only one who let the players see my rolls and doesn't use a screen? I do fudge rolls even with open rolls in the favor of the players if things are going to bad. I have every on a couple of occasions fudge in my favor this way without objection of my players.
I roll about 60% in the open, sometimes I roll behind the screen for dramatic effect, or for things the players would not know about (like someone scrying on them). Also, sometimes just to mess with them. :D
I don’t have a screen to roll behind. My players usually can’t see my rolls because of the angle, but I do point out unusually high or low rolls to them.
The main reason why I use a screen is as reference, to be honest. There's a bunch of useful information on them that it's nice to have right in front of me (mainly the conditions). But I've known people to go either way. A couple of DMs I know never use screens, a couple never go without.
I don’t have a screen to roll behind. My players usually can’t see my rolls because of the angle, but I do point out unusually high or low rolls to them.
I have never rolled in the open but I wouldn't mind doing open rolling.
What I would still use a screen for is to block the players' view of things like... the parts of the map they haven't seen yet, the appearance of a villain who has not made his entrance yet, etc.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
I have never rolled in the open but I wouldn't mind doing open rolling.
What I would still use a screen for is to block the players' view of things like... the parts of the map they haven't seen yet, the appearance of a villain who has not made his entrance yet, etc.
Everything but my dice and tablet are on chairs next to me, so for a few of the concealment things mentioned like maps, upcoming elements, the players can't see the stuff. Though my players know an combat encounter is about to happen when I draw on my laminated grid poster. I never thought about reference ability with a screen. Historically for games I would make my own reference info in the form of a few sheets of paper. For the not so common often referenced info we'd always forget and have to look up again.
I have never rolled in the open but I wouldn't mind doing open rolling.
What I would still use a screen for is to block the players' view of things like... the parts of the map they haven't seen yet, the appearance of a villain who has not made his entrance yet, etc.
Yup. Also lots of useful information that you dont have to remember on top of a million and 1 npc, plot hooks, monster stats
I keep 90% of mine hidden and don't fudge. The ones I keep in the open are if the attacking creature has say 3 players it can attack, I'll assign each character a number on a die and roll it in front of them to see who is going to be attacked.
The biggest reason to keep rolls hidden is that after the first attack or save, they will know what the hit or save modifiers are immediately. It's always fun to see when they finally see what a creature's AC is after a few attacks.
Always in the open and never fudge. As a group sitting the first session it was made clear that the dice roll decides the outcomes. If people die they die.
I roll about 60% in the open, sometimes I roll behind the screen for dramatic effect, or for things the players would not know about (like someone scrying on them). Also, sometimes just to mess with them. :D
Similar. I am closer to 50/50.
on really really fun ideas they have, that don’t derail anything I have. I’ll do an open roll.
”you want to... pick up the Chief... and throw him through the still boarded up window... like the scene from Last Crusade (no ticket), because he called you dumb and refused to help? ...okay. Contested strength, and then the window has a DC for improvised weapon attack if you succeed”
I always use a screen, I like the theatre aspect of it and my rolls behind the screen can create or break tension whenever needed. I don't fudge rolls very often, even then it's normally to benefit the pace of the game.
Plus, my screen has a sticker that says "Beware the smiling DM", which I occasionally point to when someone rolls particularly badly.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!
One thing I used to like to do was just make rolls behind the screen for no reason every so often. Really kept the players on the edge of their seats...
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
I use a screen to conceal die rolls and notes for the games I run at the table. I use the official D&D reincarnated screen with some stickies I have added for things that are not covered. I use average damage to reduce die rolling for my monsters and NPCS, but I do roll for hits. I curate the game, so I do alter the outcome of rolls to maximize enjoyment. If there is a player I know wants the dice to fall where they may, John at my table for instance, I will ensure he gets what is coming to him, but if Sophie is playing, I will find some reason to keep her PC alive by for instance ignoring a Crit or missing her PC that turn, because she 1) is very emotionally attached to her PCs as befitting a 12 year old and 2) doesn't play her PC with any sort of "I am invulnerable" metagaming. Combat is not where her heart is, roleplaying is far more important to her. By properly reading the table, I can make sure I give each player the game they want.
I open roll 100% of rolls, 100% of the time. I know it's not for everyone, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Personally I love the fact that it gives my players complete confidence that they win or lose fairly, and I have noticed no loss of tension or excitement from a lack of hidden rolls. If I don't want players to know the difficulty of a task, I simply set a DC and compare it to their passive scores, or ask them to roll. If anything, there's a huge amount of hype that happens every time one of my results shows up on the table.
Neat trick I recently learned. On the D&D Beyond Character Builder sheets, there is a Combat Log you get by clicking a red button in the Campaign box. At the top of the sidebar that pops up, you can select who gets to see what you roll. "Everyone", "Self", or "Dungeon Master". Useful as a player. If I get to DM in the near future I'll be able to tell what the settings are there.
I got the Core Rules Boxed Set from Amazon a while back. It came with a DM's Screen. Most of the tables and charts I can find easily enough, but the one about Encounter Ranges I cannot find anywhere in the books. It was tough to track down. Nowhere to be found on D&D Beyond that I could locate. I ended up posting it in a Pinned Thread in Tips & Tactics so I could find it myself again if I needed it.
I do fudge rolls sometimes. Pretend that natural 20 my monster just got was a 19 or some such. I have yet to be called out on it. It remains to be seen how it will work online. I'd rather avoid all issues and have all rolls visible to everyone and then find out if problems occur.
Always in the open and never fudge. As a group sitting the first session it was made clear that the dice roll decides the outcomes. If people die they die.
Same here.
I have a personal checklist I go through before each session and one point is "plan what happens if the party loses". Not every TPK needs to end with death. But if a fight most definitely will end in all character death if they lose (ie they are fighting hungry carnivorous animals or ghouls ) then I make 100% certain that the party knows this before going in.
Always in the open and never fudge. As a group sitting the first session it was made clear that the dice roll decides the outcomes. If people die they die.
Same here too. I used to fudge but the groups I play with decided they all wanted to see. I’ve never been happier playing and DMing since.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
I'm curious am I the only one who let the players see my rolls and doesn't use a screen? I do fudge rolls even with open rolls in the favor of the players if things are going to bad. I have every on a couple of occasions fudge in my favor this way without objection of my players.
I roll about 60% in the open, sometimes I roll behind the screen for dramatic effect, or for things the players would not know about (like someone scrying on them). Also, sometimes just to mess with them. :D
I don’t have a screen to roll behind. My players usually can’t see my rolls because of the angle, but I do point out unusually high or low rolls to them.
Professional computer geek
The main reason why I use a screen is as reference, to be honest. There's a bunch of useful information on them that it's nice to have right in front of me (mainly the conditions). But I've known people to go either way. A couple of DMs I know never use screens, a couple never go without.
I made mine out of cardboard and spray paint.
I have never rolled in the open but I wouldn't mind doing open rolling.
What I would still use a screen for is to block the players' view of things like... the parts of the map they haven't seen yet, the appearance of a villain who has not made his entrance yet, etc.
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
Same.
jack l p
Everything but my dice and tablet are on chairs next to me, so for a few of the concealment things mentioned like maps, upcoming elements, the players can't see the stuff. Though my players know an combat encounter is about to happen when I draw on my laminated grid poster. I never thought about reference ability with a screen. Historically for games I would make my own reference info in the form of a few sheets of paper. For the not so common often referenced info we'd always forget and have to look up again.
Yup. Also lots of useful information that you dont have to remember on top of a million and 1 npc, plot hooks, monster stats
I keep 90% of mine hidden and don't fudge. The ones I keep in the open are if the attacking creature has say 3 players it can attack, I'll assign each character a number on a die and roll it in front of them to see who is going to be attacked.
The biggest reason to keep rolls hidden is that after the first attack or save, they will know what the hit or save modifiers are immediately. It's always fun to see when they finally see what a creature's AC is after a few attacks.
Always in the open and never fudge. As a group sitting the first session it was made clear that the dice roll decides the outcomes. If people die they die.
Similar. I am closer to 50/50.
on really really fun ideas they have, that don’t derail anything I have. I’ll do an open roll.
”you want to... pick up the Chief... and throw him through the still boarded up window... like the scene from Last Crusade (no ticket), because he called you dumb and refused to help? ...okay. Contested strength, and then the window has a DC for improvised weapon attack if you succeed”
I always use a screen, I like the theatre aspect of it and my rolls behind the screen can create or break tension whenever needed. I don't fudge rolls very often, even then it's normally to benefit the pace of the game.
Plus, my screen has a sticker that says "Beware the smiling DM", which I occasionally point to when someone rolls particularly badly.
Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1!
Never tell me the DC.
One thing I used to like to do was just make rolls behind the screen for no reason every so often. Really kept the players on the edge of their seats...
WOTC lies. We know that WOTC lies. WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. We know that WOTC knows that we know that WOTC lies. And still they lie.
Because of the above (a paraphrase from Orwell) I no longer post to the forums -- PM me if you need help or anything.
We had a large thread on this a ways back that got pretty heated. There was some good reading there for those curious on the topic or weighing the pros/cons:
https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/dungeons-dragons-discussion/dungeon-masters-only/981-dm-fudging-rolls
I use a screen to conceal die rolls and notes for the games I run at the table. I use the official D&D reincarnated screen with some stickies I have added for things that are not covered. I use average damage to reduce die rolling for my monsters and NPCS, but I do roll for hits. I curate the game, so I do alter the outcome of rolls to maximize enjoyment. If there is a player I know wants the dice to fall where they may, John at my table for instance, I will ensure he gets what is coming to him, but if Sophie is playing, I will find some reason to keep her PC alive by for instance ignoring a Crit or missing her PC that turn, because she 1) is very emotionally attached to her PCs as befitting a 12 year old and 2) doesn't play her PC with any sort of "I am invulnerable" metagaming. Combat is not where her heart is, roleplaying is far more important to her. By properly reading the table, I can make sure I give each player the game they want.
I open roll 100% of rolls, 100% of the time. I know it's not for everyone, but I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Personally I love the fact that it gives my players complete confidence that they win or lose fairly, and I have noticed no loss of tension or excitement from a lack of hidden rolls. If I don't want players to know the difficulty of a task, I simply set a DC and compare it to their passive scores, or ask them to roll. If anything, there's a huge amount of hype that happens every time one of my results shows up on the table.
Neat trick I recently learned. On the D&D Beyond Character Builder sheets, there is a Combat Log you get by clicking a red button in the Campaign box. At the top of the sidebar that pops up, you can select who gets to see what you roll. "Everyone", "Self", or "Dungeon Master". Useful as a player. If I get to DM in the near future I'll be able to tell what the settings are there.
I got the Core Rules Boxed Set from Amazon a while back. It came with a DM's Screen. Most of the tables and charts I can find easily enough, but the one about Encounter Ranges I cannot find anywhere in the books. It was tough to track down. Nowhere to be found on D&D Beyond that I could locate. I ended up posting it in a Pinned Thread in Tips & Tactics so I could find it myself again if I needed it.
I do fudge rolls sometimes. Pretend that natural 20 my monster just got was a 19 or some such. I have yet to be called out on it. It remains to be seen how it will work online. I'd rather avoid all issues and have all rolls visible to everyone and then find out if problems occur.
<Insert clever signature here>
Same here.
I have a personal checklist I go through before each session and one point is "plan what happens if the party loses". Not every TPK needs to end with death. But if a fight most definitely will end in all character death if they lose (ie they are fighting hungry carnivorous animals or ghouls ) then I make 100% certain that the party knows this before going in.
Same here too. I used to fudge but the groups I play with decided they all wanted to see. I’ve never been happier playing and DMing since.