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Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!mhuxt!js2j
From: js2j@mhuxt.UUCP (sonntag)
Newsgroups: net.games.frp
Subject: Fudging die rolls
Message-ID: <207@mhuxt.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 13-Jul-84 14:04:47 EDT
Article-I.D.: mhuxt.207
Posted: Fri Jul 13 14:04:47 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 14-Jul-84 01:53:56 EDT
Distribution: net
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill
Lines: 32


     Someone mentioned recently that they thought that it was unethical for
a DM to fudge die rolls.  I agree with this, and have always managed to 
avoid it, until I ran into a reocurring problem recently.  I DM a mid-low
level campaign in AD&D; we use a system where a natural 20 counts for
double damage.  What am I supposed to do when the party is in melee with
a group of monsters which should be reasonably easy for the party to defeat
and I find that I can roll nothing but 18,19, and 20 for "to hit" rolls?
I've met this problem several times now, (never when I'm playing, only 
when I'm DMing), and every time I end up nearly destroying the party with
monsters which the party could normally be expected to wipe up the floor
with.  
	So, when I get to the point where ~1/3 of the party is dead and 
the rest have ~10% of their hit points left, I've started to fudge the
die rolls, telling the party that they were missed when in fact I had just
rolled very high numbers.  Don't get me wrong,  I don't mind killing off
an entire party if they do something VERY stupid.  What I do mind, however,
is having the dice become so out of whack that four zombies slaughter
an entire nicely balanced party of five third to fourth level types.

	I've even gone to the point of switching my d20's with the party's
in hopes that they would then get the high rolls, but it doesn't seem to 
help; I just roll consistently high with their dice then.

	Has anyone had this problem?  Has anyone found a solution?  Or a
cause?  I've begun to suspect that I have some kind of subconscious
telekinetic ability which operates in just the opposite way of what I
want. :-)   This theory is borne out by the fact that when I am playing
instead of DMing, I can roll low almost as consistently.

		Jeff Sonntag