I've been seeing a fair number of discussions recently on DMs fudging dice rolls, and unsurprisingly, there are a lot of strong opinions on both sides. One group boasts that they don't even use a screen and roll all their dice out in the open. The other group insist that even Gary Gygax himself advocated rolling dice merely for the sound it makes. Both make too many sweeping generalizations, as the anti-fudging crowd insists that if the players "find out" you fudge rolls, they'll either never fear death or never trust you, where the pro-fudging crowd contains some who won't play under a DM unless they admit they will fudge rolls if it would make for a better story. The anti-fudgers counter that if all you care about is story, you probably shouldn't play a game with a dice-rolling system, and should just let the dice fall where they may.
The role of a DM is not easy. It may be fun, and some people may just be naturally good at it, but let's be honest, it really isn't easy. If you've been following my blog so far, you know that I advocate strongly that DMs shouldn't view it as their job to actively try and party-wipe, but to challenge the party. Part of that responsibility is making stories and battle exciting. To me, that means your tie to your D20 should be carefully balanced. I hate playing alongside DMs (and other players, for that matter) who insist on rolling that die for *everything* (see my earlier-referenced anecdote about the DM who neglected to tell us we'd been walking on yellow slime for a half-mile just because nobody rolled a Spot check for it). Especially as the party grows in power, certain things just do (and should) come easier for them, and you shouldn't be so tied to the D20 that you can't just let some things happen. I don't take it to an extreme, though. Certain things should be left to chance, thus the die is rolled.
What makes a good DM, I feel, is knowing when and what to fudge. For example, I never fudge damage rolls. Perhaps it's because my players track their own HP, but I just feel damage is something I'm willing to let stand. But when it comes to attack rolls or skill checks by monsters, I'm willing to let a few things slide. The question asked by the anti-fudging crowd is "then why bother rolling anything?" To me, I like a bit of chaos. While I know overall that most non-boss battles probably are not going to end in anything but a party victory, the actual struggle itself, I don't mind leaving up to chance. In fact, I don't want the job of orchestrating each turn of the battle. A little chaos during the battle is a good thing. But if my d20 suddenly gives the party a break and won't roll anything higher than a 6 for 5 turns in a row, I'm willing to give the battle a little nudge by making sure the next one hits. Not criticially, just enough to make the fight interesting again.
The die rolls both ways, too. Due to a house-rule I use where a natural 1 is a Critical Failure that grants an attack of opportunity (with combat advantage, no less), I have been known to speed the end of the battle along a bit by faking a crit-fail to let the party get a couple of free hits in.
Do my players know I on occasion fudge die rolls? Of course they do. I've never denied it. I happen to be lucky enough to have players who have all DMed at least one session (1 is actually a rather experienced DM) themselves, and they have never asked me to prove any rolls. They know I play fair most of the time, and only fudge if things really call for it. They know I won't stop a character's death, nor unfairly cause one. The knowledge that their DM fudges rolls sometimes hasn't damaged their trust in my d20, nor made them feel like I won't kill the characters. In fact, their lack of fear of death only comes from the fact that the cleric is an amazing healer.
So, do I advocate all DMs fudge their rolls? Probably not ALL DMs, and definitely not ALL rolls, either. You have to basically be inconspicuous while fudging a roll, and not overdo it. If you can make it believable, then you should be fine. If you're a player, don't worry too much about your DM's dice unless something is really fishy. Worry about your own character and your own dice. It's the DM's job to lead the story, and as long as you're enjoying the story, don't get too bent out of shape if they impose a bit of order on the chaos from time to time.
