I started RPGs way back in the early 80s with expert/AD+D and it was a strict dice game, no 'cheats' by the GM. This continued through .. T2k ,MERP, Cthulu, Runequest and Rolemaster until I played Vampire which is more a story based game than dice run, although dice play a part.
I learned from this more free form game, probably coupled with >20 yrs Gming and becoming more mature (omg!) that a balance is ideal for (imo) the perfect gaming experience. Sometimes the dice alone can spoil a great game/story/campaign, also too much 'fudging' can make the players feel seperate from their fates and kill the interest. Sometimes a bad guy has to escape, and sometimes if a player gets shot....he gets shot - the element of risk of loss of the char has to be present.
ATM I am running my own created game of Napoleonic British Riflemen in the Peninsula war based on the Rolemaster system following the history accurately but using a few ideas from Sharpe etc. Anyway, Rolemaster is a very viscious (accurate!) system especially with firearms and battles and i needed to devise something to give the chars a chance of not losing the head to a round shot or a musket ball through both lungs too regularly. In the end I hijacked an idea from HARP system called a Hero point. Basically, when I roll the result of the nasty musket ball etc I can say to the player 'you trip and see a round shot take the head off a trooper behind you - cross off your hero point' or such like.
It isnt ideal, but they know I am keeping it pretty honest and fatal yet they have a lifesaver from the evils of a fateful dodgy dice roll once every now and again.
Hmm sry - didnt mean to waffle on so.
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