Fudging

[copeab]

Since this was brought up in the 'Boom You're Dead' thread, I thought I'd discuss it on it's own. For, you see, I'm a GM who fudges.

A lot of players and GMs hate fudging; they consider it cheating. Others consider it a normal and expected part of GMing. A lot has to do with how the GM chooses to fudge and how often they do it. A lot depends on why the members of the group are playing -- players looking for a form of entertainment are less likely to be offended by fudging than players looking to immerse themselves in a simulation. Like so many campaign styles, the decision ti fudge depends on the mindset of the participants. There is no absolute right or wrong to it.

The least obvious way to fudge is to change the number and skill levels of NPCs encountered, based on the party's situation. A GM might change a platoon of Veteran soldiers to a squad of Novice militia if the party got really beat up recently.

Changing die rolls is a little more heavy-handed and might be impossible if the GM rolls dice in the open. If I choose this method (I usually don't) I normally won't change the first or second damage rolls -- I have no problem letting PCs get hurt, I just find dead PCs fairly useless.

There is finally, the deus ex machina route, where the PCs are suddenly saved by the arrival of NPCs or discovery of a useful piece of equipment. However, this can work if the arrival or discovery is foreshadowed well enough. For example, discovering a small cache of weapons after hearing there was such a cache in the area, or being saved by a militia patrol the PCs have met, helped and are on friendly terms with. Even so, this can be overdone.