Zag24:
The purpose of a GM is to make the game fun...
"Making fun" requires GMs and Players to be on the same side. If I know a GM is willing to lie about dice rolls, I'm out. I can't trust them not to lie about things anymore. That's just my line in the stone.
Because that lack of trust ceases to be fun. I'll forever question every roll from there out and stop being invested in the game.
quote:
If a stupidly bad run of luck -- or, worse yet, the GM has misjudged the scene's difficulty when designing it -- is going to make the game suck, then it is up to the GM to tweak things a bit to give the players a way out.
Sure, and step one is realistically saying "Hey guys, I don't think your characters will survive this if you keep pressing. Now is the time to retreat."
Step two is to fudge the NPCs. Not the rolls, all rolls are in the open, but tactics aren't, don't be slavishly wed to the NPCs tactics. If they need to be suboptimal for a round or two to give the PCs breathing room to escape, perfect.
Step three is to pull punches. If the Mindwarper needs to do 1d6+3 damage instead of 2d6+3, I can make that happen before the dice are rolled. If the Mindwarper needs to start doing subdual so it takes prisoners instead of a TPK... again, I can make that happen.
But if the PCs persist in deciding to stick their hands into the murder hornet nest, I let the dice fall where they may. PC death happens. No risk, no reward, etc, etc.
quote:
Then, by a miracle of the dice in the very first turn, all three make critical hits.
There's your mistake. You rolled all three at once. Or worse, one at a time and persisted in the tactic despite seeing the road it was leading down.
As for fun? I know groups that would consider that the height of good form. If the group has been fighting bandits for awhile and the bandits know "Target the clothies first?" Well the group needs to invest in some "protect the casters" magic, or subterfuge, or something. Ain't no school like the Old School as they say. (No, I don't play Old School either, I prefer I nice spot between the 'Old School' GM vs PCs and the 'New School' Coddlefest)
This message was last edited by the user at 02:32, Wed 06 May 2020.