tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post6819733625160449603..comments2023-10-14T03:58:59.333-06:00Comments on The Tao of D&D: Die PoliceAlexis Smolenskhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-42113519476605133372010-10-18T11:40:05.181-06:002010-10-18T11:40:05.181-06:00Runjikol,
Excellent examples. I certainly missed...Runjikol,<br /><br />Excellent examples. I certainly missed both the sculpting d20s and hand-placing techniques. And no need to state your opinions as humble – arrogant, self-righteous opinions are appreciated here also, so long as they’re rational.<br /><br />Your example of ‘chipping,’ however, universal it may be to the table, just wouldn’t work for me. As much fun as it might be, it would benefit those players who were good at playing ‘marbles,’ while at the same time taking the emphasis of the game OFF the game and putting it on the dice.<br /><br />Moreover, I wouldn’t relish holding up my interplay for people to collect dice every damn time they roll. My recent mass combat included the rolling of 300 dice an hour, for five hours at a time ... and yet the emphasis was on <i>what was happening</i>, and not on rolling the dice.<br /><br />My belief is that dice are designed to be random, and that any corruption of that design – however many people agree to it – is still wrong.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-55854877415648041962010-10-17T14:43:01.588-06:002010-10-17T14:43:01.588-06:00For a time I played in a group where 'chipping...For a time I played in a group where 'chipping', or dice bowling, was accepted as the norm. Everyone did it and everyone was okay with it. It added an element of control to the die roll and certainly skewed the results as you might imagine. It also added a big element of excitement particularly in combination with open-ended &/or exploding dice rolls. Personally I don't care if this is the method for the <b>whole</b> table as long as it's openly agreed to. It simply doesn't matter that much if everyone is doing it.<br /><br />What worries me more are those players with the apparently worn and chipped dice. I've gamed with two that have spent the time sculpting their d20 to skew its results. Only a few days ago I found one of these player's d20 in my can and played around with it. The results were a scarily consistent 5 or 20.<br /><br />Another common cheat technique is to place a hand over the dice pretending to tally up the results and just spew out some higher number as the dice are swept up before anyone can confirm.<br /><br />The hand over the dice also leads some cheaters to think they can just tip a few low numbers over.<br /><br />Any time I join a new group and I hear of some player with exceptional dice I watch them like a hawk and it's always a cheater.<br /><br />If players want the GM to roll in the open then they have to face the reality of death by a dice roll at an inopportune time. And that's okay if they understand that part of the GM hiding dice rolls is to keep them alive to the good bits. The GM has fiat anyway in terms of NPC power and what the PC's encounter so hiding dice rolls is just a small extension of that power. This ties into GM/Player trust which is a bit digressive; apologies.<br /><br />What ever dice rolling method a group uses it must be agreed to and performed in plain view of all players at the table. Any time there's concealment or obfuscation it gives opportunity to cheat.<br /><br />IMHO.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-91108206438326207842010-10-15T16:07:50.749-06:002010-10-15T16:07:50.749-06:00You've voiced a few of my frustrations from ov...You've voiced a few of my frustrations from over the years :)<br /><br />Here's 2 things I have done which seemed to sort things out in pretty short order.<br /><br />1- If your die sails off the table twice, I just immediately roll for you.<br /><br />2- Here's the box-top from Axis&Allies. Sit it on the table. Roll in that, and make it bounce enough to make a Vegas man happy.migellitohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17106614212764056058noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-3312504312697765972010-10-15T14:38:23.433-06:002010-10-15T14:38:23.433-06:00Very well Saxon, I'm changing it to the correc...Very well Saxon, I'm changing it to the correct, "not to question why" ...<br /><br />And good addition, Frank.Alexis Smolenskhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10539170107563075967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-19130967491146586602010-10-15T14:14:11.576-06:002010-10-15T14:14:11.576-06:00Some ultimately sensible rules.
In the right game...Some ultimately sensible rules.<br /><br />In the right games, with the right people, I do actually appreciate people rolling ahead of time.<br /><br />I definitely like to have cocked dice, or dice that land on the floor be re-rolled. Being consistent about when to re-roll dice eliminates an opportunity for cheating.<br /><br />Oh, another rule, roll multiple dice at once, no dice bowling (rolling one die, and then purposefully rolling the next die so it hits the first in attempt to knock it off a bad value).<br /><br />FrankFrankhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15855679156477779666noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3871409676946408069.post-60838236144360358082010-10-15T13:16:42.893-06:002010-10-15T13:16:42.893-06:00"It is not the player's place to wonder w..."It is not the player's place to wonder why."<br /><br />I have to disagree. It's <b>is</b> the player's place to wonder why. It's your place not to tell them. But I want them asking why. Most of the time, when I demand a roll, it's for nothing, I just want them worried that it <b>is</b> for something . Aside from some hopefully evocative descriptions, it's really the only way to build suspense and concern in the players.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com