Should DMs Fudge the Dice? | Heroic Roundtable #20

One open d4 roll deleted every NPC from our campaign — and we didn't see them again for 20 episodes. So… should DMs fudge the dice? —THIS EPISODE— Is a campaign truly collaborative if the DM secretly fudges the dice — or are the players just acting out a pre-written script? Zach, Brandon, Jon, and our DM Chad get honest about cheating at the table: who has fudged a roll and got caught. Why players actually cheat, and why the dice might be the third author of your campaign. Plus the carriage roll that erased every NPC for 20 episodes, the nat 20 one of us wished he could take back, and the railroaded game that taught us what too much fudging really costs. Be honest in the comments: have YOU ever fudged a roll DM or player? 👇 —CHAPTERS— 00:00 Is Your DM Secretly Fudging the Dice? 01:12 Lie Detector: Who Here Has Cheated on a Roll? 02:46 DM Fudging vs Player Cheating 04:26 The Forever DM Who Wanted to Cheat (Mothership) 06:06 The Dice Are the Third Author 07:18 Casino D&D: Dice That Create Chaos 08:18 The Owlbear-Steak Problem 10:24 Open Rolls, Dice Trays & Table Law 12:36 The Nat 20 He Wished He Could Take Back 13:53 The d4 Roll That Erased Every NPC 17:02 Fudging Is Only Bad When It's Against the Players 18:46 When Fudging Becomes Railroading 20:00 Prep Problems, Not Solutions 21:33 Let the Final Boss Come Down to One Roll 22:37 The Best Game Is the One They Come Back For — 🎙 Heroic Round an actual-play Pathfinder podcast ("A Wizard's Folly") plus Round Table TTRPG discussions. New episodes every Thursday. Live heroic, die historic. Follow Heroic Round: 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heroicroundpodcast 🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heroicround 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Heroic-Round-61567044770231/ 𝕏 X: https://x.com/heroicround ❤️ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/heroicround Intro Music by Bollsch What to Expect from Heroic Round: 🗺️ A captivating homebrew world, unforgettable characters, unexpected twists, and the camaraderie that fuels every adventure. Catch every moment subscribe, like, and tell us your favorite take in the comments! #DnD #TTRPG #DungeonsAndDragons #HeroicRound #TabletopRPG #Pathfinder #DungeonMaster