GM Advice Needed

[Sinewave]

Ok so I've been playing for about a decade, but only starting GMing about 3 years ago. So far I've GM'd 1.5 campaigns.

The good:

-players are having fun, both with the rules and the story
-I'm having fun, especially with the story

However, the players are all longtime veterans with much more experience than me. I have a tendency to throw higher CR situations at them, and they often handle them deftly. However, there have been a few occasions where I had to "roll behind the screen" when someone is close to death, indeed, someone would have died twice if I had not played god. The players are unaware of this, but my question is, am I doing something wrong?

[Lamontius]

No, it sounds like you're doing great. Now, run, run while you can before this thread turns into something that will make you hate Pathfinder.

[Flintas]

Short answer. I'd say you're doing fine.

Longer answer involves a question. Are the near deaths because your monsters are just steamrolling the characters or due to bad rolls for the players and good rolls for the DM?

If it's the former, you might want to tone it down so you're not doing it too often.

If it's the latter, it happens. Don't give it another thought. Characters die. It's an inevitable part of the game.

[Kolokotroni]

So you have been dming for a few years, and everyone is having fun? You can pretty much assume at that point that you are doing a lot right.

That said, dont worry too much about throwing higher CR encounters at them. Every group, and in fact every party is different. CR is a guideline not a rule. And in 3 years, 2 near deaths or even 2 deaths would seem like an ok difficulty. Some people might call that too easy. So I wouldnt worry about it too much. Sounds to me like you are doing a great job.

[Sinewave]

I think this is very helpful. Thanks everyone!

[ub3r_n3rd]

I think fudging rolls behind the screens is acceptable if the problem is is with your encounters where you are trying to challenge them and end up steamrolling them instead, that's when I start to pull punches as a GM. If it's just bad rolls/luck on the part of players and the encounter is going well otherwise, I let them take their hits and die if that is what the dice gods called for. If the players are NEVER in danger of dying then they lose the excitement and fear of death, making them more reckless in the end and then that can mean a loss of fun to everyone. It's a balancing act.

[Ansel Krulwich]

If you want to give the players a bit of an edge against the dice going against their favor, you could always use the optional Hero Points rules from the Advanced Player's Guide.