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After a couple of sessions, "Ok the PC's average number is 14.7 over the course of 200+ rolls. That doesn't make sense. If I don't see the number, it was a 10 or someone else can be GM for awhile." This made the 3rd person stop at least most of the time.
"Yeah, you guys are really tough cookies, you're obviously ahead of the expected power level of the game. Looks like every enemy is going to have to have +4 AC and +4 on their save DCs, to make this game not a total cakewalk..."
Watch the non-cheaters give the cheaters the stinkeye.
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Okay, first make sure that they are indeed cheating. I say this because a 20 sided die can give you very interesting results. You should know, die are not perfectly balanced and it is very possible to run across a die that rolls high numbers more often than it is supposed to. I swear, I know a guy that can roll a 20 with his die 1 out of 8 times. We tracked the performance of the die. Everyone watched the roll. Point is that sometimes it is the die.
Second, the solution is simple. Institute a rule where you roll the die for everyone at critical moments in the game. Also, there are sheats that can be passed around where every player list their primary stats. You pass this around at the beginning of the game so you know where everyone stands.
That said, I repeat again. Make sure that they are cheating before you accuse them. Die can yeild odd results, even when they are not wieghted.
If dice are yielding odd results, then they are weighted, whether by accident or design.
You don't have to make an issue of it, because it may be a fault in the moulding process.
But I have absolutely ZERO tolerance, for any player who has a 'favourite' die, or a 'lucky' die.
The whole point of dice, is that they are random number generators, that produce random numbers, and that if any die is consistently producing results that are not equally distributed, then that die should not be used at the table.
An honest player will cease using dice that roll better than average. The ones who don't...well, they're 'less than honest'.
Just make a houserule, that anyone, especially the GM, is allowed to borrow any die they like, from any player, at any time.
"Oh, that's a crit. Looks like I'll need a bunch of d6...<looks at the dice used to generate those 'lucky' stat rolls>.. hey, these will do...<roll> well, whaddayou know, they all came up 6. Looks like you're DEAD.".
Make sure to stare right into their face, while you do this.
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I'd let it slide.
If the people in your group are cheating on dice rolls in a tabletop roll playing game then life must be pretty desperate for them.
It literally doesn't get more hopeless than that. Well, maybe if they were LARPing...
But seriously, let it slide, I can't imagine how depressed these people must be with their lives, any ray of sunshine and control they can muster should be encouraged.
LARPing as furries?
LARPing as furry Star Trek crew?
Writing fanfic about their furry Star Trek crew?
Shipping their furry Star Trek crewmembers with canon characters?
OK, I'll stop, before I reach the lowest ring of Hell....
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Watch the non-cheaters give the cheaters the stinkeye.
Or suddenly morph into cheaters too...
Doh! Why do you have to be so sensible!
Knowing my players, I have at least one who I would trust implicitly with his rolls, who would police the others, if they began recording unbelievable results. He's been asking some very pointed questions of the player who's been using your houserules, too.
I've been in the situation where my PC got themselves killed. And it was one of those 'anything but a 1' saves, which I rolled out in the open, since I was so confident. And guess what?
It's usually other people who seem to want to retcon my bad rolls. Dancing on eggshells, as if I'm going to flip the table and storm off.
I don't know why, maybe they've played with some jerks in the past, but I'm usually just 'meh' about it.
For what it's worth, sometimes it's the player, and sometimes it's the dice.
My GM from many years ago had "the Root Beer Die." 'Twas a crystalline brown d20 with white numbers. It rolled a 20 maybe 1 time in every 4 or 5 rolls. Possible with a fair die? Sure. But the GN knew it was a mutant die, and kept it aside for use when the party had angered the gods (by goofing off, cheating by looking at his notes, or otherwise being stupid). And then the root beer came out, and we were punished.
I am also less than innocent, here. I had a set of 4d6 once--I have no idea what game they came from, but I pulled them out of my parents' closet of board games. The die were either meant to be ivory colored, or were white and really, really old, and the pips were red, blue, or black, depending on the face. These were my "character dice," because they just rolled high, all the time. When I needed to roll up a character, those were my go-to dice, and I'd have more 15;s, 16's, and 17's than I knew what to do with. Never rolled less than a 9 when creating a character--and that only happened once.
Ah, simpler times.
I was considering a rule where I have to see the roll otherwise it doesn't count. Not only for this issue but also because i really do like to see it when players roll a nat 20. But it's hard to implement this when we have never done this.Any advice?
This is an extremely reasonable rule that I've had in literally ALL of the D&D groups I've played in. Frankly, I'm baffled why you haven't already implemented it if players are fudging rolls and why we are even here discussing it.
... Just make a houserule, that anyone, especially the GM, is allowed to borrow any die they like, from any player, at any time....
That could lose a lot of players. I can't believe how many players I've met that are obssessed with their dice, are convinced there is a limited amount of luck in each dice, they a 'ruined' if someone else touches them, etc...
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I have a group that I have been playing with for 10 years. Some in the group longer. Until recently cheating hasn't come up, but I am about 90% sure that 2 of the players are cheating/fudging their rolls. The other 2 players either roll very large d20, or just roll out in the open.
We sit around a large table So it's hard to glance at the dice that players are rolling. One player quickly picks his dice up after rolling, he also kinda shields them with his other hand. The other player rolls a very dark d20 and often times rolls in a small space on the table away from sight.
The fudging has gotten to be unbearable for me as a GM, and the players who are not cheating.
Its tough to pull them aside and say "hey if you are cheating please stop..." Especially since I have been playing with these guys for so long and until the past couple of years it hasn't been an issue. One of the players even cheats in card games we play, but that's beyond the topic.
I was considering a rule where I have to see the roll otherwise it doesn't count. Not only for this issue but also because i really do like to see it when players roll a nat 20. But it's hard to implement this when we have never done this.
Any advice?
I'm pretty positive those two are cheating indeed. I know that 2 out of the 4 players I play with cheat as well - Usually lying about their rolls whilst Myself and the Cleric follow the rules and enjoy the success or failure. They also never keep track of their Ki points or Arcana pool points. It's rather lame...
I'd suggest a rule of rolling on the table in plain sight.
Don't enforce virtual rolling, they can tap that button quick enough to reroll 4 times before the turn that tablet or PC around.
All I can think is just roll on the table :T
I'm not sure about how to go about implementing the rule though :T.