Post/Author/DateTime	Post
lesliweird 11-22-05, 04:01 PM	okay, so my buddy has this wife, and really, she's our friend too but her cheating is really starting to become and issue. Here are some of the reasons why it's uncomfortable to confront her on it: -she has kind of a temper, and we're pretty sure she'd take it personally and probably leave the game. Which would be sort of okay except: - we're not sure whether or not she would outright ban my friend from gaming without her, but in any case he wouldn't do it. We can't even get him to see a movie without her, even if she's off doing her own things. -this has been going on for over a year, and I think she doesn't realize that we know she isn't rolling natural 40s. At first it was just a running joke between the rest of us, but now it's getting bothersome. Except telling her means admitting the rest of us have been laughing behind her back for over a year. -If she quit cheating, I don't think she'd actually like the game. She gets pretty upset when she isn't winning. I've been losing video games and monopoly to her for years just so she wouldn't get angry. Enabling, I know. -Despite being her husband, my buddy won't talk to her about it. It's getting to the point where it's very difficult for whoever's DMing to make an encounter that survives her long enough to be fun for everyone involved. In fact, recently our DM put us in the front lines of an infantry charge just so she could kill as many people as she wanted, and the rest of us would still have something to do. I'm DMing this week, and I was thinking about houseruling that everyone had to roll in plain sight so as not to single her out, which I'm afraid will backfire given that she's the only one of us who never does. Like I said, I want to do this delicately so I don't lose a friend and two players. Does anyone have any advice about this?
Ogmug 11-22-05, 04:09 PM	I don't envy your situation. we have had groups break up because of Drama queens If you are mechanically enclined (and a bit electrically saavy), you could create an LED display at the center of the table, and 6 buttons that woudl randomly generate numbers from the various types of dice, and just tell people to leave their dice at home :P Otherwise, you have two choices. continue with the status quo or tell her and hope she doesn't blow up.
Murrdox 11-22-05, 04:10 PM	Have her roll out in the open. Plain and simple. If she's THAT spoiled that she has to cheat at D&D to have fun, she's not worth playing with.
ErinLyger 11-22-05, 04:26 PM	Get together with a player or two, and have them start making their rolls off to the side. After a couple of sessions of this, have them suddenly lose their aim. Dice start flying off into the chips, or the fireplace, or wherever is most inconvinient. If someone could spill a soda on "accident" while trying to recover that lost die, all the better. In the end, rule that rolling dice off to the side is too hazardous to gameplay, and require everyone to roll in a certain area. She won't think it's targeting her, since the other player is causing such a major disturbance. This should, hopefully, solve your problem.
Illion the Red 11-22-05, 04:33 PM	DM Trick 1: Fabricate a situation in which there are modifiers to character's rolls that the players don't know about. This means that you *have* to see the rolls. DM Trick 2: "recruit" another player to join your game and then have him/her call her on the cheating and beat a hasty retreat when she explodes. Meanwhile, you all extoll her virtues...She would *never* cheat. Hiding dice rolls doesn't *always* mean cheating... Tough Question: What's more important to you? What are the risks of calling her on it against the rewards of doing so? Same question for not doing so. It is a game, after all. A marraige and a friendship is more important than a game, right?
Millennium 11-22-05, 05:06 PM	Have her roll out in the open. Plain and simple. If she's THAT spoiled that she has to cheat at D&D to have fun, she's not worth playing with. Agreed, with one caveat: have everyone roll in the open. It doesn't sound like you're willing to hurt her feelings, and so singling her out would be a bad idea. One common way of doing this is to have a shoebox or some other container as a "rolling box", and everyone rolls into the box. That way you can say that you're just trying to keep dice from going astray and rolling off of the table.
mvincent 11-22-05, 05:08 PM	My group has a rule that everyone must roll in plain sight and use large dice with high contrast (i.e. visible) numbers. This isn't because of cheating, but to resolve dice rolls faster. When everyone can see the result, we don't have to wait for one person to calculate and announce it... anyone can (often, the DM can simply glance at the result and move on). This actually greatly speeds up combat, and allows any math to be quickly and easily double-checked. Any unwitnessed rolls are not valid (i.e. re-roll them). It usually only takes a couple re-rolls for all the players to get the hang of it. It's not even a question of honesty, it's just a more efficient way to play.
Nom 11-22-05, 05:46 PM	Does anyone have any advice about this?Instituting an "everyone rolls in plain sight rule" is a good suggestion. Beyond this? They need professional counseling. She can't let him do anything social without being there (even if she is otherwise busy), and she can't lose gracefully. Unless your buddy is actually happy being very passive then they're heading for an unhappy marriage.
Jesper 11-22-05, 05:51 PM	a thought put them up agains a hole bunch of rp encounters that if they just "go for the kill " they die make them rp out of a bad spot with no dice for depomacy just say "you have a natural 40 on your bluff prove it" show me how ect on a side note you could just start rolling everyone combat roles for them
DDogwood 11-22-05, 06:13 PM	I suggest finding her a good therapist. She obviously has some deep-rooted issues. If you want to have some fun with her, though, have the party encounter a bad guy who only gets hit if they roll really badly. Call it a "Luck Inversion Aura" or something. And give her a cursed item that forces her to roll everything twice and take the worse roll (if only to tone down her cheating). For the less imaginative punishment, just make sure that she always fails to harm foes with concealment, spell resistance, or any similar effect.
DragonDeadite 11-22-05, 06:18 PM	......right... this wouldn't happen to be in CO is it? Sounds like someone I used to know! He quit playing because I was joking with his wife and she said I was being a jerk towards her... all I did was ask here who gave him permission to leave the home on his own, sheesh!! Anyway, ALWAYS have people roll out in the open. I don't let any rolls go through that I don't see. If it lands somewhere that I can't see everyone has to look at it that can and call out what the roll is or else it doesn't count. I've pounded out cheaters in the past, it is a game but you know what? It's a GAME if she can't have fun not cheating, then no one is going to have fun at all WITH her cheating. Except the DM... the DM can ALWAYS cheat, but he'll lose players if he doesn't do it correctly. And by cheat I mean fudge rolls so that he doesn't kill all the players with a "lucky" shot or his BBEG doesn't go down without getting a decent hit in first, to make it fun!
spoogemonkey 11-23-05, 10:20 AM	Well.... short of just calling her a cheat and getting it out in the open... Have the DM always roll HITs on her PC (the DM rolls behind the screen, right?) If she starts to complain, say, "I'll roll mine in the open if you will." But, really, who ever let her START hiding her rolls? Silly geese. What was her excuse at the beginning? She may use loaded dice, too. I would have all the Big Monsters attack her.... and every odd attack - against her.... and every sneak attack... Ah, hell, just call her a cheat out loud.... and suffer the consequences - you deserve the beating for letting it go this long. Wuss.
Chaotis 11-23-05, 10:29 AM	Wow. Just wow. Someone actually thinks they can get away with natural 40s. :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: Anyway, I'd just have her roll in plain sight. No matter what happens, cheater+temper+being unable to cheat=lost player, so it doesn't matter HOW you lose the player. But then again, I wasn't there, and I tear all feeling from my posts when the problem is like this.
DarknessEternal 11-23-05, 12:07 PM	I'm DMing this week, and I was thinking about houseruling that everyone had to roll in plain sight Incidently, why isn't your group already doing this? Also, I suggest you as a DM not hide your rolls. If everyone is rolling out in the open for everyone to see, including the DM, it's like peer pressure to prevent any cheating.
green_yawgmoth 11-23-05, 12:55 PM	If it's ruining the enjoyment of the other players, just pull her aside and say "Look, I know that you're fudging your dice rolls. So does everyone else. It's really killing the fun of it for everyone, so just knock it off, okay? If you can't play fair, then you're not going to play. Simple as that." And if she throws a tantrum, tell her if she doesn't calm down you're calling the police and having her removed from the house. And if your friend can't stand up to his wife about anything, I'd reconsider even having him as a friend; people who get cowed by their SOs are usually no fun to be around anyways. http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v91/yawgmoth/kittyjig.gif
Kobayashi_Maru 11-23-05, 01:24 PM	First players should always roll out in the open to insure fairness. Second when any of my players get a total that I think is to high or they would have to had rolled a natural 19 or 20 I ask about it immediately after the roll. If it is legit I let it go if it isn't I treat it like their mistake but only the first two times it happens. Now her not having fun cause she is not winning and leaving when being confronted is a maturity problem. If she can't sit down and discuss the issue in a ordinary manner its not worth even having her play in the first place. I am assuming you all are above the age of 18 that are playing. The real problem is that you have waited a year to say anything and now your going to set boundaries. That will out right confuse her. That confusion will only fuel her immature behavior. I'm not saying that you should try to alter her behavior but an out right change will not go smoothly. Try a more passive/aggressive approach where the ohter players start modeling the behavior the general group wants to see. Reward that behavior in game or with xp. Even have players make "purposed" mistakes when calculating totals then realize by saying something like "Oh, wait. I made a mistake. I got a 25 not a 40. Hell I can't even get a 40. Sorry." She should start realizing this change and will probably inquire about it. That way whe would be confronting the issue on her own. If that doesn't work, confront her. Then you will probably lose two players.
Jell_Moo 11-23-05, 01:38 PM	If you seek to avoid conflict: The rolling in the open idea is a great one. Set up, before the game starts, to have one of the other players make a roll that isn't visible to all. Then, in a casual way say "Sorry, but could ya please reroll that in front of anyone. If I don't see it, it didn't happen". This way you aren't singling her out, causing hurt feelings, and you help prevent the cheating.
The_Raptor 11-23-05, 01:58 PM	First off, your buddy is a wimp in a dead-end marriage if he can't communicate with her enough to tell her to stop cheating. Second, in every game I've ever played (D&D or Monopoly), dice are always rolled in the open. A simple "If you have nothing to hide, then what is the problem?" will shut up her complaints.
Tyler Do'Urden 11-23-05, 02:53 PM	Am I the only person that kinda hopes they get divorced? Like, if she refuses to stop cheating, could that constitute "irreconsilable differences?" Judge: "Alright, what's the problem?" Hubby: "She's cheating. It seems she's been cheating for years now, sometimes three or four times a night." Judge: "Good then. This'll be quick."
KismetRose 11-23-05, 03:37 PM	Am I the only person that kinda hopes they get divorced? Like, if she refuses to stop cheating, could that constitute "irreconsilable differences?" Actually, I know a couple that reminds me of the one discussed here. The folks I know CHOSE to be as they are - she CHOSE to dominate all of his movements and he CHOSE to let her. Far as I'm concerned they deserve each other. I don't expect these folks being described are much different, unfortunately. But - to the poster's situation. I too have had to deal with cheating without telling the group about it. Here's my suggestion: Next game, set it up that one or two of the other players start sitting further away and rolling their dice in private. Remind them before the game so they don't forget to play their part. Have this go on for at least two sessions, after which you can say: "You know, guys, it feels like we're drifting apart here. I'd like us all to roll in one spot, where everyone can see." Then bring out a container that has high enough walls so that dice don't just pop out when they're rolled, and you place it where you want it. If she doesn't use it for her next roll, remind her politely that everyone is rolling in the box now. Remind anyone who forgets. Keep your "It's Only Fair" mask on at all times. Be polite. Be calm, even if she starts to get frustrated. Cheer their accomplishments equally. It will make you less of a target. :D
Dylan02 11-23-05, 03:47 PM	Get a backbone man! Confront her about it. All you have to do is challenge a high roll, say "prove it". If she moves the die, then make her roll it again in plain sight. Everybody cheats, blatantly, from time to time. I don't believe in making everybody show their rolls, i do say you cannot touch the die again until the round is over or you have to roll it again. That way the DM can call any roll to be shown if he wants.
Rolof 11-23-05, 05:53 PM	I saw several very good ideas, here's one more. Let HER be the DM next session. Take her aside ahead of time, and say to her "I think player X is cheating on rolls, but I've never really been sure, you might want to make everybody roll on the table in a box to prevent cheating." (Highly advised that you get player X's permission ahead of time for this tactic.) In this way she will be hoist by her own petard, it will have been HER decree that establishes the rule. When she is a player again, if she starts rolling off to one side, simply remind her it was HER rule that got everybody to start rolling in the box. Of course, there's 2 drawbacks to this scenario. One being she may be too smart to back herself into a corner and just doesn't make the rule. The other being that she might be so in to the cheating that she continues it as a DM, and by doing so beats the party down. Maybe suggest that when she runs the game, that it be a one-shot just for a change of pace.
Esgay 11-24-05, 07:36 PM	In this way she will be hoist by her own petard God bless you for deploying such an underused expression so masterfully.
Callista 11-24-05, 08:43 PM	Yet another vote for the "rolling in plain sight" house rule. I'd say "kick her out of the game", but then you mightn't have a game... which is annoying to say the least. If your cheater/munchkin/whatever feels she has to "win" the game, then de-emphasize winning and start making role-playing more important. Give the players action points for good role-playing (UA... basically a point that you spend to add one or more d6 rolls to your roll, and do other cool stuff with. They're not a problem as balance goes if they're not too common). To prevent her cheating at having a certain number of those, hand out glass beads or some other tangible representation of them whenever you give out action points. Give them out for good RP only, and perhaps at the close of a story arc. Never for levelling or any other mechanical/strategical triumph. That's only one way to emphasize RP, really; making your own descriptions more colorful, even in battle (take acting classes!), helps. There are a lot of strategies that can help your players RP more.
mvincent 11-28-05, 01:20 PM	God bless you for deploying such an underused expression so masterfully.<juvenile snickering>... she's petarded...</juvenile snickering>
Dannick 11-28-05, 03:53 PM	We had a problem like this a few years back, but it was natural 20's, not 40's. The player also had a little box he liked to roll in, and wouldnt roll anywhere else. It was ok for a while, then it became a problem for everyone. Our DM's temp solution was to randomly invert every few rolls. He did this for everyone, and would decide before the die roll whether to do it or not. Actually helped me a couple times, seeing that natural 1 on an attack roll, only to have it turn into a natural 20. The long term solution was to stop inviting him to games, but that was due to hostility and being prone to violence.
Vacerious 11-28-05, 04:12 PM	hmmm. nat 40's. kind of reminds me of a 'hsu and chan' comic i saw once. -alright, i rolled a 14. What does that mean? -That means you're a cheater. That's a 12-sided die. neway, i have no simpathy for cheaters. kill off her character. slowly. have her scout ahead of the group in a cave somewhere. when she enters the room, have the entrance sealed off by having the ceiling collapse above it. then, send in the kobolds. not ones with class levels. just regular cookie-cutter kobolds straight out of the MM. roll all of the kobold's attacks in the open. sure, her supposed 'natural 40's' will slice through a bunch of them, but law of probability means that one will eventually get a natural 20. then, another will get another nat 20. eventually, they'll dwindle her down into the negatives. then, confront her with your problem. Tell her: "I show mercy, but my dice do not." that's my two cents.
Skojar 11-28-05, 04:50 PM	The only thing I can think of that will avoid conflict is the the DM to just make it a habit to fudge against her success at all times...let her play as she normally does, but have nothing that her character does actually have an effect. That way everyone else is playing a real game and she is essentially a non-entity. For skill checks and such the DM can always specify who needs to make the check (never her) and against any monster with more hit points that she deals damage, well her hits just don't count toward its total. Her role in teh game will be as a free flanker and another target, but just have the numbers not reflect any of her extraordinary successess. She's still in the game, its just there are more little monsters and the big monsters have more hitpoints. No use in asking her to make a save or skill check. Just ignore her as a target for anything but ordinary melee attacks, and give her her turn but keep in the back of yor mind that nothing she does has any actual effect. Either she will not even notice, or she will get tired of the game and leave without the tantrum. Now just to clarify, I'm not suggesting this, I'm just bringing it up as a possible alternative solution somewhere between confrontation and complete resignation.
lord warrior 11-28-05, 04:53 PM	okay, so my buddy has this wife, and really, she's our friend too but her cheating is really starting to become and issue. Here are some of the reasons why it's uncomfortable to confront her on it: *** Does anyone have any advice about this? Have a long and serious discussion with your friend about him getting divorced. After all, D&D is larger than life.
^Graff_EpsilonIX 11-28-05, 05:01 PM	Yay! It can evolve into a game without dice and just made up rolls. Being electronic savvy myself I would agree going that route. However, seeing as many people don't have a laptop or other personal electronic device that is semi portable... Rolling in plain sight should work.
mrshupizdumaterinu 11-28-05, 05:01 PM	Have a long and serious discussion with your friend about him getting divorced. After all, D&D is larger than life. Seconded. Should that fail, consider kidnaping her from him and selling her to a wealthy arab sultan as a slave.
pres_man 11-28-05, 06:24 PM	If you are taking over as the DM, just instutite a rule that when you DM everyone has to roll in the open. You are the freaken DM, this is within your abilities. If she asks why, tell her to make a new character, her current one has angered the gods with its questioning on the way the world works and has been thrown into the deepest hells. Perhaps one day her new character will rescue her old character but that will not be for a long time. Then remind her that her new character has to be rolled in the open. :D . Seriously though just tell her you are more comfortable with it, and you as the DM will be rolling in the open as well, except for certain skill checks that the PC will not know whether they passed or not (spot, move silently, etc.). Whatever you do, don't tell her you know she has been cheating. That is like walking up to someone and calling them a liar to their face, even if it is true they are never going to react in a positive manner. It is better to just make the rule and not say its because anyone in particular, just that you as the DM find it more comfortable.
lesliweird 11-29-05, 04:44 PM	after consulting with the other players involved, we're going with the dice ninja plan, which has the bonus of knocking things over and throwing things around on top of eventually resulting in rolling in the open without hurting her feelings. Thanks for all the help!
Talonz 11-29-05, 05:29 PM	Don't dance around the issue with silly dice ninja stuff, just have everyone roll in the open and look directly at her when you say it. Cheating is pathetic, if you catch the cheat in the act, call the player on it and make it clear cheating is unaceptable. Last but not least, boot cheaters. They're a waste of time.
pres_man 11-29-05, 06:02 PM	Don't dance around the issue with silly dice ninja stuff, just have everyone roll in the open Personally, I have to agree. The whole acting thing seems a bit childish to me. The next time you switch DMs, sounds like this happens pretty often, just have the DM say that from now on, everybody rolls in the open. I would also suggest you get everybody that DMs to agree to this when they are in the big chair. DM: From now, when I DM, I want everybody to roll in plain sight. Other DMs: Hey that's a good decision, I'm going to do that too, when I DM. Cheat: Why? DM: I just feel more comfortable with it that way, and I think it will make things go faster. Cheat: I think it is stupid. DM: Well, when you DM you can change it back if you like. But this is how I roll (pun intended ;) ).
Kaleanae en'i Mori 11-29-05, 08:18 PM	out cheat her! Your the DM. Kill her off. Instituted house rules. Roll in he open and make it happen.
Kobayashi_Maru 11-29-05, 08:39 PM	I'm sorry but I can't seem to understand which one of these were the "dice ninja plan"?
Gworraent 11-29-05, 09:47 PM	GO OLD SCHOOL!!!! the dm's screen, when my teacher who glanced in on one of our first sessions saw that the dm was rolling out in the open and that we could see how much damage was done to it. she gasped in horror! you cant do that! you're supposed to roll all the die in secret and explain the results of the die without saying the actual die number like so pc: i attack with sword dm: *rolls d20 in secret* you hit dm: *rolls for damage ( gets minimal damage)* the ogre doesnt seem phased by your blow like that, it's wayyyyyyyy better. more suspense, and pc's have to think more. about using that smite or spell to finish off the BBEG cos it might be a waste depending on how much hp is left.
mrshupizdumaterinu 11-30-05, 02:41 AM	If needed, I can still cut a good deal with some arabs, though you should do well not to talk of her gaming virtues when conducting the negotiations.
Lord Howland Reed 11-30-05, 05:24 AM	Dice coral. Get a 3 inch wide by 18 inch long piece of cardboard, (like a belt shape) and make it into a circle. Dice not landing in the coral are not valid.
amethal 11-30-05, 12:13 PM	her cheating is really starting to become an issue. she has kind of a temper we can't even get him to see a movie without her, even if she's off doing her own things. if she quit cheating, I don't think she'd actually like the game. I've been losing video games and monopoly to her for years just so she wouldn't get angry. Despite being her husband, my buddy won't talk to her about it. it's very difficult for whoever's DMing to make an encounter fun for everyone involved I want to do this delicately so I don't lose a friend and two players. Goodness knows why you want to have anything more to do with this monster, let alone spend your precious leisure time with her. [If it was me I'd no longer invite her to the sessions; I'd explain to her husband that I fully expected he wouldn't want to come without her, but that was up to him and he was still welcome.] Given that you do want to keep the relationship going, is it really so hard to say "When I start DMing, I want everyone to roll in the open" (including yourself, if you think it'll help with the situation)? You could include a few more "table rules" at the same time so it doesn't stick out as being aimed at anyone in particular. I hope it works out for you.
vezina 11-30-05, 12:32 PM	I don't believe just saying "Everyone has to roll in the open" is going to go over well if she has any common sense about her. Especially if she has a guilty conscience, she'll immediately know who the rule is pointing at. I think the dice ninja scenario is best. I had a friend try to pull the same thing on me (making up a crazy DM change to affect something he didn't like.) I had a psionic character that had penalties in strength and constitution off of a system like the point-buy system. He was just blown away by the fact that anyone would want a penalty to constitution! (he plays dwarves...a lot) A week and a half after making the characters, he decides that everyone gets 6 more points to put into their abilities. The second I heard it, I said "Why?" to which he replied, "I like 81 points better. It's divisible by 3." I called BS on it and said he was doing it to get rid of my penalties, and I was right. Too bad he miscalculated, and I just ended up with more 18's and the same penalties in Strength and Constitution. :P I also had a friend that cheated on rolls constantly. Last week, he rolled about 4 natural 20's over the course of an hour. In fact, he didn't roll under a 14 until I called him out, once again. Back in the day, we bought a d20 the size of a child's fist and the colors stark white and black, and made him roll that from then on. Mysteriously, that d20 disappeared, and he's back to his cheating ways. He sits RIGHT next to the dm now so we can try to catch most of it. The point is that you either need to be really subtle about it like the dice ninja scenario, or you need to find your guts and just call her out. Prancing around it like my friend did, or like the scenario of just saying 'all rolls are in the open from now on cause that's how I like it' are going to get spotted pretty easily by anyone with more sense than a brick.
Subway 11-30-05, 01:39 PM	A lot of D&D is fun because people get to roll dice. That being said, slap her in the face and tell her to roll the dice in plain view cause she's a cheating *****. just kidding. I'd suggest, if you're going to tip toe around it, one of the neutral players in the situation start rolling in private. Then get irritated with him about it (this situation being setup of course) and then make it a global rule : "All Rolls Must Be In Plain View Damnit" :)
Missing Minds 11-30-05, 03:07 PM	I wasn't planing on chiming in, but there is an advantage to rolling in the open with a box or the like where everone sees. You get your numbers correct. I play with a group online, so we have to use a dice bot and everyone sees the result (and how below average they almost always are). Some player's mods just don't make sence at times. We had one person who was having computer problems so we were all double checking to make certain her numbers were right. (group wanted to surive the encounters) I know I was caught with wrong numbers once because my spreedsheet had a formula wrong for a calculation. So while its a great way to stop cheating, it can also help players who happen to have a bad math day.
Nom 11-30-05, 03:42 PM	the scenario of just saying 'all rolls are in the open from now on cause that's how I like it' are going to get spotted pretty easily by anyone with more sense than a brick.What you are missing is that there are different sorts of obvious. If you ask for all rolls in the open it's obvious that you're unhappy with concealed rolls, probably because you think someone is cheating. But the point is that you're not calling anyone specifically; you're just asking for more transparency. The only reason to object to transparency you have a reason to hide your rolls. This may be true for the DM when making hidden checks, but considering that players declare the results of their rolls it's hard to think of a scenario where a player has a legit reason to hide the roll. Unless they're cheating. Which basically means that anyone who strenuously objects to open rolling is probably a cheat, and obviously so. The trick is that they call themselves on it. Manufacturing some flimsy excuse is the exact same issue as your friend had; you're trying to avoid actually dealing with the problem, hoping it will go away on its own if you're subtle enough. This generally only works if the target is a child with a 20 second attention span or if the target actually knows what you're doing.
Lincoln Hills 11-30-05, 04:43 PM	...dice coral?... Dice coral? Oh - OK, I just realized... "dice corral". For a minute I seriously thought that what's-their-names, you know... the "made from real gemstone" dice people had come out with a new line of... well, coral dice. - Okay, back on topic. The Universal Rolling Area (tm) is the best solution I've seen and I strongly advocate it. More facetiously, you could always say, 'Can I have all your dice? You've... grown beyond the stage where you need them, and I could use a few more.'
Iabes_Q_c_a_Mahorella 11-30-05, 05:12 PM	A TI-83 or simmilar graphing calculator has a probability simulator that has a die roller. Or the even lower-tech-than-maing-thme-roll-in-plain-sight: use one set of dice.
loaba 12-01-05, 01:46 AM	Instituting an "everyone rolls in plain sight rule" is a good suggestion. Beyond this? They need professional counseling. She can't let him do anything social without being there (even if she is otherwise busy), and she can't lose gracefully. Unless your buddy is actually happy being very passive then they're heading for an unhappy marriage. ^Agreed on all points. Aside from your buddies possible marrital issues, having everyone roll in plain site is the logical way to go. And don't be afraid to calculate for her either.
lord warrior 12-01-05, 04:16 AM	If needed, I can still cut a good deal with some arabs, though you should do well not to talk of her gaming virtues when conducting the negotiations. Your idea is interesting, and you caught my attention. Please explain more.
LadyAthena 12-01-05, 04:03 PM	I suppose my question is why is this a delicate issue? She's cheating, and she's doing it so blatantly that everyone knows she's doing it. Yes, D&D is just a game, but this is a matter of principal and fairness. Life isn't fair, gaming should be. That's why we use dice in the first place. You complain about her husband not being able to stand up to her (i.e. doing anything without her, not wanting to bring up her cheating), yet you aren't willing to step up to the authority position (which you are in as the DM) and say, "Hey, I've noticed some problems with cheating, so from now on, it's open rolls only for the players." You don't have to open the floor to comments and you don't need her there to play. Further, if she's cheating that obviously, why is she being allowed to stay?
mrshupizdumaterinu 12-01-05, 04:55 PM	Your idea is interesting, and you caught my attention. Please explain more. There is this guy Abdul, who greatly enjoys my company during Saturday mornings as we drink our morning cofees in the local cafe. Now, he is looking for nurses to work for house help in certain middle-east countries, and is willing to pay top prices (up to 5000-6000 euros) per contract. He has made clear that medical background is not really necessary and that, as he said, "other activities not covered by contract" are strictly based on agreement. Now, I'm sure he'd be willing to expand to North-American market, and if asked nicely, could perform one transaction as a sign of a good will.
Lincoln Hills 12-02-05, 04:00 PM	Do not be deceived by his lies! I have dealt with this Abdul and he is a jackal and the son of jackals! The sun grows dark in my eyes when I remember the time he first came to me, offering a fine bargain. A bargain! HA! May my mother be stricken with warts if I accept another bargain from Abdul. Never shall I purchase a can opener from such a man again! He is as honest as a monkey and his "baldness cure" has compelled me to go to Halloween parties as Cousin It! Never again!
High Octane 12-02-05, 06:57 PM	We have a dice bowl at one session. Everyone rlls into it. It is actually kind of fun since everyone gathers during an essential roll. Make it a rule, dont accuse her of cheating. If she starts getting mad about it, it will completely confirm that she WAS cheating. If she refuses ask "Why are you being so vehement about a simple house rule? Im just asking that you throw your roll into the bowl." If she asks for a reason say "Because I want to know how much affect luck is having. I mean, if someone isnt killing anything simply because of bad rolls, I dont want to adjust the game based on that. It goes the other way also. I dont want to find out you killed the enemy real easily just because a coupole of people rolled really great and make the next enemy too hard."
mrshupizdumaterinu 12-03-05, 04:56 AM	Do not be deceived by his lies! I have dealt with this Abdul and he is a jackal and the son of jackals! The sun grows dark in my eyes when I remember the time he first came to me, offering a fine bargain. A bargain! HA! May my mother be stricken with warts if I accept another bargain from Abdul. Never shall I purchase a can opener from such a man again! He is as honest as a monkey and his "baldness cure" has compelled me to go to Halloween parties as Cousin It! Never again! I asked Abdul about this today, he said you are a cursed lying unbeliever, and that all people such as you will perish by the wrath of allmighty mercifull Allah. But then he added "but not you friend. Allah is with you although you do not name him" and bought me another coffee so I didn't get angry.
Lana "Silvertongue" 12-03-05, 03:17 PM	I think I am in the same boat. A friend of mine is playing a high level spellcaster and seems to do insane quantities of damage. I figure when I get my turn at the DMs chair, I am going to force open box rolling. I would rather slow the game play a tad than leave them to calculate everything in their head. I do it out loud now as a player, but obviously it doesn't help.
Higmorton 12-03-05, 07:52 PM	A player cheating on dice rolls: As a Dm have them either roll in front of you. Or a different tactic. I had players that loved hack and slash so I tried soemthing different: I axtually game them situations where they had to use their minds. It became more role-playing, rather that roll-playing. Something else that worked for me was: Have a more powerful opponet that is the behind the lines what, if her character is destroying everything have it attack her, but with a cloak that protects from her type of attacks. If the other players jump in to aid her which i doubt. Roll a hidden save just like she hides her dice and say well the magicla item was destroyed. If she argues about it, that call her bluff, and ask how do I know you were telling the truth with your rll. Case closed the item in destroyed!
Corpus Krusty 12-04-05, 11:38 AM	Theres a phrase thats been bouncing around the forum a lot lately that seems to meet the situation perfectly: Shoot her in the face... with a hammer... REPEATEDLY! I love the dice ninja rule, it's something she can't argue her way out of.
Jaxgaret 12-04-05, 12:06 PM	Theres a phrase thats been bouncing around the forum a lot lately that seems to meet the situation perfectly: Shoot her in the face... with a hammer... REPEATEDLY! I love the dice ninja rule, it's something she can't argue her way out of. I am an advocate of shooting her with a gun that fires scorpions myself. And the scorpions have guns that shoot fire ants. Yeah.
oximoron 12-04-05, 06:36 PM	If you want to do this in a sneaky way I would suggest talking to all your other players and getting them all in on this one session where everyone is supposed to cheat a little. After that display some annoyance with the way everything is going and that you are going to have to ask everyone to roll out in the open. combine with some advice from above as appropriate for your games Good Games
smoker 12-04-05, 07:06 PM	You have a few options: 1) start cheating as a DM in respect to her character (the childish approach) 2) tell your friend that he needs some backbone (the manly approach) 3) confront her (the super-manly approach) Why is this a problem? If your friend doesn't have enough backbone to talk to his own wife, then they're relationship is doomed. And no player likes their DM to play favors to women. smoker
cbussler 12-04-05, 07:30 PM	Everybody handles situations like these differently. It all depends on the people involved, but here's how I'd handle it and why. I play the game to have fun, and so do most people. But, if 4 of the 5 people aren't having fun, then I'd just quit. Pack it up. As much as I'd 'like' to game with the guy and not his wife, I wouldn't put up with it. Her behavior would either change, or I'd find a new group, or I'd go socialize in some other manner. I'd first bring it up with her, in a kind and diplomatic way, and if she lost her cool, then it wouldn't be my fault. I would have tried. She's a poor loser and not somebody I need to waste time with. If she changed, or least attempted to change, then the game goes on. Personally, I wouldn't bend the rules or the game around her personality, but that's just me.
lord warrior 12-05-05, 03:38 AM	I asked Abdul about this today, he said you are a cursed lying unbeliever, and that all people such as you will perish by the wrath of allmighty mercifull Allah. But then he added "but not you friend. Allah is with you although you do not name him" and bought me another coffee so I didn't get angry. Just pass him over: Dirka, Dirka Allah Muhamed Jihad! Allah Dirka Jihad Mohhamed! And send him my greetings ;) He will understand.