When DMs Cheat (CSC)

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: The dice fall-sixteen, eighteen, and twenty-one, uh oh. The DM looks at his notes and back to the dice again. 1f he uses those results, half the party is dead. Still, they are the results of a fair dice roll. So close, yet so far. Still, instead of killing the characters outright, he could throw something else at them, something equally deadly, but which will give them a chance to survive—if they're clever.
In our earlier section on Pacing & Theatrics we talked about constructive cheating, or fudging. There, we suggested it as a way to improve the quality of the game. So now we have established a double standard: it's OK for DMs to cheat, but not players.
DM cheating, or 'fudging' should always be a last resort. Often, it serves as a way to get the party around a flaw in the design of an adventure-either something too deadly or an overemphasis placed on the outcome of a single die roll. DM fudging should never favor the monsters, a single character (or even all the players for that matter), or his desired plot outcome. Instead, the DM should only cheat when the outcome of a DMcontroUed action would totally and pointlessly destroy the adventure. Unlike a computer adventure game, it's not always possible to restart a failed game from a saved game.
Cheating should be both constructive and give the players some control over their destiny. Don't let the players off too easy. Chances are the DM will feel just as cheated by that action as the players would feel if he wiped out the PCs. Instead of ignoring a deadly trap, let it go off, but give the characters time to react or escape.
Instead of killing a character with a deadly blow, have it destroy something of personal value to the character.
If the characters are overlooking something obvious that would save their lives, make the hints broader or find another way to draw their attention to it.
Lastly, if something would logically and reasonably destroy the entire PC group, modify the outcome just enough for a character or two to make a conscious decision to sacrifice themselves for the sake of their fellows. They get the benefit of heroic death (from which there might be a return) and the adventure can continue from there.
One final note—don't let the players realize that the DM has cheated Many players feel manipulated when they realize that the DM's intervention, not their own skills saved their bacon in a tight situation.