For all those adventures that never got run...

[Simon33600]

Happens to me all the time... I generally had two or three adventures planned out for this reason...

Although; as Jax mentions it, I only prepare detailled GIMP maps for the adventures that I am sure are going to get run...

[Viking]

I still use a DM screen but I am new at it all and sometimes I wonder as I rarely feel the need to fudge numbers. I love it so far though

[Xorne]

I still use a DM screen but I am new at it all and sometimes I wonder as I rarely feel the need to fudge numbers. I love it so far though

I use a screen all the time. Nothing to do with fudging the rolls--just makes them uncertain. I will frequently just pick up my d20 and roll it for no reason, particularly if they are taking a long time to decide on their next action. I'll pick it up and look at my notes like I'm checking a table.

I think in 20+ years of DMing I've only fudged maybe 3 rolls, all of which were to prevent a stupid character death where barely surviving would make for a better adventure.

But all perception checks and such happen behind my screen too. Actually I have a notch cut into the bottom of my screen with flaps of paper over it labled "DICE DOOR" that my players roll their spot/listen through, so they get the control of rolling but don't see the result.

[Midgardsormr]

Actually I have a notch cut into the bottom of my screen with flaps of paper over it labled "DICE DOOR" that my players roll their spot/listen through, so they get the control of rolling but don't see the result.

I love that idea!

Of course, sometimes the very act of asking for a roll gives something away, and I've had players that will utterly dismantle an inn because I asked for a perception roll. For those players, I really liked the D&D 4e rule for passive perception checks.

After one particularly spectacular rail-jumping, I have started at least preparing outlines for every red herring I throw because the PCs will invariably chase them, no matter how obvious it is that they're throwaway clues. It doesn't matter how prepared I am, though; the players are always one step ahead of my expectations. In fact, in my most recent game one of them actually approached the police! There was really no reason for him not to, but I've grown so used to PCs with authority figure allergies that my gast was momentarily flabbered.