Thread: Hidden rolls and inspiration
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October 1st, 2014, 11:45 #1VenomousFiligreeGuest
Hidden rolls and inspiration
Are people using hidden rolls in 5e, if so how do you use inspiration when the player doesn't know what he rolled?
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October 1st, 2014, 19:19 #2
I hide GM rolls. Players can see if they hit an enemy with an attack, but I have to tell them if an enemy failed a saving throw, or if an enemy hit them, how much damage the enemy did, etc. Just telling them seems to work fine for us.
Interestingly, we had a conversation about a related topic at the table last weekend. The idea that maybe it's not so bad that players can't see every roll and result. Why? Basically, sometimes... the DM's gotta lie. For the sake of better story telling, for the sake of a retcon'ing a lame result on a bad roll, whatever; sometimes ya just gotta bend it a little.
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October 1st, 2014, 22:36 #3
I subscribe to the show every roll method. Primarily because my players like it and because it's lead to some funny moments. It's also helped me get better at improvisation since they will inadvertently kill the big bad from time to time when my rolls are terrible. On the other hand, it's also eliminated complaints when a character dies because they watch the rolls. If I roll like a demon or I roll like an invalid, they see it. As for inspiration, I guess I'm confused on the question. My players don't really know the monster's AC, at least not until they've triangulated enough hits to guess it. They definitely don't know the DC of their skill checks. So, as the rule states they just use inspiration before I declare a hit or success. My rolls have not much to do with it, really.
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October 2nd, 2014, 00:08 #4
I think the way "Using Inspiration" is described on p. 125 of the PHB solves the issue when it says "you can expend it when (my interpretation: as distinct from "after") you make an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check". That means the player nominates when they will use it and the "Adv" button is pressed for that roll. There is no retrospective element to it - the player says ahead of the roll that they will apply their inspiration. Giving it to another player is not retrospective either - the character gives his/her inspiration to the other character to use later, not to modify a roll that has already been made. Being able to see the roll result might be fun but is no more necessary than any other roll.
Last edited by El Condoro; October 2nd, 2014 at 00:10.
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