D&D players share helpful advice for dealing with cheating player
Wizards of the CoastAfter noticing a player blatantly lying about dice rolls while playing Dungeons & Dragons over Discord, a player sought advice from others on how to deal with the situation.
Dungeons & Dragons is bigger and more accessible than ever thanks to online communication platforms like Discord and Zoom, not to mention digital tools for gameplay like Roll20 and D&D Beyond.
However, while online campaigns allow groups who otherwise wouldn’t be able to meet in person the chance to explore fantasy worlds, it also opens up ways for some players to cheat.
One player who noticed someone else at their table clearly lying about dice rolls sought advice on Reddit, and the community had some good advice any player or DM could apply.
D&D players have suggestions for preventing cheating in online campaigns
Reddit user Short-Impression7737 explained their situation in a post on the DnD subreddit. In a campaign with their friends, who meet over Discord and live far away from each other, the poster noticed one player whose dice rolls were suspicious.
“They kept getting nat 20 after nat 20 and if it wasn’t that, it’s a dirty 20 or maybe 19,” they shared. “The only time they roll low is when it be if it’s them (for example, we had to figure out who would meet a specific king first and it was ‘lowest roll goes first; and they got a nat 1.”
Though the player confirmed their Dungeon Master also noticed the cheating, no one was really sure what to do, especially since they are all close friends with the person.
Making the situation more frustrating, the player “tend[s] to get easily offended if they’re called out on something” and “[has] a problem with interrupting the DM’s information and lore and trying to jump into anyone else’s RP.”
Wizards of the CoastFortunately, other Reddit users had some good advice.
For starters, many suggested using a digital dice roller that shares results with everyone to ensure no one is lying. Those using platforms like Roll20 and D&D Beyond can roll there, or players can use a Discord bot.
Some DMs have even implemented rules for those who want to use physical dice requiring players to show the results on camera.
Others suggested a more direct approach in confronting the player on their behavior.
“I’d straight up give them the statistics on their rolls. Don’t make any accusations, just record their rolls for a session, state the odds, and ask them if they’ve got anything they maybe want to say,” said one commenter. “F*** the ‘they might react poorly’, they’re the ones cheating, YOU get to react poorly.”
This advice may certainly be challenging for those who don’t like confrontation. However, perhaps the best way to deal with the issue is to make clear that low dice rolls are an important part of D&D and its storytelling.
As one commenter put it, “Rolling poorly is what actually makes the game fun. When you remove the possibility of failure, there’s no suspense and consequently no joy in hitting that crit.”
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