Fudging dice in Dungeons & Dragons has a long history. Here's Gygax, in the introduction to the AD&D DMG (1979), discussing ignoring wandering monster checks. and doing their best to triumph. They are willing to-accept the hazar-ds of the dice, be it loss of items, wounding, insanity, disease, death, as long as the process is exciting. But lo!, every time you throw the “monster die a wandering nasty is indicated, and the party’s strength is spent trying to fight their way into the area. Spells expended, battered and wounded, the characters trek back to their base. Expectations have been dashed, and probably interest too, by random chance. Rather than spoil such an otherwise enjoyable time, omit the wandering monsters indicated by the die. No, don’t allow the party to kill them easily or escape unnaturally, for that goes contrary to the major precepts of the game. Wandering monsters, however,
pic.twitter.com/P4IiuREb0R— Merric Blackman (@MerricB) October 5, 2021
Whenever I see someone saying “Oh, it’s new school players that fudge dice”, it’s like “You mean, from a couple of years after the game started?”
And, honestly, I pretty much assume that people were fudging dice from when original D&D was first released. People play Dungeons & Dragons for different reasons. There's not "one true way" to do it.
And, let's face it, low levels in original D&D were brutal. One hit, you had a good chance of your character dying.
— Merric Blackman (@MerricB) October 5, 2021
There comes a time when, no matter how good-natured the player, that dying again and again and again through no poor play of their own, just due to the roll of the dice, is no longer fun.
There are good reasons why 0 hp=dead left the rules quite quickly! I do believe that the low levels of D&D is when most fudging occurs. After that, characters are pretty good at surviving – or counteracting poor circumstances. Even death!
— Merric Blackman (@MerricB) October 5, 2021