I'm going to be running DitV over IRC tonight, and I want to put the initial scene-setting up for your critique.

The road to Lookout Pine runs through some very rough terrain.  It
parallels the main ridgeline above Bridal Veil Falls, and crosses
through deep gorges and over sharp rills projecting down off the
mountain.  Heavy wooden bridges cross streams swollen with spring
meltwater.

About five miles from the town, a powerful storm blows up in the
mountains.  While little of the rain and lightning hits you directly,
the water starts rising quickly in the streams coming down from the
mountains, and the map says that there is one more large bridge that
lies between you and your destination.

The mountains, shrouded in a dark cloud, wreathed in electric fury,
loom over you with what seems like malicious intent.  This storm isn't
natural.  Anyone who's lived in these parts for a year knows that the
storms blow in off the desert, from the west; they don't spring up all
by themselves in the mountains.

<<Demonic Attacks: Demonic Influence is at 2d10>>

It's pretty clear that this storm intends to wash out that bridge, but
you're still quite a ways off from it.

What do you do?

My primary concern is that by declaring demonic influence, I'm denying the Dogs the opportunity to decide it for themselves.

Oh no, it's very appropriate for you as GM to point out that the storm is a demonic attack.

-Vincent

Sounds good to me. Reading it from a player's perspective, I still feel like there's plenty for me to decide, and this gives me a focus right away. I like that it's coming up before they even enter the town - something is -wrong- in Lookout Pine.

Is this a case where it's ok to fudge the "Demonic Influence depends on what's been uncovered by the players" rule?

Here's the book text:

Some conflicts call for me as the GM to “roll Demonic Influence,” that is, to bring to bear the sort of generalized badness of what’s going on in the town. Demonic Influence depends on what the Dogs have discovered about the town, not what’s actually going on. What’s the worst “something wrong” manifestation the PCs have seen here?
— Injustice: the Demonic Influence is 1d10.
— Demonic Attacks: the Demonic Influence is 2d10.
— Heresy: the Demonic Influence is 3d10.
— Sorcery: the Demonic Influence is 4d10.
— Hate and Murder: the Demonic Influence is 5d10.

D'OH.

And that was so obvious, too.