Bit of a small post. Bit of a less serious one too. We game a lot. We talk about our games a lot. We probably think about our games a lot. However, how much time do you spend thinking about the tools we use to game? For some of you, I'm willing to bet the answer is a lot. For others, not so much. So, today, let's talk about dice.
Not Just The D6
Most of you are saying "well duh" at this. However, some of you are also going "huh, what?" Even for the RPG players in the room the fact that there are dice beyond the six sided cube may be unfamiliar. Of course, for those of us who do like dice, and like playing with dice, we know there is a whole world of dice out there. They come in every shape and size, and they don't even have to conform to even numbers anymore. Seriously, grab a Game Science dice pack and you can find a D3 and a D5. The D5 is particularly awesome - and significantly more useful than the D3 in my opinion.
The D30
Course, with all these die types, we do also have some useless ones that may look cool despite the fact that they've never really had a game to call home. Dice like the D30 sit in a lot of people's dice bags just waiting to be used. Sadly, the die is just not quite that useful when you think about it. 30 doesn't break into 100 nicely for easy percentaging, and while it does provide more variance than other dice, a lot of games now a days seem to prefer less variance rather than more.
Variety of Costs
The last major point is the variance you can get in die costs. Some of them are ridiculously expensive - i.e. bone dice, steel dice, etc - while some are almost dirt cheap. The price doesn't necessarily affect the randomness - in a really meaningful way at least - but it can have some effect. Some dice just feel nicer. They seem like they roll smoother and give a better experience. That, when you roll them a lot, can be worth the extra price point for some people.
Your Favorite Die?
So, you have a favorite die type? Some people love the D20, others the D100. Personally, I really like the Game Science D5. It just looks awesome, feels neat, and well, it works quite well. How about you?
I had a d20 that hated my guts. I gave it away to another player and it's much better behaved with him. But I'm still not a fan of the d20.
ReplyDeleteI love d10, the first dice I ever bought. Mine are not all that fancy looking (translucent blue and green), but I've had them for almost fifteen years now and I wouldn't exchange them for any others.
d6 are a mixed bag. Everyone tells me to get those small Shadowrun d6 and yes, they are practical when you need 15 or so for one roll, but I don't like how they feel. I stick with my normal sized d6 and they treat me well (ah, the joy of dice superstitions
My boyfriend has a set of metal dice that is very cool and always great for the "take d10 of damage" joke *threatens to hurl dice*
I love dice superstitions. I still have the first D20 I ever got. It's a clear/beige die from a set I got going on 18 years ago now. this dice HATES players. Not as a GM though, but as the player's die. It has rolled, on numerous occasions, 7+ consecutive natural 1s to get someone killed at a key moment. The best part is is that it lures them in with good rolls first, and then - BAM, you're dead! I don't let people borrow it now.
ReplyDeleteThe metal dice for "take D10 damage" is always good. It gets better when you have a bag full of them and threaten to DM Bomb the player though.