D&D Dice 101
AN INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDE BROUGHT TO YOU BY DDU
Get ready! Your dice are your life in Dungeons and Dragons.
If you know anything about Dungeons and Dragons (other than it contains both dungeons and dragons), you should know that it uses dice! A roll of the dice determines nearly everything in this game. From how hard you’ll hit a bad guy, to how stealthy you can be, to whether or not your character will die.
So, in these important situations, you’ll want a handy and trusted dice set at your side. Dice are the most important thing for a D&D player to own, so this guide will give you the basics on everything dice. There are 7 types of dice overall, and they usually come in a polyhedral set.
- D20
- D12
- D10 & D10 percentile
- D8
- D6
- D4
The “D” in the name simply means ‘dice’. The number in the dice’s name refers to the number of sides that it has, and the maximum number you can roll with it.
Your dice are your life in this game, so learn the basics and get ready to roll!
Don’t be afraid! It may seem complicated, but everything is pretty instinctive.
The D20 is the most important dice, and you will roll it the most. The D20 is rolled when you are trying to complete a task of some kind. When you try to hit with your weapon, when you try to persuade someone, or when you try to sneak past someone.
Let’s say you need to get over a wall. If you roll a 20, great! You scaled that wall in 2 seconds flat and did an awesome back flip to get down! Did you roll a 1? Yikes. You probably fell flat on your butt while trying to climb.
And that’s the beauty of the dice! Just like your character, you don’t know whats going to happen.
Dungeons and Dragons is full of possibility!
Almost all of the other dice are for damage. Easy, right? Every weapon or spell has a dice type associated with it. A small dagger would do a D4 of damage, while a big lance would do a D12. That way (unless you’re pretty unlucky) your lance will be doing a lot more damage.
Makes sense, right?
Be yourself! The type of dice you own expresses who you are as a player.
Dice sets can come in a large variety of colors, materials, and aesthetics in a wide range of prices and most players own multiple sets. I’ve known players who stick to 2 or 3 sets that match one another and I’ve known players who hoard every dice they can find regardless of color or material. It’s really up to you what kind of player you’d like to be!
Playing a nature-based Elven druid? Get some clear dice with moss in them!
Playing a heavy-hitting Goliath fighter? Get some grey metal dice!
Playing an fiery human wizard? Get some red and orange plastic dice!
Or, get any dice set you think looks cool and roll with it! Your dice are not just your life, they represent who you are!
If you are looking to purchase a polyhedral dice set, I recommend Cozy Gamer. They offer a variety of metal, wood, plastic, and resin dice for any budget.
Ready to use those dice? Let’s play!
Check back for another lesson by DDU!
If you can’t wait that long to learn more, I recommend listening to the podcast Dungeon Stories! Listening to people play the game is one of the best ways to learn it yourself! I suggest starting on episode 2 or 3.
Need even more? Everything Dungeons and Dragons can be found on DnD Beyond! Check out their character creator in preparation for DDU’s next content post.
