Polyhedral Dice: Everything You Need to Know About D&D Dice

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Dungeons and Dragons is known for many things including fantasy, roleplay, combat, and diehard fans. Yet it might be best known for its unique D&D dice.

Sometimes people are hesitant to play because they do not understand the dice. Don’t let that stop you from playing this amazing game, though! Here’s what you need to know about D&D dice, also known as polyhedral dice.

What are Polyhedral Dice?

Technically, all dice are polyhedral. A mathematical adjective, “polyhedral” refers to any 3D object that has many sides, all of which are polygons. Polygons, in turn, are 2D shapes with at least three straight sides and angles.

In short, a polyhedral die is any die that has multiple faces, all of which are equal in size to each other.

There are many kinds of polyhedral dice. The most common of which is perhaps the six-sided die found in common games like Yahtzee or Backgammon. Polyhedral dice can have as few as three sides and as many as one hundred. For the sake of Dungeons and Dragons, though, there are seven main types of polyhedral dice.

What You Need to Know About D&D Dice

In Dungeons and Dragons, seven types of dice are used within the game. Players refer to each die by stating the letter “d” and then the number of sides afterward. For example, if a player needed to use a six-sided die, they would refer to it as a “d6.” If they are rolling multiple of the same die, then they would add the number of dice to the beginning. So if a player needed to roll seven six-sided dice, they would roll 7d6.

When rolling a die, the chosen number is whichever one appears as the top face of the die.

All seven types of dice that appear in D&D include the following:

• d20 (20-sided)
• d12 (12-sided)
• Two d10’s (10-sided)
• d8 (8-sided)
• d6 (6-sided)
• d4 (4-sided)

The most commonly used die (and arguably the most famous) is the d20. With twenty sides, players will roll this die for most actions within D&D such as ability checks, attacks, and saving throws. Ability checks allow players to see if they succeed in an action such as haggling, attacks see if players successfully hit something or someone, and saving throws check if a player succeeds in getting out of harm’s way.

Most of the other types of dice are used when dealing damage after a successful attack, with certain kinds of magic, or when adding a bonus to a roll. For example, if a player landed a successful attack on a creature, they might roll a d10 to deal damage.

How to read a d4

The d4 is the die shaped like a pyramid. You will notice that there are only four numbers on this die: 1, 2, 3, and 4. This die does not have a top face when rolled. Instead, it has a top point. The rolled number on a d4 then is the one that appears at the top point. In the example on the left, the player rolled a 3 because the number 3 appears at the top.

Some d4’s will have the numbers on the sides rather than the corners. This is how d4’s traditionally looked. If you have a d4 like this, then you’ll read the number on the bottom that’s touching the table. A good rule of thumb is to always use the most legible number.

Why are there two d10’s?

In addition to rolling d10’s for damage, inspiration, and other special rolls within D&D, one d10 has two numbers side to side, while the other only has one. These can also work as percentile dice. This means that if a player is rolling to succeed in a percentage of something, they roll both of these dice together. The one with two numbers is considered the first digit of the percentage, and the second number is the second digit.

In the example to the right, the d10 on top shows a 20, while the one on the bottom shows a 9. This means the percentage is 29%.

Why do some d20’s look different than others?

As a quick note, not all d20’s are equal. Some games, like Magic the Gathering, use what’s called spindown dice. These dice are also 20-sided, but the numbers are in a different order. There’s some debate that spindown dice are more or less fair than a standard d20.

No matter what you believe about fairness, it’s important to note that some games use spindown dice and some do not. D&D does not use spindown dice. Generally speaking, if you go to buy polyhedral dice, they will include standard d20’s. If you want a spindown die, you will need to specify that in your search.

Polyhedral Dice in Other Games

D&D is not the only game that uses polyhedral dice. In fact, many role-playing games, or RPGs use them. If you’re looking for games that use dice in a similar way to D&D, then you want to look for RPGs that use the d20 System.

Here is a short list of games that use polyhedral dice or the d20 System:

• Pathfinder
• Star Wars
• A Game of Thrones
• Call of Cthulu

It’s worth noting though that many games also use polyhedral dice without using the d20 system. This just means they will use the dice listed above but in a different way than Dungeons and Dragons. Basic Role-Playing games are a great example of this.

In short, there are many games you can play with polyhedral dice, so you’ll definitely want at least one set!

Which Polyhedral Dice Should I Buy?

D&D polyhedral dice are more popular than ever. With the 5th Edition (5e) of D&D bringing more new players in than ever before, there’s a high demand for dice. Players also like to accessorize their dice to match their character’s class or personality. Some superstitious players also believe in “cursed” dice when they consistently roll low. They may buy new ones to replace these dice.

As a result, there are a lot of options when it comes to buying D&D dice. A simple Google search will lead you to a wide variety of options. Pricing ranges a great deal. The price of dice depends on their material and what accessories they come with.

Types of Polyhedral Dice by Material

The best way to choose a dice set is by first considering the material. That’s because the material determines a dice set’s base price. Polyhedral dice are made with several different materials. The most popular types of dice are:

• Plastic
• Resin
• Metal
• Gemstone

These are roughly in order of least to most expensive. Dice can also come in other unique materials such as wood or even real bone!

Plastic Dice

These will be the most affordable dice around. They are lightweight and tend to be sold in bulk. Plastic dice are a great option for brand new players or Dungeon Masters who want to have plenty of dice sets for new players. They’re also great if you tend to lose dice. Oftentimes you can get several sets for $10 or less.

Resin Dice

Resin dice are a set above plastic dice. They often have more customization to them as far as design goes. Many players also believe resin dice roll better. They cost a little bit more than plastic dice but not much more. One resin dice set will cost around $15, but they can be more depending on how they’re decorated. Resin dice sets are readily available on Amazon and Etsy.

Metal Dice

A great option if you want some weight to your roll, metal dice can be very fun to roll. They do not vary as much in their look as metal dice don’t have as much variety for material, but they sometimes do come with different color options. Metal dice will average around $20. Just make sure to buy a dice tray with them as metal polyhedral dice can dent your table!

Gemstone Dice

The most beautiful and most expensive of dice, gemstone dice can run as high as $100 depending on the stone. Popular stones for gemstone dice include opalite, agate, sandstone, tiger’s eye, amethyst, and obsidian. These are best saved for when you’ve been playing for a while and know exactly what kind of dice you’d like.

Polyhedral Dice in Other Materials

While the most popular materials for polyhedral dice are listed above, they are not the only ones. Wood dice are a unique and enjoyable option. Some are also made out of glass. You even buy candy dice! In other words, there’s a special polyhedral dice set out there for every player.

If you’re not sure what you want to start with, try visiting your local friendly game store (LFGS) or conventions for a variety of options.

While you will not need a large amount of dice at a lower level, higher-level characters often have spells or attacks that call for multiple rolls of the same kind of die. Having several options allow you to roll all at once rather than reroll the same die over and over again.

Over time, once you play D&D and other roleplaying games more, you’ll probably become quite proud of your dice. We love a good dice set, and would love to see them! Tag us in a picture of your dice and tell us what adventures they helped you through along the way.