el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
I was thinking about the common table rules over the years in games I've run or played in and how they apply to dice rolling.
For example, in my games cocked dice are always rerolled regardless of what is "mostly" showing. On the other hand, if a die rolls off the table on to the floor, it is up to the player to apply a consistent approach to the results. Some people take whatever comes up no matter where it lies when it stops rolling. Others only accept rolls on the table, so even if a nat '20' pops up as the die bumps into a dust bunny under the table, it still needs to be re-rolled. As long they are consistent, the player can adopt whichever approach they want. Other players have instituted their own personal "If it is not on my rolling tray (or whatever) it does not count" rules.
We have had other standing customs around dice, like not touching anyone else's dice without permission. Leaving a die where it rolled on the table until others see the result as well (don't really enforce that because I trust all my players). And other things that I try to remind my players of, esp. as their characters rise in level, which is, "Don't assume you failed just because you rolled low if you don't know the target number." Some players get frustrated, see a '4' come up on the d20 and snatch it up angrily assuming they missed without doing the math and I don't want them to screw themselves out of a success that way. Better to tell us what you rolled and see if you succeeded or not.
Something I am thinking about instituting is a cup for players to roll their "secret rolls" in that they are not allowed to see the results of yet (rather than me as DM rolling for them behind the screen) which I can then look at, see the result, and then pop the die out and pass it back.
Oh, and before a bunch of people come to this thread to say they don't use dice anymore because they play remotely, good for you, that's not what this thread is about (though if there is some custom around electronic rolling I'd be interested to hear it).
For example, in my games cocked dice are always rerolled regardless of what is "mostly" showing. On the other hand, if a die rolls off the table on to the floor, it is up to the player to apply a consistent approach to the results. Some people take whatever comes up no matter where it lies when it stops rolling. Others only accept rolls on the table, so even if a nat '20' pops up as the die bumps into a dust bunny under the table, it still needs to be re-rolled. As long they are consistent, the player can adopt whichever approach they want. Other players have instituted their own personal "If it is not on my rolling tray (or whatever) it does not count" rules.
We have had other standing customs around dice, like not touching anyone else's dice without permission. Leaving a die where it rolled on the table until others see the result as well (don't really enforce that because I trust all my players). And other things that I try to remind my players of, esp. as their characters rise in level, which is, "Don't assume you failed just because you rolled low if you don't know the target number." Some players get frustrated, see a '4' come up on the d20 and snatch it up angrily assuming they missed without doing the math and I don't want them to screw themselves out of a success that way. Better to tell us what you rolled and see if you succeeded or not.
Something I am thinking about instituting is a cup for players to roll their "secret rolls" in that they are not allowed to see the results of yet (rather than me as DM rolling for them behind the screen) which I can then look at, see the result, and then pop the die out and pass it back.
Oh, and before a bunch of people come to this thread to say they don't use dice anymore because they play remotely, good for you, that's not what this thread is about (though if there is some custom around electronic rolling I'd be interested to hear it).