D20 - Most Aesthetically Pleasing Die

[Nai_Calus]

d12's not bad, but I still want one based on the rhombic dodecahedron.

This. I would so love to have a rhombic dodecahedron d12.

Or a numbered elongated tetrahedron d4. I have a few from one of the Dragon Dice sets, one of which does have 4 different symbols and could be used as a d4, but it's also huge and I'd prefer something a bit smaller and with numbers, rather than 'no, no the big flashy wand-looking thing is the 4, not the 1, it's the non-flashy thing that there's only one of on this side that's the 1'.

Both of these exist, of course, you can see pictures of them on dicecollector.com, but good luck finding them. >_< (I dunno about the rhombic dodecahedron since I don't have one to try using, but I personlly think the elongated tetrahedron d4s roll better than the standard ones.)

Of dice you can actually find, I'm partial to the d30 and d24. In the regular set, d8 and d20. Though of the d24 shapes I prefer the one used for the Gamescience D-Total.

d6s bore me to death. Unfortunately I play Shadowrun, and guess what Shadowrun uses exclusively? So many boring cubes. ;_; I should ask if I can use my d12s and count 7-12 as 1-6 again. Poor things need some love.

I hate d10s too.

I want to see d48s, d60s and d120s made. I don't care that there's no use for them, there's not much use for the d5s, d7s, d14s, d16s, d24s, d30s, d32 and d50 I own either, and even the d3s are of limited use. I just want it to exist so I can own it. (Well, there *is* a d48, but apparently only one, so it's not really available.)

Sigh.

I wonder if a chainmail rhombic dodecahedron d12 would be at all feasible. I'd have to find someone to make it though, or learn how to do it myself.

 

[Asmor]

I think the d20 places too much randomness into the game. I prefer games to be based on d6s and d10s.

There's no difference in randomness, mathematically, between different die sizes. Theoretically, any single-die system could be rewritten to use a larger or smaller die with a small change in probabilities. For example, you could simply double everything in the whitewolf system and use d20s instead of d10s, and it would be exactly the same.

The advantage of the d20 over smaller dice is granularity. d6s just aren't flexible. If you had a d6-based system, adding +1 to a roll would be a huge bonus. On a d20, you'd need to add +3.33 to get the same equivalent bonus as a +1 on the d6.

Thus, with a d20 system, you can advance at a more subtle pace and there's more room for giving situational bonuses and such.

I have to wonder if the d12 is doing so well so far from pity votes.

Everyone loves an underdog.

 

[Drowbane]

d8s have long been my favorite.

least favorite: d4. stepped on too many of them in socks

 

[Hairfoot]

Chalk up another vote for the simple elegance of the d12.

 

[Xyxox]

d20 all the way!

I've made worlds based upon the d20.

 

[Asmor]

d8s have long been my favorite.

least favorite: d4. stepped on too many of them in socks

Well, then stop leaving your d4s in socks. Sheesh.

 

[El Mahdi]

I had to vote "Other", and go with the Deltoidal_Icositetrahedron. Just because it sounds cool, and because I'm wierd like that.

 

[Wormwood]

Marvel Superheroes and Storyteller shaped my gaming tastes so much that when I play D&D, I *always* take Bastard Sword proficiency just to roll those awesome d10s.

 

[ProfessorPain]

There's no difference in randomness, mathematically, between different die sizes. Theoretically, any single-die system could be rewritten to use a larger or smaller die with a small change in probabilities. For example, you could simply double everything in the whitewolf system and use d20s instead of d10s, and it would be exactly the same.

The advantage of the d20 over smaller dice is granularity. d6s just aren't flexible. If you had a d6-based system, adding +1 to a roll would be a huge bonus. On a d20, you'd need to add +3.33 to get the same equivalent bonus as a +1 on the d6.

Thus, with a d20 system, you can advance at a more subtle pace and there's more room for giving situational bonuses and such.
.

That is why I like the lower dice. It makes skill and natural ability more important than the roll of a die.

What I mean is having the bigger range (1-20) gives randomness more importance. With a d6, d8, or even d10, it is much easier to rein in the randomness, and allow modifiers to have a bigger and more consistent impact. So in a game with smaller dice, the modifiers are usually more important in determining results. With larger dice, the random factor usually matters more (assuming modifiers are being used).

 

[Asmor]

That is why I like the lower dice. It makes skill and natural ability more important than the roll of a die.

What I mean is having the bigger range (1-20) gives randomness more importance. With a d6, d8, or even d10, it is much easier to rein in the randomness, and allow modifiers to have a bigger and more consistent impact. So in a game with smaller dice, the modifiers are usually more important in determining results. With larger dice, the random factor usually matters more (assuming modifiers are being used).

I don't think you understand. You're not giving up any control by going to higher die types, as long as things are scaled the same. +1 on a d10 is the same as +2 on a d20; +2 on a d10 is the same as +4 on a d20.

The difference is, the d20 also gives you the option of giving +3, because maybe you're better than a +2 but not quite a +4. With a d10, you have to pick +1 or +2.

There are certainly reasons to favor smaller dice, such as availability (in the case of d6s) or simpler math (larger die types require larger numbers to be manipulated), or ease of rolling (d100s can be annoying) but purely from the standpoint of probability and letting skill/circumstance affect the roll, a smaller die is strictly inferior to a larger die.