d6: pips or numbers?

[Jhulae]

Is there any truth to the notion that the "One-Pip" side of a pipped d6 is a heavier, and therefore ends up on the bottom more often? That of course means that the "Six-Pip" side is on top more often.

Yes, there is.

Unless you buy casino dice (which are specifically crafted to have equal weight on each side) or your drilled pip dice have larger pips on the lower number sides, then there is more weight on the side with the 1 than the side with the 6, so over all, it'll tend to roll more 6s. (maybe not many more, but statistically so).

 

[IamTheTest]

I think Id like to have an entire set of dice with just pips...ive got a couple of pip'd out d10s, and obviously d6's, laying around but id need the rest.

 

[Ravellion]

I'm going for numbers, because of aesthetic reasons and because... I'm reading off pips slower/worse than numbers. :\

Numbers just read off better than counting pips for me.

Cheers, LT.

Exactly. I really can't understand people who say pips count faster, and I seriously doubt whether that is true, or whether these people only think it is true (the pictogram example above excepted). It takes me about three times longer to count pips, because instead of counting dice totals (4 fives is 20, add 3 fours and a 2 totals 34 damage), I am counting each die seperately (that die is a 5, I'll add that 5 for 10, that 4 for 14, that 2 for 16...).

Bloody annoying when you are trying to keep some pace in your combats as a DM, and you get a player who wants to roll with pips, and takes a minute to calculate his empowered fireball. People ususally haven't been taught to multiply in school using pips, so I have real hard time swallowing the idea that adding up pips is faster than multiplying numbers.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

I personally prefer pips.

OTOH, I use numbered dice, too. The current usage is to roll the warlock's base eldritch blast with the white pipped dice, his extra amulet damage with the orange pipped dice, the hellfire blast damage with red dice (pipped and numbered), his skirmish dice as numbered, and the random other damage with green-blue numbered dice.

(I'm up to 22d6 potentially...and yes, it's a gestalt game, how could you tell?)

Brad

 

[Geron Raveneye]

For D&D? Always numbered dice. For Shadowrun, always pips.

 

[Alzrius]

Numbers, simply for aesthetic reasons. All my other dice sizes are numbered rather than pipped, so you get a uniform appearance if the d6's are numbered as well.

Quoted For Truth.

 

[Tinker Gnome]

Numbers. What is it with all these pip heretics in here?

 

[krissbeth]

Exactly. I really can't understand people who say pips count faster, and I seriously doubt whether that is true, or whether these people only think it is true (the pictogram example above excepted). It takes me about three times longer to count pips, because instead of counting dice totals (4 fives is 20, add 3 fours and a 2 totals 34 damage), I am counting each die seperately (that die is a 5, I'll add that 5 for 10, that 4 for 14, that 2 for 16...).

Bloody annoying when you are trying to keep some pace in your combats as a DM, and you get a player who wants to roll with pips, and takes a minute to calculate his empowered fireball. People ususally haven't been taught to multiply in school using pips, so I have real hard time swallowing the idea that adding up pips is faster than multiplying numbers.

Some folks like me don't really "count" the pips. I look and see the pips and it just translates to the number. Rolling sneak attack dice or the 4d6 for stats goes more quickly for me with the pips and actual counting happens with the numbers.

We're just wired differently.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Pips every time. I don't possess any 'numbered' d6s and never will. Filthy things!

 

[Scribble]

When I roll a lot of dice, I will use the pips. I can add them together in my head quicker.

Otherwise, whichever I pick up first.