D&D 5E Dice- Rankings, Guide, Ruminations, Poll

[Jaelommiss]

I love the d12. From time to time it will roll a 1 or 2 for damage. These occasions feel no worse than rolling the same on a d6 or d8. Then you will get a 10, 11, or 12. Something about rolling double digits on a single die is just incredibly fun. Sure your greatsword deals an average of 0.5 more damage per attack than my greataxe, but when you the last time that your die loved you so much that it gave you a 12? It's a special moment, almost like rolling a nat 20 that occurs more often and heralds the death of your enemy.

 

[EzekielRaiden]

Voted d6 (for simplicity and ubiquity--nobody, in or out of D&D, is gonna look at it and think "dice COME in that size???"--as well as being a platonic solid) and d20 (for having the biggest range, also being a platonic solid, and being D&D's iconic die). Unlike Lowkey, I see nothing wrong with being common--I see that as being a huge selling point, actually. From there, functional concerns primarily rule.

So my personal ranking (top down) would be:
1. d6 -- simple, universal, and the only die to have 90-degree angles. There's a good reason it's so universal.
2. d20 -- the iconic D&D die, and good for being meaningfully "big" compared to the d6.
3. d10 -- Half a d20, and perfect for simulating decimal-sized dice (percentile, permille, etc.) A versatile workhorse.
4. d12 -- It's also a Platonic solid, but when it's so easily covered by 2d6 and is only the teeniest bit better than 1d10, it's hard to justify.
5. d8 -- Really this could almost be ranked equally with d12: platonic solid (octahedron), only the teeniest bit better than d6, but harder to simulate than d12.
6. d2 -- Yeah, I went there. Flipping a coin is great--and half the time, it's more than enough randomness.
7. d4 -- Personally, I don't find them that hard to read, I just feel like they're in a no-man's-land, neither small enough nor big enough to be interesting.
8. d100 -- Pointless. A waste of a die. You get *precisely* the same result from rolling a d10 for each place-value--it's not even "simulating," it's mathematically identical.

 

[abirdcall]

I am surprised by the lack of love for the d10. It is my favourite.

And maybe it is from my time with Storyteller games, but I absolutely do love rolling a bunch of them.

Their use in games is great too, the d6 doesn't give enough variation, the d20 sometimes gives too much, but the d10 is just right.

You can also put 2 together to get a d100 which is very useful.

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Otiluke's Law of Inevitability

Point of parliamentary procedure, sir. It's Evard's Edict of Inevitability. Alliteration (if I could've worked in the word "equity" I would've). Evard's Edict of Equitable Inevitability? Nah, too wordy.


Also, my favorites are the d8 and the d20.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[CanadienneBacon]

Anyway, you had me until the d8.

What can I say? I'm unholy like that an unholy roller.

d4...the caltrops of dice.

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*

 

[jrowland]

The d20 is brilliant: Sure, its a platonic solid, but it's relationship to user is far from platonic. It is the sneakiest of dice, for rolling it makes little difference. Games are built with a 50/50 chance (or some other minor variation of probability), you could flip a coin for most attacks, for example, and hit just as often. It has fooled us all into thinking its useful, necessary, but it isn't, and so it gets my vote for shear moxie.

Next is the d8. The true work horse of RPGs. along with the other non-d20 dice, its all about the damage. Yes, d10 and d12 outshine in that respect, but they are rare special snowflakes that need feats to make them worthwhile (GWM I'm looking at you). The d8 slugs away at enemies, day in and day out, and while the lowly d6 gets a workout as well, it doesn't have the punch that d8's do. For an added benefit, it confuses noobs who often reach for the d10 or d12 when asked to roll d8. Its a great way to spot that bane of all gaming: the Fake Gamer. d8, I salute you.

d12 is a d20 wannabe: You can't handle the subtlety it takes to be a d20.
d10 is european spy
d4 is only useful as a caltrop
d6 is as square as "the man". Nobody likes "the man".

 

[Mistwell]

d4

Because I love love love those square d4s:

 

[lowkey13]

*Deleted by user*