rgoodbb
Adventurer
The D4
When I first set eyes upon a D4 (mine was yellow I think), it was just, kind of, a pyramid. Why would it be anything else? It came with a bunch of other weird shaped dice and that were all new, freaky, and cool? Now. We all knew of the D6 of course. Most non-D&D players call that the dice. But they don’t know. They don’t know man. We know better don’t we? Yes we do.
So I picked it up, (I remember this in in slo-mo of course) laid it flat in the palm of my hand, grinned like a fool, and rolled it…..and……well, that was when it happened…. TLACT. I was underwhelmed. And maybe a tad confused. It did not roll. At all. It just plonked down flat and did not move again. Now D&D is a role playing game, incorporating within it a roll playing game. Dice have to be rolled. Don’t they? Well don’t they? Apparently not. Apparently they can just hit a surface like the One Ring: With great mass, meaning and significance, and instantly stabilise, like a magnet was working overtime on the underside of the table.
The D4 does not roll. I’ll say it again for impact. The D4 does not roll. It drops and stops, it slaps and maybe occasionally slides, it’s possible it even shimmies or skids a little, but does it roll? Nope. Not at all. Not once. When the DM say’s roll for initiative, you can. When the DM say’s roll for Wealth (which always happens...)….You literally cannot.
Add to that the fact that the D4 is designed in two polar opposite ways: One to be read from the top, and the other from the bottom. It really can throw newbies out. What the heck?
It wouldn’t be so bad, but this dice is worth a measly 1, 2, 3 or 4. The least significant. ………………..Or is it?
The D4 is the Bane of dice
Bane is a great little spell that utilises …you guessed it the D4. This little monster of a dice can literally be the bane of the enemy in a wonderful little Debuff that can make 3+ monsters have a really bad day. One of my favourite 1st level spells.
Let us not Viciously Mock the D4.
For it is weird and off-putting. Like Xander to a vampire…and yet that little cantrip, that does the least amount of damage of any cantrip ever, is adored by many as the spell for low levels. Now add this to the spell above and enemies are having a really bad day.
It is small so give it some love, Bless it.
Bless is arguably (and in my own humble experience) one of the most used concentration spells in D&D. There are some great concentration spells overall, but Bless remains worthwhile throughout your adventuring career. And like Bane, from level 1. Bless!
A little Guidance for those still on the fence.
1d4 added to any skill check is just fabulous. It’s a poor bardic inspiration, but at-will for those who have gleaned access to it. Who could Resist that?
Not much can Shield you from the Missile that is Magic.
With an almost guaranteed auto hit for several of those pyramids, Magic Missile is one of those iconic spells. I see it as Iron Man’s little shoulder rockets that, in a swarm, have quite an impact. Now available in Wand -Form for the non-book-readers.
1d4 can be Healthy.
For anyone rolling death saves, a little old 1d4 health is a nice thing to feel. Or hear. I do always wonder what the exact Word is, but it is Healing, very useful and always welcome. Now available en-masse.
Ever wanted to sleep in a cloud?
Not this one. This one is full of magical daggers, and like their real solid counterparts, they are nasty if you cannot get away.
Ever wanted a shiny weapon, Crusaders mantle can be infuriating to certain critters. Anyone for Curse of Strahd?
Vitriolic Sphere. Requiring more pyramids than at a toblerone convention, this spell demands the upmost respect and commitment. And wow can it deliver. There will of course be more spells than that, but you get the idea.
Next we come to the weapons. The Dagger, the Dart, the Throwing Hammer (I love the throwing hammer), the sickle, the sling shot and also the whip because, why not?
Add Tiny Servant damage, Beast or racial melee damage, Monk fists and caltrops to the table, and you may start to see the significance of this well maligned Dice.
The Egyptians knew didn't they. When their Gods Played D&D and left several of their D4's on our planet's surface to worship. I also remember times in the past when one of my cats had started to swipe a dice across and maybe even off the table. Bit by bit. Each time looking to see if I noticed. Historically, I always wanted that dice to be the D4. No more, I think. No more.
When I first set eyes upon a D4 (mine was yellow I think), it was just, kind of, a pyramid. Why would it be anything else? It came with a bunch of other weird shaped dice and that were all new, freaky, and cool? Now. We all knew of the D6 of course. Most non-D&D players call that the dice. But they don’t know. They don’t know man. We know better don’t we? Yes we do.
So I picked it up, (I remember this in in slo-mo of course) laid it flat in the palm of my hand, grinned like a fool, and rolled it…..and……well, that was when it happened…. TLACT. I was underwhelmed. And maybe a tad confused. It did not roll. At all. It just plonked down flat and did not move again. Now D&D is a role playing game, incorporating within it a roll playing game. Dice have to be rolled. Don’t they? Well don’t they? Apparently not. Apparently they can just hit a surface like the One Ring: With great mass, meaning and significance, and instantly stabilise, like a magnet was working overtime on the underside of the table.
The D4 does not roll. I’ll say it again for impact. The D4 does not roll. It drops and stops, it slaps and maybe occasionally slides, it’s possible it even shimmies or skids a little, but does it roll? Nope. Not at all. Not once. When the DM say’s roll for initiative, you can. When the DM say’s roll for Wealth (which always happens...)….You literally cannot.
Add to that the fact that the D4 is designed in two polar opposite ways: One to be read from the top, and the other from the bottom. It really can throw newbies out. What the heck?
It wouldn’t be so bad, but this dice is worth a measly 1, 2, 3 or 4. The least significant. ………………..Or is it?
The D4 is the Bane of dice
Bane is a great little spell that utilises …you guessed it the D4. This little monster of a dice can literally be the bane of the enemy in a wonderful little Debuff that can make 3+ monsters have a really bad day. One of my favourite 1st level spells.
Let us not Viciously Mock the D4.
For it is weird and off-putting. Like Xander to a vampire…and yet that little cantrip, that does the least amount of damage of any cantrip ever, is adored by many as the spell for low levels. Now add this to the spell above and enemies are having a really bad day.
It is small so give it some love, Bless it.
Bless is arguably (and in my own humble experience) one of the most used concentration spells in D&D. There are some great concentration spells overall, but Bless remains worthwhile throughout your adventuring career. And like Bane, from level 1. Bless!
A little Guidance for those still on the fence.
1d4 added to any skill check is just fabulous. It’s a poor bardic inspiration, but at-will for those who have gleaned access to it. Who could Resist that?
Not much can Shield you from the Missile that is Magic.
With an almost guaranteed auto hit for several of those pyramids, Magic Missile is one of those iconic spells. I see it as Iron Man’s little shoulder rockets that, in a swarm, have quite an impact. Now available in Wand -Form for the non-book-readers.
1d4 can be Healthy.
For anyone rolling death saves, a little old 1d4 health is a nice thing to feel. Or hear. I do always wonder what the exact Word is, but it is Healing, very useful and always welcome. Now available en-masse.
Ever wanted to sleep in a cloud?
Not this one. This one is full of magical daggers, and like their real solid counterparts, they are nasty if you cannot get away.
Ever wanted a shiny weapon, Crusaders mantle can be infuriating to certain critters. Anyone for Curse of Strahd?
Vitriolic Sphere. Requiring more pyramids than at a toblerone convention, this spell demands the upmost respect and commitment. And wow can it deliver. There will of course be more spells than that, but you get the idea.
Next we come to the weapons. The Dagger, the Dart, the Throwing Hammer (I love the throwing hammer), the sickle, the sling shot and also the whip because, why not?
Add Tiny Servant damage, Beast or racial melee damage, Monk fists and caltrops to the table, and you may start to see the significance of this well maligned Dice.
The Egyptians knew didn't they. When their Gods Played D&D and left several of their D4's on our planet's surface to worship. I also remember times in the past when one of my cats had started to swipe a dice across and maybe even off the table. Bit by bit. Each time looking to see if I noticed. Historically, I always wanted that dice to be the D4. No more, I think. No more.
