Useful information about what polyhedral dice types are best

[rounser]

This is not very well known, but as size increases, dice roll more randomly. Not even manufacturers know this.

You're better off with 20mm die for preference, even though they roll loudly. 16mm are okay, 12mm are the least random.

The best material is plastic. Gemstone dice (including glass) chip without exception, and they're also all biased. Metal dice are quite a bit less random than plastic. Crystal Caste's crystal dice are too hard to read, but about as random as normal plastic polyhedrals.

I hope this advice helps people. It is actually very important for RPG gamers to know if you want a good game.

 

[Imperialus]

You could just link to Lou Zocchi

[video=youtube;BJ-A5Ec-Ybs]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJ-A5Ec-Ybs[/video]

TLDR. Buy gamescience, bust out your crayon, call it a day.

Alternatively, buy the ones that look purdy, and assume that they are close enough to random that it doesn't really affect the game.

 

[rounser]

Sharp edged dice matter a little bit, they're a tiny bit better than rounded edge polyhedrals, but the gain in randomness they offer is eclipsed by switching to 20mm.

20mm are quite a bit more random than Gamescience 16mm, purely because they're bigger. You're still better off with 20mm dice, despite Lou Zocchi's pitch. He simply doesn't know that 20mm are better, he's never tested it.

 

[jasper]

And you have the science to back up your claims, rounser?

 

[Ovinomancer]

: popcorn :

 

[ccs]

This is not very well known, but as size increases, dice roll more randomly. Not even manufacturers know this.

You wouldn't happen to be related to that guy who keeps my email account full of "Exclusive" stock tips & sure-fire ways to win the Lottery would you?

 

[LordEntrails]

Yea... where's your science and statistics to back up these statement? (Note, I'm not disagreeing, but you are making what your state are factual statements, yet you are providing no factual support, or any support of any kind. Such a claim should be questioned, regardless of soure.)

 

[MNblockhead]

I also would like sources. Not as a challenge to the OP, but because I would find it interesting to read.

 

[rounser]

Let's just say I've saved you a lot of work.

 

[Imperialus]

Sharp edged dice matter a little bit, they're a tiny bit better than rounded edge polyhedrals, but the gain in randomness they offer is eclipsed by switching to 20mm.

20mm are quite a bit more random than Gamescience 16mm, purely because they're bigger. You're still better off with 20mm dice, despite Lou Zocchi's pitch. He simply doesn't know that 20mm are better, he's never tested it.

I dunno... Lou's been in the business for a helluva long time, though I admit I mostly just tossed the video in it because I think it's hilarious as hell listening to a crotchety old grog talk about how TSR dice are like second hand oats.

I am interested in the physics behind why you think small dice are somehow less accurate. If anything larger dice would (and I'm no physicist) be less accurate, or at least easier to control the result since they are imparting more force into the table surface on each bounce so it would, at least theoretically be possible to more easily calculate how much they will tumble given an consistent application of force in the toss.

Lou's argument for sharp edges though does make sense. After all it will require less force to cause a die to turn on a rounded corner, so lets imagine a situation where your d6 has slightly more rounded edges around the 1 face. Since it requires less force than 'typical' to turn over from the 1's face then the die would be more likely over a series of rolls to favor turning over when the one's face is on the bottom. As such, the die will roll fewer 6's.