What are you thoughts on TTRPGs with non-standard dice?

[Morrus]

By non-standard, of course I mean other than the regular d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20. In this week's podcast we veered off, as we are wont to do, into a discussion on funky dice. What are your thoughts on them? A barrier to entry, an additional cost, a gimmick, or a useful new tool?

 

[cranberry]

If it helps gameplay, or encourages people to play the game, then I think it's great.

Otherwise, it' a gimmick.

 

[Count_Zero]

If it helps gameplay, or encourages people to play the game, then I think it's great.

Otherwise, it' a gimmick.

Same, though I'd add that there needs to be a way to still play the game if the funky dice (or deck of cards) is lost in whole or in part.

 

[Distracted DM]

I like the zocchi dice chain of DCC... though when I think of Fantasy Flight games with their crazy dice, I think sometimes those helped differentiate the game and sometimes they just seemed gimmicky.

 

[dbm]

I’m ok with them personally. They allow you to basically put a look-up table directly on the dice and, when used effectively, they speed up resolution in play.

Access to the dice has been a potential issue in the past, but with 3D printing now widely available that no longer has to be a concern. I recently bought some additional dice for a FFG game that was 15 years out of print, but the dice were available on Etsy.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

I can tell you that while I've personally enjoyed them, as a retailer I find it somewhat difficult to sell games that use "funky dice". I think one of the mistakes is the NUMBER of dice used. The less dice your system uses, the funkier they can be, because the expense of getting enough for the table is cheaper.

Strangely, most people will spend tons of money on more regular dice that they already have before putting down money on a new, weird set. I assume it's because they're not sure how much use they'll get out of them.

But, yeah, IF you are designing a game that uses "funky dice", then I recommend that you also include in that game a simple page of corresponding charts that a player with "normal dice" can use to get the same results. Make the dice a perk, rather than a requirement.

 

[billd91]

They're much less of a barrier than I would have thought after my experiences with FFG Star Wars. But there are times I think more intuitable symbols would have been a little better.

 

[overgeeked]

Different sizes of numbered dice you can get from several different manufacturers, fine.

Proprietary dice with symbols you can only get from the game's publisher, pass.

 

[Cordwainer Fish]

Dice should be cubes with dots on them, the way God and Nathan Detroit intended.

 

[Morrus]

I’m ok with them personally. They allow you to basically put a look-up table directly on the dice and, when used effectively, they speed up resolution in play.

Access to the dice has been a potential issue in the past, but with 3D printing now widely available that no longer has to be a concern. I recently bought some additional dice for a FFG game that was 15 years out of print, but the dice were available on Etsy.

I don’t know anybody with a 3D printer.