The dice, decoded

D&D dice explained: what every die in the set does

A standard set holds seven dice, and every one of them has a job. Here is what each die is called, what it rolls, and when it hits the table, whether you play D&D, another roleplaying game, or push regiments across a battlefield.

First, the naming

The "d" is the whole trick

Dice are named by their number of faces: a d20 has twenty, a d6 has six. When a game writes "3d6", that is shorthand for "roll three six-siders and add them up". A standard seven-dice set contains a d20, a d12, two d10s (one of them numbered in tens for percentages), a d8, a d6 and a d4. That is everything D&D asks for, and it covers most other tabletop roleplaying games too; the exceptions are dice-pool systems that roll big handfuls of a single die, which is also how wargamers play, most often with d6s or d10s.

The d20

Twenty faces · the main character

The die the whole table watches. In D&D and most d20-based games it decides almost everything: attacks, saving throws, skill checks, whether you sweet-talk the guard or get thrown in the cell. Many d20 games also have you roll two at once and keep the better (or worse) one, so a matching spare never goes to waste. Rolling the maximum, which d20 players call a natural 20, is the best moment in tabletop gaming; rolling a 1 fuels our Ultimate Fumble Chart.

Because it does the most work, it earns the most love: heavy metal d20s, liquid cores that swirl on impact, oversized chonks. If you upgrade one die first, it is this one.

The d12

Twelve faces · the underdog

The roundest-rolling die in the set and, unfairly, the least used: in D&D it is the biggest single weapon die there is, so it comes out when someone swings the heaviest weapon at the table. Everyone else keeps it in the set for the day they finally pick one up.

The d10 and the d% (percentile die)

Ten faces, twice · the team players

Your set has two ten-siders: a normal d10 numbered 0 to 9, and a d% (the percentile die) numbered 00 to 90 in steps of ten. Rolled together they act as one d100: the d% is the tens, the d10 is the ones, so 70 plus 4 reads as 74. The one special case trips up every new player: 00 plus 0 reads as 100, not zero. Games use the d100 for loot tables, random events and anything with a percentage chance.

Rolled on its own, the d10's 0 face counts as 10. Solo, it covers mid-size damage and is the core die of several whole game systems.

The d8

Eight faces · the reliable middle

The workhorse of mid-range damage: the hit that is neither a scratch nor a killing blow, plus a fair share of healing. Two square-based pyramids joined at the waist, tumbling evenly. Easily grabbed by mistake instead of the d10; the d8 has triangular faces, the d10 kite-shaped ones. Nobody writes songs about the d8, but it is on the table every single session.

The d6

Six faces · the one everyone knows

The board game classic and, counted across all of gaming, the most rolled die on earth. At the roleplaying table it defers to the d20; everywhere else it rules. Roleplayers roll one for a small hit and a handful for a big one; wargamers roll buckets of them at once, which is why matched d6 sets exist. If your game says "roll 8d6", this is where the drama comes from.

The d4

Four faces · the caltrop

The pyramid. It does not so much roll as land, and it reads its result from the bottom edge or the top point depending on the design. It handles small damage and healing dice, and it has ended more barefoot midnight walks than any monster. Treat it with respect.

Questions

Dice set FAQ

What dice do I need to start playing D&D?

One standard seven-dice set covers everything: d20, d12, two d10s, d8, d6 and d4. Every CritStones set is a complete seven-die set, so any one of them is enough for your first session.

How do I read the two d10s together (percentile roll)?

The d% (00 to 90) gives the tens, the d10 (0 to 9) gives the ones: 70 and 4 is 74, 00 and 7 is 7. The special case: 00 and 0 together reads as 100, not zero. And when the single d10 is rolled on its own, the 0 face counts as 10.

What is the d20 used for?

In D&D and most similar games, nearly everything important: attack rolls, saving throws and skill checks. At a D&D table it is the most-rolled die of the seven, which is why you can buy a d20 on its own.

Can I use a spindown d20 from a card game?

A spindown has the same twenty faces, but the numbers run in sequence around the die instead of being balanced across it, so any tiny imbalance skews results in one direction, and many tables will not accept one. For anything that matters, roll a true d20.

Do different dice materials roll differently?

They feel and sound different far more than they roll different: weight, balance point and bounce vary between resin, metal, glass and gemstone. The full comparison is in Dice materials, explained, and balance gets a proper answer in the 10,000-roll balance test. Keeping any of them in good shape is covered in Caring for your dice.

Which dice do wargamers actually use?

Mostly many copies of one die: pools of d6s in most mass-battle and skirmish systems, d10s in others, which is why wargamers often buy several matching sets.

Now the fun part

You know what they do. Pick the ones that feel right.

CritStones are the dice GlassStaff designs in house in Boskoop, the Netherlands, and ships from EU and US warehouses. Every CritStones set is a complete seven-die set and comes with the CritStones Promise, our lifetime warranty. Choose by material, by color, or by whichever one you would reach for first at the table.

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