Dice are important when playing Dungeons and Dragons. A set consists of seven dice and the most important one there is the d20, a twenty-sided dice. This dice is the one you’ll be using the most. Whether you’re a beginner or a veteran at playing D&D, we all have our superstitions and OCD when it comes to playing. I asked my fellow players for some of their quirks and this is what they told me.

Never touch Someone’s Dice. Ever.

The first rule is easy to understand and remember. Don’t touch anybody’s dice. There is something sacred about having your own dice. You are one with the dice and the dice are one with you. You can’t let anybody’s energy disrupting this flow. The disruption of this flow may mean a terrible role like a natural 1 e.g. the ultimate failed roll.

The only exception to this rule is when the player allows you to use their dice. When a spell or a melee attack requires more dice that you have, those at the table tend to lend you their dice. This is the only time you should be using someone else’s dice. If they haven’t offered any dice to you then keep your hands to yourself.

The Dice must all be grouped together



Just like in school, we liked grouping with people just like us. Dice are no exception. Some players like to group their dice together. All d20s are grouped together. So are the d6s, d8s, etc. There are those that believe if you group dice together, they might roll better.

With Practice comes Perfection

With any sports, we must practice to get better. The dice are no exceptions. There are many who believe that if you line up your dice with the highest number on the top, the dice will always land at the highest number.

However, there are also many who believe that having the lowest number on top is the best way to train your dice. Eventually, your D&D dice will get tired of always being on the low number and roll high. While I’ve personally tried both methods of training with my dice, I have yet to discover which training is better. Dice are fickle, and they don’t always do what they are supposed to do.

Is pre-Rolling the way to go?

There is some controversy to this OCD dice tendency. It is safe to say that there are times when you have to get those bad rolls out of the way. That natural one you just rolled to save yourself from a dragon’s breath attack – never happened. You got that roll out of the way and instead manage to get out of the way. Thank goodness for pre-rolling. It’s better to take care of those bad rolls at the beginning and throughout the session.

On the flipside, pre-rolling is a bad thing. All those high rolls you just rolled to hit? Well, you just used up all your luck. When your turn comes, you’re going to miss all your attacks. You used up all your luck in those pre-rolls and now you have nothing else. The Force was not with you.

If all else fails, SHAME the dice



Unfortunately, there are times that even with training your dice, pre-rolling or not pre-rolling, bad rolls happen. Sometimes bad rolls happen all the time and it’s time to take action. That is when you get a Dice Jail. Your dice go to prison and they’re shamed for all the players and dice to see. It’s a way to tell your dice that there are consequences for failing rolls. While public shaming might be going too far, the dice need to be taught a lesson.

Final Thoughts

Whether we’re beginners or veterans at playing D&D, we all have our quirks and OCD about dice. Through training, practice, and even pre-rolling we try to get our dice to love us. Sometimes it might not always work. But there is one thing for certain, fail or succeed, it does make for interesting stories.

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