Dungeons & Dragons (D&D)

Generally considered the granddaddy of all role-playing games, Dungeons & Dragons established the 7-dice set that has become the standard for hundreds of different RPGs since.

Dungeons & Dragons has gone through many different iterations through the decades, awarding the game a grand total of 6 different editions (1st, 2nd, 3rd, 3.5, 4th, and 5th). Throughout it all, the 7-dice set has remained the standard for D&D. A good set of dice is precious, as it can determine the very fate of your character.

While we use the same set of dice today, today's dice are by no means visually identical to the dice used in the 70s and 80s. The original D&D box sets came with a set of 7 plain, opaque dice with numbers players needed to color in themselves. Let me tell you, we here at Awesome Dice are pretty thrilled with how far D&D dice have come since then!

Today, players can buy high-quality dice ranging from colorfully elaborate to tactfully simple. The dice of today are limited only by peoples' imagination (and, you know, the amount of space on/within a single die, but I digress). Translucent dice, speckled dice, metal dice, dice with small objects set inside, dice made of glass, wood, and gemstones, you name it! There's a myriad of premium dice sets available and we're lucky enough to be one company capable of providing!

It's always a good time to be playing Dungeons & Dragons, the oldest and still largest RPG.

What Dice Do I Need for D&D?

The standard 7-dice set forms the basis for many tabletop role-playing games like Dungeons & Dragons. The 7-dice set consists of a d4, d6, d8, d10, d%, d12, and d20. As you might have guessed, the "d" present in the name of each die stands for "die" or "dice," depending on the amount present. The number that follows the letter "d" reflects the number of sides present on that specific die. (Curious about the d%? Read on to learn more!)

Each die is important and will be used at different times and in different situations throughout the game, depending on the circumstances your character is involved in and what action your character is looking to take.

The d4

The d4 traditionally resembles that of a pyramid. This little guy is used in several spells found throughout D&D. When your character is wielding smaller weapons like clubs and daggers, this dice also helps determine the amount of damage an attack delivers. As an example, if you were to successfully land an attack with a dagger, you'd then roll a d4 to determine how much damage you dealt your enemy.

Just be careful not to leave one of these on the floor! Stepping on a d4 will make you wish you had stepped on a Lego!

The d6

The cubic d6 is the die most people visualize when someone says "dice." Six-sided and numbered 1 - 6, the d6 can be used to calculate the damage of a melee attack, the damage or effect of a spell, and more. Most notably, the d6 is often heavily relied upon during the character creation process, as it can be used to determine a character's attributes. It is often true that the use of a single spell or weapon may require more than a single die, but the d6 in particular can make this readily apparent right from the start. It never hurts to have more than one d6.

The d8

If you put two pyramid-shaped d4s together, you'll get something that resembles a d8. Among other things, the d8 is used to determine the amount of damage dealt by light crossbows and larger melee weapons like the Morningstar and Longsword. There are several spells that similarly require a roll of one d8 or more to determine the amount of damage dealt.

The d10 and the Percentile Die (d%)

The d10 is a versatile die. Like all other dice mentioned thus far, the d10 can be used to determine the amount of damage and/or depth of a magical effect dealt with a weapon or spell. Regarding weapon damage, a d10 is usually paired with larger and heavier weapons like a Pike or Halberd. But when paired with a d%, the d10 has another use.

The d% looks identical to the d10 but for one exception. Where the surface of a d10 is numbered 0 - 9 (the 0 representing the 10), the surface of the d% is marked 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, and 00.

When rolled together, the d10 and the d% can be used to conduct a percentile roll. Roll both dice and simply add the number on the d10 to the number on the d% to get your percentage. Rolling a 6 and a 70 will get you 76%. Rolling a 5 and a 0 will get you 5%. The only exception to this rule is rolling two zeroes: that's 100%.

Percentile rolls are called for during a number of different occasions in D&D. It can determine the percentile chance of a random event occurring, what random magic item a character obtains, how spectacularly a character fails or succeeds, and so much more. It can also be used as a simple tie breaker. Stuck on which of the two evenly-qualified, interested parties should be allowed to keep the new, enchanted sword? Assign one player to the high numbers and the other to the low and let the dice decide!

Don't have a d%? In this event, you can achieve the same result by rolling two d10 (2d10) or simply by rolling a single d10 twice.

The d12

Comparatively the least-used die in Dungeons & Dragons, the d12 is used to determine the damage of a limited number of heavy weapons such as the Greataxe. Some weapons may even level up to replace their original damage dice with that of a d12. A d12 also comes in handy in a few specific circumstances when dealing with the time of day or time of year. When you think about it, it's easy to see how it correlates: 12-sided die, 12 months in a year, 12 hours in a day and in a night.

The d20

You'll want to keep this dice close at hand. You'll likely use it more than any other die in the 7-dice set. The d20 is used in a wide variety of different scenarios. In stark contrast to the other dice present in the 7-dice set, the d20 is the only die you are unlikely to ever use to determine damage. It is, however, used to determine whether or not any attack made, be it with a weapon or a spell, actually hits an opponent. Each opponent you face will have a predetermined Armor Class (AC). Many different things can affect an individual's AC, but the gist of it is that said individual will have a number you have to beat in order to land a hit. Enemy has a 15 AC? You will need to roll at or above a 15, depending on your Dungeon Master's discretion, or this enemy takes no damage. Some Dungeon Masters strictly require you roll over an enemy's AC: meeting it will not be enough.

The d20 is also used in saving throws and ability checks. A high enough roll during a saving throw means your character avoids taking some or all damage, dodges out of the way of a projectile, remains on his/her feet, and much more. A high enough roll on an ability check means your character succeeds in what they were attempting to do or perceive. Roll too low on your Stealth ability check and your attempt to sneak past a dozing guard will fail.

Curated Dice Collections by D&D Class

If you are looking for that special set of dice for your character, Awesome Dice has created specially curated dice sets for several of the D&D player classes (more in the works). Select your player's class below to help you find that perfect dice set:

Black Dice

Blue Dice

Clear Dice

Glow in the Dark Dice

Green Dice

Metallic Dice

Orange Dice

Pink Dice

Purple Dice

Red Dice

Yellow Dice

White Dice

Gemstone Dice

Specialty Dice

Clearance Items

Brands

Chessex

Q-Workshop

Dungeons & Dragons

Witcher

Call of Cthulhu

Pathfinder

Shadowrun

Vampire

Werewolf

Metal Dice

Sharp Edge Dice

Accessories

All Accessories

Fabric Dice Bags

Leather Dice Bags

Dice Boxes

Currency

Spectre Magika

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