# How do you roll? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [August 12, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068 "2010-08-12T18:23:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/1 "2010-08-12T18:23:36Z")
Given your druthers. ---
**Author:** ![Hoopy\_Frood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoopy_frood/32/8452_2.png) [@Hoopy\_Frood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoopy_Frood)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/2 "2010-08-12T19:13:25Z")
My favorite systems are either d6 or d10. So I went with the underdog. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/3 "2010-08-12T19:34:33Z")
Given my druthers, I roll a d30. Where do I vote? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/4 "2010-08-12T19:35:43Z")
I picked d12, just so it wouldn’t feel lonely. And, here, I see it’s in the early lead. Cheers for the underdog! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/5 "2010-08-12T19:42:52Z")
I have no freaking clue what you’re referring to. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/6 "2010-08-12T19:50:52Z")
I don’t roll. I use a bong. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/7 "2010-08-12T19:54:01Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > I have no freaking clue what you’re referring to. You have entered the Game Room. A Nerd approaches. Roll for initiative. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/8 "2010-08-12T19:57:16Z")
> [@Renee](#): > > I have no freaking clue what you’re referring to. Polyhedral dice, used in Dungeons and Dragons and other games: [http://www.highhopes.com/L4279.jpg](http://www.highhopes.com/L4279.jpg) “1d4” is shorthand for “one four-sided die”, “1d6” for “one six-sided die”, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/9 "2010-08-12T20:01:45Z")
An informative [link](http://xkcd.com/524/) about various preferences with regard to rolling. ---
**Author:** ![fluiddruid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fluiddruid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fluiddruid)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/10 "2010-08-12T21:02:45Z")
> [@Bosstone](#): > > > [@Renee](#): > > > > I have no freaking clue what you’re referring to. > > You have entered the Game Room. A Nerd approaches. Roll for initiative. Yeah, no chance of a surprise round there. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/11 "2010-08-12T21:06:03Z")
Well, for one thing, I don’t roll on Shabbos. ---
**Author:** ![MissTake](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misstake/32/3189_2.png) [@MissTake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissTake)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/12 "2010-08-12T21:07:40Z")
Know what’s sad? I haven’t gamed in like 14 years, yet I still have a set of dice at the bottom of my purse. Pretty black with gold flecks. 1d20, btw ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/13 "2010-08-12T21:13:29Z")
Without further instruction, I’d roll my purple 20-sider. Otherwise, it depends… On my ranger, I roll d12 for damage against giant class, then double the result, and then add bonuses. Why yes, I do love my Longsword +2, Giant Slayer. Even though I have a more powerful sword with an attitude, the Giant Slayer is my favorite. On the Magic User, I roll a handful of d6, because I probably just fireballed something. Or a half-handful of d4, because if I didn’t fireball it, I probably magic missiled it. On the cleric, one or more d8, depending on which heal I cast. ETC… ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Angel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d26b3c/32.png) [@Johnny\_Angel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Angel)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/14 "2010-08-12T21:16:14Z")
Percentile. I mean, all the other systems break down to percent probabilities anyway. And I don’t use one of those double-digit dice – I get two single-digit ten-siders and the darker one is the ten’s place. Also, I roll palm up and if it leans or falls off the whiteboard I reroll it no matter what result I got. ---
**Author:** ![Chessic\_Sense](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7c8e57/32.png) [@Chessic\_Sense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chessic_Sense)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/15 "2010-08-12T21:19:07Z")
None of the above. It’s **3** d8 all the way. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Scud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f08c70/32.png) [@Tom\_Scud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Scud)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/16 "2010-08-12T21:24:13Z")
No option for diceless? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/17 "2010-08-12T22:26:04Z")
I’m surprised anyone voted for the d4. Who LIKES rolling a d4? It’s like the annoying little brother who insists on tagging along while you hang out with your friends… ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/18 "2010-08-12T22:46:05Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > I’m surprised anyone voted for the d4. Who LIKES rolling a d4? It’s like the annoying little brother who insists on tagging along while you hang out with your friends.. I don’t use pyramidal d4s anymore. I have a bunch of d4s which are actually d12s, numbered 1 through 4 three times (done with Roman numerals, to clearly differentiate from normal d12s). I have a big bag of them (I buy a big handful from Chessex every year at Origins or GenCon), and I give them away to other gamers over the course of the year. 😃 Like so: [http://dicepool.com/images/uploads/chxXS1487.jpg](http://dicepool.com/images/uploads/chxXS1487.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Hamster\_King](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8edcca/32.png) [@The\_Hamster\_King](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Hamster_King)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/19 "2010-08-12T22:48:05Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Like so: [http://dicepool.com/images/uploads/chxXS1487.jpg](http://dicepool.com/images/uploads/chxXS1487.jpg) I like that you threw the d2 in there for scale. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2010, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068/20 "2010-08-12T23:02:42Z")
> [@The\_Hamster\_King](#): > > I’m surprised anyone voted for the d4. Who LIKES rolling a d4? It’s like the annoying little brother who insists on tagging along while you hang out with your friends.. d4’s are like little dice caltrops which is kind of cool. Also, _someone_ has to be the top of the dice tower. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-roll/550068.md?page=2)