Dice to Get You Started
Dice to Get You Started
“With an eerie creak of the large wooden doors, you step foot into an enormous chamber,” the Dungeon Master describes. He leans back in his chair and surveys the worried expressions of each player. As the DM creates the characters' surroundings and tension builds, the excitement in the players rises. This was it! All their hard work over the last year all led up to this moment.
“You look around but find the space empty,” the DM finishes. That’s when he points a thin finger across the table. “Rogue, roll a dexterity saving throw,” he instructs before looking at the rest of the group. A devilish smile slips across his face and a knot forms in each player's stomach. “And you three, make a constitution saving throw.”
Whether it be an ability check, saving throw, or simply crafting a character, you can’t play Dungeons and Dragons without dice. This tool is one of the most important key items in the game. To play, there are seven different dice needed: a four-sided, six-sided, eight-sided, ten-sided, twelve-sided, twenty-sided, and hundred-sided. With all these different sided dice, a diverse amount of outcomes result and add to the excitement of the game.
Once you’ve made the choice to begin playing and all the rules have been read, the next step is to pick out a set of dice. Being a beginner in Dungeons and Dragons is hard because so much is being thrown at you at once. The least of your problems should be picking out the right set of dice. There are many different materials dice that can be made out of which appeal to different people. It all depends on what you're looking for.
Today, I will cover and break down three of those different materials. I’ll explain each material’s advantages, the dysfunctions they have, and provide an estimated cost of one full set.
1. Plastic Dice
For most beginners, plastic dice is the most common type bought to play with. This is because it's more accessible and cheapest in cost. Plastic dice can come in arrays of different colors. From the basic colors of the rainbow to different shades of a specific color. Some even come clear and are made with items inside: clay animals, flowers, glitter, etc. Even though we all wish to own a set of nice metal or fancy stone dice right away, owning plastic dice is never a disappointment. In their own way, they’re quite beautiful.
An issue with these dice can be getting an unfair dice set. This is when half of a dice is heavier than the other, causing certain numbers to be rolled more often than it should. This makes what’s called weighted dice. While you’d think this problem is used to make weighted dice to roll higher numbers, the truth is, more often than not, professionals make these dice to roll lower numbers. In Dungeons and Dragons, this is no fun because now your character is failing their checks more than they should. Dice makers do this not to sabotage your gameplay, but to lure you into buying more dice. Eventually, we all become dice hoarders, but it shouldn’t be in this way. That’s why avoid plastic dice made with two halves of a different color.
The average cost for a good plastic set of dice is $8.34 in most stores. The pricing mostly depends on how they are made, so they can be more or less expensive than that base price.
2. Metal Dice
Whether we like to admit it, every player covets that one set of metal dice from afar. They scavenge money together for the day they can finally buy the set for themself. That’s why one of the highest achievements of any D&D player is getting that first metal dice set. They make great dice because of their strong material which is much durable and lasts longer than plastic dice. For obvious reasons, these dice usually aren’t clear, solid metal to the core. What’s most appealing about them is their beautiful paint jobs and the special ways their metal has been cut.
A repercussion of this type of dice is its weight. Unlike plastic dice, it is very difficult to weigh them to the point they roll unfairly. The real problem is how heavy they are in weight. When rolled, they can do lots of damage to wooden surfaces like tables. That’s why many players get something called a dice box. It’s a small wooden box made to contain dice so they don’t scatter while being rolled and can take the damage heavier dice may do. If it’s unrealistic for you to get a box for yourself, rolling these dice on a folder or player's handbook works too.
The average cost of one set of metal dice is around $19.95. Just like the plastic dice, this estimated cost can vary depending on the manufacturing process of each set.
3. Gemstone Dice
The next step up from the metal would be stone dice or, more accurately, gemstone dice. These don’t need much explanation of why they're so unique. Whether they're made of stunning amethyst, striking tigers eye or luscious lapaz each set of stone dice are special in their own way. What’s great about them is how there are never two sets alike. Professionals cut the gems and hand paint the engraved numbers on each side of the dice. In shape and material, these dice are similar to sets made of metal or plastic. Depending on the stone, the dice can be see-through and like the metal dice, you’ll need a safe place to roll them so furniture isn’t damaged.
The disadvantage of this material is how expensive it can be. This shouldn’t be much of a shock since many of these gems and crystals are used to make expensive jewelry, usually, with around ninety percent less stone than one dice in the set is made with. That’s why it’s probably smart to get a cheaper set of plastic dice before one of these. I know some may say they could look on amazon and buy a set for real cheap, and you can. However, make sure to read the provided description first because it would be no fun to get a fake gem-set rather than the real thing.
Speaking of cost, one set is normally around $57.14. As mentioned already, this number can rise or fall depending on what gemstone it’s made of or the effort put into the production of each set.
Something that applies to all these different dice sets is doing your research. Every set is different in its own way. That's why it's important to be knowledgeable of what you are investing in. Dice can be bought in comic book stores, off of amazon, or crafted at home but no matter what, always look for good reviews. Make sure what you see in pictures is what you will be getting. Whether it be materials for homemade dice or professionally crafted dice sets. Keep in mind nothing’s ever perfect, flaws will be present in them. However, if there are major things that will affect what you're getting, it’s better to be aware of them now rather than later.
To conclude, picking the right dice set is important. By covering three possible options I hope any stress about picking out your first dice set has been taken care of. Now you can begin your journey to selecting those perfect dice and take one step closer to gaining the achievement of “Dice Goblin”.
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