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A Question

PostPosted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 8:13 am
by NXKiller
Why is there alot of games using d4 d8 d10 and other more
In my country they are only d6 dices and I HATE IT! becaus i cant play Gangland And Some Other Games! Really want to play though i only got d6 dices and d8

PostPosted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 10:48 am
by jasonthedesigner
It's because D&D used to use a lot of different dice depending on what was going on. You may be able to order a variety pack online.

PostPosted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 10:50 am
by ravensron
The major reason that so many games use dice different from D6 is that D&D did that, and everybody liked the idea, and role-playing games primarily have followed what D&D did. However, in many cases, you do get a probability distribution that is more interesting or better suited to a particular game when you use these other types of dice. If there's a game you like that uses other types of dice, you can probably simulate a close enough approximation using a lot of D6 - either a bell curve of some type or dividing up a range by multiple throws of D6 for high/low.

Other Options

PostPosted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 12:32 pm
by Chainsaw Aardvark
There's a number of dice programs that can be downloaded from the internet though I don't game near my computer, so I find them of limited utility. On the other hand, you could technically use playing cards. Have a stack with the numbers 1-10, draw one, then reshuffle for d10. A bag full of numbered coins or counters would work as well, provided its shaken between draws.

At least for Gangland in particular, you may be able to get a work around, based on all the skills and attributes are 10-50. Divide the numbers by 10. Roll a d6 vs the skill, and a d6 vs the attribute. If both are results are below their target number, then its a success. Yes, this is probably a very different probability curve, but better a kludge than nothing.

Weapon damage already has the note that d6s might be good instead of d10s for survivability reasons.

By the way, thank you for mentioning Gangland. I always like to know when people are playing my games.

A Another Question

PostPosted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 9:38 pm
by NXKiller
I now ask what if i got a game that uses d4 what is another alternate method i can use?

PostPosted: Sat Nov 11, 2006 11:33 pm
by Chainsaw Aardvark
Draw from a full deck of cards, spades, hearts, clubs, or diamonds. Or roll a d6 and reroll any results of 5 or 6. Asign a value ie s=1, h=2, c=3, d=4.

d3s are a d6 divided by two, a d2 is a flip of a coin, and a d1 is either a mobius strip or a quantum singularity.

A Another Another But this is stupier Question

PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 2:39 am
by NXKiller
Higher Than d10 ?

A Another X 3 Question

PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 2:49 am
by NXKiller
How to play Dead and Back my head hurts

PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 12:53 pm
by Chainsaw Aardvark
Well, for a d20, just have 1-10 in red, and 1-10 in black, shuffle them together, and then add 10 to the draw of a black card. So, the duce of hearts is two, and the duce of clubs is 12. For a d12 use two face cards in addition to ace through 10. For that matter, use an entire suit and you can have a d13 which is impossible to recreate with the platonic solids. (Not that I know what that means mind you, my degree is in English and Creative Writing);)

If its a matter of a die pool, the dice are not added together, so per say, for a roll of a 3d8s, means making three piles of cards ace through eight, then drawing one card from each pile.

Picking poker chips/coins with numbers on them from a blind also works.

Are there any questions about D&B or Gangland specifically?


A dice Program:

Another one:

A general site on probability I found:


PostPosted: Sun Nov 12, 2006 4:18 pm
by bal3000