Those Funny Dice

[James Maliszewski]

Those Funny Dice

The history (and mystery) of dice.

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[Hurr Durr Derp]

I can't be the only one who's ever rolled a Barbarian for no other reason than to get the most use out of my D12.

Good times.

 

[SnootyEnglishman]

I love Dice they are so fun to play with in RP's until they starts being all 1's then they become small projectiles

 

[Altorin]

One interesting thing I find about D12 that could probably be noted in this column (and will be henceforth noted in the comments) is that the D12, due to its shape, is the dice most likely to roll off on some weird path, right off the table.

The D20 is more spherical, but the D12 is the die that is always trying to escape.

Anyone else able to confirm that? because it's proven true time and time again with me.

 

[DoctorNick]

Dice are one of my favorite things about RPGs, how can anyone NOT love them?

They're also a great ice-breaker for trying to explain the hobby to someone, as soon as you break out those funny little polyhedral lumps of plastic then it doesn't matter how nerdy they thought you were before and they're now instantly paying attention utterly fascinated.

 

[TheScarecrow]

Mmm, I do love tabletop RPG dice. Nothing like rolling a few dice and hoping the Dice Gods will bestow victory upon you.

I'd like to have a necklace with a die on it. Or one with loads of dice.

 

[Stumblebee]

The very notion that ancient Romans had d20s is brain-meltingly insane to me. "Ave, Meridius! Roll to see if I'm getting drunk."

 

[Anacortian]

Singular: Die; "Roll one die."
Plural: Dice; "Roll two dice."

On can no more roll one dice as they can eat one bananas.

One interesting thing I find about D12 that could probably be noted in this column (and will be henceforth noted in the comments) is that the D12, due to its shape, is the dice most likely to roll off on some weird path, right off the table.

The D20 is more spherical, but the D12 is the die that is always trying to escape.

Anyone else able to confirm that? because it's proven true time and time again with me.

My experience confirms that.

 

[LitigationJackson]

as for the off the table or cocked dice rule, we always do re roll of the die/ce in question

 

[James Maliszewski]

Singular: Die; "Roll one die."
Plural: Dice; "Roll two dice."

On can no more roll one dice as they can eat one bananas.

The New Fowler's Modern Usage (Oxford University Press, 1996) would disagree with you: "The small cubes with faces bearing 1-6 spots used in games of chance are the dice (pl.); and one of them is also called a dice."

In point of fact, "dice" is one of those words in English that has multiple accepted singulars/plurals. There's no "right" answer, only personal preference.

 

[The_root_of_all_evil]

Dice are as much a part of RPGs as Monty Python quotes. But you forgot the D2, commonly known as the coin.

 

[Retodon8]

I'll have to side with the "die"-for-singular people, even if "dice" is considered OK by some in modern usage. It just sounds wrong. Of course we all got used to using "agenda" and "data" as singular too, so it'll probably be a matter of time before the entire world does it the wrong/modern way.

While on the topic, I'm pretty sure those two things are called hexAhedron and octAhedron; As, not Os.

 

[James Maliszewski]

While on the topic, I'm pretty sure those two things are called hexAhedron and octAhedron; As, not Os.

Quite correct. I'm surprised I let those misspellings through.

 

[Scrythe]

[HEADING=1]Behold: The D2 [http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/74410396.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=AA1747D0965B1B3D8D6D110154A28A215115FC97CF24C979B6A1346C767B3995E30A760B0D811297].[/HEADING]

 

[Jared]

I love Dice they are so fun to play with in RP's until they starts being all 1's then they become small projectiles

Thats been my luck as of late...god, Critical Fail for the los ><

 

[drisky]

[HEADING=1]Behold: The D2 [http://cache3.asset-cache.net/xc/74410396.jpg?v=1&c=IWSAsset&k=2&d=AA1747D0965B1B3D8D6D110154A28A215115FC97CF24C979B6A1346C767B3995E30A760B0D811297].[/HEADING]

Your link isn't working for me but I'm sure it looks something like this:

 

[Fwee]

I still have my dice, although I haven't played any Pen and Paper Rpgs in over a decade. I also must note my dice always give me crappy rolls, which doesn't help get me back into gaming.

 

[skyfire_freckles]

I'll have to side with the "die"-for-singular people, even if "dice" is considered OK by some in modern usage. It just sounds wrong. Of course we all got used to using "agenda" and "data" as singular too, so it'll probably be a matter of time before the entire world does it the wrong/modern way.

While on the topic, I'm pretty sure those two things are called hexAhedron and octAhedron; As, not Os.

This drives me fucking crazy. Especially when I say "die" or "datum" and people look at me like I'm speaking in tongues, or when I type "these data" and people are like, "lol word-use fail."

The people I used to roleplay with all said "die", though. So it sounds to me like someone is saying "a bananas" when someone says "a dice".

 

[thenoblegaunt]

U know what's cool, spherical d6's, they're really bad as dice, but they're still really cool.

 

[Anacortian]

Singular: Die; "Roll one die."
Plural: Dice; "Roll two dice."

On can no more roll one dice as they can eat one bananas.

The New Fowler's Modern Usage (Oxford University Press, 1996) would disagree with you: "The small cubes with faces bearing 1-6 spots used in games of chance are the dice (pl.); and one of them is also called a dice."

In point of fact, "dice" is one of those words in English that has multiple accepted singulars/plurals. There's no "right" answer, only personal preference.

I did not note the Canadian citizenship. While Oxford is the conventionally definitive body in determining True English (as spoken in England), Webster is the accepted standard for American English and disagrees both in dictionary.com and my hardcover from 2001. Siting a "modern use" guide is about as far as one can get from an official source. So far as I can tell, "dice" is only plural throughout the history of the word. Relying on "modern use" guides would also lead one to omit the comma before "and) in a list, accept "ain't" as anything but first-person singular, and allow 7331 speak and emoticons in formal writing. I maintain a firm prejudice against "modern use" guides.