The Alexandrian

Purple Dice

Say that you want to randomly pick one of the PCs:

2 = coin flip, even/odds
3 = d6/2
4 = d4
5 = d10/2 or d6 + reroll 6’s
6 = d6
7 = (sure, I guess) d8 + reroll 8’s
8 = d8
9 = (seriously?) d10 + reroll 10’s
10 = d10
11 = stahp, u hav tu mny playrs

Obviously you can use this sort of technique for any random number you need to generate.

9 Responses to “Random GM Tip – Random Numbers with the Usual Dice”

  1. Chad Miller says:

    This is probably more fun than practical, but: If you want to avoid potential “infinite” rerolls, it’s possible to do that to create a “d9”. You’d just need to roll 2d6’s:

    First die 1, second die 1-4 = 1
    First die 1, second die 5-6 OR First die 2, second die 1-2: 2
    First die 2, second die 3-6: 3

    (this is easily extrapolated to generate results 4-9, and it’s also easily proven that exactly 4 outcomes generate each number 1 through 9 with none left out)

    To be able to make a table like this for arbitrary numbers, you need a number that can be factored into dice that exist while also being divisible by your target number, e.g. 36 = 6 * 6 = 9 * 4. This also means this technique will not work for a prime number like 7.

  2. Hunfakednd says:

    Step 1: play online on roll20.net
    Step 2: write the command “/roll 1d37” in the chat
    Step 3: laugh maniacally while the dice gods desparately cry above you.

    Btw, since this is basically my first comment here, i’d like to thank you for all the great stuff you’ve written. I found it immensely helpful, and i probably wouldn’t be where i am as a DM without your site. I’ve just started my online open table campaign a month ago, and i love it!

  3. subhuman says:

    I’m not the biggest dice fanatic, but I am able to roll all of those on a single die.

    https://www.coolstuffinc.com/p/215728

    Of course, here recently, I’ve just been using the Roll20 command line.

  4. Eric says:

    2: d12/6
    3: d12/4
    4: d12/3
    5: d12/2, reroll 11,12
    6: d12/6

  5. Leland J. Tankersley says:

    I just roll d100 all the time, re-rolling when the result is too high for the desired range.

    What? Rolling dice is fun, right?!

  6. Nathan says:

    You can also tell Ok Google to roll 1d(n) or pick a number between 1 and (n). I would think Siri does the same but cannot confirm.

  7. robbbbbb says:

    I’ve got one of the Games Workshop scatter dice that I use for stuff like this. Just roll the die and see who it points to at the table.

  8. Adam Bilodeau says:

    Statistically speaking, a d9 can be done with 2d6, actually used as d3’s; the first d3 is taken for its face value (i.e. 1-3), while the 2nd d3 is used to determine what is added to the first d3. If the 2nd d3 equals 1, then take the result as is; if the 2nd d3 equals 2, then add 3 to the result of the first d3 (effectively generating 4-6); and if the 2nd d3 equals 3, then add 6 to the result of the 2nd d3 (effectively generating 7-9).

  9. Alexander_Anotherskip_Davis says:

    _If_ anyone really wants a fair D(n) I could make one using my Turning dice. Its about 125$ for me to make a master (incudes ordering, shipping costs, and polishing time and materials.. soooo much poloishing time…) from which I can cast as many as you want for about $1.00 a die thereafter. (+Shipping, if need be)
    Generally the best results lie between d4 and d30 but if you want it…

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