But Wait! What Makes a Good Set of Dice?
So now we know what all the types of dice are that you might use in D&D. But if you’re going to be investing in a set of dice that’s going to be your constant companion on adventures, or you’re gifting a set to a loved one, you want to know what the qualities are of good dice!
There are so many different brands and varieties of dice, and choosing which one to shop from can be hard! What makes a good set of dice? Who manufactures the best ones? Luckily here at the The Dice Emporium we stock some amazing brands such as Chessex. We’ve got a wide range of options, and can satisfy all of your dice needs!
First and foremost, when shopping for dice it’s important to know what makes a great set of dice. Generally there are six major ways that you can judge dice by, and each are as important as the last. They are Accuracy, Durability, Material, Style, Readability, and Affordability.
We’ll walk you through each of these categories so you know everything you’re looking for:
Accuracy When playing D&D it is incredibly important that your dice be fair and balanced. In order for dice to be fair each of the sides of the die need to be equally sized, and there need to not be any air bubbles or weight shifts so that each side has an equal probability of rolling.
Durability If you’re investing in dice, you want them to last! Over the years dice can see a lot of wear and tear, and lesser brands of dice are going to see some serious signs of damage, whether in cracks, faded numbers, or splitting clean in half. While some weathering can certainly add personality to dice, no one wants to lose their favorite set! Unfortunately a lot of lesser brands have issues with durability, and you have to be careful while shopping.
Dice come in two main materials: Polymer (plastic), and Metal. Polymer dice are lighter, but tend to be prone to a lot more problems. They wear down easier, are more prone to cracks and bubbles, and tend to be far less durable than metal dice. However polymer dice can be injected with different colors during their injection molding, and this can lead to beautiful colorations on the dice. Also, they tend to be a lot cheaper! While polymer dice have their drawbacks, metal ones can too. The metal dice can be a bit more expensive, which makes losing one that much more painful. But there are some very cool aspects to the metal dice! Metals tend to be six to seven times the weight of their polymer counterparts, and this lends a much greater sense of gravity to their rolls. In addition, all are electroplated with finishes at the end of their manufacturing process, so there are some truly awesome style and coloration options available to metals that aren’t to polymers. Just make sure you don’t store them together because metal and polymers don’t play nice, and metals will often scratch the plastics. Ultimately, the choice of material is one of style vs style, and that preference is entirely up to you!
Style
There are some truly wondrous dice out there! A personal favorite is the Chessex Gemini set. These bad boys are given different reflective colorings in the injection molding process so that they have a multicolored shine under the light! Truly gorgeous. One of the coolest things about dice is the wide range of styles, colors, finishes, and designs they come in. Some are arcane and inscribed with elven runes. Others are heavy metal dice that have all the weight and power of old mountains in their rolls. But no matter their size or shape, dice tend to be beautiful, and a beautiful companion to every game of Dungeons and Dragons.
With dice, it’s important that the numbers on the faces be visible. Some color combinations work well for this, and many dice brands succeed at making sure the number color complements the die color well. Unfortunately, sometimes they don’t. When shopping for dice make sure that the numbers you see seem complementary to the dice colors, and make sure they seem visible. Because if not, you might be struggling at the game table.
Affordability
The last, and most certainly not least aspect you need to judge your dice on is affordability. No one wants to pay overpriced nonsense for dice. But there are some truly wondrous dice out there! These could range from simple metal ones to complex hand-crafted works of art! However the more unique the die, the harder it is to replace if it gets lost. So everyone has to strike a balance. The more expensive dice make wonderful gifts, or great sets that you pull out for special occasions, and the more affordable dice make great standard dice that you use for any and all adventures!
Now You Know What Makes a Good Dice Set, What's The Best Option?
So ultimately there’s so much to know about different kinds of dice, and there’s so much to look for! Ultimately we believe that Chessex are the best manufacturers for the price you pay. There’s a reason they brand themselves as “The coolest dice on the planet” (We’re looking at you Gemini set). And there’s a reason that Chessex Dice are the most popular in the industry. They’ve got everything you’re looking for. They’re accurate, durable, stylistic, readable, and best of all: affordable! So if you’ve got dice needs, come down to the Dice Emporium, and let us help make your adventures ones to remember.
