DiceCollector.com's DICELOPEDIA (Encyclopedia of Dice)

   
A list of terms ... definitions ... and ramblings related to dice and dice collecting

DATABASE COLUMN DESCRIPTIONS
 
BRAND
 
COLOR
 
COLOR STYLE IN INVENTORIED LOCATION
MATERIAL OPACITY    
SHARPNESS
 
SIDES SIZE STYLE
 
TERMS AND SYMBOLS USED IN THE DATABASE
 
  CHEATER
GAFFED OR
WEIGHTED DICE
 
D<NUMBER> DECKAIDER
D% / D00 / TENS
CONFIGURATIONS
 
<DESCRIPTION>
 
EXCLUSIVESFACES
VS
SIDES
FONTSN+1 RULEORIENTAL 2
PARCHISIRECOLORSPINDOWNSYMBOLSTETRAHEDRAL
FOUR-SIDED DICE

CONFIGURATIONS
TRUE D10
 
OTHER DISCUSSIONS ... THOUGHTS AND RAMBLINGS
 
A REALIZATION
WHILE

CLEANING A DIE
ABBREVIATIONSADVERTISEMENTS
FOR
DICE
ARCHIVE OF
MONTHLY
HIGHLIGHTS
ARTICLES
ABOUT
DICE
BOOKS
ABOUT
DICE
COMICS
ABOUT
DICE
CONVENTIONSD<NUMBER>
VS
<NUMBER>-
SIDED 
DICE
ANIMATIONS
DICE
GROUPS
DICE-MAKING
TERMS
DICE
PATENTS
DICE
VIDEOS
DIE VS DICE
EARLY
POLYHEDRAL
DICE
EFFECTSEXTENSION
MEMBER
FACET
 
FREQUENTLY
ASKED
QUESTIONS
HISTORY
OF
COSMIC WIMPOUT
HISTORY
OF
THE D100
HOW IS THE
COLLECTION
STORED?
HOW MUCH IS
<THIS>

WORTH?
HOW TO
IDENTIFY DICE
HOW
I PHOTOGRAPH
DICE
HOW TO
RECOLOR
DICE INDICIA
INFO
ABOUT
THE COLLECTION

HISTORY / GUINNESS / ETC
NON-ENGLISH
WORDS FOR DICE
NOTEWORTHY
DICE
QUOTES
ABOUT
DICE
SHIPPING
TIPS
(HOW TO SHIP DICE?)
SHOPPING
TIPS
(WHERE TO BUY DICE?)
SYNONYMS
FOR
DICE 
UNDERSCORE
VS
DOT
WHAT
ARE
DICE?
WHAT ARE DICE
MADE OF?
WHAT
ARE
INDICIA?
WHAT ARE
PERCENTILE
DICE?
WHAT
ARE
PIPS?
WHAT ARE
POLYHEDRAL
SETS?
WHAT ARE THE
LARGEST AND
SMALLEST DICE?
WHAT ARE
TEETOTUM?
WHAT IS
A

COMPLETIONIST?
WHAT KINDS
OF DICE
ARE THERE?
WHAT SHAPES
DO
DICE HAVE?
WORLD MAP
OF
DICE COLLECTORS
 

ABBREVIATIONS

 
There are a number of abbreviations used by members of Dice Collecting Groups

D<NUMBER> - has its own section as this one is complicated

FLGS - FRIENDLY LOCAL GAMING STORE ... usually a brick and mortar store like J&J'S GAMES N HOBBIES and
ISO - IN SEARCH OF - Term used by someone looking for a die or dice

MINT - A term that describes the condition of dice or the container in which they are stored as being in perfect condition
             When describing packaging it is often an abbreviation for MINT IN PACKAGE (MIP) or MINT IN BOX (MIB)

NG / OG - NEW GLITTER / OLD (or ORIGINAL) GLITTER is a controversial issue and is discussed HERE

OOP - OUT OF PRODUCTION - A product (dice in this case) that was made in the past and is no longer being made

OOS - OUT OF STOCK - A product that was made in the past and is no longer in stock in stores ... It may or may not still be being produced

POD - POUND OF DICE - Bulk dice are often sold by the pound


DICE COMPANY ABBREVIATIONS

CC -               CRYSTAL CASTE

CHX -             CHESSEX
 
D&G -                                    DICE & GAMES
                                              DICE & GAMES
 
GW -               GAMES WORKSHOP
 
GS -                GAMESCIENCE

QW or Q-W - Q-WORKSHOP
 
SJG -              STEVE JACKSON GAMES DICE
 
TSR -              TSR DICE  I think everyone knows this one ... but few know it stands for Tactical Studies Rules
   
WOTC -          WIZARDS OF THE COAST

BRAND
(Database column & Dice Theme type)

 
The BRAND (database column) of a die is kind of a hard thing to define ... as such ... I try to give as much info as I can in the database
 
* First you have who sold it ... and they most likely are not the person or company who manufactured it 
  
 
* Next you have who commissioned the die to be made ... which definitely is not who made it 
  They can have several layers (yes ... like Ogres) of commissions

   If I know the next layer down ... I try to include it in the database as 'COMPANY NAME' CUSTOM

   It is common for a company who is known for selling dice ... such as IMPACT MINIATURES to commission dice to be made by a company
     in China such as PANDA ... and they subcontract it out to another company

   EXAMPLE:
 
     This Dice : MINT77 DICE ENVY Q WORKSHOP SNOWSHOE HARE set was commissioned by  but was made by Q-WORKSHOP
 


 
* Finally you have the manufacturer ... the company or person who actually made the die

  Now that making your own dice is becoming common ... many end manufacturers are now direct sellers


CLICK HERE BRANDS for the menu of dice BRANDS that were chosen to have pages devoted to them.

CHEATER ... GAFFED ... OR WEIGHTED DICE
   
I suspect for as long as there have been dice ... there have been players / rollers who try to cheat

First ... I think we should define the opposite of the type of dice we will be discussing in this section

Fair Dice ... are dice that roll an equal number of times on each side of the die ...

Examples
   * A four-sided die (d4) that rolls each side 25% of the time
   * A six-sided die (d6) that rolls each side 16 2/3% of the time
   * A eight-sided die (d8) that rolls each side 12 1/2% of the time
   * A ten-sided die (d10) that rolls each side 10% of the time
   * A twenty-sided die (d20) that rolls each side 5% of the time

Now ... let's discuss cheating

One way of cheating is to develop a skill to roll a fair die such that a desired result is rolled ...
    This is sometimes called 'using English'  ... blanket roll ... Greek shot ... slide shot ... twist shot or whip shot

This page is devoted to Dice and Dice Collecting so I will not be discussing this skill

While researching this section I became aware of a term of which I had not heard before

   PERCENTAGE DICE - Not to be confused with percentile dice ... this is a class of dice that include all dice that cause a specific side
       to roll upward a higher percentage of time than the other sides ... This includes Shapes ...  Weighted dice

This section will discuss dice that have been modified in order to cheat

Over the centuries there have been many terms for dice of this nature ...
    Bevels ... Bricks .. Bristles ... Busters ... Cappers ... Cheaters ... Crooked ... Cut-Edged ...  Flats ... Floppers ... Gaffed ... Loaded ... Missouts ... Passers ... Raised-Edge
    Sawtooth .. Shapes ... Shaved ... Slick ... Split-Edged ... Spot Loaded... Suction... Tappers ... Tops and Bottoms ... Trip... Weighted

Generally crooked or gaffed dice have come to mean any die that has been physically modified to achieve a higher percentage of a desired roll


There are seven categories of this type of die

1)   BUSTERS ... CHEATERS ..  DOUBLE NUMBER ... HIGH AND LOW ... HORSES ... MIS-SPOTTED .. TEES (T's) or TOPS AND BOTTOMS - 
         are terms for fair dice that have been modified by removing certain values and adding others

       These are some of the terms for a fair six-sided (d6) that is manufactured with duplicate sides so that certain rolls can ... or cannot be achieved
         For example ... a pair of d6's with two 3's ... two 4's and two 5's ... can never roll a 2,3,4,7 or 12 (undesireable roll in the game of CRAPS after the point is set)

    HIGH or LOW - Dice that have two sides each of 4 ... 5 ... 6 ... or... 1... 2 ... 3 (respectively) are used to cheat in BACKGAMMON

   CHEATERS - A recent term that describes dice that have more than one high or low number ... for example a D20 with two 20's (opposing) or two 1's (opposing)
      Since opposing sides are the same value ... the correct value will of course be replaced by the high or low number opposing it
 
Dice : MINT3 CHESSEX CHEATER 01
 
2) SHAPES - Is a generic term that describes a die whose shape has been modified to rolll unfairly ...
      for example ... a die with a convex side will land on that side less often than the non convex sides

   BEVELS - Dice that have been modified to have one or more convex sides

   BRICKS or FLATS - Dice that have been modified such that two opposing sides are larger than the others (brick shaped)
      so that the tendency is to roll one of the two sides more often

   SHAVED - A method by which a die is shaved or carved to roll unfairly

   SUCTION DICE - A die that has been modified to have a concave side to try to cause said side to slightly adhere to the rolling surface

   TRIP DICE - A die whose edges (razor / bevel (chamfer) / rounded (turned)) are modified in such a combination as to cause a higher percentage of desired rolls
      Specific variants of this type are:

         * CUT-EDGE dice which have one or more edges beveled at 45 degrees
         * RAISED-EDGE dice which have one or more edge that has a lip to influence the roll
         * SPLIT-EDGE or SAWTOOTH dice are dice that have a serrated edge to influence the roll

3) LOADED or WEIGHTED dice - A method by which a die is weighted to roll unfairly

   Good examples of this type of die will appear to be fair dice

   Cappers ... Floats (or Floaters) ... Floppers ... Spot Loaded... Tappers
      are just some of the terms used to describe the different methods of weighting a die

    These types of dice will appear to be fair even if measured with a micrometer ... but a weight has been added to cause the die to roll unfairly

   FLOATS or FLOATERS are dice that have a void space within the die to cause the side just above the void to be rolled more often
      They are referred to by these names as the dice tend to float in water

   SPOT LOADED - I could not find a description of this type of die ... but based on the tests to see if you have this type of die ...
      I assume that the pips (or spots) have been replaced / under-set ... with a heavy material such as lead, gold or platinum 



   TAPPERS or MERCURY TAPPERS

      Dice which have a bead of mercury that can be channeled from the center of the die to a face or corner of a die to influence the roll

Dice : D6 OPAQUE ROUNDED SOLID WHITE TAPPERS 01

4) BRISTLES

    A fair die that has been modified by adding a pin ... horse or pig bristle ... into a hole drilled into a center pip of a pipped six-sided die to cause the die to
       snag or catch on the rolled surface

5) SLICK

    A die that has some sides polished while other sides are roughened to cause certain values to be rolled

6) CAPPED

   Similar to shapes ... this type of die have had one or more sides shaved and the removed section replaced by a similar looking material that differs in
      in elasticity thus causing the die to bounce more when landing on the modified side

7) ELECTRIC or MAGNETIC

   A die which has had either the whole side or just the pips replaced by a ferro-magnetic material to allow an electromagnet to influence the roll

   This type of die as been used in CRAPS tables and CHUCK-A-LUCK cages


Some generic terms with regard to this type of die

   MISSOUTS are a pair of six-sided dice that favor 7's

   PASSERS are a pair of six-sided dice that favor passes (CRAPS term) and not 7's


I learned a lot when researching this section ... if nothing else ... I do not have many examples of this type of die ... and I now know names for the ones I do have

REFERENCES :

https://www.britannica.com/topic/tops-and-bottoms
https://www.dice-play.com/DiceCrooked.htm

COLOR AND COLOR STYLE
(Database columns)

 
Die COLOR  (database column) ... PIP COLOR  (database column) and COLOR STYLES (database column) are discussed on HERE
  <TOP OF PAGE>

CONVENTIONS
At present there are no conventions specifically relating to dice .... There are conventions that are very good 'hunting grounds' for dice collectors

There are many conventions that have their own dice ... this does not mean that they would be a good place to search for dice

Of the conventions I have attended ... or spoke to people who have attended these are my choices of best places to attend to collect dice

1) spiel essen - Essen - Germany

2)  - Indianapolis, Indiana -  United States

3) ORIGINS - Columbus, Ohio - United States

4) - United States (multiple locations) / Melborne - Austrialia

5)  - Atlanta, Georgia - United States

D<NUMBER>

 
This term is well known by gamers (pen and paper) and dice collectors ... but may not be known by others

   d or D followed by one or more characters (usually a number) is an abbreviation that most often describes the number of SIDES
      that the die can come to rest upon but not always

   EXAMPLES :
     
           D6 denotes a six-sided die Dice : MINT80 UNKNOWN D6 LARGE WOODEN 03

           d20 is short for a twenty-sided die Dice : MINT79 GATE KEEPER FREE RPG DAY 2021

           d100 (yes ... they do exist) are one hundred-sided dice Dice : MINT74 Q WORKSHOP D100
 

   

   It can also represent the number of unique sides on a die as discussed HERE
 

     
An exception to this rule is the 
deckaider ...D% .. D00 ... Tens (Chessex term) ... Dice : D10 OPAQUE ROUNDED IRIDESCENT CHESSEX GEMINI 05


D<NUMBER> VS <NUMBER>-SIDED

 
I was having a discussion with a contributor when I realized that a concept gamers take for granted may not be clear to non-gamers

Most non-gamers would not realize there is a difference between ...
   a D<NUMBER> (such as a D6)  and a <NUMBER>-sided die (such as a six-sided die)

Many games specify that if a D6 is to be rolled (for damage ... spaces to move etc)
   it is important to understand that this refers to a die producing a result of 1 through 6 (as opposed to backgammon doubling cubes, six-sided averaging dice, etc.)

Dice collectors may use more vague definitions such as referring to any six-sided die as a D6 

These two concepts (D<NUMBER> vs <NUMBER>-sided dice) ...
   are really FORM (number of sides) vs FUNCTION (number of unique degrees of freedom) ... so it is important to understand the difference
   

   

As stated in the section on D<NUMBER> ... It usually denotes the number of sides on a die ...
   

There are a couple of small but important distinctions that need to be made ...

1) Dice with multiple and equal number of occurrences of each result ...
     For instance ... a six-sided die with two ones ... two twos ... and two threes is a D3

Examples:

Dice : MINT19 Q WORKSHOP FUDGE 01 Dice : MINT29 MEGA BRANDS AVATAR THE BOARD GAME 01 Dice : D8 OPAQUE SHARP SOLID D4 02 Dice : MINT73 MODIPHIUS NIBIRU
Six-sided D3
3 unique sides each 2 times
Twelve-sided D3
3 unique sides 4 times
Eight-sided D4
4 unique sides each 2 times
Twelve-sided D4
4 unique sides each 3 times
Dice : D10 OPAQUE ROUNDED SOLID KOPLOW D5 01 Dice : D20 OPAQUE ROUNDED SOLID D5 01 Dice : D12 OPAQUE ROUNDED SOLID WADDINGTONS WORLD CUP 98 MONOPOLY 01 Dice : MINT68 BESCON D7
Ten-sided D5
5 unique sides each 2 times
Twenty-sided D5
5 unique sides each 4 times
Twelve-sided D6
6 unique sides each 2 times
Fourteen-sided D7
7 unique sides 2 times
Dice : MINT50 ARMORY BROWN 02 Dice : MINT81 PARTICULA GODICE 02 Dice : MINT79 LEN POLYGON DULTIMATE PROTOTYPE
Twenty-sided D10
10 unique sides each 2 times
Twenty-four-sided D12
12 unique sides each 2 times
One-Hundred Twenty-sided
D4 D6 D8 D10 D% D12 D20

2) Dice that are not sequentially numbered by one ... examples:

   * The deckaider / D% / D00 / Tens is a ten-sided die but not a D10

Dice : D10 OPAQUE ROUNDED IRIDESCENT CHESSEX GEMINI 05

   * Averaging dice which in the case of a D6 is numbered 2 ... 3 ... 3 ... 4 ... 4 ... 5 ... but this is not a D6

Dice : MINT34 UNKNOWN AVERAGING 01

   * Multi-Function Dice ... often have their own names ...

MULTIFUNCTION DICE
 

 
<NUMBER>-sided dice actually denote the number of unique degrees of freedom (sides / faces / extension member facets) of the die
   without regard to how many distinct indicia the die has ... so ... for the D3 example above ... it would be a six-sided die but it would be called a D3

Here are examples of dice with different numbers of sides:


 

   

So ... Think of D<NUMBER> as a die that rolls 1 to <NUMBER> and ...
    a <NUMBER>-sided die  as a die that if you count the sides ... equal <NUMBER>

*** NOTE: Many thanks to Arthur Storvik Levesque for his help on this section
   <TOP OF PAGE>

<DESCRIPTION>
<.....> is a database indicator that denotes some sort of visual description / attribute / feature

Entries of this type are a visual descriptor enclosed by a Less Than (<) symbol followed by a Greater Than (>) symbol

Examples include :

     <RABBIT/HARE> as seen above in BRAND this denotes a graphic

     <TOP READ> as seen above in DECKAIDER D% / D00 / TENS CONFIGURATIONS this denotes a configuration of the numbers on the die

     <MINE / SATELLITE SHAPED> ... this describes the shape of the die

     <ROUGH PEBBLED SURFACE> ... describes the surface of the die
  <TOP OF PAGE>

DECKAIDER D% / D00 / TENS CONFIGURATIONS


The "Deckaider" was first released in March 1990 by GAMESCIENCE
     
It is  the companion to the D10 which in combination is used for percentage (1-100) rolls ...
     and is numbered (and referred to in the database as) 00-90...
     where 00 either represents 100 when the d10 rolls a 0 ... or represents a 0 when 1-9 is rolled on the d10

This die has had a number of names over the years including ... Deckaider ... D% (Percentage Ten) ... D00 ... and Tens (Chessex term)

The orientation and size of the numbers has also had a number of configurations over the years



This article will refer to this type of die by three characteristics

The DIRECTION in which the numbers are read :
    * Across the GIRDLE
    * Towards the TIP
    * Towards the BASE
    * On a DIAGONAL

The SIZE of the two digits relative to one another:
    * EVEN denotes that both digits are of the same size
    * SHRINKING denotes  that the first digit (highest significance) is larger than the second digit

The ORIENTATION of the digits on the die
   * OFF-CENTER indicates that the two digits are not centered within the boundary of the extension member facet
    ** NOTE ... if not otherwise stated the numbers are centered



This article will give examples of several SHAPES of this type of die

 
PENTAGONAL TRAPEZOHEDRON or (PENTAGONAL DELTAHEDRON)
SPINDLE (ELONGATED ICOSAHEDRON)    
SIMULACRUM   



These examples are in ascending chronological order of the date I first either became aware of ... or entered them into the database (usually soon after release)



GIRDLE EVEN

First mass-produced by :  GAMESCIENCE

Introduced : March 1990

Girdle Even was the first style of Deckaider

This type of die is read parallel to the GIRDLE of the die ... and are the same size (EVEN) ... with the top of the number toward the tip

EXAMPLES:

Database entries 

 
     


TIP SHRINKING

First mass-produced by:
CHESSEX as far as I know

Introduced : Sometime after 1987 (founding of Chessex) but before 2000 (when I started recording my acquisitions)

Tip Shrinking was the second style of Deckaider and likely was first introduced by Chessex

This style of die is read perpendicular to the GIRDLE from the GIRDLE to the TIP with the second digit being smaller than the first (SHRINKING)

EXAMPLES:

Database entries 


        

GIRDLE SHRINKING

First mass-produced by : Q-WORKSHOP
Introduced : 2005

Girdle Shrinking is read parallel to the GIRDLE with the second digit being smaller than the first (SHRINKING)

Database entries 





DIAGONAL D00

First mass-produced by : Q-WORKSHOP
Introduced : 2005

Diagonal is read diagonally to the central line and has numbers that are the same height

Database entries





BASE EVEN

First mass-produced by :
PAIZO
Introduced : 2015

Base Even is read from the TIP to the BASE 
and has numbers that are the same height

Database entries 





DIAGONAL GIRDLE OFF-CENTER

Never mass produced

First Introduced by : Shapeways artist : Ceramic Wombat

Introduced : 2015

Diagonal Girdle Off-Center is read off center diagonally to the central line from the GIRDLE (or BASE) to the TIP and has numbers that are the same height

Database entries 




GIRDLE STACKED

First mass-produced by : 
Introduced : 2016

Girdle Stacked is read around the GIRDLE but instead of the numbers being read horizontally ... The numbers (of equal size) are read vertically

Database entries 




TIP EVEN

First mass-produced by :


Introduced : 2016

Tip Even is similar to Base Even except the direction by which it is read from the GIRDLE (or BASE) to the tip and has numbers that are the same height

Database entries 





DIAGONAL TIP SHRINKING OFF-CENTER

First mass-produced by : 


Introduced : 2017

Diagonal Tip Shrinking Off-Center is read off-center
diagonally to the central line ...
     from the GIRDLE (or BASE) to the TIP with the second digit being smaller than the first (SHRINKING)

Database entries 



GIRDLE STACKED SHRINKING

First mass produced by :

Introduced in : 2018

Girdle Stacked Shrinking is read parallel to the GIRDLE but instead of the numbers being read horizontally they are read verticaly ...
     The first/top digit is larger than the second/bottom digit (SHRINKING)

Database entries




COMBO D00

First mass produced by :
Introduced in : 2019

Combo or Combination Deckaider dice are read using two or more of the methods discussed here

Database entries 





BASE SHRINKING

First mass produced by :


Introduced in : 2021

Base Shrinking is read perpendicular to the GIRDLE and read from the TIP to the BASE with the second digit being smaller than the first (SHRINKING)

Database entries 





DIAGONAL SHRINKING


First mass-produced by : Q-WORKSHOP
Introduced : 2022

Diagonal Shrinking is read diagonally to the central line from the GIRDLE (or BASE) to the TIP with the second digit being smaller than the first (SHRINKING)

Database entries





GIRDLE EVEN UPSIDE DOWN

First mass produced by :  STEVE JACKSON GAMES DICE

Introduced :  2023

This type of die is read parallel to the GIRDLE of the die ... and are the same size (EVEN) ... with the top of the number toward the girdle





MIXED

First mass produced by :
Q-WORKSHOP

Introduced : 2023

This type of die has numbers that are a mix of other styles listed here

  <TOP OF PAGE>

DICE GROUPS
(COLLECTING ... DISCUSSING and MAKING)

 
BUNBUN'S BURROW OF CLICK CLACKS! - Founded by Bonnie Higgins and Tiffany Rose ... For the purpose of discussion of Dice

CASINO CHIP & GAMING TOKEN COLLECTORS CLUB (CC&GTCC) seems to also be a contemporary with the DMC in April 1999
        This group collects CASINO DICE as well as other casino paraphernalia

COMMUNITY FOR DICE MAKERS OF ALL ABILITIES! - Another great group for the discussion of dice making

DICE COLLECTORS - Dice Collectors was formed in 2016 by Christina Whitten
        A relaxed environment for dice collectors to talk and share anything dice related

DICE MAKERS - Founded by Jaren Nielsen with Dice Fanatics ... For the discussion of dice making

DICE MAKING AS A BUSINESS - Managed by Jared Nielsen with Dice Fanatics ... For the discussion of the dice making industry

DICE MANIACS' CLUB (DMC) - The Dice Maniacs' Club aka The Random Fandom ... was formed in 1999
     by Dr Alexander S. (wishes to remain anonymous) ... Dr Keng Ho Pwee ... and myself (Kevin Cook) ...

     It has had several meeting places ... let's call them clubhouses ... they include MSN groups ... Yahoo groups ... and the latest is Facebook

     Membership only requires that you have an interest in dice and or dice collecting ... and you call yourself a Maniac

     Think of the admins of the Facebook Group as the building management who
             put up with our nonsense ... keep the lights on ... and sweep up after our virtual meetings ... Many thanks ya'll

     There have been many DMC in person meetups over the years ... the most well attended at Spiel and Gen Con and others just passing by

GOBLIN DICE HOARD (GDH) - Goblin Dice Hoard was founded in 2018 by Jennifer Roberts ... Melissa Alexandria ... and Alexandra B.
        They quickly became the largest virtual dice collecting group

THE GREAT LIBRARY OF DICECRAFT - Formed by Kat Martinson and Tori Mayfield ... For the purpose of discussion of dice manufacturing

OTHER LESS ACTIVE GROUPS
 
DICE MAKING DISCOVERIES  - Founded by Emily Schroeder and/or Carly Helliesen ... For discussion of dice manufacturing

THE HISTORY OF DICE - Founded by Michael Schaffer ... For those who want to discuss the history of dice

INTERNATIONAL BONE ROLLERS GUILD (IBRG) -  Founded by Mitch Klink around November 2000 and existed until November 2007
       The IBRG was a contemporary with the DMC but is now defunct and is talked about HERE

MARVELOUS DICE RE-INKS - Founded by Shea Tahoe ... For those who who wish to discuss and display re-colored dice

SPECKLED DICE COLLECTORS -  Founded by Shea Tahoe ... For those who like to collect speckled dice
   

DICE-MAKING TERMS

 
Most plastic dice are injection molded ...

The major exception are CASINO DICE ... they are extruded into rods or sticks then milled as this is the method by which precision dice
   are made so they can meet the standards required by governments


Dice : THINGS PAULSON PROCEDURAL
 

 
Most metal dice use a different process ... but they still use molds

    Some metal dice use CNC milling ...  ACE PRECISION R&D is a good example of this
 

 
This is a list of terms used by mass production injection molders:


An EJECTION MARK is made when the molding machine uses a small rod or rods to force the die out of the mold



 

 
The GATE is the port through which molding material passes from the SPRUE to the MOLD


 

 
A MOLD ... sometimes referred to as a TOOL ... is a hollow device into which liquid molding material is injected to form a die

Dice : THINGS MOLD 01
 

 
A PART LINE is happens when the two halves of a mold do not quite seal completely and the resulting die shows the line of the two halves


 

 
The SPRUE of a mold is the small channel through which the molding material is poured or forced

They are often called 'trees' due to their branching appearance

Dice : THINGS DICE ON SPRUE Dice : THINGS MOLD WAX POSITIVES TRAYSER METAL WORKS
 

 
A SPRUE MARK or GATE MARK is left by the small channel through which the liquid plastic is poured into the mold


 

 
A die is TUMBLED ... much like rocks in a rock tumbler/polisher ... for two reasons

* The RAW die is dipped in paint and allowed to dry ... the excess (paint not in the INDICIA) needs to be removed

* The SHARPNESS of the die is wished to be ROUNDED  

This is a RAW die without paint / ink Dice : MINT72 KRAKEN POISON IVY RAW notice the sharp rough edges?

This is the same style of die that has been painted and TUMBLED Dice : MINT72 KRAKEN POISON IVY WITH SILVER notice the edges are now smooth?

DIE VS DICE

 
DIE is the singular of DICE ...

Common usage has caused 'dice' to mean both a single die or multiple dice

EARLY POLYHEDRAL DICE

   
Excluding ANCIENT or ANTIQUE ... non-wargaming ... and non-roleplaying polyhedral dice
 

early polyhedral dice for games like Dungeons & Dragons (prior to TSR DICE producing their own)

were made by companies like :

The Armory B & J ENTERPRISES DIAMOND DICE GAMESCIENCE
HERITAGE JERRY ALEXANDER martian metals TECHNY WINDMILL HOBBIES

*** Most of these companies were only in business for a few years ... and all but one or maybe two are as of now are out of business

EFFECTS
(Dice Theme type)

   
Dice Effects or Dice Side Effects are characteristics that are not found with everyday ordinary dice

They can be ...
     * Visual (Examples ...  Glow in the Dark or Lighted) 
     * Audial (Example ... Sounded)
     * Olfactory (Example ... Perfume)
     * Invisible (Examples ... Bluetooth or Ultraviolet)

They can have Multiple Functions ... be Liquid Filled  ... Provide a SHOCK when touched ... or can only be read with a QR code reader



 
CLICK HERE             for the menu of dice effects that were chosen to be represented 

EXCLUSIVES

 
EXCLUSIVES are dice that are / were only available for initial sale at an event ... a specific time ... or for a specific project (ex Kickstarter)

It is quite likely that they will be available for re-sale but at an increased price

EXAMPLES

EVENT
  Dice : MINT40 USAOPOLY BBC DOCTOR WHO PANDORICA EXCLUSIVE YAHTZEE SAN DIEGO COMIC CON EXCLUSIVE   Dice : MINT58 HASBRO DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS MY LITTLE PONY


TIME                                            PROJECT

Dice : MINT56 ADAM POOTS GAMES KINGDOM DEATH EASTER   Dice : MINT77 HORRIBLE GUILD ALONE

EXTENSION MEMBER FACET

 
EXTENSION MEMBER FACET is a term I learned while preparing for the Michael Bowling (Crystal Caste) v. Hasbro deposition

It seems to be legalese for SIDE or FACE

Although this term is not used in the database ... or even the website ... I felt that it needed to be defined
  <TOP OF PAGE>

FACES VS SIDES

   
The Database uses the terms Face(s) and Side(s) interchangeably 

In most cases SIDE is used to indicate the extension member facet

Face(s) most often refers to the front part of a person or creature's head 

FONTS

 
FONTS are the style in which numbers or letters are made (printed ... molded etc) ... this page for example ... uses the ARIAL font

Over the years dice dice have used many styles of fonts ... some already known ... others made up by the manufacturer or mold maker

The font used on dice often can help identify the BRAND

Here are some examples

Dice : D20 MTG OPAQUE ROUNDED SPECKLED WIZARDS OF THE COAST MTG ORIGINAL LOTUS 02 This font was created exclusively for MAGIC THE GATHERING and has been copied many times
 
Dice : MINT78 UDIXIDICE AC BL35  These are common fonts ... notice how this die uses at least 3 different fonts? ... Look at the '0's
 
Dice : MINT77 UDIXIDICE AC BL 24  This is one of my favorite fonts used on dice ... I call it FANTASY ... as it reminds me of the font from  Harry Potter

Dice : MINT75 UDIXIDICE AC GL27   Here is another font from the same manufacturer that I call GOTHIC

Fonts are another passion of mine as you can see with some of the themes on the site

   Game Builder Dice   

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

 
This is a list of the questions I am most asked about Dice ... Dice Collecting ... and the Collection

** Do you have a favorite die or set of dice?

No .. as the collection is constantly changing ... the first die that comes to mind ... also changes

** How long have you been collecting dice?

Short answer ... since August 1977 ... LONG ANSWER

** How many dice do you have in the collection?

The best way to tell is look at the number at the upper left of the main page for the site

** Do you really have the Guinness Record for the Worlds Largest Collection of Dice?

Yes

** What is the smallest / largest die in the collection?

CLICK HERE

** How to you know if you have a die / how do you prevent duplicates?

I have a database that I search and use the method HERE to try to prevent duplicates
 
** Do you ever get tired of collecting?

No ... I suppose it could be considered an obsession and I always manage to find new and interesting dice to add

** How do you recommend that a new collector get started on a dice collection?

Start small ... Don't try to take on everything ...
Pick a niche ... Blue dice ...or Warhammer dice ... or Brass Dice ... for example ...
Set a spending limit and stick to it

 <TOP OF PAGE>

HOW IS THE COLLECTION STORED?
   
The collection has been stored in several ways over the years ...

It first was stored in a large velour bag made from an old shirt ... when filled it looked like a faded orange bowling ball bag

Next ... I made a wooden chest  that had an old brass railroad lock ... and had wooden trays  to hold the dice ...
    I would take it to conventions and carry it around on my shoulder like a pirate .... Don't all good stories involve a pirate?

When next it expanded ... I added a green wooden chest from some place like Pier1 Imports
    I never tried carrying both chests around ... there was too much of a chance for disaster

As the collection grew ... I had to use Tupperware containers of increasing size and shelf units

HERE are some photos of the collection as it exceeded the wooden chests

HOW MUCH IS <THIS> WORTH?

   
I am often asked this question and it depends on a lot of factors such as ...

AGE - the older a die is ... will affect the price for which it will sell ... sometimes it increases the value ... sometimes it decreases the value

RARITY and DEMAND - These two factors go hand in hand
    If something is rare does not necessarily make it valuable ... For example ... a hand made die
    If it is in high demand but is not rare it can increase the value ... such as dice from collectible dice games 

MATERIAL - It should be obvious that if the raw materials from which a die is made costs more than some other material ...
     then the price SHOULD be higher in order to defray the cost of goods produced

CONDITION - This one should also be obvious ...
     It seems logical that if a die or dice are in MINT condition they would be worth more than those that are in a less-than perfect condition
     However ... There are collectors out there who collect worn or damaged dice 

NONE of this answers the question ... but provides background

The true answer to the question is ... a die or set of dice are worth what the market is willing to pay
    Often this can defy all of the conditions mentioned above ... I have seen plain .. not very attractive dice sell for hundreds of dollars ...
    I have seen very attractive dice (to me) sell for a small amount

This still does not answer the question ... perhaps a better question would be "How much does <THIS> sell for now? "

The best way I can advise for this question is to check sales history on ebay since it reaches the most people

HOW TO CHECK PAST SALES ON EBAY

1) Go to ebay.com
2) In the upper right next to the SEARCH button click on ADVANCED
3) Fill in the keywords for die or dice that you are wishing to value
4) Check the radio button SOLD LISTINGS ...
       Do not check Completed Listings as this includes auctions that do not sell .. and are often overpriced
5) Click Search
7) Come back regularly and do the search again until you have an idea of what people are willing to pay for your dice :)

HOW TO IDENTIFY DICE

 
Dice can be identified by several means ...

* By the FONT if it is unique to the die or BRAND
 

 
* By the orientation of the faces to one another as compared to a known MAP or TEMPLATE or LADDER
   I have accumulated a number of these to assist in tellling

   This method has been my most successful over the years as nearly every company's mold is different ... so the orientation of the faces
       with regard to the faces touching them will identify a mold ... which usually identifies a manufacturer
 

 
* By a database search ... Searching for words describing the die along with any other known info about the die

    An example can be seen HERE

Here are other databases that can be used for such a search :

Dice DB

ALEA KYBOS' DICE COLLECTION 
 

 
* By a brand (not BRAND) shown on the die 

GAMESCIENCE have

... small G's on the 1 side of their D20 ... D16 ... D14 ...D6's and D4's Dice : MINT48 GAMESCIENCE 02
   
... GAMESCIENCE and other info in between the numbers of their D100's

 

 
The Armory  first generation have A's ...

... on one of the two 0 sides of their d20's  Dice : BRAND ARMORY D20 1STGEN 01

... on the 1 side of their D8's Dice : BRAND ARMORY D8 1STGEN OPAQUE 01

... on one of the 1's on their D4's Dice : MINT77 ARMORY 1ST GENERATION D4

IN
(Database column)


   
IN (database column) is an abbreviation that indicates if the dice are contained within a container inside the LOCATION container

EXAMPLES:

A - CLAMSHELL Dice : MINT28 GAMES WORKSHOP MAGIC DICE 01 is usually a single part molded plastic container that encloses the dice 
 
B - BOX Dice : MINT1 CELLULOID IVORY POKER D8 02  Dice : POKER 17 usually cardboard or plastic

C - CARD  Dice : MINT7 CRISLOID CASE differs from BLISTER PACK in that the dice are affixed to the card rather than contained within plastic

F - FOIL PACK Dice : CASINO3 WILLIS AND CO 01 are usually also found in boxes Dice : MINT1 LANGWORTHY AND CO 02 ... but not always

G - BAG Dice : MINT9 EASY ACES NAUGHTY NICE  Dice : FOAM LEARNING RESOURCES 01 TIME DICE  Dice : MINT4 15
 
H - HANG TAG Dice : MINT39 INSPIRATION DICE CHARACTER TRAIT differs from CARD and BLISTER pack in that it is a BAG hanging from a CARD

I - TIN Dice : MINT78 CRYSTAL CASTE GEN CON 2021
 
L - LEATHER BOX Dice : MINT1 AMERICAN EXPORT LINE SS INDEPENDENCE 01

N - CAN Dice : MINT1 EA GOULD 01 Dice : MINT4 18

O - OTHER Dice : MINT2 GW LOTR FORCES OF EVIL Dice : MINT4 D6 POPOMATIC

P - BLISTER PACK Dice : MINT52 CRISLOID ROLE PLAYING ADVENTURE FANTASY DICE is usually a heat or glue bonded plastic container bound to a card that contains the dice
 
T - TUBE Dice : MINT4 KOPLOW TINY 01

INDICIA

   
INDICIA ... as it pertains to dice ...  is another term I learned while preparing for the Michael Bowling (Crystal Caste) v. Hasbro deposition

Indicia is not often used in the database or website but I thought it should be included here

An indicia is a mark on a die that shows a result of the die being rolled

Here are some examples of forms of indicia :

DOTS SYMBOLS INSTEAD OF DOTS NUMBERS LETTERS
Dice : MINT77 KOPLOW Dice : MINT50 KOPLOW ALIEN GLOW Dice : MINT25 KOPLOW RAINBOW POLYHEDRAL DICE 01 Dice : MINT61 KOPLOW D30 GERMAN LETTERS LOWER CASE

WORDS PICTURES (ICONS ETC) SYMBOLS
Dice : MINT34 KOPLOW UP FORWARD RIGHT DOWN BACK LEFT 01 Dice : MINT38 PLASTICS4GAMES FOR PYRE STUDIOS ENCOUNTER DICE WEAPONS DIE Dice : MINT77 FESTIVE FANTASY VIRTUAL FIST OF EMIRIKOL FIST OF FIRE

The result of the roll is usually the topmost indicium (singular of indicia) on a face ... but not always ... as in 'old school' four-sided dice (d4)

Notice how the number rolled is the bottommost number?

Dice : D4 OPAQUE ROUNDED SOLID PINK KOPLOW 01


Another example where the number is topmost ... but is on an edge ... not on a face ... is the first image below

I came up with this design in 2003 and may have been the first to do so ... I call them Straight Edge dice ... after the Punk Subculture

A couple of manufacturers have also used this idea ... but not on sharp edged dice ... second image


INVENTORIED
(Database column)


 
When the database was first created this column was intended to mean when a particular die was entered into inventory
    This usually meant close to when they were first available ...
    At certain times it has been necessary to re-inventory certain dice ... and the date was then changed from the original date to the current

LOCATION
(Database column)

   
LOCATION is an identifier that allows me to locate a container containing a die within the collection

It is usually a Tupperware ... Rubbermaid ... or Sterilite container of various sizes but sometimes are LOOSE

I have been asked about the term MINT which is the prefix to most of the container names.  It is just a word I chose to use early on in the collection

I started with MINT1 and have continued using the prefix ever since (at the time of writing ... I am on MINT80)

MATERIAL
(Database column & Dice Theme type)


 
Over the past 5 millennia ... dice have been made of a lot of materials ... I have missed some (on purpose)

MATERIAL(database column) describes what the outside of the die is made of ... the interior may or may not be of the same material

    For example ... Cloth dice with some sort of filler ...it could be cotton ... foam ... beans ... or even shredded paper

Here are the types of material and their abbreviations that I use in the database :

** NOTE : If the material type shows a link ... this is a link to a page that I have devoted to that material type
 

 
A - AMBER is petrified tree sap and as such ... dice made of this material are quite rare
 

 
B - BONE is a common material and likely was the first dice or dice like device ...
Dice : D4 OPAQUE ROUNDED SWIRL GRIMTROJAN DOT COM 01
       Sometimes called knucklebones ... these were a very early version of dice
 

 
C - CELLULOID or Parkesine or Xylonite or French Ivory is an early (1856) plastic like material that was used as a replacement for Ivory

      Celluloid dice are often identifiable by their layered appearance
 

 
D - CANDY dice are pretty much self explanatory and are fragile ...
              I keep my candy dice refrigerated to prevent degradation as much as possible
 

 
E - PAPER dice are also fragile but for the most part are easy to construct

      HERE are some templates if you wish to try to make your own
 

 
F - FOAM (RUBBER) dice are probably the least dangerous form of durable dice ...
                   I have seen videos of a gaming group having a battle using foam dice
 

 
G - GLASS dice are another fragile type of dice and due to the moldable nature of glass ... can take many forms
 

 
H - CLOTH dice are usually cloth outside and stuffed with foam beads ... cotton batting ... or even beans
 

 
 I - IVORY dice are made from the teeth or tusks of animals and as such are rare in most countries due to bans on this material

     An exception to the ban is ivory harvested from animals who live / lived in captivity ... and even then ... you must have special permits
     to manufacture using this material
 

 
J - SOAP dice are another form of fragile dice ... like Paper ... Candy ... Glass and Wax

     Dice can be made from soap either by carving ... or molding
 

 
K - BAKELITE dice are made using the first synthetic plastic which originated in 1909

       Bakelite has an odd smell when rubbed or placed in hot water and when cleaned with Simichrome Polish ... 409 ...
              gives off a yellow or brownish residue on the cleaning cloth / swab

Dice : MINT1 UNKNOWN BAKELITE 01
 

 
L - LEATHER dice are made of another common natural material ... but are not a common material from which dice are made
 

 
M - METAL is a common material from which dice are made

      So far I have acquired dice made from :
                   Aluminum ... Brass ... Bronze ... Copper ... Gold ... Iron ... Lead ... Magnesium ... Nickel ... Palladium ... Pewter ...
                   Rhodium ... Ruthenium ... Silver ... Steel ... Titanium ... Tungsten ... White Metal ... Zamak ... Zinc and Zirconium
 

 
N - HORN was likely a common material from which dice were made in the past as it is a byproduct of hunting
 

 
O - OTHER is the category that I use for dice that are made of unusual or rare material

Dice : MINT55 ARTISAN DICE TEFLON Dice : MINT48 TOMAS GERASIMOVIC COTOCUBE CARBON FIBER Dice : MINT47 LEO ATREIDES ROLLABLE PROTOTYPE SILENT DIE
TEFLON CARBON FIBER SILICONE
Dice : MINT8 UNKNOWN 01 Dice : D03 NATHANIEL HELLERSTEIN Dice : MINT46 FORMALITH 01
MOTHER OF PEARL PAPER + CORK FORMALITH
Dice : MINT1 TORTISE SHELL 01
TURTLE SHELL


 

CLICK HERE MATERIALS for the menu of dice MATERIALS that were chosen to be represented 
 

 
P - PLASTIC dice almost do not need any explanation 

   The two most common plastics used for dice today are Acrylic and Resin

   There are two types of plastics from which dice are usually made ... thermoset and thermoplastic.

   Plastics are strands of polymer chains.

   * Thermoplastics are the more common plastic used today. They are are made using pellets that are heated then injected into molds
     of a desired shape.  Thermoplastics have the same polymer chains in both solid and liquid (melted) form.
     Acrylic is a thermoplastic

   * Thermoset plastics only have polymer chains in solid form. This type of plastic can’t be melted and used for something else
     Thermoset resin uses two chemicals and when mixed together a chemical reaction occurs that generates heat and causes the polymer
     to conform to the shape of the container. The most common resin that is used for dice is epoxy
 

 
Q - ERASER dice have been around since at least the post WWII era ... I recently added a set from Japan from about that time

 

 
R - RUBBER dice are interesting to roll ... and sometimes hard to find after you do so

       The earliest set seems to be from wham-o  from 1966 ... and were remade in 2013
 

 
S - STONE dice are as varied as the stones of the earth and likely were also a very early material from which dice were made
 

 
T - AMALGAM dice are made up of two or more mixed materials


These Dice : MINT68 NORSE FOUNDRY SYNTHETIC PHOENIX LAPIS are a mixture of stone and plastic as are most if not all dice in this category


U - UNIDENTIFIED means I am unable to determine of what material the dice are made
 

 
V - POLYMER CLAY dice ... I just found out ... have been around for a long time ... Bakelite is considered a polymer clay

      The most known of the modern polymer clay brands are FIMO and SCULPY
 

 
W - WOOD is also an ancient material from which dice were likely made ... due to the fragile nature unless carefully stored they tend to rot away
 

 
X - WAX dice are also fragile and have to be protected
 

 
Y - CERAMIC dice unlike polymer clay have to be fired (heated to high temperature) in order for them to completely harden

     Once hardened ... they become quite durable
 

 
Z - COMPOSITE dice are those dice that are made up two or more distinct materials

For instance ...

          These Dice : MINT26 ACE PRECISION POLISH 1 ZLOTY 01 are made of plastic and metal

          These Dice : MINT34 SCHAPER LEFT OUT 01  are paper on the inside and plastic on the outside

          This Dice : MINT35 COACH 03 DIE NUMBER 43000 die is leather outside and seems to be lead shot on the inside

N+1 RULE

   
The N+1 Rule describes the total of the values of opposing sides of sequential numbered dice where N represents the number of SIDES

I am not sure who came up with this rule ... but I observed it early in my collecting with observations of pipped six-sided dice

I noted that most d6's in the collection had 6 and 1 ... on opposite sides of the die ... 5 and 2 ... and 4 and 3
    if totaled ... this came to 7 ... and since this is a six-sided die (N) ... it is N+1

This rule holds for most polyhedral dice ... with notable exceptions :

* 20-sided dice numbered 0-9 twice
   For this type of die it is normal for sides of the same value to oppose each other ... so 1 opposite 1 ... 2 opposite 2 ... etc
 
* Most  PENTAGONAL TRAPEZOHEDRAL shaped ten-sided dice Dice : D10 OPAQUE ROUNDED IRIDESCENT CHESSEX GEMINI 04   

    I believe that this started with the first true ten-sided die released in 1980 by 
GAMESCIENCE

    This type of die usually has 1 opposite 9 (or 10 opposite 90 for a deckaider) ...

    My thoughts as to why this happened are ... it was thought that the highest number on this type of D10 was 9 ... with 0 being the lowest ...
      in actuality when rolled as a D10 (as opposed to PERCENTILE DICE) 0 represents 10

   So to follow the N+1 Rule ... such a die should have 1 opposite of 0 (10) ... 2 opposite 9 ... etc



Modern thought about this rule seems to trend toward dice that follow the n+1 rule being more fair than those that do not

If one discounts that a die may be imbalanced or that the roller is actively trying to cheat (use "English") ... layout of the numbers on such a die becomes irrelevant

For example

If we have two different ... balanced ... dice that were made such that the numbers cannot be seen using normal light (must use ultraviolet light) ...
  The Level Up Stealth and Stealth II dice are examples of this

Dice : MINT69 LEVEL UP STEALTH DICE MARK II BLUE

One die follows N+1 ... the other does not follow N+1

Since the dice are both balanced ... and the factor of the roller being unable to see the numbers and use 'English' to influence the roll ...
    then configuration of the numbers on the dice should have no influence on what is being rolled

TIP: If you feel that someone is cheating ... and that their dice are not gaffed ... insist that they use a rolling device such as a dice cup or dice tower

OPACITY
(Database column)

 
OPACITY (database column) describes the ability of light to pass through a die
 
Here are the types of opacitance and their abbreviations that I use in the database :
 

 
B - BOTH CLEAR AND OPAQUE

This is for those types of dice that have sections that are clear ... and sections that are opaque
 
 

 
C - CLEAR

This should be self explanatory but it seems some dice manufacturers confuse Translucent with Clear

Clear dice are translucent ... but not all translucent dice are clear

Clear ... by my definition means ... you can see objects behind the die ... through the die

 

 
O - OPAQUE

Opaque dice are those where light is not able to pass through the body of the die

 

 

T - TRANSLUCENT

Translucent dice are those dice where light can pass through ... but you are unable to see through the die

The most common of this type of die is frosted casino dice


ORIENTAL 2
(Database term)


 
A type of pipped six-sided die (d6) exists in countries like China ... Japan ... and Taiwan where the one (1) pip is enlarged)
  and is red and sometimes the four pips are also red ... in addition the two side is vertical/horizontal (side to side) as opposed to
  the diagonal (from corner to corner) style of non eastern dice  


PARCHISI
(Database term)


 
I was first introduced to the game Parchisi or Pachisi in the late 1960's or early 1970's
   At that time ... inexpensive dice were included in the game and had flat black ... round bottom pips



This type of die is found in at least 2 sizes and multiple colors


RECOLOR

   
RECOLOR or Re-ink or even Color or Ink is not to be confused COLOR of the body of a die or its INDICIA

In this case ... this is an action taken by someone

* In some cases ... the INDICIA of dice are uncolored (uninked) and the owner decides to embellish the die by using ink or paint

* In other cases ... the original coloring has degraded or is hard to read so the owner recolors the INDICIA

* In still other cases the owner may find the die to be dull or uninspiring so the INDICIA is changed by re-painting or reinking

HERE ... I discuss the process by which I remove existing color in INDICIA and then replace it with other colors 

SHARPNESS
(Database column)


 
SHARPNESS (database column) is an abbreviation for the description of the edges of a die




B - BEVELED EDGES

Also called chamfer ... a beveled edge die is a die that has a flat surface for an edge that is not perpendicular to any of the faces.

This type of die has a small chance of landing and standing on one of the beveled edges 

 

 
C - CORNERS (ROUNDED)

The edges of this die are sometimes called Ball Corner

This type of die has the characteristic of having rounded corners ... and in the case of a six-sided die ... has a circular face

 

 
I - IRREGULAR

Irregular dice follow a general line like sharp edged dice but are irregular or uneven

 

 
L - SLAB FACE

I designed these in August 2005 and do not think anyone has made a production version

I call them slab face as I imagined a die made of slabs of concrete ... either square ... triangular ... or deltahedral

 

 
O - OTHER

Dice with this type of edge do not fit any other classification ...There are not many of these

Dice : MINT33 KARIBEA THE ORIGINAL COCKOO CLOCK 01
 

 
R - ROUNDED (EDGES)

Dice with this type of edge are rounded ... similar to the rounded corner style ... it is rounded all the way to the corner (vertex) of the side

Dice : MINT80 UNKNOWN D6 BLUE
 

 
S - SHARP

Dice with this classification of edge are sharp ... but not so sharp as to be able to cut ... that type of die is classified as RAZOR

 

 
X - INDESCRIBABLE

Well ... uh

 

 
Z - RAZOR

This classfication of edge is also SHARP ... but is so much so that they can cut things like paper

Casino Dice are ... as far as I know ... all razor edged unless they have degraded so much as to no longer be sharp


SHIPPING TIPS
(HOW TO SHIP DICE?)

   
Here are my suggestions for shipping dice

SHOPPING TIPS
(WHERE TO BUY DICE?)

 
Here are the sources I have used over the years for acquiring dice ...
   This list is in order of what I believe to be QUANTITY of dice acquired 

1) eBay - I have no easy way to determine accurately how many dice have been acquired via eBay ...
     If feedback is an indicator ... mine is around 4250 unique sellers

2) Word of mouth - I hear from manufacturers ... vendors ... and more importantly fellow collectors ... either via email or via social media

3) Crowd funding sites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo

4) Conventions are great resources for meeting dice company representatives and fellow collectors

5) Online shopping centers - eBay qualifies for this category but as it has been the largest source over the years it has its own classification ...
     Amazon ... Aliexpress ... Etsy are the main 'online shopping centers' as they sell items other than dice ... as well as dice

6) Direct sales via a manufacturer / vendor website
     This is part of #2 above but not completely as there are sites I visit regularly and discover new styles of dice without being notified

7) In person purchases -  including my FLGS and CONVENTIONS

8) Trades with fellow collectors

9) Donations - Over the years ... donations have come from

     * My FLGS (Thanks J&J's and Relentless Dragon)
     * Fellow collectors (Thanks Chris ... Ericka ... Joe and Yorkus)
     * Gamers (who do not specifically collect)
     * Manufacturers / Vendors often include extra dice in my orders (Thanks Q-Workshop and Udixidice)

SIDES
(Database column)


 
SIDES (database column) is similar to D<NUMBER>  except that it always represents the number of physical sides

Click HERE to see the sides summary of the collection

If a die has consecutive numbering from 1 to the number of sides ... then SIDES and D<NUMBER> would be the same number

If the die has consecutive numbering from 1 to N where N is a divisor of SIDES and has this series the divisor number of times
    SIDES and D<NUMBER> would NOT be the same number

EXAMPLES

This set Dice : D8 OPAQUE SHARP SOLID D4 02 is numbered 1 to 4 two times ... so the number of sides is 8 but it is a D4

   It is represented in the database as 1-4 (X2)
   

These dice Dice : MINT73 MODIPHIUS NIBIRU are numbered 1 to 4 three times ... and are twelve-sided but is also a D4

It is represented in the
database as 1-4 (X3)
 

These MONOPOLY dice Dice : D12 OPAQUE ROUNDED SOLID WADDINGTONS WORLD CUP 98 MONOPOLY 01 are numbered 1 to 6 twice ... are twelve-sided ... but are a D6s

It is represented in the database as 1-6 (x2)
   

Finally ... the most common die of this type ... at least for pen and paper gamers

This die Dice : MINT50 ARMORY BROWN 02 is numbered 0 to 9 twice ... even though this is twenty-sided ... it is technically a D10

If one of each number is colored a different color from the first set ... this die could be used as both a D10 and a D20

EXAMPLE :

If one set of 0-9 was red and the other white ... the roller would say RED HIGH to indicate which were the numbers 11-20
     ... so a Red 0 ... would usually be the ultimate goal .. a 20 :)


It is represented in the database as 0-9 (x2)

SIZE
(Database column)


 
If you are seeking information about the Smallest and Largest dice in the collection ... CLICK HERE

SIZE (database column) is kind of a nebulous term in the database as I chose to only give a quantitative measurement for cubic six-sided dice

When measuring cubic six-sided dice ... the numeric measurement is in INCHES and is from one face to the opposing face
 
Click HERE to see the sides summary of six-sided dice in the collection


Definition of non cubic six sided dice requires a bit of history ...

     In the mid 1970's
 
                      and later  TSR DICE

     released dice that seem to have used similar molds

     Here is an example of the TSR (Holmes) version

Dice : TSR HOLMES
 
     In this set ... the D20 and D12 are larger than the 'standard' that is discussed below ... and the proportions of these dice never seems to have become standard

     A bit later in the mid 1970's  GAMESCIENCE  released their polyhedral sets

     These dice seem to have now become the 'standard' propotions for polyhedral dice

As I could not establish a method of consistent measurement ...
     face to face ... corner to corner ... etc ...
     mostly due to things like the D7 ...

    I refer to general terms in relation to the sizes of the aforementioned Gamescience dice which I will refer to as STANDARD

When polyhedral dice are identified with a size (12mm ... 16mm ... 20mm ... 30mm ... 55mm) ... this typically is a measurment from face to face
     In poly sets ... it is usually the measurement of the d6 from face to face

Here are my terms :

TINY            <75% the size of standard

MINI             75% 
the size of standard ... This size of polyhedral dice set is sometimes called 12mm 

SMALLER  76% - 90% ...
This size of polyhedral dice set is sometimes called 14mm

-                    Designated by a dash (-)  this is the most common size ... either due to the dice being consistent with the STANDARD size mentioned above
                          or because there is no standard for the shape

                      This size of polyhedral dice set is sometimes called 16mm

LARGER     150%-200%
the size of standard ... This size of polyhedral dice set is sometimes called 20mm

LARGE        201%-500% the size of standard

JUMBO        501%-1000% the size of standard

HUGE           GREATER than 1000% the size of standard

I apologize for not being more precise ...

One consolation is ... for most dice ... I include a ruler or reference die in the photo with the die / dice

SPINDOWN
(Database term)


 
Spindown (or Countdown) is a term used to describe the layout of the numbers on a die

The term is used by games like MAGIC THE GATHERING as the 'die' (I will discuss this later) is used as a countdown marker for the player's life points

It can be recognized by the die being numbered sequentially from the highest number to the lowest number with each number adjacent to the next lowest number
   This allows the player ... with one turn of a face of the die ...  to adjust upward or downward the statistic they wish to modify

Dice : D20 OPAQUE ROUNDED SOLID KOPLOW NEW MOLD AND MATERIAL JUMBO 01

This type of die sometimes follows the N+1 rule but other examples do not

Most examples of this type of die are twenty-sided (d20) ... but there are ten-sided (d10) ... thirty-sided (d30) and forty-sided (d40) examples



For several years there has been a discussion (sometimes heated) as to whether spindowns should be considered dice.
   If they are dice ... should they be allowed or legal?

Arguments against spindown/countdowns being considered dice

   *Their intended purpose is not to generate a random number

Arguments for spindown/countdowns being considered dice

   * Spindown/countdowns can function as a normal die (random number generator) of the denomination (d10 d20 etc)
   * Their specification is consistent with all other dice of the same type ... example a regular fair icosahedron numbered 1-20
   * Spindowns/countdowns fit the definition of a die
   * Wizards of the Coast (the brand that produce the most number of different spindowns) call their spindowns a spindown die ...
           Yes ...  I know ... this is appeal to authority but it can be a consideration if both sides of an argument agree that the source is an authority




Arguments against spindown/countdowns being allowed / legal

   * The higher or lower numbers are all on the same side of the die ... thus making it easier to cheat
   * This type of die has less material (plastic / metal etc) on the 'high number' side and thus
         it causes the high numbers to be rolled more often as the 'low numbers' are heavier
   
Arguments for spindown/countdowns being allowed / legal

   * Placement of the numbers on the die are irrelevant if ...

     1) The roller is not trying / able to cheat (use a dice cup or dice tower if you are really suspicious)

     2) The amount of the void created by the indicia  does not affect the outcome of the roll (this is my supposition.  I would like to see an unbiased test)

STYLE
(Database column)


 
Dice have many STYLEs (database column) as shown on THIS PAGE

I also refer to STYLES as THEMES ... it is a way to view a subset of the collection

They can be classes of dice like COLLECTIBLE or POKER
 

They can be for a specific BRAND like CRYSTAL CASTE or Q-WORKSHOP
   
They can be an EFFECT like GLOW IN THE DARK DICE or FINGER JOINT DICE
   
They can be for a specific GAME like  ... GYTFR; or blood bowl
   
They can be for a GENERAL subject or character like CTHULHU DICE or  SECRET SOCIETY DICE
   
They can be for a specific MATERIAL from which the die is made like glass DICE


 
They can be for a SHAPE like STICK DICE or

SYMBOLS
(Database symbol)


 
<TEXT> - Describes a visual aspect such as an image ... texture of a die ... or shape
 
EXAMPLE:



Is the description for these dice

Dice : MINT80 USAOPOLY JURASSIC PARK PREMIUM
 

 
(X#) -  Indicates that the indicia described before the symbol is found on more than one face with # indicating how many faces

EXAMPLE:
 


Is the description for these two dice
Dice : MINT76 ESM MARKETING CONDOMONEUM

SYNONYMS FOR DICE

 
Dice have been called by many names over the centuries ...
           Bones ... Stone ... Math Rocks ... Click Clacks ... Chonk or Chonky Bois (large dice) ... Number Tumblers
 <TOP OF PAGE>

TETRAHEDRAL FOUR-SIDED DICE CONFIGURATIONS


The tetrahedral four-sided die is by far the most common shape of four-sided die but it is not the only shape ...

I have found at least 37 shapes over the years.

Four-sided dice are likely the oldest dice dating back to UR ... Dice : MINT18 THE BRITISH MUSEUM THE ROYAL GAME OF UR 01

   The die used in this game is technically 'Top Read' and ...
        predates the CHESSEX  but will not be considered as it was not mass-produced

This section will discuss ... tetrahedral four-sided dice which are ... regular figures composed of four equilateral triangular-shaped faces ...
   This can include dice whose general shape are composed of four equilateral triangular areas such as
   Truncated Tetrahedrons or Concave Tetrahedrons

Unlike the other platonic solid shaped dice ...  they are not usually read by looking at the upward facing side of the die.
  
 


1) BASE READ

First mass-produced by : Zazz

Introduced : 1963

List of examples in the collection: LINK

How to read:
   The resulting roll is determined by one of two methods:
     * Lift the die and examine the result that is facing the rolling surface 
     * Examine the the three sides and determine the value which is NOT visible .

EXAMPLE:


NOTES:

Cumbersome to read

Resulting roll of example above is a 1
   

2) BOTTOM READ
First mass-produced by : Likely GAMESCIENCE
Introduced : mid 1970's

Alternate Name: Old School ... Base Numbered  or Blunts

List of examples in the collection: LINK

How to read:
   The resulting roll is determined by the result at the center of the bottom (edge closest to the rolling surface) of each face of the die

EXAMPLE:

Dice : LOOSE GAMESCIENCE COMMEMORATIVE HAT MY DESIGN 01

 
NOTES:

Most of these d4's are Truncated Tetrahedrons (a tetrahedron with the points cut off) 

This was the first type of mass-produced d4's and were first made by manufacturers such as:

TSR DICE  GAMESCIENCE  The Armory
  
 


3) TOP READ
First mass-produced by :  CHESSEX
Introduced : 1995

Alternate Names: CHESSEX Style ... Vertex Numbered ... On Points

List of examples in the collection: LINK 

How to read:
   The resulting roll is determined by the result at the top vertex of each face of the die (point at the top of the die)

EXAMPLE:
Dice : D4 OPAQUE ROUNDED SOLID CHESSEX 02
 
 
4) TIP-TOP READ

First produced by :  Possibly me (Kevin Cook)

Introduced : June 2002

List of examples in the collection: LINK 

How to read:
   The resulting roll is determined by two methods:
     * The result at the top vertex of each face of the die (flat surface at the top of the die)
     * The result on the uppermost flat surface of the die

EXAMPLE:
Dice : PAPER D04 MY DESIGN NEW STYLE NUMBERED

NOTES:

This type is another Truncated Tetrahedral d4

At the time I created this type I did not know of Joseph Fjelstad's die (see below) ... so ... I am not sure who first started numbering the 'TIPS'
This type combines the features of "Top Read" and "Tip Read" (see below) 
 

 
5) TIP-BOTTOM READ

First produced by :  Possibly me (Kevin Cook)

Introduced : June 2002

List of examples in the collection: LINK 

How to read:
   The resulting roll is determined by two methods:
     * The result at the top vertex of each face of the die (flat surface at the top of the die)
     * The result at the center of the bottom (edge closest to the rolling surface) of each face of the die 

EXAMPLE:
Dice : PAPER D04 MY DESIGN OLD STYLE PIPPED

NOTES:

This type combines the features of "Bottom Read" and "Tip Read" (see below)
   

   
6) BOTTOM-RIGHT READ
First mass-produced by :  Q-WORKSHOP
Introduced : 2005

List of examples in the collection: LINK 

How to read:
   The resulting roll is determined by the result at the right vertex of the bottom (edge closest to the rolling surface) of each face of the die 

EXAMPLE:
Dice : D4 CLEAR ROUNDED SOLID Q WORKSHOP SOLAR 01
NOTES:

This set is called SOLAR

This type of d4 has a unique feature of having the numbers on the bottom edge of each face like "Bottom Read" ...
   but on the right hand side of each edge
     

 
7) TIP READ

First produced by : Joseph Fjelstad

Introduced : 2006?

List of examples in the collection: LINK 

How to read:
   The resulting roll is determined by the result at the top vertex of each face of the die (flat surface at the top of the die)

EXAMPLE:
Dice : METAL ALUMINUM D4 01 JOSEPH FJELSTAD

NOTES:

Another example of truncated tetrahedral d4

This type came to my attention and was added to the collection in 2006 ...  I am unsure as to when it was invented

This die is an exception to the above statement as the resulting roll is found on the upward facing side
 

     
8) THREE-SIDED BOTTOM READ

First mass-produced by : Zombie Orphius

Introduced : 2016

List of examples in the collection:  LINK

How to read:
    How to read: at the center of the bottom (edge closest to the rolling surface) of two or three visible faces of the die

EXAMPLE:

NOTES:

Three of the sides sides are normal "Bottom Read" and the fourth side has been replaced by a symbol

Resulting roll of example above are both 4
 

 
9) SINGLE-NUMBER TOP READ


First mass-produced by : 

Introduced : 2017

List of examples in the collection:  LINK

How to read:
   The resulting roll is determined by the result at the top vertex of one face of the die (point at the top of the die) ...
       the other two faces are unmarked

EXAMPLE:


NOTES:

Similar to "Top Read" but differs as there is only one number or symbol at the top of the face on one side of the die instead of three

Resulting roll of example above is a 4


   
10) SINGLE-SIDED TOP READ

First mass-produced by : 

Introduced : 2020

List of examples in the collection:  LINK

How to read:
   The resulting roll is determined by the result at the top vertex of one face of the die (point at the top of the die) if visible
        otherwise the result is a four if three symbols are visible

EXAMPLE:

NOTES:

This first release is called: "Campfire" d4 ...

It is an interesting type of d4 with symbols on three of the four sides ... with the fourth side having 1 .. 2 .. 3

Reading this type of die takes some practice as rolls often occur where only two of the four sides can be seen ... and if two symbols are seen ...
   the third observable (not the side touching the rolling surface) must be examined to determine the value of the roll

If a third symbol is seen ... the value of the roll is a 4 ... otherwise the upward number (closest to the top vertex) is the value of the roll

Resulting roll of example above is a 1.

*** NOTE: Many thanks to Tina Manneborn ... David Caceres ... and Daniel Lawrence for their assistance with this section




11)  INVERTED BASE READ

First mass-produced by :

Introduced : 2024

List of examples in collection : LINK

How to read:  The resulting roll is determined by the upward facing value



NOTES: This is a spherical die that is weighted such that the base is a vertex ... and the top is a "flat" side

TRUE D10
(
Database Term)

   
TRUE D10's are those dice that instead of being numbered 0-9 .(as most D10's are) ... are numbered 1-10

Dice : D10 OPAQUE ROUNDED SOLID FAMILY LEARNING 01

An exception to this rule is a TRUE D10 which is numbered 1-10

Dice : D10 OPAQUE ROUNDED SOLID FAMILY LEARNING 02

UNDERSCORE VS DOT

 
Many dice have numbered indicia and the orientation of the numbers can cause confusion as to the result ...

Examples:
   * 6 and 9  on a d11 or higher can cause confusion as 6 is an upside down 9
   * 19 or 61 on a d70 or higher can cause confusion as 19 may be read as an upside down 61

D10's do not require ... but sometimes have ... an indicator for orientation as the ​trapezohedral faces indicate which is the proper orientation

Denominations of numeric dice below a D9 do not require an indicator as they do not contain both a 6 and a 9 .. an exception to this rule are
numbered D6's ... they often have either an underscore below or a dot to the right of the 6 ... although I do not understand why it would be needed

As to other denominations of dice ... there are two methods for determining which side is the bottom of the number

UNDERSCORING
(or underlining) is one method used to show how to read a 6 or a 9 Dice : MINT41 IMPACT MINIATURES KICKSTARTER D10   Dice : D100 WHITE AND BLUE LARGE 03 MK IV
   
DOTS (or periods or full stops) are another method that can be used Dice : MINT41 IMPACT MINIATURES KICKSTARTER D9   Dice : MINT55 BESCON D100

WHAT ARE DICE?

 
Dictionaries and encyclopedias seem to be behind the times when it comes to the definition of dice
   

I discuss this here 


WHAT ARE INDICIA?

   
INDICIA ... as it pertains to dice ...  is another term I learned while preparing for the Michael Bowling (Crystal Caste) v. Hasbro deposition

Indicia is not often used in the database or website but I thought it should be included here

An indicia is a mark on a die that shows a result of the die being rolled

Here are some examples of forms of indicia :

DOTS SYMBOLS INSTEAD OF DOTS NUMBERS LETTERS
Dice : MINT77 KOPLOW Dice : MINT50 KOPLOW ALIEN GLOW Dice : MINT25 KOPLOW RAINBOW POLYHEDRAL DICE 01 Dice : MINT61 KOPLOW D30 GERMAN LETTERS LOWER CASE

WORDS PICTURES (ICONS ETC) SYMBOLS
Dice : MINT34 KOPLOW UP FORWARD RIGHT DOWN BACK LEFT 01 Dice : MINT38 PLASTICS4GAMES FOR PYRE STUDIOS ENCOUNTER DICE WEAPONS DIE Dice : MINT77 FESTIVE FANTASY VIRTUAL FIST OF EMIRIKOL FIST OF FIRE

The result of the roll is usually the topmost indicium (singular of indicia) on a face ... but not always ... as in 'old school' four-sided dice (d4)

Notice how the number rolled is the bottommost number?

Dice : D4 OPAQUE ROUNDED SOLID PINK KOPLOW 01


Another example where the number is topmost ... but is on an edge ... not on a face ... is the first image below

I came up with this design in 2003 and may have been the first to do so ... I call them Straight Edge dice ... after the Punk Subculture

A couple of manufacturers have also used this idea ... but not on sharp edged dice ... second image


WHAT ARE PERCENTILE DICE?

 
Percentile or Percentile Dice ... are used for those gaming systems that use percentages ... usually for skill or luck based rolls

  This kind of roll generates a number from one (1) to one-hundred (100)  ... hence the name Percentile

  I discuss the methods by which the number is generated HERE

WHAT ARE PIPS?
(Database term)


 
A pip ... when speaking of dice ... is technically a dot or circle ... but over the years has come to mean any type of indicia
     <TOP OF PAGE>

WHAT ARE POLYHEDRAL SETS?

   
Polylhedral dice can technically be ....
      any shape that can have INDICIA applied such that a recognizable result is generated when rolled ... cast ... or spun

For purposes of pen and paper gaming Polyhedrals ... Polyhedral Dice ... Polyhedral Sets... or even just Polys ...
      has come to mean a set of dice used for a game
 

 

Over the years Polyhedral Sets have contained differing number of dice

5-die sets were the first sets and were before the D10 was invented B & J ENTERPRISES
 
6-die sets came next after the D10 but before the deckaider was invented  Dice : TSR MENTZER 02

7-die sets came next and are the most popular type of set today  Dice : MINT79 METALLIC DICE GAMES SILICONE 04

8-die sets are a 7-die set plus a D2 Dice : MINT69 KRAKEN PHOENIX

9-die sets are a 7-die set plus 2 D6's Dice : MINT76 INFINITE BLACK ELDER DICE INTERSTELLAR EDP G21
 
10-die sets are a 7-die set plus 3 D6's for     Dice : MINT49 WIZARDS OF THE COAST ORIGINAL DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS PREMIUM REPRINT

11-die sets are a 7 die set plus one D20 and 3 D6's Dice : MINT78 WIZARDS OF THE COAST DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS WITCHLIGHT CARNIVAL

12-die sets are unique to GAMESCIENCE    Dice : BRAND GAMESCIENCE COPPER 01

WHAT ARE TEETOTUM?

   
Teetotum are a type of die that is ... generally ... spun (rather than cast or rolled) to produce a random outcome ...
  they CAN ... however... be rolled like any other kind of die

The most common form of teetotum today is the GYTFR;
 

WHAT ARE THE LARGEST AND SMALLEST DICE?

   
In the 45+ years I have been collecting there have been several dice that stand above .... and ... below all others

THESE or THESE seem to be the largest dice that I have ever seen ... they seem to be 10 feet or 120 inches (3.048 meters) high

THESE seem to be the world's smallest dice ... 0.11811 inches (0.3mm) high

So .. as both of these are D6's ... you can fit 1016 of the smallest across the face of the largest die ... and 1,048,772,096 inside the largest die

On March 4 2008 Ernest Gary Gygax passed away ...
     At Gen Con 2008 ... THIS DIE (the largest d20 I have seen) was presented to the public to commemorate his contribution to gaming


If you wish to see the largest and smallest dice that are in the collection ... Click below

SMALLEST AND LARGEST DICE

WHAT IS A COMPLETIONIST?

 
A 'COMPLETIONIST' is a collector that likes to collect ALL of one kind of die

                                   This could mean that some or all of their collection is devoted to collecting all of a type of die

                                   For example ... I 'completed' the collection of  the BANDAI DICE Pracoro (Pokemon) sets

WHAT KINDS OF DICE ARE THERE?

   
There really are far too many kinds of dice to discuss but I do discuss some of the most common ones HERE

WHAT SHAPES DO DICE HAVE?
(Dice Theme type & Special Page)


 
There are many SHAPES of dice ... Over 280 found to date and more being added regularly

For millennia dice took the shape of one of the Platonic Solids  

Here are some examples :

  * The four-sided (Tetrahedral) dice from the Royal game of UR Dice : MINT18 THE BRITISH MUSEUM THE ROYAL GAME OF UR 01 (Reproduction)
 
  * The six-sided (Cubic) die from the Egyptian (Ptolemaic period) Dice : NON NUMBERED OPAQUE ROUNDED SOLID BLACK LOUVRE EGYPTIAN COPY (Reproduction)
 
  * The twenty-sided (Icosahedral) die from the Romans
Dice : MINT50 ARTISAN DICE SOAPSTONE PTOLEMAIC (Reproduction)

There were exceptions to this ... as you can see ... there are no eight-sided (Octahedral) or twelve-sided (Dodecahedral) dice from ancient times

  This is a Rhombic Dodecahedral twelve-sided die also from the Egyptian Ptolemaic period Dice : D12 OPAQUE ROUNDED SOLID BLACK LOUVRE EGYPTIAN COPY (Reproduction)


Other examples of OLD DICE shapes



There is a theme page devoted to classes of SHAPE THEMES
 
as well as a page devoted to the different shapes I have found so far
 

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