Goodman Games

The mailman just showed up with my GameScience 5pc. Zocchi pack.

The d5 seems a bit less than random. The large faces on the die are numbered 1 and 5 and seem to come up more frequently than the numbers on the edges. I'm going to have a hard time using this instead of just rolling a d10 and subtracting 5 if the result is 6 or higher. Does someone other than GameScience make a d5 with a different shape?

The d3 is a little wonky feeling when it rolls. I'll probably use it but I prefer my 6 sided die that's numbered 1-3 twice.

Dreamslinger wrote:The mailman just showed up with my GameScience 5pc. Zocchi pack.

The d5 seems a bit less than random. The large faces on the die are numbered 1 and 5 and seem to come up more frequently than the numbers on the edges. I'm going to have a hard time using this instead of just rolling a d10 and subtracting 5 if the result is 6 or higher. Does someone other than GameScience make a d5 with a different shape?

The d3 is a little wonky feeling when it rolls. I'll probably use it but I prefer my 6 sided die that's numbered 1-3 twice.

I vote to remove the d3 and d5 from the official DCC dice. They are wonky. It's much easier to roll a d6 or a d10 to get the same result. I'd also consider removing the d7 and using d8, rerolling on an 8.

One thing I've found is that dropping it rather than throwing it with any sort of horizontal force seems to make the results more equitable. (I stress the word seems because it is a purely anecdotal observation)

Also, to gain confidence in it's fairness, you could always test it using this method:
http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2009/02/t ... d-die.html

Here is a crazy d5 you can buy



http://cgi.ebay.com/D5-die-rolling-log- ... _500wt_922

Aplus wrote:One thing I've found is that dropping it rather than throwing it with any sort of horizontal force seems to make the results more equitable. (I stress the word seems because it is a purely anecdotal observation)

Also, to gain confidence in it's fairness, you could always test it using this method:
http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2009/02/t ... d-die.html

You got it before I did, but dropping the die is the preferable method to determine results on precision dice. Check video 2 at the 9:22 mark (or so) for a demo at http://www.gamescience.com/ as Colonel Lou Zocchi makes his pitch.

QuentinTheTroll wrote:

Aplus wrote:One thing I've found is that dropping it rather than throwing it with any sort of horizontal force seems to make the results more equitable. (I stress the word seems because it is a purely anecdotal observation)

Also, to gain confidence in it's fairness, you could always test it using this method:
http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2009/02/t ... d-die.html

You got it before I did, but dropping the die is the preferable method to determine results on precision dice. Check video 2 at the 9:22 mark (or so) for a demo at http://www.gamescience.com/ as Colonel Lou Zocchi makes his pitch.

Dropping the die seems to make work a lot better. Thanks.


Any tips for the sprue? My d24 has a pretty good sized one sticking out.

Dreamslinger wrote:

QuentinTheTroll wrote:

Aplus wrote:One thing I've found is that dropping it rather than throwing it with any sort of horizontal force seems to make the results more equitable. (I stress the word seems because it is a purely anecdotal observation)

Also, to gain confidence in it's fairness, you could always test it using this method:
http://deltasdnd.blogspot.com/2009/02/t ... d-die.html

You got it before I did, but dropping the die is the preferable method to determine results on precision dice. Check video 2 at the 9:22 mark (or so) for a demo at http://www.gamescience.com/ as Colonel Lou Zocchi makes his pitch.

Dropping the die seems to make work a lot better. Thanks.


Any tips for the sprue? My d24 has a pretty good sized one sticking out.

Fine grade sandpaper does the trick: just don't scuff the face (usually only happens if you oversand or go too quickly). I can't remember what they are called, but I buy these stiff circle-shaped boards of sand paper (like for a rotary sander, but thicker) that work. Emory boards, if you can find one that is fine grade (a lot of them are a bit too rough for dice) works just as well.

A really sharp blade will do the trick, too, but I'm a klutz and likely to cut the face. Steady hands with that one, and getting a close shave can be a problem without accidentally rounding an edge.

I found the d5 is the only one that doesn't seem to roll "randomly" if don't bounce it (this is especially true if you roll on a soft surface, like my felt lined dice tray). I am going to rule that players must roll the die on a hard surface and must bounce it (either drop or a proper roll).

Dreamslinger wrote:Any tips for the sprue? My d24 has a pretty good sized one sticking out.

I have a set of jeweler's files for cleaning up miniatures, and have been using that to good effect. The set was like $17 though, so unless you already have them or are sure to have a future use for them, it's kind of pricey.

There are probably other cheaper solutions. Check if your wife (or any other family member/acquaintance) has one of those metal emery boards, for example.

I know some say sandpaper, but I wouldn't be able to do that without marring one or more of the faces all to hell.

I will use my usual way to get the results of a d5: halve the d10, round up.

here is a good d5 solution. Just be sure it's a different color then your d10 polly.

http://www.rpgshop.com/d-and-d-dice-and ... die-1.html

It's very easy to find 10-siders numbered 1-5 twice, and a bit less easy to find 6-siders numbered 1-3 twice. These are the only 'd5' and 'd3' I use; the Zocchi shapes are absurd, and I don't believe for a moment that the goofy d5 will generate randomly...

I'm still waiting for someone to make a 14-sider numbered 1-7 twice. I asked Chessex's custom shop about this, and they didn't have any blank 14-siders. The Zocchi d7 seems to roll a bit better than the d5, but again, I'm highly dubious of it.

Yeah, it does better when dropped. I have yet to try it with my dice towers but I suspect it is much more apt to getting hung up somewhere.

smathis wrote:I vote to remove the d3 and d5 from the official DCC dice. They are wonky. It's much easier to roll a d6 or a d10 to get the same result. I'd also consider removing the d7 and using d8, rerolling on an 8.

I will say that I have issues with the d3 and d5. Heck, I've never really liked the d4, either.

I'd much rather have more sides, just numbered more than once. A d6 1-3 twice, a d8 1-4 twice, a d10 1-5 twice...

FWIW, I just rolled my new d5 on 25 times on two different surfaces. A standard chessex battlemat on a table and on the bare surface of the same table.

The conclusion, the d5 only works on a hard flat surface:

25 rolls on a vinyl mat: 1x12, 2x0, 3x4, 4x4, 5x4

25 rolls on a smooth wood table: 1x2, 2x4, 3x8, 4x4, 5x7

What issues are people having with the d3? I like rolling it but it is a bit ugly with the Rock/Paper/Scissors letters on it.

bholmes4 wrote:What issues are people having with the d3? I like rolling it but it is a bit ugly with the Rock/Paper/Scissors letters on it.

I really don't like the R, P, S on the d3. They are an odd conceit and much more visible than the actual numbers.

finarvyn wrote:I'd much rather have more sides, just numbered more than once. A d6 1-3 twice, a d8 1-4 twice, a d10 1-5 twice...

Yup. Me too.

Lennon V. C. wrote:Here is a crazy d5 you can buy



http://cgi.ebay.com/D5-die-rolling-log- ... _500wt_922

I think this type of design is far better than the awkward shapes of the d5 and d7 that zocchi uses.
Although the d10 numbered 1-5 twice and d14 numbered 1-7 twice would probably fit better from a style point of view.

Fudge dice make excellent d3's.

Here is a link to where you can buy the previously link d5 and some more weird barrel dice.

http://www.dicecreator.com/store/index. ... ex&cPath=6