Dice Roller

Virtual dice rollers simulate the randomness of physical dice using JavaScript's cryptographically secure random number generator. When you click to roll a die, the tool generates a random number within the range of that die (1-6 for d6, 1-20 for d20, etc.) using Math.random() or crypto.getRandomValues() for true randomness.



Different dice types are standard in tabletop role-playing games: d4 (four-sided), d6 (six-sided, standard cube), d8 (octahedron), d10 (pentagonal trapezohedron, used for percentiles), d12 (dodecahedron), d20 (icosahedron, the iconic D&D die), and d100 (percentile die, often rolled as two d10s). The roller generates values for each die type using the formula: Math.floor(Math.random() * sides) + 1.



Advanced dice rollers support dice notation like "2d6+3" (roll two six-sided dice and add 3), "1d20-2" (roll one twenty-sided die and subtract 2), or "3d8" (roll three eight-sided dice and sum them). The parser interprets this notation, generates individual rolls, applies modifiers, and displays both individual results and the total. All rolling happens instantly in your browser with no server communication required.

1. Dungeons & Dragons and RPG Gaming
Tabletop RPG players use virtual dice when playing online via Discord, Roll20, or Foundry VTT. The d20 is central to D&D—used for attack rolls, ability checks, and saving throws. Players roll 2d6 for certain systems (Powered by the Apocalypse), d100 for percentile systems, and various combinations for damage rolls. Virtual dice solve the problem of lost physical dice or remote gaming.



2. Board Game Decision Making
Many board games require dice rolls for movement, resource generation, or combat resolution. Virtual dice replace lost or missing game dice. Useful for travel gaming or games that require many dice simultaneously (Yahtzee requires 5d6, some war games require 10+ dice). Eliminates dice-rolling disputes—the digital result is impartial.



3. Probability Teaching and Statistics
Educators use dice rollers to teach probability, statistics, and randomness. Students can roll dice hundreds of times and track results to see distributions converge to expected values (d6 should average 3.5 over many rolls). Demonstrates law of large numbers, expected values, and variance without manually rolling physical dice thousands of times.



4. Decision Making and Randomization
Use dice for impartial decision making: roll d6 to pick from six restaurant options, d20 to randomly select from a list, or flip a coin (d2) for binary choices. Eliminates analysis paralysis and decision fatigue. Game masters use dice to randomly generate encounters, NPCs, or treasure.



5. Game Development and Testing
Board game and RPG designers test dice mechanics by rolling thousands of virtual dice to analyze statistical distributions, balance, and expected outcomes. Testing a combat system might require rolling 1000 attack rolls to ensure 50% hit rate with +5 modifier against AC 15. Virtual dice enable rapid prototyping and statistical validation.

• Learn dice notation: "XdY+Z" means roll X dice with Y sides and add Z. "2d6+3" rolls two six-sided dice and adds 3. Most advanced rollers support this notation for complex rolls.



• Use advantage/disadvantage for d20 systems: In D&D 5e, advantage means rolling 2d20 and taking the higher result; disadvantage means taking the lower. Some rollers have built-in advantage buttons; otherwise roll 2d20 manually.



• Track critical hits and failures: In D&D, rolling natural 20 (crit success) or natural 1 (crit fail) on d20 has special meaning. Pay attention to the actual die result before modifiers.



• Use multiple dice for bell curves: Rolling 3d6 produces a bell curve (average ~10.5) unlike 1d18 which is uniform. Game designers use multiple dice to create predictable outcomes with rare extremes.



• Verify fairness over time: Quality digital dice rollers should show uniform distribution over hundreds of rolls. Test by rolling 100 times and checking if results are roughly even.



• Save complex roll formulas: For frequently used rolls (like your character's attack: 1d20+7), save the formula in notes or use a roller with saved presets.



• Roll in the open for fairness: When playing with others, use shared virtual tabletops (Roll20, Foundry VTT) where everyone sees rolls simultaneously, preventing cheating.



• Understand expected values: dX averages (X+1)/2. So d6 averages 3.5, d20 averages 10.5. Knowing expected damage helps optimize choices in games.



• Use percentile dice for random tables: d100 (or 2d10 for tens and ones) is perfect for rolling on random tables with 100 entries. Many RPG supplements include d100 tables for encounters, treasure, NPCs.



• Replace missing dice temporarily: Lost your d12? Use the virtual roller until you replace it. But physical dice are more satisfying for in-person gaming—the tactile experience matters.