Etiquette & Protocol (E&P for short) is an occasional feature where I answer thorny out-of-character (OOC) manners questions about gaming and game groups. Why? Because, my dear gamer-ladies and gamer-gents, outrunning/outwitting/outgunning BBEG & Co will be ever so much more fun, if the game table isn’t turned into a soda-bottle and sourcebook mêlée field.
Angela Kot, asks via D20 Radio’s Facebook page:
Q: “Dice etiquette, please: To invest in a dice tray/tower (or shoebox lid), or not, and what to do when the dice land off the table; where are dice kept when not needing to be rolled (and who has the dice, if anyone); and how to roll dice when some dice are apps on a smartphone, and other players/GM has physical dice.”
A: Oh, yes. Dice. An important part of gaming since ancient times. D4s were used in the Royal Game of Ur, circa 2,600-2,400 BCE. (D20s are only about 2200 years old.) It wouldn’t surprise me if the Chaldeans were asking the same questions about their stick and tetrahedral dice 5,000 years ago.
Today, players are still talking about how to deal with not only physical dice but dice apps as well. I think that how these are handled is (at least) as much dependent on group preferences as any rules of etiquette. The main rule of etiquette proper that every group should follow is Don’t Cheat! Whatever means you use to roll your dice, you report the result honestly. No lying to the GM in your Skype game that you are re-rolling because “Damn! I dropped my D20!” when that die landed perfectly and you didn’t like the result, for example. (I must note that I don’t consider it cheating for a GM to “fudge” his rolls here and there to prevent character death or other disaster attributable solely to a random roll, rather than PC bad choices or the like. That is just part of being a good GM.)
Beyond that, pretty much all the dice rules are table rules, which are often the GM’s call, preferrably with player input. The commonest table rule is that dice are re-rolled when they fall off the table or land on edge (from rolling against another item on the table, for example). A related situation that you might want to decide on ahead of time is what if a dice pool is incorrect? It’s easy to forget a Boost/Setback when playing Star Wars. In our group, we roll the die and adjust the result–but would that fly with your group? Talk it over and be sure.
The dice apps and online dice rollers are something else to discuss ahead of time. I don’t see much of a problem in any type of game. For an online game (like Skype or play-by-post) the web-based rollers like Orokos or Hamete Virtual Dice Server may be a better choice, since you can link the rolls so everyone can see as if you were playing tabletop. For a game where pools are often more than a handful (D6 Star Wars, the new 7th Sea), everyone using rollers/apps may be less trouble than actual dice, even for tabletop sessions.
Otherwise, apps aren’t necessary, if the honor system is honored. In my Skype group, everyone uses whichever they prefer of apps, physical dice, or web rollers. In fact, it’s not uncommon for one of our GMs or a fellow player to suggest someone change from a roller to dice or vice versa, if someone is having a streak of bad rolls.
When actual dice are used, they can cause a number of irritating little problems. The rolls where dice end up on the floor or scatter minis like bowling pins because they were over-enthusiastically thrown. Mixed up/lost dice. (Are those Suzette’s sparkly D10s or Amy’s? Where are Dave’s other fifteen D20 Radio dice?) The D20 rolled against the Dungeon Master’s Guide and is on edge. Some players play with their dice, which is tolerable within reason, but not when they distract themselves or others, or knock over minis. Having the dice corralled between rolls and limiting the space they are rolled in solves most of these problems most of the time. So I am all for confining dice by whatever means are handy and suit the group.
First off, if everyone has their own set of dice they should leave them at their place unless actually making a roll. Likewise, shared dice should be kept in a container that is in reach of all, or can be easily passed from person to person. A bowl or box deep enough to keep the dice from spilling when moved is more practical than a dice bag, since it is easier to find the ones you need. The table should also have a place, or more than one, for players to roll the dice.
A solid, flat, open container with low sides is ideal. The dice can’t roll off the table, it’s much less likely the dice won’t land flat, and they are easy to read. The GM probably needs her own place to roll dice. Even GMs who do usually roll in the open (recommended by some systems such as Fantasy Flight’s SWRPG) may have a few rolls they want to keep secret, such as Perception, so may want a screen as well as a box.
So–lid, tray, or tower? I personally prefer a box lid. It is simple, no cost, everyone has them, and I like to reuse. (It’s green and frees up a bit of the Gaming Budget.) I have a nice setup in one of my desk drawers for Skype game night. A small box lid that just fits in the front third of the drawer, on top of a cloth to keep it in place and muffle noise. Behind that are several small bowls and cups to hold different dice types–polyhedral, D6, Fate/Fudge, FFG SW. Perhaps some of the readers who use towers and trays will weigh in on those in the comments.
After your group has decided where to put and roll dice, whether virtual dice are okay, under what circumstances re-rolls are allowed–it’s time to play! Besides those table rules, the only dice etiquette rule your group needs is Linda’s Corollary for DBAD (Don’t be a D-word): “Whether GM or player, don’t use the dice to screw over the rest of the group!”
Linda Whitson
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