tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post7761558619259785988..comments2024-03-22T02:46:36.248-07:00Comments on Playing at the World: The Invention of the d4Jon Petersonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09824427209908111302noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-40341804887969644362021-09-19T00:50:58.577-07:002021-09-19T00:50:58.577-07:00Jon, there are precedents way back for the d8 &...Jon, there are precedents way back for the d8 & d12? I’ve seen the many Hellenistic d20s scattered in museums across Europe, but have never heard of dodecahedral or octahedral dice from the distant past. Can you tell us more?Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10633151842674484372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-62071298600885991342021-06-19T21:11:12.545-07:002021-06-19T21:11:12.545-07:00I don't understand the boggle with labeling th...I don't understand the boggle with labeling the four sides with numbers. Everyone could readily see which three numbers were face up, ergo, the number face down would be the "number rolled."James Mishlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03510782553325944558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-48719421259146902062021-05-03T15:17:07.440-07:002021-05-03T15:17:07.440-07:00dreidels were my favorite d4s. Still are. dreidels were my favorite d4s. Still are. Stephen Marshhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09925998553383893279noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-46251748454078105492021-03-31T06:03:48.905-07:002021-03-31T06:03:48.905-07:00I wanted to throw a little light on the "rand...I wanted to throw a little light on the "randomness" of RPG status and the sense that this is "the character":<br /><br />“Many early play reports suggest that referees soon permitted alternative character generation systems with more generous average outcomes - and more significantly, systems that granted to players greater flexibility in the assignment of roles to abilities. Already in A&E 6 in 1975, Sherna Burley complained, ‘I also refer not to spend the time and effort I put in characterizing and making miniatures on someone unplayable,’ and thus instead of rolling three 6-sided dice per ability, she preferred a character generation method in use in Los Angeles: ‘rolling for four and eliminating the worst one.” She considered it ‘a happy medium between shopping for unusually high characteristics, and being forced to play the duds.’”<br /><br />“Unsurprisingly, these great systems invited controversy, especially when characters were generated with these enhanced techniques tried to relocate to the game of a less accommodating referee. Glenn Blacow singled out in A&E 9 a certain campaign at MIT whose ‘characters were not allowed to to at Edwyr,’ enlarge part because their characteristics were rolled ‘with 3d6 + 1d4’”<br />The Elusive Shift 77-78<br /><br />This is around the time when a minicomputer could generate endless roles of the dice (for example a PDP-11) and the entire question of what constitutes fair became an endless debate.Stirling Newberryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08626207362076099371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-5998923413362418182021-03-18T00:42:19.707-07:002021-03-18T00:42:19.707-07:00OT:
The first section of "It is not a dungeo...OT:<br /><br />The first section of "It is not a dungeon - it is an underground fortified defense installation" ran last week at Virtual MIT. Next section runs this Saturday. Stirling Newberryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08626207362076099371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-20277107277579186492021-03-10T06:13:56.422-08:002021-03-10T06:13:56.422-08:00I'm very familiar with this insidious feature ...I'm very familiar with this insidious feature of the lowly d4, so much so that I named by blog <a href="https://d4caltrops.com/" rel="nofollow">d4caltrops</a> :). ktreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16680322763419091488noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-35767190153392680302021-03-09T08:43:25.916-08:002021-03-09T08:43:25.916-08:00Indeed so. Or a direct move to counters.Indeed so. Or a direct move to counters.Stirling Newberryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08626207362076099371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-83743476280700036562021-03-09T00:00:31.628-08:002021-03-09T00:00:31.628-08:00Also they are extremely painful to step on. Also they are extremely painful to step on. Quiet Americanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02294132776083509814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-39271705295751956852021-03-07T11:55:02.364-08:002021-03-07T11:55:02.364-08:00Impact Miniatures (via Koplow?) has a truncated te...Impact Miniatures (via Koplow?) has a truncated tetrahedral d4 with numerals on the upward-facing sides that rolls marvelously. They designate it as a "Top Read D4." The photo on the site doesn't do it justice, though.Gordon Cooperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12907319916602597979noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-112970032679967762021-03-06T09:45:29.236-08:002021-03-06T09:45:29.236-08:00Also for the number of Dragons encountered, per OD...Also for the number of Dragons encountered, per OD&D Vol 2! 80Zenopus Archiveshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14069501995927451558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2688079707543352822.post-75876423323032363792021-03-05T15:33:26.137-08:002021-03-05T15:33:26.137-08:00The d4s perceived need was for hit points of magic...The d4s perceived need was for hit points of magic users and for making some weapons "tighter" in the average they dealt. It should be noted that many systems gravitate toward d6's in the early years. (Traveller, Tunnels and Trolls)Stirling Newberryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08626207362076099371noreply@blogger.com