High scores, dice-rolling strats, and computer crashes

So, as far as 5 minute play goes, we’re at 4-2, my side. For now…*

So, what can I talk about while you all wait (anxiously, I’m sure) for my computer issues to be fixed? Dungeons and Dragons! Because Top Tier Tactics hopes to be your #1 source for all things tactics-related, we’ll review premiere info and strategies to help you own at the table! So, let’s get started with the basics: dice rolling.

Dungeons and Dragons is a game about many, many things. Fantasy, swords, sorcery and roleplaying are generally considered chief among them. However, with 4th Edition, a lot can be done with just dice rolling! With this being the case, you need to have your dice rolling skills at their maximum. But there are a couple things you need before you can even start thinking about rolling those dice. Chief among them? Fingers.

Other prerequisites include an arm, a hand, and a central nervous system. Once you’ve got these all set up, you’ll need a set of at least 6 polyhedral dice, 1 of each: 4-sided, 6-sided, 8-sided, 10-sided, 12-sided, and 20-sided**. 7 is preferred by most D&D players as the minimum, where you have 2 d10, 1 which has single digits while the other has the numbers as multiples of 10, which if rolled together act as a d100. Of course, you could just go the Power-Gamer route and buy a bag of dice (roughly a pound of these things) so you can just grab what you need if you’ll be using multiples of the same die a lot. That option is a bit more expensive, but it’s a great way to support your local hobby shop and begin building a good store-customer relationship with the people who work there. That is, if you even have such a shop. They’re rare beasts these days.

Next, you will have to consider your rolling surface. Will you be rolling on a wood surface? Perhaps a table cloth? Maybe you’ve gone all out and you’ve gotten a special felt rolling surface. Regardless of any of these things, learn how the surface will affect your rolls. See how the dice bounce, if they roll further, if they slide, etc. Use this information to maximize on each one of your rolls. Also, try to learn a couple good techniques, like snapping your wrists or rolling the dice off of your fingers. DM’s will give you a bonus +2 on your rolls if you show some flair with each throw!†

That’s all you need to know about dice-rolling for D&D. Next time I talk about strategy, it will be a little different, and will only apply if you play the game in person with actual people around a table. I’ll teach you how to appropriately behave at a gaming table, what you can do to psyche everyone else out, and how to read the other players and DM accordingly.

Let’s Play Zelda 2 Update