Nerds have a special relationship with our dice. Our dice love runs so deep that we commonly lose all sense of rationality and reason when it comes to them.
Most right-thinking nerds understand the basics of probability, and know that each roll of the dice is a wholly independent event. What is the probability of rolling a 20? Five percent. And if we roll the same die a 2nd time, what is the probability of rolling a 20 then? Yup, still 5%.
And the probability of rolling a 20 on a d20 will always stay 5%, because there is no such thing as a die being hot or cold.
Dice aren’t lucky or unlucky. They don’t get on a roll, so to speak. If they roll a 3, 7, then a 2, it doesn’t mean they are “due” to roll a 19 the next time out. Every roll is an independent event with no luck involved, and the “temperature” of that die doesn’t change even if our crazy monkey brains want to project some magical meaning into it.
Yeah, yeah, but that said, I still have a lucky d20…and I bet you do too. Listen, I don’t sleep with my d20 under my pillow, but I also wouldn’t judge you if you did.
Nerds have a special relationship with our dice. Getting ones that “feel just right” is important. So let’s talk about dice.
I’ve been using a couple new sets of dice for the past couple of weeks. One is a standard 7 piece set in your basic 16mm size. All the typical suspects are present and accounted for: a 4-sided, 6-sided, 8 sided, 10 sided, percentile 10 sided, 12 sided, and a 20 sided.
The color is “blue ice”, and you might mock me for thinking that the color of a die matters, but I swear to Bahamut that I roll higher with blue dice, although I am willing to hear an argument that I’m wrong on that.
The roll of these dice sounds ever-so-slightly more tinny to my ears, compared to some other dice makers, but it’s also possible I’m crazy. Regardless, I like the new Blue Ice so much that they are my new general use set, which is saying something because I’m the kind of weirdo that holds on to a die until the edges roll smooth.
Having a new dice set replace my old standby set is significant, but then again, Easy Roller is making some significant dice.
I am helpless against the set of dice we’ll talk about next. All I can do is sit doe-eyed in the middle of traffic like a kitten in a basket.
And I guarantee if you roll these things you’l rack up natty 20s faster than Pac-Man on a power pill bender. Even if you don’t, you’ll feel like you did, simply because rolling them is so satisfying.
I’m talking about the Legendary Copper set. First, they’re heavy, meaning they feel substantial. I can’t recommend you do this, but they’d be great for throwing at your DM.
The weight and the polish of this copper set really makes you believe you are holding something special.
Heck, I feel more confident when I’m rolling the copper dice, and sometimes you need to keep your spirits up when you are rolling a critical saving throw!
And the actual roll feels more substantial too. They hit the table with a THUD that is extremely satisfying. The roll itself is like a maul strike from a half orc raging barbarian.
The copper set really does feel like the kind of die that you break out for that really important roll. And the set looks so nice in the display tray that it’s the kind of set that you buy as a birthday present for your favorite nerd, but then you get it in the mail, take one peek at it, and say, “Screw that guy! I’m keeping this for myself!”
As you can tell, I haven’t been subtle about this at all. The reason for that is I REALLY love these new dice. As I said before, the Blue Ice are my new everyday use set.
And the Legendary Copper will always make a saving throw; I know this because UHHHHH I don’t really know this because my brain reminds me of the laws of statistics, but darned if the copper set aren’t the kind of die that is born to make a saving throw.
Both sets are made by Easy Roller Dice Co., which is a plucky new start-up in the dice market. Easy Roller is a welcome new company as they’ve already established themselves with some of the best dice on the market, and us nerds need the best dice.
Here is where you can find the Blue Ice and Legendary Copper sets. Easy Roller’s new Gun Metal sets are releasing soon, they have a metric ton of colors to choose from (I have my eyes on the translucent green; I’m always green), and they also have some really great velvet standing dice bags.
I highly recommend you give Easy Roller a browse if you are in the market for new dice. I promise you’ll be sleeping with them under your pillow before you know it.
[Disclosure: Easy Roller provided a couple sets for review purposes (and there is no way we are giving them back).]
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