Glossary of Terms: Difference between revisions
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=== Dice === | === Dice === | ||
: Epic Path, and indeed, all D20 games, use polyhedral dice. Normal 'gamblers' dice are simple cubes, marked on all sides with unique marks so that they can generate six results with an equal probability of each, on a random basis | : Epic Path, and indeed, all D20 games, use polyhedral dice. Normal 'gamblers' dice are simple cubes, marked on all sides with unique marks so that they can generate six results with an equal probability of each, on a random basis. | ||
The ability to generate random results, due to unique marks on all faces, with an equal probability of all results in a flat-line distribution, is the essential characteristic of ALL individual dice rolls, regardless of the type of die being used. It is assumed in Epic Path that all dice, of any shape, physical or virtual, are 'fair dice' and always generate unique random results per die roll. If your dice are not fair dice, get better ones. | |||
: All of these dice types except for the D10 represent one of the ancient Platonic Solids, which have been known since antiquity and all of which have great historical significance...which is why they're named after Plato, one of histories greatest and most impactful thinkers. So if anybody is giving you grief about those colorful plastic random number generators, hit them with some historical significance! The D10 is a lowly cylindrical prism with the eye-popping name of 'pentagonal trapezohedron', but don't make too much fun of it, that sort of shape can be used to generate dice with a tremendous number of sides if desired. Epic Path doesn't use such oddities, however. | In Epic Path, dice rolls are the principal source of randomness. Dice rolls are used one at a time to determine game outcomes such as attack rolls and saving throws. Dice rolls are also used in large aggregate numbers to generate damage rolls, in which case all the dice results (and any modifiers) are added up to generate a random result on a bell curve. In these roles, and all others, dice play a big role in the game mechanics. | ||
: Epic Path uses dice with four sides (d4's), six sides (d6's), eight sides (d8's), ten sides (d10's), twelve sides (d12's) and twenty sides (d20's). Sometimes, two of these dice will be used together to roll a random range larger than 20, the most common of which is rolling two d10's, counting one as the 'tens' die, the other as the 'ones' die, to generate a 'percentile' roll, ranging from 1 to 100. | |||
: All of these dice types except for the D10 represent one of the ancient Platonic Solids, which have been known since antiquity and all of which have great historical significance...which is why they're named after Plato, one of histories greatest and most impactful thinkers. So if anybody is giving you grief about those colorful plastic random number generators, hit them up with some of that deep historical significance! | |||
The D10 is a lowly cylindrical prism with the eye-popping name of 'pentagonal trapezohedron', but don't make too much fun of it, that sort of shape can be used to generate dice with a tremendous number of sides if desired. Epic Path doesn't use such oddities, however. | |||
: We strongly encourage all players of Epic Path to purchase at least one set of polyhedral dice from your local gaming store, and we recommend the use of a dice bag or storage tin to keep them in as well. Many hobbyists wind up with daunting collections of dice, to include sentimental favorites, dice you suspect of being out to get you, and solid, reliable partners in your fun. We do suggest you try to avoid naming or talking to your dice in public. (But, really, we all do it.) | : We strongly encourage all players of Epic Path to purchase at least one set of polyhedral dice from your local gaming store, and we recommend the use of a dice bag or storage tin to keep them in as well. Many hobbyists wind up with daunting collections of dice, to include sentimental favorites, dice you suspect of being out to get you, and solid, reliable partners in your fun. We do suggest you try to avoid naming or talking to your dice in public. (But, really, we all do it.) | ||