[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-510200-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":80,"doc-detail-510200-en":130},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":73,"head_meta":75,"extra_data":77,"updated_unix":79},105,"en","dice-rolls-in-role-playing-games","Dice-Rolls in Role-Playing Games","","Most RPGs rely on randomization to resolve actions, commonly through dice, but sometimes using cards, rock-paper-scissors, or other mechanisms. This paper explains why no single dice-roll system is universally perfect for every game, and provides tools and observations to help designers choose or craft dice-roll mechanisms. It focuses on action resolution as the critical part of RPG design and outlines key factors and properties for analyzing randomizers, followed by probability-oriented discussion and mechanism analysis.",{"@graph":14,"@context":72},[15,34,55],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/literature/","Literature",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/dice-rolls-in-role-playing-games/510200/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/dice-rolls-in-role-playing-games/510200.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Margaret","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-17","2026-10-05",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":33},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",{"@type":56,"mainEntity":57},"FAQPage",[58,64,68],{"name":59,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":61},"Why are dice-roll or other randomizers important in role-playing games?","Question",{"text":62,"@type":63},"Randomizers determine character outcomes such as success, damage, and encounters. They are central to action resolution, which is the hardest part of RPG design to get right.","Answer",{"name":65,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":66},"What are the main factors that affect action resolution outcomes?",{"text":67,"@type":63},"The paper classifies them as ability, difficulty, circumstance, and unpredictability, each influencing results differently and often using numerical measures or modifiers.",{"name":69,"@type":60,"acceptedAnswer":70},"Is there a single best dice-roll system for all RPGs?",{"text":71,"@type":63},"No. The paper argues there is no perfect dice-roll system for every game, and designers must consider what level of realism, complexity, and randomness best fits their specific game goals.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":74,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":76,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":78,"site_id":7},510200,1791441468,{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":82},"success",[83,87,90,94,99,104,109,114,119,122,126],{"id":22,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":84,"show_sort_weight":85,"slug":86},"Story & Novel",90,"story-novel",{"id":26,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":88,"slug":89},80,"literature",{"id":33,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":91,"show_sort_weight":92,"slug":93},"Exam",70,"exam",{"id":95,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":96,"show_sort_weight":97,"slug":98},5,"Comic",60,"comic",{"id":100,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":101,"show_sort_weight":102,"slug":103},6,"Technology",50,"technology",{"id":105,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":106,"show_sort_weight":107,"slug":108},7,"Healthcare",40,"healthcare",{"id":110,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":111,"show_sort_weight":112,"slug":113},8,"Research & Report",30,"research-report",{"id":115,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":116,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":118},9,"Religion & Spirituality",20,"religion-spirituality",{"id":117,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":117,"slug":121},"World Cup","world-cup",{"id":123,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":124,"show_sort_weight":123,"slug":125},10,"Lifestyle","lifestyle",{"id":127,"doc_module":4,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":128,"show_sort_weight":95,"slug":129},19,"General","general",{"code":4,"msg":81,"data":131},{"doc_id":78,"user_id":132,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":26,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":33,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":139,"language":140,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":141,"faqs":142,"seo_title":143,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":144,"read_time":145},137451207643,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_3d24733baf745e90a7e4bdd5f77d97b2","Dice-Rolls in Role-Playing Games  \nTorben Mogensen  \nemail: [torbenm@di. ku. dk](torbenm@di. ku. dk)  \n15. marts 2016  \nResum􀀓e  \nMost RPGs (role-playing games) use some sort of randomizer when resolving actions. Most often dice are used for this, but a few games use cards, rock-paper-scissors or other means of randomization.  \nThere are dozens of di􀀋erent ways dice have been used in RPGs, and we are likely to see many more in the future. This is not an evolution from bad methods to better methods { there is no such thing as a perfect dice-roll system suitable for all games (though there are methods that are suitable for none) . But how will a designer be able to decide which of the existing dice-roll method is best suited for his game, or when to invent his own?  \nThere is no recipe for doing this { it is in many ways an art. But like any art, there is an element of craft involved. This paper will attempt to provide some tools and observations that, hopefully, will give the reader some tools for the craftsmanship involved in the art of choosing or designing dice-roll mechanisms for RPGs.  \nParts of this document have been published as a column called \\Roll the Bones\" on [https://www](https://www) .  \n[rpg.net](rpg.net).  \n1 Introduction  \nEver since Dungeons & Dragons was published in 1974, randomization has, with a few exceptions, been a part of role-playing games. Randomization has been used for creating characters, determining if actions are successful, determining the amount of damage dealt by a weapon, determining encounters (\\wandering monsters\", etc.) and so on. We will look mainly at randomizers for action resolution { the act of determining how successful an attempted action is. The reason for this is that this is in many ways the most critical part of an RPG and the part that is hardest to get right.  \nDice of various types are the most common randomizers in role-playing games, and D&D was indeed known for introducing non-cubic dice into modern games, but a few games (such as Castle Falkenstein and the Saga system) use cards as randomizers, and some \\diceless\" games, like Amber, use no randomizers at all, apart from the inherent unpredictability of human behaviour. We will focus on dice in this article, but brie􀀍y touch on other randomizers.  \nWe start by discussing some aspects of action resolution that it might be helpful to analyse when choosing a dice-roll mechanism, then a short introduction to probability theory followed by an analysis of some existing and new dice-roll mechanisms using the above.  \n2 Action resolution  \nWhen a character attempts to perform a certain action during a game, there are several factors that cana􀀋ect the outcome. We will classify these as ability, di􀀎culty, circumstance and unpredictability.  \nAbility is a measure of how good the character is at performing the type of action he or she attempts. This can be a matter of natural talent, training and tools. The quality of the ability will typically be given by one or more numbers, such as attribute, skill, level, weapon/tool bonus, feats or whatnot. This can be modi􀀌ed by temporary disabilities such as injury, fatigue or magic.  \nDi􀀎culty is a measure of how hard the action is. This can be in the form of active opposition, inherent di􀀎culty or a combination thereof. This is usually also given as one or more numbers.  \nCircumstance is a measure of external factors that may a􀀋ect the outcome, making it harder, easier or less predictable. This can be terrain, time of day, lunar phase, weather and so on. Often, these factors are modeled as modi􀀌ers to ability or di􀀎culty, but they can also be modeled separately.  \nUnpredictability is a measure of how random the outcome is. This often depends on the type of action performed { if a person tries to beat another in a game of Poker (where shu􀀏ing the deck introduces uncertainty), the outcome is more random than if the game was Chess (where there is no chance or hidden information), especially if","cbCait9FRQHOCdsJ","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCait9FRQHOCdsJ","pdf",333302,22,"English","# Introduction\n## Randomization in RPGs\n# Action resolution\n## Ability, difficulty, circumstance, unpredictability\n## Detail and complexity","[{\"question\":\"Why are dice-roll or other randomizers important in role-playing games?\",\"answer\":\"Randomizers determine character outcomes such as success, damage, and encounters. They are central to action resolution, which is the hardest part of RPG design to get right.\"},{\"question\":\"What are the main factors that affect action resolution outcomes?\",\"answer\":\"The paper classifies them as ability, difficulty, circumstance, and unpredictability, each influencing results differently and often using numerical measures or modifiers.\"},{\"question\":\"Is there a single best dice-roll system for all RPGs?\",\"answer\":\"No. The paper argues there is no perfect dice-roll system for every game, and designers must consider what level of realism, complexity, and randomness best fits their specific game goals.\"}]","Dice-Rolls in Role-Playing Games | PDF",1791239616,34]