OT: list of swords or yeah right, a guy who's barely played any RPG is gonna make one - Page 4

narf poit chez BOOM · #31 December 22nd, 2003, 08:17 PM

question - which dice are the ones a RPG'er might reasonably be expected to have? the PHB has 1d2 and 1d3 in it. 1d2 could be done by anyone with a penny, but 1d3?

geoschmo · #32 December 22nd, 2003, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
question - which dice are the ones a RPG'er might reasonably be expected to have? the PHB has 1d2 and 1d3 in it. 1d2 could be done by anyone with a penny, but 1d3?

As far as I know its impoossible to manufacture a die with only three sides that can come up with equal probibility. Of course I could be wrong, but I can't think of a way off the top of my head. Typically when a game calls for 1d3 you roll a d6 and divide by 2. 1-2=1, 3-4=2, 5-6=3.

There are also special dice with 6 sides that have 2 faces with 1's, two faces with 2's, and 2 faces with 3's. Or you could use "fudge dice". That's a 6 sideed die with 2 + sides,2 - sides, and two blank sides.

Geoschmo

geoschmo · #33 December 22nd, 2003, 08:42 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by geoschmo:
As far as I know its impoossible to manufacture a die with only three sides that can come up with equal probibility.

Hey, I just thought of one. Never seen one of these anywhere before, maybe I should patent it.

Anyway, what you do is make a die with three equal sized square sides and have the edges meet. This will leave you with two triangular sides on either end. Then you bring out the triangular sides to form short pyramids. The result will actually be a 9 sided die with three large square surgaces and 6 small triangular surfaces. But because of the weight and balance, it could only land one of the square surfaces. To determine the result of the roll though you wouldn't read the faces, because an edge would be pointed up. You'd have to mark an edge for one, an edge for two, and an edge for three.

It's be ugly, and would be a little odd, so noone is likely to do this, but it would work.

narf poit chez BOOM · #34 December 22nd, 2003, 08:45 PM

well, one of those prism things with an equally divided, rounded ends would work...thanks.

spiked gauntlets give point damage, which no races hands have. point damage can pierce armor to do HP damage.

Fyron · #35 December 22nd, 2003, 08:53 PM

They have made 3 sided dice before, many years ago.

Puke · #36 December 22nd, 2003, 09:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by geoschmo:

quote:
Originally posted by geoschmo:
As far as I know its impoossible to manufacture a die with only three sides that can come up with equal probibility.

Hey, I just thought of one. Never seen one of these anywhere before, maybe I should patent it.

Anyway, what you do is make a die with three equal sized square sides and have the edges meet. This will leave you with two triangular sides on either end. Then you bring out the triangular sides to form short pyramids. The result will actually be a 9 sided die with three large square surgaces and 6 small triangular surfaces. But because of the weight and balance, it could only land one of the square surfaces. To determine the result of the roll though you wouldn't read the faces, because an edge would be pointed up. You'd have to mark an edge for one, an edge for two, and an edge for three.

It's be ugly, and would be a little odd, so noone is likely to do this, but it would work.

you would not have to mark the edges, you could number it like a D4. there could be two numbers on each side, each number 1, 2, 3, could appear twice. the number you roll would be the one facing right side up on both sides, rather than the one up side down.

or you could just do what everyone else does, and roll 1D6 / 2, round up.

geoschmo · #37 December 22nd, 2003, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Imperator Fyron:
They have made 3 sided dice before, many years ago.

Do you have a link or something? I'd like to see it. This sort of stuff interests me greatly.

I am sure you are correct that someone somewhere has made a 3 sided die. If they have, I have not been able to find a record of it though. In fact all I have found over and over is the statement that a 3 sided die is impossible. Which in fact it is technically. My solution isn't really three sided, but only three "sides" can ever come up, and all three can come up with equal probability.

When discussions of this come up, most people usually discount any sort of shape that is not truely polyhedral, that is haveing all sides the same shape and equal size. This eliminates everything but d4, d6, d8, d12, and d20. I have seen d10 used fairly commonly, although I am not sure whether those are truely polyhedral.

Coming up with non-polyhedral solutions for a d3 is certainly doable, as I have shown here. I am sure there are other possible solutions. I found one that used 3 equal shapes that are convex oval looking things that are pointed at the ends.

Quote:

Originally posted by Puke:
you would not have to mark the edges, you could number it like a D4. there could be two numbers on each side, each number 1, 2, 3, could appear twice. the number you roll would be the one facing right side up on both sides, rather than the one up side down.

Puke, Yes, that would work well. Good idea. That's actually kind of what I had in mind when I said mark the edges. I was thinking of the numbers printed on either side of the edges close to the top, maybe even with little arrows, although those wouldn't be strictly neccesary.

[ December 22, 2003, 19:46: Message edited by: geoschmo ]

narf poit chez BOOM · #38 December 22nd, 2003, 09:50 PM

would wood be better or worse for sheilds than leather? hardened leather?

Puke · #39 December 23rd, 2003, 01:22 AM

depends on whats hitting it. leather, streached tight over a frame, would be alot lighter - but would have a hard time turning any weapon with any kind of weight. wood is stonger, but heavier.

Metal, if beaten thin, is generally lighter than wood and will Last longer, and will be better for turning aside blades, but will transfer more blunt impact to the person holding it.

Samurai didnt actually have shields, because their swords were good enough to turn aside weapon blows without being dulled, bent, broken, or damaged. Arrows were a different problem, though.

Fyron · #40 December 23rd, 2003, 02:11 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by geoschmo:
Do you have a link or something? I'd like to see it. This sort of stuff interests me greatly.

No, I don't. I have just seen them.

They were of various forms, pretty much what you guys have been thinking of. It is of course impossible to make a polyhedral shape that has no curves and only 3 faces. As soon as you bend a surface, it is no longer a polyhedral. As soon as you connect 3 surfaces together, you have to have a 4th to fill in the gap.