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Dice are often used in a variety of tabletop games. They are usually identified by the number of sides they have. For example, a d8 has 8 sides.
Although there are other variations of die such as a d2 (which is usually in the shape of a coin), and polyhedral dice like the d3, d5, d7, d14, d16, and d24, these are the most commonly used:
| Notation | Sides | Shape | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| d4 | 4 sides | Tetrahedron | This die looks like a pyramid and has three numbers on each side. |
| d6 | 6 sides | Cube | The standard die often used in games. |
| d8 | 8 sides | Octahedron | Imagine two pyramids connected at the base. |
| d10 | 10 sides | Pentagonal trapezohedron | Each of the sides on this die look like kites. |
| d12 | 12 sides | Dodecahedron | The sides of this die are all pentagon shaped. |
| d20 | 20 sides | Icosahedron | This die’s sides are all triangles. |
| d100 | 100 sides | Pentagonal trapezohedron | These sides look like kites. |
There are also percentile dice, which are a type of d10 dice. The first number is 00 and increases in 10 increments. For instance, 00, 10, 20, and 30%.
A d6 is the most commonly used type of die in many different board games, as mentioned in the table comments. It’s a standard cube-shaped die that’s normally already in a game.
Many of these other dice must be purchased separately or as part of a set. People who often play Dungeons & Dragons, for example, will purchase a 7-dice set that includes a d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20, and a percentile die. These dice sets are available in a range of colors, so many D&D players will buy dice in their favorite colors and sometimes have more than one set.
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