100 sides vs 10 sides

Question

I know of 100 sided dice. My group and I usually do the 2 d10 approach. I was tempted to get a d100, but it seems like it's almost a ball and doesn't seem very effective.

What are the advantages of using a d100? Why would you use it instead of the 2 d10 approach?

Does this answer your question? When rolling percentages, do 1d100 and two d10s (percentiles) share the same probabilities? — NotArch, Apr 02 '21 at 14:51
I’d say there’s much more to “is there any advantage” than just probabilities. Non-stats considerations are barely mentioned in the other thread, whereas here the practical and collectibility features of the d100 are the focus of answers. Consistently different answers suggests non-duplicate questions. — SevenSidedDie, Apr 03 '21 at 16:26

score 30 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 23 '10 at 17:13

30

Advantages: novelty. That's about it. It's hard to keep it on the table when you roll it, and it's super-hard to read it, because you can't always tell which facet is the highest. It's a cute conversation piece but it's not really useful at all in play.

answered Aug 23 '10 at 17:13

Bryant

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Also, the two d100's that I've owned both broke along their seam, spilling their rice-like content all over my bag. They're a waste of matter. – rjbs Aug 23 '10 at 17:49
I had one break as well. They're a fun novelty, but one of Louis Zocchi's few relative failings. – zacharythefirst Aug 23 '10 at 19:44
This! 2 players in my group have them, and they only use them to kill time (when combat starts to bog down). – Pulsehead Dec 10 '10 at 18:27
I still have one. This answer is 100% correct. – KorvinStarmast Nov 03 '17 at 00:07

score 4 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 27 '10 at 20:03

4

Yes, the d100 is a novelty item. It does not roll well, is difficult to read, but will always get picked up, examined and talked about by your fellow gamers.

For what it's worth, I've moved from the standard diamond-shaped d10s to twenty-sided d10s. They're more difficult to find, but they combine novelty and utility.

answered Aug 27 '10 at 20:03

kelvingreen

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and they're nice when you really, really want to miss with an attack or fail a saving throw. – mattdm Nov 02 '17 at 19:12
The original 20 sided dice were all isodecahedrons with the numbers 0-9 twice on them. (Opposing faces were the same number). We also used them for percentile rolling – KorvinStarmast Nov 03 '17 at 00:08

score 3 · Answer 3 · answered Aug 23 '10 at 17:36

The d100 is a golf ball. It never stops and it's very large, hence it fits badly into a pencil bag. However, it has a definitive coolness factor. I saw one with water and a bubble inside, making reading much easier, but it becomes very heavy, and a nightmare if it breaks.

score 2 · Answer 4 · answered Aug 23 '10 at 17:16

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It rolls forever which stinks for use in actual play.

answered Aug 23 '10 at 17:16

RS Conley

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score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Aug 23 '10 at 20:03

I can't see any use for the d100 other than as a novelty item, such as the large d20s. Their design obviously lends them to extra-long rolls and mistaken interpretation. Also, I've yet to see need for this type of roll in 4th Ed. Of course, YMMV in other systems.

100 sides vs 10 sides

5 Answers5