How Dare You, Dice
6 Ways to Repurpose Unfairly Rolling Dice
Hello, lovelies! Welcome back to another entry in the quest journal. I recently hosted a workshop on how I use dice to start my battle scene writing with The Merna Annals. As part of answering one of the feedback form questions, a viewer asked a fun question, “Are there reasons why you might keep using a set of messed up dice, unweighted or not properly otherwise, writing or playing tabletop RPGS?”
Needless to say, I was inspired. So, here’s six ways you can still make use of writing and roleplaying with dice that are out of balance. Out yourself to your DM/GM at your own risk, though.
Assign them to Build a Character that is Random for You
We often have our favorites and brain defaults that we gravitate toward as consumers and creators of character chaos. Therefore, rolling an improperly weighted set of dice might have you straying away from those usual preferences and picking combinations of appearances and abilities you’ve might not considered in the past. (This is how I fell in love with drow instead of halflings!)
Assign Them for Name Generation
Adding numbers helps here to keep the out of balance more random (use at least two die; the number of sides don’t have to match up, just the number of names on your list).Assign Them Only to Heroes
This sounds like god-mode. How is this not god-mode? The aim here is to limit the mis-weighted dice to your high-end heroes and their highest ranked spells. Yes, this means you’re messing with your own chances of performing well. This is a wise way to prevent your hero from being a one-hit wonder.Assign Them only to Villians
Same for the bad guys? Well, yes and no. Imagine using this with low-level minions, thus making them more unpredictable for their warriors in training opponents? Yes, there might be causes for a restart, but it might mean making it out of a dungeon with the last hit point still on the counter.Assign Them for Movement Decisions
Trying to mimic a broken leg? Another kind of movement handicap that happened at one point or another before or since this character was born? Dice that doesn’t roll fairly can certainly mimic that Captain Jack Sparrow swagger you’re seeking.Assign Them for Task Option Decisions
Let the dice tip fate in or against your favor for writing a dungeon crawl, a day in the markets, or a romantic encounter to political proportions.
Thank you for joining this side quest, lovelies. If you want to see my review of dice from Temu, it’s coming out on YouTube next week. At the same time, if you want to support the series I wrote dice with, then please check the Kickstarter to The Merna Annals (Book 1): Bound by Fate and Blood here! Thank you once more for your support!
Take care of yourself; I know you’re worth it.
Blessings be,
Jenna O’Malley
Your Soul Writer