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View Full Version : Interest Check: Diamondblack'd d20s



Doc Roc
2011-03-09, 07:23 PM
Boron Carbide (http://mcna.bodycote.com/index.asp?sid=process&content=process.asp?ID=253) is pretty neat. I'm doing up a kickstarter project for Legend quite soon, and I was thinking that a nice high end reward would be a limited edition run of precision-milled and nearly indestructible d20s coated in this particular compound. Likely with the Legend emblazoned in the place of the 20, though perhaps not. I'm not sure which is a more elegant option.

How would you guys feel about this? Is this something you would find cool or super-boring?
Would it be considerably more interesting to have a d10 or a d6? Something that might be useful in systems beyond Legend, in other words?

aquaticrna
2011-03-09, 07:29 PM
Those would be awesome... i would be very very happy to receive one... personally would like a d20 best, but the others could be cool too

The Rose Dragon
2011-03-09, 07:31 PM
I'd like a full set, with the exception of d20. I don't really need more than one of those for Mutants & Masterminds, but the other dice come up all the time in Unisystem.

arguskos
2011-03-09, 07:34 PM
I'd dig it. Whole set, d20, whatevs. Hell, I'd probably just *buy* one from you as a show of solidarity and support, since the odds of me being able to get my players to play Legend are low (I polled the group, they're not interested in it), but only if it has the logo on it.

Doc Roc
2011-03-09, 07:40 PM
I'd like a full set, with the exception of d20. I don't really need more than one of those for Mutants & Masterminds, but the other dice come up all the time in Unisystem.

We'd be getting them custom-milled, so full sets would likely be really rough.



I'd dig it. Whole set, d20, whatevs. Hell, I'd probably just *buy* one from you as a show of solidarity and support, since the odds of me being able to get my players to play Legend are low (I polled the group, they're not interested in it), but only if it has the logo on it.


I'm deeply curious about why. Shoot me an IM?

The Rose Dragon
2011-03-09, 07:41 PM
We'd be getting them custom-milled, so full sets would likely be really rough.

Then I want a d10. The most often used die after d6 across the games I play, and I can get d6s easily.

arguskos
2011-03-09, 07:43 PM
I'm deeply curious about why. Shoot me an IM?
Sure. Can do!

Thurbane
2011-03-09, 08:13 PM
Color me interested. Nigh indestructible dice! Ooh baby! :smallbiggrin:

Land Outcast
2011-03-09, 08:14 PM
Awesome... I think that's the word :smallwink:

Claudius Maximus
2011-03-09, 08:24 PM
Yeah this is really neat if you ask me.

Under what circumstances would one receive such a thing?

Erom
2011-03-09, 08:24 PM
Having worked with this material on drill bits, I'd chime in and say it's pretty awesome.

A die with this coating would be super amazing, though I doubt I could justify the expense :/

Jinn Master
2011-03-09, 08:27 PM
D10's would be the most useful, especially if you made a D10 and a D% and had them together.

I would love to buy some, if you have them available.

As for Legend, it looks interesting, but I don't have anyone to play it with here as of yet. I know some people who might be willing to play, but they are currently about 800 miles away from me.

Thurbane
2011-03-09, 08:30 PM
Just curious - what would the material under the boron carbide be? Ceramic? Plastic? Metal?

Claudius Maximus
2011-03-09, 08:52 PM
I demand a creamy nougat filling.

tyckspoon
2011-03-09, 09:23 PM
Put me down for a 'probably won't get a significant chance to playtest but would be willing to pay for one regardless.' That would probably be the coolest d20 I'm likely to ever own, and Legend is worth commemorating.

(Probably won't playtest because: I'm not my group's DM and we have enough people who trip over relatively basic parts of 3.5 without trying to teach them a similar-but-different system.)

Doc Roc
2011-03-09, 10:57 PM
I'll see what I can do to get the cost relatively low.

Siosilvar
2011-03-09, 11:38 PM
I wouldn't be able to do much (if any) playtesting, but damn if that d20 doesn't sound completely awesome.

Dusk Eclipse
2011-03-09, 11:41 PM
I would definitely want a d20, this sounds awesome.

big teej
2011-03-10, 12:01 AM
you had me at indestructable dice.

Doc Roc
2011-03-10, 12:05 AM
Understand that we likely won't be able to do a ton of these, and they won't be free. But.

Bibliomancer
2011-03-10, 12:06 AM
Out of curiosity, could you provide an estimate of the amount of punishment one of said dice could withstand? Could it, for example, be used to hold up a multi-ton stone door while escaping from a recently discovered temple? (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/IndianaJones)

Regardless, a receiving a die of said characteristics would be very interesting, and certainly something to which I, personally, would react ecstatically if such a thing happened to me.

In other words, my response to your second question would be 'super-cool', and a d20 is a) iconic and b) can act as a d10 or a d6 in a pinch.

Tyndmyr
2011-03-10, 12:12 AM
Indestructible dice? If the cost is at all reasonable(and I've dropped $50 on a set of dice before), and they look cool, I'm down for a set. I'm ok with a traditional set, just a d20, or just d10s. I play a lot of games.

I'm not sure how much playtesting of Legend I'll manage myself, but hey, I'd at least like to give it a shot at some point, and no harm in getting the logo out there.

Doc Roc
2011-03-10, 12:17 AM
It's very hard, and very strong, but sustained pressure is a problem for many ceramics of its type, I'm given to understand. Material Sciences are well outside my field, but I do have a passing interest. I was thinking of using a stainless steel or iron core with a BC coating pvd'd on, as a friend knows of a machinist shop that can arrange this.

To more directly answer your question, the main issue is the fact that the coating is very thin. It might be better to think of these dice as indestructible in your day to day life. Don't try to use them to stop a falling elevator, though.

Mando Knight
2011-03-10, 12:18 AM
Just curious - what would the material under the boron carbide be? Ceramic? Plastic? Metal?

Look at the name: Boron Carbide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boron_carbide). That would eliminate metal, as neither boron nor carbon are metals (though boron is semi-metallic). Next, since its name suggests a relatively simple compound that lacks any organic polymers, it's probably not (that is, almost assuredly not) a plastic. And since it's a single material, it's definitely not a composite. Thus, it's a pretty safe bet that the material is a ceramic (which it is).

Also, since the material is extremely hard and non-metallic, it also functions like a ceramic material.

Doc Roc
2011-03-10, 12:25 AM
Look at the name: Boron Carbide (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boron_carbide). That would eliminate metal, as neither boron nor carbon are metals (though boron is semi-metallic). Next, since its name suggests a relatively simple compound that lacks any organic polymers, it's probably not (that is, almost assuredly not) a plastic. And since it's a single material, it's definitely not a composite. Thus, it's a pretty safe bet that the material is a ceramic (which it is).

Also, since the material is extremely hard and non-metallic, it also functions like a ceramic material.

All true, except for the fact that he was asking what the core of the d20 would be. Blackdiamond and similar products are ultra-thin deposit-coatings. BC is stupidly hard, and thus nearly impossible to machine. Further, it's pretty expensive. I'm leaning towards stainless steel, as it supposedly takes the coating very well.

Mando Knight
2011-03-10, 12:38 AM
All true, except for the fact that he was asking what the core of the d20 would be.

Oh, right. I missed that key phrase. :smallredface:

I would say a plastic, unless it has a problem with bonding to the boron carbide. You don't need the strength of a metal, and a lot of ceramics don't do well as the main stuff for anything that will see stress from multiple vectors.

Stainless steel would work, though you might have to be careful rolling the dice on some surfaces (http://www.weregeek.com/2011/01/19/)...

Doc Roc
2011-03-10, 12:45 AM
Oh, right. I missed that key phrase. :smallredface:

I would say a plastic, unless it has a problem with bonding to the boron carbide. You don't need the strength of a metal, and a lot of ceramics don't do well as the main stuff for anything that will see stress from multiple vectors.

Stainless steel would work, though you might have to be careful rolling the dice on some surfaces (http://www.weregeek.com/2011/01/19/)...

True, but I'd like these to be as near to true as possible, when it comes to weighting, and plastic sucks pretty hard for that.