Why are we substituting 'k' for 'd' ?

[Crgaston]

Please forgive my ignorance, but I am seeing a proliferation of posts in which people are referring to rolls, usually damage rolls, in terms of "3k8" instead of "3d8."

Can anyone educate me on the etymology of this trend?

[Yunru]

Please forgive my ignorance, but I am seeing a proliferation of posts in which people are referring to rolls, usually damage rolls, in terms of "3k8" instead of "3d8."

Can anyone educate me on the etymology of this trend?

I've not seen it personally, but the answer is they're doing it wrong :P
k should only be used when you're keeping the higher results, like 4d6k3 for rolling stats.
Either that or it was for how many you're dropping (4d6k1).
Regardless, it should never be used to represent the number of sides on the die.

[Lombra]

I've never seen that

[dave2008]

I've never seen that - sorry! However, I'm guessing @Yunru as the answer for you.

[qube]

Please forgive my ignorance, but I am seeing a proliferation of posts in which people are referring to rolls, usually damage rolls, in terms of "3k8" instead of "3d8."

Can anyone educate me on the etymology of this trend?I've seen it in systems like 7th sea and other single-type dice games, where, 3k2 means roll 3 dice, take the highest 2.

[Unoriginal]

Please forgive my ignorance, but I am seeing a proliferation of posts in which people are referring to rolls, usually damage rolls, in terms of "3k8" instead of "3d8."

Can anyone educate me on the etymology of this trend?

Would you mind quoting or linking to a few posts where this is done?

Context can help, but I've never seen anyone do that.

[JackPhoenix]

In some language(s), "die" means "kostka". 1d6 > 1k6. Local RPG Dračí Doupě uses that terminology, and it's what many RPG players started with here. I would assume that whoever uses that is a czech or slovak. Perhaps some other nations use it as well.

[Jcp1195]

It’s used in other RPGs like Legenda of the five Rings where 5k4 means you roll 5 Dice and keep the best 4 but in D&D that kind of system isn’t used.

[Crgaston]

Would you mind quoting or linking to a few posts where this is done?

Context can help, but I've never seen anyone do that.

I'm not sure how to link individual posts, but maybe this will work?
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?543427-The-Wall-of-Fear-A-Complete-Guide-to-the-Oath-of-Conquest&p=23692826#post23692826

Benny89 is not alone, but have a tendency to read what is written rather than focus on who is writing, so digging for other examples seems redundant since...


In some language(s), "die" means "kostka". 1d6 > 1k6. Local RPG Dračí Doupě uses that terminology, and it's what many RPG players started with here. I would assume that whoever uses that is a czech or slovak. Perhaps some other nations use it as well.

Thanks, it's probably this. I suspected that it had a non-English origin and was just curious as to it's source.

[Benny89]

I'm not sure how to link individual posts, but maybe this will work?
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?543427-The-Wall-of-Fear-A-Complete-Guide-to-the-Oath-of-Conquest&p=23692826#post23692826

Benny89 is not alone, but have a tendency to read what is written rather than focus on who is writing, so digging for other examples seems redundant since...



Thanks, it's probably this. I suspected that it had a non-English origin and was just curious as to it's source.

You summoned me, here I am :).

I am from Poland and in Polish language we have been using "k" since first translated books of AD&D, because as others said, in Polish "dice" is translated as "kostka" or "kości". Which also made into translated "k". Since then every translated RPG or cRPG (Bladur's Gate etc.) followed that trend mostly, so most of us were rised with "k" when it comes to RPGs :).

Nowadays since mostly people know English- we don't really have transalated RPG books anymore, but even then- it just stayed with some of us.

[Crgaston]

You summoned me, here I am :).

I am from Poland and in Polish language we have been using "k" since first translated books of AD&D, because as others said, in Polish "dice" is translated as "kostka" or "kości". Which also made into translated "k". Since then every translated RPG or cRPG (Bladur's Gate etc.) followed that trend mostly, so most of us were rised with "k" when it comes to RPGs :).

Nowadays since mostly people know English- we don't really have transalated RPG books anymore, but even then- it just stayed with some of us.
That’s really cool!

Thanks for enlightening me... I have been curious for a while now. :)