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View Full Version : 1,800 year old d20



Talkkno
2008-06-16, 01:52 AM
http://www.christies.com/Lotfinder/lot_details.aspx?intObjectID=4205385

Awesome

Edea
2008-06-16, 01:57 AM
I must agree, this is awesome. Expensive d20, that's for sure o_O.

Goober4473
2008-06-16, 02:02 AM
I want one.

turkishproverb
2008-06-16, 02:20 AM
I'm suddenly picturing ceasar playing D&D.

SoD
2008-06-16, 02:56 AM
I'm suddenly picturing ceasar playing D&D.

Brutus: And then I stab him in the back with my dagger...woot! Critical hit, so that's 2d4, right? And half my strength...so that's *rolls* 6 damage. Wait, no, wait! I'm a rogue, right? So I can sneak attack him, right? So that's another 6d6 points of damage!
Ceasar: Et tu, Brutus? Then fall Garrez. That's my third character you guys have killed this session...*sulks*
Brutus: Well, serves you right for playing a drow duel-weilding scimitars.

DigoDragon
2008-06-16, 06:46 AM
That's really cool. Now I want to go look up what kind of games they played with that.

Turcano
2008-06-16, 07:05 AM
I'm suddenly picturing ceasar playing D&D.

"If I roll one more natural alpha, I swear to Jupiter I'm going to kill something."

Zeta Kai
2008-06-16, 07:18 AM
"If I roll one more natural alpha, I swear to Jupiter I'm going to kill something."

Wouldn't that be a natural I? Alpha is Greek, & not traditionally used numerically.

Our ancient gaming ancestor may have once made sacrifices upon the altar of Fortuna for a few natural XX's. That's an image that just makes my day.

Haruspex
2008-06-16, 07:28 AM
Interestingly enough, the die is marked with symbols and not numerals. Maybe it had some sort of ritual significance?

Serperoth
2008-06-16, 07:33 AM
Maybe it was not Roman numerals. Greek numerals were letters... And Ceasar's characters were indeed noob-ish:)

SoD
2008-06-16, 07:38 AM
N00bish? He had everything from the Drizzt clone to the human cleric of Pelor, who would prepare healing spells.

AKA_Bait
2008-06-16, 08:56 AM
Interestingly enough, the die is marked with symbols and not numerals. Maybe it had some sort of ritual significance?

Seems unlikley to me. I'm not aware of any roman cults or general religious practices that used randomness or polyhedra outside of maybe some lingering pythagorean mystery folks, who I'd think were mostly died out by that time. It could simply be that the various symbols had various meanings for the game. Anything from "symbol x means you move three spaces" to "symbol x means you take a drink and remove and article of clothing" (these are romans after all...)

The page indicates it is one of several such objects. Humm. Pardon me I need to go write a sci fi short story...

bugsysservant
2008-06-16, 09:26 AM
Brutus: And then I stab him in the back with my dagger...woot! Critical hit, so that's 2d4, right? And half my strength...so that's *rolls* 6 damage. Wait, no, wait! I'm a rogue, right? So I can sneak attack him, right? So that's another 6d6 points of damage!
Ceasar: Et tu, Brutus? Then fall Garrez. That's my third character you guys have killed this session...*sulks*
Brutus: Well, serves you right for playing a drow duel-weilding scimitars.

You'd think that Romans would have played OD&D...

Hallavast
2008-06-16, 09:38 AM
That might be the most expensive d20 in existence...

And I think it's rather obvious that Caesar played d20 modern... :smallwink:

Jack Mann
2008-06-16, 02:44 PM
Ah, a science fiction fan, then.

Fhaolan
2008-06-16, 02:53 PM
Seems unlikley to me. I'm not aware of any roman cults or general religious practices that used randomness or polyhedra outside of maybe some lingering pythagorean mystery folks, who I'd think were mostly died out by that time. It could simply be that the various symbols had various meanings for the game. Anything from "symbol x means you move three spaces" to "symbol x means you take a drink and remove and article of clothing" (these are romans after all...)

The page indicates it is one of several such objects. Humm. Pardon me I need to go write a sci fi short story...

One of the symbols on the die resembles the planetary symbol for the sun (a circle with a dot in the center), which I believe was orignally Greek. The H with the curly bits looks like a malformed greek letter kappa. I can't figure out what the other symbols are.

AKA_Bait
2008-06-16, 04:03 PM
One of the symbols on the die resembles the planetary symbol for the sun (a circle with a dot in the center), which I believe was orignally Greek. The H with the curly bits looks like a malformed greek letter kappa. I can't figure out what the other symbols are.

You know, the more I look at this thing, the more sure I am that it was used for Kleromancy. Divination by lots was pretty common in rome and egypt at that time. Typically, knucklebones with symbols carved on to them were used but lots have been known to be thrown with just about anything. I'd bet that this thing, and the other ones mentioned, were for just that purpose and being 20-sided, considered pretty special.

Edit: Damn. Now I really want to know where this thing was orignally found. It could have been associated with one of the long destroyed oracles. No way to know now I suppose...:smallfrown:

hamishspence
2008-06-17, 06:20 AM
d20s and elements:

I remember reading that there was an ancient theory that held that the 4 elements came in particles of specific shapes. earth was d6 (fit together) fire was d4 (points up) and I think water and air were d12 and d20, cannot remember which.

So, maybe thats the item: a representation of one of the 4 elements?