Dry erase dice?

[Evard]

Ok so in 4e what the character generator does is show you the score that you add to your roll so that you don't really have to add anything, why not take it a step further?

I'm thinking of making or buying (if possible) dry-erase dice!

They would be a tad bit bigger than the normal dice but you would be able to write on them... I could have 1 d20 for each power that has a different bonus to attack.
At will 1 = +5 to attack
At will 2 = +6 to attack
The d20's will have the bonus to attack already calculated in (critical failure/success will be in different colors). This can be applied to dice for weapon damage and skill usage also

Although a little troublesome this will allow everyone at the table to see what the person actually got total on a roll (so cheaters won't be able to cheat). Also I think the idea of giant dice is fun :D

[Thanatos 51-50]

Wouldn't the numbers slowly erode themselves after being rolled so many times?

[sambo.]

why not just generate a table and get people to roll a d20 against it to decide such things?

it'll save you trying to write stuff onto the rather small faces of a d20....

[Irreverent Fool]

You can buy blank dice rather easily from most manufacturers. The shop I game at carries several types and sizes. As long as your modifiers don't change from buffs/debuffs too often, it could work.

I'm partial to the tables idea. Something like this:

{table]Attack Roll|Fighter Result|Cleric Result|Rouge Result
1|--|--|--
2|12|9|10[/table]
...and so on.

In fact, I may do this in a spreadsheet with fields that include currently-running buffs.

obnoxious
sig

[valadil]

I personally wouldn't use these. It'd be too easy to pick up the wrong 20.

Other than that, I think dry erase is the wrong material. Too easy to smudge.

[Vulkarius]

I don't see how you'd pick up the wrong dice because wouldn't the player have them infront ofthem? I've never picked up anyone elses anything while playing.

As for the numbers rubbing off couldn't you jut have the numbers sunken in a little? Like make a wire frame die with sunken panels? Complicated? Most likely....

Edit: or maybe have panels that came off that would protect the numbers? They would probably have to be too big to be practical like this but fun! :D

[KillianHawkeye]

Other than that, I think dry erase is the wrong material. Too easy to smudge.

Yeah, your fingers would wipe off the numbers every time you picked it up.

[valadil]

I don't see how you'd pick up the wrong dice because wouldn't the player have them infront ofthem? I've never picked up anyone elses anything while playing.

I mean the wrong bonus dice. I imagine I'd have several dice depending on the bonus I was rolling. Maybe my paladin has a different weapon and implement attack bonus and those are different from the basic d20 used on skills (I assume you don't make a different 20 for skill checks). That's 3 separate dice. The OP suggests having a different die for each power that has a different bonus. Those are the dice I'd lose track of.

I'd rather remember to add +7 for some powers than find my +7 die.

[Vulkarius]

I mean the wrong bonus dice. I imagine I'd have several dice depending on the bonus I was rolling. Maybe my paladin has a different weapon and implement attack bonus and those are different from the basic d20 used on skills (I assume you don't make a different 20 for skill checks). That's 3 separate dice. The OP suggests having a different die for each power that has a different bonus. Those are the dice I'd lose track of.

I'd rather remember to add +7 for some powers than find my +7 die.

My mistake sorry!

[Quincunx]

I cross-posted this to the "Got Any Dice Questions?" topic (why not ask the expert? ) and he replied:

Not only is it feasible ... they actually exist from Minion Games

Now ... I do say that they will likely erase easily ... so when tossing them ... it would be best to use a dice cup that is of hard material ... like a large glass ... or small trash can ... so as not not smudge the indicia

[mucat]

Although a little troublesome this will allow everyone at the table to see what the person actually got total on a roll (so cheaters won't be able to cheat). Also I think the idea of giant dice is fun :D

If someone is inclined to cheat, this will make it easier, not harder. Their custom-inked dice will "accidentally" have some of the higher numbers written twice, and some of the lower numbers missing. Do you really want the GM to be responsible for going over everyone's dice (multiple d20's per person, it sounds like) to make sure they are all legitimate?

Sounds like way too much trouble...especially since the "problem" it solves is "I have to add 14 + 7 in my head?"...and the only method of cheating it prevents is "Hey! Maybe no one else knows what 14 + 7 is either! I'll just say it's 23!"

If either of these are actual serious problems at gaming tables, then I weep for humanity.

[Iban]

But is it really that hard to add two numbers together?

Even if someone finds it really hard they could just have a calculator or draw up a table with numbers 1-20 on one axis and 1-40 (or whatever your modifiers goes up to) on the other with the totals in the middle.

[Asbestos]

If someone is inclined to cheat, this will make it easier, not harder. Their custom-inked dice will "accidentally" have some of the higher numbers written twice, and some of the lower numbers missing. Do you really want the GM to be responsible for going over everyone's dice (multiple d20's per person, it sounds like) to make sure they are all legitimate?

Sounds like way too much trouble...especially since the "problem" it solves is "I have to add 14 + 7 in my head?"...and the only method of cheating it prevents is "Hey! Maybe no one else knows what 14 + 7 is either! I'll just say it's 23!"

If either of these are actual serious problems at gaming tables, then I weep for humanity.

You forgot the placement of the numbers on the die, it would be very easy to make 'spin down' dice this way.