As I was learning Dungeons & Dragons during my first game night with friends, I heard the dungeon master ask us to each "roll 7 2d6" to generate ability scores. I had no clue what those strange numbers and letters meant! If you‘re also a newbie scratching your head at dice notation, let me break down what 7 2d6 means in friendly gamer terms.
Let‘s Start With 2d6
The "d" in dice notation represents a die – one of those plastic multi-sided cubes roleplayers happily toss around. The number before the d tells you how many dice to roll, so 2d6 means grab 2 six-sided dice and roll them both.
Easy enough so far! But why are six-sided dice so popular?
With a cube die, each of the 6 sides has an equal 1-in-6 chance of landing face up. Roll a single d6, and you‘ll get a flat, uniform distribution of results from 1 to 6.
Here‘s a visualization of the probabilities – each number has about a 16.7% chance of being rolled:
Image source: By Ipigott – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18736649
But when you roll two six-sided dice and add them together, things get more interesting…
The Bell Curve of 2d6
With 2d6, there are 6 x 6 = 36 possible combinations of dice rolls.
This leads to a classic bell curve distribution of results, centered around 7.
Let‘s look at the spread of sums when you roll 2d6. You can get totals ranging from 2 (double 1s) to 12 (double 6s).
Image source: By Ipigott – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18736652
Here are the exact probabilities of each sum when you roll 2d6:
| Sum | Probability |
|---|---|
| 2 | 2.78% |
| 3 | 5.56% |
| 4 | 8.33% |
| 5 | 11.11% |
| 6 | 13.89% |
| 7 | 16.67% |
| 8 | 13.89% |
| 9 | 11.11% |
| 10 | 8.33% |
| 11 | 5.56% |
| 12 | 2.78% |
As you can see, 7 has the highest probability at just under 17%. Extreme totals like 2 or 12 only have around a 3% chance of happening.
This distribution is ideal for generating ability scores, hit points, or damage results centered around the median 7 value.
Let‘s explore why…
Why 2d6 is Used in RPGs
Rolling 2d6 provides a nice balanced spread of results – not too swingy, not too flat. D&D adopted 2d6 early on to generate character attributes like Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma.
Each ability score is determined by rolling 2d6. With the curve centered around 7-8, you‘ll likely end up with a fair share of average scores, while still having a chance for some higher and lower varied results.
As a player, I actually enjoy rolling physical dice to create my character‘s innate talents. It feels more organic than just assigning points!
2d6 continues to be the go-to for ability checks throughout gameplay. Whenever you attempt something and the outcome is uncertain, the DM will often ask for a 2d6 roll, adding relevant modifiers.
For example, climbing a wall might require a "Strength Check". You roll 2d6, add your Strength modifier, and try to beat the target Difficulty Class (DC).
Damage dealt by weapons and spells is another common use of 2d6. Rolling a couple dice instead of just one (1d12) provides a nice damage range without massive spikes.
No matter your Class or character build, you‘ll be tossing plenty of 2d6 combos during your adventuring career!
Comparing 2d6 to Other Dice
2d6 has some advantages over a single d12 twleve-sided die:
- Average roll of 2d6 is 7, vs 6.5 for 1d12
- Less swingy results, fewer super high/low numbers
- Highest possible total is 12, versus 20 with a d20
- Better odds of rolling middle numbers between 6-8
However, 1d12 gives an equal flat 11.1% chance for each number from 1 to 12. So it‘s better if you want higher probability of maximum and minimum values.
Game designers choose the dice carefully based on the desired outcome distribution. For example, attacks and checks use a 1d20 roll to allow for more extreme results.
d6, d8, d12 and d20 are the most common, but some RPGs call for exotic dice notation like:
- d3 – The humble three-sided die (or roll a d6 and divide by 2)
- d5 – The obscure five-sided platonic solid
- d7 – Lucky seven-sided dice are fun too
- d24 – Useful when you need more granularity than a d20
- d100 – Two ten sided dice representing 1-100 for percentage rolls
There are even 100 sided dice (called a Zocchihedron after its inventor) if you really want to go crazy! But 2d6 strikes the right balance for most core gameplay mechanics.
The Significance of the Number 7
Alright, we‘ve talked dice – so what about that 7 at the start?
7 represents the average result of rolling 2d6. With possible totals from 2 to 12, the midpoint value is 7.
And as we saw from the probability charts earlier, 7 has the highest chance of being rolled at 16.7% – making it the expected average over many repeated 2d6 rolls.
That‘s why the dungeon master said to roll "7 2d6" when generating ability scores. Don‘t literally roll 7 dice! It just means take the average of 2d6 as your strength, dexterity, etc.
Some DMs will let you reroll if your stats are too low. But getting a decent spread is part of the fun! I‘ll take my chances…my gnome barbarian Gleekus will get by on charm if not talent 🙂
Big Monsters Have Huge Hit Points
D&D has some massive monsters with tons of hit points (HP) – a measure of their toughness and health.
Ancient dragons, demon lords and legendary creatures can have over 500 HP! Here are a few examples:
- Tarrasque – 676 HP
- Ancient Red Dragon – 546 HP
- Lich – 135 HP
- Demogorgon (demon prince) – 567 HP
For massive creatures, HP is usually represented like "7d20 + 350" – meaning 7 twenty-sided dice are rolled and 350 more HP is added to that!
As a lowly first level character with barely over 10 HP, that much health seems insane! But it makes these epic boss fights challenging for high level parties.
My goal is to someday take down a dragon and loot its hoard of treasure. But for now, I‘m happy slaying orcs and giant rats in the local caves!
Oddities: Weighting, Cheating and Superstitions
Back in my college days, I knew a guy who carried around a weighted d20 that would roll high numbers more often. He called it his "lucky dice" but I considered it cheating!
In tournaments and casinos, they often inspect dice and use controlled rolls to prevent weighting or modification. Fair probability is key.
That said, many gamers have little rituals before rolling, like blowing on dice or shaking them in a certain way. I don‘t buy into superstitions, but it‘s all part of the fun and excitement!
During tense dice moments, I‘ve been known to close my eyes, cross my fingers and chant "please roll high" under my breath. Hey, it can‘t hurt right? Unless your friends tease you about it forever…
Geeking Out With Math and Statistics
Well, we‘re 2000 words into this article and you now know waaay more about 2d6 than you ever expected!
But that‘s part of being a math nerd gamer – going deep on the probabilities, statistics and equations behind the games we love.
Understanding odds helps inform strategy – like when to take risks or hedge bets. I may not look like the typical boxer-type barbarian, but my brains help balance my brawn!
In the end, roleplaying games are meant to be social and spark imagination. But for curious minds, they provide a fun way to explore mathematical concepts through multi-sided dice probabilities.
So grab some polyhedral dice – preferably a couple trusty d6‘s – gather a few friends, and let your next heroic math adventure begin! Just try not to let the dice math distract you from slaying the beast and saving the village.
Happy gaming! May your rolls be high and your adventures epic. Just beware stranger… the glowing gazebo.
Your friend,
- Terry
