Are Expensive D&D Dice Actually Worth It?

By Tina Perez

D&D dice can cost less than $10 a set, or well over $100. Both sets still contain the same basic seven dice, so what are you actually getting when you spend more?

For most players, expensive D&D dice do not make the game work any better. A good inexpensive set can roll just as well and last for years.

That does not mean premium dice are a waste of money. You are just paying for different things.

Why Are Some D&D Dice So Expensive?

The basic job of a D&D die is simple. Roll across the table and give you a random number.

The price starts climbing when manufacturers add more complicated materials and production methods.

Expensive dice might feature:

• Handmade resin casting
• Sharp polished edges
• Liquid cores
• Metal construction
• Natural stone or gemstone
• Detailed engraving
• Foil, glitter or other inclusions
• Custom molds and numbering

Some of these require far more work than producing a basic acrylic dice set.

The important point is that more expensive does not automatically mean better at rolling dice.

Do Expensive D&D Dice Roll Better?

Not necessarily.

A $60 handmade resin D20 is not automatically more random than a $10 acrylic D20.

Normal gaming dice can contain tiny differences caused by molding, polishing, pigments and other parts of the manufacturing process. For a typical D&D campaign, these differences are unlikely to have any noticeable effect on your game.

Most players do not need laboratory-grade precision. You need dice that are readable, durable and pleasant to roll.

A relatively inexpensive set such as our Amber Blaze Glitter Orange 7-Piece RPG Dice still gives you the standard D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, D20 and percentile dice needed for D&D. The extra money spent on a much more expensive set is generally going somewhere other than the basic function of the dice.

What Are You Actually Paying For?

Mostly, appearance and manufacturing.

Dice have become collectibles as much as gaming accessories. Players buy sets to match their characters, campaigns or personal style.

A wizard might suit bright blue arcane dice. A necromancer might get black and purple dice. Your barbarian probably does not require a massive chunk of metal to roll attack rolls, but it certainly feels appropriate.

More detailed designs also cost more to produce. Our Battlemage Blue Runic Engraved RPG Dice, for example, use engraved runic designs rather than the simpler finish found on many standard sets.

You are paying for something more interesting to own, not an improved random number generator.

Are Cheap D&D Dice Bad?

No.

Cheap dice sometimes get treated as if they are automatically lower quality, but mass production dramatically reduces manufacturing costs.

A company producing thousands of acrylic or resin dice can sell them cheaply without the dice being bad.

For most players, the biggest things to look for are:

• Easy-to-read numbers
• Clean molding
• No obvious damage
• Comfortable size
• A design you actually like

You can get all of those without spending $50.

Our Macaron Amethyst 7-Piece RPG Dice are a good example of the middle ground. They have a more distinctive design than plain dice without jumping into luxury dice pricing.

When Are Expensive Dice Worth It?

Expensive dice make the most sense when you want something beyond basic functionality.

Handmade resin dice can contain flowers, foil, miniature objects and complicated color effects. Liquid-core dice can have moving glitter or objects suspended inside them. Metal dice have a completely different weight and feel. Gemstone dice can be made from materials such as amethyst, quartz or obsidian.

None of those things are necessary to play D&D.

That is also not really the point.

If you have played the same character for three years and want a special set designed around them, spending more may be completely reasonable.

If you are buying your first set of D&D dice, you probably do not need to.

Can Expensive Dice Actually Be Worse?

In some ways, yes.

Certain premium materials come with disadvantages.

Metal dice are heavy and can damage wooden tables if you roll them without a tray. Gemstone dice can chip or crack. Elaborate decorative dice sometimes sacrifice readability for appearance.

Even sharp-edge resin dice, which many people love for their clean appearance, can be less comfortable to handle than traditional rounded dice.

Price is not the same thing as practicality.

So How Much Should You Spend on D&D Dice?

For most players, $10 to $20 is plenty for a good 7-piece D&D dice set.

Spending more can get you unusual materials, complicated designs and handmade production, but it probably will not improve your rolls.

Think of premium dice like any other collectible.

If you love how they look, enjoy collecting them or want something special for a character, expensive D&D dice can absolutely be worth buying.

If you simply need something to roll when your DM asks for a Dexterity saving throw, a cheaper set will do exactly the same job.

And unfortunately, your $80 D20 can still roll a natural 1.

Written by Tina Perez for One Stop Dice Shop.