this post was submitted on 21 Oct 2023
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[–] [email protected] 58 points 11 months ago (2 children)

TL;DR They’re not dice.

The computer-designed objects called trajectoids follow a predetermined path when rolling, and usually look somewhat like peeled potatoes.
Examples of trajectoids
I haven’t seen a trajectoid with an obviously arbitrary, complex path, such as someone’s signature (as opposed to demos of epicycles), so there may be limits to what lines can be made.

I think the similarly-looking gömböcs are cooler: convex, uniform objects that always return to one stable orientation when laid on a flat surface.
gömböc gif

[–] [email protected] 22 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Very cool from a maths perspective, but irrelevant to D&D

[–] [email protected] 7 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago) (1 children)

Not entirely irrelevant to D&D. Now we know that a skilled scholar could sculpt a boulder to roll in a specific way (for an Indiana Jones-style trap) without casting spells. Still, adjusting the terrain is a more productive way to do that.

But they're not useful as dice. Nobody ever uses a die’s trajectory shape to determine a random in-game outcome.

A gömböc could technically count as the most rigged die – only ever rolling up one number – if the only requirements for a D&D die were for it to be a convex object with uniform density.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Plato: "A die is a convex object with uniform density."

Diogenes: holds up gömböc "behold: a die!"

[–] [email protected] 1 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

(Diogenes is genius but poor so the gömböc is a peeled potato)

Now seriously, the convexity requirement is there to ensure that spheres with voids inside don't qualify.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 2 points 11 months ago

As a DM, that's my favourite die to roll. Well, other than the rocks-fall-you-die

[–] [email protected] 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)