Dice are important for reasons you might not realize

‪@BobWorldBuilder‬ told us where the d20 came from, but he missed the most import part of RPG Dice.
Check out TerrorVision today on Kickstarter! www.kickstarter.com/projects/...
Here's Bob's video: • Why Does D&D Use a D20...
More cool math videos on Platonic Solids:
• 5 Platonic Solids - Nu...
• Mysterium Cosmographicum
Best ways to support
✅ SHARE W/ FRIENDS ► / jorphdan
✅ PATREON ► / jorphdan
🎲 2nd Channel (The Junction) - / @jocularjunction
🚀 substack.com/@jorphdan
👾 Discord Server - bit.ly/Jorphdan
🐦 Twitter - / jorphdan
🔷 Bluesky - bsky.app/profile/jorphdan.bsk...
🕹️Twitch - / jorphdan
🎙️ Podcast! - podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh... or / @smrpgshow
🐉 DMsGuild Adventures! bit.ly/PHsGuild
👕 Channel Merch! bit.ly/3gYzCCT
💳 Affiliate Links 🏦
Dungeon Masters Guild - bit.ly/PHsGuild
DriveThruRPG - bit.ly/33ZbP24
dScryb - dscryb.com/jorphdan
Amazon Store - amzn.to/3HLpiuU
itch.io - jorphdan.itch.io/?ac=tRH6cQqSZvG
Humble Bundle - www.humblebundle.com/store?pa...
Kobold Press - koboldpress.com/kpstore?raf=r...
Any links to products or services may be affiliate links that give me a small kickback at no cost to you, with no influence on the content. Thank you for supporting my channel so I can continue to create videos for you each week!
#Jorphdan #dnd5e #ttrpg

[@Jorphdan]

Check out TerrorVision today on Kickstarter! www.kickstarter.com/projects/dankdungeons/terrorvision

[@DaveThaumavore]

Wow, Jordan. That was some awesome knowledge. Thank you!🙏

[@Jorphdan]

and knowing is half the battle!

[@QuestingBeast]

Early d20s were used as d10s! You just read the ones place and ignore the 10s place.

[@Jorphdan]

as it should be!

[@backcountry164]

The d20 included with the original Gamma World was numbered 0-9 twice.

[@megarural3000]

There were no 10's on early d20's, 0-9 twice, you colored (crayoned) the two 0-9 with usually opposite colors/shades. Black and white on a green die for example. I did this a lot.

[@pzalterias5154]

I had a friend who refused to use dices other than platonic solids to play ttrpgs, because he thought they wouldn't be balanced. I was running a d100 system, so I had to search for 20 faced d10s for him to play.

[@garryame4008]

Call me crazy, but that should've been on him to search for dice, not you.

[@tommyallen5761]

A true man of culture!

[@weswtf]

mysterium cosmographicum is about to become an artifact in my games now

[@Jorphdan]

It is in my game :)

[@teppicxxviii9744]

What does it do?@@Jorphdan

[@NefariousKoel]

I saw a video, here in YT, of someone at a naval museum showing off an old tabletop wargame from the interwar period (1920s-30s) not long ago. The US Navy issued that wargame to it's officers to game out hypothetical conflicts, and they'd take it along when deployed. It came with 20-sided dice numbered 0-9 twice, as the wargame was percentile-based. I knew the dodecahedron had been around for a long time, although rather rare, but didn't know it was standard-issue, in the military no less, even in the early 20th century. Quite interesting.

[@AJarOfYams]

A relic of the ancient philosophy/religion of mathematics. The Platonic Solids are neat playthings in these post-renaissance days

[@douglasphillips5870]

There was a math channel video that showed non platonic solids don't roll as evenly as platonic solids. I think it was Numberphile, but I'm not sure. in early d&d d10s were Icosahedrons with the numbers 0-9 written twice. You would color the numbers differently so you could use them as 10s or 20s

[@VerticalBlank]

I'd be interested in a link for that. It should boil down to whether the solid angles subtended from the center of mass by each side are equal, which appears to me to be true for a modern d10. And yes I too remember inking in my d20s that way!

[@Channel10uk]

Fair Dice (Part 1) - Numberphile kzbin.info/www/bejne/fWjdhWyDoc99abs

[@kurtoogle4576]

I love this and will be sharing it! Thank you for sharing this, Jorphdan! Also, I am glad you are starting to recover, and your shelves look fantastic!

[@MemphiStig]

The dodecahedron is indeed the most transcendent and perfect of all polyhedra. And even tho I've known about the origins of D&D's use of the dice for a long time, I was never clear on where that d10 came from. So I had to look it up, since you didn't mention it. Gamescience introduced in 1980, and it appeared in the Moldvay box the next year. Which is funny, because the Moldvay was my intro to D&D and I definitely had the 0-9 d20, and even tho I can't always trust my memory, I don't remember if I had the d10 then, too. But I must have. Also, I found a reference to the d10 as being a "pentagonal trapezohedron" which makes as much sense as "orthodiagonal quadrilateral." The two terms are clearly synonymous. lol

[@VerticalBlank]

Another name for the fifth element of 'spirit' or 'ether' represented by the dodecahedron was 'quintessence' (Latin not Greek) and the fact that the dodecahedron was the only Platonic solid made of pentagons was thought to confirm this.

[@williamfawkes8379]

Ah. It's one of my favorite words! Thanks for reminding me of days long past.

[@chrisbroskett9520]

This was very interesting. I appreciate your videos

[@haste91]

Fascinating video! Well done!

[@davewire87]

This was really interesting. The dodecahedron being related to spirit and the divine really brings an entirely new level of meaning to the Luxon Beacon from Critical Role.

[@dimitriosgkirgkiris9486]

Love the new background.

[@XVindicare]

You are a hero and a scholar. Thanks for some good info as always.

[@Nat1Fun]

RobertPlanetaryManufacturer. Man, rolls right off the tongue!

[@ToddReynolds45]

Seriously that comment got me rolling lol

[@shawnallenlott]

@@ToddReynolds45 rolling dice?

[@ConlangKrishna]

Thanks for mentioning the mythical aspect of throwing dice. There are reasons that dice rolls especially in solo games are called "oracle". There is definitely something divinatory for me in using dice in rpgs. And then there is the mathematical system created by having d4 to d12 in increments of 2 (d4, d6, d8, d10, d12) that creates a feeling of increasing power, used by Savage Worlds or ICRPG.

[@nathandsomegames]

Very fun information. Gives me a lot of ideas for the table

[@arboraidtreecare898]

Excellent Video !!!

[@welovettrpgs]

Great job Jorphdan!

[@spacingguild]

I didn't see the video you are referring to but I love this video!

[@SaintSolo]

I appreciate this. It adds an element of being the creator using the elements lol

[@BX_Disciple]

Awesome video !!

[@santiagocampillo-lundbeck1338]

That was practically poetry

[@ahmadoudiop8547]

I learn something this morning thanks !

[@Jorphdan]

Glad to hear it!

[@Slit518]

This was awesome and very informative. I always thought the die shapes had an occult or mystical reason/property behind them, but I wasn't sure. Now I know more!

[@tkc1129]

Good video. I was wondering why there haven't been any Saturday Morning D&D Podcasts in a while. BTW Plato is right; the D12 is the best one. BTW 12 is also a highly composite number, which is why we have some special terms and mathematics revolving around it.

[@Nerdarchy]

Great video bud. I kind want to make a game based on it now. Nerdarchist Dave

[@Jorphdan]

thanks man!

[@orokusaki1243]

Great deep dive! The fates being rolled, calling on the supernatural, and other such aspects of dice interpretation were surely just more fuel during the height of the Satanic Panic (which persists to this day). Need a video about the history of chits!

[@nickschuyler]

Great Dwwp Dive!

[@nonoesquire]

This was a fun video. When I was a kid, I was shocked to learn that Gary Gygax did NOT invent the d4/d8/d12/d20.

[@q267scott]

I knew about the mathematical shapes, but not about how the shapes were linied to elements, planets, and spirit! I definitely want to incorporate that into my game somehow. The idea of making an artifact sounds neat and kinda meta

[@drunkendelver1966]

I like the idea that because the d10 doesn't conform to the same design principle as the others, it represents the forces of chaos or an unknowable fate. It gives Mythic GM Emulator a whole new undertone to its use.

[@helixxharpell]

We all had a saying bitd.. "The dice don't lie!" That saying holds true to this day. I bet many of you can relate. 😉

[@mathsalot8099]

With these powers combines, we summon Captain Planet: The Sphere!

[@dicecrazydude]

I knew there had to be a reason the D12 has always been my favorite even though it isn't used nearly enough in games.

[@brenosobral9500]

If you pay atention, the d10 is a mix of a d12 and a d20. The tips of the d20 and the midle of the d12

[@garryame4008]

This begs the question: just how big was Kepler's dice collection? Hmm...

[@spencersalerno6354]

You had me at the 80s and various other things....

[@heekoo_8287]

The Dodecahedron being connected to aether is making me think of the Beacon from Critical Role and it's spiritual significance... interesting...

[@MrTabanese]

So the d10 is an intruder in the realm of forms? Jorphdan, I believe you should explore the relationship between the d10 and the Kantian idea of synthetic knowledge, for sure as the platonic solids must exist aprior, the character of this tampering d10 would be laid bare with a full understanding of the transcendental method. 😂😊

[@pjwilson9274]

You’re the best!!!

[@minimoose7890]

Hi, Jorphdan!

[@alejandrogomezdelmoralguer3502]

Ok so I was today years old when I considered that the whole silent ph thing is that you have a PhD. And if that’s so, that’s ridiculously funny to me because…I do too, and I also use a pun like that in one of my handles, “DrPhDnD”. Oh my god. 😂

[@delongjohnsilver7235]

The super niche special interest was engaged

[@pjwilson9274]

Love Bob ❤

[@chancerusso]

And this is why your channel is just so interesting. You are missed when not creating videos. I have to think that you are either a historian or you should be.

[@briankito1655]

Today I learned my favorite polyhedral die is an abomination to nature.... I still love you D10 !!!

[@michaelmullenfiddler]

I want to know the nature of your of your Mysterium Cosmographicum. I mean, it's a magic item in your game, so: what's it do? Or what's it for?

[@williamfawkes8379]

Would not the sphere qualify as the most platonic of all solids? It meets the criteria of all sides being the same. There are definitely no angles that are dissimilar. Its only problems are that it is boring to have only one outcome, and it likes to roll away at the worst possible moment.

[@oldestmate5836]

I’m literally in bed with the flu watching this video on my phone 😂

[@Jorphdan]

Feel better!

[@itsallfunandgames723]

I reject Medievalistic dice quackery, D100 all the way baby!

[@michaelk8537]

Because of this edification, I did not live in vain this day. Hail!

[@mikecarson7769]

would be interested to learn the origins of people mistaking a "dodecahedron" as as "d20" ... seems to be rather prevalent lately

[@PrinceLettuce_4]

It's not a Platonic Solid but just for fun you could associate the d10 with mankind/artifice.

[@laurahill4857]

Wow , I see that the masons really are everywhere, the outline of the D10 , masonic symbol

[@Jeromy1986]

Why do they keep it platonic though? If any of them got into a relationship we might get new crossbreed dice!

[@hfbdbsijenbd]

7 dice? Some of us source D3s because using a D6 as a makeshift is for casuals.

[@zenhikerjoe844]

Wow. Bob, “I am KZbin’s biggest dice nerd!” Jordphan: “Hold my beer.” Does this mean Ginny D will usurp them both???

[@snarkwave]

But ancient Egypt is older than ancient Greece...

[@CapnSnackbeard]

Great overview, but I disagree with destiny as a conclusion. In the end, Plato was kind of a git.

[@VerticalBlank]

"Plato was virtually a Fascist" - Bertrand Russell (and having read a bit of Plato, I must agree).

[@BobWorldBuilder]

Well since neither Wesley, Arneson, Gygax, nor their d20-rolling game design predecessors cited Plato as inspiration, I’m gonna insist that this info, while certainly interesting, is not part of how the d20 made it into RPGs, and therefore I missed nothing!! This is a good video in its own right 👍

[@ClarkyClark]

Lol obviously they were Ludites. Probably were Aristotle fans....

[@Jorphdan]

😅😂

[@Weemadaggie]

I think your analogies got away from you. I've written all my life and the last time I used a typewriter was 1986 maybe? I've played video games since about as long and you only get me to use controllers under loud protest. In both cases you can bury me with my keyboard, tyvm.