D&D Dice Guide — Which Dice Do You Need?

By Vexply  ·  March 15, 2026  ·  6 min read

Every Dungeons & Dragons player needs a set of polyhedral dice. The standard D&D dice set includes seven different dice, each used for specific purposes in the game. Whether you're a new player wondering what to buy, or a veteran who left their dice at home, this guide explains each die and what it's for.

The 7 Standard Dice in D&D

A complete D&D dice set contains: D4, D6, D8, D10, D12, D20, and D100 (also called percentile dice). Each is named after the number of sides it has. Here's what each one does.

D4 — The Four-Sided Die

The D4 is a tetrahedron — a pyramid shape with four triangular faces. It's used for small damage rolls and some healing spells. Common D4 uses include:

• Damage for daggers, handaxes and light hammers (1d4)
• Magic Missile damage (1d4 + 1 per missile)
• Healing Word (1d4 + spellcasting modifier)
• Bardic Inspiration at low levels (1d4)

D6 — The Classic Die

The D6 is the standard six-sided cube most people know from board games. It's one of the most commonly rolled dice in D&D. Uses include:

• Fireball and lightning bolt damage (8d6)
• Sneak attack damage for Rogues
• Hit dice for Sorcerers and Wizards (1d6)
• Shortsword and shortbow damage (1d6)

D8 — The Eight-Sided Die

The D8 is an octahedron with eight triangular faces. It's used for mid-range weapons and several character classes. Common uses:

• Longbow, longsword, and battleaxe damage (1d8)
• Hit dice for Clerics, Druids, and Monks
• Bardic Inspiration at mid levels (1d8)
• Cure Wounds at higher spell slots

D10 — The Ten-Sided Die

The D10 has ten pentagonal faces and is used for heavy weapons and hit dice. Uses include:

• Heavy crossbow and pike damage (1d10)
• Hit dice for Rangers and Fighters (1d10)
• Percentile rolls when used alongside another D10

D12 — The Twelve-Sided Die

The D12 is one of the less commonly rolled dice but plays a crucial role for Barbarians. Uses include:

• Barbarian hit dice (1d12) — the highest hit dice in the game
• Greataxe damage (1d12) — the only weapon that uses a single D12
• Bardic Inspiration at high levels (1d12)

D20 — The Most Important Die

The D20 is the centerpiece of D&D. It determines success or failure for almost every action you take. Whenever the rules say "roll a check," you're rolling a D20. Uses include:

• Attack rolls — roll D20 + your attack modifier vs. the enemy's Armor Class
• Ability checks — Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma
• Saving throws — to resist spells, poisons, and other effects
• Skill checks — Perception, Stealth, Persuasion, Athletics and more
• Natural 20 (critical hit) and Natural 1 (critical fail)

D100 — Percentile Dice

The D100 (or percentile dice) consists of two D10s rolled together — one represents the tens digit, the other the ones digit, giving a result from 1 to 100. Uses include:

• Wild Magic Surge tables — rolled after a Wild Magic Sorcerer casts a spell
• Random encounter tables — some DMs use a D100 table for wilderness encounters
• Loot tables and random treasure generation
• Trinket tables and other random flavor events

How to Roll Multiple Dice (2d6, 3d8, etc.)

When a rule says "2d6," it means roll two six-sided dice and add the results together. "3d8" means roll three eight-sided dice and sum them. The notation is always: number of dice + "d" + number of sides.

Rolling multiple dice is easy online. In Vexply's Dice Roller, you can set the quantity for each die type and roll them all at once. The total is calculated automatically, along with a breakdown of each individual roll.

Do You Need Physical Dice?

Physical dice are part of the D&D experience, but they're not required. Online dice rollers work just as well for home games, remote sessions, or when you've forgotten your dice. The Vexply Dice Roller supports all seven standard D&D dice types, works on any device, and is completely free.