DnD - Dice Advice

After our initial DnD article, we turned to our resident DM, Mariko for some dice advice! Read on for more information on where to get your dice!

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Local Friendly Gaming Stores (LFGS)

Your local game stores will usually have Chessex dice sets for sale, as well as other resources for tabletop games. Chessex sets are great for beginners; they’re budget-friendly ($10 or less), easy to find in local game/hobby/book shops (I found my first set at Barnes & Noble), and the designs range from basic solid colors to more fancy designs. You can use the [Event/Store locator](https://locator.wizards.com/search?searchType=stores&query=Los Angeles, CA, USA&distance=25&page=1&sort=date&sortDirection=asc) on the Wizards of the Coast website to find your friendly local game store!

Chessex Gemini-Black-Starlight set

Kraken Dice

This online shop has a large variety of dice sets that are reasonably priced (around $15 per set for acrylic). They sell everything from raw, unfinished sets for folks who like to polish and paint their own dice, to colorful acrylic or resin sets that are ready to roll, and large metal d20’s that are heavy enough to shake the table. Kraken’s dice collections have fun names (I like the Happy Hour-themed sets), and beautiful designs; you can find layered colors, swirled colors, shimmery colors, glitter-filled, and glow in the dark patterns. Keep an eye out for promotions if you want a budget-friendly way to bulk up your dice collection, they run sales pretty frequently.

A selection of d20’s from Kraken

SkullSplitter

SkullSplitter is another online shop with some pretty great metal dice sets. The material a dice is made of usually impacts cost, and the metal sets from SkullSplitter are a pretty great deal. At around $30 per set, you get your seven polyhedral dice plus a case to store and protect your dice set. If you’re rolling metal dice, make sure you have a dice tray handy or you might scratch the table surface. I got my first metal set from SkullSplitter and they are so satisfying to roll!

Wyrmwood

For a more fancy gaming experience, you can check out the gemstone dice from Wyrmwood. These dice are crafted from semi-precious materials and do have a price tag to match ($90+ for a set of seven). Gemstone dice are GORGEOUS, but they require a little more care than standard, mass-produced polyhedral dice since they’re more likely to chip. If you’re playing with them regularly, use a soft rolling surface and store them separately from other dice to preserve them. If you’re concerned about damage, the gemstone dice make beautiful display pieces to show off your nerd cred. Wyrmwood also specializes in wooden gaming accessories such as dice trays, vaults, and rolling towers.

URWizards

For unique designs and a nice selection of gemstone dice, I like URWizards. Their price point is on the higher side ($60+ per set), but their materials are beautiful and their designs are so fun, many of them have an alternate symbol for the “20” and the “1” on the d20. They also sell beautiful dice boxes for storing your fancy dice sets.

Grey Agate Gemstone Dice from URWizards in box.

ArtyDice

Hand-crafted resin dice are very expensive, sometimes even more than gemstone dice, but dice makers who craft in small batches can create one-of-a-kind dice sets. ArtyDice is one of my favorite dice makers, she creates sets inspired by Persian culture, and each set is like a piece of art. If you have the budget to support a small dice maker shop, I would highly recommend it. I browse Instagram and TikTok using the #dicemaking or #dicemakers tag or search Etsy for handmade dice.

Two dice sets from ArtyDice

DIY Resin Crafting

If you’re into resin crafts and DIY, you always have the option to make your own set of dice! I have not yet ventured into making my own dice, but I have a friend who recommends these quality dice molds.