d6 odds
- •Average roll: 3.5 (add the lowest and highest face and halve it: (1 + 6) / 2)
- •Each face: 1 in 6, or 16.67%
- •Chance of rolling 6: 16.67% per roll, 30.56% to see at least one in two rolls
| Face | Chance of exactly this | Chance of this or higher |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 16.67% | 100% |
| 2 | 16.67% | 83.33% |
| 3 | 16.67% | 66.67% |
| 4 | 16.67% | 50% |
| 5 | 16.67% | 33.33% |
| 6 | 16.67% | 16.67% |
Many d6s make a bell curve
One d6 is flat: a 1 is as likely as a 6. Add more d6s and the totals bunch up around the middle. 2d6 rolls a 7 one time in six, but a 2 or a 12 only once in 36. That is why a greatsword (2d6, average 7) hits more consistently than a greataxe (1d12, average 6.5).
Fireball's 8d6 ranges from 8 to 48, but most rolls land between about 20 and 36. Rolling ability scores with 4d6dl1 averages about 12.24, above the 10.5 of plain 3d6, because dropping the lowest die cuts off most of the bad results.
What uses a d6 in D&D 5e
- •Weapons (SRD): shortsword, scimitar, handaxe, javelin, mace, quarterstaff, spear, shortbow and hand crossbow deal 1d6. Greatsword and maul deal 2d6.
- •Sneak Attack: 1d6 at rogue level 1, one more d6 every odd level, up to 10d6 at level 19.
- •Spells: Fireball and Lightning Bolt deal 8d6 (+1d6 per slot above 3rd); Burning Hands deals 3d6; Hunter's Mark adds 1d6 per weapon hit.
- •Hit dice: sorcerers and wizards use a d6 (6 + Con at 1st level, or a fixed 4 + Con per level after).
- •Falling: 1d6 bludgeoning damage per 10 feet fallen, up to 20d6.
Rolling a whole stat block? The main dice roller rolls all six ability scores at once, or compare with the point buy calculator.