Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

[Chris-M]

I am a longtime Hero gamer, but until recently I have never owned a set of the famous Hero dice. While doing some random web surfing I found that a site called dicepool.com had sets in stock, so I ordered some. Dicepool filled my order quickly and professionally and within a couple days I had my long-desired Hero dice (they still have a few sets in stock, FYI).

 

By way of review, let me briefly mention that dice are a bit oversized compared to the standard 16mm scale, although I personally got used to the larger scale without trouble. The dice are very sturdy and well molded.

 

Now, to get more game system analytical for a moment, I know people who prefer, say, rolling a single d20 for skill/hit resolution because all of the numbers that can be rolled are equally likely. Personally, I like the bell curve because I like the idea that if I'm good I'll succeed/hit more often and I'll experience fewer outlier results, but to each his own, of course.

 

Now, here's what's super-cool about the dice and one of my favorite Hero-isms: Making an important roll with the Hero dice and rolling each die one at a time. Man, for me, there is nothing more fun in all gamingdom than the following:

 

GM: "You need to roll a nine or less to shoot the gun out of Dr. Havoc's hand or he's going to kill Nurse Jennings."

 

Player: "Alright." [Rolls a 5]

 

Other Players: *groan!*

 

Player: "Crap." [Rolls a 3]

 

Other Players: "Aw, man..."

 

Player: "Come on, baby!" [Rolls the third die and it comes up...THE HERO SYMBOL!!]

 

Everyone: YEAH!!!!

 

Player: "Take that, Havoc!"

 

Next Player: "I'm going to do my 24d6 Haymaker on Dr. Havoc now...!"

 

That's some fun right there. Hero dice rock!

[CTaylor]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

OK I wasn't even aware these were out there, I'm going to have to get a set of six. Great idea by Hero and I want some soon as I can afford them

[Hyper-Man]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

Just 6?

 

You need at least 18 to cover all those Pushed Haymakers!

[Maur]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

They are interesting, but I think their size works against them. One of our players (and summertime GM) has a set of them and when he rolls them, well, they don't really roll. More like land, bounce maybe once and then lie flat. Which makes how you hold them very influential on the results. Those symbols could just have easily been put on a standard set of D6s and be more to my liking as the size also makes rolling more than a few of them at a time harder.

[Chris-M]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

They are interesting, but I think their size works against them. One of our players (and summertime GM) has a set of them and when he rolls them, well, they don't really roll. More like land, bounce maybe once and then lie flat. Which makes how you hold them very influential on the results. Those symbols could just have easily been put on a standard set of D6s and be more to my liking as the size also makes rolling more than a few of them at a time harder.

 

Yeah, I think I agree in general that I would have preferred standard-sized dice as well.

 

The rolling thing is interesting -- I've never really thought about that before. In highly scientific [1] experiments conducted here at my desk, I find that your thesis is correct, although in general, most other types of d6 generally provide only one extra die rotation on their bounce -- most of the action you see on the table is the sort of "bouncing but not really changing their facing" motion you describe. Still, it's more than these bigger, heavier Hero dice generally do. But, are the Hero dice therefore less random?

 

More highly scientific [1] experimentation with dice of several different scales suggests that, in fact, most of the randomization occurs during the "shaking of the dice in your hand(s)" phase of the dice rolling operation and not as much in the actual roll! That is, if one palms and doesn't actually shake d6 of any size before releasing them to the table, your odds are significantly higher that one of the pre-selected facings will in fact land face up (I find that the facings that are palm-down are easiest to get to land face-up when using this cheaty palming technique). The Hero dice certainly are more likely to produce the desired cheaty results, for sure (or, "fo shizzle," as the kids say). But, if the dice are properly shaken before release, results are just as random when rolling the Hero dice as any other d6es.

 

That said, while I like and heartily endorse the Hero dice, I would prefer Hero dice of a standard size and weight as well.

 

[1] The presence of any actual science in these experiments is purely coincidental.

[lemming]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

Best to roll them so they bounce into a wall (or book) to avoid the non-randomness.

[CTaylor]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

You need at least 18 to cover all those Pushed Haymakers!

 

Well I primarily play Heroic level stuff

[Maur]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

The rolling thing is interesting -- I've never really thought about that before. In highly scientific [1] experiments conducted here at my desk, I find that your thesis is correct, although in general, most other types of d6 generally provide only one extra die rotation on their bounce -- most of the action you see on the table is the sort of "bouncing but not really changing their facing" motion you describe. Still, it's more than these bigger, heavier Hero dice generally do. But, are the Hero dice therefore less random?

 

I've dealt with this via the creation of my own "dice boot". Now it doesn't matter if the player shakes them in his hand or not as they get shaken as they try and move down through the tower. Also keeps the dice confined so that you don't have players tossing them out across the game table. I go bored today while out sick and grabbed my tower and my 8 D20 dice and started rolling them through it (individually so collisions at the end don't perturb them). Need to discuss with the statistician at work to find out how many rolls really constitute statistical significance as 100 rolls doesn't seem to be enough (is 4 or 6 really different from 5 at 100 rolls vs 40 or 60 vs 50 for 1000 rolls).

[SteveZilla]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

Best to roll them so they bounce into a wall (or book) to avoid the non-randomness.

 

Or perhaps a dice cup and vigorous shaking first. A group I've played with recently use a little plastic "dice tower" that you drop the dice into the top, and there are several slanted plates spaced out inside so the dice bounce of them before being ejected out the bottom.

[Edsel]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

I have 36 of them and a Hero Dice Bag to keep them in.

[lemming]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

Or perhaps a dice cup and vigorous shaking first. A group I've played with recently use a little plastic "dice tower" that you drop the dice into the top' date=' and there are several slanted plates spaced out inside so the dice bounce of them before being ejected out the bottom.[/quote']

 

For some reason I was thinking a craps table... But I like your ideas.

[SteveZilla]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

A 32-oz plastic tumbler is great for this use. And they're cheap. And you can drink out of the spare ones.

[Killer Shrike]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

I got three sets from of the first release wave years ago and they are GREAT. Love em to death.

 

They are a bit big I guess, but just work on developing more manly hands and you'll be fine. I can roll all 18 with my man-mitts at a full stretch and I'm nearly ashamed to admit that my hands are rather on the svelte and delicate side, so I can't imagine most people would have problems.

[LordGhee]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

sets gone now

 

Lord Ghee

[NestorDRod]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

Best to roll them so they bounce into a wall (or book) to avoid the non-randomness.

 

Or buy one of those handy-dandy dice rinks to roll your dice in. A very useful thing to have around gamers who use rolling dice as a ranged attack.

[NestorDRod]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

sets gone now

 

Lord Ghee

 

Yah. I managed to snag one set before they disappeared.

[tarragon]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

I got one too. I didn't know they existed before this thread.

[Steve Long]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

We hope to have the dice back in stock later this year, perhaps in the fall. Producing more involves locking up a bunch of cash for several months, so we only do it when we feel comfortable with it financially.

[Chris-M]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

We hope to have the dice back in stock later this year' date=' perhaps in the fall. Producing more involves locking up a bunch of cash for several months, so we only do it when we feel comfortable with it financially.[/quote']

 

 

Awesome! Will they be the same oversized model, or is there any chance of standard-sized Hero Dice? (Does being oversized make 'em easier/cheaper to engrave with the Body pips and the Hero Symbol?)

[Chris-M]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

I'm glad that several of you were able to buy sets -- that makes me happy. I deliberately didn't buy out all their sets, although I was tempted, because I wanted other Herophiles to be able to get their Hero Dice fix too (and I'm not just saying that to fish for cheap praise, not that I'm above that sort of thing).

 

And I'm glad to hear more sets will be made. Given the previous discussion, maybe Steve and the Gang oughtta have 'em make an official Hero Dice Tumbler in time for the Holiday season, too.

[CTaylor]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

I definitely will buy some but my purchase timing has to do with having ready cash too

 

I've used the dice towers before, they are pretty easy to make (put felt or something on the surfaces so they don't deafen people) but a bit awkward to port around for casual gaming. They do work well to negate people's dice rolling techniques. I knew a guy who'd pretend to roll the dice in his hand, then slap them on the table. If you're good you can roll dice in such a way that they will rotate a given number of times and land how you want, unless you're forced to throw them quite a ways (ala crap tables).

[Steve Long]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

Will they be the same oversized model, or is there any chance of standard-sized Hero Dice? (Does being oversized make 'em easier/cheaper to engrave with the Body pips and the Hero Symbol?)

 

They're going to be exactly the same size. What you call "standard" size I call "not large enough." What you call "oversized" I call "just right for this type of die."

[Chris-M]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

They're going to be exactly the same size. What you call "standard" size I call "not large enough." What you call "oversized" I call "just right for this type of die."

 

lol! Touche', Monsieur Long!

 

"What you call home, Rambo calls Hell."

[LordGhee]

Re: Hero Dice and the Glory of Hero

 

I am impressed, ordered them July 1st and got them July 3rd wow.

 

 

and they are the size of Vegas dice, not standard drugstore dice.

 

Lord Ghee