"What good are D12?" Topic

Seriously.
I have a bunch of them, because …. err, ummm…
I don't know why.
I just have them. Bought them back in the previous century, thinking that they would come in handy, or that I would need them. I was wrong. Haven't used them once.
I think the Old Glory rules using "quality dice" had something to do with it, but I never liked those rules after buying them.

for randomly generating a number from 1 to 12, I suppose.

A variety of skirmish rules use a graduated die system. Better troops use a d12 for fire and morale for instance.

Divide even numbers by 2, now you have a "rollier" d6 :)

actually that doesn't really work does it :(

Subtract 6 from anything over 6 :)

Informal experiments I once did indicated that they roll further than any other regular polyhedral dice. My methodology was very informal, and omitted the d30 (which I still don't have, or need).

Ron

Old Glory Pirate Rules, "BB&B" (aka "Bucaneer, Broadsword, and Blunderbuss"), used them…

They are perhaps the worst set of Pirate Rules ever written….

The RPGs I play use them a good bit.
I like the look of them better than D10s.

Ambush alley games use them as well as other types of dice. They are for better troops since all die rolls need to equal 4 or more to be a success. Opposing die rolls are used in combat and such.

General Quarters III makes extensive use of them.

They're pretty.

Doug

Don't long swords do d12 against big monsters or something like that?

They are good for generating random times for the start of a battle giving you a time left before dark or until dawn or whatever.

I use them for turn counters, Speed dials, altitude markers. The dice have endless possiblities… or at least up to 12.

Phil

Roll them to determine the hour of the day and then a coin toss for AM or PM?

The Greataxe in D&D 3e/Pathfinder uses a D12 for damage. If you score a crit, you'll need 3 D12s as it is a x3 crit. I recently played such a character, the D12s came in handy…

Damon.

They also make good projectiles to throw at your brother when his unit knocks out your! Don't throw the other dice because you might need them.

D12 – Long sword versus large opponents in AD&D. Handy for those times when you don't have space to use a double handed sword (D10 against Small or medium, 3D6 versus large). Although the bastard sword is a nice compromise IIRC. Every fighter should have a slection of these in his bag of swords….

IMHO, D12s are the biggest size that still support small-number modifiers (like +1 for light cover, +2 for heavy cover, and so on). Small numbers make addition and subtraction easier while playing. A D20 has more granularity, but modifiers have to have bigger numbers to be meaningful.

The main die to roll hits in 'Rules by Ral" Medieval warfare rules. We played the heck out this for many years in our area, and it is still trotted out at least once in a while. Very easy and workable system. There are 12 figures in a "unit" of infantry, so they each have a pip on the d12. Cavalry are 6 to a "unit" and count as 2 pips each.

Cherno is correct IMO too.

It is a more granular 6 sided dice if you will. You can't get the same results on 2X D6s as you can't roll the equivalent to a 1 on the two D6s.

They have gone out of favor because D6s and to some extent D10s or D20s are out there.

Having said all this, nothing is more daunting than rolling a 01 on percentile dice. Makes rolling a one a D6 seem much better :-)

They are used in Force on Force (and Tomorrow's war), Stargrunt, Fireball Forward, and in a new Western I played recently Shoot 'N' Skedaddle. So they are very useful to me!

I'm with Doug. IMO, the most visually attractive of dice, and probably the best-
rolling, too.

I find uses for 'em, darn it!

I often use them for a turn marker. Since most games use d6 or d10 for resolution, they don't get picked up by accident.

Savage Worlds.

They are great ammo loads for sieges with my Trebuchet's. When you are 28mm tall d12 are fearful weapons.

Obviously, they are twice as good as D6's.

We also used them for hit locations for some RPG back in the day. 1-4 various leg parts, 5-8 various arm parts, 9-11 chest, and 12 head.

You should list them on Ebay.
You'll make millions!!!

I believe the boardgame Shogun used them as well.

I use them in several set of rules.

Most recently I use D12 in the Horror rules I wrote up.

you cant roll a 1 by throwing 2d6

We used them for a 'better' version of LOTR tabletop strategy game. Starting target number is 7 and is adjusted up or down for each point of difference between the attacker and defender. Quick and representational. Always keep one or two on hand!

3 days to go …

link

Doesn't anyone use them as random directional dice anymore? That's what I used them for. Face of a clock….set a point at 12…roll and presto…I thought everyone used them for that…at least before all these new fancy pants directional arrow dice came along…what will they think of next?

Doc X mentioned it too but when I RPGed in conjunction with a d6 (for mins) I used them as a random time generator…

I also use them for Chain of Command when a member of a squad of 12 is killed I use it to see if the sergeant is the one killed…if I get a one then that's his number called literally.

Also as Jerry mentioned Fireball Forward uses them too. I think the OFM is a FOW man so I'm not sure what you could do with them…random direction of reinforcements? Generate the maximum amount of times someone can curse the roll of a dice before he's made to buy the drinks afterwards? A loaded d12 in the right hands be your best friend!

Not to steal the thread but I'm more confused about all these new multi sided dice? I'm sure you've seen them : d7's, d9's d11's, d18's, d3…I was thinking they might be handy for the scenario I described in Chain of Command if the squad is reduced to an odd number but a d3…why…doesn't a d6 preform that duty well enough? But having said that the silly person that I am actually got excited when I saw them…wow I need these…not sure why but they're dice and they're different…silly is me

you cant roll a 1 by throwing 2d6

Nor would I want to!
I roll too many 1s on a D6 as it is.

Unless you look at my topic on utter drivel about rolling low being better. In some rules 1 is as good as it gets, just saying. Now I suppose someone will have to write a set of rules using D12 and 1 is a good roll, preferably AWI since I know you like that period.

You cannot have truly realistic Sumerian wargame rules without them…

I like them, I often use them as counters.

Really tough dragons roll d12 for hit points.

Also, you can use d12 & d30 to generate a character's birth date. Some modifications may be needed for characters set in the real world.

We use them for hit location: there is a D12 which has a drawing of a human body on each side. We use it when a leader character is hit, it gives more flavour to our skirmish games.

Rolling missions in FOW?

use it instead of those pesky d4's?