"dice tower?" Topic

Are Dice Towers worth having or just a "fad" ? What would a reasonable one cost in GBP ? Ta

If you have over enthusiastic little dice throwers, as I sometimes have to put up with, they are essential. With reasonably sensible adults not so much.

No idea of modern prices.

x42

I like to have a nice tower or dice trays available at the gaming table. I have never seen a "cocked" die while using a tower or tray

Mike

Very useful for folk who find rolling dice difficult. I recommend dice trays because they are quieter and easier for opponents to see.

I often take a dice tray to shows , in order to protect figures and scenery.

For me it was a fad. Used one for about 6 months and then stopped.

I use a tray. In a tournament setting you can use the tray to move your army from one table to another also… Perfect!

We just have people to role their dice in a box top. This keeps the dice from flying all over the table and the box top is free.

Designed my own out of paper. My adult group likes ‘em, and they corral the dice throws of the overly enthusiastic teens I DM for every summer. (Although some will actually *throw* the dice into the tower, causing the dice to bounce back out! *sigh* Teens…)

I prefer trays, but towers are nice if table space is at a premium.

I want to make one, I use a unused area of game board but not always best idea.

I prefer a tray to a tower but they aren't bad for an RPG to keep everyone honest on their rolls.

I like the tower I have, although I have used a tray.

I sometimes build the tower into a large piece of terrain.

My serfs roll for me.

I use Dollar Store plastic trays(2 for a dollar) with black felt on the inside bottom. The felt reduces noise and makes the dice easier to see. Plus, the trays stack for easy storage and transport.

Dave

As a GB resident might I suggest an All Rolled Up folding dice tray? Sure you'll be able to theme one to match your games. Here's mine link (and link to their website)

My idea is to make a tower out of 1/4 wood stock with maybe 4 baffles back and forthand ending in a area twice the size of the tower.

Love a small dive tower when playing with those who try and use the dice…

Towers are great on a crowded table for RPG's and if you make them out of cork tile noise is not a problem. I don't tend to use them for wargames so much (not now that the kids have grown up anyhow).

Robert

I don't care for them at all. I'll use a tray if I need to.

If you need or want one, they're easy enough to make out of cardboard. (Corrugated paper for the differently Englished.) I have used them, but it depends on table space and players.

Here is a link showing what dice do when they bounce inside of a hardwood Tower. This guarantees the numbers generated are truly random, regardless of the rounded corners of the dice used. Here is a second video demonstrating what happens when a handful of dice are dumped into a hardwood Dice Tower.

I work for a company which markets Dice Towers. We sell internationally, offering numerous choices in wood. Prices start at $60 USD/£46.80 + S/H, for American White Oak, running up to $130 USD/£101.40 + S/H for African Wenge. Here is a link to a series of videos showing the various woods we offer.

Regardless of who you buy a hardwood Dice Tower from, the results will be virtually identical. Note that different materials will cause the dice to react differently than what our videos demonstrate: dice will bounce far less on softer materials, such as corrugated cardboard.

We do not recommend using metal dice, period! Metal dice will, over time, chip the internal baffles, no matter how hard the wood is, no matter who makes the Tower… Even the hardest of woods will chip, over time.

We use full grain, smooth leather for the tray surfaces, which avoids most cocked dice caused by rougher surfaces; it is durable, easy to care for, and no pilling, which can occur more often with felt, or fabric.

I use my Dice Towers all the time: they keep the dice from going astray, knocking down figures, getting lost on the floor, etc.; they ensure truly random rolls from my inexpensive dice; they take up relatively little desktop/table space, which I very much appreciate. Your mileage may vary. Cocked dice do occur, but it is much less often than rolling them on the gaming table. Cheers!

Our web site: www.TablesByDavis.com (sorry, still under construction)

E-mail inquiries: TablesByDavis@google.com

There are several different styles of dice towers on Wargame Vault web store. I've started building one but haven't gotten very far in the process.

Normally we just roll on a clear spot on the table although one of our gamers has two octagonal dice trays that he insists we use for games he runs.

Jim

I love dice towers. They prevent dice from spilling onto the table and knocking over minis, they give fair and random results, and they can be made up to look really nice on the table. I've made my own (both from scratch and from Hirst Arts blocks) and bought a few different ones from Gamecraft Miniatures and Q-Workshop.

Sgt Slag you sold me, I'm making one

There are plenty of plans on the Internet, including YouTube. I would strongly recommend hardwood, not soft… Also, pay attention to wood hardness on the Janka scale: the harder, the more reactive the dice will be (higher degree of bouncing). We run the gamut from 800 (Mahogany), to 2,900 (Bloodwood): the dice make a higher pitch bouncing through, on harder woods; they make a noticeably lower tone, on softer woods. Hickory, for example, is extremely re-active, with a Janka hardness of 1,820. It will also take stain of any color (after assembly…).

Bear in mind that stained wood will not accept wood glue… If you plan to stain the wood, do it after you finish assembly. We do ours with several layers of clear coat, only, due to the stain-glue issue.

Pick your wood carefully. My personal favorite is Padauck (fiery orange color; incredible grain patterns): once clear-coated, it has a three-dimensional depth in the grain patterns, much deeper than most other woods.

There are tricks to enhancing the colors of some woods: Purpleheart and Padauck, in particular, will oxidize to an ugly brown, but their vibrant colors can be brought back, with treatments (or sand off the oxidized top layer); clear-coating when the treatment is complete, will seal them against oxidation, and fading to brown. Do your homework, before you buy any exotic woods. Cheers!

Dice tower ideas:

1. Make look like castle tower or windmill with paper, paints, etc.
2. Add mirrors to make periscope – see your troops at base level!

Putting it together, using only glue so might take a little time. Plaines down a cherry board 7/16 thick, 13" high tower, 13" base. 1 1/4" square hole to drop in, 3 baffles 3" apart and base kicker to get out. Felt table to roll out on. Haven't decided on what to do with outside. Just stain or make up in Prussian, Russian, British motif, or something else.

I use shadow box framed from Michaels. Watch for a sale and/or coupon and they are inexpensive. It's easy to disassemble the frame remove the glass, put it back together and it's all done, taking about 2-3 minutes of time. They are quiet, look decent and are a good storage spot for dice, tape measures, pens, pencils, etc.