this post was submitted on 09 Sep 2025
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What is this thing?

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I know WHAT it is, but I dont know why it exists, what use it has, or where it may have come from. All sides are identical, its translucent green. The pips are scalloped, not painted on, and are otherwise unremarkable. Help me out here, its definitely my favorite d6, but I am struggling to figure out a purpose for a +5 dice.

...I mean, aside from that I need a +5 weapon, clearly.

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[–] calliope@retrolemmy.com 33 points 1 month ago (2 children)

Magic tricks, for example.

Apparently they’re called Forcing Dice; obviously they sell different ones but the concept is the same.

Obviously these dice will not stand close scrutiny so they are most effective when used sparingly, substituted for a regular die at a critical moment.

Very useful to magicians who need to force a specific number as part of a trick, or as part of a humorous routine.

[–] lugal@lemmy.dbzer0.com 24 points 1 month ago (3 children)

How do you look at this for longer than 2 seconds without noticing it? Guess it's a good example of how much of magic is distraction

[–] davidgro@lemmy.world 36 points 1 month ago (1 children)

My guess is the magician rolls the forcing dice (perhaps after showing other identically colored dice for close inspection), instantly reads off the result, giving just enough time to see the top faces match what they said, then scoops them back up and moves on with the trick.
You might not get those two seconds.

[–] brem@sh.itjust.works 4 points 3 weeks ago

Great guess, this is precisely it.

[–] Goretantath@lemmy.world 9 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Ikr, baking the dice is a wayyy better option

[–] threelonmusketeers@sh.itjust.works 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] ArsonButCute@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 month ago

Baking dice can allow any bubbles inside to move up toward whatever side is up during the process. This weights the die toward that side, but not so perfectly it will land there every time.

[–] brem@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

Slight of hand, distraction of mind.

[–] brem@sh.itjust.works 2 points 3 weeks ago

'Kingdom Come: Deliverance' has this concept and these dice. Great game.

[–] AMillionMonkeys@lemmy.world 24 points 1 month ago

I'm guessing it's part of a magic trick.

[–] Bags@piefed.social 21 points 1 month ago

Made me think of this lol

Seems like "some kind of joke" is a likely answer, but I don't know for sure.

[–] fartographer@lemmy.world 18 points 1 month ago (2 children)

I had one of these in red. It's for some really shitty magic tricks

[–] SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] fartographer@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Good point!

[–] baahb@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 1 month ago

Thank ya for verifying.

[–] tal@lemmy.today 7 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

I cross-posted this to !clacksmith@lemmy.world, the resident Threadiverse dice experts, so they might also be able to provide some insights.

[–] Kolanaki@pawb.social 6 points 1 month ago
  1. It's part of a magic set.

  2. It's a misprint.

  3. Secret Third Thing

[–] Crozekiel@lemmy.zip 5 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I have one of these in red, but it is larger than what I would consider a standard d6. No idea why. Someone left a box full of ttrpg dice at my apartment like 20 years ago and it was inside...

[–] baahb@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I think thats how I came to acquire this

[–] Crozekiel@lemmy.zip 1 points 1 month ago

Likely spawned into existence via the same arcane rituals that brought us candy corn and those weird strawberry hard candies on every grandmother's coffee table.

[–] JeffersonBlue@lemmy.world 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

It's part of a pair. The other one has three sides with six pips and three sides with two pips. That way you always roll either 7 or 11. They must have gotten separated.

[–] cholesterol@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

where is it used?

[–] JcbAzPx@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Maybe a bonus die for a 3d6 system rpg. It would guarantee a higher result at the cost of being unable to crit.

[–] lime@feddit.nu 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

yeah it would guarantee a roll of 5

[–] JcbAzPx@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

7 to 17 if the other two dice are normal. It also avoids a critical fail.

[–] lime@feddit.nu 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] JcbAzPx@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)
[–] lime@feddit.nu 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

i'd honestly just feel dumb rolling a trick dice at the table.

[–] JcbAzPx@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

The idea is it would be given as loot. Something like a single use item to buff a roll. An actual die makes it easier to keep track of and show you're using it.