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+--- Thread: Percentiles for Snowgen (/showthread.php?tid=15)
Percentiles for Snowgen - NerdsRPG - 08-17-2023
I am trying to find a way to make percentile dice more palatable for Snowgen. My thought is to number a d20 in increments of five, so 5, 10, 15, 20 and so on to 100. Most of the time that is all the precision you will need. If needed you could always throw a second die to break it down further. At this point my lack of education in mathematics starts to show. I suppose the easiest thing to do is also throw a d10 and if you need the more granular break down use the tens digit from the d20 and the d10 for the ones digit. That said most tables will break down into 5% increments anyway and even if you are making an opposed throw it will only matter if the dice fall on the same number.
I know most of us are very happy just throwing 2 d10s to get a percentile result but I'd love to find a way for Snowgen to also join the fun without having to parse the results of two dice most of the time.
RE: Percentiles for Snowgen - Evil Jeff - 08-18-2023
I just use my d100.
RE: Percentiles for Snowgen - Snowgen - 08-18-2023
(08-18-2023, 09:17 AM)Evil Jeff Wrote: I just use my d100.
How readable are those anyway? My eyes are pretty old these days...
I heard a common complaint was that they "never stop rolling" but in a dice tray, I don't think that would be a problem.
I also wonder how "true" they are.
I saw this set on Amazon and I'm considering it: https://www.amazon.com/MYCENSE-Playing-Acrylic-Polyhedral-Supplies/dp/B0C246CJBP/
RE: Percentiles for Snowgen - Snowgen - 08-18-2023
(08-17-2023, 10:07 PM)NerdsRPG Wrote: I am trying to find a way to make percentile dice more palatable for Snowgen. My thought is to number a d20 in increments of five, so 5, 10, 15, 20 and so on to 100. Most of the time that is all the precision you will need. If needed you could always throw a second die to break it down further. At this point my lack of education in mathematics starts to show. I suppose the easiest thing to do is also throw a d10 and if you need the more granular break down use the tens digit from the d20 and the d10 for the ones digit. That said most tables will break down into 5% increments anyway and even if you are making an opposed throw it will only matter if the dice fall on the same number.
I know most of us are very happy just throwing 2 d10s to get a percentile result but I'd love to find a way for Snowgen to also join the fun without having to parse the results of two dice most of the time.
My argument is that you almost never need more precision for gaming needs. A d20 will never be more than 2% off from a d100, and 2% is close enough for the game table (for me).
Proof:
| % Target | d20 Target | d20 % chance | Difference |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 60 | 12 | 60 | 0% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 61 | 12 | 60 | -1% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 62 | 12 | 60 | -2% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 63 | 13 | 65 | +2% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 64 | 13 | 65 | +1% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 65 | 13 | 65 | 0% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 66 | 13 | 65 | -1% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 67 | 13 | 65 | -2% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 68 | 14 | 70 | +1% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 69 | 14 | 70 | +2% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
You could argue that the extremes (1% chance and 99% chance) would be a 4% difference, but meh.
I did find this one blog post that I made in September of 2020 that said something nice about percentiles:
https://vagabondgm.blogspot.com/2020/09/crits-on-demand.html
RE: Percentiles for Snowgen - NerdsRPG - 08-18-2023
(08-18-2023, 12:29 PM)Snowgen Wrote:(08-18-2023, 09:17 AM)Evil Jeff Wrote: I just use my d100.
How readable are those anyway? My eyes are pretty old these days...
I heard a common complaint was that they "never stop rolling" but in a dice tray, I don't think that would be a problem.
I also wonder how "true" they are.
I saw this set on Amazon and I'm considering it: https://www.amazon.com/MYCENSE-Playing-Acrylic-Polyhedral-Supplies/dp/B0C246CJBP/
I’ll let you know how they work out, I just ordered a set…
What I really want, heck I may even have already bought and forgotten about, is a d6 numbered 1-3 twice and a d10 numbered 1-5 twice.
As for the golf ball d100’s I remember when they came out and they have always seemed like a novelty to me as opposed to a “working die”.
(08-18-2023, 01:00 PM)Snowgen Wrote:(08-17-2023, 10:07 PM)NerdsRPG Wrote: I am trying to find a way to make percentile dice more palatable for Snowgen. My thought is to number a d20 in increments of five, so 5, 10, 15, 20 and so on to 100. Most of the time that is all the precision you will need. If needed you could always throw a second die to break it down further. At this point my lack of education in mathematics starts to show. I suppose the easiest thing to do is also throw a d10 and if you need the more granular break down use the tens digit from the d20 and the d10 for the ones digit. That said most tables will break down into 5% increments anyway and even if you are making an opposed throw it will only matter if the dice fall on the same number.
I know most of us are very happy just throwing 2 d10s to get a percentile result but I'd love to find a way for Snowgen to also join the fun without having to parse the results of two dice most of the time.
My argument is that you almost never need more precision for gaming needs. A d20 will never be more than 2% off from a d100, and 2% is close enough for the game table (for me).
Proof:
| % Target | d20 Target | d20 % chance | Difference |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 60 | 12 | 60 | 0% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 61 | 12 | 60 | -1% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 62 | 12 | 60 | -2% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 63 | 13 | 65 | +2% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 64 | 13 | 65 | +1% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 65 | 13 | 65 | 0% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 66 | 13 | 65 | -1% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 67 | 13 | 65 | -2% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 68 | 14 | 70 | +1% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
| 69 | 14 | 70 | +2% |
+----------+------------+--------------+------------+
You could argue that the extremes (1% chance and 99% chance) would be a 4% difference, but meh.
I did find this one blog post that I made in September of 2020 that said something nice about percentiles:
https://vagabondgm.blogspot.com/2020/09/crits-on-demand.html
In addition to being able to use doubles as criticals throwing two dice also allows you to have the ability to swap the dice in certain circumstances, sort of a critical in and of itself. So you could turn an 18 into an 81.
As for invoking your own critical I agree with that wise blog author
that it is a little gamey but it can work if done right. In REAVER, a game that uses a die chain mechanic, you can spend meta currency to increase the size of the die you are throwing but the target number stays the same so you always have a chance of failure. I like that kind of front loaded mechanism over rerolls.
RE: Percentiles for Snowgen - Evil Jeff - 08-18-2023
I have that golf ball D100, it rolled for a bit on really slick surfaces but worked fine on a tablecloth or the dice tray. Because the insides are a bunch of small pellets, it doesn't have the tendency to favor one side over another. The only negative is that, after 30+ years, the plastic outside (which is two 1/2 spheres) has come apart and needs just a small drop of glue to get things back in shape.
RE: Percentiles for Snowgen - Sam - 08-19-2023
3D6 actually represents 216 different outcomes. Of course some median outcomes are more likely than others with this approach, ie the bell curve etc. I like the 1/216 chance of rolling triple ones. It actually happened the last time I ran GURPS. Led to some interesting outcomes...
RE: Percentiles for Snowgen - Snowgen - 08-23-2023
I think I have come up with a solution!
..And it's so good that it's worthy of a blog post or an episode. It might be too short for an episode, but maybe not...
How's that for a teaser?
RE: Percentiles for Snowgen - Snowgen - 08-28-2023
(08-18-2023, 01:00 PM)NerdsRPG Wrote:(08-18-2023, 12:29 PM)Snowgen Wrote: I saw this set on Amazon and I'm considering it: https://www.amazon.com/MYCENSE-Playing-Acrylic-Polyhedral-Supplies/dp/B0C246CJBP/
I’ll let you know how they work out, I just ordered a set…
Mine just came in!
RE: Percentiles for Snowgen - NerdsRPG - 08-29-2023
(08-28-2023, 08:44 PM)Snowgen Wrote:(08-18-2023, 01:00 PM)NerdsRPG Wrote:(08-18-2023, 12:29 PM)Snowgen Wrote: I saw this set on Amazon and I'm considering it: https://www.amazon.com/MYCENSE-Playing-Acrylic-Polyhedral-Supplies/dp/B0C246CJBP/
I’ll let you know how they work out, I just ordered a set…
Mine just came in!
Still waiting on mine
(08-19-2023, 06:07 AM)Sam Wrote: 3D6 actually represents 216 different outcomes. Of course some median outcomes are more likely than others with this approach, ie the bell curve etc. I like the 1/216 chance of rolling triple ones. It actually happened the last time I ran GURPS. Led to some interesting outcomes...
This is a good point. I think GURPS is a very well thought out system, it just doesn't move me or inspire me like some other ones do. I wish it did, I have spent quite a bit on GURPS over the years. I definitely wouldn't try to dissuade someone from using it.