Dice & Gear
How Many Dice Do You Need for D&D?
You need exactly one standard 7-die set to play D&D: a d4, d6, d8, two d10s, a d12, and a d20. That covers every roll in the game. A second set is a convenience upgrade most players want within a few months, and certain classes (looking at you, fireball-throwers and rogues) will eventually want a handful of extra d6s. Here's the full breakdown.
What's in the standard set, and what each die does
| Die | What it rolls |
|---|---|
| d20 | The big one: attacks, saving throws, ability checks. You'll roll this every few minutes. |
| d12 | Greataxe damage, barbarian hit dice. The lonely die. |
| d10 + percentile d10 | Weapon damage and hit dice; together they roll d100 for wild magic and loot tables. |
| d8 | Longsword damage, healing spells, many class hit dice. |
| d6 | The everything die: sneak attack, fireball, ability score generation, countless spells. |
| d4 | Daggers, healing word, guidance. The caltrop of the dice bag. |
If you're brand new: buy one set you like looking at, put it in a pouch with a pencil, and you're genuinely done. Everything past this point is quality of life, not necessity. (Not sure what else to bring to a game? Here's the complete first-session checklist.)
When one set stops being enough
Three things eventually push players past a single set:
- Advantage and disadvantage. You roll two d20s constantly in 5e. Two sets means both dice are in hand instead of rolling one die twice.
- Multi-die damage. A rogue's sneak attack at level 5 is 3d6 on top of weapon damage; a fireball is 8d6. Rolling one d6 eight times kills the best moment in the game. Damage wants to land all at once, in a satisfying handful.
- Losing track of modifiers. Casting a spell that uses d8s while your weapon uses d8s? A second set in a different color lets you pre-sort rolls before they hit the table.
The standard progression we see: one set, then a second set within a few months, then a tube of 12 loose d6s the week after the wizard learns fireball.
What your class actually wants
- Rogues want d6s. Sneak attack scales forever, so get six to start.
- Wizards, sorcerers, warlocks: d6s for fireball-type spells, plus a couple of extra d4s for magic missile if you like rolling each dart.
- Clerics and druids want extra d8s, since healing spells stack them at higher levels.
- Barbarians, fighters, paladins: a second d20 for advantage (barbarians get it reckless-attacking on demand), extra weapon-damage dice for crits.
- Great-weapon users: crits double your damage dice, and being able to roll 4d6 or 2d12 in one throw is the whole fun of it.
A GM running the table wants far more: a full loaner set per empty-handed player and piles of d6s and d8s for monster damage. If that's you, see the one-shot prep checklist.
The honest answer about dice collecting
Nobody who plays this game for a year owns one set of dice, and it's not because they needed more. Dice are the hobby's most collectible object: they're small, they're beautiful, every set feels different (we compared all the materials in our dice materials guide), and a new set costs less than a movie ticket. "Need" was never the operative word.
So the practical buying advice is: start with one set. When you find yourself wanting a second, that's normal, and when you find yourself with thirty, that's normal too.
Frequently asked questions
Can you play D&D with just one d20?
In a pinch, yes. A d20 plus any way to roll the other numbers (an app, another player's dice) gets you through a session. But a full 7-die set is $8–10, and every damage roll and spell in the game assumes you have it.
Why are there two d10s in the set?
One is numbered 0–9 and the other 00–90. Rolled together they produce 1–100 (a percentile or d100 roll), used for things like wild magic surges and treasure tables. Solo, either one works as a regular d10.
What dice does a beginner rogue or wizard need?
The standard 7-die set covers levels 1–4 comfortably. By level 5, rogues want around six d6s total for sneak attack and wizards want eight d6s for fireball; a cheap tube of loose d6s solves both.
Do I need different dice for other RPGs?
Mostly no. The 7-die set covers Pathfinder, Call of Cthulhu (heavy on d100, which you have), and most fantasy RPGs. The exceptions run on pools of plain d6s, which your fireball stash already handles.
How many dice should a Dungeon Master have?
Twice what any player has: a personal set, a loaner set or two for players who forget theirs, and a pile of loose d6s and d8s for monster damage. Veteran GMs roll big attacks in one handful to keep combat moving.