Question 1

Are the braille/tactile dice balanced?

Accepted Answer

Everyone's favorite question, a complicated question with a complicated answer. No TTRPG dice whether they're factory made or handmade are ever perfectly balanced. The short answer is they're all balanced enough for playing tabletop games, but will never be allowed in a casino.   Since we only offer 3D files to be used in 3D printers, we can't say what happens to the dice that are printed by others since the question of balance depends on multiple factors for each individual print. Was it printed with plastic filament or liquid resin? Was it printed hollow or solid? Did it have a honeycomb/waffle interior? Were there any minor defects in the print? Even if two people on two identicial printers with identical settings and materials print then, they are bound to come out with some differences. Unless there are major issues, none of these things will have an impact on overall balance. They will roll randomly as intended.

Question 2

Does the braille/tactile symbol affect the balance of the dice?

Accepted Answer

The amount of material needed for one braille/tactile symbol is the equivalent of a few grains of sand. Nothing that will make a noticeable impact.

Question 3

Why are there no numbers?

Accepted Answer

Written numbers that can be used by sighted folx appear on countless types of dice from countless makers. Even some braille dice made by others have numbers included. We have decided to never add numbers to our braille and tactile dice.    These dice weren't made to be a cool thing sighted folx can add to their collection. They were designed for blind and visually impaired folx to be able to roll independently, not relying on others. Anyone who's rolled dice in a game knows how one roll can make or break a situation, and the anticipation and result of that roll creates some of the most memorable moments.    When someone is using braille dice it takes an extra second or so to find the die and read it. If there were numbers on the die and they were at a table with others who were sighted, the sighted folx would know the result of the roll instantly and have a reaction that indicates what the roll was. This steals that reaction and excitement from the person who is rolling and defeats the purpose of using braille dice entirely.

Question 4

Why are some of the edges different?

Accepted Answer

On every die, one edge of each face is different. This dashed edge acts as an orientation marker so the person using the dice knows which way to read each face. Once that dashed edge is rotated to be on the bottom, it is the same as an underline on numbers 6 and 9.

Question 5

Why don't the d6 and d4 have an orientation edge?

Accepted Answer

This was purely a design choice early on because those dice have room for the number/pound sign (#) which looks like a backwards capital L.

Question 6

Why is the d4 not a pyramid?

Accepted Answer

When designing the dice to have a braille focus before anything else, the d4 was found to be too hard to read. The long rectangle shape is a little different to roll, but is easier to read the result.

Question 7

Why are there other braille dice that look different?

Accepted Answer

Each designer makes something of their own style. We have used a unique way of numbering our dice that breaks away from standard braille. You can find more information on our page Learn Braille.

Frequently Asked Questions

DOTS RPG Project