How to test your d20 - Is it Balanced?

[styx]

Tried to do this today, but I didn't have enough salt. I posted on the Frostgrave Facebook, figure I would shared it here also. Let me know how it works.

[throwsFireball]

I just rolled mine out when I played D&D and used an excel formula to show me what the most likely results for each of my colours were. I had a purple dice that rolled a 1 16% of the time. I always handed that to players that "forgot" to bring their dice.

They eventually got superstitious and decided taking dice off the GM was unlucky. They were completely right, but for the completely wrong reasons.

This method works, but it doesn't indicate the various improper weightings (one of my dice rolled at 11 and 16 at roughly equal intervals but they combined accounted for about 25% of rolls). The only way to really do it is constantly roll and see what happens. You need to allow the dice to come to a natural stop, too.

[Elbows]

All dice are not going to balance...it's why I always prefer to bring three or more of each dice. 

[GypsyBreath]

thanks - very useful. 
I just tested my dice, my lucky dice seems to be weighted ok, as always pops up a random number, as does 1 other dice.
the others I have consistently bring up the same side, or a specific number(-ish).  Time to buy some new dice me thinks, and test again!

[dbsubashi]

I only apply one test to my dice. Those that do not roll well are tested by fire - or hammers, or being forced to swim in the local river...

[Grimmnar]

I only apply one test to my dice. Those that do not roll well are tested by fire - or hammers, or being forced to swim in the local river...

Put em in da dungeon instead.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/249858884/despicable-dice-dungeon?ref=shop_home_feat_2

Grimm

[Iamafish]

Well I tested my 4 D20s and got some intresting results

3 soiled D20´s all the same company


1 ,  come No3
2 , come up No 17
3, come up the ridge between 17 and 3

4 the transparent D20 a random number constantly , correctly balanced.

so it seem that the compy that made the 1st tree make them is such a way that the die are lighter in the 3/17 area.

I shale be buying some new transparent D20´s come payday.

[JamWarrior]

Bear in mind the float test is an extreme test that will find the slightest imbalance, whereas in real life when you throw your dice the side they will come down on is much more affected by your throw rather than their weight.  Their flight time and the motion of the throw do not allow much time for weight righting to occur before they hit table.

Not that weighting bias doesn't exist, just that it'll probably have a much smaller impact on your roll results than this test will imply.

[Ravendas]

Transparent/translucent dice tend to be more evenly weighted just because they can't have inclusions in them, they would be visible. They have to be the same throughout.

Opaque dice can have lower quality material used, with varying densities and voids inside that one can't see without aid of this saltwater test.

If you really want highquality balanced dice, get some Gamescience dice. They're a bit pricy though, and need a little work, like shaving off the sprue join and coloring in the numbers usually.

[TheHoops82]

On this test how important is the salt?

[Iamafish]

On this test how important is the salt?

depends it is what makes the die float. IF your die float in water already dont bother with the salt, but most will not. The salt made the water more dense so the die will float.