# Polyhedral dice

- Term: Tabletop term
- Canonical: https://www.lanternhall.org/lexicon/polyhedral-dice/

> The set of four-, six-, eight-, ten-, twelve- and twenty-sided dice used by roleplaying games, written in shorthand such as 3d6 (three six-siders added together) or d20. The icosahedral d20 became the emblem of D&D and gave its name to the d20 System of 2000.

The set of four-, six-, eight-, ten-, twelve- and twenty-sided dice used by roleplaying games, written in shorthand such as 3d6 (three six-siders added together) or d20. The icosahedral d20 became the emblem of D&D and gave its name to the d20 System of 2000.

**Origin:** Wargamers began using non-cubical dice around the end of the 1960s; Dungeons & Dragons (1974) made them standard equipment.

## Quick answers

**What does "Polyhedral dice" mean?**
The set of four-, six-, eight-, ten-, twelve- and twenty-sided dice used by roleplaying games, written in shorthand such as 3d6 (three six-siders added together) or d20. The icosahedral d20 became the emblem of D&D and gave its name to the d20 System of 2000.

**Where does the term "Polyhedral dice" come from?**
Wargamers began using non-cubical dice around the end of the 1960s; Dungeons & Dragons (1974) made them standard equipment.

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From The Lantern Hall (https://www.lanternhall.org/), a museum of fantasy literature and roleplaying games.