Tabletop RPG Dice Guide: DND, Pathfinder, and Beyond

If you already own a standard set of DND dice, you can use it for more tabletop RPGs than you might think. Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder use the familiar polyhedral dice family, while other RPGs may rely on percentile dice, pools of d6s, or specialized dice with different faces.

That means there really isn't one universal set of tabletop RPG dice.

The better question is: Which dice does your game actually use?

If you're moving beyond DND, understanding how different RPG dice systems work can save you from buying another complete set when what you really need is a few extra d6s, a pair of percentile dice, or a specialized set for a completely different system.

What Dice Do Different Tabletop RPGs Use?

The easiest way to understand RPG dice is to stop thinking about "DND dice" as a universal category.

Different tabletop RPG systems use dice differently.

Here's a quick comparison:

RPG / System	Main Dice	Can a Standard DND Set Work?	What You May Need Extra
Dungeons & Dragons	d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20	Yes	Extra damage dice can be convenient
Pathfinder 2e	d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, d20	Yes	Duplicates of frequently rolled dice
Percentile-based RPGs	Primarily d10 / d%	Partly	Easy-to-read percentile dice
Fate	Four Fate/Fudge dice	Not directly	4dF
Blades in the Dark	Multiple d6s	Partly	Several d6s for dice pools

This is the key idea to remember:

Dice compatibility depends on the game system, not the name printed on the packaging.

A polyhedral set marketed for DND can work perfectly well for Pathfinder because both games use the same basic dice shapes. Move to a dice-pool game, however, and suddenly owning one d4, one d8, and one d12 isn't particularly useful.

Why DND and Pathfinder Can Use the Same Dice

Dungeons & Dragons and Pathfinder are different RPGs, but their physical dice requirements are very similar.

Both use the familiar polyhedral family:

d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20.

A standard seven-piece polyhedral dice set normally adds a second ten-sided die, often marked in tens from 00 to 90, for percentile rolls.

For DND players, the d20 is particularly familiar. It appears constantly in attacks, ability checks, and saving throws, while the other dice handle things such as damage, healing, and other variable effects.

Pathfinder also makes extensive use of the d20 alongside the other standard polyhedral dice.

So if you're moving from a DND campaign into Pathfinder, you don't need to replace your dice collection.

Your d20 doesn't know which character sheet is sitting next to it.

Do You Need Separate DND and Pathfinder Dice?

Mechanically, no.

If you already have a complete, readable set of polyhedral dice, you have the basic physical dice needed for both games.

You may still want another set for convenience.

Maybe one character rolls d6s constantly. Maybe you like keeping a separate set in each campaign bag. Or maybe matching a set to a new character is simply part of the fun.

Those are perfectly reasonable reasons to own more dice.

They're just not requirements created by switching from DND to Pathfinder.

If you want a deeper explanation of what each die does specifically in DND, our What Dice Are Used in DND? guide covers that topic separately.

When a Standard 7-Piece Dice Set Stops Being Enough

A seven-piece polyhedral set is extremely useful if most of your games belong to the same general family as DND and Pathfinder.

Once you move into other RPG systems, however, the question changes.

You may not need more types of dice.

You may need more of one type, or a completely different way of reading them.

Percentile-Heavy RPGs

DND players are familiar with percentile dice, but percentile rolls are relatively occasional compared with systems built much more heavily around percentage-based resolution.

A typical percentile roll uses two ten-sided dice together: one represents the tens digit and the other represents the ones digit.

So your existing polyhedral set may technically contain what you need.

The practical difference is frequency.

If you're playing a system where percentile rolls happen constantly, having a clearly distinguishable pair of percentile dice becomes much more important than it might be during an average DND session.

If the relationship between a d10, d%, and d100 still feels confusing, our Percentile Die vs d10 guide goes deeper into how those dice work together.

Dice-Pool RPGs Need Quantity, Not Variety

Some RPGs take almost the opposite approach from a standard DND set.

Instead of giving you several different dice shapes, they repeatedly ask you to roll several copies of the same die.

Blades in the Dark is a good example.

The game uses ordinary six-sided dice and commonly asks players to build a dice pool, roll multiple d6s, and interpret the highest result.

Generally, a 6 represents a full success, a 4–5 means you succeed with a consequence, and a 1–3 means things go badly. Multiple 6s can produce a critical result.

In a game like this, owning six d6s can be considerably more useful than owning six complete seven-piece polyhedral sets.

Your favorite d20 is still welcome at the table.

It just doesn't have much work to do.

Specialized Dice Can Change More Than the Shape

Dice compatibility isn't only about the number of sides.

Sometimes the faces themselves are different.

Fate, for example, uses four special six-sided Fate or Fudge dice. Instead of the conventional numbered faces found on a normal d6, the dice use plus, blank, and minus results.

That means a standard numbered d6 isn't a direct visual replacement for the dice the system was designed around.

This is an important distinction when exploring tabletop RPGs:

A die can have the right shape and still not be the right die for the system.

Do All Tabletop RPGs Use a d20?

No.

It's an easy assumption to make when DND is your first tabletop RPG.

The d20 is so closely associated with fantasy roleplaying that it can start to feel like the RPG die.

But different systems use dice to create very different probability structures and styles of play.

A single d20 has a flat distribution: each face has the same probability of appearing.

Roll multiple dice and add them together, and the distribution changes. Middle totals generally become more common than extreme results.

Dice-pool systems change the experience again. Instead of rolling one die and adding a modifier, you might roll several dice and look for the highest result or count successes.

Specialized systems can change the faces themselves.

So when your group announces a new campaign, don't only ask:

"What are we playing?"

Also ask:

"What dice does it use?"

That question can save you from arriving at Session Zero with an impressive dice bag that somehow contains none of the dice you actually need.

Can You Use DND Dice for Other RPGs?

Yes—sometimes.

The physical dice in a DND set aren't locked to Dungeons & Dragons.

If another RPG asks you to roll a d8, your DND d8 is still a d8.

The real issue is whether your dice bag contains the types and quantities required by the new system.

A useful way to think about compatibility is:

Same dice shapes + similar quantities = your existing set probably works.

Same dice shapes + much larger quantities = add duplicates.

Different faces or specialized dice = you may need a dedicated set.

This is more useful than asking whether a product is specifically labeled "DND dice" or "RPG dice."

The rules care about the die.

Not the label on the box.

Build Your Dice Bag by System, Not by Set

One of the easiest habits for new players is buying complete set after complete set.

There's nothing wrong with that—especially if collecting dice is part of the hobby for you.

But if your goal is to build a practical RPG dice bag for several game systems, buying another seven-piece set every time isn't always the most efficient approach.

Instead, look at the systems you actually play.

Mostly DND and Pathfinder?

Start with one or two complete polyhedral sets.

Then add duplicates of whatever your characters roll most often.

A character throwing several d6s for damage will benefit more from extra d6s than from another lonely d12.

DND Plus a Percentile-Based Game?

Keep your standard polyhedral set and make sure you have an easy-to-read percentile pair.

You probably don't need to rebuild the rest of your dice bag.

DND Plus a d6 Dice-Pool Game?

Keep the polyhedral set for DND and add several d6s.

Now the same dice bag can handle two very different approaches to RPG mechanics without being filled with unnecessary duplicates of every other die.

Playing Several Different RPG Systems?

Think modularly.

Instead of asking:

"How many dice sets should I own?"

ask:

"Which dice mechanics do my games actually use?"

Your eventual RPG dice bag might contain a polyhedral set, several extra d6s, percentile dice, and specialized dice for one particular game.

It may not look as tidy as five identical seven-piece sets.

But it will be built around the games you actually play.

How Many RPG Dice Do You Really Need?

There isn't one number that works for everyone.

A new DND or Pathfinder player can start with a single complete polyhedral set.

After that, your character and game system will usually tell you what you're missing.

If you keep borrowing d6s, add d6s.

If you regularly roll two d20s together, having a second d20 is convenient.

If your new RPG uses a large dice pool, build that pool instead of buying several unrelated dice shapes.

This leads to a surprisingly useful question:

Which die am I always borrowing from someone else?

That's often a better guide for your next purchase than asking how many complete sets another player owns.

Does Dice Material Matter Across RPG Systems?

Yes—but not for compatibility.

A resin d20 and a gemstone d20 can perform the same mechanical job if both are properly made and readable.

The RPG system cares that you're rolling the correct die type.

Material changes the physical experience instead.

Resin dice are generally lightweight and convenient when you need to carry or roll several dice. Gemstone and crystal dice have a more substantial feel and may require more careful handling and an appropriate rolling surface.

Those differences matter when choosing a set you enjoy using, but they don't determine whether the die works for DND or Pathfinder.

So the order of the decision should usually be:

Game system → Dice type → Quantity → Material and design

rather than starting with material and hoping the set happens to match the game.

If material is your main consideration, our Best DND Dice Materials guide compares those trade-offs in much more detail.

What Tabletop RPG Dice Should You Buy?

Once you look at dice by system rather than by product label, the decision becomes much easier.

If You Mostly Play...	Start With	Add When Needed
DND	7-piece polyhedral set	Extra damage dice / second d20
Pathfinder	7-piece polyhedral set	Frequently used duplicates
DND + Pathfinder	One or two polyhedral sets	Character-specific duplicates
Percentile-heavy RPGs	d10 + percentile die	A clearly readable percentile pair
d6 dice-pool RPGs	Multiple d6s	More d6s as the pool grows
Several RPG systems	Mixed RPG dice bag	Dice based on each system's mechanics

This is why asking:

"What's the best RPG dice set?"

doesn't always lead to a useful answer.

The better question is:

"What dice does my game ask me to roll?"

Start there.

Then decide how many you need, which ones you want duplicates of, and what material or design you actually enjoy using.

That's also the point where browsing polyhedral dice or a broader RPG dice collection becomes useful: you already know what role the next dice need to fill.

One Dice Bag Can Cover More Games Than You Think

You don't need a completely new dice collection every time your group tries another tabletop RPG.

DND and Pathfinder can share the same standard polyhedral dice. Percentile-heavy games may only require you to pay more attention to your d10s. Dice-pool systems may call for a handful of one particular die. Games like Fate may need their own specialized dice.

The important thing is to build around mechanics rather than labels.

Start with the game.

Check the dice it actually uses.

Then fill the gaps in your bag.

Once those practical needs are covered, material, color, character themes, and collecting become personal choices rather than requirements.

You don't need the biggest dice bag to be ready for game night.

You need the right dice for the game you're actually playing.

And once you have those, choosing exquisite dice for every roll can simply be part of making the game feel like yours.

Because sometimes:

"I just really like this set."

is a perfectly good reason to make room for one more.

FAQ

What dice do you need for tabletop RPGs?

It depends on the RPG system. DND and Pathfinder use the standard polyhedral family of d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20 dice. Other games may rely on percentile dice, multiple d6s, or specialized dice.

Can you use DND dice for Pathfinder?

Yes. DND and Pathfinder use the same main polyhedral dice shapes, so a standard DND dice set can also cover the basic physical dice requirements of Pathfinder.

Can DND dice be used for other RPGs?

Yes, if the other RPG uses the same dice types. Games that require large dice pools may need extra copies of a particular die, while games using specialized faces may require their own dice.

Do all tabletop RPGs use a d20?

No. DND and Pathfinder use d20s extensively, but many tabletop RPGs use different mechanics, including percentile dice, d6 dice pools, and specialized dice.

Is one 7-piece dice set enough for tabletop RPGs?

One seven-piece polyhedral set is enough to start playing many d20-based RPGs, including DND and Pathfinder. Other systems may require additional copies of certain dice or completely different dice.

Why do some RPGs use lots of d6s?

Some RPGs use dice-pool mechanics, where several dice are rolled together and the results are interpreted according to the game's rules. In those systems, having multiple copies of the same die can be more useful than owning a traditional seven-piece set.

Does dice material change which RPGs I can play?

No. Material affects characteristics such as weight, feel, handling, and durability, but system compatibility depends primarily on using the correct dice types, faces, and quantities.

Should I buy another complete dice set or individual dice?

Look at what your game repeatedly asks you to roll. If you're constantly short on one die type, adding duplicates may be more useful than buying another complete set. If you're starting a game with completely different dice mechanics, build around that system instead.