Terralith Dice: When Regular Dice Won't Do

To many people, dice are just dice. You roll them, they show a number, you move your game piece, or gain points, or win money, or one of a myriad other possibilities. Ultimately though, the dice are just a means to an end—a tactile randomizer that can be shaken, rolled or tossed in order to add a bit of unpredictability to an activity. There are those out there, though, for whom dice are more than mere tools. They take pride in their dice because those dice are a huge part of the gaming experience for them. For these people, dice matter. For them, dice are not simply a component, because the outcome of important dice rolls can mean the difference between life and death.  These are the people who Terralith Dice are for.

I have yet to meet a person who is even half way serious about tabletop RPG's who doesn't care about their dice. Those dice end up forming personalities of their own, and become as ingrained into the experience, and even into the storytelling, as time passes and important rolls are made, or failed. Certain dice are banished to the bottom of the dice bag, only to be rolled in dire situations. Other dice are set aside, and are only used when that crucial moment happens in a campaign and everything is riding on one vital roll. The people that understand the situations I'm describing know that dice aren't just dice. The best dice have a certain look, a certain feel, and inspire confidence. The best dice stand out.

Terralith Dice most certainly stand out from the crowd. They are heavy, they are metallic, they are uniquely shaped and they look awesome. You wouldn't get a set of Terralith Dice just because you needed some dice. You get a set like this because you need a set of dice that is going to go to war. You get a set like this because lives are going to hang in the balance. You get a set of dice like this because you take your gaming seriously.

After using Terralith Dice it's hard to immediately go back to standard plastic dice. A standard set looks and feels chintzy in direct comparison to this set of metal monsters. While most of the Terralith Dice have more traditional shapes, there is almost no comparing the d12 and d20 from this set with their standard counterparts. They are so big, angular, pointy and heavy that the experience of rolling them is entirely different than the norm and it can take a while to get used to rolling these uniquely shaped dice. Once you get the hang of it though, the heft and weight of them, as well as the unique way they roll, is satisfying and fun.

While they are striking, eye-catching, and provide a unique tactile experience, there are a few things that are less than ideal about Terralith Dice. The numbers are much harder to read at a glance than a traditional dice set. The dice are also heavy enough and pointy enough that I would be very hesitant to roll them directly on a hard wood surface for fear of scratching that surface up. They are also quite pricey, although they are high quality, so the price doesn't feel unfair.

The bottom line:

Terralith Dice aren't for everybody, but they should really appeal to players who take their gaming, and their dice, seriously. Not only do they look cool, but they are heavy and fun to roll, and the d12 and d20 provide an entirely unique die-rolling experience. While they are on the expensive end, and the numbers can be difficult to read, they look awesome, and their physical weight adds something special to those rolls that really matter.

The set of Terralith Dice used for this review was provided by Grublin Games.