Loaded dice are a time-honored tradition among
RPG players. Such games are
ideal for "
cheating" because everyone brings their own "lucky dice" to the game.
Loaded dice are not recommended in any game where stakes are high enough
to warrant
retribution. For "friendly" games, though, a set of
skewed dice can turn your "luck" in a happy direction.
Fortunately for would-be amateur cheaters, there is a universal tradition of
dice manufacture that requires opposite sides of a die to add up to the number
seven. Therefore, the "six" is always opposite the "one". Assuming you're
playing a game where it is more advantageous to roll higher numbers,
loading dice centers around altering the "six" side so it is less likely
to land face-down, or altering the "one" side so it is more likely to
land face-down.
When throwing home-made loaded dice for "good" results, it is best to let
the die
roll as far and as long as possible. The slowly-dropping rotation speed
gives your subtle alteration the best opportunity to "catch". A loading
job should be subtle. People will write off the occasional extra "six"
as a lucky streak. Two boxcars in a row, on the other hand, is immediately
suspect.
Easily Obtaining Loaded Dice:
- Pre-Manufactured Dice:
Some game stores and novelty shops sell pre-manufactured
loaded dice. Upon visual inspection, they appear unaltered. If you were
to dissect such a die, you'd find that the region under the "one" is
made of a denser material than the remainder of the die. As the die
spins, the weight of the "one" side is more likely to anchor the die
to the table than any other, leaving the "six" face-up.
If you're going to buy loaded dice, give them a test run first.
Some dice are so heavily weighted that it is screamingly obvious to
the casual observer. These dice spin unnaturally when coming to a halt,
and perform strange cartwheels on the table.
than anything else.
- Ten Minutes with a Fingernail File
Take a fingernail file and incrementally begin filing the edges of the "six"
side until they are more round and less angular. Do the same to the corners
of the "six" side. Hold the dice at arms length every now and then to verify
that you aren't noticeably overdoing it.
- Power Tools make the World Go 'Round
The truly bored cheater might go so far as to drill out the pips on
the "six" side of the die and re-seal the tops of the holes with a thin layer
of putty. Re-ink the pips on every side of the die with black ink. Heck,
cut the die in half, remove some material from the "six" side, glue the die
back together, sand the seams and repaint the whole die. You really
were just looking for a reason to pull out the Dremel, right?