Dice Notation Guide: What 2d6+3 Means and How to Read Any Roll

What does 2d6 mean?

Dice notation is the shorthand every tabletop game uses to tell you what to roll. The basic pattern is NdX: the number before the "d" is how many dice to roll, and the number after it is how many sides each die has.

So when a rule says "roll 2d6", you pick up two six-sided dice, roll them, and add the two numbers together. The lowest possible total is 2 (two 1s) and the highest is 12 (two 6s). The average is 7, and 7 is also the single most likely total, at 16.67%.

You can type any of the expressions on this page into the dice calculator to roll them, or use the one-click 2d6 roller for this exact roll.

How do you read NdX+M?

Most rolls in D&D add a flat number on top of the dice. That number is the modifier, written after a plus or minus sign.

• N (count): how many dice. If it is left out, it means one, so "d20" and "1d20" are the same roll.
• d: short for die or dice.
• X (sides): the die size. D&D uses d4, d6, d8, d10, d12 and d20, plus d100 for percentile rolls.
• +M or −M (modifier): a fixed number added to or subtracted from the total once, not once per die.

That last point trips up new players. In 2d6+3 you add 3 one time: roll 4 and 2, add 3, and the result is 9. You do not add 3 to each die.

Can one expression mix different dice?

Yes. Terms are chained with plus signs. A rogue's dagger hit with Sneak Attack at level 1 could be written 1d4+1d6+3: roll a d4 and a d6, add them, then add 3. A Paladin's smite on top of a longsword might read 1d8+2d8+3, which is the same as 3d8+3.

How do you work out the range and average of a roll?

The range is easy. The minimum is the number of dice plus the modifier (every die shows a 1). The maximum is the number of dice times the sides plus the modifier.

The average uses one rule: a single die with X sides averages (X+1)/2. Multiply that by the number of dice and add the modifier. For 2d6+3 that is 2 × 3.5 + 3 = 10. Here are common rolls worked out exactly:

The keep and drop rows can't use the simple formula, because throwing away a die changes the shape of the results. Those averages come from counting every possible outcome. The average dice rolls cheat sheet lists many more expressions.

What do kh, kl and dl mean in dice notation?

Keep and drop codes go right after the die. They tell you to roll a pool of dice and only count some of them. They are common in online rollers and virtual tabletops; the printed rulebooks usually describe the same thing in words instead.

• kh (keep highest): 2d20kh1 means roll two d20s and keep the higher one.
• kl (keep lowest): 2d20kl1 means roll two d20s and keep the lower one.
• dl (drop lowest): 4d6dl1 means roll four d6s, drop the lowest and add the rest.
• dh (drop highest): 4d6dh1 means roll four d6s and drop the highest.

The number after the code is how many dice to keep or drop. 4d6dl1 and 4d6kh3 give exactly the same result: either way you sum the best three of four.

How is advantage written in dice notation?

In 5e, advantage means rolling two d20s and using the higher, so it is written 2d20kh1. Disadvantage is 2d20kl1. Modifiers still go on the end: an attack with advantage and a +5 bonus is 2d20kh1+5. Advantage raises the average d20 from 10.5 to 13.83, and disadvantage drops it to 7.18. The full odds for every target number are in advantage and disadvantage in 5e.

Why 4d6 drop lowest for ability scores?

Rolling plain 3d6 averages 10.5. Rolling four dice and dropping the lowest shifts the average up to about 12.24 and makes very low scores rare, which is why it's the standard rolling method in 5e. See how to roll stats in 5e for the full method.

What does d% or d100 mean?

d% is another way of writing d100, a roll that gives a whole number from 1 to 100 with each result equally likely. Physical d100s exist, but most players roll two ten-sided dice: one for the tens digit and one for the ones. A tens die of 00 with a ones die of 0 reads as 100. The step-by-step method is in percentile dice explained.

How do you roll dice notation on a spell or weapon?

Spell and weapon entries give damage in notation, and some scale it as you level. A few examples:

• Fireball: 8d6 fire damage at 3rd level, plus 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd. Cast at 5th level, it is 10d6 (range 10–60, average 35). See Fireball.
• Magic Missile: three darts that each deal 1d4+1. Each dart adds its own +1, so three darts total 3d4+3, average 10.5.
• Greatsword: 2d6 slashing plus your Strength modifier, for example 2d6+3.

On a critical hit, you roll the damage dice twice but add the modifier only once, so 2d6+3 becomes 4d6+3. That rule is the same in the 2014 and 2024 Player's Handbooks.

What are the most common dice notation mistakes?

• Adding the modifier to every die: 3d6+2 is one +2, not +6.
• Reading 2d6 as one die times two: 2d6 (two dice added) is not the same as 1d6×2. Both average 7, but 1d6×2 can only land on even numbers and has no favorite result, while 2d6 clusters around 7.
• Forgetting the default count: "d8" is one d8, never zero.
• Doubling the modifier on a crit: only the dice double.

FAQ

What does 2d6 mean?

2d6 means roll two six-sided dice and add them together. The total runs from 2 to 12, the average is 7, and 7 is also the most likely result at 16.67%.

What does the d stand for in dice notation?

The d simply stands for die or dice. The number after it is how many sides each die has, so d8 is an eight-sided die and d20 is a twenty-sided die.

What does 4d6dl1 mean?

It means roll four six-sided dice, drop the lowest one and add the other three. This is the classic way to roll ability scores, and it averages about 12.24 instead of 10.5 for plain 3d6.

How do you write advantage in dice notation?

Advantage is usually written 2d20kh1: roll two d20s and keep the highest one. Disadvantage is 2d20kl1, which keeps the lowest.

What does d% mean?

d% is another way to write d100, a roll from 1 to 100. At the table it is normally rolled with two ten-sided dice, one for the tens and one for the ones.

Related

• Dice Calculator
• Average Dice Rolls: d4 to d100 Cheat Sheet
• Percentile Dice: How to Roll a d100 with Two d10s
• Advantage and Disadvantage in 5e: How It Changes Your Odds