Exploding die - Revision history

Umbire the Phantom: typo

2026-03-20T14:42:14Z

typo

Umbire the Phantom: copyedit pass

2026-03-20T14:41:52Z

copyedit pass

ScienceBall: /* Description */ clarify

2024-10-23T17:12:50Z

‎Description: clarify

Umbire the Phantom: /* Description */ pothole

2024-10-23T03:27:00Z

‎Description: pothole

ScienceBall: This is probably a more natural phrasing

2024-03-30T02:59:25Z

This is probably a more natural phrasing

ScienceBall: Clarify

2024-03-30T02:48:21Z

Clarify

ScienceBall: According to the style guide, in-game Luck should always be capitalized

2024-03-30T02:40:48Z

According to the style guide, in-game Luck should always be capitalized

Umbire the Phantom: word choice

2024-03-30T02:35:28Z

word choice

ScienceBall: Vorpal Blade and Snickersnee deal +1 damage each time they explode (and +1 on top of that). Lucky exploding dice are Unlucky if you're being attacked.

2024-03-30T02:33:06Z

Vorpal Blade and Snickersnee deal +1 damage each time they explode (and +1 on top of that). Lucky exploding dice are Unlucky if you're being attacked.

Umbire the Phantom: cats

2023-12-21T23:26:07Z

cats

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:42, 20 March 2026
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−	'''Exploding dice''' (singular '''exploding die''') are a mechanic that appears in [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[~~nornotdNetHack~~]], and is derived from its use in various forms of tabletop gaming: one or more dice can be rerolled if that die rolls its highest possible number, and that number and the result of the successive roll is added to the total, with rerolled dice also qualifying for additional rerolls. This theoretically allows the die roll in question to "explode" repeatedly for incredibly high results with exceptionally lucky rolls.	+	'''Exploding dice''' (singular '''exploding die''') are a mechanic that appears in [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[notnotdNetHack]], and is derived from its use in various forms of tabletop gaming: one or more dice can be rerolled if that die rolls its highest possible number, and that number and the result of the successive roll is added to the total, with rerolled dice also qualifying for additional rerolls. This theoretically allows the die roll in question to "explode" repeatedly for incredibly high results with exceptionally lucky rolls.

	Other terms for exploding dice include "[[Wikipedia:Dice notation#Open-ended variations\|open-ended rolling]]" and penetration rolls; an exclamation point (e.g. 6d6!) is a common shorthand for exploding dice in [[D notation]].		Other terms for exploding dice include "[[Wikipedia:Dice notation#Open-ended variations\|open-ended rolling]]" and penetration rolls; an exclamation point (e.g. 6d6!) is a common shorthand for exploding dice in [[D notation]].

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-An '''exploding die''' (plural '''exploding dice''') is a mechanic that appears in [[dNetHack]] and [[notdNetHack]], and is derived from its use in various forms of tabletop gaming - the mechanic allows one or more dice to be rerolled, typically when that die rolls its highest possible number: that number and the result of the successive roll is added to the total, and rerolled dice also qualify for additional rerolls. This theoretically allows the die roll in question to "explode" repeatedly for incredibly high results if one has exceptional luck.
+'''Exploding dice''' (singular '''exploding die''') are a mechanic that appears in [[dNetHack]], [[notdNetHack]] and [[nornotdNetHack]], and is derived from its use in various forms of tabletop gaming: one or more dice can be rerolled if that die rolls its highest possible number, and that number and the result of the successive roll is added to the total, with rerolled dice also qualifying for additional rerolls. This theoretically allows the die roll in question to "explode" repeatedly for incredibly high results with exceptionally lucky rolls.
-Other terms for exploding dice include [[Wikipedia:Dice notation#Open-ended variations|"open-ended rolling"]] and penetration rolls; a common shorthand for exploding dice in [[D notation]] is to use an exclamation point (e.g. 6d6!).
+Other terms for exploding dice include "[[Wikipedia:Dice notation#Open-ended variations|open-ended rolling]]" and penetration rolls; an exclamation point (e.g. 6d6!) is a common shorthand for exploding dice in [[D notation]].
 ==Description==
-There are two types of exploding dice in dNetHack and notdNetHack: the normal type, as described above, and "Lucky" exploding dice, where the result of the damage die rolls are influenced by your character's in-game [[Luck]] - specifically, some low rolls are treated as if they were the maximum roll possible from that die. If the player is being attacked, "Lucky" exploding dice become "Unlucky" exploding dice instead, and the influence of Luck is reversed, i.e. the character's Luck protects them.
+There are two types of exploding dice: the normal type, as described above, and "lucky" exploding dice, where the result of the damage die rolls are influenced by the hero's in-game [[luck]], and some low rolls are treated as if they were the maximum roll possible from that die. If the hero is being attacked, "lucky" exploding dice become "unlucky" exploding dice instead, and the influence of luck is reversed, i.e. the hero's luck protects them better at higher values.
 Exploding dice are used for the following weapons and attacks, with the exact size of the dice in question varying dependent on the source:
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 * Attacks using the [[Scourge of Lolth]], which use normal exploding dice
 * Attacks using [[Vorpal Blade]] or [[Snickersnee]], which use normal exploding dice, but also add +1 total damage per dice roll (both base rolls and bonus rerolls)
-* The [[dNetHack artifacts#Fluorite Octet|Fluorite Octet]] when thrown or slotted into non-artifact [[lightsaber]]s, [[beamsword]]s, and [[double lightsaber]]s, which uses [[Luck]]-based exploding dice
+* The [[dNetHack artifacts#Fluorite Octet|Fluorite Octet]], which uses luck-based exploding dice when any of them thrown or slotted into non-artifact [[Lightsaber (dNetHack)|lightsabers]], [[beamsword]]s, and [[Double lightsaber (dNetHack)|double lightsabers]]
-* [[Martial arts]] attacks while wearing the [[dNetHack artifacts#Grandmaster's Robe|Grandmaster's Robe]], which use normal exploding dice
+* [[Martial arts]] attacks while wearing the [[Grandmaster's Robe]], which use normal exploding dice
-* Attacks using [[bare hands]] while [[Spirits (dNetHack)#Eurynome, the Lonely Dancer|Eurynome]] is bound, which use normal exploding dice
+* Attacks using the hero's [[bare hands]] while the [[Spirits (dNetHack)|spirit]] [[Eurynome]] is bound, which use normal exploding dice
 ==Strategy==
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 [[Category:dNetHack strategy]]
 [[Category:notdNetHack strategy]]

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 * Attacks using the [[Scourge of Lolth]], which use normal exploding dice
-* Attacks using [[Vorpal Blade]] or [[Snickersnee]], which use normal exploding dice, but add +1 total damage per dice roll (both base rolls and bonus rerolls)
+* Attacks using [[Vorpal Blade]] or [[Snickersnee]], which use normal exploding dice, but also add +1 total damage per dice roll (both base rolls and bonus rerolls)
 * The [[dNetHack artifacts#Fluorite Octet|Fluorite Octet]] when thrown or slotted into non-artifact [[lightsaber]]s, [[beamsword]]s, and [[double lightsaber]]s, which uses [[Luck]]-based exploding dice
 * [[Martial arts]] attacks while wearing the [[dNetHack artifacts#Grandmaster's Robe|Grandmaster's Robe]], which use normal exploding dice

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 Exploding dice are used for the following weapons and attacks, with the exact size of the dice in question varying dependent on the source:
-* Attacks using the [[dNetHack artifacts#Scourge of Lolth|Scourge of Lolth]], which use normal exploding dice
+* Attacks using the [[Scourge of Lolth]], which use normal exploding dice
 * Attacks using [[Vorpal Blade]] or [[Snickersnee]], which use normal exploding dice, but add +1 total damage per dice roll (both base rolls and bonus rerolls)
 * The [[dNetHack artifacts#Fluorite Octet|Fluorite Octet]] when thrown or slotted into non-artifact [[lightsaber]]s, [[beamsword]]s, and [[double lightsaber]]s, which uses [[Luck]]-based exploding dice

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 * Attacks using the [[dNetHack artifacts#Scourge of Lolth|Scourge of Lolth]], which use normal exploding dice
-* Attacks using [[Vorpal Blade]] or [[Snickersnee]], which use normal exploding dice, except they also add +X+1 damage to the base dice's total, where X is the number of times the base dice exploded
+* Attacks using [[Vorpal Blade]] or [[Snickersnee]], which use normal exploding dice, but add +1 total damage per dice roll (both base rolls and bonus rerolls)
 * The [[dNetHack artifacts#Fluorite Octet|Fluorite Octet]] when thrown or slotted into non-artifact [[lightsaber]]s, [[beamsword]]s, and [[double lightsaber]]s, which uses [[Luck]]-based exploding dice
 * [[Martial arts]] attacks while wearing the [[dNetHack artifacts#Grandmaster's Robe|Grandmaster's Robe]], which use normal exploding dice

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 ==Description==
-There are two types of exploding dice in dNetHack and notdNetHack: the normal type, as described above, and "lucky" exploding dice, where the result of the damage die rolls are influenced by your in-game [[Luck]] - specifically, some low rolls are treated as if they were the maximum roll possible from that die. If the player is being attacked, "lucky" exploding dice become "unlucky" exploding dice instead, where the influence of Luck is in the opposite direction (i.e. the player's Luck protects them).
+There are two types of exploding dice in dNetHack and notdNetHack: the normal type, as described above, and "lucky" exploding dice, where the result of the damage die rolls are influenced by your character's in-game [[luck]] - specifically, some low rolls are treated as if they were the maximum roll possible from that die. If the player is being attacked, "lucky" exploding dice become "unlucky" exploding dice instead, and the influence of luck is reversed, i.e. the character's luck protects them.
 Exploding dice are used for the following weapons and attacks, with the exact size of the dice in question varying dependent on the source:

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 In this second equation, the first set of parenthesis is the is the average damage contributed by each die, and the second set of parenthesis is the average number of times the die explodes.
 {{variant-343}}
-[[Category:dNethack strategy]]
+[[Category:dNetHack strategy]]
-[[Category:notdNethack strategy]]
+[[Category:notdNetHack strategy]]