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This article is about the current version of DF.
Examples of dice.
Not to be confused with Death.

Dice (singular die) are an item randomly found in religious (not titan) shrines located throughout the world, with several able to spawn at monasteries. They can be picked up and rolled to divine the will of the gods relevant to the dice, granting a variety of possible effects both positive or fun.

Dice come in several known varieties depending on the number of sides:

  • D20 (twenty-sided, known as "icosahedral")
  • D12 ("twelve-sided" or "dodecahedral")
  • D8 ("eight-sided" or "octahedral")
  • D6 ("six-sided" or "cubic")
  • D4 ("four-sided" or "tetrahedral" *) (* this is, in fact, TBC due to technical issues with it, according to Toady)

Fortress Mode[edit]

In fortress mode, dice can be created in a craftsdwarf's workshop from wood or stone. It is not currently possible to specify the number of sides to make on dice, nor do descriptions on dice mention the number of sides that they have. Divination currently does not occur in fortress mode, making dice only usable as trading goods.

Adventurer Mode[edit]

In adventurer mode, dice can be found and used for divination by the player. Multiple dice may be held and rolled at a time, though this only appears to count as rolling the die selected in the inventory, dropping all other dice while mentioning their number (but not their effect). Only dice found in shrines may have an effect, those taken in character creation can not be rolled.

List of known dice effects:

  • Creates a random divine metal artifact-quality weapon at the shrine the dice were from. Can be any weapon, even training weapons or uncommon weapons, such as blowguns or large daggers
  • Creates a random artifact-quality piece of armor at the shrine the dice were fromVerify
  • Upgrades each worn item, including containers and things strapped to the upper body (like backpacks and shields). One- and two-level upgrades have been attested on this wiki so far.
  • Grants the user an enhanced healing factor, capable of completely healing any tissue damage or other wounds rapidly (duration appears indefinite, but cannot heal certain past wounds)Verify
  • Grants the user a random friendly pet spawned nearby (seems to prefer predatory creatures, but not LARGE_PREDATOR creatures.)
  • Grants the user a week of bad luck (20% chance to receive 0% skill rate multiplier) or good luck (50% chance of 150% skill rate multiplier.)
  • Various messages that have no effect, giving ominous, foreboding, or fateful advice or statements
  • Transforms the user into a random creature for one week (seems to prefer nonpredatory creatures)

It is likely that dice with more sides have more extreme effects: dice with fewer sides than 12Verify cannot cause the stronger effects (shown in bold), both good or bad. Each die can only have one very positive effect in its list of possibilities; this is dependent on the specific die, not the deity represented.

Warning: Using the same dice under the same deity's blessing more than twice in 24 hours - 1 week will anger the gods, cursing the ill-fated thrower in a similar way to toppling over a statue. However, the god(s) may choose to "ignore your hubris", resulting in no punishment. Any creature cursed by the gods in such a way will be unable to benefit from any deity's dice again in the future.

Rolling a die in Adventurer Mode[edit]

An adventurer rolls a four-sided divination die. The ominous message "It is too soon to forgive" has no effect.

You must hold the die in your hand, so either:

  • remove it from any containers you're carrying it in, or,
  • with a hand empty, get it from the ground or a pedestal;

then Interact with the die, selecting the 'roll' option.

Your character will then "Divine the will of <DEITY> according to the practice of <RELIGIOUS_ORDER>".


  • The "beast transformation" curse seems to be treated as a normal syndrome, and, thus, can be instantly healed by simply unloading the cell (fast travelling, sleeping). However, the victim appears to suffer stat penalties afterwards, as though they still had their animal body.Verify
  • Dice may, under unknown circumstances, respawn even after being taken from their home shrine, after a cell reload.Verify