Where the d4 shows up
- Weapons. A dagger, club, sling, whip and light hammer all deal 1d4.
- Magic Missile. Three darts, each 1d4 + 1 force damage, and they never miss. At 1st level that is 6 to 15 damage.
- Bless and Bane. Bless adds a d4 to attack rolls and saving throws; Bane takes one away.
- Guidance. One d4 added to one ability check. Small, and it wins more arguments than it should.
Reading a d4
A d4 has no face on top: it lands on one. Each corner carries a number, and on most d4s you read the number that sits upright at the top point. Some older dice put the number along the bottom edges instead. The roller above shows you the result either way.
Why it hurts to step on
Four points and no flat top means it always lands with one point up. Caltrops in the rules work on the same idea, and every player who has walked across a dark room after a session knows it.