What two dice do
Two dice make 36 combinations, and more of them add up to 7 than to anything else. That is why the middle totals come up so often and the ends so rarely:
| Total | Chance of exactly | Chance of this or more |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2.8% | 100% |
| 3 | 5.6% | 97.2% |
| 4 | 8.3% | 91.7% |
| 5 | 11.1% | 83.3% |
| 6 | 13.9% | 72.2% |
| 7 | 16.7% | 58.3% |
| 8 | 13.9% | 41.7% |
| 9 | 11.1% | 27.8% |
| 10 | 8.3% | 16.7% |
| 11 | 5.6% | 8.3% |
| 12 | 2.8% | 2.8% |
Six of the 36 combinations make a 7 (1 and 6, 2 and 5, 3 and 4, each either way round), and only one makes a 2 or a 12.
Board games
- Catan. A 7 moves the robber one roll in six. The 6 and 8 hexes pay out 13.9% of the time each, which is why the red numbers are worth settling on.
- Monopoly. Doubles come up one roll in six. Three doubles in a row sends you to jail, a 1 in 216 run.
- Craps. On the come-out roll, a 7 or 11 wins (22.2%) and a 2, 3 or 12 loses (11.1%).
- Backgammon. Doubles let you move four times, not two.
At the D&D table
A greatsword or a maul does 2d6 damage. Games built on "Powered by the Apocalypse" use 2d6 for everything: a 10 or higher (16.7%) is a full success, 7 to 9 (41.7%) is a success at a cost, and 6 or lower (41.7%) goes wrong.
For 2d6 plus a modifier, or 2d6 alongside other dice, use the dice calculator. One die at a time lives on the d6 page; three dice on the 3d6 roller, four on the 4d6 roller.
Spells that roll 2d6
Base damage in the SRD, before upcasting or cantrip levels.
- Flaming Sphere (2nd level)
- Storm of Vengeance (9th level)
Questions
What are the odds of rolling a 7 with two dice?
One in six, 16.7%. Six of the 36 ways two dice can land add up to 7, more than any other total. An 8 or higher comes up 41.7% of the time.
What are the odds of rolling doubles?
One in six. Whatever the first die shows, the second matches it one time in six. Snake eyes (two 1s) and boxcars (two 6s) are 1 in 36 each, and three doubles in a row is 1 in 216.
What is the average roll of 2d6?
Seven. Each d6 averages 3.5, so two of them average 7, which is also the most likely single total.
What are the odds of at least one 6 on two dice?
Eleven in 36, about 30.6%. The chance of no 6 on either die is 25 in 36.
What does 2d6 mean?
Two six-sided dice, added together. The first number is how many dice, the second how many sides, so 2d6 totals anywhere from 2 to 12. The Dice Notation Guide covers the rest.
Is this 2 dice roller fair?
Yes. Each die comes from your browser's cryptographic random number generator with no bias towards any face, and both dice are shown before they are added.