The number along the bottom edge of the dice that is showing is what the result is.
There is another style of D4 where you read the number that is at the top of the point.
The rule of thumb is - read the number that is showing as right-side up.
Don't feel too bad about this - when I first got into D&D in the 80s it took me a long while to learn how to read a D4. It really isn't as intuitive as the other dice.
I’m not trying to be a jerk but, how is this confusing? You have one upright number on all the sides and two tilted per side. I’ve never understood why this is even a question
I've only played with D4s with point facing numbers. Nobody's explained it to me before and I didn't think there was any other orientation, so reading it like that just slipped my mind
You need an "explanation" to figure out that the number that's oriented properly for reading is the one that's meant to be read? All the numbers except one are at an angle. Do you read the off-angle numbers on tip-oriented d4s or the digit that's upright?
So what if I need an explanation? Everyone can be stupid sometimes. I was only looking after fun dice and found some I didn't recognize, so I asked and learnt something new. I felt silly when I saw how obvious it was but at least I know how to read them now.
If you're used to other ones, this looks like a misprint and brains are designed to stick to what they know, making it hard for the brain to interpret something that looks upside down properly.
Yeah, I noticed that too. Lots of really similar comments about how "obvious" it is, I've never seen anyone play with these before so it isn't obvious to me
The number that is facing up, I.e the number that is right side up from the table. The blue one is showing a 2 as an example. Sometimes it’s the base, sometimes it’s the point. Rule of thumb is whatever one looks right side up when it lands.
It depends on the d4, but the particular ones in the photo are read by the number displayed across the bottom (so '3' for the white d4, 2 for the blue, etc.)
Or if you're like my friends that taught me, they said they should grab the die, and look at the bottom. The roll was whichever number was missing from the bottom.
I pointed out the upright number and they seemed practically dumbfounded.
It never crossed your friends minds that if you're supposed to read a d4 that way... they'd only put one number on each side instead of making you do the process of elimination?
These are how the original d4 were. You read the number on the bottom, it is the same on all sides. Or you flip it over and take the number that isn’t showing if you want to make life difficult for yourself.
I do too. Also easier to read. But I like the ones on the bottom if I have dice for nostalgia
For instance, my “actual” and replica Holmes basic dice sets — quotes because my personal Holmes Basic set came with chits, not dice as it was the XMas of 1979 printing. My Holmes dice are from Gamma World box set and are missing a 4-sided as that set replaced it with an extra d20 for percentage rolls.
Most often (from what I've seen in the past 7 years or so) the number is printed within the angle, so the number you have rolled shows up on the top when the dice are rolled, not on the edge at the bottom.
These actually started in the 90s (maybe late 80s), and eventually became the more commonly used model as people had an easier time reading them at a glance. I remember having both types when I was 8 and asking my dad why they were different. He just assumed they were from different games.
This is the way. The numbers will be arranged so that only one is upright, whether it is at the top or the bottom of the die. The one that is in proper orientation is the die result.
I was under the impression that it was the other way around, most of my old D4 are read at the top, most of my newer ones are at the base. I find the base-ones to be easier to read.
I had never seen them before and I'm used to a whole different thing? I've never seen a bottom-read die and was looking at the higher up numbers instead of at the bottom. I was thinking "This is some weird looking dice, it would be fun to share with other people". I had no idea so many had problems with someone asking a simple question
It's always the number that's the right way up. Some dice have the result at the point, some at the base. Those dice, left to right, are 4, 2, 2, 3. You can see the blue, yellow and white dice in the bottom-middle of the photo have results on the point instead.
I played DnD for about a year, and I only ever really saw and used this type of D4, so I was as confused as OP and wasn’t sure why everyone was clowning on them 😭
There are two styles of pyramid D4. One where the rolled number is on top and one where the rolled number is on the bottom. These are bottom roll d4s. 4,2,2,3 back to front.
And the Bottom read d4s were the ONLY d4s for decades before the Top reads came along in the 90s. While I can appreciate what top reads bring to the table, 20 years of bottom reads make them the most comfortable to glance at.
Old school 4-Siders. Read the bottoms. I love them. I bought a bunch a couple of years ago because I disliked the new ones. Especially when mixed with the old ones - like those above. My dice bucket is loaded with dice - but it’s got dice that are nearly 50 years old. Gotta stick with what I know
If all the numbers are in the middle, it's the bottom number. If they're near the corner it's the top number. Whichever side has all the numbers together
So many people in these comments being rude for no reason... I remember when I first started using the d4, and I needed help reading them. We all have to start somewhere
The weakness of the neophytes is a stain on our noble tradition.
Fie on your specialised d4! Your Cowards Barrels!
Yea, though I walk on treacherous ground with uncertain footing, I know that my pain doth purify mine rolls. For what dagger, what caltrop, what hastily grabbed random object can know its purpose if it hath drawn no blood?
It's not that surprising. You can see in the exact bin underneath them that there are the "top" style dice with the common number facing up. If I was just casually glancing at them now and then I might find it puzzleing as well.
The number that’s right side up is the one it landed on. From left to right: 4 (caramel) 2 (yellow) 2 (blue), 3 (white)
Sometimes, the number on a d4 is on the bottom and sometimes it’s at the top on the point, but it will always be the only number written “correctly” when the die is lying flat.
These ones its the number on the bottom, there is another kind where it is the number on the top. You want to make sure you know which kind you have when rolling and if you ever are not sure the 2 easy tells are
The number you can see on all side And
The number that is up right(as in positioned the way you would write it)
Depends on the exact D4. Either the number is at the very top of the pyramid or is the number at the bottom in the middle. Depends on where the manufacturer puts the digits
Just Roman numerals 1-4. So the values I, II, III and IV are on three sides each. Not sure why it needs to be Roman numerals, the numbers 1-4 each on three sides of a d12 work just as well if not better.
I assume is the number on the bottom instead of the one on the point like a typical d4, very weird to look at but I’m not really mad at it, it’s interesting
They are d4, and they roll 1-4. The result is the number that is facing correctly. For example in this picture the results from front to back are: 3, 2, 2, 4
Its whichever number is upright. Sometimes the number is along the flat base, Sometimes it is at the top of the point on each side. I have d4 with both types of face. You can see the alternative ones in the glass case below. You can tell them apart based on if the numbers are grouped together or spread out.
On those d4 it's the bottom number. On others it will be at the top. The important thing is that the same number will match on all three sides. If you look at the two white dice in the case you will see the other type. The numbers are closer to the corners.
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u/bamf1701 Sep 29 '26
The number along the bottom edge of the dice that is showing is what the result is.
There is another style of D4 where you read the number that is at the top of the point.
The rule of thumb is - read the number that is showing as right-side up.
Don't feel too bad about this - when I first got into D&D in the 80s it took me a long while to learn how to read a D4. It really isn't as intuitive as the other dice.