A Roll Through Time: The Culture Behind Dungeons & Dragons Dice

The dice used in tabletop games like Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) have come a long way since their traditional designs, with new options of glittering liquid cores, hollowed metal, Nordic runes, and even oversized proportions. This shift reflects a change in the D&D community as a whole: an expansion of narratives, culture, and self-made adventures. 

Dice from Sorensen's Precision Diceworks | Photo by: Fynn Grindle

After rising in popularity over the past decade due to media like “Stranger Things,” “Dimension 20,” and “Critical Role,” Dungeons & Dragons and dedicated dice-sellers at conventions such as DreamHack became a persisting presence. 

“D&D definitely started out as this tactical war game that a bunch of dudes were playing in their basement,” Coulter DeWees, the Community Manager for Misty Mountain Gaming, said. “And it has taken on more of a pop culture spin. So it's brought in so many more people who have found that it's way more than a tactical war game. It is true role-playing, so they are able to live out their fantasies, travel with their friends, be the heroes in their own stories.”

"Dice Game With a Tetrahedron Die" Patent Image | Photo from Google Patents

As for the dice themselves, one of the clearest concepts of the iconic d20 – a twenty-sided polyhedron die or icosahedron – traces back to an article published by the Japanese Standards Association’s journal Hyōjunka in 1958. The piece described a 20-sided die with the numerals 0-9 inscribed twice. However, it was in 1963 that an icosahedron die numbered 1-20 was patented in the United States by Fredda F. S. Sieve, alongside a four-, eight-, and 12-sided dice (d4, d8, and d12). Though Albert Friedenthal patented a design for a 10-sided die (d10) in 1904, it wasn’t until 1980 that GameScience released an official 1-10 numbered d10. 

Though the traditionally shaped set of seven dice is more recognizable, the market has seen a surge of unconventional dice, such as spinners, bullet-shaped dice, and hollow dice. Just as a dice’s aesthetic may impact a player’s choice, so may balance, performance, and weight. 

“All the different materials get a different feel and weight to your roll,” DeWees said. “So if you're playing a heavy metal barbarian, you want those dice that hit the table and [make] you feel powerful. Versus like a bard; you want some nice, tinkly dice.”

Mike Addison, the owner of Sorensen’s Precision Diceworks, recognized that his connections from owning an IT business in the past aided him when establishing Sorensen’s. Up until around 2017, Addison made steampunk and leather work accessories, later developing Sorensen’s as a side gig and full-time endeavor in January. Though unable to manufacture the dice himself, Addison took pleasure in the design work and statistical aspects of ensuring the perfectly balanced roll. 

“One thing I love about dice and gamers is that you can never have enough [dice],” Addison said. “So as long as the folks who make dice come with new designs, more creative designs, I believe there's going to be a market for it.” 

Dice from Sorensen's Precision Diceworks | Photos by: Fynn Grindle

Sets today range from delicately painted glass die to scaled, heavy die, appealing to a variety of players and collectors, tending to their individual narrative needs. After playing in and leading D&D sessions for over a decade, DeWees witnessed the evolution of faces around the table first-hand. He enjoyed the vast opportunity for personalization D&D and its dice offered, as well as helping those who come up to Misty Mountain Gaming’s booths at conventions find the perfect set for their characters. 

“The community in general is super diverse, so like, everyone's a little different,” DeWees said. “It runs the whole gambit of identity and culture and it's just been so gratifying to see that community build out. I think that there's space for everybody. Having collaborative storytelling pushes me so much further in the stories that I've been able to tell, and I have so, so many fond memories of playing with friends.”

Dice from Misty Mountain Gaming | Photos by: Fynn Grindle

With 2024 marking the 50th anniversary of D&D, the 2014 fifth-edition (5e) core rulebooks were updated, and the 2024 5e books are set to be released starting September. The first official game book set was released in January 1974, simply titled Dungeons & Dragons 3-Volume Set. The collection included three sections: Men & Magic, Monsters & Treasure, and The Underworld & Wilderness Adventures. Just as the canonical rule and guidebooks evolved over D&D’s five editions, players and collectors can expect the continual development of new dice to fit their own tales.  

“Drag & Drop”: DreamHack’s Second Drag Show from a First Timer’s Perspective

On the opening day of DreamHack Atlanta, professional drag artists took the Main Stage for “Drag & Drop: A Cosplay and Gaming Drag Show.” After its premiere at DreamHack Dallas in May, the show made its Atlanta debut on Oct. 4 as the second-ever installment—-and my introduction to the world of drag.

Biqtch Puddin' | Photo by: Fynn Grindle

A drag show at a traveling gaming convention with a focus on esports might feel out of place to some. But to Jenny Drechsler, the producer of “Drag & Drop,” “especially with the cosplay community having a strong presence here, it kind of just made sense to naturally bring in drag artists as well.” On its website, DreamHack is described as “a magical realm where gamers from all walks of life unite under one gigantic roof, armed with their trusty keyboards and fueled by an insatiable passion for pixels;” so why shouldn’t drag artists join the fun, especially with their presence in the gaming sphere?

Drag queens in the show’s lineup, like Emmy-nominated drag artist and host of “Drag & Drop” Biqtch Puddin’, Lawrie Bird, Dotte Com, and Marisol Lords stream video games in drag on Twitch. All four are members of “Stream Queens,” a team on the streaming platform of 117 drag artists whose mission is to “unify the Drag queens, kings, characters, & creatures of Twitch in one place,” according to the group’s biography. Drechsler said, “Drag at DreamHack is extraordinarily valuable in the space. You have a really heavy intersection with the queer community and the gaming community.”

Lawrie Bird | Photos by: Fynn Grindle

As a queer woman and an occasional gamer myself, I was excited to experience this convergence in person. When I sat down for my first-ever drag show, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t the utter entrancement and empowerment I felt. Drechsler mentioned that for many audience members, DreamHack’s “Drag & Drop” is their first drag show. Included in the price of admission, the show is easily accessible and prominently featured in the convention’s itinerary. Drechsler said, “It's really cool to just bring in something that's really fun and energetic and colorful and bright, especially to an all-ages event. It's always really important to have queer representation and intersectionality here.”

Jarvis Hammer | Photos by: Fynn Grindle

"Drag & Drop" was announced as a coalescence of the “vibrant worlds of cosplay and gaming with the high-energy flair of drag performance.” The participating drag artists, given few performance constraints and allowed artistic license, brought their passions to the stage in themed lip-sync and dance numbers. Biqtch Puddin’ opened the show dressed as The Boss from Metal Gear Solid 3 in a tight white tactical suit. She set the scene for a “spooky season” spectacle, given Halloween’s imminence as well as highlighting the fact that two of the seven artists---Biqtch Puddin’ and Jarvis Hammer---starred in “The Boulet Brothers’ Dragula,” a drag competition show centered around horror and glamour.

LaZanya Ontré | Photos by: Fynn Grindle

Alongside artists from all over the country, the show featured local Atlanta drag queens Brigitte Bidet and Dotte Com as Barbie from the Greta Gerwig film and Ulala from the video game Space Channel 5 respectively. Marisol Lords was Nancy Wheeler in their “Stranger Things”-inspired number, which was well-suited considering the heavy presence of Dungeons & Dragons at the convention and in the television series. Lawrie Bird performed, fittingly, as Laurie Strode from “Halloween” in a spoofed “Michael Myers Gets His A** Beat: The Musical,” dancing and fighting a puppet of the title character. LaZanya Ontré portrayed a buxom young Gruntilda from the video game series Banjo-Kazooie.

Bridgitte Bidet | Photos by: Fynn Grindle

Closing out the show, Atlanta local Jarvis Hammer, the only drag king in the lineup performed as Dracula from the Castlevania franchise, theatrically strutting around the stage in ghoulish makeup and fangs. I was particularly taken with Jarvis Hammer and his performance; perhaps it was simply my love of vampires, but more likely, it was that I didn’t even know drag kings existed. To see one of Jarvis Hammer’s caliber live was awe-inspiring. I was stunned and strangely emotional that I knew so little about such an incredible, inclusive art form that I now hold a strong affinity for.

I am so happy that “Drag & Drop” was my gateway into the drag world, partly because of the wide diversity of the cast. Drechsler said, “My primary goal as a producer is, firstly to have fun, and secondly, to make sure that my show is as diverse as possible, not only in gender representation but also in racial and ethnic representation as well. When I'm creating drag shows, the diversity really comes from the artists themselves.” Every artist in the “Drag & Drop” lineup was completely unique; nearly every identity was represented in some way, and no two artists filled the same niche.

Marisol Lords | Photos by: Fynn Grindle

This unapologetic individuality is what drew Drechsler to drag in the first place. She shared her emotional connection to drag, which I found myself relating to: “When you are in the four walls of a gay bar, a lot of the time, the whole world disappears. If you're looking at a drag queen, it's really difficult to be in the back of your head wondering, ‘Oh, I have a test tomorrow that I'm going to be stressed about.’ I think I found drag so alluring because it was an escape for me and it was entertaining to just see people be extremely empowered on stage.”

Dotte Com | Photos by: Fynn Grindle

Despite potential pushback, Drechsler felt confident in drag’s place at DreamHack. She admitted, though, that she and her cast were initially nervous, especially for the event’s premiere in Texas, which, according to the Movement Advancement Project, ranks as one of the worst states for LGBTQIA+ individuals. “With drag artists, they are so bold,” Drechsler said, “it's impossible to hide the fact that you're queer. There are drag artists that are not part of the [queer] community, but a lot of the time it is branded as queer content, so it's really difficult to hide that.” But after the full-audience, standing-room-only positive reception in Dallas, Drechsler knew that drag belonged at DreamHack: “I'm not scared to ever do drag, ever, on any stage.”

I hope "Drag & Drop" becomes a DreamHack staple. Drag is so often associated with bars, meaning age restrictions and sometimes, unsafe environments. But at DreamHack, world-class drag entertainment is readily available, and people of all ages can experience it in an atmosphere focused on creativity and inclusion. Drechsler said, “Drag, to me, is really just community. It's gender expression, it's art expression. It can be whatever you want it to be.”

The cast of "Drag & Drop" | Photo by: Fynn Grindle

Alpha Psi Omega Throws Inaugural Shakespeare Ball

On Sept. 6 at 8:30 p.m., students congregated in the Hearst Hall lobby for Alpha Psi Omega’s Inaugural Shakespeare Ball. The event was announced on the chapter’s Instagram, promising “a fun evening of music, activities, and the Bard.” 

Photo by: Rachel Spooner ('26)

“What better way to kick off the year than a party?” said Emma Jean Scott, the President of Oglethorpe’s APO chapter. Scott heavily praised the members of the APO executive board for the planning of the theater fraternity’s first event of the semester, namely, event co-chairs James Patrick and Madelyn Wright. 

Given the theme of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and with the encouragement of the APO brothers, revelers arrived in a variety of whimsical attire: fairy wings, sparkling gowns, colored suits, bright makeup, silicone elf ears, and flower crowns. “Everyone loves a reason to get dressed up, look pretty, and take pictures,” Patrick said.  

Hearst Hall was transformed into a veritable enchanted forest for the event with garlands of lights and plastic flowers draped over the entryway, glowing balloons littering the floor, and electric candles lighting the room. 

Neveah Riddle, the chapter’s Public Relations chair, said that activities for the night entailed “Shakespeare trivia, a costume contest, and a scavenger hunt,” with prizes for the winners of each event. Dancing and finger food complemented the games, accompanied by the Bridgerton and Saltburn soundtracks, as well as hits by Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter.  

“We wanted to showcase a core part of the theater program at Oglethorpe: the work of William Shakespeare,” Scott said. When faced with the challenge of planning an event that would draw in students of all different majors and interests, as well as represent the theater fraternity’s mission, the APO brothers found Shakespeare a common thread. Apart from the gothic architecture that evokes the Bard’s aesthetic, Oglethorpe incorporates the works of Shakespeare into many courses on campus, and the audition process for theater scholarships distributed by the university heavily involves Shakespeare's performances. “The Bard has always been a core piece of OU Theatre’s tradition,” said Scott.  

“We knew planning this event was going to be a challenge, given our tight budget and the pressure of it being the first event of the year,” said Wright. But with around 100 attendees of theater and non-theatre students alike, and with promises from the board that this would become an annual kick-off celebration, the brothers declared the event a success. Possible future themes for the Shakespeare Ball include Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth, and King Lear. 

Photos by: Rachel Spooner ('26)

Scott, Patrick, and Wright all agreed that the main goal of the event was to give every student, regardless of their involvement in theater, a space to gather and socialize, as well as spread awareness about APO, especially for incoming freshmen. “As a freshman, I didn’t even learn about APO’s existence until halfway through the year,” Scott said. “Coming into my term as APO’s President, one of my major goals was to have bigger and more recognizable events. A huge piece of this is having a distinct and annual kick-off event that sets the tone for the year.” 

And set the tone, it did. Fall 2024 at Oglethorpe University is shaping up to be a period of heightened activity across campus. The Shakespeare Ball took place the same day as Freshman Convocation, the day after the first “Petey’s Madness” Oglethorpe athletics pep rally held by 6th Man, and two weeks before Dr. Kathryn McClymond’s inauguration as Oglethorpe’s 18th president. 

Later this year, the brothers will host a Haunted House, which is a popular APO Oglethorpe tradition, as well as several other smaller events, like the APO Field Day, which occurred Sept. 13. Scott corrected a common misconception about the exclusivity of APO events, asserting that everyone is invited to attend and participate in the joy of theater. Scott said, “The brothers of APO aim to uplift our theater community, and that means sharing it with anyone who wants a piece.”