Dice Envy Blog

Basic Box → The Envy Box ($15/mo.)

Starting in December, the not-so-basic box is getting a glow up! The Envy Box will still feature an acrylic set, but it will also include a 33mm chonky boi d20 and bonus d6 - all in our custom mold!

Original Box → The Pride Box ($35/mo.)

This is where you’ll find our best work! Every month will feature a gorgeous set of dice, and along with our beloved engraved acrylic and framed metal designs we’ll be expanding our material and mold repertoire to keep things spicy in your dice bag! Pride subscribers will also get the Brockton d6 from the Envy Box.

Sampler - We’ll be phasing out the Sampler Box in 2020! If you’re currently a Sampler subscriber, you’ll still be getting your box through the end of your subscription period, but the renewal option has been removed. Keep an eye out for an email with some more details and a special conversion offer from us soon! 

NEW! The Gluttony Box ($45/mo.)

So you love our monthly dice and don’t want to choose which box to get? Well you don’t have to! You really can have it all with The Gluttony Box - a full set of both dice of the month. TREAT YO SELF. 

Quarterly Box → The Sloth Box

No big changes here, we just like the name! This option is great for our international dice family looking to save a bit of money on shipping by receiving their boxes (Envy, Pride, or Gluttony) every three months instead of monthly! 

Other than that, we’ll be running a 25% sale on each of the big 3 shopping days after Thanksgiving: 

• Black Friday: use promo code “METAL25” to save 25% on all metals sets! 
• Small Business Saturday: use promo code “WOOD25” to save 25% on all wood sets! 
• Cyber Monday: use promo code “ACRYLIC25” to save 25% on all acrylic sets!  

Happy Holidays!

Storytellers, game masters, DMs whatever you call them, we love Dungeon Masters. While us players are focused on our characters, DMs have to keep the whole party in mind. It is a lot of work. They need to know the rules, the story, the stats for all the monsters AND their tactics. But they don’t stop there, they make up silly voices and unique NPCs on the spot, all while rolling with our buckwild “seduce the dragon” plot twists. They are storytelling -  number crunching all stars.

Away from the table, my DMs are some of our favorite people. When they are not busy giving back to their communities they spend time being some of our closest friends. How can we not honor people like that? With this in mind, we are pleased to announce we are taking submissions for the 2019 Dungeon Master of the Year award. We want to hear what makes your DM so special at the table but also people that go above and beyond in their daily lives.

To nominate your dungeon master

1. Send a 500 - 1000 word essay telling us why they are the best DM at and away from the table to BestDM@diceenvy.com by November 28th. Include an email for your DM.
2. Please title our email "The Best DM is [insert your DM's name]" It helps us organize the submissions. Only emails with that follow this rule will be considered
3. If your DM is selected we will reach out to them to confirm their acceptance between November 29th-31st. So be sure to tell them to keep their eyes open for an email.
4. Winner gets a $100 gift card to Dice Envy AND all players in your group will get a free set of dice! (limit 8)
5. Winner will be announced on December 1st.

To all you Dungeon Master’s out there, from all us players here a Dice Envy, thank you

We now have ten sets that allow for a la carte purchasing of dice. You can find them here. We plan on aggressively expanding this option to the majority of our dice sets by the end of this fall. This will correspond with our expansion to dice sets made in our new molds with custom fonts and designs.

Why are we doing this? 

Firstly, standard sets are great but your D&D characters are unique. Rogues need d6s for sneak attack. Bards handing out d8s for inspiration. Barbarian multi-attacks with a d12 axe. Let us not forget sorcerers casting Fireball is 8d6. We believe you should have the dice you want and need without excess dice that you'll never use.

Secondly, not everyone that buys dice plays D&D. We want to look after fans of all TTRPGS. We see you Shadowrun, Powered by the Apocalypse, and World of Darkness. We are working hard to make sure our dice are relevant to everyone. So we got you if you need 2d6, 10d10, or even some odd collection of d4s and percentile dice. 

Also look out for some special dice options too. We have 33 mm d20s. In the future there will be matching infinity d4 dice for many of our sets plus a few more surprises we can't talk about just yet.

June is LGBT Pride month. I've been asked by a few customers and fans if we are going to do a special of some sort. I know it is the month to do it. Major corporations are throwing rainbows on everything in hope of cashing in on your LGBT pride. I even saw a Budweiser bottle this month that was colored like the Trans flag. 

We're not going to monetize your identity. Your sexuality is not a cash grab for us. We're going to lose money to prove it. Use promo code PRIDE at check out to get 0% off. 

When you do 20% of your sale is going to go to My Friends Place. A local non-profit in Los Angeles that helps homeless youth, 40% of which are LGBT. Could we find a place that is 100% LGBT youth? Maybe. But My Friends Place has a long track record of being an amazing and trustworthy resource for LGBT teens and we want to see them grow and thrive. 

Update: We raised $132 for My Friend's Place! Funds have been distributed. Thanks everyone. 

We were made aware today of a printing error on the d4s of our Cyclone dice. The face sides do not match so that they are effectively unusable. Here is what we are doing to correct the situation.

1. All Original Box subscribers will get a replacement in the next month's shipment. 

2. One in seven of our Sampler and Basic box members received a bad d4. Please email us a photo of your d4 to hello@diceenvy.com and we will ship you out a new one. 

3. If you have cancelled your subscription see #2. 

 UPDATE : All original boxes for June are mailed and include a correct replacement  d4.

Last week it finally happened. A set of our out-of-stock dice went up on eBay at the speculative price of $100. I'll admit it, at first I was flattered that someone thought they might be worth that price. I'll also admit that when Dice Envy started I thought a limited edition collectors economy would be cool. Now I’ve seen that though the rush to get a limited set can be fun for a time, it eventually turns frustrating. It can eventually discourage people from collecting all together. 

We are a company for dice enthusiasts by dice enthusiasts. I don't like my dice on eBay for ten times the price. I don't like seeing people who want our dice not get them. Our primary goal as a company is to get you cool dice with as little hassle as possible. We want to get you those sweet goblin click-clacks.  

With that in mind, we are distancing ourselves from a FOMO economy of limited releases and promises (or threats) of a single run of our most popular dice sets. Instead, we are committed to getting you the dice you want in a timely and friendly manner. 

So how will this change how we do business?

Most things will not change. Here’s a reminder of a few systems in place that work well for releasing new dice sets:

1. We use Kickstarter for a lot of our new product lines. This gives everyone a chance to get what they want on a flexible timeline, and allows us to accurately gauge interest in innovative materials and structural designs. 

2. For some of the new designs we’re most excited by, we put out a pre-order to make sure we have enough product to cover the initial wave of interest. In most cases, these pre-orders ship within a month, and we always restock them on the site. 

3. Our subscription box is accessible to everyone at prices ranging from $5 to $22 dollars. Most of our new product is available to all through that service. 

What is new? 

1. Customers now have the option to sign up for updates on out of stock products. If any particular set has 400+ people interested in a revival we will start a new print run.

2. I believe in our product. They are great dice! It doesn't matter if there are 5 or 5,000 of them out in the world. So we are eliminating limited editions. I'm aware some people bought dice in the past from us and we have labeled them limited edition. Maybe that was even a selling point for you. So I am opening up a buyback. For the month of June, if you bought a set of dice because we marketed them to you in the past as "limited" or "exclusive" you can mail it back to us and we will exchange it or return your money. It doesn't matter if you bought them yesterday or two years ago. 

We hope this will help you trust us as a company, give you less anxiety, and help you love collecting dice. 

David,

Founder and CEO of Dice Envy

Dice Envy is a US based dice company. Much like nearly all of your favorite dice companies we have our goods made in China. President Trump is fighting a trade war with China presently and both governments are imposing tariffs on the goods of the other. This June the tariffs will begin to include gaming components such as dice. 

We've heard a lot about how much this will impact the cost of our goods. It may be anywhere between 4% to 25% increase. A lot of people in the dice community are asking what will happen to the cost of dice? So we wanted to address to you how Dice Envy will respond.

Metal Dice

We have no plans on increasing our prices. We are going to simply eat the increased cost of any metal dice we sell. This will keep our prices competitive. The industry standard for metal dice is usually between $20 and $40. We will continue to offer our metal dice at around $30. More complex styles such as our new Trifecta line are already priced around $40 but that is simply because they cost a lot more to produce. 

Plastics

For our resin and acrylic dice, in most cases we will continue to offer many of our dice at no change of cost to you. We will simply take on the decreased profit margin. However, some dice sets will increase in price by $1. This will be on a case by case basis and is expected to impact no more than 1 in 10 dice sets.

Our mission stays the same, to get you dice that you love with as little hassle as possible. We are grateful for your support and hope that as this trade war continues you will buy lots of dice from us! :)

David Derus

Dice Envy, Owner

Want to draw your beloved Dragonborn cleric but feel like you lack the skills to do so? Since you’re telling me you have no prior training, we’ll have to start from square one. Or should we say, “circle” one? *Draws terrible circle.* But, if you’re not as artistically inclined as Spongebob, checking out the Arts category on Twitch. You’ll find countless streams of artists working live and chatting away with the audience. This is good exposure to the writing process, but it still isn’t the best for easy step-by-step drawing for beginners. There’s a channel specifically for that purpose, though.

A Channel for Beginners

Created and hosted by the Kickstarter-breaking Critical Role team, Pub Draw is a mixture between a hang-out stream and TTRPG Bob Ross illustration class. If you’ve ever wanted The Joy of Painting, but for learning how to draw D&D characters, this is the channel for you. Each week, Batgirl artist Babs Tarr teaches cast member Marisha Ray and various guests how to draw using characters from Critical Role. They start at ground zero and lead the audience and guests through the absolute basics of drawing. Tarr encourages the audience to use what’s accessible and to practice as often as they can. When it comes to drawing, all of us are worthy.

 Positive Reassurance

Positive Reassurance is Pub Draw’s greatest strength as a show. During each hour to two-hour long stream, the audience is encouraged to follow along. That’s right, you get to be a part of the show. It’s like virtual reality, but better, because there’s no motion sickness. And, there’s no better way to easily learn drawing step by step as a beginner than to be guided along, while still being forced to participate. Wanna craft a sheet of skeleton heads and eyeballs? Great! Now you have them in your inventory! Does your drawing look wrong to you? That’s all right! As long as you keep trying, you’ll improve and be making art that you love in no time. Artists are overly critical of their own work, anyway.

Everything is Content

Pub Draw uses an “everything is content” philosophy that makes it ideal for learning how to draw D&D characters and being instantly accessible to all viewers. Tarr never uses her training and experience as a professional to have high expectations or look down on beginners. That’s right, she’s the anti-Karen. And she’s going to take care of you. Her show isn’t about her, it’s all about the audience. Week-by-week watching Marisha Ray continuously learn and improve alongside the audience is another wonderful point of accessibility. Put simply, this is a great and accessible community to be a part of. 

Drawbacks

Pub Draw is an amazingly helpful show, but it’s not without its drawbacks. These are mostly derivative of its Livestream format and will be inherent to any shows on the platform, though. Those looking for a more structured course may have issues following along as Tarr floats back and forth from serious instruction on how to draw D&D characters to helping her guests, to jumping ahead to more advanced techniques. If you don’t care about structure, or are as impatient as most internet users are, then that shouldn’t be an issue. The instruction may feel disjointed, but it keeps you on your toes. This is an online class you won’t fall asleep during.

Lack of Numbers

Pub Draw’s other major drawback is its lack of episode numbering. If you, like myself, find yourself too busy to watch the show live (seriously, how do people have time to do anything?), you have to rely on YouTube uploads later. However, it can be difficult to figure out which episodes go in what order. It took me 20 minutes wandering through videos to find a good starting point. Luckily, I’m not the first person to have this problem. There are ready-made playlists on YouTube so that you can enjoy and learn in order. Easy step-by-step drawing for beginners is easily findable thanks to playlists.

So Much to Learn

Even for experienced artists, there’s a lot to learn from Pub Draw. Speaking from experience, I’ve been an illustrator for years, but most of my training is self-taught. Starting with the raw basics of how to draw D&D characters from a professional illustrator showed me all kinds of tricks and shortcuts I can use in my personal work. Now when I draw, all the right shortcuts are stuck in my brain. It’s like a whole different kind of cheating! Plus, it’s a great excuse for carving out some time to draw some of my own favorite characters. Kazak isn’t going to draw himself.

Check it Out for Yourself

Want to learn how to easily draw amazing fantasy characters? Pub Draw is live on Twitch every Wednesday at 5 PM PST. Too busy to watch live? See the whole catalog of videos on YouTube. Become the artist you were always meant to be. There’s a Bob Ross inside all of us.

Brittany Lindstrom is a mixed media illustrator out of ye olde Boise, Idaho. Under the banner of Spice & Rose, Lindstrom is oftentimes left dreaming of deep dungeon dives while chained to her studio. On the rare occasion that she's let out, you can find her presenting panels on art and Artist Alley at conventions all around the Intermountain West. She has a deep love for playing randomized characters. 

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4/5/2019

UPDATE: All sampler and basic boxes are shipped. We also received a second shipment today with roughly 60% of the dice needed to cover all the remaining boxes. Those will be shipped out tomorrow. You will know if you are one of those subscriptions because you will have already received an automatic shipping confirmation e-mail.

In total, 77% of all the missing boxes will be completed by 4/6/2019. The current estimate for the last of the missing boxes is April 25th.

The issue is with the d4s. The engraving on this set is particularly elaborate and for some reason the d4s are rejecting the inking.

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3/27/2019 UPDATE : All Sampler and Basic February boxes will be shipped 3/28/2019.  

We are still literally waiting for the ink to dry on the Quarterly and Original boxes. It should not be long for them as well. But they will not be shipped tomorrow. 

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We wanted to answer some frequently asked questions about the delayed February box shipment. Below are the most common questions we are asked. Also, come back here if you want the latest news. We will be updating this blog post as details on the February box develop.

Where is my February box?

February's subscription box is late. We had a production issue that caused us to not get the engravings done in time. February is Chinese new year and that is a BIG deal. Our workers get most of the month off and this only compounded the tardiness of the set. 

I'm being charged for March but I never got the February Box?

Yes, the good news is that the March boxes are right on track and we are going to ship those next week. The February boxes will be delayed until later this month. But please know it is our top priority as a company to get you the February dice as soon as we possibly can. 

Can you give me something for making us wait?

Yes, we sent out a $5 coupon last week to our mailing list as an apology, also, we ordered a new round of Healer Infinity dice in a special color. Once they are  complete they will go into a future subscription box as bonus content as an additional way to try to make this right.. 

Again, I'm truly sorry for the delay. 

David Derus

Dice Envy, Owner

UPDATE: Manufacture says they will Arrive on March 24th. We will ship the day we get them.

By Jairys Tak

The Called Shot Podcast, a Pathfinder Actual Play podcast helmed by GM Wes Smith, came to an end in 2018 after 52 episodes. Wes Smith and two of the Called Shot players, Adam Sims and Matt Brewer, have since founded the Back Patio Network along with Casey Davis and Hannah Sims. I had the opportunity to interview Wes to discuss the network and touch on their new actual play podcast Rocks & Runelords.

JT: Thank you for taking the time to talk with me, Wes. Let’s start here: what motivated you to create a podcasting network?

WS: That's a really tough question. At this point it feels like I've always had a podcast with friends. So to be not working on a podcast would feel very odd. But why a network, though? We wanted to do more than just an Actual Play podcast from the very beginning. Branding is a huge commitment of time and resources, so to combine what we had at the time, a network made sense. We want our listeners to know us as the Back Patio Network, not "The New Path Podcast" people. We want to build the expectation that we provide more than just 1 podcast. But why work on a podcast at all?  It has been a terrific outlet for creativity. It combines my love for theatre with my favorite hobby of table-top RPGs, and I get to do it all with my best friends.

JT: Considering that an outlet for creativity is one of the things that drew you to podcasting, what made you decide on prewritten adventures over an original or homebrew story?

WS: The nice thing about Paizo's adventure paths is the hard work is done for you. Then I can tweak the story at key points to highlight the characters the players have invested in so heavily. I don't spend the time picking the feats and spells of a 12th level wizard to combat the party. I focus on the story elements of why the wizard is there, his motivations, how will he kill everyone, and what his cackle will sound like when he succeeds.

JT: It sounds like being behind the screen is something you enjoy. Do you find it to be a different experience being a GM of a podcast as opposed to an in-person game without an audience?

WS: Very much so. I react well to an audience, it's been that way since my high school and college days in theatre. I "up my game" a bit. The players do the same. They have more buy-in, concentration and focus. Their characters for an audience are top-notch with fun quirks and back stories. 20 years from now we will look on 2015 as the golden age of table top gaming.

JT: It's definitely a great time to be a consumer of table top entertainment: it's safe to say that there are more actual play podcasts out now than ever before. With that growing (friendly) competition, is there something that sets the Back Patio Network's content apart from the rest?

WS: I've really had to think about this one. I've also asked the group for their opinions. The thing that sets BPN apart is us. That is definitely hubris-speak, but we work to bring a quality podcast with the feeling that you are at the table with us. Lots of Actual Plays tell the story and act their characters quite well or have terrific audio cues, but we want you to feel comfortable listening to any BPN podcast as if you and I were hanging out in a bar or restaurant talking about hobbies. And we will cover a lot of hobbies by the time we're done. We are working to bring out a few more podcasts. The next one up is for anyone wanting to brush up on their Comic Book history. We have a sample already on our feed where we cover Sabrina. It is the Comic Book Cabinet Podcast up on all major platforms 

JT:  You mentioned that you want the listeners to feel like they're hanging out with all of you. What are some of the ways you interact with them currently?

WS: Mostly we do it by the way we talk when we're on mic. We want to be relaxed and not a 100% polished audio drama-style Podcast. We are also heavily invested in our Discord Community. We have a Play by Post RPG led by one of our community members and I'll occasionally run one to coincide with our Rise of the Runelords Actual Play. There are also quite a few folks on Twitter we keep up with and they are all a ton of fun and great community builders.

JT: Speaking of actual plays, what made you decide on Rise of the Runelords?

WS: We made the choice just when Return of the Runelords was being released by Paizo.  Our goal is to play the trilogy: Rise of the Runelords, Shattered Star, and Return of the Runelords.

JT: That's a lot of Pathfinder to look forward to! With that, the Comic Book Cabinet, and other hobbies you hinted coming on the horizon, it sounds like there'll be something for everybody. Thank you again, Wes, for taking the time to talk about the exciting things happening on the Patio.

WS: My pleasure! If anyone wants to contact me, I'm on Twitter: @WestheGM or find the whole crew: @backpationet.  Or join our discord, https://discord.gg/cykW3cK. We are all pretty active there. This has been a fun discussion, let's do it again real soon! Maybe over coffee and a board game next time?

JT: That would be my pleasure!

The Back Patio Network is Wes Smith, Hannah Sims, Matt Brewer, Adam Sims, and Casey Davis. Need something to listen to while waiting for your dice subscription box to arrive? Check out their podcasts and find more information at https://backpationetwork.com/. Back Patio Network logo used with permission.

Jairys Tak is a writer, IT professional, and all-around nerd. He is a Pathfinder player and GM, enjoys board games, and is probably drinking coffee right now.

I've been playing tabletop RPGs since before the creation of the dice subscription box: over five years of Pathfinder, Dungeons and Dragons, Vampire: the Masquerade, and more. Up to this point I've avoided character death. This streak, however, came to an end with the death of a beloved Pathfinder character. Nathaniel “Ditto” Varima was murdered in his sleep by an assassin. One dice roll – a fortitude save – decided between an abrupt end or his continued existence. The metal dice made its choice: I rolled a natural 1…an automatic failure. I’d enjoyed my time with Ditto, an ostentatiously dressed young man who alternated between rebellious indifference and a nobleman’s perfect etiquette. He was taken from the world too soon, mechanically at only fourth level, and I immortalized his final moments here on Twitter. I felt responsible for dooming this young man, a character whose personality was unlike any other I’d played before. The temptation to right this terrible wrong was difficult to ignore, because the power of playing in a fantasy world means that a character’s death needs not be permanent.

In a world full of magical means of rebirth, as well as player options such as hero points, character death can be merely an obstacle which must be overcome. Especially at higher levels of dnd, the financial cost of spell components or spellcasting services is easily achievable. For this reason, and certainly for personal reasons, many players make the choice to resurrect or reincarnate their beloved character. This is a completely legitimate choice that is well-within the rules of every roleplaying game I’ve played to date. It’s a way to finish the journey your hero has started, and I recognize that such a desire is important. I could have spared Ditto with hero points, but I made the choice not to do that. I respectfully submit that a character's death should be meaningful, and here are a few ways we can embrace the narrative power of that death.

A Memorable Farewell

The Lord of the Rings is a masterful work of epic fantasy. It’s a story that begins with a fellowship, a group of adventurers marching towards a shared goal. Each person in the fellowship helped Frodo make it to Mt. Doom, either by accompanying him along his perilous journey or through defending Middle Earth against Sauron. While much attention is rightfully given to Frodo, Sam, Aragorn, and Gandalf, for example, the sacrifice of Boromir should not be overlooked. Wracked with self-loathing and regret over succumbing to the ring’s temptation, he uses every last ounce of his strength to stall the overwhelming enemies in order to provide Frodo with a means to escape. His death is redemptive, powerful, and brutal. To have him miraculously survive or be magically restored would not fully negate his death’s bravery nor its impact, but it would significantly minimize it. When our tabletop characters die valiantly, their death can similarly become a powerful legacy by which they can be remembered.

A Death to Avenge

Not every character will perish in epic fashion. Traps and random accidents are just as likely to take a character’s life as would a determined foe, and those are frustrating situations. But even these seemingly meaningless deaths can be powerful narrative moments for the other members of your party. It is understandable to regret losing the time with one’s own character, but a lost companion can give an adventurer something to fight for. These unexpected deaths can breathe life in to a campaign, energizing the rest of the party to complete their goals and avenge the unnecessary death of their compatriot. Whether that’s railing against the pantheon or seeking vengeance against the castle’s evil tyrant, your character’s loss can give the other adventurers a renewed sense of vigor and purpose.

Mysteries and Answers

Whether you start with a three-sentence backstory or an in-depth novella, a D&D character’s story and goals grows throughout the adventure. A chance loot drop can become a treasured weapon and an NPC can become a fast friend or love interest. Tabletop roleplaying games are wonderfully collaborative storytelling experiences, and that allows our character sheets to come alive and gives players an opportunity to see the world through their eyes. We can create lofty goals for our characters or they can be driven by wanderlust. Whatever their motivations, a character’s demise leaves some amount of business unfinished. This might excite the curiosity of the other players by presenting them with an opportunity to finally get to see what was in that locked chest, for instance. On the other hand, the death can create an anticipation and mystery about whether or not they’ll ever know the answers to a character’s secretive past. In both examples, you have the ability to excite the other players and shape the game’s world.

Last Words

Many GMs give a dying character an opportunity to describe their final scene and give final words. This is an incredible opportunity to set the tone for how your character is to be remembered, as well as to do many things: ask forgiveness, demand that your death be avenged, or profess your character’s love for another. Rarely does a player get such a powerful moment: such an opportunity should be taken seriously. For the GMs reading this, consider giving your player time to put thought in to this, perhaps allowing them to play out the scene next session.

Conclusion

There’s nothing wrong with choosing to bring your character back to life! Their stories are important to us and every player has the right to decide for themselves what to do in this situation. Before you choose whether to let a character live or die, think about whether their passing can be inspiring to the other players and whether the chance to write their last moment is worthwhile to you. Whether the death is heroic or seemingly pointless, their death can be powerful, and their loss can energize a campaign in a unique and exciting way.

Jairys Tak is a writer, IT professional, and all-around nerd. He is a Pathfinder player and GM, enjoys board games, and is probably drinking coffee right now.