The Dn (all D&d Dice in 1)

what is a Dn? it is not a mistyping of the acronym for dungeon master, but it is an original creation for the classic RPG. dungeons and dragons.

(creating an ai dungeon master is however a tempting idea for an ambitious future project. if I ever complete it i will post a link)

but back to the Dn...

a Dn is a transforming mechanical spinner that can take the form of any dnd die (d2, 3,4,6,8,10, 12,20) hence the n as a place holder for the number. this tutorial will cover the theory behind the mechanism, provide the tinkercad design files and show how to assemble and use it

• tinkercad stl files (provided)
• access to a 3d printer and materials
• fastening devices, such as glue, nails, screws, tacks, depending on scaling and prefered build style
• sandpaper, craft knife
• patience (for printing, error and assembly)

◇ if you don't have a 3d printer, you can still use the pieces as templates and print/ cut them out with another material, i plan to make a dedicated instructable to this in the near future

first some theory and demonstration as to how this thing works

warning: here will be math ahead (sort of) ◇

the Dn is composed of 3 concentric spinners with 3 rotating layers, plus a fixed top layer. the rotating layers will be referred to as 1 2, and 3 for reference. higher numbers occupy lower layers and are hidden beneath the smaller top layer numbers. these numbers can be revealed or hidden by turning the side levers to different positions. between the positions and circles, all dice used in dnd can be configured plus a d5 just in case you ever want one of those.

the d2, 3, 5
▪ these are visible at the base configuration with only the top layer visible (the top layer is the one above layer 1 to clarify). one needs only to match the arrow to the correct circle to use these. all of the levers are in their most counterclockwise position, so if they ever get jumbled this is the configuration to return to.

d 4, 6, 10

◇ rotating the layer1 lever (the uppermost of the rotating layers just under the top) will bring the second layer clockwise. its also a good idea to rotate layer 2 directly underneath it for these dice. those numbers will still be hidden but it will be helpful for larger dice. doing this will double the numbers for each die giving a d 4,6 10. the degree of rotation will differ slightly depending on which die you want to use, 90 for d4, 60 for d3, and 36 for d10. ◇

d 8, 12, 20
rotating the levers for layers 2 and 3 will give configurations for d8, 12, 20. for these, rotate the first two layers as you would for a die half the value, (ex if you want a d8 rotate the first two layers 90 to get a d4 first). from there, rotate layers 2 and 3. this value will also vary depending on which die you use but will always be half the angle value for the top two layers. so if you want d8, after rotating the top two layers 90 rotate layer 2 and 3 45. the angle for a d 10 and 20 would then be 30 and 18 respectively.

i included a summary table to make some of the angle math easier.

▪ a note on number placement
i designed it so there wouldn't be clusters of large and small numbers too close together for each configuratin though the distribution isn't mathematically exact, if this is something you feel strongly about you can switch some of the numbers around but the distribution is relatively even

the tinkercad files provided correspond to the pices of the spinner. they can all be found on my github

stl_file_links

layers in order from top tp bottom
▪ spinner, top, l1(1a,1b,1c) l2(2a,2b,2c), l3(3a,3b) bottom

- scaling
the dn can be scaled as needed, the original file prints small enough to fit the entire thing in your hand. if you are using a less precise printer (which i ended up having to do) you may want to scale it larger as the numbers may be blurry or parts may not print correctly. this of course will also take longer and use more material, all factors to consider when scaling. scale fasteners accordingly, for this small print I used pieces of paperclip but if you make it larger you may want to use something like toothpicks, nails or narrow screws. ◇ assembly and adjustment.

▪ ideally, everything fits together perfectly as described and you can put your chosen fasteners through the holes and glue or screw it together. but often there are errors in 3d printing, especially on such a small scale so you may have to sand, cut, add bits or poke holes to get everything to fit just so.i had to redo some of the numbers and replace one of the spinner tabs. put the layers together slowly and test as you go before gluing everything together. I ended up using the holes mostly as guides and gluing the layers.

once you have finished your dn its time to use it (now you can be glad you slogged throuh all that beginning theory)

bring your magic item to your next dnd game and be the coolest nerd at the table

thanks for reading, if you have any questions comments or suggestions please leave feedback! -