How to Choose Dice for Online Tabletop Gaming: A Practical Buying Guide

Quick answer

For most online tables, a readable physical set plus your platform's built-in dice roller covers everything. If you stream or play on camera, prioritize high-contrast dice that read clearly on video; if you play audio-only, a braille or tactile set can keep you rolling your own dice. Buy metal only if you love the feel and have a dice tray, since metal dice can dent bare tables and are louder on mic.

Online tabletop gaming splits dice into two jobs: the numbers your platform generates, and the physical dice you actually want to roll. Most virtual tabletops and Discord bots handle the math, so your real decision is what to keep on your desk. That's a buying question, not a rules question.

This guide gives you decision rules for picking dice for online gaming, whether you play on Roll20, Discord, or stream your sessions. It covers readability on camera, tactile access, noise, and when digital dice alternatives are genuinely the better call.

Start with how your table handles rolls

Before buying anything, decide who rolls the dice. If your group uses a virtual tabletop roller or a Discord bot, your physical dice are for flavor, fidgeting, and the occasional dramatic roll. If your group rolls physical dice on camera and reports results, readability and honesty become the priority, and you want a set that's easy to read at a glance.

A practical middle ground: keep one physical set for table presence and use the platform roller for hidden or high-volume rolls. That combination avoids the two most common online frustrations, which are slow manual entry and dice you can't read on a webcam.

• Ask your group whether rolls are digital, physical, or mixed before you buy.
• If mixed, pick dice that read well on camera so nobody has to squint.

Readability beats theme for camera play

On a webcam, contrast matters more than finish. Numbers painted in a color that contrasts with the die face will read at low resolution; subtle tone-on-tone designs disappear. Standard 16mm dice are usually large enough for a camera, but if your setup is far from the lens, test one die before committing to a full set.

This is where a set like the 7pc RPG Set - Rose Gold earns its place. The semi-translucent pink, purple, and blue resin swirls with gold-painted numbers, so the digits stand out against the busy face. For streaming, that contrast is the whole point.

• Choose light numbers on dark faces or dark numbers on light faces.
• Avoid low-contrast inking if your camera is more than a couple of feet away.

Weight, noise, and table safety

Metal dice feel authoritative and roll with a satisfying heft, but that weight has two online-specific costs. First, they're loud on a microphone, which matters if you stream or record. Second, they can dent soft tables, so a dice tray is close to mandatory. If you play late at night in a shared space, acrylic or polymer is the quieter choice.

If you want metal anyway, look for softened corners. The 7pc RPG Set - Mythica Gold Ruby uses die-cast non-toxic zinc alloy with softened Mythica corners, which improves rolling and is kinder to tables. The gold plating paired with ruby red also gives you strong visual contrast for camera play.

• Budget for a tray if you buy metal dice.
• If you stream with a sensitive mic, test metal dice before using them live.

Accessibility and tactile play

Some players can't read standard painted numbers, and online play doesn't fix that by itself. Braille polyhedral dice let blind and low-vision players roll their own physical dice instead of relying on a bot. The 10d10 Set - DOTS Braille Acrylic - Cursed Acid uses letters A-J for 1-10 and K-T for 11-20, with a Touch Point Edge that acts as an orientation marker so you can read each face correctly after a roll.

That set is a 10d10, not a full 7-piece RPG set, so check whether your game needs d4, d8, d12, or d20 results from a physical die. If it does, pair the d10s with another accessible option or let the platform roller handle the rest.

• Confirm the die types your character actually rolls before buying a specialty set.
• Orientation markers matter more than color for tactile readability.

When digital dice alternatives are the better buy

Digital dice rollers are free, instant, and impossible to misread. If your group plays entirely in a virtual tabletop and nobody cares about physical dice, you don't need to buy anything. Spend the money on a good microphone instead, since audio quality affects every session.

Buy physical dice when the ritual matters to you: the roll before a big check, the sound at the table, the collection on your shelf. That's a legitimate reason, and it's the reason most players at online tables still keep a set within reach.

• No physical dice are required for a fully digital table.
• Buy physical dice for the experience, not because the platform needs them.

Decision rules for online dice

• If you stream or play on camera: Prioritize high-contrast numbers and standard 16mm size. Test one die on your actual camera before buying a full set. Readability on video is the deciding factor.
• If you play audio-only on Discord: Choose quiet materials like acrylic or polymer, or use a dice tray with metal dice to reduce mic noise. Noise control matters more than visual flair.
• If you need accessible physical rolls: Look for braille or tactile dice with orientation markers, and confirm the die types match your character's rolls. Accessibility features should match your actual dice needs.
• If you only use a virtual tabletop roller: You don't need to buy dice at all. Put the budget toward a better microphone or camera instead. Digital dice alternatives are free and sufficient for many tables.

Real sets that fit online play

• 7pc RPG Set - Rose Gold: Semi-translucent pink, purple, and blue resin swirled, standard 16mm size, with numbers painted in gold. The gold-on-swirl contrast reads well on a webcam, and the standard size is familiar to most players.
• 7pc RPG Set - Mythica Gold Ruby: Solid metal dice in die-cast non-toxic zinc alloy, electroplated with a shiny gold finish and softened Mythica corners. Softened corners reduce table damage and roll more smoothly, which matters if you play on camera and want a satisfying but controlled roll.
• 10d10 Set - DOTS Braille Acrylic - Cursed Acid: Braille polyhedral dice using letters A-J for 1-10 and K-T for 11-20, with a Touch Point Edge as an orientation marker. Lets blind and low-vision players roll their own dice instead of depending on a digital roller.
• 7pc RPG Set - Arcane Reticle: Solid metal dice in die-cast non-toxic zinc alloy with a dark iron electroplated finish, sharp edges and corners, and a protective dice case included. The included case makes transport easy for in-person sessions, and the sharp edges give a distinct look on camera.

Who should buy what

Best for

• Players who stream or record sessions and need dice that read clearly on camera
• Groups that mix digital rollers with occasional physical rolls for drama
• Blind and low-vision players who want to roll their own dice

Not for

• Tables that roll exclusively through a virtual tabletop and never use physical dice
• Players who need a full 7-piece set but are considering a 10d10 specialty set

Pick dice for the way your online table actually plays. If the camera is on, contrast wins. If the mic is live, quiet materials win. If accessibility is the goal, match the die types to your character. And if the platform already rolls for you, it's fine to buy nothing at all.