Lootbound Dice Mechanics: D20 Checks and Character Dice

How do Lootbound dice checks work?

Current public gameplay analysis shows dice checks attached to valuable item choices. The item displays a difficulty, the game rolls a D20, and a failed initial result can be supplemented by a selected character die. The character die result is added to the D20 result rather than replacing it with another D20 roll.

The sequence is:

1. Compare the reward’s displayed difficulty with the D20 result.
2. If the initial roll succeeds, no rescue is needed.
3. If it falls short, identify the remaining gap.
4. Roll the selected six-faced character die and add that face to the D20.
5. The combined result determines whether the check is rescued.

Why are character dice different from normal D6s?

The physical shape has six faces, but the values do not have to be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The mechanics demonstration gives examples with zeroes, repeated threes or fours, and even a die with one 10 and five zeroes.

This means “higher maximum” is not the same as “better chance.” A spike die with one 10 can rescue a large miss, but five of its six faces may add nothing. A consistent die with several threes and fours can solve small gaps reliably but can never cover a large miss.

How do you calculate the rescue chance?

Once the D20 has been rolled, count the faces on the selected die that are at least large enough to cover the remaining gap:

Rescue chance = successful faces ÷ 6

The table below uses the example face distributions described in the public mechanics video. It illustrates the decision method; it is not a complete catalog of purchasable dice.

Remaining gap	Consistent die: 3, 3, 3, 4, 4, 4	Spike die: 0, 0, 0, 0, 0, 10
2	6/6 = 100%	1/6 = 16.7%
4	3/6 = 50%	1/6 = 16.7%
7	0/6 = 0%	1/6 = 16.7%

For a small gap, the consistent die dominates. For a gap larger than every face on that die, its rescue chance is zero and the spike die becomes the only one of the two examples that can succeed.

When should you choose consistency over a high roll?

Choose a consistent die when most likely misses are small enough for several of its faces. This is especially useful when the reward is helpful but not worth relying on a one-in-six rescue.

Choose a high-variance die when:

• the remaining gap is too large for the consistent die;
• only a rare high face can rescue the current result;
• failure is affordable and the reward meaningfully changes the run.

Do not use the previous roll as evidence that a face is “due.” Each decision should be based on the visible faces and the current gap, not on whether the same die recently succeeded or failed.

How should you compare dice before a roll?

Before the D20 result is known, compare the full distribution rather than only one rescue scenario. A useful pre-roll evaluation asks:

• How many faces are zero or too small for common gaps?
• What is the median face, not just the maximum?
• Which gaps can the die never cover?
• Does another die trade a little maximum value for several more useful faces?

The best die depends on the reward difficulty and the run’s tolerance for failure. A stable build may accept variance for a premium reward; a fragile build should usually prefer a distribution that rescues more ordinary misses.

How do Hub dice purchases connect to achievements?

Steam lists Facets of Fate for buying all dice in the Hub. That confirms a permanent dice collection outside individual checks, but the global achievement page does not expose every die’s faces or price. Record those values from the current build before publishing a catalog or claiming one purchase order is optimal.

Buying more dice expands the available distributions. It does not make every new die a universal upgrade: a die with extreme faces may be the correct tool for one gap and the wrong tool for another.

Which dice mistakes should beginners avoid?

• Comparing only maximum faces. Count how many faces can actually rescue the current miss.
• Assuming a normal 1–6 distribution. Lootbound character dice can repeat values or include zeroes and high outliers.
• Treating a failed roll as a bad choice. Evaluate the probability available before the outcome.
• Choosing without checking failure cost. A small probability can be reasonable only when the run can absorb failure or the upside is worth it.
• Publishing exact odds without the faces. A six-sided shape guarantees six outcomes, not six different values.

Combine this calculation with the route risk-and-reward guide when a dice reward competes with a safer branch, or return to the beginner guide for the complete run decision order.

Sources

• Lootbound on Steam
• Steam Global Achievements — Lootbound
• Game Design Library — Five Lootbound mechanics — D20 and character-die sequence at 4:34; example die faces at 5:25