Troll Lord Games

http://www.christies.com/Lotfinder/lot_ ... ID=4205385
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Sir Fiffergrund, Lord Marshal of the Castle and Crusade Society.

He Who Hides Behind The Elephant's Back

Wow

That is cool as are some of the other objects. Twould be nice to have some of that in my curio cabinets.
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Count Rhuveinus - Lejendary Keeper of Castle Franqueforte

"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax

"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth

Someone's wallet is going to take a critical hit for sure.
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"We'll go out through the kitchen!" Tanis Half-Elven

Peter Bradley

Woah, and I thought d20's only existed due to RPG's... I had no freakin clue... that is the coolest thing I've ever seen.
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"If everyone was drunker, was beer cheaper? And if they were more drunk the further back one goes, is there a time when everyone was completely soused all of the time? And, could I go there?" -Davis Chenault

Alea Iacta Est!... and by the looks of it, quite a few times!
I like the bit about scholars not knowing what game this was used for. Silly scholars.

-Fox

It casts new insight into Caesar's assassination, doesn't it? Perhaps he killed off Brutus' 14th level paladin at their Friday night D&D game.

What makes the scholars assume it is a gaming die? It could be an educational tool. It could be used for divination (which would have nothing to do with gaming...), or countless other things. Sometimes, I don't understand "archaeology."

Yeah, sure, we use dice primarily for gaming -- does that mean, thousands of years ago, other societies had to, too?

Bah!

Neat, though.

serleran wrote:
What makes the scholars assume it is a gaming die? It could be an educational tool. It could be used for divination (which would have nothing to do with gaming...), or countless other things.

Or birth control...
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kim@trolllord.com

Click here: http://tiny.cc/4rvo5

khartsfield wrote:
Or birth control...

Nice.
-Fox

I see the symbol for the sun on there and I believe there are some other planetary symbols. Probably was used for divination.

serleran wrote:
What makes the scholars assume it is a gaming die? It could be an educational tool. It could be used for divination (which would have nothing to do with gaming...), or countless other things. Sometimes, I don't understand "archaeology."

Yeah, I know what you mean. I took some Archaeology courses in college, and it always seemed to me that if they couldn't understand what something was, then it must be something of religious significance. Very annoying.

I sure that in this case, it was immediately familiar to the discoverer as the now iconic d20, and so he/she went with the whole gaming theme.

-Fox

Hey, it's still cheaper than buying all the books for 3.x!

RLW wrote:
Hey, it's still cheaper than buying all the books for 3.x!

Ego laudo veritati!

(pardon my Latin... it's been a few years )

-Fox

"Archeology is the search for fact, not truth. If you want truth, Mr Tiree's philosophy class is right down the hall." Dr Jones.
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"We'll go out through the kitchen!" Tanis Half-Elven

Peter Bradley

Quote:
What makes the scholars assume it is a gaming die? It could be an educational tool.

Oh come on, Serl - anyone can see, even on that Christie's shot, that some of the inscriptions clearly indicate a critical hit, a saving throw, and, if I'm not mistaken, one that's nearly rubbed out is for attack of opportunity (shudder). Plus, I think the Gladiator extended version - and the time that movie is set would in fact be just about perfect - has a scene where Maximus and Commodus are playing 3.5; Maximus is DMing, and Commodus' beloved elf dies as a result of not having the correct prestige class to take out the minotaur. In the original version, that's what really set him off - the whole bit about being denied the Emperorship was just icing on the cake.

serleran wrote:
What makes the scholars assume it is a gaming die? It could be an educational tool. It could be used for divination (which would have nothing to do with gaming...), or countless other things. Sometimes, I don't understand "archaeology."

What, the large amounts of Roman writing given over to dice games, stories of dice games, laws about dice games, restrictions on dice games, notes on dice games in other cultures, advice or philosophy of dice games... etc, all recorded by the Ancient Romans while the Roman Empire was still extant, not to mention pictures of Romans dicing found frequently in archaeological digs or the large, large number of Roman dice discovered in non-religious settings suggest anything other than the fact that, gah! Romans were fond of dice games?

Huh?

Foxroe wrote:
Ego laudo veritati!

(pardon my Latin... it's been a few years )

Euge! Although technically the accusative is regular with laudare--

Ego laudo veritatem!

I would be tickled pink to own a "collector's set" of reconstructed Roman dice. Getting used to a d20 with letters on it would take some time, though.

"What's the challenge level?" "Q." "Ah, good thing my haruspex is level N."

RLW wrote:
Euge! Although technically the accusative is regular with laudare--

Ego laudo veritatem!

Grates! (at least I think that's how one says "thanks!" )

-Fox

I would like to see the results of a chi-square test on that die.

I have a hunch that they were playing Papers and Paychecks.

Quote:
What, the large amounts of Roman writing given over to dice games, stories of dice games, laws about dice games, restrictions on dice games, notes on dice games in other cultures, advice or philosophy of dice games... etc, all recorded by the Ancient Romans while the Roman Empire was still extant, not to mention pictures of Romans dicing found frequently in archaeological digs or the large, large number of Roman dice discovered in non-religious settings suggest anything other than the fact that, gah! Romans were fond of dice games?

Huh?

Simply being fond of dice games does not necessarily mean this particular die was used for such, unless there is more information that has not been shared, such as "we found the symbols in the book of Roman Hoyle." It is circumstantial. Probable, maybe, but probable does not mean "it was." If it is fact, reveal the evidence it is fact... not a hypothesis.

I simply want to know the source of the claim - not "Romans liked dice games. This is a die. It must be for a game."

Serl, You cynic you!

It's the American way... see something and assume it's gotta be what our frame of reference says it must be!

Didn't you get the memo lol?!?

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John "Sir Seskis" Wright

Ilshara: Lands of Exile:
http://johnwright281.tripod.com/

High Squire of the C&C Society
www.cncsociety.org

It might have been used like I use one of my d20. I keep on a stand near the bed to keep track.
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Listen to the song. For in the tale there may be truth.