Roll 2d6
Two six-sided dice is the roll that taught most people what a probability curve looks like. The ends of the range each have exactly one way to happen, while the middle has many, so results pile up in the centre. Every game built on 2d6 is really a game built on that pile.
Press Roll to throw the dice.
Press Space to roll again. Type notation like 2d6+3 or 4d6dl1 straight into the box.
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Rolling 2d6 gives totals from 2 to 12 out of 36 equally likely outcomes. The most likely total is 7 at 16.67%. The lowest total comes up 2.78% of the time and the highest 2.78%. The average roll is 7.
- Minimum
- 2
- Maximum
- 12
- Mean
- 7
- Median
- 7
- Std deviation
- 2.42
- Most likely
- 7
- Its odds
- 16.67%
2d6 probability distribution
The extremes each need every die to agree, which is why 2 and 12 are rare. Middle totals can be built several different ways, so they dominate the table below.
| Total | Ways | Probability | This or lower |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 2.78% | 2.78% |
| 3 | 2 | 5.56% | 8.33% |
| 4 | 3 | 8.33% | 16.67% |
| 5 | 4 | 11.11% | 27.78% |
| 6 | 5 | 13.89% | 41.67% |
| 7 | 6 | 16.67% | 58.33% |
| 8 | 5 | 13.89% | 72.22% |
| 9 | 4 | 11.11% | 83.33% |
| 10 | 3 | 8.33% | 91.67% |
| 11 | 2 | 5.56% | 97.22% |
| 12 | 1 | 2.78% | 100% |
When you'd roll 2d6
Roll 2d6 when you want a typical result most of the time and a memorable one occasionally. Powered by the Apocalypse games lean on this hard: a high band is a clean success, a middle band is success with a cost, and a low band hands the story back to the GM. Traveller sets target numbers against the same curve. At a craps table the curve is the entire game, and the payouts are priced off it.
Where this roll shows up
- Powered by the Apocalypse games such as Apocalypse World, Dungeon World and Monster of the Week, where you roll 2d6 plus a stat and read the result in bands
- Traveller, which has run on 2d6 target numbers since 1977
- Craps, where the whole betting layout is built around which totals come up most
- Monopoly movement, and the doubles rule that sends you to jail
2d6 questions
Why is the middle total the most common on 2d6?
Because there are more ways to make it. The lowest total needs both dice at their minimum and the highest needs both at their maximum, one combination each. Middle totals can be built from several different pairs, so they come up far more often over a long session.
What is a 2d6 result band?
A rule that sorts the total into ranges instead of a single pass or fail. Powered by the Apocalypse games use three bands: a strong hit, a partial hit that costs you something, and a miss. The curve makes the partial band the most common outcome, which is deliberate.
Is 2d6 the same as 1d12?
No, and the difference matters. A d12 gives every number from 1 to 12 the same chance. Two d6 cannot produce a 1 at all, and they crowd the middle heavily. Same top number, completely different shape.
How do modifiers change a 2d6 roll?
A modifier slides the whole curve without changing its shape. Adding two moves every possible total up by two, so the peak moves with it. The spread stays identical, which is why 2d6 systems can tune difficulty with small bonuses and still feel consistent.