TOWERS! They’re kind of neat. Stephen King loves the Dark Tower, they make great hidey holes for crotchety old wizards, and also serve as awesome princess storage units. Unfortunately those aren’t the types of towers we’re talking about today. Today we’re tackling a little trade secret that may help give your cursed dice new life.  I’m talking Dice Towers.

Dice Towers are usually in an “L” or “Boot” shape and add an extra level of randomization to your rolls. They normally are made of wood or plastic and have many levels to them. You put the dice in the top of the tower and as they hit from level to level they are re-rolled, adding more randomness to your dice.

‘Why is this good?’ you may ask. First off, we’ve all had those dice that are cursed and have been forever banished to the bottom of the bag.  The dice tower allows you to change the way you roll. Secondly, it stops the “rogue” dice dilemma that has been plaguing players since the first d20 was cast 1,800 years ago. Rogue dice are the dice that hit the table, make a break for it, fly into minis, and cause general chaos.

Here are just a few Dice Towers to consider when making your next purchase.

The Dice Boot by Chessex

While not flashy it does the job. Sitting at  7.7 x 12.4 x 0.8 inches and weighing 6.7 ounces, this clear beauty will give your dice the tumble they need along with a dice catcher at the bottom. On top of all that the tower can be broken down and tucked away for easy transport.

The Dice Boot will cost you about $20 + S&H. Word from Chessex is they’re working on an upgraded version of the Dice Boot. Although they haven’t given a timeframe you can stay posted at the link below. The main draw back is that it needs to be disassembled and reassembled when transporting. Granted, a little super glue in the right place can resolve this issue.

Chessex

Blue Panther Full Size Tower

This sturdy beauty is only 4 x 4.1 x 8 inches and weighs in at 9.6 ounces. The Blue Panther is the dwarf of dice towers. While it sits lower, it weights a bit more, and is sturdier. There are a couple of key differences between the Blue Panther and The Dice Boot. First, the Blue Panther can easily fold in on itself. This makes it easy to game on the fly and makes transporting easier. Secondly, you can get the Blue Panther in a few different colors: Birch, Cherry Wood, and Stone. The Birch towers can be easily painted which adds an extra layer of personality to your set.

The Blue Panther runs about $22 + S&H. There is some minor assembly required when you first get it but the instructions are fairly easy.

Blue Panther LLC

The Tower by Geek Chic

This is the Rolls-Royce of dice towers.

The Tower takes design cues from the ruins of ancient fortresses. Toss your dice into the top and they tumble down over broken beams, ejecting into a long-since dry moat with a satisfying sound to provide truly random results.

You can roll up to 20 individual dice at the same time in this bad boy. It stands about 8.4 x 3.5 x 3.5 inches, the base is a total of 7 inches long and comes in two different wood types: Cherry and Walnut. The Tower comes fully assembled and ready to use. The only drawback to The Tower is its price. At $85 it is by far the most expensive tower on the market.

Geek Chic

That’s all for this installment of How We Roll. If you have a gaming accessory you’d like to see us cover, let us know in the comments.