These dice could fly with the eagles but you’d really struggle to read them…
Name: Aruohha Giant Eagle hollow metal dice set
Description: This is a set of 7 hollow metal dice with eagles on each face. The edges and the vertices have dull reinforced caps that connect the edges. The dice are heavier than other hollow dice that I’ve bought but nowhere near what a set of metal dice weigh. The d10s have edges waists and the 6 and 9 faces use underbars to indicate orientation. The numbers are un-inked metal like the edges of the dice. The font is an angular gothic font, maybe a cleaned up Medieval Times-ish font. The eagles on each face are tinted red in the recesses of the 3d design.
Size (d20): 24mm (I’ll roll 24mm dice all. day. long.)
Where did they come from: Amazon.com (Motto: Come work for Amazon until we burn you out as fast as we can)
How much did they cost: $36
Material / color: Silvery metal (Zinc? Lead?) with red tint on the eagles.
Quality: Pretty good. The red color is a little sloppy and some of the detail of the eagles is hard to see but they feel solid and not fragile like other hollow dice that I’ve bought (and given away I think?)
Readability: Pretty bad. Silver metal numbers that are the same metal as the edges/frame of the dice make them very hard to read unless you either get them a few inches from your eyes or you can catch some light on the numbers from an angle. Even in daylight they’re hard to read.
Value: A good value at $36. Amazon depends on driving prices down, so you’d be paying $50+ for these in a game store, which you wouldn’t hesitate to pay. Coming from Amazon (meaning a random Chinese factory) I wonder if there’s lead in / on these dice. I should get a lead testing kit.
Overall Rating: 8/10 They’re good if you can read them.
Attempts needed to roll a natural 20: 39 rolls
Ten d20 rolls: 2, 13, 7, 12, 4, 20, 18, 19, 5, 19 (11.9 avg) Strong finish for that set of rolls
4d6 drop 1 stat block: 17, 14, 9, 9, 8, 13 (70 total): A Dramatic Halfling Paladin from a floating city who fights for undead rights
For reference: the Standard Array method totals to: 72 and Point Buy totals to: 69.
Random Tables rolls:
Rare Forgotten Realm Spells: 78 – Wall of Ants: Creates a wall of ants that can be used to protect an area from intruders. The ants are harmless, but the sheer numbers and their ability to scurry quickly make them a formidable barrier.
Campaign Start Scenarios: 96 – A mermaid gave each of them a magic sword and told them they were the chosen one to kill an evil lord. When the players all reach the Lord’s castle carrying similar swords they figure out that the Lord isn’t that evil and the mermaid just wants someone to kill her ex.
Final Thoughts: I like what these dice are trying to be. I have another set of dice similar to these (blunt hollow metal but with blue tint). The other set has painted numbers which does wonders for their readability. This set would be great if the numbers were red, or some other complimentary color.
I wish that these dice made the wonderful cling/clang sounds that some hollow metal dice sets make when you’re jingling them in your hand preparing to roll. This set kind of clacks together, sounding like cheap plastic dice and stone dice do. I like the detail of the eagles and the gothic font. If this set were better made (which would easily triple the price) they’d be a 10/10 rating no problem. The idea of a hollow metal set with red tinted eagles is great but the execution of this set and metal used was mediocre.
I think this is the 4th or 5th set of hollow metal dice that I’ve bought. I’ve given 1 or 2 of those sets away as I didn’t like them much after they arrived. My favorite set of hollow dice are probably my aformentioned silver/blue “Paladin” set that I’ll get around to reviewing some day. I think I like the idea of hollow metal dice better than the reality of them. Hollow metal dice are never the dice that I look to bring to the table unless it’s an “all hollow dice” vibe that I’m feeling.
Speaking of which, I need to go select the sets that I’m bringing to my weekly game this Sunday. I’ve been bringing 9 full sets plus 9 extra d20s of various sizes as well as a special d60 die. (yes, 60 sides). Carrying all of these dice is a lot to manage. I think I’m going to drop down from 9 to 4 full sets and leave the 4 of the d20s at home. A few of the d20s have liquid cores so they’re fun to fidget with during the game but I rarely ever roll them.
I should do a post showing what I bring to my weekly game some time.
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