We love to see dice superstitions coming up so early in the game: "i'm gonna roll with my left hand this time!!" even though it didn't work i'm definitely trying that next time i play 🤣🤣🤣
I heard that everyone has different superstitions about their dice in D&D. To test this, I asked each of the guys I play with what their “Dice Superstitions” were. Most of them agreed:
- You should never roll your dice before you need them, doing so will “use up” their good rolls
- If a die rolls nothing good, it should be punished. (stick it in the freezer, keep it in a bag or box separate from the other dice, etc.)
but most importantly,
- When you get your dice out at the beginning of the session, line up your dice with the highest value up to increase the chances of rolling high
Alright everyone, buckle up, this is going to be a long one. So I've been trying to gather information on everything dice in order to make headcanons for my current hyperfixation with everybody's favorite little green freak Battat, and Pippins in general by extension. I've been trying to condense this information down into a handful of good links, with short blurbs and explanations like I did for Tenna's
But I cannot do that because every time I try, all of my headcanons & theories start rattling about my brain like literal dice in a cup and spill out on to the page in an incoherent mess! I need to let this out in a rant before I can even try to organize all this, so I'm gonna do that here
First off, let me give a shoutout to the fic that pushed me down this rabbithole in the first place, lycankeyy's cold dice on a hot streak, which explores the idea that Darkners don't get sick from germs & diseases (can't infect an inanimate object) and instead get illnesses from things happening to their Light World forms, or from certain beliefs about them affecting them. In Battat's case this involved catching a "cold streak", where it seems like a die can only roll ones or low numbers. I didn't use to be one for dice games, so I had never heard of this before. So of course I decided to investigate
The first thing this brought me to was an entire list of gambling superstition, mostly for various casino games. There were a lot. And I mean a lot of them. Ranging from "okay, I can sort of see the logic behind that" to "that is completely insane, why would anybody ever believe that". But the thing is, I sort of hate gambling and games of pure chance. Unless there's some sort of skill involved or a way to actually tilt the odds in your favor, count me out.
So instead I went to the other half of my search results, which were mostly for DnD games. Since it's a pretty common headcanon that Battat is actually a DnD die & that's why doesn't fit in very well, I figured this was a perfect place to start
And I thought to myself, surely DnD superstitions can't be as bad as gambling ones.
And I was right. They are not as bad.
They are worse.
(Long post is long, more under the cut)
So apparently the cold streak/cold dice thing exists in both gambling & DnD circles. Not surprising, given that with the laws of probability that's bound to happen sometimes. What did surprise me was the various methods and lengths that DnD players would go to in order to "punish" their dice for "misbehaving" and getting bad rolls
Now, I've only ever actually played DnD casually once or twice with a few casual acquaintances, and we all used a communal pool of dice. I just didn't have enough IRL nerd friends nearby to do any more than that. So I didn't know any of this stuff until I started researching
Which finally brings me to my first point
Dice Jail
I already made a post about this earlier before, but apparently one of the most common ways that DnD players punish their dice is to stick them in dice jail, so that they can "reform" and roll a better number next time. The threat of dice jail is supposed to keep them from rolling low numbers
Now I could sort of see this one, if the idea was to keep consistently low-rolling dice separated permanently. Most dice aren't created to be weighted perfectly evenly, and occasionally some of them will just be weighted towards rolling low numbers. But stuffing a dice in there and then taking it out again after it's "reformed" is not going to sway the laws of probability
But also,
Think about the poor Pippins that get stuffed in there for something entirely outside of their control. Can you imagine a Lightner being mad at you for a number they rolled and then being punished for it? Are they teased & mocked by other Pippins/other Darkners for being in there? Do they actually try to find ways to make themselves roll better next time? Does it affect their self-worth as a Darkner? Is this what the jail cells in the dungeons of Card Castle were originally used for?
Is that why they don't care about being put in the Goulden/Sulliver Sam cages in TV World? They figure that it's nothing compared to the Card Castle Jail
I also found a "milder" version of Dice Jail, the Dice Time Out Chair, complete with a tiny Dunce cap. This one does absolutely nothing, besides giving the players a good laugh and some stress relief
Again, imagine the poor Pippins though! This one is definitely meant for humiliation. Would other Pippins/Darkners be sympathetic, or would they laugh at & mock them? Would this make the poor Pippins desperate to prove that they're not an idiot and can do better? Or do they just give up because they decide that there's nothing they can do about it?
While researching I also found two more variations on Dice Jail - the Shame Bag, which is basically the same thing, just with a cheaper dice pouch instead of a structure, for more money savvy players. And Dice Jails turned into DIY torture devices for dice. Yes you read that right. That one's probably going to need an entire separate post. You are supposed to make the other dice "watch" while you do this. To intimidate them. Yeah… Pippins angst/whump ideas galore.
I have more about the other ways that players "punish" their poorly performing dice, but this is getting long, so I'm going to split that into a Part 2.
Okay! So the last three parts were mostly about superstitions from DnD and other TTRPGs (Table-Top Role-Playing Games). This part's going to have superstitions from casinos & dice gambling games from around the world. I've been putting this one off, mostly because I don't approve of gambling or games of pure chance. Unless there's some sort of skill involved or a way to actually tilt the odds in your favor, it's just not my kind of thing. Seen it ruin to many lives for that
However, the different superstitions surrounding casinos, gambling, and luck in general from around the world make for some great worldbuilding fuel for everybody's favorite dice-based Darkners! And there are a lot of them. Most of these are more disconnected from the dice themselves, and more connected to the gambler and their circumstances. So less unhinged dice punishment or genuinely connecting with your favorite die, more desperately trying to find meaning in every little unrelated thing around you. So in other words, while most of these are much less physically destructive, they are also somehow even way less logical
First superstition I'll start off with is one of the ones that is universally shared throughout gambling, DnD/TTRPGs, and board/dice games.
Blowing on the dice to increase your luck
In DnD and most home dice games, this is done by the player themselves in order to imbue their will into the dice and encourage them to roll the number that the player wants. While gamblers also sometimes blow on the dice themselves for the same reason, it is much more common to ask a beautiful woman to blow on them for you. Could be a date, could be someone you just met at the casino who you find attractive. The idea is that the woman will channel Lady Luck through her breath and bless the dice with her favor
Usually I only ever blow on my dice in order to remind myself to take a deep breath, and to cool off my palms when they get sweaty
I already did Pippins imagines for this in Part 3, so I'm just going to move on to the next one
Never going through the front entrance of a Casino
Apparently entering through the front of a casino is considered bad luck. The idea is that passing by the people leaving the casino (who were probably leaving because they lost money) would cause their bad luck to rub off on you. Always enter through a side entrance instead. Though I'm really not sure then how you would decide which entrance is the "front" entrance then anyways? If more people use the side entrances, shouldn't the one that's used the most be considered the front or main entrance?
Is this why most of the Pippins only seem to appear in the "backstage" areas of the game? Something could be said for them entering & leaving areas & battles from the left or right, but pretty much every Darkner/character does that, so I don't think it really means anything
Not much else to say about this one. Could make for some interesting worldbuilding lore though
Lucky VS Unlucky Numbers
This one was kind of interesting to me because it can vary from culture to culture. Most North American cultures consider the number 13 to be unlucky, some gamblers will avoid making bets on or with this sum. In China however, the number 4 is considered to be unlucky because of its association with death. The number 8 is considered to be lucky in China instead, because it is phonetically similar to the Mandarin words for "wealth" and "prosperity"
The one I found the most interesting though, was the superstition surrounding the number 7. In many cultures, 7 is considered to be a lucky number. It is both prime and an odd number. Getting three in a row at a slot machine wins you the jackpot. However, at a Craps table even saying the word "seven" is considered to be bad luck. Most people choose instead to say "Big Red" or "the S-Word". This is because one person winning this roll can cause all other bets to end early
I can imagine Pippins having numbers that they consider lucky or ones that are only lucky to them. Maybe they end up avoiding certain numbers or refuse to work on certain numbered days because they feel like they're unlucky. Maybe they want certain numbered days off because that day is lucky and they want to use up as much of it as they can. Maybe they think 7 is lucky. Or maybe they avoid it entirely because they can't roll higher than a 6, & they only have 6 fingers
Lucky VS Unlucky Colors
This is another one that can be very culture dependent. What might be considered a lucky or auspicious color in one culture can be a very unlucky color to be avoided in another. The most common luck color symbolism in gambling comes from China. Red is considered the luckiest color as it is the symbol of luck, happiness, and prosperity. This is why it's such a prominent color in many Chinese festivals. Many gamblers across all cultures have adopted this superstition, and wear red in some way, shape, or form to increase their luck. Sound familiar?
Thought so
However, other colors are considered very unlucky in Chinese superstition, such as black and white. White is typically associated with death and mourning, and is usually a funeral color. Black is typically associated with misfortune, so it is also avoided. These to color connotations are typically only considered unlucky to Chinese gamblers, however. The black & white suit & tie combo is typically seen as formal & wealthy in Western cultures
Interestingly, the other lucky color in Chinese color symbolism is yellow. It represents royalty and power, as well as prosperity. Gold in particular symbolizes wealth, prosperity, and prestige
Who else wears red as their main color with lots of yellow and golden highlights?
Yeah, that's right
No wonder the Pippins are always trying to steal from him
Green is also considered a lucky color in many cultures. In Chinese color symbolism it's more associated with health, growth, and harmony than with financial wealth (though it can be used for that too). It's also often considered the opposite color of red, as they oppose each other on the color wheel of pigments
Another reason for Battat to be seen as the odd one out, or as opposite from the other Pippins? Or maybe he's not seen so much as the opposite of luck, just a different kind of luck
Sitting Cross-Legged is Unlucky
Not quite sure how this one ever came about, but apparently sitting with your legs crossed is considered unlucky. Many gamblers believe it disturbs the "flow" of luck throughout their body. Doesn't really help change the laws of probability except for maybe how hard you can throw the dice. Casinos typically have ways of counteracting trick throws though, to ensure randomness and fairness
Do Pippins refuse to sit cross-legged? Regardless of whether they are on a chair or the floor? Not really much you can do with this one, but I suppose it could be a lore point
Whistling in the Casino is considered Unlucky
The practical reason for most casinos not allowing whistling is that it can be disruptive to other players. The superstition itself though comes from two different places. The first is from British sailors, who believed that whistling would bring about storms and rough seas. Whistling was thought to "blow away" your luck. The second is from the Russians, who believed that whistling indoors was bad luck and would lead to financial problems
Imagine Pippins doing an innocent whistle to get Tenna's suspicions off of them, but are completely quiet when gambling. Maybe they also refuse to whistle when doing something risky, so as not to get caught
Itchy Palms
Having itchy palms is considered a sign of good luck. Many believe that it means that some extra cash is due to come your way soon. The trick however, is not to scratch at the itch, as this will end up scratching away all off your good luck
If your hands are tingling like this, you've probably actually got a problem with circulation or your nerves (the physical kind, not the stress ones). Maybe your hands are falling asleep if you're waiting for other to play, or maybe your palms are starting to get raw from rattling the dice for too long. Either way, if you don't want to scratch at that itch, you should probably at least flick your wrists out and rotate them some. Do some wrist, hand, and finger stretches too. No sense getting carpal tunnel over a superstition
This one I can see being part of Pippins culture. Maybe when they're really super excited about something they'll rub their palms together, but they refuse to scratch at them. Maybe Battat refuses to be pulled away from the Mike Board because his palms are itching, so he must be on to something. In reality one hand is falling asleep from being in the same position for so long, and the other has been rubbed raw from holding his pen. The amount of caffeine he has consumed is not helping the tingling either
Washing Your Hands
Sort of related to the itchy palm thing above. This one can be kind of gross depending on which "luck" streak you're on. If you're running a streak of bad luck, then washing your hands can help to wash the bad luck away. It gives you a clean, fresh start of luck. On the other "hand", if you're having good luck (or if you're starting to get an itchy palm), you're supposed to keep from washing your hands so you don't accidently wash the good luck away
Not sure whether hand sanitizer counts for this or not, but please wash your hands - use the sanitizer if nothing else. Hundreds if not thousands of people go through Casinos every day, and I highly doubt most of them are wiped down every time someone is done using something. Especially if everybody's been using the same cards or dice, or if you've had people blowing on your dice. You will get germs, and you will get sick. Do not risk your health for a supposed shot at wealth. Your odds of getting an infection are much higher than your odds of winning
This is another one I can see being part of Pippins culture. Gets so bad with some that Tenna has to put up extra "Employees Must Wash Hands" signs everywhere. Others are late for their jobs because they're too bust scrubbing away in the sink, trying to get every nook and cranny under their nails. Could go either way with Battat. Refusing to wash his hands at all when he thinks he's on a lucky streak or is close to discovering something. Or having to have his hands bandaged up because he's washed them so much that he's scrubbed them raw. Pluey & Jongler are concerned
Don't Count Your Money At The Table
The practical reason for this one is that it slows down gameplay and is considered rude. It's also thought to bring bad luck. Also, if you're going to gamble you should probably know how much money you have to work with from the beginning. And you should also be able to keep track in your head of how much you are winning or losing. If you've lost track of how much money you do or don't have, or are loosing the ability to tally it all up in your head, then it's probably time to stop gambling
Not really much else to say on this one
Don't use $50 Bills
This one is an American superstition that it's bad luck to gamble with $50 bills. The exact origins to this are unclear, but the most common theory is that it came from the idea that mobster and gangsters would leave a $50 bill in a dead victim's pocket as a warning to others. Some American gamblers call $50 notes "frogs"
I can see this one being part of Pippins worldbuilding as well. Refusing to gamble with 50 Dark Dollar notes, or even 50 Point coins. Anybody gambling with either could be marked as Tenna's next firing victim, or a victim of his next temper tantrum. I can also see the frog thing being used to tease Battat, with him being green and all
That's about it for this one. There are a few more things of note, but they're not superstitions per say, so I'll leave them for the informational posts
