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I’m not sure if there truly is a resurgence in TTRPG these days, or I’m just more cognizant of it since I started playing DnD again with co-workers (and now run the campaign). I’ve – so far – stuck with the standard cloth bag to hold my dice, but dice boxes (or dice vaults, if you prefer) are showing up more and more. One of the latest to catch my eye is the Master Monk Oracle Dice Box.
To be sure, the Master Monk Oracle Dice Box is in some ways familiar to what you may have seen in other dice boxes. It’s elongated (to fit your 7 dice; or you can go for the 11-dice option) and it’s held tight with neodymium magnets. A quick glance will show you where it quickly differs.
First off, the Master Monk Oracle Dice Box has an acrylic window in it’s lid. Just like those exhibition case backs on watches that we go ga-ga for, this let’s you see what is in the box. So, if you have multiple sets, you’ll know which one it is you’re grabbing. But doesn’t that mean you’ve now got dice bouncing off that window? Not so!
You see, rather than carved pockets to hold the dice (which many makers do) they’ve instead opted for a foam insert. This has two benefits. First, which the brand calls out, is the fact that it will hold your dice tightly in place, keeping them from rattling around. Secondly, this would allow you to have whatever combination of dice you’d want in there (ie, here’s my box o’ fireball damage) rather than the standard configuration.
Past that, you’re getting more into standard territory. There are a variety of woods on offer (while I’d probably get myself the oak, the padauk and purpleheart are certainly stunning). Past that, if you go for the 7-dice variant, it would fit itself (along with another dice box) into their dice tray and dice tower for one compact wood-and-magnet box for your game night. Myself, I don’t see the need for a dice tower, but the tray can make some sense, especially if you have folks who can’t seem to keep their dice on the table (and if so, do what Rivals of Waterdeep do, and make them reroll at disadvantage for a dropped die).
Now, if you’re just going with some inexpensive dice sets (and there’s nothing wrong with that) accumulating a giant bag of math rocks certainly works. If you start getting into the higher-end stuff (metals, semi-precious stones, custom resin sets) then something like the Master Monk Oracle Dice Box starts to make more sense. Pricing largely depends on the type of wood you want, but starts at $38 for 7-slot ash and tops out at $155 for an 11-slot ebony case (and of course adding on the tray and tower ups things further).
Is it a pricier bit of wood? Absolutely it is, but what they seem to be offering here with the Master Monk Oracle Dice Box is way nicer than anything I’d hope to create at my own bench – so you’re paying for this skill and build quality. And again, while these boxes (and the dices you put in) are more expensive than you might think, once you’ve got those, you’ve got hours and hours of entertainment without any more cost (well, aside from snacks and drinks, of course), so really, that cost-per-hour is rather low, if you ask me.
You can check out the Kickstarter campaign for the Master Monk Oracle Dice Box and get the details and put your pledge in. The campaign closes out on May 16, with delivery anticipated for November 2020. They’ve definitely hit their funding goal, and they look to be one of the more established makers, but as always, it’s caveat emptor. And, you say you’ve already got a dice box? Let me know what your favorite is – and what dice you’re storing in there! campaign page
