Dice notation
2d6
Roll 2d6 and see where it lands on the real distribution. Range 2 to 12, averaging 7.00.
The shape of 2d6
Your last roll is marked in white. The tall bars are where this notation actually lives.
- Lowest
- 2
- Highest
- 12
- Average
- 7.00
- Most likely
- 7
- Chance of 7
- 16.7%
- Possible totals
- 11
Peak at 7 (16.7%). Average 7.00. Range 2–12.
There is exactly one way to roll 2 and one way to roll 12, so each sits at 2.78%, or 1 in 36. There are 6 ways to make 7, which is why the middle of the range dominates. Rolling 2 dice instead of one trades range for reliability.
Every total, with odds
Exact figures, enumerated rather than simulated.
| Total | Chance | Odds | This or higher |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 2.78% | 1 in 36 | 100.0% |
| 3 | 5.56% | 1 in 18 | 97.2% |
| 4 | 8.33% | 1 in 12 | 91.7% |
| 5 | 11.1% | 1 in 9 | 83.3% |
| 6 | 13.9% | 1 in 7 | 72.2% |
| 7 | 16.7% | 1 in 6 | 58.3% |
| 8 | 13.9% | 1 in 7 | 41.7% |
| 9 | 11.1% | 1 in 9 | 27.8% |
| 10 | 8.33% | 1 in 12 | 16.7% |
| 11 | 5.56% | 1 in 18 | 8.33% |
| 12 | 2.78% | 1 in 36 | 2.78% |
Common questions about 2d6
What is the average of 2d6?
7.00. The range runs 2 to 12, but the average sits in the middle because there are far more ways to land near the centre than at either end.
What are the odds of rolling 12 on 2d6?
2.78%, or 1 in 36. The minimum of 2 is equally rare at 2.78%. Both extremes need every die to cooperate.
What is the most likely result of 2d6?
7, at 16.7%. There are 6 different combinations that add up to 7, against 1 for 12. That gap is what makes the curve.
Is 2d6 the same as picking a number between 2 and 12?
No, and this is the most useful thing to understand about dice. Picking at random from 2 to 12 gives every one of those 11 results an equal 9.09% chance. 2d6 covers the same span with a hump in the middle: 7 lands 6 times more often than 12 does. Same range, completely different behaviour.