I would like to thank Mike Novo for sending us a Necronomicon Dice Set in order to write this review. If you want to contact him to find out more about his products or to buy them, you can do it through his Facebook profile or by sending him an email (cyberdicegames@gmail.com). This way, you can get to know his other products, since this article deals only with the dice set mentioned.
A Few Words about the Creator of the Necronomicon Dice Set
Before talking about the real protagonists of the article (the dice), I want to say a few words about the project creator, Mike Novo.
Mike launched a Kickstarter campaign in the mists of now distant 2018. The initiative turned out to be a success, even if I personally didn’t follow the story (No Dice Unrolled didn’t even exist!). Not all products have been shipped yet, however, due to some unexpected challenges arising. Sure, such a delay worries many people or even makes them unhappy, but all that is water under the bridge now. What is important is that Mike is now working hard to send the dice still lacking to whomever supported him, and is also accepting new orders. He starts with 3D digital models of the dice, prints them out, and then polishes his creations.
Since we have known Mike, he has always been attentive to details, accessible, kind and a man of his word. Despite living in Russia, he sent us a whole Necronomicon Dice Set in time for us to be able to write this review. He also showed great care in protecting the contents of the package.
But now let’s explore these dice straight away!
A Gloomy Wonder…
It is hard to hold back or mince words: these dice are amazing! As you can see in the images accompanying this review, the Necronomicon Dice Set is made of metal, includes all major types of dice and features an excellent level of detail. The material is robust and gives the feeling of durability and permanence. They are pleasant to the touch and vary in weight based on the color chosen – but never too light (I’ll talk about this later). There are no overlapping colors at the base, only darker areas that give the product a professional look.
It almost seems as if you are holding an ancient artifact in your hands! These shadings make the numbers perfectly legible and lend even greater charm to their striking visual impact.
Beauty is in fact closely linked to the design, which is truly brilliant, extravagant, and different for each kind of die.
These are not the usual classic colored themed dice or the ones with special designs on the faces. Each of them presents eccentric but functional shapes, unique, but always themed with the others in the set. Tentacles, skeletons, demons… nothing is missing! The feeling they give me combines the beauty of an exotic die with the solid function of a classic one. Keep in mind, of course, that they bounce different from conventional dice when thrown, but I didn’t really find that to be a problem.
…With Few Smudges
So, is the Necronomicon Dice Set perfect? No … or, at least, not exactly.
I found the tens die to be slightly lacking. They do not provide a tens die marked so as to allow a pair of d10s to be used as percentile dice (10, 20, 30, etc.). But you can always just use two d10s and determine which is the tens (maybe using contrasting colors), but it is a good idea for a future addition to the line.
The only real problem is represented by the d20. While the aesthetics are flawless, the use in play is much less intuitive than other dice. To “roll” it, you must actually “launch” it by standing it on a level surface and spinning it like a child’s top.
This assumes, first, that you have sufficient (level) surface to do so but, worse, it is also difficult to read the result. You must decide before spinning the die which direction/face is read as the result (towards oneself, towards the master, towards the tip of a pencil positioned for this purpose,…), and then try to be honest when the result could be uncertain.
But don’t think this is an oversight. We talked to Mike about it and he explained to us that it was not possible to find a more immediate solution. Placing a protuberance to make it tilt at the end of the spinning would have negatively affected the results expressed as even the slightest imperfection in it (and with metal it is not easy to make a perfect ball) would have distorted the results of the cast. Of course, it wouldn’t be impossible, but additional tools would be needed, prices driven up dramatically. Honestly, it doesn’t seem worth it.
The Offers Available
Speaking of costs, let’s clarify how much it is necessary to pay for a similar product. We received a 10-piece set: two d2s, one d3, one d4, one d6, one d8, two d10s, one d12 and one d20. This “expanded” set costs about €88 (€103, to be exact €88 for the product and €15 for shipping).
The “classic set” in many traditional RPGs (one d4, one d6, one d8, two d10s, one d12 and one d20) is about €63 (€74, of which €62 is for the product itself and €12 for shipping).
I find the alternate possibility of composing a custom set of dice, choosing freely from those available (or even buying only one), very interesting, too.
As if that weren’t enough, each model is available in three different materials and therefore colors: copper, bronze and silver. This flexibility allows you to easily create the perfect set for your favorite RPG.
Final Considerations of the Review of the Necronomicon Dice Set
We have come to the conclusion of this review and now we need to evaluate the Necronomicon Dice Set. The first thing that catches the eye is that these are not just simple dice, they are the kind we look for when we want to buy a really nice set. And they are really nice, the aesthetic and quality give great satisfaction. The cost may seem high but, for this quality, it is definitely an honest price. Furthermore, you can reduce the shipping costs by making large, compound orders with friends that ship together.
So, I recommend purchasing this product. The risk of it becoming your favorite set is high!