Ancient Egyptians Used 20-Sided Dice as Early as 200 BCE

did you know? Ancient Egyptians were using 20-sided die as early as 200 BCE.

PHOTO: METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART

Gamers, it’s over. You thought D&D invented the d20 in 1974? The Egyptians were rolling for initiative in 200 BCE. Somewhere in Ptolemaic Egypt, a priest was running a tabletop campaign with his fellow temple scribes, and the dungeon master had a 20-sided die made of stone.

The Met has the actual artifact: a 20-faced icosahedron die from Greco-Roman Egypt, each face inscribed with Greek letters. These dice were likely used for divination — the priests would throw the die and interpret which god’s answer came up, which is the ancient world’s version of rolling for guidance. It’s not quite D&D, but it’s absolutely a 20-sided die, and it absolutely predates everything you thought you knew about dice games.

So the next time someone says ‘d20s are modern,’ hit them with the Met’s exhibit. The Egyptians were rolling nat 20s while Rome was still a village. Praise Ra, the eternal dungeon master.