OddsCalc

Dice Roll Probability Calculator

The odds of rolling exactly that total.

Number of Dice

Sides per Die

Target Total

Probability

16.67%

Winning Combinations: 6
Total Outcomes: 36

What you entered

Number of Dice: 2Sides per Die: 6Target Total: 7

1
Total possible outcomes
6^2= 36
2
Combinations summing to 7
count of 2d6 rolls totalling 7= 6
3
Probability
6 / 36= 16.6667%

Result

Probability: 16.67%

Probability of rolling a given total

Count the combinations that produce the target sum, then divide by the total number of outcomes, which is sides to the power of dice.

Dice	Target sum	Ways	Total outcomes	Probability
2d6	2	1	36	2.78%
2d6	6	5	36	13.89%
2d6	7	6	36	16.67%
2d6	8	5	36	13.89%
2d6	12	1	36	2.78%
3d6	3	1	216	0.46%
3d6	10	27	216	12.50%
1d20	20	1	20	5.00%

Seven is the most likely total on two dice because it has the most combinations, six of them, while 2 and 12 have only one each. This is the whole basis of craps odds and of Settlers of Catan board layouts.

Why 7 is the most common roll on 2d6

There are six ways to make 7 with two dice but only one way to make 2 or 12. Totals in the middle have more combinations behind them, which is why the classic bell-shaped distribution appears and why 7 comes up six times as often as snake eyes.

More dice means a tighter spread

Rolling 3d6 can produce anything from 3 to 18, but results cluster hard around 10 and 11 while the extremes become rare. Adding dice raises the average and narrows the distribution — this is why tabletop systems using multiple dice feel far less swingy than single-die systems.

Frequently asked questions

What's the probability of rolling a 12 with 2d6?

There's only 1 way to roll 12 (both dice showing 6) out of 36 possible combinations, so the probability is 1/36 = 2.78%. Compare that to rolling a 7, which has 6 ways and a 16.67% chance.

How is the dice roll calculator different from the D&D dice roller?

The dice roll calculator computes exact probabilities for hitting a target total. The D&D dice roller actually simulates random rolls with modifiers and shows individual die results — one is for math, the other is for gameplay.

What's the average roll for 4d6 drop lowest (the D&D stat-roll method)?

The average is about 12.24, higher than 3d6's average of 10.5. Dropping the lowest die skews the distribution upward, which is why rolled characters in D&D tend to have better stats than point-buy characters.