Gary Gygax

[NickMiddleton]

Originally Posted by PK Games

So what were icosohedrons used for before D&D?

Geometry lectures and classes - the Icosahedron, like the tetrahedron, cube, Octahedron, Dodechedron are Platonic solids - regular convex polhedra.

Cheers,

Nick Middleton

[PK Games]

So basically they were used as "models" to show different shapes. And G Gygax went "hmmm if only they were numbered!"

[NickMiddleton]

Originally Posted by PK Games

So basically they were used as "models" to show different shapes. And G Gygax went "hmmm if only they were numbered!"

I believe (from the Wired article somebody linked to earlier) that Gygax was using a system of picking sight unseen a single chit from a set numbered 1 to 20 before he was show the icosahedron in an education supply catalogue. So he already had the idea of a 1-20 random range (flat distribution etc.) but didn't have a die shape until he saw the icosahedron...

Nick Middleton