Roll 3d6 Online
Three six-sided dice summed — classic stat rolling
Three six-sided dice summed is the original D&D ability score method — one roll per stat, six stats, take what the dice gave you. Old school and unforgiving. Totals range from 3 to 18, with 10 and 11 the most likely thanks to the tight bell curve.
Systems that use 3d6
- Original D&D, AD&D, OSR retroclones — straight ability score rolls
- GURPS — every single success roll is 3d6 under target
- Call of Cthulhu — several characteristics use 3d6
- Traveller — character creation and skill checks
- Fudge / FATE variants and many indie OSR games
3d6 probability
Out of 216 possible combinations: 3 and 18 each have a 1/216 chance (0.46%) — those are the rare ones. Totals of 10 and 11 each appear 27 times (12.5%). A score of 13 or higher comes up on only about 26% of rolls, which is why "take the highest of 4d6" became the modern alternative.
Related rollers
Try 4d6 drop lowest (modern D&D stats), 2d6, d100, d10, or the full Dice Roller.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the odds of rolling an 18 on 3d6?
1 in 216, or about 0.46%. You'd expect roughly one 18 every 36 rolls of a full six-stat block on average.
How do I roll a full D&D character this way?
Set "How many rolls?" to 6. Each total is an ability score. Assign them to Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom and Charisma in whatever order your DM allows.
Is 3d6 harsher than 4d6 drop lowest?
Yes, significantly. The average 3d6 is 10.5; the average 4d6-drop-lowest is 12.24. Old-school characters were meant to be fragile.