Review of Metal Svetovid Dice Set

Blurb from the publisher: 'It is a great pleasure for us in Q Workshop to present the unique Metal Svetovid Dice Set. Svetovid was the Slavic deity of warfare, horsemanship, welfare and divination. He was "the one who sees the world", the God who knew everything and with four faces had an eye on all directions. We wish all game masters to have as many voices to narrate thrilling stories and watchful eyes to see games in all sorts of worlds.

Everything in this set is the best we can offer: best metal, master crafted design with a hint of genius, and an elegant box that is ideal for gifts. We hope that Svatovid would be proud of us. This set is not just wonderful, it is divine. Every throw of these beautiful dice will summon the god's unstoppable powers! Every throw can make your characters the greatest heros of myths. It's not important where or in which universe, this happens; the Tales of Heroes are immortal, as are our metal dice. These dice are after all universal and usable in all roleplaying and tabletop games.'

What you get: Your EUR 61,38 or equivalent will buy you the Metal Svetovid Dice Set, a set of seven metal polyhedral dice in the standard variety any roleplayer expects: a d4, a d6, a d8, two d10s (one in single digits and one counting tens), a d12 and a d20.

The dice are of standard size, all of them having an approximate diameter of 2 cm. Their edges and numbers are silver, contrasting to the predominantly balck colour of the background. The numbers are modern, and are intricately woven into numerous elaborate designs. The background is influenced by many themes. Some might see gothic or celtic aspects, some will positively perceive its tribal undertones, yet its designers know very well where they borrowed their ideas from: the crafts and iconography of the Slavs. Aren't Poles Slavs themselves?

The highest number on each die has been supplanted by a different decorative element. I am not aware of their names, I am certain however that a historian or archaeologists would immediately recognize them. There is a design reminiscent of a 3 and a W pressed together, a swastika-like appliance but with eight axes instead of the usual for, a quadruple L complex, a stylized cross, and more. All the numbers are to be found inside circles, layered on top of additional decorative elements.

The strong points: This is Q-Workshop's sixth metal set, and as expected, it delivers strongly. Were they rugged, I would have thought that they were made by a master jeweler in a time long gone. Yet, they are not; they are shiny, imperial, the dice that only a god can toss. It might be counterintuitive for some, yet Svetovid is the god of things that one wouldn't necessarily associate with one another, like fertility, abundance, and war. As such, he looks like the god responsible to take care of all your die rolls, irrespective of whether they relate to combat, skills, or character advancement. The dice are bright no matter their dark background. This says something about the high number of intricate details dotting every part of their surface. I am not exaggerating; even the edges are carved.

The dice are easy to use and allow for good visibility even in sub-optimal light conditions. The numbers could have been a bit bigger, ultimately however they are easily discernible. I rolled each die around a hundred times on a felt tablecloth, and even though the numbers obviously did not come out exactly as statistically expected, there is nothing to suggest that the dice are plagued by flaws. Like all metal dice, they roll less than their plastic counterparts due to their weight. If you don't want to be accused of cheating, roll them more forcefully. Avoid however throwing them as if they were stones; you will invariably damage your rolling area or the dice themselves.

The set advertises itself as versatile, and I confirm that it is. The designs could be reminiscent of any pre-medieval or medieval culture, yet after using them a few times the dice get to you. They fit historical games, fantasy, conspiracy, and even sci-fi and horror, with their dark backgrounds and their interconnected designs. Clearly, this is a set for the lovers of refined craftsmanship.

In the review of the Metal Mythical Dice Set I praised the engineering behind the box. Q-Workshop used that same design here. The chance of the box opening on its own and your heavy dice being spilled on the ground by accident is practically zero. This is the result of creating a cavity on the rim of the box, so that the upper plastic part actually inserts itself inside the lower part. The company has graced us with even safer and risk-free boxes like the one found in the Metal Pathfinder Dice Set, at the end of the day however this plastic tray is the second best one can hope for after foamy packaging materials. For those not wishing to keep the dice in this otherwise very safe case I recommend sturdy means of transport like the 5 x 7" Velvet With Reinforced Treated Satin Dice Bag (blue/orange) and not standard dice bags. Damaging these beauties by having them grind one another is criminal.

The weak points: I can't stress enough that this is a luxury item, not an everyday commodity. If you have disposable income and can splash on a purchase with a value equal to a game, knock yourself out. If you can't, don't sweat it, even if you descend from Svetovid himself.

Like all metal dice, they should be treated with care. I am only rolling these dice on my felt tablecloth. The naked table (be it wooden or plastic) or game boxes without protection will be surely damaged. Idem for dice towers; I refuse to even try. Scratching these surfaces as well as potentially damaging the dice in that way is silly. These are premium metal dice, and your table might be as expensive; do not throw your pearls to pigs. I also don't need to warn you about exposing them to the elements, or cleaning them with solvents. Like plastic dice, metal dice will degrade through use. Do not be surprised by it; just make sure it happens as gradually and gracefully as possible.

Much more than plastic dice, do not leave metal dice lying around unattended. This is an expensive accessory. You don't want it stolen. You don't want it scratched. You don't even want it dirtied.

If you feel that stepping on plastic dice is painful, you wouldn't want to even imagine how it would feel like stepping on metal items, no matter how rounded their edges appear to be. Think of it as purchasing seven caltrops. Except from when you use them, you shouldn't leave them lying around, nor should you give them to kids who could throw them to one another. Metal dice can cause serious injury.  

As much as the font on each die is the same, the size is not, and the difference can be quite pronounced even though it does not cause an issue. Unless you have a review to write you might not even notice.

The 6 and 9 in the d12 and the d20 are accompanied by a small dot embedded in the complex of metal designs in order to tell them apart. Good job. The same numbers on the d10 however have no such distinguishing feature. One can only surmise what he rolled by the number's orientation in relation to the other numbers on the die. I do not take this for granted in the heat of the session, where everybody is excited and might not pay attention to such a small symbol (or lack of). It is a minor design fumble, yet I am perplexed. Why do some dice merit the dot, while others don't?

Conclusion: The Metal Svetovid Dice Set is the definition of elegance, and can be used in an incredible number of genres without missing a beat. What minute detail; what craftsmanship; what art! Svetovid nods approvingly with all his four heads.

To find out more about Q-Workshop take a look at http://q-workshop.com.

The Metal Svetovid Dice Set can be found here.

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