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I’m new to dnd and I’m having a hard time getting what all the stats mean, one of the things I’m having the most trouble with is things like, for example, 1d20. What does this mean and how does it apply to my stats?

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    \$\begingroup\$ What version of D&D are you playing? Have you tried having a look at the Player's Handbook? \$\endgroup\$
    – ZwiQ
    Jan 8, 2018 at 7:15
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    \$\begingroup\$ Why was this flagged as "unclear what you're asking"? There's plenty wrong with this question, but it absolutely is entirely clear at a glance exactly what this person is asking. \$\endgroup\$ Jan 13, 2018 at 4:42
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    \$\begingroup\$ @MatthewNajmon Unclear appears to be due to not indicating which game they're playing, which would possibly enable us to figure out why they're connecting d20s to attributes. It's entirely possible that they're not even playing an edition of D&D, since many groups call every RPG “playing D&D” (even mine calls it “D&D night”, due to traditions, even when it's HeroQuest or Apocalypse World!). It's clear enough to help the 1d20 part, but (as can be seen by the answers), nobody is able to help with whatever the rest of the problem actually is. As such I've given this my mod-vote too. \$\endgroup\$ Jan 13, 2018 at 4:46

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The term "1d20" is a short notation for "1 die with 20 sides". So when there is the notation of "roll 1d20" you are asked to roll an Icosahedron, or 20 sided die. 3d6 likewise would be 3 dice of the cube type.

It is even explained in the rules, usually very close to the beginning. Like in the d&D5 basic rules, page 3:

Game Dice

The game uses polyhedral dice with different numbers of sides. You can find dice like these in game stores and in many bookstores.

In these rules, the different dice are referred to by the letter d followed by the number of sides: d4, d6, d8, d10, d12, and d20. For instance, a d6 is a six-sided die (the typical cube that many games use).

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1d20 is short hand for "one 20-sided die". The first number always denotes how many dice to roll. The "d" stands for "die"/"dice". The second number always denotes how many sides the dice has. Before getting into the nitty gritty of character creation, I recommend reading through all of the introductory information provided at the beginning of your book. It isn't as fun, but it is crucial to a proper understanding of the game and the components thereof.

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The term "1d20" is a short notation for "1 die with 20 sides each". Polyhedral = a solid shape with four or more flat surfaces with D meaning die or dice - a d6 is a six-sided die (the typical cube that many games, (Monopoly, Risk, Clue) use).
The standard set : 1D4, 1D6, 1D8, 2D10, 1D12, and 1D20.I have 3 of each die plus a D30, a true D100 and I hope to buy a D60, D120 & a D1 ( a mobius strip design)in the future.

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